• Dubai schools will end all distance learning on October 3 - ensuring pupils will return to classrooms across the city. Shruti Jain / The National
    Dubai schools will end all distance learning on October 3 - ensuring pupils will return to classrooms across the city. Shruti Jain / The National
  • At the end of the summer term 2021, just 52% of pupils were in classrooms, with the remainder studying from home. Victor Besa / The National
    At the end of the summer term 2021, just 52% of pupils were in classrooms, with the remainder studying from home. Victor Besa / The National
  • This autumn term, no pupils are required to be vaccinated to return to school and no regular testing is mandatory, the city's education regulator KHDA said. Victor Besa / The National
    This autumn term, no pupils are required to be vaccinated to return to school and no regular testing is mandatory, the city's education regulator KHDA said. Victor Besa / The National
  • Under the new KDHA rules for the autumn term of 2021, social distancing of one metre is recommended, but not mandated. Shruti Jain / The National
    Under the new KDHA rules for the autumn term of 2021, social distancing of one metre is recommended, but not mandated. Shruti Jain / The National
  • Eligible school staff who do not wish to have the vaccine must submit a negative PCR test each week, said the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National
    Eligible school staff who do not wish to have the vaccine must submit a negative PCR test each week, said the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National
  • Officials said 96% of Dubai's private school teachers were now vaccinated, and that 70% of children aged 12 to 17 had received coronavirus shots. Pawan Singh / The National
    Officials said 96% of Dubai's private school teachers were now vaccinated, and that 70% of children aged 12 to 17 had received coronavirus shots. Pawan Singh / The National
  • After-hours extra-curricular classes can now restart. Pawan Singh / The National
    After-hours extra-curricular classes can now restart. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Swimming and sports classes can restart. Pawan Singh / The National
    Swimming and sports classes can restart. Pawan Singh / The National
  • School trips, excursions and camps will now be allowed. Courtesy: GEMS
    School trips, excursions and camps will now be allowed. Courtesy: GEMS

Ramadan 2021: UAE school day reduced to five hours


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Private schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will reduce school hours during the month of Ramadan.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai's private education regulator, said private schools would have to cut their school day to five hours from the usual seven.

Private schools in Abu Dhabi would also have their school hours reduced to five.

Abu Dhabi private schools cannot start the day before 9:30am and must end by 3:30pm.

Private schools in the emirate have received Ramadan timing guidelines from the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek).

"Each school is expected to cover the full content of the core subjects during those hours, and to consult with parents while selecting the appropriate schedule," Adek said.

Mohammed Darwish, chief executive officer of permits and compliance at KHDA, said schools could choose what times they start and end after consulting with their parent communities.

“During Ramadan, the whole school community – including pupils, teachers and parents – will be spending extra time in prayer with their families," Mr Darwish said.

"We ask schools to be mindful of this with regards to the amount of homework and assignments set for pupils.

"Every Ramadan, we practice the virtues of patience, togetherness, compassion and inner strength, and this year we will need to draw on these virtues more than ever.”

Ramadan 2020 in UAE – in pictures

  • A cannon is fired at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, to mark the beginning of iftar in 2020. Victor Besa / The National
    A cannon is fired at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, to mark the beginning of iftar in 2020. Victor Besa / The National
  • A Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
    A Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Hundreds of packets of cooked food provided by Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh temple in Jebel Ali for the needy are distributed by Markaz volunteers before iftar at the Naif area of Deira, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Hundreds of packets of cooked food provided by Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh temple in Jebel Ali for the needy are distributed by Markaz volunteers before iftar at the Naif area of Deira, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Volunteers in Fujairah prepare food to be handed out at iftar. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Volunteers in Fujairah prepare food to be handed out at iftar. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi, at sunset. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi, at sunset. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A cannon is fired to mark the breaking of the Ramadan fast at Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi's oldest standing building. Victor Besa / The National
    A cannon is fired to mark the breaking of the Ramadan fast at Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi's oldest standing building. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A woman checks out a Ramadan promotional stand at Carrefour in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    A woman checks out a Ramadan promotional stand at Carrefour in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan lamps for sale at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Ramadan lamps for sale at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Ramadan decorations in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The sun sets behind Al Rustmani Mosque in Jebel Ali, Dubai, on the day before Ramadan. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    The sun sets behind Al Rustmani Mosque in Jebel Ali, Dubai, on the day before Ramadan. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
    Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Ramadan lights on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Ramadan lights on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations at the Spinneys in Al Barsha, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Ramadan decorations at the Spinneys in Al Barsha, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A Ramadan date shopper at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National
    A Ramadan date shopper at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations inside Al Fateh Plaza at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Ramadan decorations inside Al Fateh Plaza at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Overall standings

1. Christopher Froome (GBR/Sky) 68hr 18min 36sec,

2. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) at 0:18.

3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:23.

4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:29.

5. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 1:17.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Breast cancer in men: the facts

1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.

2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash. 

3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible. 

4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key. 

5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor

 

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.

The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

Price, base: Dh1.2 million

Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm

Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm

Fuel economy, combined:  12.3L / 100km (estimate)

Four-day collections of TOH

Day             Indian Rs (Dh)        

Thursday    500.75 million (25.23m)

Friday         280.25m (14.12m)

Saturday     220.75m (11.21m)

Sunday       170.25m (8.58m)

Total            1.19bn (59.15m)

(Figures in millions, approximate)