Russian President Vladimir Putin reconvened the Astana Process along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Moscow last week. EPA
Russian President Vladimir Putin reconvened the Astana Process along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Moscow last week. EPA
Russian President Vladimir Putin reconvened the Astana Process along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Moscow last week. EPA
Buoyed by a successful referendum on constitutional reforms that could allow him to extend his rule until 2036, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to refocus his energy and attention on his country's foreign policy agenda. This could have consequences for the Middle East, particularly as Russia re-engages with Iran and Turkey over the future of war-torn Syria. Also worth watching is its relationship with the US, a strategic competitor in the region and elsewhere.
Syria seems to have returned to prominence. Last week, Mr Putin held a virtual meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani, his Turkish and Iranian counterparts and partners in the "Astana Process" that is aimed at ending the conflict there.
I am given to understand that the meeting was mostly a formality, with sticky issues being avoided. Nevertheless, it gave Moscow an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that, despite its differences with Ankara, Russia is not in a state of overt conflict with Turkey. Libya, where both countries also have divergent interests, may not have been a talking point at this meeting. But it could be on the table in the near future.
The last time Recep Tayyip Erdogan, centre, Vladimir Putin, right, and Hassan Rouhani met to renew the Astana Process was in September 2019 in Istanbul. EPA
Russia is mindful of America's growing interests in Syria. It is convinced that with the Caesar Act – US legislation that imposes strict sanctions on the Assad regime and its backers as well as allies – Washington has launched a process of economically isolating the country. Wary of being saddled with a bankrupt regime in Damascus, this act of US Congress complicates Moscow's strategy there.
Furthermore, it is worried that the impact of sanctions on Russian companies operating in Syria, both in the military and civilian sectors, could hamper its diplomatic efforts in the region and convince the Russian public to demand disengagement.
Despite its bullish rhetoric, the Iranian regime is also concerned about impact of the Caesar Act. Tehran's military operations and those of its allies such as Lebanese militia Hezbollah will be considerably set back – as will Iran's ability to import arms from countries such as Russia.
US military vehicles drive in the vicinity of an oil field in Rmeilan amid a sandstorm in Syria's Kurdish-controlled north-eastern Hasakeh province last week. AFP
Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged UN Security Council members to extend the international arms embargo on Iran, which expires on October 18. He pointed to possible threats from Tehran to international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, saying failure to renew the embargo would leave Iran to buy advanced military equipment for its proxies across the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Alluding to Greek mythology, Mr Pompeo added that Iran would effectively "hold the Sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices".
He also challenged his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was in attendance, to specify who Tehran's targets would be if the embargo was extended. “President Rouhani recently declared 'Iran will give a crushing response if the arms embargo on Tehran is extended'. I hope [Mr Zarif will] tell us whom he intends to crush and how he will crush them."
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has mounted a campaign to extend the UN arms embargo against Iran. AP Photo
Mr Zarif, however, stressed that ending the arms embargo was a key condition for preserving the 2015 nuclear deal, which the Trump administration withdrew from two years ago. Mr Zarif also warned the European troika of France, Germany and the UK against joining the US-led sanctions regime.
Putting the war of words aside, the primary purpose of Mr Pompeo's remarks was evidently to reach out to Russia and China – which have veto powers in the council – with both countries currently opposed to the idea of renewing the embargo. But it does not help that relations between the countries are strained at the moment. Washington and Beijing are increasingly at odds over a number of issues, including strategic interests in Asia.
Russian-American relations, meanwhile, are tense for a variety of reasons as well, including Washington's redeployment of troops from Germany to Poland – closer to Europe's borders with Russia. Another thorny issue – although not as important to Moscow – could be Israel's planned annexation of parts of West Bank and Jordan Valley, which has the Trump administration's support. But most controversial are claims that emerged last week of Russian operatives paying Taliban militants to attack US troops stationed in Afghanistan. Moscow has denied these allegations.
Three American service members and a US contractor were reportedly killed when their convoy hit a roadside bomb last year. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. AP Photo
US President Donald Trump is also in the line of the US media's fire for allegedly ignoring these accusations when they were originally brought to his notice. But while it is one thing to say that Mr Trump allegedly knew about it and turned a blind eye, it is entirely another thing that these bounties were allegedly being offered from 2014, when Barack Obama was US president, as claimed by a former Taliban spokesman.
Zooming out, relations between the US on the one hand and Russia and China on the other could, in all likelihood, worsen over the Iranian question. And yet, it is not clear which way the vote will go in October. Will Russia and China jointly veto America's motion, or is there a surprise deal in the making?
Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
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 specs
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia Age: 59 Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
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.
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
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.
Avengers 3: Infinity War:an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm. Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
