UNITED NATIONS // Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, extended his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al Bashir, a lifeline yesterday by offering to help suspend his prosecution for genocide in Darfur in exchange for radical policy changes.
Speaking on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly, Mr Sarkozy said he would use his country's influence in the Security Council to defer the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution against Mr Bashir if he committed himself to peace.
"France wants the Sudanese authorities to radically change their policies. It is now up to Mr Bashir to determine exactly what he wants," Mr Sarkozy said. "We want to? put an end to the scandalous situation in which there are tens of thousands of people dying in this part of Africa."
The UN Security Council can defer the ICC prosecution for one year by enacting Article 16 of the Rome Statute, if backed by nine of its 15 members and all five permanent members. France is a permanent member, along with the UK, China, Russia and the United States.
"If the Sudanese authorities totally change their policy, then France would not be against using Article 16," Mr Sarkozy said. "Things must be clear, there will be no recourse to Article 16 unless there is radical and immediate change in Sudan's policies."
The ICC's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, asked the court in July for an arrest warrant for Mr Bashir, alleging genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the western province of Darfur. If granted, it will be the first indictment against a sitting head of state since the court's creation in 2002.
The UN estimates that up to 300,000 people have died in Darfur and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since rebels rose up against Khartoum in Feb 2003.
A panel of judges is reviewing Mr Moreno-Ocampo's evidence and will decide in the coming weeks whether to issue the warrant against the 64-year-old president, who seized power in Africa's biggest country by toppling a democratically elected government in 1989.
Mr Sarkozy's comments came as world leaders congregated in midtown Manhattan to discuss world poverty, but the agenda quickly became dominated by the global credit crunch, Iran's nuclear programme and the prosecution of Mr Bashir.
Abdulrahman al Atiyyah, secretary general of the Gulf Co-operation Council, joined a chorus of voices attacking the prosecution of Mr Bashir, saying the historic legal bid would undermine security in Sudan.
"We have a stand which rejects any move or step which, as we consider in the GCC, will not be in the interests of the stability and security of Sudan. Our position is clear on that," Mr Atiyyah said.
The Omani was speaking after a meeting of GCC foreign ministers including the UAE's Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Saudi Arabia's Prince Saud Al Faisal, discussing diplomatic strategies for the annual UN General Assembly debates.
Support from the Gulf's six-nation club bolsters similar statements from the Arab League and the African Union, which are both campaigning for the Security Council to defer prosecution.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference, urged leaders to be "a little bit more prudent" before forcing Sudan's president to stand trial in The Hague.
"I sense that a consensus is emerging among the different international organisations that we have to give a chance for more negotiations and for the Sudanese government to take more actions in the right direction before we get to a point we might regret," Mr Ihsanoglu said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Monday.
Mr Bashir has established a network of personal allegiances with Arab leaders during an extensive career, which has seen him serve as Sudan's military attache to the UAE and fight alongside Egyptian forces in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
The president's domestic policies have aimed to ensure Arab tribes from the Nile Valley, which have ruled Sudan since independence from Britain in 1956, maintain their hold on power.
Sudanese diplomats have been lobbying behind-the-scenes to avert the prosecution of Mr Bashir, currying support from Arab and African leaders and pushing the issue towards the Security Council.
Mr Bashir's spokesman, Mahfuz Faidul, said the Sudanese delegation to the UN, headed by Ali Osman Taha, the vice president, will tell the General Assembly about Sudan's efforts to reach a peace deal in Darfur.
Mr Taha is planning talks with several leaders including Mr Sarkozy and members of Qatar's delegation, which has offered to mediate between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels.
But as the regional groups and world powers attempt to prevent charges being made against Sudan's president, Mr Moreno-Ocampo also announced plans to join world leaders in New York and defend the charges.
The ICC prosecutor is due to meet African Union officials and discuss "how to further the protection of civilians in Darfur, stop the crimes, and ensure the court's judicial mandate and decisions", according to a statement from Mr Moreno-Ocampo's office.
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, continued his support for the ICC legal process, emphasising "the need for justice to run its course in parallel with the peace process", his spokeswoman said.
@Email:jreinl@thenational.ae
The%20US%20Congress%2C%20explained
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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
Match info
UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Company%20Profile
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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.
The%20specs
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65 69 - 12-under-par
2. Matt Kuchar (USA) 65 71 66 69 - 9-under
3. Li Haotong (CHN) 69 73 69 63 - 6-under
T4. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71 68 69 67 - 5-under
T4. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 67 73 67 68 - 5-under
T6. Marc Leishman (AUS) 69 76 66 65 - 4-under
T6. Matthew Southgate (ENG) 72 72 67 65 - 4-under
T6. Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68 71 - 4-under
T6. Branden Grace (RSA) 70 74 62 70 - 4-under
T6. Alexander Noren (SWE) 68 72 69 67 - 4-under
AIDA%20RETURNS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAida%20Abboud%2C%20Carol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5.%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
