Iranian president Hassan Rouhani speaks at a weekly cabinet meeting in Tehran. EPA
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani speaks at a weekly cabinet meeting in Tehran. EPA

A peaceful approach can achieve what hostility cannot



I write with reference to ­Raghida Dergham's column So far, Trump has refused to fall into the traps laid out by Iran (June 23).

It is clear that Iran should adopt a sensible attitude, and avoid confrontation with the US and other countries, as it is not a superpower that can dictate to others.

Peace and friendly behaviour can achieve what hostility cannot. Any flare-up in Iran or the Middle East can create havoc in the region.

Nazim Khan, India

Facebook cryptocurrency will take up a lot of energy

I have just read Mustafa Alrawi's excellent op-ed on the planned launch of Libra, titled Facebook's new cryptocurrency could really change the world (June 19).

It is the energy intensity that gives Bitcoin its value and security. Cryptocurrencies are not made for free, and someone would have to expend a great deal of energy to get involved in mining the for them.

Name withheld by request

The water shortage in Chennai is heartbreaking

I write with reference to your article Lack of water drives ­residents of India's Chennai City to desperation (June 22) .

This piece on how residents of the capital of Tamil Nadu state are suffering from acute water shortages, spending hours queuing to fill ­bottles and buckets and paying extremely high rates to suppliers was sad to read.

The local administration has failed to take adequate preventative measures to reserve water in case of crises such as the one unfolding at the present moment.

The administration should put laws in place that prevent people from selling water, which is one of the most basic human needs, after all, for exorbitant prices.

Ultimately, in these situations, prevention is better than cure. This is a sad state of affairs indeed.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru

The Earth will probably survive meteor swarm

With reference to your article Earth on course to pass through vast swarm of meteors (June 23), is this the first time that the earth has passed though  vast numbers of meteors in its 4.5 billion year history? It appears to have survived until now.

Sameer Mirza, Dubai

Camels could help to provide Pakistan with fuel too

In reference to your news piece How UAE uses camel dung as an alternative to coal (June 22), there are a large number of camels in Sindh province in Pakistan. People there could also use this method to meet their energy needs.

Shabbir Husain Baliwala, Pakistan


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