Latest news with #Protection
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
UAE schools to train 75,000 students on real-world money skills under ‘young investor programme'
The 'Young Investor Programme' will teach 75,000 UAE students across 50 schools essential skills like saving, budgeting, and investing through interactive lessons and real-world workshops/ Image courtesy: Khaleej Times In a landmark move to promote early financial literacy among students, National Bonds, the UAE's leading Shari'a-compliant savings and investment company, in partnership with the Knowledge Fund Establishment, has launched the 'Young Investor Programme'. The programme is designed to teach fundamental financial concepts to students through both classroom-based and hands-on, real-world learning. Reaching 75,000 Students Across the UAE The initiative sets an ambitious goal: to reach 50 schools and impact 75,000 students across the country. It has already completed a successful pilot phase in 11 private schools in Dubai, currently engaging 3,500 students. As part of a recently announced three-year expansion plan, National Bonds aims to scale the programme nationwide through regional activations and flexible delivery models. The schools that participated in the pilot phase include: Dubai Schools – Al Barsha Dubai Schools – Al Khawaneej Dubai Schools – Nad Al Sheba International School of Creative Science – Nad Al Sheba American School of Creative Science – Nad Al Sheba American School of Creative Science – Maliha American School of Creative Science – Al Layyah Buds Public School Nibras International School Dubai Springdales School Dubai St. Mary's Catholic High School With its early success in Dubai, the programme is now expanding to Sharjah, through a collaboration with the Masar initiative, launched by the Sharjah Capability Development Authority. Masar aims to empower Emirati university students and recent graduates with practical training and mentorship, ensuring continuity in financial education from school years into early adulthood, preparing for the workforce through Masar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like India's first integrated Power Backup Solution - Livguard Lithium-X Livguard Buy Now Undo A Curriculum That Combines Theory and Practice The programme initially targets Grades 5 and 6 with simplified lessons on financial basics. It also extends to Grades 11 and 12, where students participate in workshops hosted at National Bonds' headquarters, providing hands-on exposure to the finance industry. Students are introduced to a structured curriculum built around six core modules: Money Management Payment Systems Loans and Debts Savings and Investments Insurance Protection Plans, with a focus on Takaful Long-Term Financial Planning These modules are supported by role-playing exercises, interactive case studies, and practical workshops that bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. To keep pace with evolving economic trends, new topics are continuously added, including: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Currencies Modern Money Management Techniques For older students, the workshops delve deeper into: Budgeting and Financial Planning Investment Strategy Market Research Data Analysis Professional Communication Skills These activities aim to give students an insider perspective into financial services and the skills required in finance careers. Extending Beyond the Classroom More than just academic learning, the programme also encourages students to develop and pitch real-world investment or business projects. Selected proposals may receive feasibility assessments, mentorship, and recognition, preparing students for entrepreneurial or investment-focused futures. In Sharjah, the Masar partnership enhances this vision by targeting university students and fresh graduates through specialised financial literacy workshops. These sessions focus on: Savings Financial Planning Investment Awareness Risk Management A Vision Aligned with the UAE's Knowledge Economy Speaking about the broader impact of the initiative, Rehab Lootah, Group Deputy CEO at National Bonds, said: 'The success of the 'Young Investor Programme' reflects our belief that financial education should start early, and in a way that resonates with young minds. By equipping students with the basics of saving and planning, we are helping them build habits that last a lifetime.' Lootah also stressed how the programme aligns with the UAE's national development goals: 'This initiative is more than just a programme; it's part of a larger movement aligned with the UAE's vision for a knowledge-based economy. As we expand into more emirates, we are proud to be giving the next generation the confidence and tools to navigate their financial future with purpose.'
Forbes
3 days ago
- Forbes
Google's Next Pixel Update—Apple's iPhone Falls Behind
Apple has some catching up to do. Smartphones are now under threat from malicious text messages, attacks that come courtesy of China's organized criminal gangs. Whether its an unpaid toll or a DMV traffic offense or even an undelivered package, the threat is the same. Google warns that these dangerous texts can be sent directly to your phone rather than via a mobile network, and that users should disable 2G networks to stay safe. Those so-called SMS-blaster attacks trick your phone into connecting to a malicious device, thinking it's a legitimate cellular access point. That same kind of trickery can do more than just blast texts, it can actually intercept all traffic to and from the phone. You'll have heard of police use of so-called Stingrays — that's what this is. Network defense at work. Not only does Google enable 2G connections to be disabled where iPhone does not, but the Android-maker is now also launching a defense against these rogue cellular connections, warning when there's any unencrypted connection or when a network is repeatedly pinging a phone for its identifiers. Again, iPhone cannot do the same. I've reported on this before, but with the release of Android 16 it's now imminent — with a catch. As Android Authority points out, 'it's unlikely that any current devices will be updated to support the notifications feature. We will most likely have to wait for upcoming devices that launch with Android 16, such as the Pixel 10 series.' That's because this only works through an interface between the cellular modem and the phone's Android OS, and that's not expected to be available as an aftermarket upgrade. It also requires new modems capable of running the interface software. iPhones, by contrast, have to rely on filtering texts from unknown senders. Network defense at work. Android users with the right hardware — as and when it's available — should enable this protection. They should also disable 2G network connections and also enable Android 16's new Advanced Protection Mode, which — not be accident — disables 2G by default. With the network defense and Advanced Protection Mode upgrades, Google is seriously raising the bar for Android users. Apple's iPhone is materially behind when it comes to network protection, albeit remains ahead when it comes to phone lockdowns, malware defenses, sandboxing apps and policing data harvesting permissions. The gap between the two operating systems has never been narrower. A current Android phone with these protections enabled gives iPhone a run for its money for the first time. At least as regards external threats. You still need to be comfortable with Google's own tracking and data harvesting, and its expansive use of Gemini.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Independent
‘Hardship' for West Cork communities over protected nature sites
Much of the West Cork coastline has been designated as a Natura 2000 site, either as a Special Protection Area (SPA) or a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Those designations are now causing hardship for local people and in some cases preventing much-needed development and infrastructure projects, West Cork Councillors say. At this week's meeting of Cork County Council, Councillors Finbarr Harrington and John Michael Foley called on the Council to write to the government to seek permission from the European Union to carry out an urgent review of Cork's designated Natura 2000 sites. 'In my own West Cork, working harbours, piers and slips were taken into SACs and these are causing unbelievable amounts of difficulties for ourselves as a local authority to do repairs to these piers because we must carry out all kinds of EIAs [Environmental Impact Assessment] before we get to do it,' Cllr Harrington said. 'In relation to rural planning, where you have young couples that are just applying for planning permission for a normal family home to live in it, our planners are obliged to notify them that they're building in an SAC or an SPA or an NHA [Natural Heritage Area] and they must go off and do EIAs, which is costing them thousands and thousands of euros,' he added. Cllr Harrington cited the Garnish slipway at the tip of the Beara Peninsula, which is used by recreational sailors, fishermen and the Coast Guard. Sand builds up at the tip of the slipway over the winter but because it's in the Kenmare SAC, ministerial permission has to be sought to remove the sand. Many of the designations were mapped decades ago and have not kept pace with updated ecological knowledge or with the practical realities faced by rural communities, according to Cllr Foley. 'Right now in County Cork, homeowners struggle to get planning permission for modest homes. Farmers are restricted in their ability to work their land. Local councils find critical infrastructure projects delayed or blocked entirely in many coastal areas. Renewable energy and rural development projects, crucial for meeting Ireland and Europe's climate goals, are held back,' he said. 'We're not asking to dismantle conservation efforts, but we need to be able to complete coastal erosion problems where farms are falling into the sea, roads are falling into the sea. We need to be able to work on things, we need to be able to work on essential works like working harbours. We're not asking for a dismantling of the SECs, they're great, but we are asking for a common-sense approach where we can work,' said Cllr Foley. The Council agreed to write to the government to ask for a review of the Natura 2000 mapping.
New York Times
4 days ago
- New York Times
Housekeeper Arrested Over Wildfire That Scorched Greek Island
A 35-year-old housekeeper was arrested in Greece on Tuesday in connection with devastating wildfires that tore across the island of Chios this week, officials said. 'She'd been smoking,' Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis, the spokesman of the Hellenic Fire Service said of the housekeeper, who he said was a Georgian woman. Five blazes, the first of which broke out on Sunday, collectively consumed more than 11,000 acres of the island. A news release from the fire service said a foreign woman had been arrested on the north of the island, near where the last of the fires sprang up on Monday. The blazes razed huge swaths of the island's forestland, forcing the evacuation of more than a dozen villages. Firefighters from across the country were rushed to the island on planes and ferries to battle the blaze; more than 400 were eventually deployed. As Greece approaches its summer wildfire season, the Chios fire was a reminder of a grim reality for the nation, where furious wildfires have become a regular part of life, especially as climate change has made the country hotter and drier. Chios is one of the largest islands in the Aegean Sea, known for resin-producing mastic trees which hardly grow anywhere else in the world. Used for things like pharmaceuticals, beauty products and liquor, the trees are a critical driver for the local economy, and a draw for tourists. While not as popular as some other Greek islands, Chios sees an influx of visitors during the summer months, also the height of wildfire season. The trees have been periodically threatened by wildfires on the island, including in 2012, when a wildfire destroyed more than half of the island's mastic tree population, causing a global shortage of the valuable resin. The fires this week damaged some of the island's trees, according to local media, but did not burn the southern part of the island, where the majority of the mastic trees grow. Three of the blazes started on Sunday; another two began on Monday amid sweltering, windy conditions. Firefighters had contained most of the fires by Thursday, as winds calmed. Soon after the fires began spreading on Sunday, fire officials deployed investigators from the fire service's Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes. The scope of the fires, and their presence in multiple, unconnected areas of the island, suggested to officials that they did not begin naturally. 'We will not hide behind words: When fires break out simultaneously in such scattered locations, we must speak of suspicious activity,' said Giannis Kefalogiannis, the country's Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, in a Greek-language statement on Monday. Niki Kitsantonis and Matina Stevis-Gridneff contributed reporting.
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Magor and Pontypool fouled by water company
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, pleaded guilty to two offences of knowingly permitting the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter into inland fresh water. The offences involved raw sewage and took place over one day in Pontnewynydd, Pontypool and over a 12 month period, in Magor. Welsh Water, the not-for-profit utility, allowed sewage to leak into a sensitive area on the Gwent Levels at Magor and at a brook in Herbert's Wood, north of Pontypool. The brook is a tributary of the Afon Lwydd, a river that flows through major population centres before entering the Severn Estuary. Newport magistrates heard that Welsh Water allowed a broken sewer line to discharge raw sewage into a reen and salt marsh near Magor, over a whole year. Natural Resources Wales had to take enforcement action at the sensitive site, the court heard. Welsh Water had repeatedly failed to repair essential plant and effectively manage the site. The offences occurred between January 2023 and January 2024, the court was instructed. The Magor area contains a delicate salt marsh environment and has several areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Furthermore, the wider area has a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA). Welsh Water was fined £90,000 for the Gwent levels incidents and £160,000 for the Pontnewynydd incident, which was caused by a spillage from a foul sewer chamber in February 2023. They were also ordered to pay more than £18,000 in costs. Welsh Water had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges. Of the damage in Pontnewynydd, Natural Resources Wales said sewage was visible over ground and throughout approximately 400m of the tributary. Speaking of the Magor incidents, they said: 'For over a year, our officers recorded a pattern of recurring sewage pollution incidents in the same area, impacting a highly protected habitat which is rich in plants and wildlife, including a saltmarsh. 'Time and again we were assured that necessary repairs had been made, yet the pollution persisted. 'As well as causing considerable harm to the local environment, we found Welsh Water's response to the incidents to be inadequate. Communication was at times poor, and there were unnecessary delays to their incident response procedures such as pumping and tankering away the pollution, which could have lessened impact."
