The Palestinian Al Hayat al Jadidah daily carried an opinion piece by the chief editor Hafez al Barghouthi who wrote: "We will know the fate of the prisoners swap deal, after we have learnt about the fate of the dialogue."
The Israelis, he noted, are demonstrating daily to get their government to secure Sgt Gilad Shalit's release, while none of us is demonstrating to secure the release of our detainees. "There are no popular pressures pushing toward the signing of this deal or toward seeing the release of detainees, as though these people were not a part of us."
This deal involves military and political leaders who can contribute to restoring unity within the Palestinian ranks, Barghouthi stressed, "considering that the detainees who will be released have had the chance to think and debate the developments, and have previously issued the Prisoners Document which we stepped on and ignored".
"We must therefore secure the swap deal to improve our domestic situation, considering that the names who are likely to be released are prominent ones enjoying experience in the areas of struggle, dialogue and unity. They are capable of introducing changes to the Palestinian reality."
London's Al Quds al Arabi daily carried an opinion piece by Dr Madawi Rashid who wrote: "The Saudi regime has managed to impose its grip on society through the consecration of a triangle of prohibitions, the three angles of which are politics, religion and sex." Throughout the twentieth century, he added, all of these issues were taboo, and a red line that could not be exceeded.
"Today, politics is the only one that remains and that is prohibited to the people, regardless of their ideological inclination. The regime therefore adopted this principle in the past and in the present, despite the openness witnessed on the Saudi arena and the King's calls on the people to criticise his policies.
However, despite this new Saudi openness, the political angle is still restricted and while those who address political affairs are imprisoned, we can find some criticising the weak wings in the regime, such as the Information, Culture or Labour Ministries, and these critics are still free.
The writer concluded by saying that the Saudi command has toppled the religious and sexual prohibitions, "but is still holding on to the political prohibition because it knows that letting it fall will entail its own fall."
Badr Bin Saud, a regular columnist for Saudi Arabia's Okaz, wrote that the Gulf media are always accused of cheering their own officials and regimes. Some believe that this is a case particular to the Gulf "but reality tells us something different because the Arab Network for Human Rights Information revealed in a study in 2007 that an Arab country paid respectable sums of money between 2006 and 2007 in return for 25 per cent of the reports and studies published about it in eight newspapers and magazines issued in a certain Arab country."
Corruption is widespread in the body of Arab media, Bin-Saud asserted. "There is no doubt that Arab media now enjoy a wider margin of freedom and movement, compared to the recent past. But if the Arab reporter or journalist is free from his government's grip, then he will be in the grip of the opposition or the extremist religious factions."
As such, the author concluded, "the media and press outlets in the Arab world have to focus on solving the financial crises facing journalists and to cover their travelling and education expenses so that they might work in a healthy atmosphere not burdened with financial problems."
Ahmad Baha'a Eddine Sha'ban, an Egyptian columnist and one of the founders of the Egyptian opposition movement Kifaya, wrote in Lebanon's Al Akhbar: "In his first press statement after his release from prison, Aiman Nour, the head of the Al Ghad Party, said some important things. He said: 'I am not the prince of vengeance and I am not about to settle scores with those who caused my suffering.' He called for letting bygones by bygones and stretched his hands to everyone, including the National Democratic Party, the party of the regime that imprisoned him for the past few years and waged a campaign against him."
Nour's sudden release from prison, Sha'ban said, caused a wide controversy in Egyptian society. The American factor was, of course, the common denominator in all the explanations presented to understand why Nour was released one month after Barack Obama came to power. Now, with the end of the Republican era, it seemed clear to both the Egyptian and American sides that the circumstances were ripe for starting a new era in relations.
* Digest compiled by www.mideastwire.com
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
The years Ramadan fell in May
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
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Ireland v Denmark: The last two years
Denmark 1-1 Ireland
7/06/19, Euro 2020 qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
19/11/2018, Nations League
Ireland 0-0 Denmark
13/10/2018, Nations League
Ireland 1 Denmark 5
14/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
11/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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)
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars
ACC%20T20%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Championship
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Company%C2%A0profile
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