While the Jordanian authorities have not decided on the identity of those behind the attack on Al Aqaba, Egypt immediately denied that rockets had been launched from the Sinai Peninsula, wrote Yasir al Zaatra in a comment piece for the Jordanian daily Addustour.
Egypt accused Palestinian factions, but overruled the possible involvement of groups affiliated with "global jihad". Israelis held the same opinion, condemning Hamas.
Egyptian newspapers affirmed that the Islamic movement was still pursuing a policy that jeopardises Egyptian interests, describing it as ungrateful to the humanitarian assistance Cairo had offered to Gaza's population in alleviating their sufferings. The official newspaper Al Goumhuriya, in a report on Wednesday, accused Hamas for sharing links with the Muslim Brotherhood that undermine the supreme interests of the country.
Jordan was reluctant, however, to accuse any party, whether Hamas or Islamic Jihad, on the grounds that neither of these organisations has ever undertaken any action outside the Palestinian Territories.
The writer suspects it was the Sinai Bedouins, who for years have been in conflict with the Egyptian regime and perhaps would like to prove that they are able to disturb it if it continues a repressive policy. He also accused al Qa'eda affiliates and the Iranians, who will be interested in demonstrating that they are able to act on many fronts and instigate violence at many levels.
In a comment article for the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al Awsat, Mohammed Alaarbi al Messari reviewed the latest incidents in Ceuta and Melilla that saw excessive power used by Spanish police forces against Moroccans on the border.
This will naturally occur as long as Spain continues to occupy the two enclaves, which are the transit site of more than 28,000 people a day. And similar incidents may continue as the economic situation worsens.
To help understand the tense situation in the two cities, we need to look at the rising xenophobia among settlers, "who have failed to acquire the democratic culture prevailing in Spain for the last three decades. At the same time, we should not ignore the hard feelings of thousands of Moroccans living under the occupation."
Amid such mutual animosity, high unemployment adds to the havoc. According to local press in Melilla, more than 10,000 are jobless in a city of less than 74,000 people. The financial crisis has crippled the local economy at a time when Madrid reduced its logistic support as part of drastic measuresw to reform the macro-economy. This racks the nerves of settlers, putting the impatient police on alert to preserve the public order. For such reasons and others, the two neighbours need to maintain their strategic partnership by seeking new avenues "to refurbish their cooperation".
It is hard to pin down the reasons behind the lack of a minimum consensus among Iraqi politicians to form a national government nearly four months after the legislative elections, noted the UAE newspaper Al Bayan in its editorial.
But a closer look into the Iraqi political scene shows that the differences relate not to a competition between political blocs in pursuit of the best interests of the community, but rather to personal pursuit of power.
"There is another explanation for this situation that many rush to invoke, linking the present stalemate to loyalties of some political actors to external powers."
While both explanations could provide an explanation, one thing is sure: there are few solutions in sight. This prompted the UN security council to call upon the Iraqi politicians to quickly establish a government that reflects both the local political mosaic and people's will and expectations. While this call is timely and welcome, it is regrettable to see the council involved in such a manner as to dictate explicitly to Iraqis what they should do about their own government.
It should be a wake up call, however, for the political class. This newspaper agrees with the message of the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon on Iraq, and we share with him the hope to see a change towards a new Iraq endowed with efficient political institutions.
The ongoing battle over between producing and consuming countries over BlackBerry smartphones also exposes a digital gap that determines who monopolises the information and codes it and who simply uses it, notes the Saudi newspaper Al Riyadh newspaper in a leading article.
"In the developing world, which depends entirely on the products of advanced countries, there is no control over the import of military and civil equipment as well as over high-technology computers that are at the heart of critical economic and social secrets. Exchange of calls and information are but one example."
Much has been said about the values brought by the BlackBerry to users in the developing world to avoid state control. However, this has not prevented such countries as the US, Britain, India, Saudi Arabia and other GCC states to raise concerns over security aspects. They challenged the absolute monopoly of the Canadian manufacturer over the phone codes.
This change of attitude by many consuming countries will help them to impose their own conditions, forcing the manufacturer to review its policy in fear of the collapse of its shares. At the end of the day, what is at stake is matters of information and no country will be ready to "gamble" with this.
* Digest compiled by Mostapha El Mouloudi
@Email:melmouloudi@thenational.ae
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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
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
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.
Andor
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Company%20Profile
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
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Company%20Profile
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Kanye%20West
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Fresh faces in UAE side
Khalifa Mubarak (24) An accomplished centre-back, the Al Nasr defender’s progress has been hampered in the past by injury. With not many options in central defence, he would bolster what can be a problem area.
Ali Salmeen (22) Has been superb at the heart of Al Wasl’s midfield these past two seasons, with the Dubai club flourishing under manager Rodolfo Arrubarrena. Would add workrate and composure to the centre of the park.
Mohammed Jamal (23) Enjoyed a stellar 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League campaign, proving integral to Al Jazira as the capital club sealed the championship for only a second time. A tenacious and disciplined central midfielder.
Khalfan Mubarak (22) One of the most exciting players in the UAE, the Al Jazira playmaker has been likened in style to Omar Abdulrahman. Has minimal international experience already, but there should be much more to come.
Jassim Yaqoub (20) Another incredibly exciting prospect, the Al Nasr winger is becoming a regular contributor at club level. Pacey, direct and with an eye for goal, he would provide the team’s attack an extra dimension.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Imperial%20Island%3A%20A%20History%20of%20Empire%20in%20Modern%20Britain
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.