The annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore usually produces headlines, as befits one of the Asia-Pacific’s most important security conferences with high-level attendees from around the globe. This year it also yielded a surprise, in the form of a peace plan for Ukraine. It was put forward by Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who appears not to have mentioned it in advance to President Joko Widodo. “That's from Pak Prabowo himself,” Mr Widodo said on Tuesday. “Maybe I will send the invitation today or tomorrow to ask for an explanation of what the Defence Minister said.”
That aside, Mr Prabowo’s proposal deserves attention, not least as he is a substantial figure who is well-known throughout the region: a former special forces general who has run for the presidency twice and is viewed as the candidate to beat, thus far, in next year’s election.
His four-point plan calls for a ceasefire, with both sides withdrawing 15 kilometres from their current frontlines in order to establish a demilitarised zone, UN peacekeepers enforcing the truce and the UN then leading referendums in “disputed territories”.
Predictably enough, the plan was immediately rebuffed by Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and the EU high representative for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, both of whom were also present. But it was welcomed by Cui Tiankai, China’s former ambassador to the US. And Mr Prabowo’s words will ring true to many in South-East Asia. “We in Asia have our share of conflict and war, maybe more disastrous, more bloody than what has been experienced in Ukraine,” he said. “Ask Vietnam, ask Cambodia, ask Indonesians how many times we’ve been invaded.” Mr Prabowo will have known that bringing a swift end to the conflict would probably be the imperative for most in the region.
Finding a way to stop hostilities – while leaving political and territorial issues unresolved – would allow Ukraine to recover, and hopefully thrive
They are far from alone. Many believe that after more than a year of fighting, it seems increasingly unlikely that either side can achieve a decisive military victory, not just in the coming months but possibly for years. As Samuel Charap, senior political scientist at the Rand corporation and a former US State Department adviser, writes in a new essay for Foreign Affairs magazine: “The United States and its allies thus face a choice about their future strategy. They could begin to try to steer the war toward a negotiated end in the coming months. Or they could do so years from now. If they decide to wait, the fundamentals of the conflict will likely be the same, but the costs of the war – human, financial and otherwise – will have multiplied.”
Mr Charap suggests an armistice on the lines of the one that brought an end to the Korean War in 1953. That, he writes, “dealt exclusively with the mechanics of maintaining a ceasefire and left all political issues off the table. Although North and South Korea are still technically at war, and both claim the entirety of the peninsula as their sovereign territory, the armistice has largely held. Such an unsatisfactory outcome is the most likely way this war will end”.
This is so close to Mr Prabowo’s proposal as to make no difference. Given that Mr Prabowo made his speech on Saturday and Mr Charap’s essay was published on Monday, there is either something in the air or it is clear that a wide range of security experts from very different backgrounds are coming to similar conclusions.
This is not about letting Russia, or President Vladimir Putin in particular, off the hook. Mr Prabowo made it clear that he did not “equate the invader and invaded”. Mr Charap refers to “the unspeakable horrors of Russian occupation” and accuses Moscow of having “committed an unprovoked act of aggression and horrific war crimes”.
But short of the kind of escalation that could lead to a Third World War – Nato fighting alongside the Ukrainians, or Russia resorting to nuclear weapons – an end to this disastrous conflict does not appear to be anywhere in sight. Russia might be able to sustain its campaign for years to come, while the longer this continues, the more of Ukraine is destroyed and the further its economy will tumble.
The Korean armistice was agreed so long ago that very few will remember it, but at the time it was no victory for the US-led anti-communist forces. What it allowed, though, was for South Korea to emerge as one of the Four Asian Tiger economies and for the country to become a cultural powerhouse whose TV dramas and pop music have extraordinary appeal around the world.
Finding a way to stop hostilities – while leaving political and territorial issues unresolved – would allow Ukraine to recover, and hopefully thrive. In the lecture given by another former US State Department official, Fiona Hill, that I wrote about last week, she suggested India, Kenya and Singapore as countries that had “historical goodwill in multiple regional contexts that might help break common ground” and bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Indonesia is the third-largest democracy in the world and the most populous Muslim state, it was a key founding member of the old non-aligned movement and managed, as chair of the G20 last year, to get all the leaders to agree to a declaration that condemned the war. Jakarta could be very well placed to mediate in the future. Mr Widodo may only have a few months left in office, but Mr Prabowo is sure to be around one way or another whether he wins the presidency next year or not.
His plan merits serious consideration. For principled support for Ukraine’s position will appear hollow if all it does is allow the death and destruction to continue indefinitely.
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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Key findings of Jenkins report
- 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."
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
More on Quran memorisation:
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Company%20profile
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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
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
