I am commenting on the article Battered but not beaten, Hamas will not stop building tunnels (July 24). Well, while Hamas is intent on trying to wipe out Israel, they are bringing death and destruction to the children of Palestine. These rockets and tunnels will not help anything. This whole thing is primitive. For anyone to think they are doing right in the eyes of God is even more sad.
Tricia Sutherland, South Africa
As US shuts its eyes, West must help Palestinians
Thank you James Zogby for the opinion article American media distorts the way Palestinians are viewed (July 27). It clearly shows how America chooses to close its eyes as injustices continue to take place.
Now the West needs to take a firm stand against the atrocities being carried out against Palestinians. It’s time Palestine is retuned to its rightful owners – the Palestinians.
Ameerah Jolene-Ann van Heerden, Dubai
This article shows how depraved the American media is. It’s unfortunate that commercial interests take precedence over truth so many times in the so-called land of liberty and freedom.
Sathya Narayanan, Dubai
Visa cancellation isn’t always easy
In the column Can UAE worker start new job before visa is cancelled by former employer? (July 25), Karen Bobker says: "The process of cancelling a visa is not complicated and there is no reason why it cannot be done in just a few days in the vast majority of cases."
I think companies pretty much determine the future of an employee in the UAE and if they want, they can delay or refuse to cancel a visa causing huge problems. There is little the employee can do to solve it except file a case with the hope that the new employer is understanding and will wait.
Name withheld by request
It depends on the company. In my case, the process took about a month, which delayed my joining my new workplace. You have to keep checking with the person doing it.
Samantha Attfield, Abu Dhabi
This refers to the article Dubai worker queries end of service gratuity payment after switch to full-time (July 27). Bobker says that according to Article 34, "the provisions of some laws regarding the granting of pensions and gratuities to employees of some establishments, the end of service gratuity shall be computed on the basis of last wage which the employee was entitled to, in respect of those drawing their salary per month".
Unfortunately, many people are unaware of this law and some employers take undue advantage of their lack of knowledge.
Mohamed Naeem, Abu Dhabi
Some companies reduce the basic after the employee completes five years and increase the housing allowance. They keep the total the same so the employees don’t complain. But such companies are cheating the employee. Ideally, 60 per cent of the total pay should be the basic.
Andrea Cornel, Sharjah
Why is BA igoring Israel warning?
British Airways continued to fly into Israel after rejecting the European Aviation Safety Agency warning. In a recent BBC report, airline pilots warned that a risk-based assessment of whether to fly to Israel’s Ben Gurion airport was imperative.
Until flights into Ben Gurion airport (which is approximately 59 kilometres from Gaza rocket emplacements) have been declared 100 per cent safe, which was clearly not the position a few days ago, international airline pilots were refusing to fly there. They were adamant that passenger safety was paramount and must always come before financial profit.
The UK national carrier’s decision to keep flying passengers into Tel Aviv when American and other European carriers had suspended their flights on security grounds raises an important question – what prompted it to reject the safety recommendations?
Anthony Bellchambers, UK
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
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.
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
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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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
