Hundreds of riot police were deployed for Friday prayers at the Gyanvapi Mosque in the Indian city of Varansi, a day after Hindus conducted religious rituals inside the contested building's cellars for the first time in three decades.
The 17th century mosque, built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, has been at the centre of a religious dispute as many Hindus claim that it stands on the grounds of a demolished temple.
On Wednesday a court granted Hindus the right to pray in the cellars of the mosque, which stands next to the 18th-century Kashi Vishwanath temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva.
Heavy security was deployed as Muslims took part in the first Friday prayers at the mosque since the court ruling.
Around 2,500 Muslims prayed as police in riot gear guarded the site and Hindu devotees shouted “Har Har Mahadev” or “Hail Lord Shiva”.
Police turned away some Muslim, saying that the mosque was full, after many worshippers came to offer prayers in a show of support.
The mosque committee had asked Muslims who owned shops and businesses in the city to keep them closed as a peaceful protest against the court order.
“There is a heavy police deployment,” Shamsher Ali, a resident of Varanasi, told The National. “We are certain there will be peace. We want to offer prayers peacefully. The Hindus are entering from the other side, while we have a different entrance.”
“We were struggling in the crowd. Police were trying to control the people and had to ask them to go back home,” he said.
“I have been offering prayers here since my childhood but the scene was unusual today as there were many police personnel. But everything seemed normal once we entered the mosque,” said Rashid Ansari, another Muslim resident of Varansi.
The Varanasi district court this week ordered that one of the mosque's cellars, which had been sealed, be handed over “to the plaintiff and the priest named by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board”.
The court is hearing a petition asking that Hindus be allowed to offer prayers to “visible and invisible deities” inside the mosque complex.
The court gave the district administration a week to make arrangements. However the authorities in Uttar Pradesh, which is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, moved swiftly to remove fencing from the site overnight, enabling devotees to enter the complex.
Prayers started at around 3am and the priest said they will be offered five times a day. Many Hindu devotees have since offered prayers at the cellars and sung religious songs.
Hindus had been allowed to worship the deities carved on the outer wall of the mosque daily until 1993. Such rituals were restricted to once a year after Hindu nationalists demolished the Babri Masjid, another Mughal-era mosque, in 1992.
Four cellars were also sealed amid fears of unrest.
One of the cellars was allegedly in the possession of the Vyas family, a family of priests who claimed they conducted religious ceremonies in the basement, called Vyas Ka Tehkhana, before it was sealed.
The district court's order came a week after it received a survey report it had asked the Archaeological Survey of India to prepare to determine whether the Gyanvapi Mosque was “constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple”.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the mosque, has rejected the claims and had sought to put an interim halt on the Hindu prayers in the Allahabad High Court.
The high court, however, on Friday refused to allow the committee's plea. Instead, it directed the state government to maintain law and order in the area.
“Please control the law and order situation there. No mishap should happen,” the court said in its order.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a voluntary organisation of several Muslim groups, on Friday said that it was “deeply surprised and disappointed” in the Varanasi court’s judgment and would approach the Supreme Court and the President of India about the order.
“This matter goes without preserving the dignity of the court; it is also about safeguarding minority communities and marginalised sections from feeling deprived,” the board said in a statement.
Last month, Mr Modi inaugurated a grand temple dedicated to Lord Ram at the site of a demolished mosque in Ayodhya.
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New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
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Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
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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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Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
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How to donate
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
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Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
RACE CARD
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8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
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The National selections:
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7.05pm Rayig
7.40pm Torno Subito
8.15pm Talento Puma
8.50pm Etisalat
9.25pm Gundogdu
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
