French motorist wins appeal against jail time in wrongful death case

A French motorist who was sent to jail for a month for causing a cyclist's death in Dubai won his appeal against prison time.

The 50-year-old UAE resident denied the charges of wrongful death and damaging property at Dubai Traffic Court.

He was convicted in April, sentenced to a month in prison and fined Dh10,000 ($2,723).

The judges suspended his driving licence for three months and ordered him to pay Dh200,000 ($54,450) in blood money.

The court heard the driver hit the cyclist, who was trying to use a designated crossing on Sheikh Rashid Road, on November 2.

The cyclist – whose nationality and age were not disclosed – suffered fatal head injuries.

Emirati lawyer Awatif Mohammed told the court the cyclist crossed the road while the pedestrian signal was at red.

“While the cyclist crossed a red pedestrian signal, my client crossed a yellow traffic signal [and] not red,” Ms Mohammed, from Al Rowaad Advocates, said.

She said the cyclist's appearance took her client by surprise.

"My client couldn't avoid hitting him," Ms Mohammed said.

According to Article 25 of the UAE’s Traffic Law, a yellow (amber) signal allows a vehicle to cross with caution if a complete safe stop is not possible, she told the court.

Judges at the Court of Appeal overturned the prison sentence but upheld the fine and driving licence suspension.

The driver's insurance company will cover the 200,000 payment to the deceased's relatives.

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate

'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.

Kibsons%20Cares

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match info

Union Berlin 0

Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')

Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)

Main report

Ten years on, the UAE's stateless people reflect on how life has improved and on the challenges ahead

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.