Visitors at the Palestine Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, in Dubai on 4 October. Pawan Singh / The National
Visitors at the Palestine Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, in Dubai on 4 October. Pawan Singh / The National
Visitors at the Palestine Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, in Dubai on 4 October. Pawan Singh / The National
Visitors at the Palestine Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, in Dubai on 4 October. Pawan Singh / The National


Expo 2020 Dubai: the enticing Palestine pavilion


The National
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October 07, 2021

With reference to Georgia Tolley's story A feast for all five senses at the Palestinian pavilion (October 5): that's a well-reported story. I'll be there at the end of October. Thank you for pointing out the highlights.

Rod Jones, Johannesburg, South Africa

You are doing a tremendous job by showing everyone the pavilions on video and enticing everyone to visit the Expo.

Syed Mansoor Qasim Ali, Lahore, Pakistan

Expo 2020 is good for business

With reference to Neil Halligan's report Expo 2020 to be 'largest brainstorming session' for businesses (October 4): I completely agree. Expo 2020 Dubai is reminding us in a big way of what lies at the root of business – innovation and industry.

Daniel Schaer, Dubai

The art of making idols

With reference to the photos in Durga Puja festival preparation in India – in pictures (October 5): the artistry in these pictures is absolutely stunning. Perfectly created idols. This time of the year, the festival season, is the best time to be in India, especially Bengal.

Jitendra Desai, Ahmedabad, India

May James Bond live on

With regard to James Mottram's article 'No Time to Die' film review: Daniel Craig returns for final gritty outing as James Bond (September 29): this was an interesting read. The release of the film, delayed for more than 18 months due to the pandemic, was good news for film lovers such as myself. The role of James Bond has been epitomised by so many actors. Sean Connery was the most stylish, I thought. To this date, perfectly viable actors like Daniel Craig continue to portray the role of the secret agent. Millions of fans are drawn any new James Bond film. I have been watching them repeatedly for decades. The action, the plot, the suspense, even the theme music is always superb. I hope the film is a big hit. It's nice to watch films again on the big screen after the nightmare of the last nearly two years.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India

Twitter entertained during the other social media outage

With reference to the Farah Andrews' write up The best meme reactions to WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram going down as Twitter steps up (October 5): I love how every tweet included is explained. I don't need it. But I still loved it. Funny memes. I thought Twitter was understandably a bit crowded during the outage, making it a bit slow from time to time, but I had a blast on it.

Ronja Amina Ovrebo, Haugesund, Norway

Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.

The specs

Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric

Transmission: n/a

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 659Nm

Price estimate: Dh200,000

On sale: Q3 2022 

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Super 30

Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5

Freezer tips

  • Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
  • If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
  • Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
  • The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group B

Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight

ASHES SCHEDULE

First Test
November 23-27 (The Gabba, Brisbane)
Second Test
December 2-6 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Third Test
December 14-18 (Waca Ground, Perth)
Fourth Test
December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne)
Fifth Test
January 4-8, 2018 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)

While you're here
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet

Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder

Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
the pledge

I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance

I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice

I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own

I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself

I pledge to live in harmony with my community

I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness

I pledge to do my part to create peace for all

I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community

I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

Updated: October 10, 2021, 9:20 AM