I write in reference to Rashmee Roshan Lall's article Will a new dawn for Pakistan mean a shift in relations with India? (August 8): this piece was condescending and patronising in its assertion that Imran Khan is a "start-up leader" who was somehow obliged to mention India in his victory speech.
There has also been a lot of hostility and venom spewed by the Indian media, painting Mr Khan as a villain even before the results were out.
It was therefore magnanimous of Mr Khan to have even mentioned India in his victory speech. Not only that, he showed genuine interest in peace. Sadly, India's reaction remains negative, at its own loss.
Pakistan will deal with India as a sovereign equal and needs no guidance from India as to how it should conduct bilateral ties with other countries.
Imran might be a “start-up leader” but he is definitely not a sanitised leader like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As chief minister for Gujarat, he was refused a visit visa to the US in 2005 and he was blamed for allowing anti-Muslim riots to escalate in 2002, leading to more than 1,000 deaths.
It is time for India to correct its negative stance of refusing to talk to Pakistan and involve itself adequately in the Kashmir issue, a dangerous flashpoint for two nuclear armed neighbours. Let sanity prevail.
Mohammad Hamza, Dubai
Imran Khan has not even been sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan yet. Let us give him and peace a fair chance on the subcontinent and reserve judgment for the time being. He will have his hands full sorting out Pakistan’s complex economy first.
A tortuous 70-year history between two nations cannot simply be ironed out overnight by a single election, no matter how eventful. Let us be patient and not prejudge Mr Khan before he has begun.
Rajendra Aneja, Dubai
Imran Khan was respected by Indians as a sports personality and will certainly deliver. Cricket is a good teacher when it comes to sportsmanship.
K Ragavan, Bangalore
Weapons have no place in peace-loving societies
In reference to Parents call for bag checking at schools (August 8), I can scarcely believe it. Before the child sets off for school, perhaps these parents ought to to check their children's bags themselves. Better still, they should know what their children are buying and bringing into the home.
I cannot believe that parents abrogate their responsibilities to the extent their offspring can purchase or acquire knuckledusters, flick knives and other weapons designed to bring harm to others.
When these weapons began to surface on the streets of Britain, they were banned. Perhaps that should be the starting point. They have no place in a peace-loving society.
Judith Finnemore, Al Ain
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Results:
5pm: Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Tahoonah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m | Winner: Ajwad, Gerald Avranche, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)
Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
