I write in reference to the article Warning on high water and power use (August 2).
It would be easier not to waste water in my building in Abu Dhabi, if the hot water wasn’t centralised. As there is no in-apartment heater/hot water storage, you are forced to run the water for up to 10 minutes to get any hot water each time you want a shower or bath, or turn on all the hot water taps in the bathroom to have a shower quickly.
It is frustrating to watch all that water go down the drain but nobody seems to care or will find a way to fix this issue. The development is huge, so imagine how much water is wasted.
Dave McInerney, Abu Dhabi
The rate at which Abu Dhabi uses energy and water is very disturbing. This issue definitely need more attention from the government.
Yulia Hulia, Dubai
How did the older Emiratis ever do without air-conditioning? They were still fine.
Francis Mandreza, Dubai
Hamas is not responsible for the crisis in Gaza
Hussein Ibish's analysis For Hamas, war in Gaza is a step towards the West Bank (August 3) is disconnected from reality. What Gaza is experiencing is a humanitarian crisis that has not been initiated by the resistance.
The resistance has the support of the majority of people in the region.
So the question of political gains does not arise. It’s a far-fetched idea.
Diya Khalil, Dubai
Hamas may have or used to have strong ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, but they are probably the last group of freedom fighters left. We have to put our differences aside and support Palestine. I can say the same thing about the Egyptian point of view. Hamas is not the real enemy, Israel is.
Ahmed S H AlKhamisi, Ireland
Each sovereign nation has the right to protect its citizens against external and domestic threats, but it does not give them the right to kill innocent men, women and children (Israel storms in after truce fails, August 2).
Two hundred and ninety-eight innocent people died when MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, allegedly by pro Russian separatists using Russian-made weapons.
The world pointed its fingers at the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, placing the blame on Russia, and immediately slapped economic sanctions on them. Should we view Israel’s aggression against Palestinian civilians any differently?
Randall Mohammed, Dubai
Steroids can cause major harm
Where do people get steroids from (Use of illegal steroids on rise among UAE women, August 1)? They are such dangerous drugs to use, no matter what gender you are. They enlarge the heart and lead to atrial fibrillation.
Jen Bishop, Abu Dhabi
Soros and Gates deserve praise
I refer to the article Soros fund drops shares in Israel's SodaStream (August 3). Kudos to George Soros and Bill Gates for showing that there are things in this world that are of more value than money and profits.
Sathya Narayanan, India
Ebola situation exaggerated
Shadi Ghanim’s cartoon (August 3), showing poverty on one side, Ebola on the other and Africans in the middle, is an exaggeration that is meant to draw unnecessary attention to something that is not threatening to most people.
It is fair to give a helping hand to someone hit by such a crisis, but it is not a relevant piece of news, at least for The National’s audience.
Sultan Al Mutawa, Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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%20Color%20Purple
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBlitz%20Bazawule%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFantasia%20Barrino%2C%20Taraji%20P%20Henson%2C%20Danielle%20Brooks%2C%20Colman%20Domingo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Wydad 2 Urawa 3
Wydad Nahiri 21’, Hajhouj 90'
Urawa Antonio 18’, 60’, Kashiwagi 26’
