ODIHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Service members on parade during a full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal on the runway at RAF Odiham on April 30, 2023 in Odiham, England. A full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal took place at RAF Odiham, ahead of the Armed Forces involvement in the second procession that accompanies Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace, through the streets of Central London. (Photo by Rob Pinney / Getty Images)
ODIHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Service members on parade during a full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal on the runway at RAF Odiham on April 30, 2023 in Odiham, England. A full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal took place at RAF Odiham, ahead of the Armed Forces involvement in the second procession that accompanies Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace, through the streets of Central London. (Photo by Rob Pinney / Getty Images)
ODIHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Service members on parade during a full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal on the runway at RAF Odiham on April 30, 2023 in Odiham, England. A full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal took place at RAF Odiham, ahead of the Armed Forces involvement in the second procession that accompanies Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace, through the streets of Central London. (Photo by Rob Pinney / Getty Images)
ODIHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Service members on parade during a full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal on the runway at RAF Odiham on April 30, 2023 in Odiham, England. A full tri-service and Comm

Full-scale copy of coronation procession route recreated at RAF airbase


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

A full-scale copy of the coronation procession route has been created at an RAF airbase to ensure the ceremony for King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla goes off without a hitch.

In the largest parade of military personnel since the funeral of Winston Churchill, more than 7,000 ceremonial troops brushed up on their drill at RAF Odiham in Hampshire on Sunday.

The airfield was mapped out using a pace stick to ensure it was precisely the correct distance of the procession route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

Neat grids of sailors, soldiers and pilots stretched across the base, comprising personnel from the 34 Commonwealth countries and six overseas territories.

“Putting it all together for the first time here, actually, there’s a tinge of excitement," said the head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key.

“For us to have the opportunity and the privilege to play a small role in the coronation of His Majesty and Her Majesty in just under a week’s time is a mixture of excited anticipation, probably a few nerves and great pride.

“The late queen, like the king today, was an enormous supporter of the armed forces and what we do, and we see this being continued in him.

“We have enormous confidence in King Charles as our commander-in-chief and it’s a great opportunity for us to show our allegiance to him, and I’m sure that his mother will look down with great pride on the day.

“I’m looking forward to joining up with my family who are hoping to be in the crowds in London enjoying the atmosphere.

“No doubt I’ll then shed my uniform and pull on some incognito clothes to join in because it is a great national celebration.”

Armed forces rehearse for king's coronation - in pictures

At the shout of “Coronation, procession, by the centre, quick march”, the rehearsal was under way, with every troop planting their left foot to the beat of the bass drum.

Commonwealth troops led the marching contingent, while the Household Cavalry took up the rear.

Officials were creative in how they marked the route, with a pair of rugby posts playing the part of Buckingham Palace, and a set of cones replacing Admiralty Arch at the entrance to The Mall.

That enabled troops to split and reform as they will do on the day, while a brown minibus stood in for the royal Gold State Coach.

The UK prepares for the coronation of King Charles III - in pictures

Meanwhile, mounted cavalry marched on foot to avoid "foreign object debris" such as horseshoes or manure being left on the runway, which could be a hazard to the aircraft taking off from the base.

But one animal was invited to take part in proceedings — an Irish wolfhound called Seamus, who is the Irish Guards’ mascot and the only dog taking part in the parade.

Soldiers have spent weeks polishing the boots they will wear on the day of the coronation, but they have been marching so much in rehearsals that they were allowed to wear more comfortable boots on Sunday to avoid blisters before the big day.

The event was the first and only full daytime rehearsal for the coronation, although there will be a night rehearsal during the week.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes

Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press

UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Key findings
  • Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
  • Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase. 
  • People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”. 
  • Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better. 
  • But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Gulf Men's League final

Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds

500 People from Gaza enter France

115 Special programme for artists

25   Evacuation of injured and sick

Honeymoonish
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The Year Earth Changed

Directed by:Tom Beard

Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough

Stars: 4

8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint

Greenheart Organic Farms 

This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.

www.greenheartuae.com

Modibodi  

Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.

www.modibodi.ae

The Good Karma Co

From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes. 

www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco

Re:told

One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.

www.shopretold.com

Lush

Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store. 

www.mena.lush.com

Bubble Bro 

Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.

www.bubble-bro.com

Coethical 

This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.

www.instagram.com/coethical

Eggs & Soldiers

This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.

www.eggsnsoldiers.com

Titanium Escrow profile

Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue  
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
Tell-tale signs of burnout

- loss of confidence and appetite

- irritability and emotional outbursts

- sadness

- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue

- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more

- impaired judgement

- excessive and continuous worrying

- irregular sleep patterns

 

Tips to help overcome burnout

Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’

Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do

Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones

Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation

Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

Watch live

The National will broadcast live from the IMF on Friday October 13 at 7pm UAE time (3pm GMT) as our Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi moderates a panel on how technology can help growth in MENA.

You can find out more here

The biog

Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives. 

The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast. 

As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau

He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker. 

If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah

 

Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

Results

2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m

Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m

Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.

4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.

Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.

54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m

Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.

Punchy appearance

Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Updated: May 02, 2023, 7:55 AM