In reference to the balanced article by Rupert Hawksley The brilliant but troubling legacy of VS Naipaul (August 12), Naipaul was one of the best writers in English of our time. His books will long be read and remembered. His prose read like poetry. He was gifted in the art of using words adroitly and elegantly. He used simple language to describe complex situations and emotions in an elegant manner and he never used any extra or unnecessary word in his works.
Certainly, like many great writers, Naipaul was also controversial. His book on India, An Area of Darkness, was highly critical and drew significant ire. Nevertheless, Naipaul was writing what he saw. He was not exaggerating.
The man himself was a good listener. I met him in the late 1990s at the house of the Indian writer Rahul Singh, son of the legendary Khushwant Singh. Naipaul was very interested in how rural markets in India were being transformed through the use of consumer products, a project I was then working on. I became a big fan. May his soul rest in peace and may his writing continue to inspire.
Rajendra Aneja, Dubai
There was no India or Pakistan before Partition
I write in reference to Justin Thomas's opinion piece Home is not just bricks and mortar – it's crucial to our sense of who we are (August 13): I think Dr Thomas could benefit from a history lesson. He starts his article by stating "When India was divided to create Pakistan", but prior to 1947 there was technically no nation called India. Rather, there was a subcontinent with many independent nations. The great mughals came and conquered these nations and formed it into an empire. After them the British took over and in 1947, when the British left, all the nations became independent. The states that opted to form a Muslim confederation became Pakistan and some nations decided to join a union of nations as India. Hence there was no "India" to divide. There was no partition but independence from the British empire. This is akin to implying that all of Europe or South America are one country.
That is why a Sikh and a Tamil or a Naga and Rajasthani or a Kashmiri and Keralan are all different – because they are from different nations and have nothing in common.
Khalid Ahmad, UAE
Cyber crime should be stamped out everwhere
I write in reference to your article Jail terms of up to 25 years as part of tougher penalties under UAE's cyber crime laws (August 14): the story outlines how the punishments for cyber crimes in the UAE will increase from 10 to 25 years in jail and fines of up to Dh4 million.This decision was issued recently by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa and in my view it is a good development for the UAE and the wider region. It will reduce cyber crime and therefore make people safer. Today cyber crime is present in almost every country and a proper attempt to crackdown on it in the UAE is welcome.
K Ragavan, Bangalore
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SPECS
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Match statistics
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 36 Bahrain 32
Harlequins
Tries: Penalty 2, Stevenson, Teasdale, Semple
Cons: Stevenson 2
Pens: Stevenson
Bahrain
Tries: Wallace 2, Heath, Evans, Behan
Cons: Radley 2
Pen: Radley
Man of the match: Craig Nutt (Harlequins)
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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
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300