Pakistan missed a beat with the news of Imran Khan's injury in an accident during a rally in Lahore (Fall proves election boost for Imran Khan, May 9).
It's unfortunate that he will have to remain in bed rest.
The 60-year-old, who is relatively new to Pakistan's political scene, conducted several rallies in a day.
His injury has probably taken a toll on his enthusiasm, but the fire he has lit in the hearts of his supporters will continue to burn.
Rabia Rizwan, Dubai
Government must serve the people
The Indian government rushing to fulfil its promises only before the election is pathetic (Cheap food bill may prove hard to swallow, May 9).
Suddenly the government realises that it has an obligation to feed more than 800 million people, which will cost it Dh84.5 billion. Where will this money come from?
The people, of course. Commodity prices will inevitably rise. These narrow objectives aimed at fulfilling political agenda creates a mess for the whole country.
According to the report, the National Food Security Bill, which aims to feed 70 per cent of the population, could widen India's already swollen budget deficit next year, increasing the risk to its coveted investment-grade status. The government knows it.
I wonder why it does such things. Will this country ever get a government that genuinely thinks about the people?
Name withheld by request
Beating children is not a solution
I am writing in response to the news article Teachers regret lack of discipline (May 7). I work for the Glenelg School in Madinat Zayed, in the Western Region, a place "notorious" with expat teachers for bad student behaviour.
Last year, the school marked its first anniversary. When the school first opened its doors, and the students came in, it was a surreal experience.
The first weeks, and to an extent the first few months, were very much a struggle, to say the least. The parents did not trust us, the students were not aware of proper behaviour, and the staff did not know how to respond to the students.
That was then. Today it's a different school. The students and teachers have great relationships, but the teachers are still the clear authorities. A good relationship has been established with the community. Bullying and fighting are no longer the norm.
When we go on field trips, the people in charge at the different places we go have a hard time believing our children are from the Western Region. They compliment our children for their good behaviour. How has all this progress been possible? Our principal supports us in everything we can justify. Our staff are dedicated.
We are consistent with our praise and our punishment. We try to praise a lot more than we punish. When we do punish, we make sure the students and parents understand the reasons.
We can't expect our children to perform to the highest of their ability, if we, as teachers, don't.
Name withheld by request
Tenant safety should be priority
I've read a number of stories lately about safety issues in apartment towers, so perhaps a note of caution for tenants is in order.
It reminds me of a recent incident in Saudi Arabia. When a contractor checked out a residential apartment building there as part of a structural survey before entering a rental agreement, he found the emergency exits blocked with chains and padlocks.
The owner said it was to stop residents from bringing in undocumented tenants and stealing the fittings.
He could not understand why the contractor refused to rent the building if the chains and padlocks were not removed. He considered them additional security measures benefiting the tenants.
Peter Nixon, Abu Dhabi
Try to keep the pavements clean
Pets, particularly dogs, are causing a mess on pavements. Owners taking their pets for walks need to be more careful and should ensure they clean the areas made dirty by their pets.
I am a resident of Khalidiya in Abu Dhabi and I witnessed this phenomenon in my area three times over the past week.
Not only pets, but fast food outlets such as KFC are also responsible for making the area messy with oil running down the pavements. These things create an unpleasant sight and unhealthy environment.
I request the civic authorities to deal with these issues more strictly. Although these are small matters, they are nevertheless a nuisance that can be avoided through simple measures.
Asma Nabeel, Abu Dhabi
Syrian people need our help
I refer to the blog post Children at war: the faces of Syria's lost generation (May 8). The UAE Red Crescent is seeking donations and we must contribute. The UAE is helping in Syria in an amazingly powerful and positive manner. It is providing food, water and clothes to refugee camps.
Brigitte von Bulow, Abu Dhabi
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20LEAGUE%202
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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
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.
MO
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