Latest news with #Swallow
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
UAE sees surge in foreign-owned real estate firms
More foreign-owned real estate agencies are entering the UAE market as the sector continues to grow in both investment activity and property transactions. With Dubai setting monthly records and other emirates like Ras Al Khaimah attracting first-time investors, the country's property sector is seeing sustained interest from brokers and consultancies, according to a report by Gulf News. The UAE now allows 100% foreign ownership of real estate brokerages, investment consultancies, and development firms. This has become the standard structure for new entrants, according to Jim Swallow, Commercial Director at Sovereign PPG. 'Full foreign ownership in the real estate brokerage, investment consultancy and development is the standard set up now,' he said to Gulf News. 'Most of the demand for a new real estate brokerage business set up is to be 100% foreign-owned.' This shift began in mid-2021, following changes to the UAE's Commercial Companies Law, which removed the previous requirement for a 51% local partner in many mainland sectors, including property services. Since then, new license registrations for real estate firms have increased steadily. While some firms still retain local partnerships—either due to joint ventures or location-specific ownership rules—many have transitioned to full foreign ownership. 'Many firms have since opted for share transfer to 100% foreign ownership if the local partner was a silent partner,' Swallow added. 'Where the local partner was an investor and active in the business, some have opted to be bought out.' (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Although Dubai's property price growth is expected to slow in certain areas, interest in setting up brokerages remains strong. New firms are also eyeing opportunities in Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi, where real estate activity is expanding. Ras Al Khaimah, in particular, is drawing more first-time European investors, prompting overseas consultancies to establish operations there. Live Events You Might Also Like: UAE introduces 5 new categories for Golden Visa eligibility 'There are still foreign family offices and investment firms setting up UAE operations and possibly wanting to take up positions in local real estate,' said a Dubai-based broker to Gulf News. According to the report, in April, Dubai real estate posted its best-ever month for transactions, according to brokers. The Dubai Land Department currently lists over 25,800 licensed real estate brokers, and the number is continuing to rise. This has encouraged fresh graduates to explore careers in real estate, even as agencies like Fitch predict a potential slowdown in price growth in the near term. Becoming a licensed broker in Dubai requires individuals to register with the Dubai Real Estate Institute, complete a training program, and pass an exam administered by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency ( RERA ). A license is issued upon successful completion of the process. As more players enter the market and foreign firms seek to tap into regional demand, the UAE's real estate sector continues to present opportunities despite changing dynamics. You Might Also Like: VFS Global launches world's largest visa centre in Dubai's Wafi
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Car park pool party would be dangerous
A proposed "pool party" in a Birmingham car park has been described as "dangerous" by police. The Newtown event would feature DJs and a "maximum of 25 ladies" in the temporary pool, the individual behind the plans said. Police licensing officer Mark Swallow stated he did not feel the site was "in any way suitable at this time" and it "would be dangerous as there are numerous hazards". The individual behind the application, for 30 Lower Tower Street on 14 June, said he had tried his best "to figure out all the requirements and do everything that's required". West Midlands Police, which objected to the application, said it had asked the applicant for information to ensure the event was safe and promoted licensing objectives. "To date adequate responses have not been received," it said. Mr Swallow told a licensing meeting it would take "a great deal of work to change this into a suitable site" and there was no indication "the applicant has the means or inclination to do that". Harry Bevington, from Environmental Health, said he was concerned by potential "noise break-out" and up to 450 attendees had been proposed. Only "ladies will be allowed in the pool for safety reasons" and a changing room would be provided for "safe, private and secure outfit change", a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) said. Female security would be there to ensure safety, it stated. The individual behind the TEN application, who attended Wednesday's virtual meeting, said he was keeping certain requested information "for last" as he made sure the site was suitable. He said the "owner of the place... [has] assured he's cleaning the place - I was there myself yesterday [Tuesday] to see the progress". A contractor would manage equipment, the applicant said. The council said no permission was required to carry out a licensable activity temporarily. An applicant must merely give notice of intentions to operate a licensable activity to the relevant authority. "However, the police or local authority exercising environmental health functions may intervene to prevent such an event taking place or agree a modification of the proposed arrangements," it said. Parties will be notified of the licensing sub-committee's decision within five working days. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Local Democracy Reporting Service Birmingham City Council West Midlands Police
Irish Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
'People need to be able to talk about what's going on in Gaza'
Dublin post punks The Murder Capital are gearing up for their 'biggest headline show to date' this summer at the Iveagh Gardens. The five-piece outfit are currently on tour around Europe after dropping their third album, Blindness, earlier this year. The record was penned throughout Europe and recorded in a three-week stretch in Los Angeles. 'It had been a dream of mine to just go to LA in general in my life', The Murder Capital's bass player Gabriel Paschal Blake told the Irish Mirror. 'When I was a kid watching Illegal Civilization skate videos and wanting to hang out in North Hollywood, and for whatever reason, I was just really taken by witnessing in LA from being a kid. 'But at the same time, it was so amazing to have gotten there, but we still had a job to do. 'That was a big thing. I felt the responsibility almost of the opportunity that was in front of me. I was very aware that I was doing something that I've dreamed about since I was a kid, and that just made me lock on. This is an opportunity, a huge one, and it's to be respected in that way.' Last year, the group played a string of dates supporting Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Gabriel revealed that the legendary Australian songwriter 'completely broke down any sort of barriers or hierarchy' when the group first met him. 'It was funny, the two songs that he pointed out,' Gabriel said. 'I think, on the second or third day we came in, and we just went into the canteen to get some lunch, and he was sitting there all on his own, in a beautiful, powder blue shirt. 'He looked amazing… that was the first time meeting him. 'And obviously, I thought that there was going to be... prior to meeting him, he's quite an enigma, he's almost like a character in a story book rather than somebody in real life, but from the jump, he completely broke down any sort of barriers or hierarchy. We were just talking to each other. 'The first thing that he started speaking about was the album, because he went out of his way to hear it before it was out… which, in and of itself, was a crazy feeling. 'But it was funny, the two songs that he pointed out as his favorites were Love of Country and Swallow, which is mad, because those are the two songs that were almost not put on the album. 'It was really interesting that the two that nearly didn't make it were the ones that he liked." The Murder Capital recently joined over 100 artists, including Fontaines D.C., Lankum and Massive Attack, to sign an open letter in support of Kneecap organised by the trio's record label denouncing what it described as a "clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform" the group. 'People need to be able to talk about what's going on in Palestine,' Gabriel said. 'People need to be able to talk about what's going on in Gaza. 'This is as old as the hills, 'don't speak about the abuse that's happening'... 'Everybody just shut up and go along with it and sweep it under the carpet'. 'The thing that's been going around my head a lot is, and through navigating ourselves as a band, through a time like this is Sinead O'Connor, post her SNL (appearance where she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II), where she called out the Catholic Church for its abuses in Ireland. She was bullied and everything that happened to her was, it's just catastrophic and horrific. 'After her performance, Joe Pesci was talking about smacking her like and people were laughing at the idea of somebody hitting a woman, because the industry made it okay for people to bully, be misogynistic towards and just degrade her for speaking out about a truth.' 'She's such an inspiration to us,' he added. 'Not only because of her music, but how she carried herself as an artist, and especially as an Irish artist. 'If people can't speak out about atrocities that are happening, then they're just going to continue to happen.' The Murder Capital's third record, Blindness, is out now. The post-punk outfit will play their biggest headline show to date this summer with Soft Play and Mary in The Junk Yard at the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin, on Saturday, July 19. Tickets cost €39.90 and are available on Ticketmaster.
Irish Independent
10-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Nature Trail: Barn Swallows make an epic journey from Africa
By now, lots of them have made the journey to our shores from their wintering grounds in South Africa and they are a common sight as they get on with their annual chore of building a nest, laying eggs and rearing a family. The average adult Swallows weights about 20 grammes roughly equivalent to the weight of 20 shirt buttons. It is amazing to think that such a light little creature flies all the way from Africa what with facing such obstacles as crossing both the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean sea and coping with all that the weather can throw at it. The journey is about 10,000km long and it is known that birds can travel 300km a day almost as long as a trip from Cork to Donegal. Allowing for holdups due to weather along the way and allowing minimum time for feeding and resting, a fit bird would still need about six weeks to complete the epic journey. Those that do make the long and hazardous trip are starting to build now. Nowadays most Swallows nest indoors favouring all sorts of agricultural buildings from barns to sheds, outbuildings, dairies, etc. Having a Swallow nesting in a building is traditionally taken to be a sign of god luck. Both parents build the nest. They start by collecting mud pellets and reinforcing each pellet with fibres of plant material. The pellets are stuck together to fashion an open shallow cup and the whole structure is firmly attached to some support like a wall, rafter, or girder. For comfort, the cup may be sparsely lined with feathers. The female lays four or five flossy white eggs and she incubates them for about two weeks before they hatch. Both parents feed the young for three weeks before they fly. Insects caught in flight comprise the staple diet. These insects are stored in the parents' throats and the nourishing ball of food is delivered to the hungry youngsters by their attentive parents. Once the young have flown, the parents go on to raise a second and even a third family. Having a third family is risky as both parents and youngsters may be ill prepared to make the marathon journey back to the wintering grounds in Africa.
CBC
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Cree radio network creates puppet show for kids to learn Cree
The James Bay Cree Communications Society (JBCCS) is launching a puppet show to encourage young and older audiences to hear and speak the Cree language. John and Friends is a new bilingual puppet show produced by JBCCS to encourage kids that it's okay to be learning Cree. "We're trying to bridge the gap. There are a lot of kids nowadays who don't speak a lot of Cree. We're trying to teach them how and that it's okay to be learning," said Samuel MacLeod, who voices Morley the Moose. The show has several characters: John, a Cree elder who lives in the bush, Mary-Ann, a Cree woman, Ghaline the Goose, Ka and Kachoo, who are both crows; and Morley the Moose. "My character is the actual bridge. He speaks a lot of English and is learning Cree. The point of Morley the Moose is so people can say, 'Oh, I can relate to this character,'" said MacLeod. While the show is mostly in Cree with some English, they use English subtitles to make it easier for the audience to learn. In the first episode, they had special guests to teach how to make traditional bannock and bead earrings. "[Kids are] a lot more locked into their screens. So video representation really matters now more than ever," said MacLeod. JBCCS is a non-profit radio network that broadcasts Cree news stories across nine communities in northern Quebec. The network was founded in 1981 and first aired in 1986. "They just wanted to put a show out there for the kids who are glued to their screens and teach them at the same time," said MacLeod. Jason Swallow, a producer of John and Friends as well as JBCCS, says that the younger generation consumes less radio and more video content. "We are aiming at the younger generation now since they will be our next audience," said Swallow. JBCCS has been publishing more video content to keep up with current trends in storytelling. They post them on their Facebook page. "Younger generations are more involved in their technologies, right — making video and whatnot. And so that's where we're aiming at now," said Swallow. For Swallow, the idea of watching videos resonates with him from his childhood days. "The idea itself was really a good idea. I like it because it almost brings nostalgia when I used to watch shows like Sesame Street," said Swallow. Swallow hopes that John and Friends will become familiar characters in the classroom, similar to when teachers used to roll in a TV for special occasions. "This would be a great way to teach children in schools, like to show them these videos of John and Friends," said Swallow. It took the team three weeks to assemble the first episode, which lasts over 30 minutes. They've been learning video editing, script writing, and using green screens, among other skills. For MacLeod, the time and effort are worth it. He watched the first episode with his son. "My son saw the episode. He didn't know which character was me, but he immediately jumped to Morley the Moose and said, 'That one's my favourite," said MacLeod. MacLeod momentarily felt disbelief after watching the published episode: he said he realized that, even though the crew was learning, the final production was impressive. "I hope that they take the language with them because it's so important now more than ever, because we're losing our language really rapidly," said MacLeod. JBCCS plans to produce more episodes of John and Friends in the future and post them on Facebook. "We want our kids to know our language. We're trying to teach kids and show that learning can be fun. When you're learning and you stumble, it's all part of the process," said MacLeod.
