“When elephants fight the grass suffers, but when they make love the grass suffers also.” The oft-cited quote is attributed to modern Singapore’s legendary founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, but it’s actually an African proverb.
Whereas African leaders used to invoke the proverb in the context of the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union, contemporary Asian leaders often have the brewing superpower conflict between the US and China in mind. The problem with this fundamentally bipolar understanding of the international system, however, is its simplistic omission of the immense strategic agency of countless rising and middle powers in the 21st century.
In reality, our world is more like a fertile savannah, when giant elephants co-exist with a whole host of robust and self-assured animals. Few nations are better placed to buttress and facilitate a more pluralistic international order than Germany, which recently became the world’s third-largest economy. Although a key US ally, Berlin has pursued an increasingly autonomous global policy with an emphasis on constructive engagement with China and proactive co-operation with rising powers in the Global South. In many ways, Europe’s leading economy seeks to become a “shaping power” with an abiding commitment to a rules-based international order – a third way beyond an either US-dominated or China-dominated international system.
Aside from its famed technological and economic prowess, what places Germany in a special place to constructively shape the emerging international order is its tortuous history. The Berlin Wall is just one of countless reminders of a history of revolutionary upheavals, destructive conflicts and mass atrocities. Berlin embodies both a sense of millenarian triumph – marking the precise location where the Cold War ended following the fall of the Berlin Wall – as well as redemptive introspection in light of an extremely dark past. At once, Berlin is where history is palpably alive as well as where “The End of History” was declared.
Germany is a laboratory for high-stakes geopolitics
Germany is also a laboratory for high-stakes geopolitics. For almost a quarter of a century, a unified Germany adopted a largely pacifist and pragmatic foreign policy, which relied on a “change through trade” doctrine. Accordingly, the European power massively expanded economic ties with authoritarian powers, most notably Russia – a dynamic that reached its zenith under Chancellor Angela Merkel.
With dramatically reduced military capabilities after the Second World War, Germany largely relied on the US and the broader EU framework in order to ensure peace in Europe. In recent decades, it actively shunned, and at times publicly criticised, western military interventions in the Middle East, including America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The war in Ukraine, however, forced Germany to radically rethink what it initially considered a successful strategic bet. In a historic speech in early 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz unveiled the “zeitenwende” (“epochal turning point”) doctrine, which signalled a new era of more proactive Germany defence and foreign policy. Not long after, Germany began to actively contribute to Ukraine’s defence through the transfer of increasingly sophisticated weapons systems.
By and large, however, the Scholz administration has remained faithful to its predecessor’s 2020 Indo-Pacific strategy, which underscored the importance of Germany’s continued and constructive engagement with rising powers of Asia. As former German foreign minister Heiko Maas made clear: “Our prosperity and our geopolitical influence in the coming decades will depend on how we work together with the countries of the Indo-Pacific region … where the shape of the international rules-based order of tomorrow will be decided.”
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The strategy states that Germany will actively “help shape that order – so that it is based on rules and international co-operation, not on the law of the strong”. Based on my exchange with Mr Scholz and policy experts in Berlin last month, it is clear to me that Germany is operating on a two-fold assumption in the Indo-Pacific region that transcends a purely mercantilist calculus.
First, it is determined to pursue its own independent strategy beyond the dictates of any superpower. In particular, it seeks constructive engagement with China, its most important economic partner in the Indo-Pacific. This explains why Mr Scholz became the first western leader to visit Beijing since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic period and amid a brewing new Cold War between Beijing and Washington.
It was a controversial decision that drew heavy criticism both at home and among western allies. But the German leadership firmly believes China is too important to ignore and too powerful to isolate, thus its refusal to sign up to a US-led containment strategy against the Asian superpower. Mr Scholz also made it clear that any engagement with Beijing will have to be based on an equal footing and principle of reciprocity.
Crucially, Mr Scholz emphasised Germany’s categorical opposition to any potential invasion of Taiwan in favour of cross-straits dialogue while successfully soliciting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s public opposition to any “use of, or threats to use, nuclear weapons” in Ukraine. In April, the German leader is expected to visit Beijing again, accompanied by a major business delegation, to build on the robust momentum in bilateral relations as well as discuss new areas of trade friction, particularly the impact of US tech sanctions as well as China’s booming electric vehicle exports to Europe.
Although Germany is commitment to constructive engagement with China and stabilising the trajectory of broader US-China rivalry, it is also actively diversifying its Indo-Pacific relations by reaching out to emerging powers and booming markets. Accordingly, Mr Scholz hosted leaders from key South-East Asian nations in March, including Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Germany is intent on reducing its dependence on China by systematically diversifying its economic partnerships across the region, with growing focus on booming markets in India and South-East Asia, which have transformed into global manufacturing hubs in recent years. Notably, Mr Scholz has also pursued closer defence co-operation with likeminded regional players, such as the Philippines and Japan. If anything, Germany is expected to regularise naval deployments to the region in order to uphold freedom of navigation in international waters such as the South China Sea.
It goes without saying that Germany’s relations with the Global South are not free of tensions. The country’s staunchly pro-Israel stance has placed it on a potential collision course with key emerging powers such as South Africa, Indonesia and, most dramatically, Malaysia, which have accused Germany of lacking sympathy for the Palestinian cause and civilians in Gaza. Although recognising its historical obligations to the Jewish people in light of the horrors of the Holocaust, Mr Scholz, in a recent visit to the Middle East, pressed Israeli authorities to uphold international law, protect civilian lives in Gaza and refrain from invading areas close to the Rafah border.
Notwithstanding the immense influence of both China and the US, Germany is proactively contributing to a more pluralistic, rules-based international order, where all key actors can play a constructive role in preserving peace as well as preventing and great-power conflict.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
CREW
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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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
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
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.
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
New schools in Dubai
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Racecard
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue
More on Quran memorisation:
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
The five pillars of Islam
Read more about the coronavirus
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
More on animal trafficking
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m; Winner: MM Al Balqaa, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Qaiss Aboud (trainer)
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: AF Rasam, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mujeeb, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Pat Dobbs, Ibrahim Aseel
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Nibraas, Richard Mullen, Nicholas Bachalard
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How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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