Activists use Google Maps to send messages to Russian people


Kyle Fitzgerald
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Social media activists are attempting to circumvent Russian censorship by using Google Maps to call for an end to the violence amid the invasion of Ukraine.

Activists are using the platform to find Russian cafes and restaurants and leave reviews to deliver anti-war messages to Russian citizens.

“Five thousand Russian soldiers died in Ukraine … Your president deceived you. There was no genocide in Ukraine. It was a pretext for attacking a sovereign and democratic Ukraine,” reads one translated review of a Starbucks in Moscow.

“[President Vladimir] Putin lied to you!!! He sent young boys to the war, who did not know that they were going to die there … Russian people, wake up!!!”

Users leave messages on Google Maps to communicate with the Russian people on the ongoing assault on Ukraine. Screengrab from Google Maps
Users leave messages on Google Maps to communicate with the Russian people on the ongoing assault on Ukraine. Screengrab from Google Maps

One user, leaving a review for Maestrello, a pizzeria, wrote: “Russia attacked Ukraine. Your soldiers are bombing my city. My country!”

Another added: “The pizza is the bomb!! Due to military sanctions, this restaurant will soon be closed! What a pity!”

Twitter and Facebook have both been restricted in Russia as the country attempts to limit the flow of information, with Russians telling The National they are unable to communicate through Facebook's Messenger app.

The Russian rouble plummeted on Monday, falling to a record low against the dollar, after the US and European nations placed a series of harsh sanctions on Moscow in response to the assault.

“Your government lies, you are bombing innocent people. Nobody want to attack Russia, we want peace. Your president is [a] war criminal,” a review of Boston Seafood & Bar, a restaurant in Moscow, said.

Russia on Sunday for the first time stated that some of its forces had been killed or wounded in Ukraine, though it did not provide any numbers.

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday claimed 4,500 Russian troops have been killed.

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.

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1987

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1888

HAJJAN
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Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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Unresolved crisis

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.

Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.

The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.

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The years Ramadan fell in May

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5. Zakat 

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One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.

 

Updated: March 02, 2022, 12:27 AM`