The 2018 World Economic Forum concluded on Friday with a highly anticipated speech by Donald Trump, who became the first US president in 18 years to address the annual summit of the world's business and political leaders. The man who, as a candidate, had portrayed himself as the nemesis of the "false song of globalism" morphed into a pragmatist in Switzerland. Mr Trump did not altogether abandon his nationalism, but he did temper it with the assurance that "America first does not mean America alone". Propelled into office with the backing of isolationists, Mr Trump deployed his speech to affirm the indispensability of the "international trading system", solicit investment in the US, and call for international unity to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to "de-nuke" the Korean peninsula.
Mr Trump's speech at Davos to some extent reflected the contradictions of his presidency so far – some sensible ideas braided together with impulsive decision-making, cultural insularity and exclusionary nationalism. The gains he stands to make from pursuing disarmament of the Iranian regime are undermined by his threats to Palestinians, which, in addition to being morally indefensible, inflame tensions across the Arab and Muslim worlds. Similarly, the pro-business climate he has fostered with his tax cuts is undermined by his nationalist rhetoric.
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These contradictions are of course inseparable from the larger fractures of the world, which were reflected in the way the Davos summit unfolded this year. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, mounted powerful defences of globalisation, making a pre-emptive case for international cooperation in the days preceding Mr Trump's speech. Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani Nobel prizewinner, argued eloquently for gender equality. "In order to be a man," she said, "you have to recognise that all women and all those around you have equal rights." This message would be valid at any time – but it carries a special significance in 2018.
Moving beyond politics, participants at Davos grappled with the formidable challenges of what WEF chairman Klaus Schwab has called the "fourth industrial revolution". Technological innovation – primarily the rise of artificial intelligence – is the challenge of our time. Together with intensifying economic disparity, they hold the key to progress in the 21st century. An Inclusive Development Index (IDI) devised by WEF presents a rounded picture by taking into account such factors as poverty, life expectancy and public debt – and thus enables governments to tailor their policies with greater exactitude. The index is in use in 103 countries but if the increasing gulf between the rich and poor in a period marked by economic growth is to to be arrested, then it needs to spread further. The rapidity of the change we are undergoing calls for careful policymaking at the national level and concerted cooperation on the international stage. But the ideas that emerged at Davos this year will amount to nothing if governments across the world do not undertake the hard work of putting them into practice.
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The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
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
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
The%20Roundup
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham (Alli 61'), Davies (70')
Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
