Emirates Identity Pre-registration form can now be downloaded from the EIDA website

The pre-registration application for the Emirates Identity Card can now be downloaded in Arabic and English and completed offline. The website opens fast and contains instructions for Online Booking and Complaints and Suggestions. Pass on ...

The new President of America …

Some newscasters on international television channels were quick to point out that they would not be ‘calling’ the election until voting across the country had closed as it could deter voters in states where the polls close last, given that Americans across seven time zones are choosing their forty fourth president.

Given the intense competition among the various media entities, that would be a tough call indeed. Results on CNN.com at the time of writing show Senator Obama comfortably leading Senator McCain 174 to 69 electoral votes.

The 2008 election is keenly watched around the world for several reasons. Chief among them is a loss of credibility in American foreign policy during the current administration.

The invasion of Iraq began on the basis that there were weapons of mass destruction. None were found but the occupation and the suffering of the Iraqi people continues. The frosty relations that America has with Iran and North Korea have at various times given rise to the possibility of war. In Afghanistan, a half-hearted war continues against the Taliban and has recently angered the new administration in long time American-ally Pakistan for unauthorized attacks within the country and the killing of civilians. Inconsistency and double standards have been a common thread in American policy. Diplomacy appears to have been stifled by the American political dream of maintaining superpower status; to be the best economic resource, police, the judge and jury for the entire world. A challenge whether it be from China or India which have much larger populations is frowned upon.

Even though the relationship between man and his environment is better understood today, America failed to give leadership to the world by ratifying the Kyoto Protocols.

More recently, the financial crisis which began in the USA has gripped the entire world creating a very vulnerable situation for people everywhere. It was to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank that less developed countries made a pilgrimage with a begging bowl. Today the IMF is in such dire straits that the Prime Minister of Great Britain followed a senior US official this week to countries in the Middle East seeking funds for the IMF which has already bailed out some countries affected by the financial crisis.

The new President of the United States of America would have to urgently and concurrently address all these issues even as he juggles with domestic considerations which have propelled him to the Oval Office.

He will have to engage in a reordering of American foreign policy with an emphasis on diplomacy. He will have to give leadership to the setting up of a new institution to regulate global financial markets and relationships, perhaps on the lines of the International Telecommunication Union. Under his leadership, America will have to show its commitment to the protection of the global environment by throwing its weight behind international initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocols.

Right now, the CNN electoral map shows Barack Obama leading 207 to 135. May the better man win.

How she said, “Yes!”

We’ve read about it in the classics, in romantic novels and seen it happen in everyday life. But the way this woman said ‘yes’ is certainly unique. It’s rarely that you read about something in real life that seems like it was in the movies, so I’ll let you read the original story here. Enjoy!

The Credit Crunch

The founding fathers of the United States of America saw well into the future when they charted the course for the country. Thomas Jefferson the primary author of the Declaration of Independence who was also the President from 1801 to 1809, wrote a Decalogue of Canons for Observation in Practical Life, one of which was, “Never spend your money before you have it.”

Many would no doubt argue that it no longer holds true. The current financial crisis though is forcing people to observe this canon perhaps even more rigorously than it was intended to be.

The following are links to some stories that have helped me understand the current situation better. Trust it helps you too.

Bitten by the global credit crunch – A simple and humorous elucidation of how the lack of regulation has helped feed greedy financial institutions till they could no longer function and how their bad debts are being bought out by the US government. By Mick O’Reilly, Deputy Managing Editor of the Gulf News. October 10, 2008.

The credit crunch and its effects –Brien Donnellon’s article in the March 2008 issue of Swiss News gives the impression that Rating Agencies are also to blame for the current crisis.

Timeline: Global credit crunch – BBC News traces the crisis from April 2007. Published: October 6, 2008.

Imagine if there was no financial meltdown ...

The crisis with the American economy appears to have reached epidemic proportions. The next President of the United States of America will no doubt have his hands full, grappling with the crisis and leading the country in rebuilding the economy over the next four years or eight.

But what is the American legacy? Obviously one of heavy metal. Here's a story from ABC News about how they built a special store in 1924 for some very solid stuff. Read all about it here ...

The human spirit

'After a rip current swept the boy and his father out to sea Saturday, darkness fell, and the sound of rescue helicopters and boats grew faint until they were nonexistent.'

CNN reports an amazing story of a father and his autistic son who were swept out to sea and their dramatic survival and rescue after 12 hours in the Atalantic Ocean. Read all about it here ...

Trial by media?

I firmly believe there is more good in human beings than bad. In a court of law an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Often though, the media report events in a manner that could permanently damage the lives of those accused, irrespective of their innocence or guilt. In the UAE, I find the identity of the accused is safeguarded by some newspapers using only the initials of the accused and not their names.

My mind is drawn to media coverage of two people accused of misbehaving on a public beach in Dubai. Even before the courts have had the occasion to try the case and make a determination, international media have published accusations, names, and photographs and virtually condemned the accused to a lifetime of ostracization.

Would it not be respectful of the courts and fair by the accused to await the decision of the courts?

Although the right to privacy is hotly defended particularly in the west, media intrusion is defended as a right to information.

In the past, those accused of sensationalism and undue intrusion into the private lives particularly of celebrities, were the tabloids. Today, the mainstream media appear to be following suit.

Could the mediated reality create a fundamental change in the way media itself is structured? Time will tell. Let’s wait and see.