Jonathan Cook's opinion article Egypt and Israel's armies will only grow more powerful (February 22) analysed the consequences of the change of regime in Egypt. Not to state the obvious, but neither side really has any motivation for starting or engaging in a brutal war. Why would either side want a war? Land grab? Bravado? To settle old scores? None of these reasons make any sense whatsoever. Would Egypt want a war with Israel or to attack Israel? Let's see: Israel has more nukes than you can shake a stick at. Egypt has none.
Israel has the unconditional backing of the world's superpower who would provide it with the highest tech weapons possible, satellite info, phosphorus bombs, bunker-buster technology bombs, cluster bombs and every other imaginable weapon of mass destruction. Egypt has no such support.
Abramcos Abraham, Abu Dhabi
"Truth" is a word that too often is only seen through a premise: if the premise is viewed as correct, then statements based on that premise will logically follow. If the premise is that the very presence and existence of Israel is wrong, then any and everything it does or will do is automatically wrong and evil.
Norm Lipson, Australia
Don't just blame the cook
The article Restaurant staff accused in death (February 22) reported that a diner at a hotel restaurant died after eating seafood and duck liver. Both the victim and his fiance had the same meal but only he became sick and died. I cannot understand why this is the chef's fault.
Lizzie Engish, Abu Dhabi
View of a climate change recanter
I refer to The human cost of climate change must be calculated (February 23), an opinion article by Dr I-Tsung Tsai of the Masdar Institute. Climate change is for the gullible and we former believers now clearly see that "crisis", "catastrophic" and "unstoppable warming" were death threats for climate cowards.
It was an embarrassing era of environmentalism and I wish I could take back the times I told young people that they will die on a dying planet from carbon dioxide. If any of you stay-behind believers and faded "worst case scenario" profiteering scientists had any bravery at all, you would call climate change what it was supposed to be: death. Not unpleasant weather.
History is not going to be kind to our doomsday science and modern day witch burners. Even the US president Barack Obama himself bailed on the "crisis" in his State of the Union speech.
Add to that, the Republican majority just voted to pull all funding from the American Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Failed calls for crisis always backfire. A wave of former believer rage has arrived and I dare anyone to say unstoppable warming is absolutely true. It's no different from any old doomsayer standing by the side of the road holding a sign with "The End is Near" scribbled on it.
Journalists and news editors who covered the climate change mistake for the last two and a half decades of needless panic, have done a disservice to science and journalism.
M Mine, US
Suggestions for real estate sector
In reference to Office capacity on the rise in Abu Dhabi (February 15), my idea on this issue is that while Abu Dhabi has continued to build apartments and high rises, it does not have the laws and regulations in place to protect tenants and landlords.
This is largely responsible for a depression in property rates and the massive losses announced by Aldar. Therefore, I would suggest a property visa for properties above Dh1.5 to 2 million. This would automatically lift prices up and give a sense of security to buyers.
Secondly, lower finance rates to benefit prospective buyers who by not defaulting will reduce the bad debts of banks.
Thirdly, ensure that all housing allowances paid by any government company is not a cash allowance and the allowance must be used within Abu Dhabi, either to rent or to buy. Not sending the money back to the homeland and buying property there.
Companies doing business and profiting in Abu Dhabi have a civic duty and corporate responsibility to pump back money into the economy.
Hormaz Dastoor, Abu Dhabi
Boon for wealthy property owners
I refer to the business article Businesses told to stop using villas (February 18). Wealthy commercial property owners are struggling to rent overpriced spaces that will undoubtedly get more expensive soon. Suddenly, these regulations give them a helping hand just when so much new space is coming available.
Donald Glass, Abu Dhabi
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE SPECS
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Transmission: six-speed manual
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Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.