At the end of last year, in a rare pretence of humanity, Bashar Al Assad granted permission for a handful of critically ill patients to be evacuated from the besieged area of Eastern Ghouta, the last rebel-held enclave near Damascus. Just a fortnight later, he and his Russian sponsors are back dropping "seismic missiles" on the region. Civilians who were not incinerated by the bombs were crushed by collapsing buildings. At least 28 people, among them seven children and 11 women, were killed on Wednesday alone. Another 25 people, including nine women and two children, were killed on Thursday. It took mere days for the Mr Al Assad to drop his charade of granting respite to those suffering at his hands.
The inhabitants of Eastern Ghouta have endured suffering in every form since the siege began in 2013. The regime has starved, gassed, shelled and bombed them. Its population of 400,000 represents more than 90 per cent of those under siege in Syria, making it, in the words of UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, the "epicentre of suffering". Food and medicines are scarce and the once lush landscape is now replete with rubble.
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According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Russia's warplanes are responsible for the latest fatal air raids, despite having announced a partial withdrawal from Syria. There are those who argue that concessions must be made to Russia to protect lives – but this is an argument premised on the supposition that Moscow will honour its pledge to only target hardline extremists. Eastern Ghouta, where the Syrian regime has put a stranglehold on a besieged community with the backing of the Russian military, puts the lie to that claim. Its population is being starved and bombed to death while living in inhumane conditions; Eastern Ghouta remains a blot on the conscience of the world. The scale of their slaughter in Eastern Ghouta is matched only by the silence of the international community. The world has shamefully surrendered to Mr Al Assad, granting him, by virtue of its inaction, the licence to kill without consequence. Mr Al Assad and his backers are committing bloodshed in Eastern Ghouta – but the world is complicit in them.
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
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.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
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