From the US to Turkey, world leaders are increasingly closing their borders to those seeking refuge in their countries, as a wave of xenophobia washes over the world. But this month, Italy has begun what may become a reversal of this trend.
The departure of former Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini of the far-right Northern League, whose government had instituted anti-immigration policies preventing rescue boats from docking on Italy’s shores, paved the way for a new government to be sworn in this month. Giuseppe Conte, on his second mandate as prime minister, has formed a coalition government consisting of centrists from the Democratic Party and members of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement. This coalition has allowed for a more humane treatment of migrants rescued at sea by opening Italian ports to two charity rescue vessels.
Europe’s leaders have rewarded this rare display of humanity. This week, the interior ministers of Germany, France, Italy and Malta have signed a proposal to relocate those rescued at sea more equitably. The plan is a “temporary emergency mechanism” that would allow migrants to move to a volunteer EU state. The end goal is for this voluntary scheme, which will be presented to EU interior ministers next month, to be adopted by a large number of European states.
But countries headed by far-right hardliners are unlikely to approve the plan. Hungary’s Victor Orban had previously said his nation would not accept any asylum seekers under an EU relocation scheme. It is true that the Dublin Regulations, Europe’s main legislation on migration, are flawed. Today, people seeking asylum in the EU fall under the responsibility of the first member state they set foot in, leaving Mediterranean countries with shaky economies such as Greece and Italy to welcome a disproportionate number of those who make the crossing from North Africa. The result has been a surge in xenophobic sentiment and anti-refugee policies. Earlier this year, Mr Orban told a German newspaper that he sees refugees as “Muslim invaders”. And this trend extends beyond Europe’s borders. American President Donald Trump has defended his country’s right to “protect” its borders in his speech to the UN General Assembly, and on the other side of the world, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil refuses to call Syrians refugees, referring to them as migrants. This rhetoric amounts to little more than baseless fear-mongering.
In reality, refugees make up less than 0.5 per cent of Europe’s total population, while the total number of displaced people worldwide is higher than ever before. This is because refugees will often flee to bordering countries, such as Turkey or Pakistan, instead of seeking shelter faraway. These countries need additional aid to provide for their refugee population. Developed nations have a duty to share this responsibility, and the EU’s announced plan is a positive step in this direction. Whether they are fleeing war, poverty or gang-related violence, people should never be punished simply for seeking a better future.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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