Keep it real
Fake news indeed is an obstacle in our quest for knowledge. It often stops us from realising the whole truth. Delving deeper into each headline, the so-called “news” seems like an array of prejudiced opinions and thoughts rather than actual facts or solid proof.
Fake news provides people with half-truths and is one of the most disastrous weapons mankind holds. Given that we are all well connected through social media, it takes mere seconds for falsified headlines to spread, as most people assume them to be real.
Therefore, an assured way to single out fake news is essential, and is a cause I believe all of us should work on.
From Ms Nilaya Mairal
Dubai
I paid a lot
My insurance company has also done the same thing (‘Dubai expats complain about limited coverage for dependents’, Gulf News, February 7). I applied on December 27, 2016, for insurance, but I have still not received my insurance policy. I told the broker that I wanted to visit the doctor as I was sick. He told me I could visit and pay the full amount and later, fill out a reimbursement form. Once the policy was issued, I would be reimbursed. I live in Sharjah and found out that the insurance covers only Dubai. Someone should solve this matter, as people who have purchased insurance policies have paid huge amounts.
From Mr M. H. Hani
UAE
Facebook comment
Feeling cheated
The same happened with me when I bought insurance for my daughter. When I applied online, they displayed a list indicating that the policy covers areas in Sharjah. I paid online and got the certificate and after a month, I received a message to collect the card from their office. When I got to their office, they said the Emirates ID was the medical card and I could visit clinics only in Dubai. When I asked why only Dubai, they said that the company had cancelled all the clinics in Sharjah. I tried to call the number that was mentioned on the website, but no one answered the call. I tried to talk through Facebook messages, which is where I had taken down details in the beginning, but got no reply there, either. I am stuck. Now, my daughter is sick, so I will have to take leave from work to take her to a doctor in Dubai, when we live in Sharjah. Someone has to look into this issue and try to solve it. I feel like I have been cheated by the company.
From Mr Prasanna Udyawar
Dubai
Facebook comment
Unfair coverage
I hope that all the residents affected by insurance companies are able to come to some agreement with them. Many people work and live in different emirates and it must be so unfortunate for them to come up with all the money for insurance, only for them to then have to go through additional lengths in order to utilise it. These people are in my thoughts.
From Ms Jo Ann Wong
Dubai
Facebook comment
Internet safety for all
Why is everyone concerned about women’s safety only (‘Community report in-depth: You never know who can get your data’, Gulf News, February 7)? Don’t men face threats online? Especially on the internet, it’s a medium where both men and women are prone to threats and dangers. Anytime data and privacy is compromised, people are at risk.
From Mr M. K. Krishnan
UAE
Facebook comment
Data dangers
No one is safe. Women should not keep data that they will regret in the future. On social media, no one is safe. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, as both have private information.
From Mr Ihsan Ullah
UAE
Facebook comment
Online harassment
As a woman, being online has many disadvantages. If I write a comment on any page, I start getting random friend requests and messages — sometimes very disgusting ones.
From Ms Alishba Tahir
UAE
Facebook comment
Be afraid, very afraid
It’s frightening to think that our information is not secure. Although we love to post everything about ourselves on social media, I still find that today, we are more private than ever before. People are really protective of their personal lives. We don’t entertain people on social media, like we used to, and we are protective of our smart phones, as we keep them with us always. Imagine, all this is for naught if people can steal our information, regardless. People should be afraid. Very afraid.
From Mr John Arthur
Abu Dhabi
Facebook comment
Electing a leader
Everyone in India is aware that it is the right of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to elect their leader (‘Former lawmaker and AIADMK member in open revolt’, Gulf News, February 6). Such selections have taken place in each and every political party, including the century-old Congress party. No party has ever bothered to follow through with securing the rights of all people in the nation or to ask as to whether their party has chosen the right person to lead. Hence, it is really surprising that former Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram found fault with the AIADMK selection. This is like the pot calling the kettle black. I feel it would be nice if a law was passed to give power to the people to recall their elected representatives. With regards to the act of the AIADMK MLAs, voters in Tamil Nadu, India, are wise enough to elect or reject a candidate who is not fit.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
The value of life
The report brought forward by Amnesty International not only reveals the menace of Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s regime and the attempt to hide the truth behind the scenes, but it also highlights the violations of the rights of people in this modern era (‘13,000 hanged at Syria prison: Amnesty’, Gulf News, February 8). If it’s true, supported with fact and figures, it can be considered as an existence of cruelty — one of the worst that the world has ever witnessed.
It is unbelievable that war crimes are heading to such a gruesome extent. We are ignoring all the key aspects of life, while responsible people are being accused of not providing detainees with the very basic for survival, like water and food. As recent civil wars and conflicts have claimed several thousands of lives, and those responsible for such barbaric acts are backed by some of the world’s powers, silence remains. It increases the number of detainees in the prisons of conflict-hit countries. There is no real value to any sort of judicial efforts and it becomes impossible to punish those who are responsible for carrying out such horror. It is therefore important to highlight cases of a similar nature in international forums and unanimously fight to end the spread of such human casualties in the context of increasing wars and conflicts.
From Mr Ramachandran Nair
Oman
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