The West has been helplessly watching the Afghan president Hamid Karzai pummel the United States and Nato allies, knowing that any attempt to bring him under control or punish him will directly affect western interests in the region, commented Mazen Hammad in the Qatari newspaper Al Watan.
The situation may get worse now that Mr Karzai is inching closer to Iran and China, whose interests differ widely from those of the West. "Worse still, the Afghan president has been rather sympathetic lately to the Taliban and appreciative of their efforts," the writer said.
Tensions between western powers and Mr Karzai first came to light when the latter accused the West, along with the United Nations, of rigging the Afghan presidential elections last August. Parliamentary sources claim Mr Karzai has gone as far as to vow to join the Taliban if the West keeps clamping down on him.
Afghan observers say that, in this context, there are three options before the US and its allies: use diplomacy, expand citizen access to decision-making positions in government or threaten to pull out.
But none of these would work. "The bottom line is Mr Karzai is Afghanistan's elected president, and nothing can be done about him until the end of his term, five years from now," the writer concluded.
Inspired by a picture of Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, on a recent visit to the site of the Aral Sea's shrinking disaster area, Ali Ibrahim, a columnist with the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al Awsat, said the urgency and the ramifications of desertification and drought in Middle Asia must be duly addressed.
Generally, drought is a result of human activity, such as in Uzbekistan, where the building of dams and the rerouting of waterways for agricultural purposes caused water levels to decrease by as much as 90 per cent. In another case, China is blamed for the decrease of water levels in the Mekong River.
This is a matter of colossal importance, notably for the Middle East, as the scarcity of water resources threatens to unleash a tangle of complex conflicts in the future. It is essential, therefore, that it be moved higher up the agenda of international politics.
The history of Middle Asia has been marked by decades of controversy and disputes over water. In various parts of the world, water is becoming such a precious commodity that countries like Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt are prone to eventual "water wars".
Now, the only foreseeable solution to this plight lies in mutual co-operation among concerned countries to try and develop sustainable solutions that will be less costly than war.
In a comment piece for the Emirati newspaper Al Bayan, Tawfiq al Madani, a Tunisian columnist, wrote that more than one year into the US president Barack Obama's term in office, a wave of discontent seems to be casting its shadow over US-European relations.
European countries are accusing Washington of explicit neglect, an attitude accentuated by Obama's refusal to participate in the European-American summit in Spain next month. However, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Washington last month was an indicator that some warmth may be creeping back into the rapport between the ambitious French president and the sedate commander-in-chief.
The two politicians discussed an array of issues, starting with the Iranian nuclear programme and the need for imposing stricter sanctions on Iran. Their positions concurred concerning the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and its repercussions on the US-Israeli alliance, and they appeared to see eye to eye on the fight against terrorism in the Horn of Africa and other hotspots.
Of course, their opinions do not overlap on all issues. On the Afghan front, France still refuses to send additional troops to the country, while Washington criticises Paris for denying Turkey membership to the European Union and for selling the Mistral warship to Russia. But, all in all, the ice seems to be thawing between the two coasts of the Atlantic.
"Muslims are lagging behind in making Islam's message of tolerance known to other peoples of the world," said Abdulaziz Usman al Tueiji, general manager of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), in an opinion article for the London-based newspaper Al Hayat.
Western communities have very little knowledge of Islam's true cultural message. Public opinion in these communities isn't forged only by the media, as prolific as it is. It is rather influenced by studies and research carried out in universities and think tanks. Therefore, the literature that is available to western readers surely affects their attitudes and points of view.
The 9/11 attacks ushered in an unprecedented interest in all matters related to Islam and the Arab world. However, such an interest wasn't matched by literature that would shape a more positive opinion of these parts of the world.
Therefore, it is a matter of urgency that objective books be written and made available for readers and researchers all over the world. It is the responsibility of Arab authors to create a cultural equilibrium to counter the kind of opposing literature that is solely directed at discrediting Arab culture and the Muslim faith.
* Digest compiled by Racha Makarem
rmakarem@thenational.ae
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
SQUADS
South Africa:
Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada
Coach: Ottis Gibson
Bangladesh:
Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Mustafizur Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed.
Coach: Chandika Hathurusingha
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.