Iraqi women have been angered by the new government formation in their country, which sorely lacks female representation, wrote Meead al Taei in an opinion piece for the pan-Arab daily Asharq al Awsat.
Iraq's female parliamentarians refused to control the single ministry they were offered so far in the hope of leading some of the more important ministries.
After decades of struggle, socially and politically, Iraqi women deserve to be empowered so they can make up the lost years under the former regime, and have a say in making the political process in Iraq.
"Iraqi women must become essential partners in the political process and must play their role towards the success of the democratic experience in the new Iraq."
For this to happen, both the legislative and executive powers have to ensure justice and protect women by respecting the quota provided in the constitution. Under the law, they reserve the right to hold 25 per cent of seats in the parliament and provincial councils.
Yet the first political experience of Iraqi women in the past few years have shown that it was feeble on the whole. This due to social taboos, which still undermine women's ability to lead.
In a patriarchal society like Iraq, few women were given chance to develop further their skills in community leadership to prove themselves.
A Moroccan arrives as ambassador in Madrid
In a report in the London-based newspaper Al Quds al Arabi, Hussein Majdoubi wrote that Ahmed Ould Sweilem had finally reached his post as the ambassador of Morocco to Madrid, marking a delay of one year.
Mr Sweilem arrived in Spain last Saturday, a source from the Spanish foreign affairs confirmed. Although he was appointed last November, he did not take office as Rabat decided later to review its relations with Madrid.
Because the new ambassador was a former leader of Polisario, Spanish political circles were concerned that his appointment was aimed at making Spain a site of confrontation with his former colleagues.
Spanish authorities hope that Morocco will review its decision and replace him by another diplomat.
Madrid fears the new ambassador would be more interested in defending the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco at the expense of promoting bilateral relations, especially since Rabat tops the Spanish diplomatic agenda.
Mr Sweilem is the first former Polisario leader to hold a senior diplomatic position in a strategically important country to Morocco. Rabat is likely to rely on the new ambassador to convince the Spanish public opinion, especially pro-Polisario political forces, about the Moroccan plan for autonomy.
Hospitals in northern Emirates are formality
In a commentary for the UAE newspaper Emarat al Youm, Sami al Riyami criticised the conditions of hospitals in the northern Emirates, calling them "transit hospitals".
"Yes, some hospitals in the UAE are simply a formality because they provide no services, have no facilities or doctors like elsewhere."
Above all, neglect and indifference have reigned. The result is a failure to provide proper health services.
Some hospitals in the northern Emirates are but a transit point for patients before they are transferred to Rashid Hospital in Dubai, a situation that has put greater pressure on this facility beyond its admission capacity.
"Is it possible for the accident section, with an initial capacity of 70,000 patients a year, to treat more than 160,000 patients? Is it possible for this huge number of people to receive adequate health services from doctors and nurses? Of course not. Many patients were discharged before they finished the treatment period so they could leave a space for urgent cases."
The very existence of the accident section in Rashid Hospital has led to the majority of doctors from hospitals in the northern Emirates to automatically transfer their patients before giving treatment. Many died as a result of their injuries' complications.
Population balance is needed in Jordan
"There is a state of imbalance between area and population in the three provinces in Jordan. The smaller the area, the more populated is, which makes economic and social planning a difficult process, while a fair distribution of wealth even harder, wrote the economist Fahd al Fanek in a commentary for the Jordanian newspaper Al Rai.
The central province, for example, which includes Amman, Al Balqa, Al Zarqa and Madaba, represents only 2.16 per cent of the total area of the kingdom, yet it has 60.4 per cent of the population. The South is almost half of the country's area, but it has a sparse population of about 10 per cent. Only the northern province has a population that is proportionate to the area. About 30 per cent of Jordanians live there.
As a result, the public budget is not distributed logically, as every province needs allocations that fit the size of both population and land. To solve this intricate equation, demographic engineering solutions are needed not by restricting people's movements but by making some places like the southern province more attractive for settlement. The South should not be seen as a dry and a desert area. It is rather a rural area that can produce crops if enough water is provided and desertification is addressed.
* Digest compiled by Mostapha El Mouloudi
melmouloudi@thenational.ae
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
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
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
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The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
UAE%20Warriors%2045%20Results
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Griselda
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Andr%C3%A9s%20Baiz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ESof%C3%ADa%20Vergara%2C%20Alberto%20Guerra%2C%20Juliana%20Aiden%20Martinez%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:
2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle