New talk about blocking the Strait of Hormuz once again threatens to ignite the whole region
One day after the US and the European Union imposed a new round of severe sanctions on their oil exports, Iranian authorities addressed ultimatums to Gulf states and western powers, the pan-Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi noted in its editorial.
The first ultimatum came in the form of an announcement by a member of the national security and foreign politics committee in the Iranian parliament: the committee has proposed a bill that urges Tehran to attempt to deny crude oil shipments passage through the Strait of Hormuz on their way to countries supporting the sanctions.
The second came in the form of military manoeuvres that simulate a counter-attack against US or Israeli targets in the region.
"These Iranian messages give the impression that the western sanctions against Iranian exports may cause a state of economic paralysis in the Islamic Republic and direct a hard blow at the Iranian authorities," said the paper.
Blocking the Hormuz strait to approximately 18 million barrels of exports from the Gulf would be equivalent to a declaration of war. Western countries with fleets, aircraft carriers and naval bases in Qatar and Bahrain will not allow such a trespass; closing the Strait could lift oil prices to $200 (Dh735) a barrel, damaging faltering economies.
Blocking the strait would not require a special law from parliament. The Iranian ultimatums at this point can be classified as psychological warfare tactics. The same applies to the military manoeuvres that revolve around attacks on US bases in the Gulf.
"However, it must be said that sanctions on Iranian exports can also be viewed as a declaration of war. Its main objective is to drive the Iranian people to the brink of starvation in the hope that they will rise up against the government.
"But this is highly unlikely; the embargo the West imposed on Iraq for 13 years did starve the people but didn't motivate them to rebel against Saddam Hussein's regime," the paper argued.
In any case, the US and its allies aren't expected to wait around for another dozen years for the embargo to yield results in Iran. Western reports confirm that Iran does indeed possess large quantities of enriched uranium, enough to build nuclear warheads within one year.
No one wants war. Nonetheless, once cornered, Iran could counter-attack the US warships in Gulf waters.
In fact, it could be argued that this is the main purpose behind the oil embargo and the severe economic sanctions. It seems as if the West is pushing Iran into firing the first shot in a war.
"The next four months before the US elections promise an escalation in mutual verbal attacks between Iran and the west, until one of the parties decides to open the gates of hell on the entire region," the paper concluded.
International bodies share blame in killings
No matter how cruelly the Syrian regime behaves, the international law fails to face the Russians and stem the bloodletting, Tayyib Tizini said in an opinion piece in the Emirati newspaper Al Ittihad.
The Syrian regime is the first to blame for the turmoil in Syria which erupted when he rejected protesters' demands for freedom, dignity and true reform, and when he shot the first bullet in Daraa that developed into today's status quo.
Several nations, particularly Russia have tried to "promote themselves as saints who are very concerned with the Syrian bloodshed, but in reality, they are taking a role that is tantamount to a criminal act: they are supplying weaponry to be used for shedding Syrians' blood".
Homs, the city of tolerance, affection and culture, was barbarically bombarded by the regime forces, but Russia kept silent despite having witnessed itself a similar experience in Stalingrad at the hands of Nazism.
However horrible they might be, crimes kept going unpunished because of the Russians who used the veto twice against the call for punishment. This has left no room for doubt that "the international law prevails over moral conscience".
This absurd bureaucracy has become involved in the killing of children and burning women, men and homes, which can only indicate that the international bodies have become "underfoot".
Egypt's new president is reluctant to fight
Mohammed Morsi seems to follow the authority mentality which disregards civil society and offers no radical solutions, Wael Abdel Fattah wrote in yesterday's edition of the Egyptian newspaper Al Shorouk.
Egyptian civil society has called on President Morsi to put an end to military trials of civilians, and to release thousands of detainees.
But he replied that he has been told that most of the prisoners in question are thugs whose release might threaten peace.
And he announced a decision to set up a committee with no neutral people from civil society.
Mr Morsi could have been more forceful in facing the military on this matter, the writer said.
But the new president has not shown any striking differences from former Egyptian presidents.
He is trying to "appease the people with coloured balloons and feast gifts without fighting a forceful battle".
Mr Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood lack a reconstruction plan. They think that merely being in power makes the Brotherhood virtuous.
This is why they did not, for instance, seek to make a radical change in the media and end its subordination to power, the writer said.
* Digest compiled by The Translation Desk
translation@thenational.ae
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The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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Company%20Profile
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5