In its lead article, the pan-Arab newspaper Al Quds al Arabi argues that new economic sanctions against Iran might hasten a war for three reasons.
First, the consensus on issuing punitive measures implies that Tehran is culpable of violating international law by continuing the enrichment of uranium. This, for many, would provide a legal cover for a potential military strike.
Second, most observers believe such sanctions are in essence futile because they are not likely to affect the regime in Iran. In the long run, they would rather cause the population to greatly suffer as happened in Iraq.
Last and most dangerous, one of the terms stipulates the right to inspect Iranian vessels, which may provoke the Iranians. In retaliation, they might act likewise by countering US or other western-flagged ships. If that happens, it could ignite a military confrontation.
Two factors increase this probability.Eleven US and Israeli warships passed through the Suez Canal on their way to the Red Sea and then to the Gulf. Meanwhile, the Iranian government has reiterated that it will never change its stance about its right to enrich uranium to more than 20 per cent.
This situation of mutual mistrust and conflict of interests is reminiscent of that preceding the two Gulf wars, which heralds bleaker times in the region.
In an article for the Emirati daily Al Ittihad, Mahjub Othman wrote about the latest developments in Darfur following a report by Agence-France Press stating that last May was the bloodiest month in Darfur this year, with 600 people killed.
Doha is hosting peace talks between political parties in Sudan. "Even if the Doha negotiations were to result in an agreement, it wouldn't change much in the situation as the largest insurgent groups in Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement, are still boycotting the negotiations and continue to fight against government forces."
The relationship between the JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim and Khartoum has reached a crisis level; Sudan has asked Interpol to arrest him and return him to the country to face charges of attempting to invade the capital two years ago.
Interpol didn't respond to Khartoum's request, however, and Mr Ibrahim is still free to travel between Cairo, N'Djamena and Libya. Chad, on a mutual agreement with Sudan, refused to allow him to stay or to pass through into Darfur, which prompted him to travel to Libya.
No one expects Libya to deliver Mr Ibrahim to Sudanese authorities, which means the peace talks will be frozen awaiting mediation or a change in positions.
As two Lebanese ships, the Mariam and Naji al Ali, prepare to set sail to Gaza transporting food and medicine in a new attempt to break the four-year blockade on the city, Rajeh Khoury wrote an article for the Lebanese daily Annahar in answer to Israel's explicit threats against the ships and the Lebanese government.
"The statements of Ehud Barak, in addition to being a flagrant threat to the Lebanese government, attempt to create pre-emptive excuses for any criminal and aggressive act that would be directed at the two ships carrying women and journalists and heading to Gaza."
Mr Barak held the Lebanese government responsibility for the ships and announced that strong measures would be taken against them in case they attempted to break the siege, basing his threats on the fact that Lebanon is considered an enemy state and that Hizbollah sponsored the two ships.
The Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri strongly stated that Israel's tactics were lies aiming at creating a new opportunity for war.
In view of Benjamin Netanyahu's extremism, it is likely that Tel Aviv will be more inclined to aggravate matters than to resign to a settlement. Israel itself is now besieged before the world. "The lies it is weaving against the Lebanese aid ships may be a prelude for future madness and aggression."
It is a strange situation to see Spaniards and Moroccans involved in military exercises at a time when the latter are protesting against a visit by Mariano Rajoy, the leader of Spanish Popular Party, to the two enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, argued Mohammed al Achab in the opinion page of the London-based newspaper al Hayat.
It seems that top military officials in both countries have increasingly set for themselves a different agenda independently from politicians and other members of civil society. The military drill in the Mediterranean Sea aims to serve other core key security interests: addressing illegal immigration, countering terrorism, and empowering the intervention capabilities of both countries. In the recent past, both Spanish and Moroccan forces have contributed to peacekeeping efforts in many places, such as Kosovo and Haiti.
Moroccans know that what binds them with their northern neighbour outweighs what could divide them. Although such problems as stalled fishing agreements, the Sahara dispute, and Moroccan sovereignty claim over Ceuta and Melilla persist, they are less likely to develop into direct confrontation. And even though many top Spanish officials have visited the disputed enclaves, Madrid and Rabat are still adopting a rational approach.
* Digest compiled by Racha Makarem
rmakarem@thenational.ae
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Palestine and Israel - live updates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
SRI LANKS ODI SQUAD
Perera (capt), Mendis, Gunathilaka, de Silva, Nissanka, Shanaka, Bandara, Hasaranga, Udana, Dananjaya, Dickwella, Chameera, Mendis, Fernando, Sandakan, Karunaratne, Fernando, Fernando.
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.