When New York governor Andrew Cuomo described the bomb attacks in the city as a “nightmare scenario”, he was correct on several levels. The freedoms in the West make them susceptible to this kind of terrorism, but his description is also true in a wider sense because the difficulty of preventing these kinds of attacks plays into the hands of politicians who are willing to resort to fearmongering and demagoguery to turn terror into political capital.
The status of the suspected bomber, Ahmad Khan Rahami, as an Afghan-born naturalised American citizen has already affected the talking points of the United States presidential election relating to immigration, refugees and terrorism. Republican candidate Donald Trump was the first to weigh in, even before the nature of the incident was clear, saying “we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant, and we are going to end it”. His Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton swiftly followed, saying Mr Trump’s “irresponsible, reckless rhetoric” has been identified by counterterrorism experts as helping ISIL to recruit new fighters. She also noted that she had been in the White House situation room and helped “neutralise our enemies”, adding: “I know how to do this.”
The reality is that for all the tough talk, in countries that have robust civil liberties and the rule of law it is almost impossible to prevent these kinds of attacks. As in the repeated terrorist incidents in France and other parts of Europe in recent years, the attackers have been citizens rather than fighters from outside the country, so they have all the rights and privileges relating to freedom of movement.
It is likely that both candidates know this reality full well, but they also know on a political level that it is important to sound tough to voters who are seeking simple and reassuring answers to the highly complex problem posed by terrorism.
Both candidates’ responses fit into the category of sounding tough rather than presenting a solid and nuanced policy. For voters who fear falling victim to a random act of terrorism – which is, after all, the goal of those who use terror as a political tactic – there is more comfort in tough talk than in vague words about addressing the causes of radicalisation or about balancing a citizen’s civil liberties against counterterrorism. Governor Cuomo is right: this is a nightmare scenario if this kind of demagoguery becomes a deciding factor in the election less than seven weeks away.
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Pathaan
Director: Siddharth Anand
Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham
Rating: 3/5
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2024 Mercedes E200
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cyl turbo + mild hybrid
Power: 204hp at 5,800rpm +23hp hybrid boost
Torque: 320Nm at 1,800rpm +205Nm hybrid boost
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.3L/100km
On sale: November/December
Price: From Dh205,000 (estimate)
The Specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now
Voy! Voy! Voy!
Director: Omar Hilal
Stars: Muhammad Farrag, Bayoumi Fouad, Nelly Karim
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
PETER PAN & WENDY
Director: David Lowery
Stars: Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Joshua Pickering
Rating: 3/5
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist