Yet another villa school announces closure (Parents in uproar after learning Indian school in Abu Dhabi is to close, September 18).
There is already a dearth of Indian-curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi and further closures will complicate matters. Schools that are closing with such short notice and putting the future of their students at stake, should take the responsibility. These institutions must have got the closure notice from Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) well in advance.
Students of higher classes will suffer the most. As such, it is difficult to get admission to higher grades. Students also prefer not to change school in their final years.
As far as I know, most of the villa schools have moved to bigger campuses on the outskirts of the city. As a result, many children who used to walk to the school now have to take school bus. That means an additional expenditure for many parents.
Many middle-class Indians will find it difficult to afford the increase in expenses. There are people (like me) who had to move house to stay close to their children's schools. These schools should remain open at least for another couple of years and make sure that all senior students get admission elsewhere.
Sneha Shruti, Abu Dhabi
The decision to close down Indian Islahi Islamic School from April 1 is a bad move by Adec.
The education council should have known the system of teaching being followed by the school. It now risks the future of students, especially those in ninth and 11th grades.
This decision only increases the already complicated situation regarding Indian-curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi. Indian Islahi Islamic School may be operating from a villa, but it is certainly not small. The council should extend the deadline by at least a year for the above mentioned grades.
Name withheld by request
Court reform bill needs a careful evaluation
The news article Court reforms given positive verdicts (September 17) is good news. As a legal consultant, I feel obliged to make some comments about the matter.
Consequences of reforms are generally positive in the UAE. But I personally hope that the FNC will carefully study the cabinet-approved reform bill on Code of Civil Procedures to avoid any ill consequence in the long run.
The three main points elaborated in the article are: 1) speedy procedure 2) litigants can appeal their civil cases individually without any help from an attorney, and 3) litigants can appeal in the same court that issued the verdict.
For the first matter – the speedy civil procedure – the speed, per se, should not be the issue; rather avoiding wastage of time is a correct approach. We must realise that in many major legal systems of the world, including Sharia, the court procedure — both civil and penal procedures — is rather slow due to concerns over individual rights, social justice, economic stability and well-being of citizens.
Speed in administration as part of civil court procedure is acceptable, but litigation shall take its own course both to make sure all angles are covered and to avoid any violation of litigants' rights.
For the second matter, there should be no major problem in theory for a litigant to appeal his/her own case individually. But in practice, the knowledge, skill and objectivity of a litigant may not match those of the legal community – judges, public prosecutors and lawyers. This inequality may lead to injustice to the individual litigant and harm his/her status.
As for the third matter – for an appeal case to go to the same court that issued the verdict – I personally wish that the FNC gives close consideration to this vital point.
Appeal courts must be independent from lower courts to give a chance to litigants who feel their rights were not fully protected in the lower court, to lodge their cases in an appeal court usually with different judges just to try to secure their rights.
Arjang Arjangian, Dubai
Let people live the way they want to
I am responding to the article 'My niqab, and why I wear it' (September 19). My question is this: why can't we let people live the way they want to?
I have met so many different people since I came to the UAE and I have never felt so tolerated and safe as I have here.
If we try to understand other people, their behaviour and their culture, such misunderstandings can be easily sorted out. We need to open our hearts and minds to the world.
Melanie Pavic, Dubai
Fed's message raises questions
The article Fed's QE decision could bring confusion and pain down the road (September 19) by Tim Fox was a good read.
The momentum behind the rally on Thursday was certainly not credible, just like the US Federal Reserve's reputation at the moment.
Avinash HR, Sharjah
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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RESULT
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 Manchester United 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Bridgerton season three - part one
Directors: Various
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 3/5
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
Inside Out 2
Director: Kelsey Mann
Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri
Rating: 4.5/5
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
SRI LANKS ODI SQUAD
Perera (capt), Mendis, Gunathilaka, de Silva, Nissanka, Shanaka, Bandara, Hasaranga, Udana, Dananjaya, Dickwella, Chameera, Mendis, Fernando, Sandakan, Karunaratne, Fernando, Fernando.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Sweet Tooth
Creator: Jim Mickle
Starring: Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Adeel Akhtar, Stefania LaVie Owen
Rating: 2.5/5
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
A QUIET PLACE
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Rating: 4/5
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
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THE SPECS
Battery: 60kW lithium-ion phosphate
Power: Up to 201bhp
0 to 100kph: 7.3 seconds
Range: 418km
Price: From Dh149,900
Available: Now