A protester holds a placard, as she marches during a protest against the increase in prices of consumer goods and the crash of the local currency in Beirut on Friday. AP
A protester holds a placard, as she marches during a protest against the increase in prices of consumer goods and the crash of the local currency in Beirut on Friday. AP
A protester holds a placard, as she marches during a protest against the increase in prices of consumer goods and the crash of the local currency in Beirut on Friday. AP
The vacuum left by the Biden administration in Syria and Lebanon, as the two countries slip down the US list of priorities, is undermining regional stability as well as US interests there.
After a decade of conflict, Syria’s situation is a mess. Lebanon, meanwhile, has become a failed state, controlled in part by Iranian-backed proxy Hezbollah and in part by a corrupt political class that has escaped any kind of international accountability or even scrutiny.
In America’s absence, Russia is seeking to fill the vacuum in the region. But Moscow alone cannot do so in Syria, where it is an ally of the Assad regime. It is, therefore, engaging the Gulf states to help finance reconstruction there, especially with the strained European-Russian relations dampening the EU’s desire to lend support.
Moscow is also seeking to bring Israel to the table with its mortal enemies, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. Israel is currently safeguarding its security by engaging in a military confrontation with Iranian proxies inside Syria. It is also at odds with Hezbollah, which poses a threat to its security from its vantage point inside Lebanon. Israel shares a border with both countries.
The Biden administration’s lack of interest in Lebanon – in sharp contrast to that of the previous Trump administration – has only helped Iran increase its grip over Lebanon at a time when economic collapse is imminent. The EU seems to have outsourced the Lebanese dossier to France, despite Paris’ record of arbitrary, unserious involvement that has only deepened Beirut’s predicament. For its part, Russia, which received a rare Hezbollah delegation in Moscow this week, will probably let the Iranian regime have its way in the Arab country.
The US administration seems nonchalant about the investigations into last year’s Beirut Port blast, despite its pledges not to be lenient on crimes against humanity or human rights violations. Lebanese politicians are guilty on both counts, given their disregard of the many demands made by the families of the blast victims. Washington can do something about this, for starters instructing its Federal Bureau of Investigation to publish the results of its probe into the blasts, which would amount to the most important tool to internationalise the events in Lebanon.
Washington’s lack of interest in taking such a crucial step has left the Lebanese public divided between those who support “neutrality” for Lebanon and those who back Iranian domination of its politics.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shakes hands with Mohammad Raad, head of the parliamentary bloc of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, during a meeting in Moscow. Reuters
Sergey Lavrov discussed the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East with a delegation of Hezbollah politicians, including Mohammad Raad. EPA
Mohammad Raad was quoted as saying he had a 'friendly and frank' meeting with Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. AP
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds talks with the Hezbollah delegation. The US imposed sanctions on some members of the Lebanese group in 2019. AFP
For Hezbollah, neutrality is synonymous with treason. In his speech last week, Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah chief, criticised the Maronite Church and its patriarch, Bechara Al Rai, who called for Lebanese neutrality. Nasrallah claimed that the objective of neutrality in Lebanon was tantamount to “becoming a part of the American-Israeli axis”.
Nasrallah also insisted on rejecting the conditions laid out by the International Monetary Fund for helping Lebanon out of its economic crisis. Reform and resulting IMF aid would effectively undermine Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanese politics. It’s no wonder, then, that he threatened anybody who was open to the idea, whether it was the protesting public, the army, or the Central Bank governor, Riad Salameh.
The problem is that the souring of personal relations between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, after the former described the latter as a “killer”, will further impact already-frayed US-Russian-European relations as well as foreign policy issues, ranging from Crimea to Iran to issues they see as secondary, including Lebanon’s future.
Given Moscow’s warm relations with Tehran, Russia is now more likely to support Iran’s escalation of the unresolved nuclear weapons issue, designed to take its brinkmanship with the US to another level. This will be done with the purpose of pushing the Biden administration and the European powers to cave in to Iran’s demands, including an unconditional revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Lebanon is not high up on US President Joe Biden’s list of priorities. AP
With the Iranian presidential election scheduled for June, it won’t be surprising to see the regime escalating military tensions in the region. The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seeks to expand its influence in Iranian politics by pushing its candidates to win, and escalating tensions will serve its interests at the ballot box.
The details of the Hezbollah delegation’s discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow this week have not been released. However, Iran’s continued influence in Syria, in partnership with Russia, and in Lebanon, through Hezbollah, will surely have been talking points – as will have been Hezbollah’s own plans to deal with the Lebanese crisis, whatever they might entail. Russia’s proposal to include Israel in talks with Iran, Syria and Hezbollah will not doubt have featured as well.
People carry banners and opposition flags during a demonstration, marking the 10th anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict, in the opposition-held Idlib this week. With the Assad regime entrenched in power, it is natural for Syrians to ask themselves, did the revolution fail? Khalil Ashawi
Even as Moscow seeks to calm tensions between these sparring entities, Iranian politicians continue to make provocative statements about Israel, including calling for its destruction. Whether such statements are meant for domestic consumption ahead of the election or not, Moscow is clearly determined to find some sort of resolution between the two countries, particularly as it looks at its own interests in the region. Whatever be the nature of Washington-Moscow relations right now, the US might have already given Russia its silent blessing in its endeavour.
Amid all this uncertainty, one thing is clear: Iran and Hezbollah are in the driver’s seat, getting ever closer to dictating the identity and future of Lebanon.
Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute and a columnist for The National
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
