Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan are both good boxers (Terms agreed and UAE in the driving seat to host Manny Pacquiao v Amir Khan ‘super fight’ on April 23, February 27). However, Amir needs to work hard as Pacquiao is fast. My favourite is Khan, although he is not that strong.
Faheem Mahmud, Dubai
I am sure Amir Khan will drop like a paper in a an early round of the fight. I have followed every single fight of Khan. He has the speed, but his careless glass jaw is his weakness. It’s simply too much for him to handle the speed and power of Manny Pacquiao. That said, both of them are great warriors in the ring.
Kevin Liddell, Dubai
It’s hard to stay calm while driving here
After experiencing the way some people drive here, I can say that road rage is something any responsible level-headed driver will get at some point (Angry while driving? Blame it on your mental health, February 27). After a while one gets sick and tired of some irresponsible drivers who blatantly disregard other people's lives.
Casey N Corley, Qatar
Self-importance and impatience are the main reasons for road rage in this country. It’s also common because of a lack of law enforcement.
To improve road safety in the UAE, the penalties need to be far more severe.
Giles Heaton, Dubai
Dollar plays a key role
In your story Strong dollar weakens short-term demand for Dubai property (February 19), suggesting that currency fluctuation has little impact on cross-border flow is incorrect. As Standard and Poor's points out, the strength of the dollar is one of the key factors in the current environment.
James Holmes, UK
Follow example of Ireland
We should all follow the example of Ireland and give Palestinians their overdue independent state (Who is Salam Fayyad and why does the US fear him? February 13). The world should boycott and sanction Israel until it ends the occupation.
Wadad de Marco, Australia
No guard against VX nerve agents
In reference to your editorial North Korea hit raises fears in the region (February 26), there is no current defence against a tasteless and odourless VX nerve agent.
If, and when, a VX nerve agent is deployed in an act of mass terrorism or war, there will be no practicable defence, as an antidote such as an injection of atropine would be unavailable within the critical time period, meaning that all persons ingesting the contaminant would die within minutes. Furthermore, thousands – or millions – of innocent civilians could be liquidated by just a single attack with this chemical, one of the deadliest toxins created by man.
Just four 50-litre containers of VX nerve agent could contaminate a city’s main water supply and kill a majority of residents in Greater London, Paris, Rome, Berlin or New York – or any other metropolitan area, within 15 minutes.
The chemical weapons convention of 1997 is an international arms control treaty that bans production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.
VX nerve agents are specifically prohibited under the convention, which has been signed and ratified by 98 per cent of the global population.
Out of 196 UN members, only four countries have refused to ratify the convention. They are: North Korea, Israel, Egypt and South Sudan.
Anthony Bellchambers, UK
