KT must-reads: A dog rescue, planned Indian flight disruptions, and a horrific tragedy
In the news business, there are stories you love to do, stories you feel a duty to deliver, and stories you hate having to tell at all.In the first category, there was this piece from Sunday’s digital edition: Pakistani expat Muhammad Zohaib gazed out from his 50th-floor residence overlooking Sharjah’s Al Khan corniche and spotted something that shouldn’t be there: something moving on an uninhabited island out in the water.That set off a chain of events that resulted in, among other things, Khaleej Times Digital Journalist Laraib Anwer joining an animal rescuer and a crew of dragon boat racers on a mission to save a marooned, grey-and-white husky. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.It’s still a mystery how the 1½-year-old puppy got onto the island, but the story has a happy ending: Not only did this ad hoc team rescue the dog — Meli is its name — but they even reunited it with its owners.Of the second type of story, there was the news on Tuesday of planned flight disruptions at Indira Gandhi International Airport.It’s not that the airport was hit by some sort of technical disruption — far from it. Instead, Republic Day celebrations kick in later this month, and the airport’s putting extra security measures in place. Flights will be disrupted for 2.5 hours daily for a significant chunk of January. Read more here: For us at Khaleej Times, the bigger point is this: A development like that matters a lot to the 4.3 million or so UAE residents who have family in India. Our own Bahni Bandyopadhyay gave you the details.We serve every expat community in the UAE, as well as Emiratis themselves. So you’re going to see us continue to tell you what’s going on “back home” in our pages and on our site, no matter where you’re from.And finally, an explanation of what we do — and won’t do:Many of you are familiar with the horrific tragedy that took the lives of four siblings in an Abu Dhabi automobile accident this month. And some of you have asked over the last week why Khaleej Times has not published images of the victims, even though social media outlets have — as have some of the established legacy media in our region.The answer is straightforward: the family asked news organisations not to. We honoured that request.It doesn’t matter if images are being shared on WhatsApp or are already running in print publications. Khaleej Times policy forbids it outright: we have a rule against using any minors’ photos without familial consent. When Khaleej Times shares the news, some considerations eclipse all others. There are things you do and things you don’t. A family request following an unimaginably terrible situation is one such consideration.So for those of you who asked, there’s your answer.Have a great weekend.KT must-reads: Wills, private schools, and citizenship for companiesQuick reads, videos: UAE students' reading habits are changing; here's why
In the news business, there are stories you love to do, stories you feel a duty to deliver, and stories you hate having to tell at all.
In the first category, there was this piece from Sunday’s digital edition: Pakistani expat Muhammad Zohaib gazed out from his 50th-floor residence overlooking Sharjah’s Al Khan corniche and spotted something that shouldn’t be there: something moving on an uninhabited island out in the water.
That set off a chain of events that resulted in, among other things, Khaleej Times Digital Journalist Laraib Anwer joining an animal rescuer and a crew of dragon boat racers on a mission to save a marooned, grey-and-white husky.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
It’s still a mystery how the 1½-year-old puppy got onto the island, but the story has a happy ending: Not only did this ad hoc team rescue the dog — Meli is its name — but they even reunited it with its owners.
Of the second type of story, there was the news on Tuesday of planned flight disruptions at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
It’s not that the airport was hit by some sort of technical disruption — far from it. Instead, Republic Day celebrations kick in later this month, and the airport’s putting extra security measures in place. Flights will be disrupted for 2.5 hours daily for a significant chunk of January. Read more here:
For us at Khaleej Times, the bigger point is this: A development like that matters a lot to the 4.3 million or so UAE residents who have family in India. Our own Bahni Bandyopadhyay gave you the details.
We serve every expat community in the UAE, as well as Emiratis themselves. So you’re going to see us continue to tell you what’s going on “back home” in our pages and on our site, no matter where you’re from.
And finally, an explanation of what we do — and won’t do:
Many of you are familiar with the horrific tragedy that took the lives of four siblings in an Abu Dhabi automobile accident this month. And some of you have asked over the last week why Khaleej Times has not published images of the victims, even though social media outlets have — as have some of the established legacy media in our region.
The answer is straightforward: the family asked news organisations not to. We honoured that request.
It doesn’t matter if images are being shared on WhatsApp or are already running in print publications. Khaleej Times policy forbids it outright: we have a rule against using any minors’ photos without familial consent.
When Khaleej Times shares the news, some considerations eclipse all others. There are things you do and things you don’t. A family request following an unimaginably terrible situation is one such consideration.
So for those of you who asked, there’s your answer.
Have a great weekend.
What's Your Reaction?
