I write in reference to Chitrabhanu Kadalayil's op-ed Did the BJP's 'Mission 400' seat target make winning India's election mission impossible? (May 16): there are a number of reasons for the poor voter turnout in the Indian election, including unfavourable weather, but this will be worrying for all of the main political parties.
Although it isn't expected to win 400 seats, the BJP still has the ability to secure a majority, mainly due to a weak opposition. Of course, if the number of BJP seats declines, it suggests that the opposition is becoming stronger. Yet the Congress party does not have the deep roots it previously did, and so, even if the opposition ends up forming a government, it will be composed of numerous small parties and would not be stable or sustainable in a nation the size of India.
All that being said, what is being ignored is the fact that India's fundamental needs are not being adequately met. Why the least-privileged people continue to remain poor remains a concern. Helping them move up the social ladder should be the top priority for any administration, and the BJP has performed marginally better in this area than its predecessors. Programmes that prioritise women's empowerment have had some positive results, albeit slowly.
Finally, it bears mentioning that India will be more successful as a nation if religious fanaticism is kept out of politics.
Ramachandran Nair, Muscat, Oman
Improving air safety is key
I write in reference to Amr Mostafa and Nicky Harley's article One dead and several injured in severe turbulence on London to Singapore flight (May 21): it was disconcerting to read the news about the death of a passenger and injuries to several others this week. It was also a sobering reminder that, even though aviation remains the safest mode of transport today, passenger safety is not always guaranteed. There has been a series of accidents in recent months from Japan to the US, which suggests there is room for improvement as far as the airline industry is concerned. Whatever they are – technological upgrades, safety regulation updates, a new insurance framework – they call for joined-up thinking to make flying even safer than it already is.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India
Western hypocrisy in today's wars
I write in reference to Tim Stickings' article MPs urge Britain to back ICC bid to 'hold Israel to account' (May 22): the war in Gaza has exposed western double standards, especially when weighed against the conflict in Ukraine. The ICC must not fail in its bid to bring justice to those who have been harmed and wronged. It must not fail to hold key Israeli government officials to account.
Name withheld by request
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 523hp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh469,000
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
