Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute, and a columnist for The National
March 20, 2022
US President Joe Biden’s participation in the Nato and EU summits in Brussels on March 24 is set to acquire historic importance. It could become a particularly fateful juncture if Nato leaders issue any sort of red line to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine. Nato leaders could also decide to impose a no-fly zone. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to the US and EU for such a move, and rallied significant public opinion in those places behind him. Of course, this would be very risky because of the potential to draw Nato into direct conflict with Russia.
Should Mr Biden choose to meet Mr Zelenskyy during his time in Europe, he may get an historic moment without having to undertake such risks. The circumstances are ripe for something similar to John F Kennedy’s famous 1963 visit to Berlin, when he gave a rousing speech, defying Russia and declaring “I am a Berliner”. An “I am a Ukrainian” moment would certainly serve Mr Zelenskyy well.
But Mr Biden’s remarks in the past few days indicate he intends to step things up during his European tour, through measures that go beyond eloquent speeches. He went so far as to describe his Russian counterpart as a “war criminal” and a “thug”. These are not labels that normally serve as a prelude to diplomacy. The US still has tools at its disposal that fall short of war, including fully breaking off US-Russian relations and a full economic embargo. The upcoming Nato summit could see the alliance impose new sanctions to isolate Russia in an unprecedented manner – far beyond anything experienced by its other sanctioned ally, Iran.
Iran, for its part, is preparing for the West to lift sanctions against it following the anticipated revival of the nuclear agreement it signed in 2015 with the US, China, Russia, Germany, Britain and France. Despite the tension that emerged when Russia sought to link the new Iranian nuclear deal to the Ukraine crisis, Moscow has now obtained written guarantees from the US to reassure it. Russia still hopes to use the Iranian channel to sell its oil and does not want that channel to be sanctioned again.
The extent to which allies such as Iran and Venezuela have failed to defend Russia’s war vigorously is remarkable. Considering this, it is unsurprising that Moscow would be keen to keep its links with Iran sanctions-free, in the hope that its alliances remain stable, even if, for the moment, its friends are distancing themselves from the Kremlin.
The US still has tools at its disposal that fall short of war
Of course, there is no alliance more important for Russia’s strategic relations than the one with China. In Moscow’s view, China remains committed to its friendship with Russia, regardless of some impressions indicating China has also been pushed away by Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
For the rest of the world, however, China’s true position remains a mystery. Indeed, the sense of mystery is actually very useful to Beijing, which can deliberately avoid being restricted one way or the other for the sake of emotional or otherwise arbitrary considerations. While China’s massive geopolitical projects – things like the Belt and Road Initiative – are planned for decades to come, that does not mean its strategic doctrine is immune to something like the Ukrainian war – a development that has changed the entire norms of international relations.
There would be little doubt that China’s impression of Russia today is fundamentally different from the one it had on February 23, the day before the invasion of Ukraine. And this would surely impact China’s thinking on its future relationship with the US, perhaps in favour of a more stable one.
What Mr Biden wants from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is a promise that the latter will not help Russia, especially militarily. Mr Biden wants Mr Xi to realise the seriousness and sharpness of the consequences if any Chinese banks or firms are used to facilitate Russian trade, consequences that include tough US sanctions on China. He wants to make it very clear that the US knows the biggest loophole Russia could attempt to use to evade western sanctions is the Chinese one. Indeed, Russia has always assumed that its ideological, strategic and economic depth went through China, and Moscow is betting on their shared sense of rivalry with the US.
Antagonising the US and Europe, however, is costly, and defending Russia in Ukraine may not be a worthwhile enough cause. Beijing, as the saying goes, does not stop at a crossroads without consulting a compass and plays the game of national interests just as well as Washington can and does. A phone call between Mr Biden and Mr Xi on Friday left the American side without a clear Chinese answer. It certainly seems that China will not gamble away its vital interests, including the Belt and Road initiative, by getting bogged down in something so divisive as Russia’s Ukraine ambitions. But that is a temporary stance for what many are reading as a temporary situation. Eventually, Russia will be out of the mess it has made for itself, and China is thinking perhaps more than the West about what comes after.
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0 De Bruyne (70')
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara
9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Health Valley
Founded in 2002 and set up as a foundation in 2006, Health Valley has been an innovation in healthcare for more than 10 years in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
It serves as a place where companies, businesses, universities, healthcare providers and government agencies can collaborate, offering a platform where they can connect and work together on healthcare innovation.
Its partners work on technological innovation, new forms of diagnostics and other methods to make a difference in healthcare.
Its agency consists of eight people, four innovation managers and office managers, two communication advisers and one director. It gives innovation support to businesses and other parties in its network like a broker, connecting people with the right organisation to help them further
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Price: From Dh149,900
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
