Ever since the Egyptian authorities rejected domestic and foreign calls for free and impartial elections under the watchful eye of international observers, it became clear that they wanted a domesticated parliament fully controlled by representatives of the ruling national party, observed the pan-Arab newspaper Al Quds al Arabi in its editorial.
The feeble popular turnout at the polls on election day mirrored general public indifference. Turnout rates dropped to an unprecedented 10 per cent out of 40 million voters. Egyptians are aware that fraud is the common denominator in all previous parliamentary elections. They had no false hopes that the latest elections would be any different.
The Egyptian government was determined to crush the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opposition bloc in the previous parliament, which would allow it to pave the way for a smooth and uneventful transition of power from father to son.
The Muslim Brotherhood made a grave mistake when they decided to run for elections against all warnings to the contrary in the hope of retaining their seats. But the regime outsmarted them by facilitating their participation, which gave it the required façade of democracy and allowed for easier "rigging".
A great tension is simmering under the surface in Egypt. The widespread irregularities might spark an anticipated explosion.
Lebanese-Iranian joint statement is positive
The Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri's visit to Iran culminated in a joint statement that denotes the success of the visit on more than one level, commented the columnist Rajeh al Khoury in an article for Lebanese daily Annahar.
The statement announced the signing of nine additional bilateral agreements, which give more stability and strength to official relations between Iran and Lebanon. Iran reasserted its support to the national unity and stability of Lebanon. Does this truly mean that Tehran is committed to supporting Lebanese stability despite predictions of a possible explosion of the situation?
Iran expressed its endorsement of the Saudi-Syrian efforts seeking a solution for the present crisis. Of course Iran's approval of the outcome of these efforts is crucial for their success.
Most importantly, the statement confirmed Iran's explicit support to the course of justice and truth in the case of Rafik Hariri's assassination, and the non-politicisation of the tribunal.
The Lebanese side also declared its commitment to the Arab peace initiative and confirmed Iran's entitlement to peaceful nuclear technology.
Official statements aren't necessarily binding in practice, but the statement that followed Mr Hariri's Tehran visit reveals a strong Iranian intent to prevent any explosions in Lebanon.
US confronts a crisis of diplomatic confidence
The clear truth in the Wikileaks documents is that this is a crisis, best described by the Italian foreign minister when he referred to it as an "international diplomatic September 11", observed Tareq Homayed, the editor-in-chief of pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al Awsat.
They reveal the US failure to maintain the confidentiality of private meetings and expose the mentality that governs US diplomacy. The documents show that US diplomats have been spying on their counterparts at the UN.
The question that arises here is: what will be the future of diplomacy and international relations? And most importantly, who among the world's leaders would trust US diplomats knowing that the national security of their countries would be at risk?
However, it must be noted that not everything written as cables at US embassies is the truth since often words are taken out of context. Many of the documents relayed impressions, analyses and points of view.
Therefore, the leaked documents, regardless of their precision, don't bring anything new to the table other than revealing a Watergate-like situation in the making in the US.
"Our region doesn't need such documents to confirm or deny that Iran is a source of concern and Iran's response to the leaked documents seemed prudent and calm as these documents implicate it in serious security matters."
China's inevitable rise to world power
The United States is not the only great power remaining in the world, as US experts in foreign policy believe. In fact, analyses reveal that the US will be incapable of influencing rising nations that rely heavily on their own resources, commented the columnist Mazen Hammad in an article for Qatari daily Al Watan.
Washington recently sought to pressure Beijing to alter its positions on such issues as global warming, Iran and North Korea, but the Chinese adamantly resisted US efforts.
China refused to allow its national currency to rise, since it relies on the weakness of the yuan in leading an export economy. It refused to impose harsh sanctions on Iran because it needs Iran's oil and gas to support its growth,
At the same time, China refrains from limiting its carbon gas emissions, since taking millions of citizens above the poverty line in the upcoming years is closely tied to an excessive use of energy.
US officials say they realise the nature of changes taking over China and that they are modifying their strategies according to these transformations.
No matter what measures Washington takes, the fact is the Chinese have forced their way upward. It is only a matter of time for China to succeed America as a world power.
* Digest compiled by Racha Makarem
rmakarem@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Company%20profile
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m. Winner: Majd Al Megirat, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Shehhi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: Dassan Da, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Heba Al Wathba, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Harbour Spirit, Adrie de Vries, Jaber Ramadhan.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
The five pillars of Islam
Napoleon
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CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five pillars of Islam