Sharjah building safety starts with better laws
I refer to your report Families homeless as fire guts tower (April 29). These kinds of infernos are becoming very common in Sharjah. As a result, hundreds of families are losing everything.
That is why the UAE needs to conduct a serious study on the increasing number of fire incidents, and suggest implementation of remedial measures.
For one, the material used in wall cladding might be helping to spread fire. It must therefore be made mandatory to use fireproof wall cladding in buildings.
In addition to that, sprinkler systems must be required in all high-rise buildings.
KV Shamsudheen, Sharjah
Justification for rape is ridiculous
I read the article Man 'did not rape' because his wife's prettier (January 18). I cannot begin to articulate how disturbing this story is, and how many stereotypes and myths are being presented in court over this case.
Rape is most often committed against women who are given less power in society. It wouldn't surprise me, then, if this man felt some of ownership over this women since she is his maid.
Studies show that the majority of women who are sexually assaulted are women who have disabilities. This isn't often the image of attractiveness most people think of. I've also known of children as young as two years old to be raped, and older women who are seniors. Are they so attractive? Does attractiveness count in these situations?
I'm not making a formal judgement over whether this man raped his maid or not. However, I am concerned about how the case is being presented in court.
Angela Jeffrey, Canada
Consumer prices continue to rise
When I first came to Dubai in 1977, it was a bargain centre for electronics, cameras, watches and many other consumer electronics, and that was at a time when VAT in England was only 15 per cent.
Now, 35 years later the price gap narrows, Price gap narrows with US and Europe (April 29). And now the VAT rate in England is 20 per cent.
So, what happened in the intervening years, when the prices in the UAE went up and up.
Jeremy Weeks, Abu Dhabi
Teach children to respect, not fight
Why is it that we always think about solutions after a crisis happens, and not before (Violence in schools: the truth behind a tragedy, April 29).
Bullying is everywhere; I believe violence is the only language that we communicate to children within the schools.
What's the solution? Teach children how to respect each other.
Michelle Salem, Dubai
Libya's rule by gun is doomed to fail
I could not agree more with your Comment piece, Libya's kidnappings for ransom show a state mired in chaos (April 27).
We were so elated to come back to our workshops in Swani, Libya, only to be threatened by some guy with a machine gun. He said he would kidnap us and demand ransom if we returned to our legally-owned property.
I will only start respecting the new "owner" of my property when he drops his machine gun to talk with me like a man.
Name withheld by request
Move to improve education quality
There is a serious lack of research culture in all UAE universities (UAE University provost resigns, April 27). That is why UAE students need to step up their game.
But they can't do it alone; local companies and government education agencies can work to support results-orientated education, rather than advertising on CNN.
Hormaz Dastoor, Abu Dhabi
'Innovation' talk no substitute for work
These comments have no validity (Talking of innovation is only a beginning, April 29).
First, a PhD does not mean anything except that the person has a deep understanding of very little. A PhD does not automatically confer any expertise beyond this narrow view. To give value to a person based on his or her PhD is to ask for trouble. Making decisions based on this "expertise" is not a good thing.
Mark Batey may talk, may advise, may consult. However the reality is that his revenues go up and his personal wealth increases.
Tom Pattillo, Canada
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How Sputnik V works
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
