UN launches investigation into abuses in Chile as strike continues


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The United Nations is sending a special mission to investigate human rights abuses in Chile, where a general strike went into its second day following a week of street protests that left 19 dead.

President Sebastian Pinera tried to ease tensions by announcing a plan to end a highly unpopular state of emergency and night-time curfews that have lasted six days.

"Having monitored the crisis in Chile since it began, I have decided to send a verification mission to examine the allegations of human rights violations," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet said in a tweet.

The protests erupted on October 18 against a metro fare hike, but evolved into a wider rebellion over low salaries and pensions, high education and healthcare costs and a yawning gap between rich and poor.

While much of the action has been peaceful, metro stations were destroyed, supermarkets torched and looted, traffic lights and bus shelters smashed and countless street barricades erected and set alight.

About 20,000 police and soldiers have been deployed in the city, using tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

But they have also been responsible for five of the deaths, while social media has lit up with accusations of torture and abuse by the security forces.

"We're working on a plan to normalise life in our country ... to end the curfew and hopefully to lift the state of emergency," Mr Pinera said.

Authorities reported a reduction in violence on Wednesday compared with Tuesday, saying there had been no deaths, a 25 per cent drop in arrests and fewer serious incidents.

The national human rights institute, INDH, says 584 people have been injured, 245 by firearms, and 2,410 detained.

Nine of the deaths came in fires started by looters.

Chile's most powerful union, the Workers' United Center of Chile (CUT) continued industrial action that began on Wednesday.

"What President Pinera has done up until now is increase polarisation and tension in the country," CUT president Barbara Figueroa told journalists.

"We have youngsters in the streets with a gun in their hands pointed at their own compatriots."

But in Santiago, a city of seven million, people seemed to be going to work as normal, with many shops and businesses opening their doors for the first time since the crisis erupted.

Soldiers guarded Santiago's metro stations on Thursday as three of the seven lines – which usually carry three million people per-day – were operating, backed up by 6,000 buses.

Almost all schools in the capital held classes, having mostly been closed earlier in the week. Even the capital's more combustible suburbs were calmer.

The violence in Chile, usually one of the most stable countries in Latin America, is the worst experienced since returning to democracy after the 1973-1990 right-wing dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet.

But the protests lack a clear focus or recognisable leadership.

"This is the whole country's complaint. We're fed up," shouted one demonstrator over the din of pots and pans being banged in front of soldiers in Santiago.

In an address to the nation late on Tuesday, Mr Pinera apologised for failing to anticipate the outbreak of social unrest and announced measures aimed at placating demonstrators.

He promised to increase the universal basic pension and minimum wage, cut public sector salaries and cancel a recent hike in electricity bills.

Foreign Minister Teodoro Ribera told reporters next month's Apec trade summit would go ahead despite the protests.

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are among those expected to attend the November 16-17 meeting to discuss ending their trade war.

In Paraguay, South American football's governing body CONMEBOL said the November 23 final of the Copa Libertadores – the continent's equivalent of Europe's Champions League – between champions River Plate of Argentina and Brazilian giants Flamengo would take place as planned in Santiago.

Mr Ribera also said the capital would still host December's Cop 25 climate change conference.

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Getting there

The flights

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The stay

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Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama

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OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE

1. Liverpool 101 points

2. Manchester City 80 

3. Leicester 67

4. Chelsea 63

5. Manchester United 61

6. Tottenham 58

7. Wolves 56

8. Arsenal 56

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11. Burnley 49

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Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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The specs

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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile

Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space

Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)

Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)

Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution) 

Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space  

Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019

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MATCH INFO

AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

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Cutting red tape on import and export of food

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Power: 819hp

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The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

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• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

In The Heights

Directed by: Jon M. Chu

Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda

Rating: ****

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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets