The British have an idiom – “It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good” – which is our way of describing a not-unfamiliar universal circumstance, when a benefit can be discerned in even the very worst of circumstances.
October 7, 2023, and the aftermath that is still being lived through, is an unlikely candidate for the idiom. After 12 months of misery, violence and death on a medieval scale, it is hard for any positive analysis to surface. But, as I wrote in The National a year ago, I still believe there is one to which to cling – that this is the Arab moment, the regional moment, to ensure that what we are witnessing must be the last time that victims suffer the consequences of the failures of the past.
The year has fulfilled the fears that many were expressing within hours of the shocking and brutal Hamas attacks. A reprisal from Israel was certain, and history suggested it would be unconstrained. So it has been. Gaza has been levelled, and Hamas severely reduced, but not extinguished.
Israeli military targets have been hit, but the consequential damage to the innocent as well has been high, with the reported deaths of almost 42,000 and plenty of evidence to suggest that, once the rubble is cleared, there could be double that number. Hostages remain – the only ones to emerge were mostly recovered through negotiation, or their bodies were released, some after cruel recent murder.
This is the Arab moment to ensure that this is the last time we witness victims suffer the consequences of the failures of the past
As most predicted, there was no military victory to conclude the agony, no clear pathway to peace or the restoration of anything like normal life for all who have been displaced in Gaza and Israel. And now the feared escalation is upon us. Israel’s identification of Hezbollah facilities, rocket bases and strongholds in southern Lebanon may have been anticipated. So perhaps also the strikes on the Beirut suburbs, but the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and the pager attacks not at all.
That one day Iran would also become a focus – through a combination of its support for those physically engaged with Israel, and its response to direct Israeli attacks upon it and its military leaders – is now upon us. The next stage in the dangerous scenes we are seeing unfold is the response of each to the attacks upon each other. We are all prisoners of those over whom most of us have no say.
While blood is hot, the cooling balm of diplomacy has little chance to begin the healing process. No one has been listening to the pleas from the UN for a “sustained ceasefire” in Gaza, or to US President Joe Biden’s “three-stage plan” for deconfliction and moving forward.
Rarely have so many dire predictions come to pass. But there were others.
Within a week of October 7 last year, I wrote the following in this paper: “But the new Middle East depends on peace and stability. Without finally resolving the cause of conflict at its heart, we must know that sooner or later violence will engulf us. The recent regional diplomacy [of reaching out from Arab states to Iran, and of the Abraham Accords] was designed to prevent that cataclysmic possibility. Now is surely time for the final step.
“To escape the failures of the past, such efforts must be led by the region itself, supported by the international community – not the other way around. There can be no more patch-ups, until the next round of violent exchanges. This is the moment for Arab and the Gulf leadership, and it must be seized.”
The formation of the Global Alliance to Implement a Two-State Solution, announced by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the UN last month, might just be that change in the wind that the crisis demands.
Supported by an alliance of Arab and Islamic states, and by the EU and the UN, Prince Faisal made clear his belief that a permanent resolution to the current conflict, and preventing the repeated re-kindling of it, was only through the establishment of a Palestinian state. Coupled with the recent declaration by UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, whose country has ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords – that the UAE will not support post-war efforts in Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state – they demonstrate unmistakably that the time for the marginalisation of the issue by too many is over.
One of the fears of the past year was that the cause for self-determination for the Palestinian people, propagated not by violence but by diplomacy and advocacy, would be a victim of the conflict, squeezed between terror and reprisal, unable to voice itself because of the acute polarisation the situation had produced.
The leadership of the new alliance also seems to indicate that the failures of the past, a dependency for advancement on those outside the region, should now be overcome by the region asserting its primary position. The consequences of failure have fallen most heavily upon their people.
After so much, this must not fail. The safety and security of their people, the primary responsibility of a state, has been jeopardised by decades of failure to resolve this issue, as Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi forcefully expressed. Attempts to resolve it physically, or by denying fundamentals such as Israel’s existence and Palestinian statehood have brought us to where we are. Everyone involved knows what has failed in the past, and the points at which people turned away from each other and gave up. And every grieving family counts the cost of that turning away.
If there is to be an alternative to the catastrophe we are witnessing, it must start with people talking above the clamour of war and must include all. We should look forward to the progress of the new alliance and the inclusion of all whose decisions can create the region its people deserve.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
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Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
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How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Read more about the coronavirus
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,400m. Winner: Al Ajeeb W’Rsan, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Jaci Wickham (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m racing. Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Onward, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep Rated Conditions (PA) Dh 125,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: AF Arrab, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 90,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Irish Freedom, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
