Drama productions are boring, unoriginal
"One of the benefits of the Arab revolutions is the decrease in drama production for the month of Ramadan by 35 per cent compared to the same period last year," wrote the editor-in-chief Sami Al Reyami in a leader for the UAE newspaper Emarat Al Youm.
We are not at all against TV drama in Ramadan, which traditionally has significant viewing rates. We believe that this month is a real opportunity to raise many issues through dramatic works by highlighting, for example, many of our traditions as Muslims.
Yet the soap operas aired on certain channels are less satisfactory. Most of them are superficial, with an overstating tone. They exaggerate in both comedy and tragedy.
"Without delving into details, the dramas on display this month, whether Egyptian, Syrian or from the Gulf, resemble each other in content ... There is absolutely nothing new: they all sound monotonous and most are commercially driven.
"Our local production is also monotonous … Some of last year's works were better … Most soap operas are of a commercial nature, and fail to strike a reasonable balance between what the viewer wants and what the advertiser and the producer see as profitable.
The unnecessary "overstretching" of sequences is the order of the day, and the performance of our comedians is not convincing and sounds artificial.
Patience is the key to ending Syria's crisis
"The bleeding in Syria is multifaceted. It is about politics, economics, security, the military and society, noted the Emirati newspaper Al Khaleej.
As the crisis enters its fifth month, the situation is likely to worsen, which plunge the country into further chaos and conflict. Syria is at a crossroads that can jeopardise the whole country.
"While western attitudes have specific goals and objectives, Damascus should treat the Arab views positively. This is because Arab countries are keen to ensure the unity and stability of Syria."
The Arab stance is summed up through the Arab League's statement and then through that of the GCC countries. Saudi Arabia also called, for its part, for a stop to violence, to spare lives.
Arabs also speak of reform through a comprehensive national dialogue, but they also warn against the risk of sliding into sectarian strife. They stress that this is a critical time for Syria. Damascus should see these Arab comments as fraternal advice.
It is worth mentioning that as long if the crisis lasts much longer, many parties will become more interested in interfering in Syria's affairs.
This is why it is important for Syrians to come up with a suitable solution that will help put an end to their crisis, and to make real change through true political reform.
Saudi king's 'thunder' on Syria will soon fade
Saudi King Abdullah's decision to withdraw his ambassador from Damascus is synonymous with the US and European declaration that president Bashar Al Assad has lost all legitimacy, observed Satea Noureddin in the Lebanese daily Assafir.
The withdrawal "could be the practical translation of the explicit international orientation to exercise maximum political pressure on the Syrian regime, to halt its brutal campaign against its own people."
The decision is a vital transformation in the Saudi attitude towards the Al Assad regime, a long-time reliable ally of the Sauds through the last four decades.
Despite the careful choice of words, the monarch's speech can still be interpreted as clear support for the calls to topple the regime.
"However, the thunder of the Saudi position will soon fade; the king has previously made similar initiative towards other Arab countries in crisis, without any lasting effect."
President Al Assad isn't fighting for control over Lebanon any more, but over Syria itself. As harsh as his accusations to the Saudi king were in 2006, following the Israeli war on Lebanon, when he called the king "half a man", his response this time is expected to be much more severe under an unfounded Syrian assurance that the world has neither the means nor the desire to interfere in Syrian affairs.
Notohara was right about the Arab world
In 2003, Nobuaki Notohara's Arabs: A Japanese Point of View came out, and did not go unnoticed by Arab book reviewers, columnist Mohammed Al Rumaihi wrote in the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al Awsat.
"I reviewed it in 2004," the columnist said, "and stated verbatim: 'As soon as I finished reading this book, I thought it must be required read for every Arab politician who wants reform, or believes it is still possible'."
Notohara's accounts a decade ago are as relevant, if not more so, today. The man lived among Arabs for 40 years, spoke their language and translated some of their texts. While he was doing so, he took note of some of the "negative aspects" of the Arab world and warned that they could get worse. Notohara saw the simmering tension on the Arab street. He wrote: "People in Arab towns are not happy, are not at ease; people are keeping quiet, they refrain from speaking, but you could hear a scream beneath that overbearing silence."
"A citizen's dignity is measured only in relation to his allegiance to the ruler," Notohara went on.
But his ruminations, truthful as they are, may remain under the radar of most Arabs, because "we are a reading-averse bunch," the columnist said. "The Arab political spring is still missing a cultural spring."
* Digest compiled by the Translation Desk
translation@thenational.ae
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The specs: 2018 Honda City
Price, base: From Dh57,000
Engine: 1.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 146Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
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