• A Hindu devotee offers prayer as she takes a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on February 1, 2025. (Photo by Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP)
    A Hindu devotee offers prayer as she takes a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on February 1, 2025. (Photo by Idrees MOHAMMED / AFP)
  • The sun sets behind Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    The sun sets behind Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A lion dancer performs during Chinese New Year in Beijing. EPA
    A lion dancer performs during Chinese New Year in Beijing. EPA
  • A former Palestinian prisoner released by Israel is hugged by members of his family as he disembarks a Red Cross bus after arriving in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. AFP
    A former Palestinian prisoner released by Israel is hugged by members of his family as he disembarks a Red Cross bus after arriving in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. AFP
  • The Great Omari Mosque, damaged during the Israeli-Hamas conflict, amid a ceasefire in Gaza. EPA
    The Great Omari Mosque, damaged during the Israeli-Hamas conflict, amid a ceasefire in Gaza. EPA
  • Dressed in white robes to symbolise purity and equality before God, followers from the Layene brotherhood gather at a sacred grotto where they believe their prophet received divine inspiration, in Dakar, Senegal. AP
    Dressed in white robes to symbolise purity and equality before God, followers from the Layene brotherhood gather at a sacred grotto where they believe their prophet received divine inspiration, in Dakar, Senegal. AP
  • An American Eagle plane leaves Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as rescue teams search the Potomac River following the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter. Reuters
    An American Eagle plane leaves Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as rescue teams search the Potomac River following the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter. Reuters
  • Workers collect cotton in a farm in Soclogbo. AFP
    Workers collect cotton in a farm in Soclogbo. AFP

Best photos of February 1: From Hindu pilgrims in Prayagraj to a cotton farm in Soclogbo


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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.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Updated: February 01, 2025, 1:23 PM