"The announcement by Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, about the intention of the Palestinian Authority to unilaterally declare an independent Palestinian state by August 2011 stirred a strong Israeli reaction," remarked Waleed Nouayhed in a comment piece run by the Bahraini newspaper Al Wasat.
Irrespective of the Israeli attitude, one can question whether the Palestinian Authority is able to undertake this project, or can win support from the international community? In principle, the idea is a legitimate right backed by both the EU and US, but at issue is its foundations, political borders and geopolitical position. Can the Palestinian Authority determine its identity and role in the context of a regional balance of power based on mutual respect?
There are many obstacles facing the unilateral establishment of a Palestinian state. The most important of these is the ongoing expansionist policy of the Israelis and separation walls, which prevent communication between Palestinians across the Occupied Territories.
No less important is what the Palestinians can do to sustain their project. The declaration of a state requires an alternative plan if the international community does not support it.
"How can we explain the decision by the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement [SPLM] to retreat from the upcoming presidential election, which was followed by a similar collective decision by the main northern opposition parties?" asked Ahmad Amrabi in an opinion piece for the Qatari newspaper Al Watan.
To understand the present situation, we may need to differentiate between the agendas of opposition forces in the North and the South. The SPLM, for instance, has as a priority to govern the South as a step leading to independence. The North opposition leaders support federal authority.
By this account, one may need to inquire about the reasons behind the row over elections, and the possibility of a political conspiracy by the SPLM and the ruling party the National Congress. It is alleged that the aim is to provide the atmosphere for the president Omar Bashir to win by withdrawing the nomination of the SPLM candidate. In return, Mr Bashir would ensure the general referendum in January 2011.
"We do not know yet whether this is true but the evidence prompts us to believe in it. Having decided to opt for separation, the SPLM does not care about national government."
Other parties pointed to procedural irregularities and therefore requested the postponement of elections for more six months."
"When photos of the Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad were circulated showing him leading a traditional plow on a Palestinian plot of land in the the Occupied West Bank, he made his name as a popular figure and a potential inheritor of Palestinian leadership," remarked Satea Noureddine in an opinion piece for the Lebanese newspaper Assafir.
He also leads a new generation of technocrats that could take over the task of leading the Palestinians. To further his public image, he pioneered a campaign of boycotting products originated in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. He frequently invites both Palestinian and Israeli media to report on the boycott.
A man not known for being politicised is gaining more support among Palestinians. Similarly, he has attracted Israelis who are seeking a flexible Palestinian partner ready to negotiate.
The scene of tilling the land is symbolic to the Israelis in that it may shift the focus. The Palestinian cause may shift from being a national issue loaded with moral and demographic burdens to a set of trade union requests that can be negotiated.
Areeb al Rantawi, in an opinion article in the Jordanian daily Addustoor, revisited the Iraqi poll results, highlighting the importance of the Sunni-Arab turnout.
By largely voting for the Iraqiyya list, Sunni Arabs in fact dealt a severe blow to those who had called for an election boycott, and also for the Islamic movement, which lost al Tawafuq 44 seats in the parliament.
"Kurds also voted for secular forces. By doing this, I think they chose to subscribe to an Iraqi identity that preserves the integrity of each community within the framework of a multicultural Iraq."
Following a process of trial and error, a pro-secular system is likely to gather constituents around a national identity, which, in turn, will help prevent the outbreak of civil conflicts.
The Iraqi elections marked an increasing awareness of the role of national identity over close loyalty to clans or religious entities. This means that Iraq followed the same pattern as elsewhere in the Arab world, where "political Islam" has continuously been in decline since 2006.
* Digest compiled by Mostapha El Mouloudi
melmouloudi@thenational.ae
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
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
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.”
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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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
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)