With regard to Fareed Rahman's report War has brought ‘complete collapse’ of Gaza’s economy (22 November): It is upsetting to see pictures of people stroll through the debris of their damaged homes, possibly wondering how such losses can be covered and who should bear the responsibility for the whole thing. The destruction brought about by the Israel-Gaza war is a grave tragedy. In other parts of the world, humanity has advanced greatly and reached the Moon. Palestinians stand a similar chance of progress if there was a permanent solution to this conflict, not just a temporary truce.
Palestinians will face enormous challenges in restoring collapsed businesses and residential structures, resulting in massive debt. Major financial support will be needed. The UN and other developed nations who care about the Palestinian people must provide financial assistance for recovery and rebuilding. As future generations will sadly discover, it could take many years, even decades to alter this situation.
Ramachandran Nair, Muscat, Oman
A Palestinian gathering around a traditional dish
With reference to the video by Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza "Maqluba is our resilience," (November 29) about sharing the traditional Palestinian dish with his family and friends: This was heartwarming to see. They deserve to celebrate the ceasefire. May God bless and protect them all.
Jenny Husain, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
What a strong sense of nationhood. I have respect and deep admiration for the resilience and endurance they have shown, not just in the past seven weeks but the past many decades. May the truce stretch further and there be peace.
San Qaiser, Dubai
The challenge of the Indian tunnel rescue
In reference to The National's report Uttarakhand tunnel: Rescuers save all 41 trapped Indian workers (November 28): This was a massive effort from the state government to rescue the trapped men. After the repeated attempts made since November 12 to get them out alive, this was heartening news.
Kudos to the administrations of both state and centre and the various teams involved in the rescue operations, as also the medical team and doctors for their excellent service. It was a delicate and complicated operation. Water and food was sent to the men through a small shaft, keeping the men alive and staving off death and dehydration. It was good to see the photographs of people rejoicing and with such relief on their faces.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Spec%20sheet
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
MATCH INFO
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.