Botim App from Astra Tech empowers farmers in the UAE.

The action aims to make it possible for nearby farmers to showcase and sell their seasonally fresh fruit and goods to clients directly.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) and consumer technology holding company Astra Tech said on Thursday that they had organized a session to educate authorized local farmers to the Botim ultra app’s e-store.

The action aims to make it possible for nearby farmers to showcase and sell their seasonal fresh fruit and goods to clients directly.

Local farmers will be able to greatly increase the online presence and accessibility of their business thanks to the Botim ultra app’s large user base of over 8 million people in the UAE.

According to a media release from Astra Tech, the app’s sophisticated financial skills will allow farmers to embrace digital transformation, adapt new strategies for marketing and distribution, and get access to a variety of practical and cashless payment methods.

According to Abdallah Abu Sheikh, founder of Astra Tech and CEO of Botim, the company will be providing regional farmers in the UAE with digital tools to boost their online presence and reach, getting them closer to their clients and the millions of app users by utilizing the Botim ultra app as a platform.

By giving farmers data and insights that will help them better understand and serve their consumers, the introduction of digital tools in agriculture has the potential to revolutionize established processes, the author claimed.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment recently revealed data showing that the UAE has 38,000 active farms, demonstrating tremendous potential.

Farmers in the UAE have a chance online
The Botim extreme app is ready to generate a vibrant and active market, creating a revolutionary ecosystem that unites farmers and customers in the nation.

In just three easy steps, eligible licensed local farmers in the UAE will be eligible to create their own online brand on the Botim e-store and benefit from the 24-hour settlement of payments policy and in-app marketing assistance. Through the companies’ cooperation with Aramex, local farmers can also request logistical assistance for the delivery of their goods.

USB Type-C, versions, camera features, and anything else you need to know about the Apple iPhone 15

According to reports, Apple will introduce its 15th generation of iPhones on or around September 22.
Although Apple’s iPhone 15 is scheduled to go on sale in September, rumors about its future features are already rife.

Apple is anticipated to release four new models: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, keeping with its usual pattern.

Notably, a number of features that won’t be included in the other models are reportedly planned for the Pro models.Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are expected to keep a look that is very similar to that of their forerunner, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

The two models are anticipated to have displays that are 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches in size, respectively, and include an unique Dynamic Island cutaway to house the camera and Face ID system.

Elegant materials and design
Additionally, rumors claim that the Pro versions will have slimmer bezels than their predecessors and panels with polished, curved edges, giving them a more upscale appearance.

The material used for the side frames had undergone a considerable change.According to sources, Apple may prefer titanium over stainless steel, which is recognized for its light weight and toughness.

Due to its greater price, the addition of titanium could significantly increase production expenses.
Apple is reportedly considering adding a cutting-edge function to the mute switch.

This programmable button could control a variety of actions, including turning on the flashlight, silent mode, focus mode, the translate app, and the camera app’s magnifier.

iPhone 15 series: introduction of the USB-C port

The goal of this invention is to simplify user interactions, improving the iPhone 15 series’ general usability in the process.

The replacement of the Lightning port with a USB-C port is yet another notable change that will be present on every model of the iPhone 15 in the lineup.

This improvement, a response to European regulatory requirements, will gain popularity in other international markets, including India.

A periscope lens may be integrated into the Pro Max model’s camera arrangement as a prospective milestone upgrade, providing optical zoom abilities of up to 5–6x.

It’s possible that this capability won’t be in the Pro model until 2023, though.

Additionally, rumors claim that the gadgets could include a Sony upgraded rear-camera LiDAR Scanner, providing improved depth sensing skills.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are expected to house Apple’s next A17 chipset underneath the surface.

This marks the first time an A-series Apple processor using a 3-nanometer technology has been released, further pushing the performance limits of smartphones.

According to ‘A Dairy Revolution’ study, 79% of dairy consumers will purchase cheese made by microbes.

The University of Saskatchewan and Formo, a pioneer in European precision fermentation, have collaborated on an important study that reveals the promising connections between dairy industry efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the cheese market.

According to the latest study, which was published in the International Food and Agribusiness Management Review Journal, a significant percentage of consumers will choose animal-free cheese, making up an initial 22 percent market share, even with a 25 percent price premium.

The results

The researchers predicted that animal-free cheese will take a 33 percent market share when pricing for cheese like Formo’s, which uses precise fermentation to produce milk from microorganisms, becomes comparable to regular cheese. These numbers are anticipated to rise as user adoption, industry relationships, and technology advancement accelerate.

“The question whether or not society is going to embrace the coming generations of food has loomed over the cell-ag space for quite some time,” Associate Professor Peter Slade of the University of Saskatchewan said in a statement. “Precision-fermentation dairy is poised to revolutionize markets as long as it can achieve competitive prices.”

The findings suggest that increased cheese costs may not always result in a reduction in consumer cheese consumption, according to Oscar Zollman Thomas, chief researcher at Formo. Instead, he said, “consumers look for alternative options.” “The introduction of animal-free dairy made by fermentation ushers in a totally different market paradigm. Consumers generally accept the move when offered options that honor their relationship with cheese while resolving their current concerns.

The study’s findings are persuasive; they suggest that even if there is an increase in demand for dairy products around the world, a significant amount of traditional dairy consumption of cheese will be replaced by animal-free dairy cheese, greatly reducing the environmental impact caused by increased dairy demand.

The study also discovered that a whopping 79 percent of consumers looking for dairy cheese free of animal products had previously chosen traditional dairy cheese. This discovery points to the possibility of a sizeable new market, worth more than $1 billion, inside the global dairy business.

Precision fermentation will succeed in capturing mass markets.

“The findings indicate a growing public’s understanding of the costs related to industrialized dairy and an appetite for products that offer enjoyable experiences with no the social repercussions,” Formo’s founder and CEO, Raffael Wohlgensinger, said of the study.

The huge demand from cheese eaters in general supports our prediction that precision fermentation will succeed in mass markets rather than focusing only on the vegan market. We predict a paradigm shift in the availability and consumption of dairy and dairy-like products now that Formo is on track to attain cost parity with conventional dairy. Nothing less than a dairy revolution is taking place right now, he declared.

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The study compared the efficacy of precision fermentation to measures like animal emission fees for reducing dairy consumption. The results show that precise fermentation is more effective than carbon taxes at reducing cattle emissions.

According to these data, precision fermentation dairy is 10 times more effective than carbon taxes at the current rate at reducing animal-dairy use, Wohlgensinger stated. This demonstrates the superior effectiveness of precision fermentation in reducing dairy consumption and ought to serve as a wake-up call for governments to support this ground-breaking technology.

All Whole Foods Markets will have access to Amazon’s palm-scanning payment technology before the end of the year.

According to a recent announcement from Amazon, all 500+ Whole Foods locations will have access to Amazon One, the company’s palm-scanning payment system, by the end of 2023. The contactless Amazon One payment system was first deployed by Amazon in 2020, but its growth by the end of 2023 will be the largest to date.

In other words, Amazon One is a different type of contactless biometric authentication like Apple’s Face ID that operates by the user screening their palm above a reader. However, Amazon One scans your palm’s ridges, lines, and distinctive vein patterns rather than your face. Someone can’t just take a photo of your palm and start stocking up on pricey cheeses at Whole Foods at your expense, thanks to this interpretation of deeper subcutaneous traits.

You may shop and make purchases without even having to bring your phone or wallet with you thanks to your palm signature, which is connected to your Amazon Prime account or just a credit card. Currently, 200 Whole Foods locations in the US as well as 200 other retail locations provide Amazon One. By the end of the year, Amazon’s rollout will increase the number of Amazon One payment outlets to over 700. Amazon One is also currently available at some Panera Bread restaurants and Coors Field in Colorado.

As of right now, Amazon One has “more than 3 million uses,” which is likely to indicate “transactions.” Despite sounding like a lot, three million is just roughly one million Amazon One transactions every year since its debut.

CardRates reports that there were 39.6 billion transactions made with credit cards in the United States alone in 2019 to further contextualize it.

However, it takes time for new technology to become widely used, and Amazon has made it clear that it believes the palm-scanning payment method has greater potential by expanding Amazon One to all Whole Foods stores.

The expansion was disclosed in a statement by Whole Foods Market’s chief technology officer, Leandro Balbinot. We’re thrilled to offer Amazon One to each and every one of our customers in the United States, he said. “We’ve seen consumers love the convenience it provides since we created Amazon One at Whole Foods Market stores over the past two years.”

Sales of champagne are increasing. But because to climate change, its flavor may soon shift irrevocably.

According to the champagne trade association Comité Champagne, 325.5 million bottles of champagne were transported from Champagne in 2022, with 6.3 billion euros ($6.9 billion) in sales.
As to the S&P Global Sustainable1 report, the Champagne region’s susceptibility to physical risk brought on by drought is expected to almost triple by the 2050s, which will present significant issues for vineyards.
Critics claim that some champagnes actually taste drastically different from the champagne that people used to drink.

For generations, champagne has been a symbol of festivals and opulence. However, rising temperatures and more unpredictable weather in Europe are raising concerns that the Champagne area of France may no longer be appropriate for its production.

According to the champagne trade association Comité Champagne, more than 325 million bottles of champagne were delivered from Champagne in 2022, topping 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) in sales for the first time. The United States, Great Britain, and Japan are the three largest markets.

The committee offered a “prudent outlook” for 2023, but it also stated that Champagne growers and houses “remain confident in the essential health of their business.”

However, the state of the climate casts doubt on the beverage’s future; champagne houses will need to adapt in order to survive, and the taste of champagne may change along the way.

grapes with sun damage and ruined taste
According to the S&P Global Sustainable1 report, the Champagne region’s susceptibility to physical risk brought on by drought is expected to almost triple by the 2050s, which will present significant issues for vineyards.

A score of 100 denotes the highest level of risk exposure. The report rates regions on a scale of 1 to 100. If current climate policies are left unchanged, it was predicted that the danger of drought in Champagne will increase from its current level of 16 to 43 by the 2050s and double to 88 by the 2090s.

There are other factors besides drought that can affect productivity. The weather has been more unpredictable in recent years, with an increase in the frequency of fires, floods, and frosts.
Although grapes can still thrive in a changing climate, the environment can affect the fruit’s growth and harm it.

According to Matt Hodgson, CEO of English wine shop Grape Britannia, “[If the grapes] get exposed to too extreme UV rays, they will get an equivalent of our sunburn and that will basically… damage the flavor.”
The grapes’ acidity, that provides champagne its freshness and “intangible zip and zing,” can also be altered by the additional heat, according to Hodgson.

International companies are conscious of the profound effects that climate change may have on their operations.

Champagne technique
The most well-known champagne rule is that it must be made in the Champagne region of France, but there are many other appellation requirements that must be followed, such as particular vineyard practices, sourcing grapes from particular regions, specific grape-pressing procedures, and the use of only particular grape varieties.

All phases of the production process for Champagne must take place there, right up before the labeling of the bottle. Pesticide use and further acidification are prohibited. However, champagne companies are making adjustments to their procedures to keep production inside the rigorous bounds of the laws.

The temperature variations also cause champagne’s inherent sweetness to increase.

You no longer need to add sugar because we have so much sun and so much sugar in the juice, according to Sarazin. Although it hasn’t been a problem so far, we still need to take care of it.

Taste change that is “definite”
Critics claim that some champagnes already taste significantly different from champagne that was consumed in the past.

According to champagne writer Tom Hewson, “in terms of flavor, what you’re noticing a lot of are much riper characteristics,” adding that this puts sparkling wine closer to other white wines and renders it “a more transparent wine.”

Susy Atkins, a wine judge and reviewer, has also observed recent changes in champagne’s flavor.

In the first quarter of 2022, Dubai’s economy expanded by 2.8%.

To $30.3 billion, real gross domestic product increased.
The first quarter of 2018 saw Dubai’s GDP expand by 2.8% annually to Dh111.3 billion ($30.3 billion), maintaining the “robust momentum of growth” the emirate experienced in 2022 when it grew by 4.4%.

Dubai’s growth is higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries’ seasonally adjusted growth output of 1.6%. The US economy expanded by 1.8% in the first quarter compared to the European Union’s 1.1% growth.

“The continuing rapid development in the first quarter of the year is another testament to Dubai’s strong fundamentals, sustainability, and resilience, as well as its ability to continually develop new pathways for business and creativity to flourish,”

“Dubai continues to outperform some of the world’s leading economies, backed by its exceptional investment environment, robust infrastructure, and business-enabling ecosystem.”
A strategic springboard has been built to usher in a new cycle of growth and value creation, according to Sheikh Hamdan, with the establishment of Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which plans to grow the emirate’s economy by a factor of two during the following ten years.

Dubai’s trade industry added Dh25.5 billion to the economy in the first quarter compared to the same time in 2022. According to a statement from the Dubai Government’s media office, which used statistics from the Dubai statistics and Statistics Establishment of the Dubai Digital Authority, it represented 22.9% of economic production.

The transportation and storage industry in the emirate surpassed all others, growing 10.3% in the first quarter compared to the same period a year prior, bringing in Dh15.6 billion and making up 14.1% of output.

The activities connected to land transport for people and products, sea transport, storage and handling, postal services, air transport for people and goods, and related supporting operations were all included in the transportation and storage sector.

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The first quarter saw a 3.2% increase in financial and insurance activity in Dubai, which contributed Dh14.2 billion to the economy and roughly 13% of GDP.

As Dubai welcomed 4.67 million foreign tourists in the first three months of the year, an 18% rise over the same period in 2022, the emirate’s lodging and food services climbed by 5.6%, contributing Dh4.5 billion to the economy.

Strong cross-industry and public-private partnerships is further bolstering the economy’s momentum, which is still increasing in both its core sectors and its newly emerging segments.

According to him, comprehensive initiatives centered on entrepreneurship, economic diversification, and the recruitment of talent and investment throughout sectors are promoting growth and stabilizing the economy’s momentum.

“This economic structure is going to continue to function as a key lever for D33 as we seek to bolster Dubai’s offerings as a top three global city, and an excellent place to invest, live, work, and visit,”

Real estate activity increased by 2.4%, driven by an increase in property sales, with the industry contributing 7.4% to overall economic growth.

New Rules and Tougher Penalties for Unlicensed Healthcare Workers in UAE

The statutes also establish a national register, set standards for private healthcare facilities, and cover veterinary medicine.

A new set of laws to enhance the regulations for healthcare jobs has received approval from the UAE government. Tuesday saw the sharing of this. There were also some adjustments.

People who find themselves engaged in healthcare without the appropriate license or without fulfilling the requirements will face harsher penalties, under the new legislation.

The regulations also include information on caring for animals, standards for private healthcare facilities, and the creation of a national list.

The laws also specify how to take care of animals, how private healthcare facilities should operate, and how to compile a national list.

Following are some salient features of the new laws:
regulating a range of healthcare occupations, including anesthesia, therapy, cosmetics, and nursing.
increasing the severity of the penalties for those who work in healthcare without authorization or in violation of the rules.
The statutes emphasize the value of proper conduct and obligations for healthcare professionals.
updating the severity of the penalties for errors and the viability of continuing to operate and provide patient care for private healthcare facilities.
the compilation of a national list of qualified healthcare professionals.
enabling businesspeople and international investors to establish and own veterinary services. This increases the country’s appeal for foreign investors in the veterinary industry.

UAE promises to let COP28 protests about climate change.

The United Arab Emirates has said that it will permit environmentalists to freely assemble and “make their voices heard” at this year’s UN climate conference.

In an agreement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that was released on Tuesday, the announcement was made.
According to the statement, “there will be space accessible to climate activists to come together peacefully and make their voices heard in accordance with UNFCCC guidelines and respect to international standards and principles.”

In the oil-rich Gulf nation, which will host COP28 in the commercial center of Dubai from November to December, official approval is needed for rallies, although the government virtually forbids protests they deem disruptive.

The bilateral agreement that establishes the framework for planning and hosting the climate talks was signed by UNFCCC Executive Director Simon Stiell and COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber after the issuance of the joint statement.

We are steadfastly dedicated to making sure that UN values are preserved at COPs in order to advance climate action and ambition, Stiell said.
The views of youth, women, local communities, people of Indigenous descent, and those who are most affected by climate change will be acknowledged and reflected in this COP process, we are also making all possible efforts to ensure.

A contentious decision
The UAE ranks among the top emitters of CO2 per person in the world and is a significant producer of oil.

Environmental organizations have criticized the decision to have it host COP28 because they believe that having an oil exporter participate could impede the progress being made in the fight over global warming.

Activists expressed outrage over the appointment of Al-Jaber, the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., to lead the negotiations and raised the concern of a conflict of interest.Al-Jaber has also come under fire for ignoring the need to phase out the usage of fossil fuels in favor of concentrating on initiatives to lower emissions.
Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, issued a warning in June urging nations to begin phase-outs of coal, oil, and gas.

“Fossil fuel emissions are only one aspect of the issue. It’s fossil fuels, plain and simple,” Guterres told the media.

Human Rights Watch and other non-governmental organizations have also issued warnings that the Gulf state’s limits on free speech could prevent climate campaigners from actively participating.

The decision to hold the conference in the UAE was questioned in May by a number of human and environmental rights organizations, who expressed concern that “severe limitations enforced by the authorities in the UAE in recent years will impede the full meaningful involvement of journalists, activists, human rights opponents, civil society, youth groups, and indigenous peoples’ representatives at COP28.”

Most previous COPs have seen sizable protests, and during the most recent UN climate negotiations in Egypt, where governments frequently crack down on protesters and arrest activists, only small marches were permitted.

In Egypt, authorized protests could only take place in a designated area that was heavily guarded and only during particular hours.

Ferry service between Dubai and Sharjah is glad to be back.

50 trips each week will be made by boat, and tickets start at Dh15.
After being forced to stop during the Covid-19 outbreak, the boat service connecting Dubai and Sharjah is now operating once more.

Seven days a week, the service is run from Al Ghubaiba Marine Station in Dubai and Aquarium Marine Station in Sharjah by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority.

The distance between the two stations can be traveled in around 35 minutes.

Single-trip tickets in the Silver Class and Gold Class are priced at Dh15 and Dh25, respectively; however, passengers with disabilities and kids below the age of five go for free.

Travelers have hailed the return of the service, which gives customers the opportunity to bypass gridlock on congested Dubai-Sharjah routes.

On Saturday, Nikhil SP, 36, an Indian sales and marketing employee at the Sharjah Occidental Hotel, boarded the ship for the first time.

His coworkers who had previously utilized the service suggested it to him.

He told The National, “Normally I take the car, but since they restarted the operation I thought why not take it instead.”

This is my first time, but I believe it’s a choice I might make more frequently going forward because it’s simpler, more enjoyable, and prevents delays and traffic jams.

Before the boat service was discontinued, George Mathew, a 37-year-old Indian, was a frequent user.

Although he lives in Sharjah and has the majority of his pals there, he frequently takes the ferry to see them.

Every weekend, I used to take it to go meet up with my pals, Mr. George recalled.

“When my wife visited Dubai before the pandemic, we used to take it every time we wanted to go sightseeing there.”

He claimed that Sharjah people will find the service to be highly useful.

It brings travelers right to the center of Dubai, where they can use any other form of public transportation.

Operating hours There will be 50 journeys on the Dubai-Sharjah ferry each week, with eight excursions per day from Monday through Thursday and six trips per day from Friday through Sunday.

There will be two morning departures from Sharjah at 7am and 8.30am, as well as one morning departure from Dubai at 7.45am, from Monday through Thursday.

There will be three trips from Dubai at 4 pm, 5.30 pm, and 7 pm in the evening, along with two trips from Sharjah at 4.45 pm and 6.15 pm.

There will be three trips each way starting at noon on Friday through Sunday. There will be extra departure times from Sharjah at 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm, and from Dubai at 3pm, 5pm, and 8pm.

Chad receives military and security gear from the UAE

To aid Chad’s efforts to combat terrorism and strengthen border security, the UAE has donated a convoy of military vehicles and security gear.

Delivering the supplies to Lt Gen Daoud Yahya Brahim, Chad’s Minister of Defense, along with the commanders of the army and reserve forces and other senior military figures, was Rashid Al Shamsi, the UAE ambassador to Chad.

Mr. Brahim commended the UAE for its ongoing assistance, saying that it will help the region achieve peace and stability again. According to him, military cooperation is crucial to increasing security and attempts to overcome obstacles.

The initiative fits within the context of the close ties that exist between the UAE and Chad on many levels, which have led to the signing of a number of bilateral agreements, which includes a military cooperation agreement in June during Mahamat Idriss Deby, the chairman of the Transitional Military Council of Chad,’s official visit to Abu Dhabi.
The UAE has given food and humanitarian aid to Sudanese refugees in Chad who have fled their war-torn country. Additionally, Amdjarass received a field hospital.

Since April 15, when violence among the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces broken out in Khartoum, the UN estimates that more than 300,000 people have fled from Darfur to Chad.

Since the beginning of the crisis, the UAE has run an air and sea bridge to the area, delivering approximately 2,000 tonnes of food, medicine, and aid to Port Sudan and Chad.