In pictures: People eat at a free Cambridge Iftar
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Student 'very grateful' for opportunity to visit Malawi while studying T-Level at Blackburn College
A student receiving her T-Level results says she is "very grateful" her qualification allowed her to visit Malawi and has urged anyone who enjoys practical learning alongside exams to consider the qualification. Amber Greenwood-Owen studied T-Level Childcare at Blackburn College and received a Distinction in her qualification. A T-Level is the equivalent of three A-Levels and graded with Pass, Merit, Distinction, or Distinction *. The qualification combines classroom learning with time in the workplace. Students across the country have collected their A-Level, T-Level, BTEC and other Level 3 results - with the number of students awarded top grades in their A-Levels reaching record highs. Amber said: "The course I did here was fantastic at Blackburn College. It was a very small T-Level class so we got to work with each other and get to know each other a lot more than if it was a bigger class. "The staff here were lovely and supportive, not only sharing their experiences in placement but they also supported me in my passion to do children's nursing at University. "I was very fortunate to get an additional placement alongside my childcare studies to work at Royal Blackburn Hospital for a week. "If you do prefer learning with a practical element and an exam-base, then T-Levels are very much for you.' Alongside her studies, Amber explained how six of her classmates, including herself, visited Malawi to work with the Malawi Relief Fund in Shukran Orphanage. She said: 'We delivered resources that we were very fortunate that people had donated and we fundraised. We did an Iftar event so everything that we had done in the past couple of years all came together to support Shukran.' Amber also said that she learnt a lot during her visit to Malawi. 'We learnt a lot more about communication because there was a potential language barrier, so we learnt how to communicate and teamwork. 'We also learnt Botch, a traditional game in Malawi that we were able to take home with us. 'It was so amazing. You wouldn't expect to come to college and have that opportunity. We were all very grateful.'
Time Out Dubai
04-08-2025
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Why Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (PBUH) falls on a different date every year
In Dubai, public holidays such as the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (PBUH) move around the calendar and start on a different day every year. The upcoming holiday is one of four public holidays in the UAE that rely on the Islamic calendar to determine when it begins. Also known as the Hijri calendar, the Islamic calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, unlike the more widely used Gregorian calendar, which is based on the sun. The lunar calendar is used predominantly by Muslims around the world to determine the dates of religious events and observances. And this fundamental difference impacts how the calendar operates and why Islamic dates shift annually in relation to the Gregorian calendar. Credit: Pexels How long is each Islamic month? Each Islamic month lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on the moon's visibility. Consequently, a lunar year is approximately 354 or 355 days long, which is about 10 to 12 days shorter than the solar year used in the Gregorian calendar. Because of the shorter year, Islamic months drift through the Gregorian calendar. You might also like: Eid Al Adha break will fall over the weekend this year: Here's why this public holiday won't shift This discrepancy causes Islamic months to shift backwards through the seasons over a 33-year cycle. Which is why 2024 was the first time in 24 years that Ramadan took place during the winter time. It will keep shifting and eventually take place in the summer again. In the Islamic calendar, a new month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon. This can sometimes lead to slight variations in the start of months between different regions due to differences in moon sighting. (This also explains why Ramadan and Eid start on different days in different countries). You might also like: The UAE public holidays law explained Key Islamic celebrations such as Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, and the Hajj pilgrimage are all determined by the Islamic calendar, making them 'movable feasts' relative to the Gregorian calendar. What are the Islamic calendar months? The Islamic calendar is also made up of 12 months, each beginning with the sighting of the new moon. These months are: Muharram Safar Rabi' Al Awwal Rabi' Al Thani Jumada Al Awwal Jumada Al Thani Rajab Sha'ban Ramadan Shawwal Dhu Al-Qa'dah Dhu Al-Hijjah So… when is the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday 2025 (PBUH) in 2025? Officially, we get one day off work to mark Prophet Muhammad's Birthday 2025 (PBUH). Current astronomical predictions indicate that the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (PBUH), which falls on the Islamic date of Rabi' Al-Awwal 12 every year, should fall on Friday September 5 in the UAE. This would give Dubai residents a three-day long weekend when combined with Saturday and Sunday. But if Rabi' Al-Awwal begins on Sunday August 24, then Prophet Muhammad's birthday (PBUH) should fall on Thursday September 4. However, the public holiday law states that holidays can be moved to the beginning or end of the week to provide a longer holiday. Which could mean that even if Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (PBUH) falls on Thursday, the public holiday will be on Friday instead. More news in Dubai There will be two Ramadans in 2030 – here's why This won't happen again until 2063 When you can expect three Eid holidays in one year (yes, three) Eid, sleep, repeat UAE public holidays 2026: All the predicted days off next year revealed Including when we can expect a six-day weekend
