Any achievement, big or small, should be celebrated (Their own Everest, January 16). That is because they are not easy even in a thoroughly explored world. Hard work and its subsequent success should always be appreciated. The two adventurers who scaled Dawn Wall should be praised for accomplishing this difficult mission.
Fatima Suhail, Sharjah
Dubai shows the way to green energy
I am happy to hear that the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is doubling the output of a planned 100-megawatt solar power park (Planned Dubai solar power park to double output to 200 megawatts, January 16). The UAE has access to the greatest supplier of energy – the sun – all year round and is perfectly positioned to generate its own power. In fact, every household in the Middle East should be generating its own power with the help of solar panels.
A few desalination plants inland using solar energy to solve the water shortage and Dubai can produce crops too.
Sam Clarke, UK
Don’t abuse your freedom
Faisal Al Yafai's opinion article Charlie Hebdo draws the wrong lesson from Paris attack (January 14) was excellent. I agree that drawing another cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed was illogical and insensitive.
What's the point of provoking Muslims in this manner? I agree that writers, thinkers and artists should have the freedom to express their opinion, but that freedom must be tempered with responsibility and respect for others. Western writers and thinkers who live – or have lived – in the Middle East must have noticed how devout Muslims in this region are and how they denounce any irreverence on religious matters. We must respect that attitude. Moreover, intellectual initiatives should never undermine religious sentiments of individuals.
Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai
Flight attendants need to be alert
With reference to your article Passenger sent to jail for drunk threats (January 15), I think there is no problem with serving alcohol on flights. However, flight attendants need to know when to stop. Clearly if the man was throwing food at passengers, he didn't need any more and should probably have been restrained.
Dave Phelps, Abu Dhabi
It is just sad that attendants have to put up with such abusive individuals who have no concern or respect for fellow passengers.
Name withheld by request
Being a mother who travels alone with children, I always wonder why alcohol is served on flights and whether the authorities will ever reconsider this awkward practice. After all, what all of us want is a peaceful journey, not fun in midair.
Rafeeda Ansari, Dubai
Our desires are temporary
I refer to the story Learn to dodge the hard sell at UAE shopping malls (January 17). I liked the sentence: "There will always be another sale, and there will always be stuff that you love and 'must have'." Here is the most important lesson: your desires are temporary. If you have the composure to look at them, they will wither. Therein lies freedom.
Jeffrey Martin, Dubai
Will anyone save Land Rover?
Will someone take over production of the Land Rover Defender (Farewell to the king of the off-road, the Land Rover, January 1)? I'm sure all the loads and engineering components are available. What about Richard Branson or a team of Land Rover enthusiasts? Sure there are more comfortable off-road vehicles available, but none is as tough and lasting as the Land Rover Defender.
We have driven them over mountains, flooded rivers, through deserts, over the 14,500 feet Babusar Pass into Gilgit, towed a mobile hospital into the deserts of Pakistan and a fully laden concrete truck out of a steep building site. Without them the Eucumbene dam, the largest dam in Australia, would have been difficult to build, and on it goes. Let’s keep them going.
C Gregory, UK
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Clara
Started: 2019
Founders: Patrick Rogers, Lee McMahon, Arthur Guest, Ahmed Arif
Based: Dubai
Industry: LegalTech
Funding size: $4 million of seed financing
Investors: Wamda Capital, Shorooq Partners, Techstars, 500 Global, OTF, Venture Souq, Knuru Capital, Plug and Play and The LegalTech Fund
The five pillars of Islam
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE (+4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Results
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mezmar, Adam McLean (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: AF Ajwad, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Gold Silver, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
4pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m; Winner: Atrash, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez.
4.30pm: Gulf Cup Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Momtaz, Saif Al Balushi, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Al Mushtashar, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 299hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 420Nm at 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 12.4L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh157,395 (XLS); Dh199,395 (Limited)
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:
- Former first lady Hillary Clinton
- Former US president Barack Obama
- Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
- Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
- Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
- California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Turning waste into fuel
Average amount of biofuel produced at DIC factory every month: Approximately 106,000 litres
Amount of biofuel produced from 1 litre of used cooking oil: 920ml (92%)
Time required for one full cycle of production from used cooking oil to biofuel: One day
Energy requirements for one cycle of production from 1,000 litres of used cooking oil:
▪ Electricity - 1.1904 units
▪ Water- 31 litres
▪ Diesel – 26.275 litres