In his home in Gaziantep, Turkey, Syrian refugee Mohammed does not see the point of giving money to his three-year-old daughter Seba this Eid Al Fitr.
The holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, is known for its large feasts, indulgent sugary treats and the traditional Eideyya, a sum of cash usually given to children as a gift by adult relatives and friends.
Showing off new clothes at large gatherings is also a feature of the three-day holiday.
"I bought my daughter Eid clothes but, unfortunately, she won't be able to wear them outside the house," the Mohammed, who is in his 30s, told The National. "We won't be able to go to amusement parks, or toy stores. I will add her Eid money to her savings for later when she can use it."
Mohammed provided only his first name because his job requires him to remain anonymous for security reasons.
Turkey is on a 17-day lockdown; the country’s strictest measures yet to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 43,000 people there and infected five million.
Lockdowns and travel restrictions mean no large family gatherings this Eid, ruining the way people are accustomed to celebrating with family and friends.
A social media poll of 538 people conducted by The National showed a strong divide between people willing to change to a digital medium to exchange gifts. More than half of those polled said they would rather give and receive Eid money via a wire transfer. The rest voted for cash.
"The future is cashless," said Bahraini university student Abdullah Bawazeer, who participated in the poll. "That is inevitable. So yes, I'm looking forward to getting money digitally."
But Saudi communications specialist Muath bin Nujiyfan, 25, said he would rather not give cash at all if the only option was to do it online.
“It does not feel the same as when you hand it to someone, from your hand to theirs, and see their reaction.”
The eldest, he usually gives his five siblings between 100 riyals ($26) and 50 riyalsevery year, depending on their age.
The pleasure associated with receiving what relatively little money every adult places in tiny hands brightens faces and creates unforgettable childhood memories.
The World Health Organisation is urging people not to use cash because it may lead to the spread of the disease, but some people appear to be taking that warning lightly.
Palestinian-Jordanian Bahaa Mahmoud Shihahdeh, 32, said it is considered shameful among members of his family to not hand children their Eid money, especially in communities where wire transfers are looked at with scepticism.
“They are not afraid of the coronavirus,” he said. "They will give cash without issues. Plus, they do not trust online money transfers."
That is exactly what television writer Jordanian Razan Al Zouabi,25, believes.
“It is simply tradition. We just have to be careful.”
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
SECRET%20INVASION
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Wydad 2 Urawa 3
Wydad Nahiri 21’, Hajhouj 90'
Urawa Antonio 18’, 60’, Kashiwagi 26’
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
