I write to you in reference to your article Oil prices surge most on record after Saudi Arabia drone attack (September 16). This report was an alarming read.The drone attacks on two oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, which were claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels and blamed on Iran by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are not only a threat to the country's security, they have had a dramatic impact on oil prices worldwide. Iran denies the US's claims, but whether this incident was directly perpetrated by Iran or not one thing is sure: the entire globe is affected by the surge in oil prices.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru
Kim Kardashian has built a brand around her name
I write to you in reference to Sophie Prideaux's article Kim Kardashian's shapewear line made $2 million in 10 minutes, but is it just another celebrity gimmick? (September 15).
Kim Kardashian has become a brand name and any new product she launches is now part of this brand. This is is what I call good marketing. She has mastered the art of using her name to make profits and her cult following will keep her brand going.
Khurram Qureshi, Dallas
This is no surprise. We are conditioned to believe that the Kardashians deserve a platform and we are made to focus on their storylines and their obsession with a certain body type. This enables celebrities such as Kim Kardashian to launch their own products to perpetuate their idea of an unattainable perfect female body. It does not matter that women cannot reach that ideal, they will be told they can just buy it. Kim Kardashian is a genius, I guess. Sad, but true.
Zehir Carrim, UAE
Mama Zulekha is an inspiration for women in the UAE and beyond
I write to you in reference to Ramola Talwar Badam's article Mama Zulekha, UAE's first Indian doctor, receives golden card visa (September 15).
Mama Zulekha is a a good example for women all around the world.
Patricia-Michael Feneley Le Gall, Abu Dhabi
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
