DUBAI: German football legend Lothar Matthaus stepped in on Saturday to please a disgruntled driver who was dissatisfied by Manuel Neuer’s reward for returning his wallet. After learning about the displeasure of Albanian taxi driver Hazir S. after the run-in with Neuer, former midfielder Matthaus bought the reward, a signed Bayern Munich jersey, for €1,000 ($977) and decided to put it up for sale at a charity auction, German media reported. Arab News previously reported that the driver was unsatisfied by Bayern goalkeeper Neuer, who gave him the signed jersey after being reunited with his forgotten wallet containing €800 and two credit cards. Neuer had left his wallet in the taxi after he and a friend were picked up from Munich’s Odeonsplatz area. The driver had found the wallet in the backseat when he parked to have it cleaned. He made a 120 km ride back to Munich that cost him €400, according to media reports, with Neuer giving the driver the signed jersey in a box. The driver told Sky Germany: “This finder’s fee is a mockery. I have four children. I can’t do anything with the jersey.” Bild newspaper reported on Saturday that Matthaus had decided to buy the jersey and have it auctioned for charity. “Lothar is the best! I’ve always liked him as a player. But now he’s my hero,” the driver was reported as saying. Germany and Bayern fan Abed Majed described Neuer’s attitude as shameful. “It is a shame what Manu did, unlike what Matthaus did. He showed the true gentleman he is. Manu should make a public statement and compensate the driver,” Majed told Arab News. Athlete Wasim Nsoule, also a Bayern and Germany fan, said: “A happy ending for a taxi driver by legend Matthaus, West Germany’s captain and Ballon D’or winner in 1990, played the role of the savior and the driver will smile soon.” Former Munich resident and Bayern fan Marie M. told Arab News that Neuer could have avoided that “shameful prize” and provided a valuable reward, like a jersey and two match tickets at the side’s home ground Allianz Arena. “I’m positive that would have pleased the driver. It would please me considering the ticket prices I used to pay to watch Bayern,” she said. Soon after his shift was over, the driver failed to reach the 2014 World Cup winner at his residence and the drop-off point before he finally got hold of Neuer’s manager and handed him the wallet. Bild reported that the driver’s dissatisfaction was reasonable as German laws said he deserved 5 percent of the retrieved property and an additional 3 percent if it was worth over €500.
HAVANA: Another rare Bengal tiger cub was born at Cuba’s National Zoo in Havana, zookeepers said on Friday, just over a year after four of the striped and adorable baby beasts — among them a rare white tiger — graced the grounds. The birth of all the cubs comes after trying for 20 years to breed the endangered felines. All the cubs were born to Fiona and her mate, Garfield. Sadly, the new cub is the sole survivor of a litter of four born two weeks ago, as his siblings suffered from severe neurological problems and perished. Born underweight, the newcomer, who has yet to be named, is being cared for in the artificial breeding department of the zoo where he is reported to be “frisky.” “The birth of the cub was a joy. It was so small and we have been feeding it milk and caring for it in other ways,” 21-year-old Maria Karla Gutierrez, one of its care givers, said as she cuddled the small cat. Thousands of the Bengal tigers, known for their orange coats, once roamed the forests in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. But their numbers have plummeted to about 2,500, wildlife experts say. Poaching, deforestation and over-hunting have all taken their toll. Three of the world’s nine tiger sub-species became extinct last century, and many scientists believe a fourth, the South China tiger, is already functionally extinct. The National Zoo, a wildlife park, is a favorite attraction for Cubans, with 1,473 specimens of more than 120 species, including large animals such as elephants and rhinos. “For the park, for the country and for the world it is a very beautiful thing since tigers are in danger of extinction,” zoological veterinarian Angel Cordero said. “It makes us proud. We are very happy and we are going to continue reproducing the animals,” he said.
Penzu is an online diary and personal journal that I recently have been using, and have found to be very therapeutic.
What I like most about it is its simplicity, which makes it very convenient. I open the application, and the first thing I see are my journals — If you pay for a subscription, you will enjoy more journals and customization options.
It is one of the easiest and uncomplicated interfaces that any user can enjoy.
You can also get creative and upload photos from your phone or computer to add more to your personal journaling experience.
I believe journaling is a very helpful practice to clear one’s mind, and we must make some time in our day to write down our thoughts.
Penzu asks you to set a reminder as soon as you sign up for it; I choose to journal every evening when I am freed from my busy schedule. It has helped me a lot in clearing my mind and organizing my thoughts.
From an environmental perspective, I’m very pleased that I can write so much without worrying that I might run out of pages, and it cuts down on the use of paper. Digital journaling is ticking all the boxes for me. Another feature that I appreciate is that Penzu is 100 percent private, which makes me feel secure to express myself because paper diaries and journals can be read by anyone if they are not hidden away. Penzu allows you to create a password lock for your online journals.
If you have created a number of separate journals and you are looking for a specific item, Penzu has a smart journal search feature. Penzu is available on iOS and Android.
DUBAI: Video shared by the UAE’s Ministry of Interior on social media shows dramatic footage as government rescuers helped members of an expatriate family into safety from the flooded Al-Shees in Khor Fakkan area of Sharjah.
The video showed civil defense team members preparing safety lines during the challenging night-time operation braving floodwaters to save the rain-soaked residents.
Heavy rains have inundated the country – with the emirates of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah the most affected. Videos circulating online showed vehicles almost entirely submerged in flooded norther emirates roads, particularly in Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah.
Another video from the interior ministry showed strong currents of floodwater crossing Suhaila Al-Sharjah road to Al-Dhaid, also in Sharjah, which forced its closure by authorities until further notice.
The National Centre of Meteorology earlier issued a safety alert warning a continuity of rainfall and flooding in the valleys over some easter and mountain area of the country.
#تنبيه #المركز_الوطني_للأرصاد #Alert_#NCM pic.twitter.com/n6hmCXXgco
“Please take the utmost care and cautions and avoid valleys, landslides and flooded areas,” the weather agency warned.
Non-essential employees from both the private and public sectors who were affected by the torrential rains were urged to work remotely until Friday, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation meanwhile advised.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Dubai ruler, also called on the Ministry of Community Development to accommodate those who have been displaced from their homes and move them to temporary shelter sites.
He particularly directed that hotels nearby flooded areas be booked to accommodate all affected families, as well as those living in areas at risk of flooding.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) reiterated that the safety of people and property was ‘top priority,’ and was working with the police teams and civil defense agencies to respond to all emergencies.
Photos were also posted on social media as the Joint Operations Command of the UAE’s defense ministry implemented the ‘Loyal Hands’ operation to support the civil authorities in Fujairah.
The operation rescued residents stranded in flooded areas as well as those trapped inside their homes.
تعلن قيادة العمليات المشتركة عن تنفيذها عملية "الأيدي الوفية" في دعمها للسلطات المدنية في إمارة الفجيرة التي تعرضت ليلة البارحة الأربعاء لمنخفض جوي، وتركزت العملية علي إنقاذ العالقين في المناطق المغمورة بالمياه وإنقاذ المحاصرين داخل بيوتهم حيث تم اخلاءهم لمناطق الايواء دون خسائر pic.twitter.com/U7Q36s1SDQ
The MoI and Police Directorates have issued warnings and awareness instructions to minimize the damage due to present weather conditions, especially the expected intensification of rain and winds.
DUBAI: A newly elected Lebanese MP from the “change” bloc has accused several of her fellow politicians of intimidation and sexual harassment.
Cynthia Zarazir said that she found pornographic magazines, condoms and rotten food in the office assigned to her in parliament, and had been the victim of catcalling by MPs from the Amal bloc headed by Nabih Berri.
She added that the MPs had also likened her to a “zarzour,” or cockroach, because of the word’s similarity to her family name.
“When I entered the session, two MPs were sitting next to MP Ali Hassan Khalil and they proceeded to bully me over my family name saying here comes the ‘cockroach,’” she told Lebanese channel MTV.
She described the situation as “utter chaos,” adding that she had found files in her office under the name of “Hajj Mohammed” but had yet to determine the identity of the MP who used to occupy the office.
She continued: “Every day, I ask the employees at parliament for a proper parking spot. The first few days I had to use my friend’s small car to be able to park properly. When I requested a bigger spot, I was told by MP Ali Hassan Khalil, ‘Go buy a small car, you have the money for it.’”
On Twitter and Facebook on Tuesday, Zarazir spoke out about the harassment she had faced from her male counterparts.
“Ever since I entered parliament, I have not been shown any respect to suggest that those who I will be working alongside for the next 4 years are firstly, humans and secondly, respectable people.
“Being catcalled by men whose misogyny outweighs their masculinity, being given a dirty office littered with Playboy magazines, unused and dirty condoms in the drawers and on the floor, being bullied over my family name, and not given a parking spot.
“If this is how they treat an elected fellow MP, how will they deal with those who are voiceless?” she said.
LONDON: McDonald’s will increase the price of its cheeseburger by 20 percent in Britain, in the first price hike for the popular item in 14 years as it responds to soaring inflation. The cheeseburger’s price will now rise to 1.19 pounds from 99 pence. McDonald’s will also increase prices by 10p-20p for other items that have been hit by rising costs, the burger chain’s UK chief told customers on Tuesday. “We’re living through incredibly challenging times,” McDonald’s UK & Ireland CEO Alistair Macrow said. “Just like you, our company, our franchisees who own and operate our restaurants, and our suppliers are all feeling the impact of rising inflation.” The increase, which will take the cheeseburger above the psychologically important price point of 1 pound, comes as British consumer price inflation hovers around 40-year highs and is forecast to top 11 percent in October. Macrow said the increases had been delayed for as long as possible, and that the company was still committed to keeping prices affordable. The Chicago-headquartered chain, which runs more than 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries, also raised US prices by 6 percent last year, in line with increases at other consumer-focused companies which are facing higher inflation amid strong post-pandemic demand and supply chain disruption. The British Retail Consortium said on Wednesday shops and supermarkets had increased prices by 4.4 percent in the 12 months to July, the largest rise since these records began in 2005. Helped in part by higher prices, McDonald’s Corp. on Tuesday reported better-than-expected profit even as expenses soared. It said it was also considering whether to add more discounted menu items as higher inflation, particularly in Europe, forces some consumers to buy fewer big combination meals.