Muslims pray at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National
Muslims pray at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National

The holy month is a joyous time of year in Abu Dhabi



I write to you in reference to The National's online video headlined Our team at The National rounds up different ways to greet each other during the holy month (May 5).

After having lived in Abu Dhabi for 16 years, I sadly will not be celebrating Ramadan in the UAE capital this month. The holy month is always a ­joyous time in Abu Dhabi, and its onset brings back happy memories. I wish ­everyone in the UAE a very warm ­“Ramadan kareem”. I really miss Abu Dhabi.

Zahida Shaffi, Rawalpindi

Ramadan is a time to reaffirm the key values of peace and love. We must learn how to be pure at heart again during this deeply holy time of year, ­instead of arguing about ­external things.

Name withheld by request

Stop the bloodshed in Gaza, Palestinians deserve peace

I write to you in reference to your editorial As missiles rain down on Gaza, hopes of a two-state solution are obliterated (May 5). It is heartbreaking to learn about the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and I urge politicians everywhere to stop harming innocent people.

Residential areas should not become battlefields. Also, politicians often treat soldiers as disposable pawns, and do not value their lives. No one should die fighting for bloodthirsty politicians. God have mercy on the poor people entering Ramadan in Gaza with bombs falling from the sky.

Melanie Rose, Dubai

Airline companies should invest in better seating

I write to you in reference to Hayley Skirka's article Recline or whine: the correct way for travellers to lean-back (May 4).

If the airlines want to reduce passenger tension, they should make economy-class seating more comfortable. It should not always be solely about cutting costs at the expense of passenger satisfaction.

Daniele Jones Keith, Abu Dhabi

I think Ms Skirka’s rule should be implemented on all flights. When you get on a plane, the seat in front of you will often come smashing down into your knees before the flight even has the time to take off. This just ruins the whole experience for me.

Sharon Hodgson, Manchester

If the seats were not so close together, this would not even be an issue. Airline companies need to be less greedy and

invest in better seating.

Name withheld by request

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5