A school bus tragedy in Ajman

Jaime Puebla / The National

Regarding Salam Al Amir's article Ajman Pupil dies after being run over by school bus (Feb 16): this was really tragic. The tiny emirate has seen much development over the decades. Traffic has increased too. It was heartbreaking to read that the bus driver drove forward without paying attention and ran over the 12-year-old. If only the driver had been a little more careful. Fleeting absent mindedness on the road can have the gravest consequences.

Such incidents cannot always be anticipated but when the worst does happen, as in this case, the loss is unbearable, as in this case, for the family of little Sheikha Hassan.

Whatever punishment is meted out to the driver, who could well be stricken with guilt and remorse, and regardless of compensation given to the victim's family, it won't bring the child back to her dear parents.

I felt sad reading this. The emirate is where my office was situated, on a busy street, back in the days when I worked in the UAE.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India

Can Canada accommodate peaceful protests?

With reference to Willy Lowry's article Like father, like son: Justin Trudeau invokes Emergencies Act to quell Canada protests (February 15): Peaceful protest doesn't appear to be a democratic right in Canada anymore. This never used to be the case. But things have changed so much everywhere. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown what real leadership entails and just how much power leaders exert, to bring the masses under control, via lockdowns, social distancing, masking mandates and so on –ideally, all for the betterment of society. Canada's Justin Trudeau has gone a step further. A reminder of the other side of that power, some might say.

Allan Osborne, Johannesburg, South Africa

Shark attack was unfortunate, yet not altogether unexpected

With reference to the report Sydney shark attack: Man killed in first fatal attack for 60 years (February 16): We can't now let people kill this shark. Humans enter the water at their own risk. That’s their domain – the sharks', not ours. Yes, it is unfortunate that this has happened and I sympathise with the family, but killing the shark would be unacceptable action. What would we gain from it? It is in the animal's nature. Are we going to kill every shark that attacks someone? It's not hard to figure out that this shark was feeding and that’s what they do, like we do on land.

Kelvin Harris, Dunedin, New Zealand