Rock musician Axl Rose targeted Steven Mnuchin in a takedown on Twitter this week. EPA
Rock musician Axl Rose targeted Steven Mnuchin in a takedown on Twitter this week. EPA
Rock musician Axl Rose targeted Steven Mnuchin in a takedown on Twitter this week. EPA
Rock musician Axl Rose targeted Steven Mnuchin in a takedown on Twitter this week. EPA

Welcome to the jungle: Axl Rose ignites Twitter feud with US Treasury Secretary


Emma Day
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He has previously criticised many aspects of US President Donald Trump's administration, and now Axl Rose is taking aim at a member of his cabinet.

The Guns N' Roses frontman launched a brief but stinging attack on Steve Mnuchin, US Secretary of the Treasury, this week.

"It's official! Whatever anyone may have previously thought of Steve Mnuchin he's officially an [expletive]," the Sweet Child O' Mine singer posed on Twitter on Wednesday, May 6.

It is not known what provoked Rose to tweet, and the singer has not since offered any context to its publication.

Mnuchin, however, was quick to rebut the musician's comment, firing back: "What have you done for the country lately?"

The post featured a flag emoji, however, the former investment banker got a little confused.

Mnuchin, who was confirmed as Treasury Secretary in 2017, used the emoji of Liberia's flag, which, much like the emblem of the US, features red and white stripes. The West African nation's flag also has a blue square in the left-hand corner, with a single white star inside.

The slip-up was quickly fixed, with Mnuchin deleting and reposting his tweet with the correct flag, but not before many keen-eyed social media users highlighted his error.

Rose has not yet replied to Mnuchin, so perhaps the feud is done and dusted within two single tweets?

While the singer has proffered no explanation for why he felt the need to tweet, he has previously denounced Trump for using Guns N' Roses songs during rallies and public appearances.

The band's version of Live and Let Die has been played as part of Trump's standard campaign rally soundtrack, most recently during a visit to a Honeywell International Inc. plant earlier this week.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Year Earth Changed

Directed by:Tom Beard

Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough

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Sadio Man 28'

Andrew Robertson 34'

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Man of the match

Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

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Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

Have you been targeted?

Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:

1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.

2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.

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Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

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Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Date of birth: 27 May, 1995

Place of birth: Dubai, UAE

Status: Single

School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar

University: University of Sharjah

Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.

Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
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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.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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