Five people have been jailed over the horrific Villaggio mall fire in Qatar today. Here is the official statement on behalf of the victims' families:
"We welcome today’s initial verdict. We are pleased that the court has chosen to find five people responsible.
"Today is a day to remember. To remember the 19 innocent people, including 13 of our beautiful children, killed last year in Villaggio. Loved ones, who will never see justice. Loved ones, we miss more with every day that passes.
"We are still awaiting to know what happened on 28 May 2012. The trial only gave us some answers. We still have more questions. To get these much needed answers, we call upon the State of Qatar to release the official report into the disaster. A simple request, that will help us all understand what went wrong.
"We are disgusted by Villaggio’s continual insensitive behaviour. Yesterday, Villaggio reopened the area destroyed by the fire. Not once have we been shown the dignity to be able to grieve privately where our children were killed.
"The owners and management, some of whom have been on trial, have shown us no remorse. They should be ashamed.
"We would like to thank the thousands of messages of support we have received in Qatar, our home nations and from around the world. We would also like to thank our legal team for guiding us through this traumatic and painful process. We will now be taking further advice on the next steps available to us in the judicial process.
"We will not stop in our fight for justice. We will not stop in our fight for the truth. We will not stop in ensuring that this can never happen again.”
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5