The kidnap and murder of a young girl have caused outcry in Pakistan and drawn parallels with a similar notorious murder two years ago.
The body of a toddler called Zainab was found in the city of Peshawar a day after the two-and-a-half-year-old had gone missing while playing with friends outside her home in the nearby town of Charsadda, in the country's north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Police said the body of the girl from bore knife wounds, as well as signs of sexual assault and torture.
"Today it is my Zainab, tomorrow another Zainab could suffer this," her father told reporters.
The crime came amid widespread unease in Pakistan about the extent of violent crime and sexual assault.
Zainab's murder reawakened memories of another girl, called Zainab Ansari, whose 2018 kidnap and murder at the hands of a serial killer caused nationwide outrage and led to riots over police failures to stop the culprit or save the girl.
Within hours of the latest Zainab's discovery, slogans calling for justice and the public hanging of rapists were widespread on the country's social media platforms.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Mahmood Khan, called the incident "heart-rending" and said an example should be made of the culprits. Reports of child kidnappings, assault and murder are common in Pakistan and police are often accused of failing to investigate cases if the victims are poor.
Sahil, a child protection group, said it recorded more than 3,800 child abuse cases in Pakistan, including 92 murders, in 2018.
The kidnap and murder of Zainab Ansari, 6, in early January that year galvanised public anger. Her body was found on a rubbish heap five days after her disappearance and it was later disclosed there had been a string of child killings in the same city of Kasur, in Punjab province.
Police were accused of not taking action for days after her disappearance and the death triggered angry protests and clashes in which two people died.
There were nationwide protests last month after a woman was raped in front of her children after her car broke down at night on a motorway outside Lahore. A senior police officer caused further anger by appearing to blame the victim for driving late at night without her husband's permission.
The assault prompted widespread calls for the return of public hangings for rapists, while Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was in favour of chemical castration.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
