Japan Film Week is returning to Ras Al Khaimah.
Fans of Japanese cinema will be able to watch four films for free at RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event runs from July 3 to 6, with screenings starting at 6pm. All movies will be shown with English subtitles and seating is on a first come, first served basis.
The film festival is organised by the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai and the UAE’s Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research.
“Building on last year’s success, we are thrilled to present the second Japan Film Week, an event that celebrates the exceptional talent and creativity of Japanese filmmakers,” said Suqrat Bin Bisher, art and culture manager at the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research.
“Collaborating with our esteemed partners, we are committed to offering experiences that enrich Ras Al Khaimah’s cultural landscape and simultaneously bolster our long-term relations.”
Here’s a look at what is playing.
First Gentleman (2021)
When: Monday, July 3
The romantic comedy stars Kei Tanaka and Miki Nakatani as married couple Hiyori and Rinko.
Hiyori is a zoologist and expert on birds and decides to go on a 10-day trip to an isolated location to study and watch them. Meanwhile Rinko is a politician and the leader of the minority opposite party. Before he goes away, she asks if he would support her if she became the prime minister.
When he returns from his trip, Rinko has indeed become Japan’s new prime minster – the country’s first female leader – which puts Hiyori in the unusual position of being Japan’s first gentleman.
Neko Ninja (2017)
When: Tuesday, July 4
The action film follows the adventures of an aspiring ninja called Kagerota (Takuro Ohno) whose father – a legendary red nose ninja – left him at the age of 10. He travels to Edo for his first mission in which he must steal a goldfish from a house. As he's leaving, he notices that he's being followed by a fat orange and white cat that happens to have a red nose like his father.
Little Nights, Little Love (2019)
When: Wednesday, July 5
Based on the best-selling compilation novel by Kotaro Isaka, the film centres on a young man named Sato (Haruma Miura) and young woman named Minako (Shihori Kanjiya) and those around them such as their friends, colleagues and children over the period of a decade. The multi-layered narrative shows how love, hope and friendship can bring together the most unlikely of people.
Children of the Sea (2019)
When: Thursday, July 6
The anime directed by Ayumu Watanabe follows Ruka, a young girl whose parents are separated and whose father works in an aquarium. When she was younger, she saw a ghost in the water. She is later drawn to two boys who were raised in the sea by dugongs. When they come to the aquarium, she realises that she has a supernatural connection to the water and so do they.
More information at eventbrite.com
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
New schools in Dubai
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
