The digital display at an exhibition by the Andrey Melnichenko Foundation during the Cop28 summit in Dubai. AFP
The digital display at an exhibition by the Andrey Melnichenko Foundation during the Cop28 summit in Dubai. AFP
The digital display at an exhibition by the Andrey Melnichenko Foundation during the Cop28 summit in Dubai. AFP
The digital display at an exhibition by the Andrey Melnichenko Foundation during the Cop28 summit in Dubai. AFP


Restoring biodiversity goes beyond the problem of climate change


  • English
  • Arabic

March 11, 2024

One of the most curious exhibits at Cop28 in Dubai last November was the “Pleistocene Park” backed by Russian coal and fertiliser billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.

He thinks that restoring lost ecosystems could be the way to take up more carbon from the atmosphere.

Biodiversity is part of climate, and yet more than that. The question is how can we best preserve and restore the natural world?

Mr Melnichenko has made a start by funding the return of some large mammals, including horses, reindeer and musk-oxen, to a remote north-eastern corner of the Russian taiga and tundra. He has not yet revived the mammoth, which became extinct shortly after the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, though there are some proposals to use genetic samples preserved in permafrost.

Nevertheless, he believes that by trampling snow and recreating grassland, the animals will help the tundra store more carbon and slow the melting of permafrost.

Large, “charismatic” creatures such as dinosaurs and mammoths are those we most wish we could bring back. Conservation efforts for endangered species focus on the white rhino, the panda, the orangutan and similar species.

  • This specimen at the American Museum of Natural History in New York is believed to be a hybrid between Columbian and woolly mammoths. Photo: Ryan Somma
    This specimen at the American Museum of Natural History in New York is believed to be a hybrid between Columbian and woolly mammoths. Photo: Ryan Somma
  • Ivory from woolly mammoth tusks has been used for various creations for centuries. Getty Images
    Ivory from woolly mammoth tusks has been used for various creations for centuries. Getty Images
  • A skull of a woolly mammoth discovered by fishermen in May 1999 in the Netherlands. Photo: Celtic and Prehistoric Museum
    A skull of a woolly mammoth discovered by fishermen in May 1999 in the Netherlands. Photo: Celtic and Prehistoric Museum
  • A woolly calf displayed at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Photo: Ruth Hartnup
    A woolly calf displayed at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Photo: Ruth Hartnup
  • This artefact made from woolly mammoth ivory called the Lion-Man was found in the Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave, Germany. Photo: Dagmar Hollmann
    This artefact made from woolly mammoth ivory called the Lion-Man was found in the Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave, Germany. Photo: Dagmar Hollmann
  • A mammoth tusk with carvings made in the 19th century in Yukon, Alaska, on display at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, California. Photo: BrokenSphere
    A mammoth tusk with carvings made in the 19th century in Yukon, Alaska, on display at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, California. Photo: BrokenSphere
  • Venus of Brassempouy, a carving from mammoth ivory, on display at the Musee d'Archeologie Nationale in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. Photo: Dagmar Hollman
    Venus of Brassempouy, a carving from mammoth ivory, on display at the Musee d'Archeologie Nationale in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. Photo: Dagmar Hollman
  • A frozen calf named Yuka. Photo: Cyclonaut
    A frozen calf named Yuka. Photo: Cyclonaut
  • The Berezovka mammoth during excavation in 1901. Photo: Museum of Zoology in St Petersburg
    The Berezovka mammoth during excavation in 1901. Photo: Museum of Zoology in St Petersburg
  • A model of the Berezovka mammoth partially covered by its skin at the Museum of Zoology in St Petersburg, Russia. Photo: Andrew Butko
    A model of the Berezovka mammoth partially covered by its skin at the Museum of Zoology in St Petersburg, Russia. Photo: Andrew Butko
  • A leg with the skin and fur of a mammoth on display at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. Photo: Matt Mechtley
    A leg with the skin and fur of a mammoth on display at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. Photo: Matt Mechtley
  • A close-up of preserved woolly mammoth fur on display at the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Tommy Arad
    A close-up of preserved woolly mammoth fur on display at the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Tommy Arad
  • A recreation of a woolly mammoth at the Royal Victoria Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Photo: Thomas Quine
    A recreation of a woolly mammoth at the Royal Victoria Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Photo: Thomas Quine
  • Mammoth remains on display at the Siegsdorf Natural History and Mammoth Museum in Siegsdorf, Germany. Photo: Lou Gruber
    Mammoth remains on display at the Siegsdorf Natural History and Mammoth Museum in Siegsdorf, Germany. Photo: Lou Gruber
  • A cast of remains at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany. Photo: Ghedoghedo
    A cast of remains at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany. Photo: Ghedoghedo
  • The image depicts a late Pleistocene landscape in northern Spain with woolly mammoths, equids, a woolly rhinoceros and European cave lions with a reindeer carcass. Photo: Mauricio Anton
    The image depicts a late Pleistocene landscape in northern Spain with woolly mammoths, equids, a woolly rhinoceros and European cave lions with a reindeer carcass. Photo: Mauricio Anton
  • A woolly mammoth skull from Bzianka, Poland, with one downward spiralling tusk. Photo: Henryk Ferdynand Hoyer
    A woolly mammoth skull from Bzianka, Poland, with one downward spiralling tusk. Photo: Henryk Ferdynand Hoyer
  • A mammoth molar featured in a display of artefacts at the Georges-Garret Museum in Vesoul, France. Photo: Remi Mathis
    A mammoth molar featured in a display of artefacts at the Georges-Garret Museum in Vesoul, France. Photo: Remi Mathis
  • In 2015, a 15,000-year-old woolly mammoth was unveiled at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. Delores Johnson / The National
    In 2015, a 15,000-year-old woolly mammoth was unveiled at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. Delores Johnson / The National
  • The woolly mammoth was roughly the same size as modern African elephants. Delores Johnson / The National
    The woolly mammoth was roughly the same size as modern African elephants. Delores Johnson / The National
  • The woolly mammoth coexisted alongside early humans. This one lives in a mall. Delores Johnson / The National
    The woolly mammoth coexisted alongside early humans. This one lives in a mall. Delores Johnson / The National
  • Miners in the Klondike gold fields of Canada's far north discovered the mummified remains of a baby woolly mammoth. Government of Yukon / AFP
    Miners in the Klondike gold fields of Canada's far north discovered the mummified remains of a baby woolly mammoth. Government of Yukon / AFP
  • While some scientists are trying to bring the woolly mammoth back, others have studied how using gene editing can resurrect extinct animals such as the Christmas Island rat. Getty Images / AFP
    While some scientists are trying to bring the woolly mammoth back, others have studied how using gene editing can resurrect extinct animals such as the Christmas Island rat. Getty Images / AFP
  • The team found they could reconstruct 95 per cent of the Christmas Island rat genome. Getty Images / AFP
    The team found they could reconstruct 95 per cent of the Christmas Island rat genome. Getty Images / AFP
  • Climate change, not humans, caused the extinction of woolly mammoths. PA
    Climate change, not humans, caused the extinction of woolly mammoths. PA
  • When icebergs melted, it became too wet for the mammoths to survive because their food source was wiped out. PA
    When icebergs melted, it became too wet for the mammoths to survive because their food source was wiped out. PA
  • Giant bronze sculptures of mammoths on display during the World Biathlon Championships in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk. AFP
    Giant bronze sculptures of mammoths on display during the World Biathlon Championships in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk. AFP
  • An imagined woolly mammoth on display at the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Havens Studio / Reuters
    An imagined woolly mammoth on display at the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Havens Studio / Reuters
  • Mat Wooller, director of the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility, kneels among a collection of mammoth tusks at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. University of Alaska Fairbanks / AFP
    Mat Wooller, director of the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility, kneels among a collection of mammoth tusks at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. University of Alaska Fairbanks / AFP
  • These woolly mammoth remains are a huge attraction at the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. Delores Johnson / The National
    These woolly mammoth remains are a huge attraction at the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. Delores Johnson / The National
  • A gilded woolly mammoth skeleton was created to benefit the amfAR Cinema Against Aids in Cap d’Antibes, southern France. Prudence Cuming Associates / Damien Hirst / AP
    A gilded woolly mammoth skeleton was created to benefit the amfAR Cinema Against Aids in Cap d’Antibes, southern France. Prudence Cuming Associates / Damien Hirst / AP

Visiting a wildlife park such as Kenya’s Nakuru, Zimbabwe’s Hwange or Sri Lanka’s Yala reveals a rich variety of animals such as elephants, lions, leopards, hippopotamuses and crocodiles.

However, these are but vestiges of former paradisiacal ecosystems, that spanned every continent before the arrival of modern humans.

Their advanced hunting skills, the clearing of forests by fire, perhaps in combination with the climatic changes at the end of the last Ice Age, wiped out the mammoth along with the sabre-toothed tiger, the woolly rhinoceros, giant kangaroos and others.

Then came the takeover of land for agriculture, and the onset of invasive species that accompany people, such as dogs, cats and rats.

The modern era has seen further encroachment, industrial-scale forest clearance, the slicing up of habitats by roads for logging and mining, noise and light pollution that drive animals away and interfere with mating patterns, the overuse of pesticides and fertilisers, and the flooding of valleys by hydroelectric dams.

Climate change now threatens to outpace the rate at which species can adapt or move to cooler climates. Acidification of the oceans by carbon dioxide combines with industrial fishing, coastal development and excess nutrient run-off to devastate coral reefs, an essential building block of marine ecosystems.

In some studies, the Amazon rainforest appears dangerously close to dieback, when it would convert to savannah, releasing large stores of trapped carbon into the atmosphere – equivalent to about 13 years of emissions from all fossil fuel combustion.

Today, humans amount to 34 per cent of all mammal biomass; our domestic creatures – mostly cows, pigs, sheep and chickens – for 62 per cent. Wild mammals are just 4 per cent.

For all the focus on the big charismatic animals, the effect on less visible parts of the ecosystem may be more important – plants, insects, birds and amphibians.

British scientist James Lovelock, who died in 2022 aged 103, created the hypothesis of “Gaia” – that the Earth and life upon it form a unified, self-regulating organism. But he came to fear that so much biodiversity had been destroyed that Gaia might lose its ability to adjust and recover.

If the living world started releasing rather than absorbing trapped carbon, that would be a devastating blow to our ability to limit climate change.

Yet we are putting a growing burden on the natural world. Not so much because of overpopulation, an unhealthy obsession of some mostly western scientists and campaigners who fixate on developing countries. The problem comes more from the growing needs for food, timber and – ever more – biofuels.

Air transport, in particular, plans to rely on sustainable aviation fuels made mostly from biological materials – waste at first, such as used cooking oils, but once that supply is exhausted, attention will turn to dedicated crops.

But much renewable electricity, particularly in Europe, comes from burning biomass – particularly wood. This has dubious sustainability, and, as trees take time to grow after being replanted, may occur a carbon debt that takes decades to repay.

The International Energy Agency estimates the current energy from biological material at just over 60 exajoules – equivalent to about 10 per cent of world demand for primary energy, or about half the energy consumption of North America.

While a large share of “traditional use” – often unsustainable cutting down of trees for firewood if it rose to over 100 exajoules by 2050 would stop, some of this comes from re-using waste.

The agency has carefully tried to keep its estimates within the bounds of sustainability, but other studies reveal much higher figures.

We should seek to tread more lightly on the earth rather than more heavily. That suggests initiatives of rewilding – returning some arable or pasture land to nature, restoring habitats such as mangroves, re-establishing populations of large mammals, and allowing predators such as bears and wolves to return.

Agriculture should be more intensive but over less land, and with more focused attention on managing its negative consequences, such as fertiliser overuse, run-off, and water withdrawals.

Over-reliance on biomass for low-carbon fuels can be replaced by hydrogen-based synthetic fuels using renewable energy or carbon capture and storage. Biomass power plants can be downplayed in favour of nuclear and geothermal power, batteries and hydrogen or carbon capture-based generation.

Restoring biodiversity goes beyond the problem of climate change. Some of the proposed ways of tackling climate change may be very damaging to biodiversity, while others favour it.

Pleistocene Park may be an extreme example, but the integrity of ecosystems should be cherished, not trampled under the hooves of a one-eyed climate policy.

Robin M. Mills is chief executive of Qamar Energy, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis

Schedule:

Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Rest

(Because Music)

One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.

 

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Sugary teas and iced coffees

The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.

For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

Results
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More from Armen Sarkissian
Key developments

All times UTC 4

if you go

The flights 

Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning. 

The trains

Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.

The hotels

Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.

WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS

England v New Zealand (Saturday, 12pm)

Wales v South Africa (Sunday, 1pm)

Greatest Royal Rumble results

John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match

Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus

Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal

Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos

Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe

AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out

The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match

Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last

Roll of honour

Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?

Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain

Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons

West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles

West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles

West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles

Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens

Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

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Results
  • Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
  • Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
  • AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
  • Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
  • The Undertaker beat John Cena
  • The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
  • Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
  • Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
  • Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
  • Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
  • Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
  • Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
  • Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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65
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Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)

Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg

Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD

Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time

Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.

Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.

The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.

The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.

Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.

The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.

• Bloomberg

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg

Alita: Battle Angel

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson

Four stars

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Draw:

Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi

Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania

Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia

Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola

Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMaly%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mo%20Ibrahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.6%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%2C%20planning%20first%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GCC-based%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

The Gentlemen

Director: Guy Ritchie

Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant 

Three out of five stars

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

RESULTS

Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.

Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.

Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.

Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.

Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.

Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.

Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0

Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.

Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.

Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.

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Updated: November 21, 2024, 12:33 PM