A guard of honour salutes the Peruvian president Alan Garcia, left, and his visiting Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Pinera, as Peru’s national anthem is played during a state ceremony in Lima.
A guard of honour salutes the Peruvian president Alan Garcia, left, and his visiting Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Pinera, as Peru’s national anthem is played during a state ceremony in Lima.
A guard of honour salutes the Peruvian president Alan Garcia, left, and his visiting Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Pinera, as Peru’s national anthem is played during a state ceremony in Lima.
A guard of honour salutes the Peruvian president Alan Garcia, left, and his visiting Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Pinera, as Peru’s national anthem is played during a state ceremony in Lima.

Call for change in Peru raises questions over national anthems


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National anthems are supposed to be triumphant declarations of a country's virtues, preferably set to a rousing piece of music. For example, the UAE's anthem, sung in schools every day, speaks of pride for the country, while Britain's God Save the Queen perfectly reflected the feelings of patriotism in the UK this weekend for the royal wedding.

So the news last week that there is a movement in Peru to change its national anthem is interesting. But, for those familiar with the 1821 ditty, it's not exactly a surprise. "For a long time, the oppressed Peruvian dragged the ominous chain," it begins. "Condemned to cruel servitude… he quietly whimpered." Not exactly a patriotic pick-me-up reflective of this go-ahead South American country, is it?

So a retired government auditor, Julio Cesar Rivera, is campaigning in Peru to replace the downbeat lyrics with three new verses. But why stop there? Why not replace the whole anthem with something more relevant to the sights and sounds of 21st-century Peru? Officials might like to ask the Peruvian rock star Pedro Suarez-Vertiz to have a go - after all, his last album Amazonas contained the international hit Cuando Piensas en Volver (When You Think of Returning), an anthem for expatriates who pine for their mother countries. Upbeat, melodic, and, most important of all, completely singalong, it's the perfect choice.

Of course, it won't happen, but there is a serious point to be made about our national anthems. Some are more than 150 years old. Most are completely irrelevant. Last year, for example, a Costa Rican woman failed in her attempt to convince the supreme court that the country's anthem was sexist. She had a point - the second verse goes: "In the tenacious battle of fruitful toil/ That brings a glow to men's faces/ Your sons, simple farm hands/ Gained eternal renown, esteem and honour." But it does go on to say "Hail, loving mother!" to a suitably ceremonial tune, so maybe the court also had a point.

Bizarrely, Costa Rica has a huge metal and hard rock scene, so the prospect of a Metallica-inspired national anthem probably didn't bear thinking about.

But just as men toiling in fields may not reflect the experience of modern Costa Ricans (their main industries being pharmaceuticals, financial outsourcing and software development), does the notion of a 200-year-old star-spangled banner really mean much to the citizens of the United States? They're more likely to rattle along freeways in their Dodge Chargers, punching the air to Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. Never mind that it's actually a protest song about the effects of the Vietnam War and a lament for the American working class: it touches something primal in the heart of every American when Springsteen roars the chorus.

And proud as France must be of its 18th-century revolutionaries, so memorably evoked in the Marseillaise, surely it's time the country moved on. Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (sampled by Kanye West to such memorable effect on Stronger) is clearly the definition of an ambitious, forward-thinking country and the French electronic duo are the prime movers in 21st-century pop.

And anyone who thinks all this is mere wishful thinking should heed the example of Nepal. In 2007, the House of Representatives grew so tired of their old, western-style anthem that they commissioned a new one. The folky ditty features local strings and hand drums, and is called Hundreds of Flowers. Probably best not to tell them it sounds like something created for a school assembly… although maybe that was the point.

Admittedly, it doesn't always go that well. After hearing a stirring rendition of the Liverpool Football Club anthem You'll Never Walk Alone at the club's Anfield stadium, the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee decided to commission lyrics for his country's wordless anthem La Marcha Real. There were 7,000 entries for this open competition, but the result of the X Factor-style search for an anthem were banal verses ("Let us all sing together with different voices and a single heart! Long live Spain! From the green valleys to the vast sea") and objections from Spain's autonomous regions. Five days after the winner had been announced, the idea was ditched.

Peru, you have been warned.

* Ben East

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Launched: 2018

Employees: 35

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Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

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Founder: Hussam Hammo

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  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran. 

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf. 

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said. 

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer. 

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy. 

 

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Important questions to consider

1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?

There are different types of travel available for pets:

  • Manifest cargo
  • Excess luggage in the hold
  • Excess luggage in the cabin

Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.

 

2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?

If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.

If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.

 

3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?

As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.

If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty. 

If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport. 

 

4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?

This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.

In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.

 

5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?

Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.

Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.

Source: Pawsome Pets UAE

Match info

Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4
(Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)

Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

Top Hundred overseas picks

London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith 

Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah 

Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott

Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz

Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw

Trent Rockets: Colin Munro

Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson

Southern Brave: Quinton de Kock

Match info:

Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')

Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')

Schedule:

Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

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  • Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
  • AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
  • Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
  • The Undertaker beat John Cena
  • The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
  • Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
  • Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
  • Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
  • Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
  • Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
  • Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
  • Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
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How to become a Boglehead

Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.

•   Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.

•   Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.

•   Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.

•   Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.

•   Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.

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Gulf rugby

Who’s won what so far in 2018/19

Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain

What’s left

UAE Conference

March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers

March 29, final

UAE Premiership

March 22, play-offs: 
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes

March 29, final

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Tips for used car buyers
  • Choose cars with GCC specifications
  • Get a service history for cars less than five years old
  • Don’t go cheap on the inspection
  • Check for oil leaks
  • Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
  • Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
  • Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
  • Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
  • If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell

Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg

Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')

Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')

What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets