I refer to 'We will astonish the world' (November 27), about Dubai winning its bid for Expo 2020.
It was a well-deserved win by all accounts and doubly significant because of the exemplary role played by an extraordinary woman, Reem Al Hashemi, the Minister of State and managing director of the Dubai World Expo 2020 bid committee.
The objective of making the Expo carbon neutral was a clincher and will sharpen national focus on sustainability issues.
In this period of advancement and success, perhaps the stakeholders will also recognise the wisdom of broader inclusiveness, and will factor in the contributions of those who will build and support the bedrock. They are the venture’s unsung heroes.
All the stakeholders have much to look forward to with Dubai and the entire UAE moving to the forefront as emerging figures on the world stage.
Sustainability is the key.
Prodeep Mookerjee, Dubai
Congratulations to the leadership, the citizens and the residents of Dubai.
We have passed the first and most important challenge of winning the bid.
The next major challenge will be the planning and implementing of the vision. Let’s all make this a fabulous event.
Deepak Chandwani, Dubai
Congratulations to Dubai for this victory. Expo 2020 is yours.
It is a deserved victory, but it’s nice that my city of Yekaterinburg was a strong rival.
Alena Guzhaeva, Russia
I think we can expect many changes in the coming years, both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Radha Shankar, Dubai
This is a mighty result for a mighty nation.
Brigitte von Bulow, Abu Dhabi
The emirate of Dubai has conclusively proven, over and over again, that it has perfect vision when it comes to progress, development and making impossible dreams come true in the shortest possible time.
In the medical profession, this is called 20-20 vision.
Amitabh Saxena, Dubai
Teenagers should be well prepared
I couldn't help but chuckle at Gaye Caglayan Budak's comments about teenagers and laundry (Student's view a poor example, November 25).
In my experience, most children and teenagers in the UAE have a maid picking up after them.
So, it’s no surprise that when they leave the nest to go overseas for university they struggle to cope.
We have four children, the youngest at university in Australia. Needless to say, we made sure that they could all cook, clean and generally look after themselves. But we are always there for them if needed.
Lee-Avinne O'Farrell, Abu Dhabi
Cinemas short on quality offerings
I totally agree with the writer of the letter Seeking more serious cinema (November 25).
I, too, am tired of the violent films that stay on the circuit for weeks, while beautifully shot period dramas, and films that you have to actually concentrate on, are released for one or two weeks.
And what’s with the subtitles? Some of them appear to take over half the screen, thus obscuring the actors’ faces.
Also, the Dame Judi Dench film Philomena has already been released elsewhere, but there has been no sign of it here.
Name withheld by request
Big plastic duck is a fan favourite
I am writing about Giant yellow duck to float into Dubai Creek for UAE National Day celebrations (November 27).
I love this duck. I hope it sticks around in the UAE for a while.
Patricia Geiger, Abu Dhabi
Small local stores are almost extinct
I refer to The evolution of UAE retail: From corner shops to mega malls (November 26).
The same thing is happening all over Asia.
The traditional market is disappearing in favour of the air-conditioned shopping mall.
While the levels of hygiene and range of goods may leave something to be desired, the traditional market provided a critical opportunity for poor people to have an income.
To open a shop in a western-style mall, you have to have significant start-up capital to buy stock and to cover the first few months rent.
Ian Tait, Laos
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
more from Janine di Giovanni
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
SPECS
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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
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.
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
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
SPECS
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Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)