The rise of the premium cinema experience may be popular here, but the movie selection is awful (How VIP cinema experiences are drawing back a crowd in the UAE, January 16). The only time I enjoy the movies is during Diff.
Wiltrud Matthes, Dubai
The VIP cinema is nonsense. It’s a fancy way to rip people off. A consumerist world, indeed.
Rana Salah, Dubai
A good selection of movies is enough. There is no need for a VIP experience with more food and beverages.
Jacqueline Craig, Dubai
Some of the reasons why going to the cinema here is a horrible experience are these: movies are censored, drinks and food overpriced, parents bring babies to movies at 11pm and teenagers shout and talk on the phone during the movie.
Mike Bruski, Dubai
The man who touched the lives of many
I’m writing to express my sense of sadness over the loss of Mohammed Ali Al Bastaki.
I worked with Mohammed when he was at the Adnoc English-language programme in the 1990s. He was supportive of the teachers, but more importantly he was concerned for the well-being and progression of each of his students.
He would travel to visit each of the Adnoc scholars who were studying abroad to ensure that they were settled and doing well in their programmes. His care and concern for his students was really admirable.
He will be remembered by many not only for his unfailing humanitarian work, but also for the care he took for the many Adnoc students. He touched so many lives and set a great example to us all.
Mary Corrado, Abu Dhabi
The pay-to-use lounge is great
Regarding your news story Emirates passengers given option to pay for access to premium lounges (January 17), it's amazing that you have to pay only $100 to use the business lounge.
Ana Bunjevac, Dubai
Why the time limit to the first class lounge if you’re paying double?
Monica Carver, Dubai
The charge of Dh367 is a bargain for the business-class lounge.
Kelly Harvarde, Dubai
Why insurance premium is high
I'm paying four times my car insurance premium compared with the UK (Your Money blog: 6 tips to help you save money on your car insurance in the UAE, January 16).
If people here stopped driving as if they are involved in a car chase scene from a James Bond movie, everyone would have lower premiums. And there would be fewer deaths and injuries on the roads.
Michael Dowds, Dubai
Some cars are a nuisance
Your have raised a relevant question: which popular vehicle on the UAE's roads would you prefer never to see again (Drive to be different, January 16)? For me it's Lexus saloons with blacked out windows and seemingly no working indicators.
Samantha Attfield, Dubai
I wouldn’t like to see the old white Nissan Patrol and pre-2006 Lexus.
That’s because the drivers are terrible. They don’t use indicators, but they liberally flash headlights.
Tarek Omar, Dubai
I would like white Nissan Patrols and Land Cruisers to be banned altogether.
Jennifer Barretto, Dubai
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
