Donald Trump's first State of the Union address coincided roughly with the one-month mark since the beginning of the anti-regime uprisings in Iran. Under Mr Trump's predecessor, the US had remained silent as thousands of Iranians protested in 2009. This time, Mr Trump vowed, "America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom". And though this may seem counterintuitive, standing with the ordinary men and women who have been reduced to penury by their "criminal dictatorship" requires, as Mr Trump pointed out, addressing the "fundamental flaws" in the Iran nuclear deal.
The deal, compromised from the start, made major concessions in the hope that allowing Iran to re-enter the international community would moderate the behaviour of its government and help its people. What the deal has in reality done is enrich the regime. It is after the deal was struck in 2015 that Tehran multiplied its efforts to destabilise the region, while staging provocative ballistic missile tests at home.
To make matters worse, evidence of non-compliance with the deal has continued to accrue. Meanwhile, the wealth generated by the nuclear accords, never percolated down to the people of Iran. Once promoted as a means to an end, the deal has since its signing become, particularly to its European champions, a sacred end in itself. The US, on the other hand, is adopting an approach that takes into account Iran's actions. Last week, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, showed her counterparts on the UN security council remnants of the Houthi-launched Iranian missile that struck Saudi Arabia in December and warned that the US would withdraw from the deal unless there is a concerted effort to crack down on Iran's missile programme.
All of this signals the emergence of a new approach that places the actual security of the region above the sanctity of the deal. If the accord is to survive, it must be revised and reformed. What we need, as Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, the UAE's Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, explained recently in the Financial Times, "is a new accord", which achieves three things. First, it must tackle Iran's ability to fund extremism. Second, it must reduce the regime's destructive capability and finally, it must limit Tehran's missile programme. In doing so, he outlined a blueprint for a nuclear deal 2.0.
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The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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
