Nineteen US congress members finalised a formal letter to the US justice department on Tuesday, asking for an investigation to label Al Jazeera network as a "foreign agent", partly in response to an undercover documentary the station has conducted – but not yet aired – about the Israeli lobby and Jewish groups in the United States.
The letter was signed by 18 members of the house of representatives – 15 Republicans and three Democrats – and by Republican senator Ted Cruz.
The text, which was co-authored by congressmen Josh Gottheimer (Democrat) and Lee Zeldin (Republican), said congress needs clarification as to whether “Qatar’s Al Jazeera, which the US State Department has indicated is state-controlled” should also be required to register under Fara.
Fara is the Foreign Agents Registration Act enacted in 1938 and would require those designated to disclose publicly their relations with a foreign principal, as well as all receipts and disbursements. Last August, the Justice Department designated Russia Today as an organisation that needed to be registered under Fara.
The letter makes series of accusations against Al Jazeera. It said content produced by the Qatari owned network “often directly undermines American interests with favourable coverage of State Department-designated foreign terrorist organisations, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Jabhat Al Nusra, Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria.”
It also implicated it with a “record of radical anti-American, anti-Semitic, and anti-Israel broadcasts.”
A justice department spokesperson told The National that his office "is aware of the letter" but had no further comment at this time.
While the text makes no mention of the undercover documentary Al Jazeera is believed to have completed about the Israeli lobby, the news website Washington Free Beacon who first broke the story said the letter follows “a secret effort last year [by Al Jazeera] to spy on the American Jewish community as part of a documentary it claims will expose Jewish control of the media.”
It added that “Al Jazeera has been sending letters to a slew of Jewish organizations and pro-Israel individuals asking them to comment on what appears to be secret recordings” which provoked the letter.
“American citizens deserve to know whether the information and news media they consume is impartial, or if it is deceptive propaganda pushed by foreign nations” the letter said.
The Democrats who signed the letter are, in addition to Mr Gottheimer, congressmen Tom Suozzi , and Vicente Gonzalez. The Republican representatives are Mr Zeldin, Steve Chabot, Carlos Curbelo, Ron DeSantis, Matt Gaetz ,Louie Gohmert, Darrell Issa, Mike Johnson, Peter King, Ted Poe, John Ratcliffe, Tom Reed, Keith Rothfus, David Rouzer, Steve Stivers and Ted Cruz.
The justice department must now on whether to carry out an investigation. The letter comes ahead of an expected visit for Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad to Washington next month, where he is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The years Ramadan fell in May
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
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.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
