In his opinion article Lebanon's exile politics put stability and justice at risk (December 19), James Zogby decried the influence of Lebanese exile groups in the US. In addition to justifying regimes supporting terrorist groups, Mr Zogby is trying to export the mentality used by these regimes against their opponents into the US by describing American Lebanese groups supporting the democratically elected government as exiled agents.
Who is in real exile? The Lebanese American group supporting the current majority Lebanese government, international justice, UN resolutions, a strong Lebanese army and a sovereign Lebanon where the Lebanese government controls all the arms in its territories? Or Mr Zogby who appears to be lobbying to justify Hizbollah, an armed terrorist group outside the Lebanese government's control, and Iranian and Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs?
Recently Mr Zogby attempted to open the Special Tribunal for Lebanon for discussion.
What does it mean to discuss the work of international justice? Especially as the UN and the US still support the tribunal's inquiry into the 24 assassinations against the civilian Cedar Revolution in order to end political assassinations in Lebanon.
More creepily, Mr Zogby lobbies to defend Hizbollah, the terrorist group which vows to attack the Lebanese in support of international law and accuses them of being "agents" for the US. Just as Mr Zogby described various American Lebanese groups supporting the elected government as exiled agents. How can a supporter of a government in power be exiled?
These US Lebanese groups are not agents. They only hold dearly what this land holds in terms of freedom and justice. Labelling these groups as agents will only make them proud US citizens unlike some holders of US citizenship who justify the terrorist group responsible for the deadly attack against the US Marines in 1983.
Tony Safa, US
I would like to ask James Zogby whether he has ever considered the reason why there are Lebanese exiled politicians in the United States?
It is for the same reason his ancestors emigrated to the US: to escape persecution to find shelter in the land of opportunity and freedom.
What a hypocritical closing to his article. And I quote: "Finally we affirmed our support for Lebanon's national unity government and urged the US administration to continue to support it as well - with special attention being paid to the need to ensure that violence does not once again tear the country apart, putting Lebanon and its people at risk."
Would he please enlighten us as to how he expects peace, stability and the cessation of assassinations of Lebanese elected officials? How will this peace and tranquillity be achieved without justice? The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is what will bring the assassins to justice and deter the killers from killing again.
Omar O, Dubai
Crack down on slowpokes too
Traffic signal cameras will only increase traffic jams. Exceeding the speed limit is wrong and should be punished, but if the authorities wish to do this, then it's also time to start cracking down on people who drive too slow for no apparent reason, leave a massive gap between them and the car in front when they're waiting at a traffic light and are very slow to respond when it goes green.
Such behaviour creates traffic jams. Traffic jams waste everyone's time and cost the economy a lot of money.
Ziad Q, Abu Dhabi
Wrong picture of Afghan drug use
I refer to the news article A new crisis emerges (December 10). How irresponsible! After almost two years doing HIV research in Afghanistan, I would characterise the threat of HIV as existent and worth monitoring, but not a crisis. Certainly not in a country with serious competing crises.
Heroin use leads to HIV but United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime data estimated heroin use at 1 per cent. The 2009 study quoted showed that the prevalence of HIV stayed around the same in Kabul.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see health issues get attention. But please focus on the real story in Afghanistan and less on what appears most shocking.
Aimee Rose, UK
A fan's praise for Juliana Down
In reference to the article Juliana Down crew to rock Dubai off its Axl (December 16), I was there at the opening of the concert. It was great and those boys sounded amazing.
I wish them all the best. This article does them justice. I think producers should pay more attention to local bands.
Zeinab Ra, Dubai
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
Dubai Women's Tour teams
Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport
Kazakhstan National Team
Kuwait Cycling Team
Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
Minsk Cycling Club
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Team Ciclotel
UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
Wheel Divas Cycling Team
BLACK%20ADAM
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jaume%20Collet-Serra%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dwayne%20Johnson%2C%20Sarah%20Shahi%2C%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Pierce%20Brosnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley