Sultan Al Qassemi's opinion article An entrepreneurial spark brightens the region's future (November 14) focused on Entrepreneurship Week in Dubai. I was privileged to be at both the Young Arab Leaders and the Celebration of Entrepreneurship 2010 events, and I can say that these meetings were pivotal after the recent UAE recovery even as the US and Europe now face double dip recessions, and the G20 meeting ended inconclusively.
The inclusiveness and open discussion of what ails economies and what the solutions might be was indeed eye-opening. Truly, there are now many more entrepreneurship opportunities as the Gulf has avoided a downturn with its leadership's vision. There is still much hand-wringing about past real estate follies, public gloom-and-doom being greatest at the turnaround point, but the above public events were testimony to the optimism and resilience of the Gulf's young and restless.
I see these young entrepreneurs with their energy and creative new ideas as the Gulf's new civil society, for they can bring change through personal action when others have mostly paid lip service or just complained.
Government is not the answer, but neither is someone else's Silicon Valley. The Gulf should now build its own Silicon Oasis and experiment with its own needs and resources.
Athar Mian, Abu Dhabi
The right view about Pakistan
Nowadays Pakistan has become a flash point in the world of news. The newspapers throw light upon suicide attacks, bloodshed, corruption and lawlessness in Pakistan. Under such circumstances, a negative image about Pakistan has been built up among people living outside the country.
And yet the people of Pakistan themselves are being threatened by internal terror. The world must understand the limitations and sacrifices of Pakistan in its efforts to root out terrorism in the region in the teeth of dangerous threats and lethal consequences by the extremists fighting in Pakistan. No war in this region can easily be fought and won without the help of Pakistan. It was Pakistan which assisted the US to cope with the Russian aggression on Afghanistan. Pakistan has sent its armed forces to its own northern regions where soldiers laid down their lives to fight the war on terror. These terrorists are a menace for the peace of the entire world. Above all, Pakistan is itself the prey of terrorism.
One must know that Pakistan is an ally and must be assisted in letter and spirit rather than suffer criticism.
Malik Khurran, Dubai
The duel that might have been
A tactical decision by the Ferrari team may have resulted in the championship contender emerging right into the middle of traffic, but given that the Yas Marina Circuit has been designed to optimise opportunities for drivers to attempt to overtake, the inability for Fernando Alonso to even attempt to take on Vitaly Petrov has left many with frustrated disappointment at what should have been a far more exciting classic race finale.
In the end young Sebastian Vettel won (and deservedly so), but Alonso is not alone as the big loser that night as many fans feel shortchanged.
Mohamed Kanoo, Abu Dhabi
The complex history of the hijab
There has been a misunderstanding of the veil or hijab. The veil can be traced back to 13th century BC in ancient Assyria as a mark of social class and not religion. Beginning with Judaism, wearing a veil took on religious significance as a symbol of propriety and modesty. The Virgin Mary is often depicted in works of art with her head covered. In fact, it used to be obligatory for Catholic women to don a headscarf in church. Finally, traditional Hindu women also wear head coverings, further highlighting that the hijab is not exclusive to Islam.
PLM, Dubai
One step towards Big Brother
The news article The speed trap you can't evade (November 14) focused on various ways to coerce drivers into better behaviour. The technology has been there for ages but no country in the world is misguided enough to force its citizens to use it. Where do you stop? Have the car drive itself to the police station every time you exceed the speed limit? Or maybe install cameras in cars to monitor if the drivers have their seat belts on?
Once you have such devices, what prevents others from tracking your every single move? How do you guarantee such technology will not be abused? As bad as speeding is, to err is what makes us human and creating a society of robots is not the solution. The academics quoted in the article should be in the forefront of defending people's privacy and not advocating for a Big Brother society.
Ash Alta, Abu Dhabi
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
WITHIN%20SAND
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
Squads
India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Points classification after Stage 4
1. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 124
2. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 81
3. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 66
4. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 63
5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 43
FIXTURES
New Zealand v France, second Test
Saturday, 12.35pm (UAE)
Auckland, New Zealand
South Africa v Wales
Sunday, 12.40am (UAE), San Juan, Argentina
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets