Developing FNC experience


  • English
  • Arabic

"The democratic experience witnessed by the UAE in the last elections of the Federal National Council must be supported and more people must be allowed to participate," wrote Muhammad al Hamadi, a regular columnist for the UAE's independent newspaper Al Ittihad. If the parliament's mandate is extended for two new years, which seems likely, its members must listen to the citizens about their needs, and not simply address whatever lands on their desks, he wrote.

"On the official level, the council needs to be given more power and a wider remit so that it can fulfill its legislative role. Our parliament today is still deficient because it does not have the right to issue real laws and this is hampering its workings," al Hamadi said. "Doubling the number of council members to 80 members would allow women to have a real presence, he added. "It is important that the coming elections include more citizens, or even all of them, and give them the right to both run as candidates and to vote, so that they participate in the democratic process."

Jordan's independent newspaper Al Arab al Yawm ran an ironic article by Jawad al Bashiti saying the opinions of the Iraqi people should not necessarily be polled concerning the security agreement with the United States, which is about to be ratified. "Attention is focused now on the Iraqi parliament, though the result has become known even before it convenes to ratify the draft and practise its constitutional right in approving or rejecting it," he wrote.

"Why should we repudiate an agreement, the articles and items of which would justify calling it 'the agreement that completely ends the military presence of the United States in Iraq on December, 31, 2011'." Further room for optimism is given by President-elect Obama's promise of change when he takes the keys of the White House, al-Bashiti wrote. "Didn't Obama say he has a plan, upon which he will withdraw one or two brigades every month from Iraq, and so after 16 months, only a small force will remain and in the middle of 2010, all fighting forces will have left Iraq?"

Syria's state-controlled Teshreen daily ran an opinion piece by Editing Director Issam Dari reporting the British Foreign Minister David Miliband as saying "Syria enjoys a major role at the level of enhancing stability in the Middle East". The statement echoed those of other European and even American officials who visited "the capital of love, peace, tolerance and coexistence", he wrote."For the past eight years, enemies pressured Syria with false accusations based on lies, threats and unfair sanctions, and then attempts to isolate it, blockade it or militarily attack it, whether the attacks were carried out by Israel or the American army occupying Iraq." The attempts failed because Syria's positions are based on "what is right and just", Dari wrote.

"We hope that the European officials - who are our neighbours and who know the facts better than those running the wars from across the oceans - will respect their convictions and those of their people who expressed, in recent polls, their belief that Israel was a factor threatening security and stability not only in the Middle East but also on the European continent."

Hussam Ittani, a regular columnist for Lebanon's independent leftist newspaper As Safir wrote that it is remarkable that one of the busiest sea lanes in the world passes right though a hotbed of piracy near the shores of Somalia. "The recent attack on a Saudi oil supertanker, which was laden with two million barrels of oil, added a new dimension to the piracy issue," he wrote. This issue now involves the world, risks worsening the economic crisis and raises fears of an environmental disaster.

"The irony here is that Somalia managed to re-attract western attention through the piracy issue," Ittani wrote. "While this country doesn't present any motive for any country to occupy it because of its lack of natural resources and the complexity of its tribal and political structure, the pirates, unintentionally of course, seem to have presented the motive for returning the Somali issue to the forefront of international attention."

The pirates have played, for the thousandth time, the role of David versus Goliath "who proved, also for the thousandth time, that he needs a bit more brain and a bit less brawn". * Digest compiled by mideastwire.com

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

MATCH INFO

Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')

Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')

Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)

WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

A4 35 TFSI

Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic

Power: 150bhp

Torque: 270Nm

Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)

On sale: First Q 2020

A4 S4 TDI

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel

Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic

Power: 350bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh165,000 (estimate)

On sale: First Q 2020

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Brief scores:

Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first

Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)

Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out

Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)

Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')

Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')

Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)

BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS

Biosafety Level 1

The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.

Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.

Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.

Used as teaching spaces.

Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.

Biosafety Level 2

These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.

Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.

Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1

Biosafety Level 3

These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.

Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.

Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.

Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.

Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.

Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.

Biosafety Level 4

The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.

All material must be decontaminated.

Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.

Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.

Entrance must be via airlocks.