Tongues are wagging in Paris over the threats that French President Emmanuel Macron is making to get Lebanon to agree to political reforms a month after the devastating Beirut Port blasts. One line of thought is that he could sign up to a joint line of sanctions with US President Donald Trump that would directly target the power brokers in the country's Parliament.
Repeatedly over the past three-and-a-half years, the centrist Mr Macron has gone out of his way to have a good understanding with the US leader. Logic dictates that this would be a good time for him to go one step further. Mr Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are missing a gaping opportunity to exert massive influence over the course of the next four years.
The two European leaders – and others – should throw aside caution and negotiate their terms for an endorsement of the US leader as he bids to get re-elected in November.
Read More from Damien McElroy
There are good reasons why foreign leaders try to stay out of other countries' election campaigns. Interference of the type that is consistently alleged in the 2016 presidential election is one of the most controversial aspects of modern-day international relations.
Moreover there is a domestic aspect to issues of this nature.
Mr Macron is technically a liberal from the part of the political spectrum that tends left, while Mr Trump functions from the political right. There are many Conservative members of the British Parliament who cherish ties to the US Democrats and see the bipartisan divide as a regrettable schism to avoid getting sucked into.
However, as with so much else in these revolutionary times, it make less sense than it appears to stick with the tradition of staying out of other people’s elections.
Both Mr Macron and Mr Johnson have built their success on a "sovereigntist" approach to power. That is to say, they prefer the political sovereignty of a nation over the primacy of supranational unions.
Mr Macron did not wait for collective European decision-making before heading to Beirut to direct political change in the wake of last month’s deadly blast. Mr Johnson’s ambitions were made real by his backing of the 2016 Brexit referendum to bring back control of national affairs to Westminster.
As such, Mr Trump’s approach to wielding power from the White House is not such an outlier. Like his counterparts, he is confronting the established political make-up of his country and the world. Consequential change is the most important goal of his time in power, and transformative polices are his priority.
There is the matter of the outcome of the US presidential election. There is a roughly double-digit lead for former vice president Joe Biden, Mr Trump's opponent, in the polls. That is a disincentive for Mr Johnson and Mr Macron.
It should not be the killer consideration. If he does win, Mr Biden will have to work with the Europeans in a fresh start for the world. A Biden administration is also likely to be just as firm about how China is positioned in global trade and Asian affairs as Mr Trump has been – even if his diplomatic style is different.
That said, anyone who has ever followed Mr Biden's pronouncements on the Middle East can see there will be less follow through than rhetoric. So the attitude in Paris and London should be nothing ventured, nothing gained.
At this stage, it is unlikely that the election is a done deal. A friend who journeyed just now between the states of Georgia and Pennsylvania reports not seeing a single "Biden 2020" sign along the way.
Where the three leaders could be in sync – if Mr Trump wins a second term – was fairly clear from the comments by Jared Kushner, Mr Trump's senior adviser, to this newspaper last week.
The US President was characterised as someone who does not rest on his laurels. With the world in the state it is in, that quality is an imperative to action shared by Mr Macron, and perhaps by Mr Johnson. Making a gesture of support to Mr Trump should not be done cheaply by either man. That is why I suggest that they should quickly negotiate terms.
The key is working out a joint understanding now – a time of maximum leverage – that would allow both countries to have an openly co-operative programme with the US to reshape world over the years through 2024. As Mr Kushner said: “When you partner with America, there is no greater partner in the world.”
The big issues of the second term are clear.
Because of technological changes, Europe is being anyway forced to choose sides of the China divide. A deal with North Korea would only be greeted with relief in all parts of the globe.
When it comes to Iran, the pre-positioned Europeans were not able to shift their course. As Washington rolled out the Trump administration's gameplan, the Europeans lost influence and are still struggling to adjust.
Mr Macron's visit to Iraq was just as significant as his trip to Lebanon. The French leader spoke about ways to nourish and build Iraq's sovereign independence. It is a sovereigntist agenda, to coin a phrase.
Damien McElroy is the London bureau chief of The National
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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.
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Quick%20facts
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
SQUADS
Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed
Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran
Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
