Dubai Airport’s new hiring focus, Child safety warning, and more, Gulf News Editors comment on August 21 trending news

DUBAI AIRPORT'S NEW HIRING FOCUS: Dubai's aviation sector is fast becoming a top choice for aspiring professionals, especially recent graduates, as airlines, airports, and affiliated organisations experience robust growth. And Dubai Airport is adapting its hiring approach by prioritising the quality of recruits over sheer numbers, a strategy tailored for fresh graduates. Meshari Al Bannai, Executive VP of Human Resources Development at Dubai Airports, emphasised that the focus is on cultivating meaningful experiences for fresh graduates rather than pursuing numerical success. While 1,700 employees form the team, about 16 per cent are youth (ages 20-35). The strategic shift has been prompted by the airport's rapid expansion and recovery over the past year, with visitor figures set to surpass 2019 numbers. Considering the Middle East aviation sector is designated to handle 1.1 billion passengers by 2040, nurturing a young, quality workforce is the way to go as far as Dubai Airports is concerned. (By Dhanusha Gokulan, Chief Reporter)

CHILD SAFETY WARNING: Abu Dhabi Police issued a stern warning, underscoring the grave danger of leaving a child alone in a car. Officials also reiterated that leaving children unattended while shopping or for any other reason is not only against the law but can also result in severe consequences. Both drivers and families were cautioned against this practice. Authorities emphasised that jeopardising a child's life in this manner constitutes a legal offence. Those proven to be negligent in such instances will be subject to legal action by the judicial authorities, as highlighted by Abu Dhabi Police. Doing so will result in facing legal consequences for child neglect, as it substantially heightens the risk of heatstroke or choking, particularly in the sweltering summer months. The family has a pivotal role in nurturing and safeguarding the well-being of children. (By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)

SPAIN IS THE NEW WORLD CHAMPION: Spain emerged the champions of Women's World Cup football on Sunday defeating England in the final. But the nation had to endure challenges before getting on to the road to victory. Just a year ago, players threatened to step away from the national team due to mental pressures while also calling for a more professional environment. Coach Jorge Vilda was in the centre of this controversy. The 42-year-old was hit with a rebellion from his squad when 15 players said they no longer wanted to represent the country. Vilda's tactics and his strict personality were among a litany of complaints about him and the Spanish football federation. He called up three — Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey — of the 15 for Spain's World Cup campaign, which culminated in them lifting the trophy in Sydney. “We’ve suffered a lot throughout the past 12 months but I think everything has a reason to be. This has made us a stronger team,” Carmona said. “And it’s really incredible. I don’t know just why Spain is the world champions, but I think that we deserved it,” rightly summed Olga Carmona, who scored the all-important goal in the final. (By Jai Prasad V. Rai, Assistant Editor)

LOST OSCAR SELFIE SPARKS: The disappearance of Ellen DeGeneres' iconic Oscar selfie from X (formerly Twitter) has understandably ignited outrage. Taken in 2014, the image garnered immense attention and even "broke Twitter." Its sudden absence, especially of pre-2014 content, resulted from a possible technical malfunction has triggered fear among users about losing precious digital memories from the past. Many attributed the issue to a bug rather than a deliberate choice at cost-saving, but the hashtag #TwitterDeletesPhotos is now gaining traction. This kind of knee-jerk uproar points to how Musk’s Twitter transformation has made most social media users wary of change. It also underscores the fear of social media erasure and how conserving the digital past is a real cause for worry in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. (By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor)