Anam Rizvi's article Dubai parents want more play time and less homework for pupils (November 15) was a good read. Today's education system lays too much emphasis on homework and too many schools allot endless assignments to students, who barely get any time to play.
I am happy Dubai parents are opposed to more homework and want schools to give students more time to play. The concept of free time is important for any individual, even more so in children’s growing years. Schools must prioritise time for relaxation. Here in my home city, the principle of easing up on homework is slowly catching on. Children must have time for leisure and not be overburdened with assignments by their class teachers.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru
World’s longest flight at 19 hours is a truly breathtaking feat
In reference to Qantas completes world's longest non-stop flight from London to Sydney (November 15): long-haul flights make me nervous. I wouldn't like to be in the air for any longer than 13 hours personally.
Name withheld on request
Birthday of Sikh guru celebrated across the world and in the UAE
With reference to 25 pictures of Guru Nanak celebrations in India and Pakistan: Sikh founder honoured (November 13): it was nice that even in Dubai, the gurdwara welcomed thousands of devotees and visitors during the last day of celebrations of the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak. There was a whole day of programmes, including prayers and songs, in the tent outside the gurdwara from 5.30am until 10pm. It was commendable that members of the Sikh community, from India and the UK, joined the festivities. Credit is due to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in Amritsar for its support in organising the celebrations.
Surender Singh Kandhari, Dubai
India needs to fix the price of salt and sugar so that people can eat
I write to you in regard to the incisive article by Rebecca Bundhun Is India's $1.4bn real estate fund enough to revive the stalled sector? (November 10): a survey by the national statistical office reports that consumer spending has fallen after four decades.
The report is alarming since rural demand has declined by 8.8 per cent. Demand for salt, sugar and spices has declined by 16.6 per cent. Villagers are eating less since salt and sugar are a barometer of the quantity of meals that people eat. Sugar, salt and spices do not constitute a meal by themselves. Even in urban areas, the consumption of these ingredients has declined by 14.2 per cent.
This only means people are becoming poor and are reducing their food consumption. India needs urgent steps to restore consumer confidence in the future of the economy. While elections and temples are important, we must remember that people need to eat.
Rajendra Aneja, Dubai
The world cannot ignore the situation unfolding in Ethiopia
With reference to Charlie Mitchell's article Ethiopia must not collapse under the regime of Abiy Ahmed (November 6), the writer said the residence of Jawar Mohammed, the founder of the Oromo Media Network, was suddenly surrounded by police in what he denounced as an assassination attempt. In fact, he has been one of the political co-ordinators for a youth movement which has been standing together with other groups to pave the way for a change. He was welcomed by Abiy's government to Ethiopia in 2018 but he has been controversial. Following his return to Ethiopia in 2018, he has been accused of stoking inter-ethnic and religious tensions and mob violence.
Since his return, Mr Abiy’s government has provided security guards, not only for him but for all diaspora who have returned. The October incident was an unnecessary loss of life. Mr Abiy is working hard and tirelessly for a change towards democracy, not authoritarianism. The current situation might provoke the regime to make some changes to use its power to protect the innocent.
We have seen Christian and Muslim leaders hold hands, stand together and cry for those who have been affected by Mr Jawar’s group. I hope if you can explore more and report more of this issue.
Dawit Arshak, New Zealand
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
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
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
