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UAE announces ministers for state ministers for happiness, tolerance, youth

[email protected] (Agencies)
February 11, 2016

Dubai, Feb 11: It sounds a bit New Age, but the United Arab Emirates has just appointed state ministers for happiness, tolerance and youth.

ministers

Minister of Tolerance Sheikha Lubna Al-Qassimi, Minister of Happiness Ohood Al-Roumi, Minister for Youth Affairs Shama Al-Mazroui

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the UAE prime minister who is also the ruler of Dubai, announced the new lineup on Wednesday via his official Twitter account.

It is apparently part of a move to show the government is offering more than simply providing basic services for its citizens.

"Happiness in our nation is not a wish .. but there will be plans, projects and programs and indicators .. and it will be part of the work of all our ministries .. and a part of our way of life," Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

The job went to Ohood Al Roumi, who will continue her existing role as director-general of the prime minister’s office. She was one of seven women named to posts in the new 29-member Cabinet.

"The new cabinet focuses on the future, youth, happiness, developing education and combating climate change," tweeted the 66-year-old prime minister, who is also the Emirati vice president and ruler of Dubai.

Sheikha Lubna al-Qassimi, the former development and international cooperation minister, was made state minister for tolerance.

Twenty-two year old, Western-educated Shama al-Mazroui was made state minister for youth affairs.

The United Arab Emirates, which has one of the highest levels of GDP per capita in the Arab world, is seen as a haven of stability in a region beset by turmoil and where public devotion to the rulers is high and little dissent is tolerated.

It is home to the glitzy emirate of Dubai, which transformed from a desert backwater to a global financial hub, where thousands of Arab expatriates flock to seek professional and entpreneurial opportunities not available in as much supply in other unstable Arab countries.

Sheikh Mohammed had announced earlier this week plans to outsource most government tasks to the private sector and cuts to the number of ministries.

The announcement came as energy-rich Gulf Arab states have been hit by low oil prices, encouraging them to streamline institutions and attract more foreign investment.

The cabinet lineup left the same figures in the critical portfolios of finance, economy, energy, defence and foreign affairs.

"The new lineup is a new stage whose headline is the future ... the youth ... happiness ... developing education ... and dealing with climate change to protect our environment," Sheikh Mohammed said.

Comments

preetha
 - 
Saturday, 13 Feb 2016

A good move to have a minister for happiness, which is lacking in this world, only if we are happy we can radiate happiness to others .
A good move
stay blessed

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News Network
February 2,2020

Newsroom, Feb 2: American business magnate Bill Gates has congratulated her daughter Jennifer Gates after she announced her engagement to her Muslim boyfriend Nayel Nassar.

“I am completely thrilled! Congratulations, @jenniferkgates and @nayelnassar”, commented the Microsoft boss to her daughter’s surprise Instagram story.

The proposal took place on a ski getaway. "Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind. Absolutely swept me off my feet this past weekend, surprising me in the most meaningful location over one of our many shared passions," she wrote on Instagram. The pair does have one very significant shared passion - horses.

Nassar, 29, is a showjumper. Gates, 23, has famously grown up an equestrian, and has even competed against Steve Jobs' daughter.

In October, Nassar helped Egypt qualify for Tokyo 2020 - Egypt's first Olympic equestrian qualification in 60 years. He has been jumping since he was 10 years old and has the accolades to show for it - he has taken first place in a number of notable competitions, including the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup.

Nassar was born in Chicago to Egyptian parents and spent many of his formative years in Kuwait, where his well-to-do parents run an architecture and design firm, according to People. He is fluent in English, Arabic, and French.

He moved back to the US in 2009 and graduated from Stanford with an economics degree in 2013 - later, he supported Gates at her own Stanford graduation in 2018.

The couple received well wishes from many notable personalities on each of their Instagram posts, including comments from Bill and Melinda Gates, Georgina Bloomberg, and Eve Jobs.

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News Network
May 20,2020

Mangaluru, May 20: The Third Vande Bharat Mission flight carrying 63 repatriates from Muscat landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 8.35 pm on Wednesday. It was piloted by Mangalurean captain Michael Saldanha.

More than half of the passengers from Muscat alighted in Bengaluru where the flight landed first. Remaining 63 passengers came to Mangaluru. 

After landing, all the passengers were given health kits, food and mobile SIMs, and arrangements were made to change their currency at the airport. 

A health department team screened each passenger, after which emigration formalities were completed. Their throat swab samples will be tested for Covid-19 on Thursday.

Union fertiliser minister D V Sadananda Gowda tweeted on Wednesday that the next Vande Bharat Mission flight is scheduled on Friday from Doha to Mangaluru. The flight will land at Mangaluru at 9.55 pm. 

The third repatriation flight from Dubai to Mangaluru is scheduled on Saturday. It will first land at Bengaluru and later fly to Mangaluru. However, there are no flights from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to Mangaluru.

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News Network
July 19,2020

Mangaluru, Jul 19: Five physicians of KVG Medical College in Sullia, Dakshina Kannada were booked for violating their home quarantine guidelines.

The district administration learnt about their quarantine violations after tracking their GPS locations through the app on Sunday.

The five medics were ordered 14 days home quarantine after the College staff tested positive for COVID-19. 

However, all the five physicians visited many places in the town violating quarantine norms, and hence the police booked cases against them.

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