With reference to The National's live coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (August 22): These were a couple of great evenings and great speeches. Michelle Obama delivered a great one on family values, respect for all people, diversity, compassion, the admiration of children for the achievements of their parents and grandparents. It is all what America should be about and the direction it should go in. We used to have all this. Many of us grew up in wonderful families that prided honesty and integrity. Unfortunately, we seem to be losing much of it. November's election has to be about a return to those values. No more hate, no more racist mockery and nasty rhetoric that brings nothing but division and violence. This night felt like Democrats and even many Republicans were united about the worth of these values. So many voters want these values back in American life.
Aisha Jibreel Anderson, Chicago, US
Barack Obama's speech was hypocrisy at its finest. He's talking about movie sequels when his own second term was pretty bad. For all the enthusiasm around Kamala Harris, she might just bring America to a new low in regard the billions of dollars going to Israel. Sadly, so would Donald Trump.
Ammar M Abi, New Jersey, US
What the US does not need is four more years of Democratic chaos. The only solution is for people to turn out to vote in large numbers to help Trump to win November's election.
Roxanne Kosberg, Florida
Bill Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention was getting a lot of praise but he shouldn't have anything to say after all the things he's done. Being named on the Jeffrey Epstein files would be enough for some people to go into hiding.
Octavio Veliz, Mexico City
America can do without a lot of these morally bankrupt people in charge. The focus should be on ending the war in Gaza.
Paloma B, Kuwait City
What did Blinken achieve on this trip?
With regard to Amr Mostafa's report No breakthrough on Gaza ceasefire deal as Blinken wraps up Middle East tour (August 21) Blinken's trip was futile considering Palestinian civilians are still getting killed.
Paul Silveira, Melbourne, Australia
The US and Israel need to give up the pretence of caring for the hostages at this point.
Chloe Mac Oisdealbhaigh, Lisbon, Portugal
Palestinian children are dealing with trauma
With reference to the video Palestinian child loses hair due to fear of Israeli air strikes (Aug 22): I really hope little Sama feels better and her hair grows back before she returns to school. It's hardly surprising that Palestinian children are having to deal with these added problems due to all the trauma they've been living with for so many months.
Debbie Wood, Dubai
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Various ArtistsÂ
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya SealÂ
1.5 stars
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
Company%C2%A0profile
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
THREE
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