Riots won't solve any of the world's economic woes

So now some anti-bank protests (or whatever they are) are starting to turn violent (Riot as 100,000 take to streets of central Rome, October 16).

I can understand that people in many countries are angry at bankers and politicians who let the crisis develop. But the solutions will not be found in the streets and for that matter will not be found at all by most people. The way forward for the global economy depends on careful identification of problems and determined reform. None of that is best done to the sound of breaking glass.

The problem is that the secular priesthood charged with solving all this consists of the very people who caused it. It's infuriating, but riots will not help.

Dino Piscione, Dubai

Film was biased against Americans

Your story Double screening takes Film festival spotlight (October 15) prompts me to make this comment:

I felt Chicken with Plums was a delightful and charming movie - until Nasser Ali's son finds his new home in America.

The director chose to exaggerate negative stereotypes about Americans. For this scene only, the lighting was changed from natural to fluorescents, and textures and fabrics went from rich to harsh.

And the son who once thought of strangers as friends, was curiously playful with the fish at the market, and stayed up late to pray for his father suddenly became a dimwit with no depth once he was part of the US. The scene was painfully anti-American. I left angry and disappointed.

Jane Plane, Abu Dhabi

Wellness check essential: survivor

Thank you for the story about me (Cancer survivor says she would not be here without family's love, October 15).

I want to re-emphasise the important role played by my husband, parents, sister, in-laws, kids, cousins, colleagues and friends along with the medical fraternity; all of them helped make me a successful survivor.

I urge everyone to do the wellness check, and extend unconditional support to those who need it.

One aspect to be corrected: It is my sister, rather than a friend, who pushed me to do the check.

Suchita Dsouza, Dubai

Good name for pilot's daughter

The royal wedding ceremony (Bhutan's dragon king weds, October 14) was truly magical.

But I can't help smiling about the fact that the new bride, daughter of an airline pilot, is called Jetsun.

MRB, Dubai

Ports help tie the world together

I really enjoyed A sea of opportunity thanks to one of the UAE's great success stories (October 16), about Jebel Ali port.

The story was lively and informative and the pictures gave a sense of the pulse of life of a great port.

To me cargo ports and airports have an almost mystical importance: they stitch the world together, making long-distance travel and trade possible.

Bruno Hat, Dubai

Many Americans can afford iPhone

There was a striking picture with your story World queues up for new iPhone 4 (October 16).

We hear so much about hard times in the US, but there were dozens of people lined up to buy this new phone in someplace called Clarendon, Virginia.

I can only imagine what the queues must have been like in big cities.

Perhaps America isn't quite as destitute as all the gloomy reports suggest.

Gerry Berners, UK

What makes this woman famous?

Your "news" story Kim packs them in, then packs (October 16) contains this statement from a fan of the American "celebrity" Kim Kardashian:

"It's remarkable how she built an empire out of nothing and made a name for herself. She really is an inspirational woman."

Inspirational? Really? What exactly did she do to become so famous?

Name withheld by request

Please, that's enough about Kim Kardashian.

In my opinion she is a fine example of the whole large class of pseudo-celebrities. These people become famous and are covered in detail by novelty-hungry media, even though they have not met the age-old prerequisite of having real talent or accomplishing anything.

These people are created out of whole cloth by a public-relations industry which manipulates the media and plays the public for suckers.

DL Alofs, Dubai

Riots won't solve any of the world's economic woes

The much-touted film Chicken with Plums uses cinema trickery to make America look bad, a reader says. Other letters deal with global protests, Kim Kardashian, the importance of ports, and the new iPhone.