Five spectators died of heatstroke and more than 100 were taken to hospital after crowd of more than 1.5 million people stood in sweltering heat to watch a military air show in India’s southern city of Chennai.
Spectators gathered at Marina Beach, along the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu state, on Sunday afternoon to watch a display by more than 70 Indian Air Force aircraft to mark its 92nd anniversary. It was the first such event in the city in more than two decades and was widely promoted by the military, which said it aimed to set an attendance record.
Many people travelled to the event by train, subway and bus, arriving as early as 7am to find a place to watch. The event was scheduled to start at 11am and run until 1pm, when the temperature hit 32ºC.
“All five deaths were due to high temperatures,” Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Monday. “A total of 102 people were affected by the soaring heat, with 93 initially requiring hospitalisation.”
After the event, hundreds walked up to 4km on amid soaring temperatures and a lack of public transport. Five people fainted and died from the heat, including a motorcyclist who collapsed in the saddle, while more than 100 were taken to hospital after suffering from heatstroke and dehydration. Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition caused when the body’s temperature rises to about 40ºC.
Survivors complained that authorities were unprepared for such a large the crowd and that supplies of drinking water were insufficient.
“Poor planning of traffic routes. Public transport, local trains not increased, one train in 30 minutes. No water provided for public even the usual vendors were removed, I personally got water from a local household,” Sandesh Tayde, who attended the event, said on X.
Mr Subramanian refuted the allegations and said state authorities co-ordinated with the IAF to plan the event. Chennai police sent 7,500 personnel and 1,500 home guards for security, he added.
“Arrangements were made keeping in mind IAF's demands,” the minister said. “The Chennai Corporation and Metro Water, too, made adequate temporary toilets and drinking water arrangements. Forty ambulances were stationed with paramedic teams.”
India has a poor record of crowd management and such accidents are common across the country, including at religious events. At least 122 people were crushed to death and more than 100 injured in northern India in July when thousands of devotees gathered to hear a popular Hindu preacher in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh.
At least 224 pilgrims were killed in 2008 in a crush at a hilltop temple in western Rajasthan, with more than 400 injured. It was one of the deadliest accidents in the country's history.
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Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
RESULTS
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Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
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Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
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A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
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Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
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Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
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Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
