In a comment piece for the Bahraini newspaper Al Wasat, Najeeb Musaab warned against future water shortages in the Arab world. "Arab counties are under a water stress line, and are likely to face by 2025 an acute scarcity." Consumption per capita in some Arab states is among the highest in the world. And most of the water supply available - 80 per cent - goes for irrigation.
This situation is worsened by a conflict between pressing economic development and scarce water resources. Many countries in the region have developed tourist facilities, such as golf courses, that consume more than existing capacities, with no guarantee for sustaining these projects in the future. Other factors such as population increase and a declining of water supply because of pollution and climatic change will add to the water crisis. What is more, most water resources derive form sources outside the region, and major groundwater basins are shared.
What is needed now is to innovate water desalination technology and massively treat used water. Other innovative methods should be adopted, such as collecting rainwater in artificial lakes in mountainous areas and on house rooftops. No less important, efficient irrigation should be introduced based more on production per each cubic metre of water rather than per hectare of land.
The blasts that rocked Iraqi streets this week raised many questions about their timing, goals and perpetrators, observed the Saudi newspaper Al Watan in its editorial.
With the approach of the elections, the situation is getting worse, with a few glimmers of hope for future settlements of accumulated problems on many levels: political, social, economic, or security.
The turn of events in Iraq seems to be intentionally planned for. Behind the attacks could stand foreign powers strongly wishing to impede the course of the political process or to steer it in favour of their affiliates.
At the heart of these incidents and the futile political debate among various political forces lies an attempt to exclude the most important element of the Iraqi political landscape: the Iraqi people.
As differences deepen, it is likely that the Iraqi crisis will enter a deadlock, possibly sending the whole political process - already staggering - back to square one. To overcome mistrust between political forces, and to prevent further foreign meddling, Iraq needs to quickly come up with a formula for reconciliation based on boosting citizenship rights and defending the country's integrity. This can only be possible, of course, through fair and free elections that guarantee the participation of all Iraqis.
The Syrian president Bashar al Assad was successful in drawing a picture close to reality about political life in Israel in an interview with The New Yorker magazine, wrote Mazen Hammad in an opinion piece for the Qatari newspaper Al Watan.
Mr al Assad described the current group of Israeli politicians as being "like children fighting each other, messing with the country. They do not know what to do." The Syrian president made a distinction between peace and a peace treaty, explaining that an peace accord consists of the terms you agree upon and sign, but peace describes a time when you enjoy normal relations. In this sense, "you start with a peace treaty in order to achieve peace."
So in order for Israelis and Syrians to attain these goals, Israel must give the Golan Heights back to prepare the way for a peace treaty the Israelis expect. In other words, pointed out Mr al Assad, one starts with land, and not with peace.
The Syrian president also underscored the fact that the Israelis, during their assault on Gaza, aimed at destroying Hamas and empowering the president of the Palestinian Authority, but ultimately it turned out the other way around.
Al Assad concluded that in today's world, nothing can protect and serve Israel's interests better than peace.
"The welcome scene of the Palestinian leader Nabil Shaath in Gaza, the meetings held there and the statements made during his visit all came to bring some comfort and the possibility to end the long-standing animosity between the two major Palestinian wings," observed the UAE newspaper Al Khaleej in its editorial.
~While Palestinians and Arabs may regard this visit as a breakthrough, there is a likelihood, however, that this cannot fall within the context of national reconciliation. It is feared to be a kind of public relations tactics to "beautify" the attitude of each faction. So the question arises: "Is there any genuine move to reach an agreement and then reconciliation?" It is hard to answer this question because statements by leaders from the West Bank about Hamas raise suspicions that their intentions are not for true national reconciliation.
One can ask whether Mr Shaath had a mandate for reconciliatory efforts from the Palestinian Authority and Fatah. And if all goes well, will the US and Israel allow this to happen?
"For this reason, Shaath's visit to Gaza should be cautiously considered as a breakthrough and optimism should be kept at a rational degree."
* Digest compiled by Mostapha Elmouloudi
melmouloudi@thenational.ae
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
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.