New flooding in Sindh province, including this scene last weekend, will leave Pakistan less capable of feeding itself, which will add to the country's other current difficulties, a reader says. Pervez Masih / AP
New flooding in Sindh province, including this scene last weekend, will leave Pakistan less capable of feeding itself, which will add to the country's other current difficulties, a reader says. PervezShow more

Another problem for Pakistan



Your editorial Pakistan floods offer chance for lasting change (September 18) was a very fair analysis of Pakistan's current predicament.

Last year's floods led to death, destruction of homes and the massive displacement of a rural population.

The destruction of livestock and the washing away of topsoil - key to growing crops - meant that many feared that Pakistan would no longer be able to feed itself. Within the last year there has been an exponential rise in the cost of staple foods in Pakistan.

With little if anything having been done by Pakistani authorities to manage the damage from last year, one shudders to think how the latest floods will compound those problems.

It seems almost inevitable that further death, destruction, poverty and hunger will ensue; and all that at a time at which Pakistan has few, if any, friends in the international community.

Daud Khan, Dubai

A sneaky trick cheapens the belt

I refer to your boxing story Mayweather stops Ortiz in fourth round to take WBC welterweight title (September 18).

Floyd Mayweather could have simply accepted a good gesture of apology, but instead he took advantage of the chance to throw punches, surprising Victor Ortiz.

Is this sports we're watching, or gladiators with neither honour nor respect? If we keep buying this kind of entertainment we might as well live like animals in the wild. Mayweather won a cheap belt.

Ernani Medenilla, The Philippines

Get the grammar right in adverts

Until my Arabic is flawless, which will not be anytime soon, I try not to criticise mistakes in English by those who have another native language; that's only fair.

But I could not ignore the advertisement shown in the photo with your report Etisalat's Sharjah centre to put customers in picture (September 19).

I can't comment on the Arabic but the English version of the Etisalat ad says "No one covers the UAE better than us". Of course this should be "better than we" or, to avoid the appearance of pomposity, "better than we do". I would have thought a large company, or its advertising agency, could afford to have somebody on staff who speaks proper English.

Carmella Petz, Dubai

Every land needs national heroes

I loved the story Haiti serve up a victory for the people (September 5).

It is always good to hear about minor nations in global sport, but especially reassuring to see people remembering their roots to play for the team.

Migration is great, but sport helps people return "home" occasionally.

Paul Tooby, Australia

Enforce the law on seat belts

Your story Students not buckling up, survey says (September 19) reminded me that when I lived in the UAE, I was often scared by the excessive speed of cars passing me.

The answer applied in other countries is to put the police on the motorway. Use radar to catch, not to monitor. Attach the illegal act of speeding to the punishment (fine, confiscation of the car or whatever else) immediately.

The same policy applies to wearing setbelts.

Police must catch the offenders and levy fines immediately (and the number of times caught should influence their right to drive).

Only police presence will make a difference. This policy should also apply to ensuring proper child safety seats, and the condition of the car.

Tom Patillo, Canada

Let Trump pay up to help Scotland

I have a thought about your story Trump's fury at 'ugly' wind farm set to spoil his fairway from heaven (September 18).

If Donald Trump is the advocate of Scotland that he claims to be, and loves and believes in Aberdeen so much, and if he really believes that this wind farm is such a tragedy, then I have an idea for him: he can put his money where his mouth is and pay the wind farm's developers to build it somewhere else.

Donald Glass, Abu Dhabi

Some good news about Berlusconi

How happy I was to read Berlusconi's thirst for power unaffected by scandal (September 19).

How many people share my enthusiasm for the Italian leader, who provides comic relief from the cheerless elements of the news.

Who doesn't appreciate a charming rogue? I hope he stays in power for many more entertaining years.

Gerry Trepanier, Abu Dhabi

Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.

A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Despacito's dominance in numbers

Released: 2017

Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon

Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube

Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification

Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.

Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards

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 specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8

Price, base: Dh853,226

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm

Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km

Representing%20UAE%20overseas
%3Cp%3E%0DIf%20Catherine%20Richards%20debuts%20for%20Wales%20in%20the%20Six%20Nations%2C%20she%20will%20be%20the%20latest%20to%20have%20made%20it%20from%20the%20UAE%20to%20the%20top%20tier%20of%20the%20international%20game%20in%20the%20oval%20ball%20codes.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeren%20Gough-Walters%20(Wales%20rugby%20league)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Dubai%2C%20raised%20in%20Sharjah%2C%20and%20once%20an%20immigration%20officer%20at%20the%20British%20Embassy%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20she%20debuted%20for%20Wales%20in%20rugby%20league%20in%202021.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%20sevens)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWith%20an%20Emirati%20father%20and%20English%20mother%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20at%20school%20in%20Dubai%2C%20and%20went%20on%20to%20represent%20England%20on%20the%20sevens%20circuit.%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFiona%20Reidy%20(Ireland)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMade%20her%20Test%20rugby%20bow%20for%20Ireland%20against%20England%20in%202015%2C%20having%20played%20for%20four%20years%20in%20the%20capital%20with%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20previously.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

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

My Country: A Syrian Memoir

Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now