I've had many occasions on which to be a proud father to my three beautiful children but this latest one is right up there with the best.
On July 26, my 15-year-old son Patrick will be carrying the Olympic torch in London during the final stages of its relay round Britain ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony the following day.
And not just any old part of London. My boy will do the stretch along Downing Street, the home of the Britain's prime minister, David Cameron, and probably the most famous street in the United Kingdom.
What an honour. As an infant, my son fell victim to a horrible disease that nearly cost him his life but which eventually led to the amputation of his right leg and left hand.
Despite this, he is the most resourceful, independent youngster I have ever met and he hasn't let his physical problems impede his progress in life. He is good academically and joins in vigorously with school sports and social life.
Two years ago, he had an upper limb prosthetic fitted. This is real state-of-the-art kit, giving him hand dexterity via control of the muscle pulses in his arm. It was a tricky thing to learn but he managed it quickly and now has what he calls his "bionic arm". He was the youngest person in the world to be fitted with the advanced prosthetic, which he insisted should be cast in "Schwarzenegger black".
No doubt somebody in the Olympic organising committee saw the symbolic value of having the torch carried by a youngster who has visibly overcome big problems.
Patrick, a young entrepreneur if ever there was one, saw the possible sponsorship advantages and was lining up deals with Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche before I pointed out that any such deal would breach the Olympic code on advertising.
Next week, I will see my boy as a hero yet again. Don't miss it on TV, about 9.15pm local time. I just hope he gets an opportunity to tell the prime minister what his dad thinks of him.
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We heard the good news about the Downing Street run while Patrick and his elder sister Rosie were enjoying a few days with me in Dubai.
There's nothing like visitors to give you a fresh perspective on the place you call home and Rosie, 19, who had been out to visit many times before, thought the city was looking very good indeed. "They've finished a lot of things, haven't they? I'm sure there were more building sites the last time I was here," (just last year). That's pretty good testimony to the emirate's rate of recovery from economic troubles.
And of course, having visitors means you get to see Dubai as a tourist again yourself. I was surprised at the high levels of occupancy, and room rates, in hotels in what is supposed to be low season, although there were good deals to be done, too. The Dubai hospitality industry has obviously learnt the art of fine-tuning.
For the record, Rosie named the Japanese restaurant Nobu at Atlantis, the Palm as her best experience.
The biggest disappointment was a road trip to Hatta. After a couple of hours' driving and encounters with truculent Omani border guards, we arrived at the pools to find an environmental disaster.
Previous visitors had consumed what looked like a whole goat, and left rotting rubbish everywhere. Oman, please clean up your act.
fkane@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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The five pillars of Islam
How to help or find other cats to adopt
Company%20profile
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Match info
Bournemouth 1 (King 45 1')
Arsenal 2 (Lerma 30' og, Aubameyang 67')
Man of the Match: Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)
Aggro%20Dr1ft
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
