In the past, I have in these pages called for a reboot of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Cold War-era organisation formally established in 1961 through the efforts of five giants of the developing world: India's Jawaharlal Nehru, Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah, Indonesia's Sukarno, Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser and Yugoslavia's Josip Broz Tito. Opposed to colonialism, imperialism and foreign aggression against its member states, NAM promoted the security and sovereignty of its mostly Global South members who wished not to be coerced either into the Soviet bloc nor into accepting American hegemony.
Similarly today, there are frequent demands by the major power – the US – and countries that still think they're major powers, such as the UK, for many of the same countries to share their stance on major issues. A NAM 2.0 was needed, I thought, to unite the numerous states that do not wish to do so.
But it is becoming clear that there is no need to officially have a NAM 2.0 – it effectively already exists. Recent statements by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, constitute a stark and concrete example. Indonesia will host the G20 meeting in November on the island of Bali, and Mr Widodo has been under pressure from the White House for months to exclude Russian President Vladimir Putin because of the invasion of Ukraine.
But in a recent interview, Mr Jokowi showed he wouldn’t be pushed around. Would Chinese President Xi Jinping be attending, he was asked. “Xi Jinping will come,” he said. What about Mr Putin? “President Putin has also told me he will come,” Mr Jokowi replied.
It was quite appropriate for an Indonesian president to state bluntly that he will not take sides, whether for or against the US, Russia, China or anyone else, given that NAM’s genesis was in the 1955 Bandung Conference hosted by then president Sukarno. But he is far from alone. Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said exactly that in an interview last week: “We do not take sides,” he said. “We are not pro-anyone or anti-anyone, we are only pro-Singapore.”
Without formally declaring 'non alignment', that is possibly the position of most countries in the world
The city-state has imposed sanctions on Russia. “We had to take a stand,” he explained, as “when a big power threatens to or actually tries to redraw boundaries on the basis of historical errors and crazy decisions, all alarm bells go off and especially in Singapore.” Nevertheless, he reiterated, “we will resolutely refuse to choose sides".
Without formally declaring "non alignment", that is possibly the position of most countries in the world, from Arab states to Asia, Africa and South America. This burgeoning trend has been picked up by others, notably by Robin Niblett, the outgoing director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, or Chatham House, in London, in the farewell lecture he gave in July. Framing “America’s Atlantic and Pacific partners” as being one side, and Russia, China and a few other countries such as Iran and Venezuela as the other, he said: “The fact is that the largest group of countries in the world today lie outside these two divided groups. They are the neo-non-aligned.”
“America’s and Europe’s global credibility and soft power have been damaged by their past hypocrisy and double standards,” Mr Niblett continued. “The neo-non-aligned can now triangulate between the world’s democratic and authoritarian poles … [and] can leverage their strategic value to the two sides in order to gain investment and protection from both.”
Indeed, this new de facto NAM could be a lot more effective than the old one, for a number of reasons, including the fact that much of the developing world has made leaps and bounds since the Cold War, and is both less inclined to be bullied by major powers and less bulliable. This greater resilience is due to their economic gains and the strategic alliances they have made, such as the creation in 1967 of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and the crucial position this bloc of nearly 700 million people has attained in the political, security and economic architecture of the Asia-Pacific region.
David Howell, a former UK cabinet minister who is now Chair of the House of Lords International Affairs Committee, recently made a similar point in an astute essay on The Article website. “The ranks of the non-aligned carry infinitely more weight and influence than their 20th-century predecessors, thanks to the digital age with its powerful and ubiquitous decentralising impact in a now multi-polar world,” he wrote. Mr Howell also pointed to the considerable maritime legal authority even the smallest islands now have since the passing of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1992, and their capabilities in the sky above them, extending even into space, “the next main contested area, so we are told, of power and influence, both hard and soft".
As it happens, the original Non-Aligned Movement still exists – it celebrated its 60th anniversary last October, although you would be forgiven for having missed the celebrations. It still has its uses, not least as a convening bloc at the UN General Assembly, but it is widely considered to be moribund and, in any case, many of its 120 member states are very much aligned with major powers.
No. It is the serried ranks of the “neo-non-aligned”, to use Mr Niblett’s term, that we should look to. They “are growing and pushing ahead", Mr Howell concluded in his essay. “Perhaps it is they, rather than a divided West, or an over-reaching China, who are now setting the pace.” If that comes to be a reality in the years to come, the non-aligned will have achieved power and influence that the NAM’s founding fathers could never have dreamed possible – and with their commitment to conflict-avoidance, the world may be a safer place because of it.
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Honeymoonish
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
DUBAI WORLD CUP CARNIVAL CARD
6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.05pm UAE 1000 Guineas Listed $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.40pm Dubai Dash Listed $175,000 (T) 1,000m
8.15pm Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions $100,000 (D) 1.900m
8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections
6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold
7.05pm Final Song
7.40pm Equilateral
8.15pm Dark Of Night
8.50pm Mythical Magic
9.25pm Franz Kafka
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Company%20profile
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Results
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Major Cinnamon, Fernando Jara, Mujeeb Rahman
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Al Mureib, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Remorse, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Meshakel, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Desert Peace, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Sharamm, Ryan Curatlo, Satish Seemar
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
MATCH INFO
South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8)
Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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
Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
