"Africa's future is up to Africans" is quite an attractive slogan with a sound theoretical resonance, but the crude reality in the African continent renders such a statement, taken from the speech delivered by the US President Barack Obama in Ghana last Saturday, rather simplistic, noted the Emirati daily Al Khaleej in an editorial.
How can a continent, whose present still mirrors the miseries of its past, be in full control of its future?, the newspaper asked. "Of course, past troubles and their ramifications can always be overcome, but only when the factors that combined to cause them have been eliminated."
True, the slave trade ended some time ago, but only after having exhausted the African demographic structure. "Direct colonialism" may have left Africa, but only after it had systematically plundered its resources and cultivated hotbeds of all sorts of ethnic, religious and political conflicts.
In the past, colonial powers looted African wealth directly, now large western corporations are doing the same under pseudo-legal, inequitable business terms.
What Africa really needs is the means to come out of the cycle of poverty, famine and violence, which can never be attained unless the "big countries" stop perceiving it as a permanent recipient of charity and begin to see its earnest hope for a brighter future.
"The decision of the Israeli minister of transportation, Yisrael Katz, to change the names of Arab villages and towns located within the Green Line to Hebrew names represents a historical distortion and an attempt to smother the Arab identity, which seems to confirm a heated competition within the Israeli right-wing cabinet as to which minister can prove more racist towards the Arabs," commented the Qatari daily Al Raya in its main editorial.
This new "racist" decision corroborates Israel's determination to corner the Arabs of 1948 - those who stayed in what is now Israeli land after the declaration of the Israeli state in 1948 - to pave the way for their future eviction.
It is quite ironic that this new decision should coincide with Benjamin Netanyahu's call on the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to meet and discuss the resumption of peace talks. "The whole situation bespeaks an Israeli contempt for the facts, for Palestinians and their president, and for the international community at large."
The Arabs and Palestinians are paying the price for not having reacted promptly and effectively to Israel's plan for the establishment of a "Palestinian state", which was publicly detailed by Mr Netanyahu, and the world is now being lulled into accepting Israel as an exclusively Jewish state.
In an editorial, the Palestinian daily Al Quds hailed as a "very positive move" the proposition of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, Javier Solana, to refer the "two-state solution" for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the attention of the Security Council.
"It would definitely be a significant tool to exert international pressure on Israel," the newspaper said. Tel Aviv's immediate rejection of the European diplomat's proposal was only too predictable, since Israel is against the solution in the first place, despite Benjamin Netanyahu's woolly consent, which he has conditioned by unrealistic demands.
Mr Solana embodies the position of the EU as a whole. "He did not leave it vague either; he stressed that the proposal must tackle border delimitation, the refugees issue, sovereignty over Jerusalem and security measures."
Of course, the United Nations resolutions, including the Security Council's, are not binding unless ratified by the "superpowers", namely the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Now, Arab countries must seize this European initiative and push for its elaboration into a binding resolution, especially that the key UN members are overtly in favour of the two-state solution.
After having failed to demonise the spontaneous outburst of disgruntled Iranian citizens, following the last presidential elections, now the Velayat-e Faqih regime is bringing its nuclear programme to the forefront in order to divert public attention from the violent acts of repression that were undertaken to terminate street anger, wrote Wafiq al Sammarai in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al Awsat.
Iran is seeking to cause an international military escalation, if on a limited scale, to somehow make time to heal its internal affairs. But by doing that, Iran would simply be missing the target, as usual, the writer said.
"Because Iran's weaknesses are far greater in number and significance than its strengths."
First, Iran is economically exhausted and politically alienated; any further sanctions on it will refuel public anger and strengthen the opposition.
Second, Iran's military equipment is mediocre, compared to western military technology.
Third, the plurality of fronts that such a relatively massive country as Iran should defend in case of attack, in the light of modest defence logistics, make the country even more vulnerable to aerial operations. Especially that "any military action by the international community against Iran will certainly not be ground-based."
* Digest compiled by Achraf A El Bahi
aelbahi@thenational.ae
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5