New York City turned into a scene of carnage this week when the driver of a white pickup truck ploughed into cyclists and runners along a bike path in Lower Manhattan. Eight people were killed and nearly a dozen more were injured. This was the third vehicular atrocity in the United States alone this year. A woman was slain in Manhattan's Times Square in May when a mentally ill man barrelled his car into pedestrians, and a car was deployed in August by white supremacists to terrorise anti-fascist activists in Virginia. Europe has witnessed at least eight acts of violence carried out with the aid of a vehicle.
As The National noted after August's terrorist attack in Barcelona, the weaponised automobile has become the modus operandi for killers of all hues. Yet the outrage occasioned by such attacks seems to be dependent primarily on the identity of the attackers. If they happen to be deranged or lone men – and most agents of terror in the US fall into one of those categories – they are treated as common criminals. If, however, they happen to be Muslims, their crimes are instantly labelled "terrorism". Pundits and politicians barely skip a beat as they rush to exploit the moment and an entire community is tarred with collective guilt.
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Screams, gunshots ... then eight people lay dying and a new ‘Lone Wolf’ had made his cowardly mark in New York
Trump says he will end green card lottery after New York attack
What made NYC attacker Sayfullo Saipov kill?
ISIL use child as young as 12 in Kabul bomb attack
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What's unfolding in the US right now is an example of this. Because the alleged attacker, Sayfullo Saipov, arrived in the US on a diversity visa, President Donald Trump is threatening to terminate the diversity visa lottery programme. About 50,000 people receive this visa annually. Is it reasonable to abandon it altogether because one recipient committed an act of terror? Mr Trump's argument seems to be that anything that prevents the loss of American lives is reasonable. But by this standard, why not ban the sales of guns? After all, easy access to guns is what enabled 64-year-old Stephen Paddock to kill 58 people and injure more than 500 at a concert in Las Vegas. Yet the president thought it disrespectful to discuss guns in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting event in US history.
When it comes to protecting ordinary citizens, there can be no disparity in response to the loss of human lives. Moreover, to elevate men such as Saipov to "enemy combatant" status is to lend credence to ISIL's claim that they are warriors, when what they are is murderous misfits who deserve to be met with the full force of the law. For all its successes, ISIL is unlikely to defeat the West. But its rampages in parts of the world neglected by the West ought to trouble us. In the same week as the attack in Manhattan, ISIL used a child as young as 12 to mount a suicide attack in Kabul's heavily fortified diplomatic zone. This attack, which claimed four lives, received little attention. ISIL threatens all of humanity. And its barbarity, regardless of where it occurs, deserves a proportionate response.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
if you go
The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
