Arab Coalition Destroys Houthi Explosive-laden Boat
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Arab Coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malki. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Wednesday it has destroyed an explosive-laden boat used by the Iran-backed group in the south of the Red Sea on Wednesday. The explosive-laden boat was launched by the Houthi militias from Yemen's Hodeidah, the Arab Coalition added. The Coalition had earlier destroyed a drone which took off from Sanaa international airport.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334751/arab-coalition-destroys-houthi-explosive-laden-boat
Archaeologists Uncover Post-conquest Aztec Altar in Mexico City
Varieties
Asharq Al-Awsat
A view of the excavations where an altar unearthed by archaeologists at a plot near Plaza Garibaldi in downtown Mexico City, in this photo distributed to Reuters by the National Institute of Anthropology and History on November 30, 2021. Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History/Handout via REUTERS
Sometime after Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in modern-day Mexico City in 1521, an indigenous household that survived the bloody Spanish invasion arranged an altar including incense and a pot with human ashes. The remains of that elaborate display have been unearthed by archaeologists near what is today Garibaldi Plaza, famed for its revelry and mariachi music, Mexico's culture ministry said on Tuesday. In the wake of the fall of Tenochtitlan, likely within the years of 1521 and 1610, the offering from the family of the Mexica people was made "to bear witness to the ending of a cycle of their lives and of their civilization," the culture ministry said in a statement. The interior patio where rituals took place is about four meters (13 feet) below ground level, according to a team of archaeologists who spent three months analyzing the site. They found various layers of what had been a home over the centuries, the statement said, along with 13 incense burners, five bowls, a cup, a plate and a pot with cremated skeletal remains. The finding coincides with the 500-year anniversary of the Spanish conquest, which Mexico's government commemorated by building a towering replica of the Templo Mayor, the Aztec civilization's most sacred site, in downtown Mexico City. A number of ancient discoveries in the Mexico City area in recent years, including some in the capital's bustling downtown, have shone light on the Aztec civilization. They include the remains of a ceremonial ball court, a sacrificial wolf adorned with gold and a tower of human skulls. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had previously sought an apology from Spain and the Vatican for human rights abuses committed during the conquest of what is modern-day Mexico.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334746/archaeologists-uncover-post-conquest-aztec-altar-mexico-city
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: A man shows the voter card he has received at a polling station in Tripoli, Libya November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo
Libya may have to delay presidential polls slated for December 24 if worsening "violations" threatening the electoral process continue, Interior Minister Khaled Mazen said Tuesday. "The continued obstruction of security plans, and worsening violations and abuses... will directly impact the conduct of the elections and our commitment to holding them on time," Mazen told reporters in the capital Tripoli. "We must not continue on a path that would lead to the deterioration of the security situation until it is out of control," Mazen said, speaking alongside the justice minister. He warned that the current circumstances would not permit elections to take place "normally". Last Wednesday, Libya's electoral commission announced the rejection of the candidacy of Moammar Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes. Unsuccessful applicants were given 48 hours to appeal in court. But hours before Seif al-Islam was expected to submit his documents, a "group of outlaws" launched an "odious" attack on the court in the southern city of Sebha, the government said. On Tuesday, the judicial commission responsible for examining Seif al-Islam's appeal said it had suspended any ruling on the appeal indefinitely. Both presidential and legislative polls had been slated for December 24, but in early October parliament split the dates, postponing the legislative elections until January.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334721/interior-minister-libya-violations-risk-vote-delay
Former PM Abe Says Japan, US Could Not Stand by if China Attacked Taiwan
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan August 15, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Japan and the United States could not stand by if China attacked Taiwan, and Beijing needs to understand this, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday. Tensions over Chinese-claimed Taiwan have risen as President Xi Jinping seeks to assert his country's sovereignty claims against the democratically ruled island. Taiwan's government says it wants peace, but will defend itself if needed. Speaking virtually to a forum organised by Taiwanese think tank the Institute for National Policy Research, Abe noted the Senkaku islands - which China calls the Diaoyu Islands - Sakishima islands and Yonaguni island are a mere 100 km (62 miles) or so away from Taiwan. An armed invasion of Taiwan would be a grave danger to Japan, he added, Reuters reported. "A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency, and therefore an emergency for the Japan-US alliance. People in Beijing, President Xi Jinping in particular, should never have a misunderstanding in recognizing this," Abe said. Japan is host to major US military bases, including on the southern island of Okinawa, a short flight from Taiwan, which would be crucial for any US support during a Chinese attack. The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, though there is ambiguity about whether it would send forces to help Taiwan in a war with China. The United States and its allies would take unspecified "action" if China were to use force to alter the status quo over Taiwan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month. Abe, who stepped down as prime minister last year, is head of the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and remains influential within the party. On Sino-Japanese relations going forward, Abe said Japan should advance its ties with China while firmly saying to its giant neighbor what needs to be said, echoing incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "Japan, Taiwan and all the people who believe in democracy need to keep urging President Xi Jinping and other Chinese Communist Party leaders repeatedly not to step onto a wrong path," Abe said. Japan and Taiwan must work together to protect freedom and democracy, added Abe, speaking to an audience that included Cheng Wen-tsan, mayor of the northern Taiwanese city of Taoyuan, tipped as a possible future presidential candidate. "A stronger Taiwan, a thriving Taiwan, and a Taiwan that guarantees freedom and human rights are also in Japan's interests. Of course, this is also in the interests of the whole world," Abe said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334701/former-pm-abe-says-japan-us-could-not-stand-if-china-attacked-taiwan
Hong Kong Bans Non-residents From Three More Countries Over Omicron
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
People wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), walk on a street in Hong Kong, China November 29, 2021. REUTERS/Lam Yik/file photo
Hong Kong will ban non-residents from entering the city from Japan, Portugal and Sweden from Friday, adding to a fast-expanding list of countries facing travel restrictions due to concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant. Non-Hong Kong residents who have been in the three countries in the past 21 days will not be allowed to enter the global financial hub. Residents can only board flights if fully vaccinated and will have to undergo 21-days of quarantine in a hotel at their own cost, Reuters reported. The government's late Tuesday announcement adds to a growing list of countries facing similar restrictions
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334691/hong-kong-bans-non-residents-three-more-countries-over-omicron
Turkish Lira Hits 14 to USD in Face of Erdogan’s ‘Dangerous Experiment'
Business
Asharq Al-Awsat
A money changer counts Turkish lira banknotes at a currency exchange office in Ankara, Turkey November 11, 2021. (Reuters)
Turkey's lira plunged as low as 14 to the US dollar and hit new lows against the euro on Tuesday, capping a historical month of selling after President Tayyip Erdogan again endorsed aggressive interest rate cuts despite widespread criticism and soaring inflation. The lira fell as much as 8.6% to the greenback, which was boosted after hawkish comments from the US Federal Reserve, underscoring the risks for Turkey's economy and for Erdogan's own political future. The lira ended the session down 4.6% to the dollar, at 13.415, and at 15.2809 to the euro, Reuters reported. The currency has lost some 45% of its value so far this year and 28.3% in November alone, rapidly eroding Turks' earnings and savings, upending household budgets and even leaving them scrambling to find some imported medicines. The monthly sell-off was among the currency's largest ever and joins the ranks of crises in 2018, 2001 and 1994 for the big emerging market economy. Tuesday's tumble came as Erdogan, for the fifth time in less than two weeks, defended the monetary easing that most economists have called reckless. In an interview with state broadcaster TRT, Erdogan said there was "no turning back" from the new policy direction. "We will see that the interest rates will fall markedly and hence there will be an improvement in exchange rates before the elections," he said. Turkey's leader of nearly two decades faces sliding opinion polls and a vote by mid-2023. Polls show Erdogan would lose head-to-head with the most likely presidential opponents. Under pressure from Erdogan, the central bank has slashed rates by 400 basis points to 15% since September and is widely expected to ease again in December. With inflation running near 20%, real rates are deeply negative. In response, the opposition has called for an immediate policy reversal and snap elections. Concerns about central bank credibility took another blow on Tuesday after a top official was said to have left his post. "It's a dangerous experiment Erdogan is trying to run and the market is trying to warn him about the consequences," said Brian Jacobsen, senior investment strategist, multi-asset solutions at Allspring Global Investments. "Imports are likely to rise in price as the lira falls, making inflation worse. Foreign investment could be scared away, making it harder to finance growth. Credit default swaps are pricing in a higher risk of default," he added. "Investors are getting more and more nervous. ... It's a toxic brew." Turkey’s five-year credit default swaps , the cost to insure against a sovereign default, jumped 6 basis points from Monday’s close to 510 bps, the highest since November 2020, according to IHS Markit. Spreads to safe-haven U.S. Treasuries (.JPMEGDTURR) widened to 564 bps, also the widest in a year. They have widened 100 bps from earlier this month. Turkey's economy grew 7.4% year-on-year in the third quarter, according to official data released on Tuesday, boosted by retail demand, manufacturing and exports. Erdogan and other government officials have stressed that while there may be price pain for a while, the monetary stimulus should boost exports, credit, jobs and economic growth. Economists say the depreciation and accelerated inflation - which is seen reaching 30% next year due in large part to the currency devaluation - will derail Erdogan's plan. Virtually all other central banks are raising rates or preparing to do so. Erdogan predicted inflation would ease and the current account would turn to surplus next year. "Some people are making efforts to make them seem weak, but the economic indicators are in very good condition," Erdogan said. "Our country is now at a point that can break this trap, there is no turning back." "Turkey will not live in a trap of exchange rate, inflation and interest rates," he added. Reuters has reported, citing sources, that Erdogan ignored appeals in recent weeks, even from within his government, to reverse policy. A central bank source said on Tuesday that the executive director of the bank's markets department, Doruk Kucuksarac, had left his post and had been replaced by his deputy, Hakan Er. Kucuksarac did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A banker who requested anonymity said Kucuksarac's departure was further evidence of an "erosion and devastation" of the institution after this year's mass leadership overhaul and years of political influence on policy. Erdogan sacked three monetary policy committee members in October. Governor Sahap Kavcioglu was only appointed to the post in March after the president fired his three predecessors in the last 2-1/2 years over policy disagreements. November inflation data will be released on Friday and a Reuters poll forecast that it will rise to an annual 20.7%, the highest level in three years. "Monetary policy is likely to remain under political influence and not tight enough to significantly reduce inflation, stabilize the currency and restore investor confidence," said credit ratings firm Moody's.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334681/turkish-lira-hits-14-usd-face-erdogan%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98dangerous-experiment
UN Envoy Warns of Risk of New Israel-Palestinian Violence
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: Israeli-Palestinians clashes along a border fence with Israel - SAID KHATIB AFP
The UN Mideast envoy warned Tuesday that without quick and decisive action to address the key drivers of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the region risks plunging into "another deadly escalation of violence." Tor Wennesland told the UN Security Council it´s essential that the parties "calm things on the ground," reduce violence across the Palestinian territories, avoid unilateral steps including new Israeli settlement building, and solidify the May cease-fire that ended an 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip. In addition, he called for urgent action to tackle the severe fiscal and economic crisis threatening the stability of Palestinian institutions in the West Bank. According to The Associated Press, Wennesland warned: "Even a full and immediate financial package may not be sufficient or come quickly enough - if at all - to help buffer the consequences of the current situation." He told reporters afterward there is "broad consensus" among the 15 council members that to prevent a possible imminent conflict "there needs to be a pushback on activities in and around Jerusalem and the West Bank," financial stability for the Palestinian Authority so it can pay salaries, and a halt to settlement activity. As the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Wennesland represented the United Nations at the first in-person meeting in two years of envoys of the so-called Quartet of Mideast mediators on Nov. 18 in Norway´s capital, Oslo. A statement from the Quartet -- the UN, US, Russia and the European Union -- urged Israel and the Palestinians to address the ongoing violence, settlements, and "the untenable fiscal crisis within the Palestinian Authority." It welcomed steps announced by Israel "to reach out to the Palestinian Authority and assist with the fiscal crisis" but expressed deep concern at developments in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza. The Palestinians have sought an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but imposed a crippling blockade when the Palestinian militant group Hamas seized power from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas´ forces in 2007. Wennesland called Tuesday for a coordinated approach to "restore a political horizon that will help stop the endless cycle of crisis management and move back towards meaningful negotiations to end the (Israeli) occupation and resolve the conflict on the basis of UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements." He said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres supports holding a Quartet meeting at ministerial level to focus on medium and longer-term issues to achieve a two-state solution, and he has spoken to the other members, but "we are not there yet." He added that the envoys are working very hard and are in weekly contact. Russia´s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky also warned of the risks of "large-scale hostilities" like the Israel-Hamas conflict in May and called on the international community to urgently ensure stability on the ground, provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, and create conditions for resuming peace negotiations. He said the Quartet, which was established in 2002, is the only internationally recognized body to bring the Middle East peace process back on track. It has been criticized for its failure to get either Israel or the Palestinian Authority to change their policies and negotiate an end to their more than three decades-old conflict. Polyansky said Russia has been pushing for a ministerial meeting of the Quartet which Moscow feels "is overdue, but not everyone from our partners is ready for such a move right now." US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who recently visited Israel and the West Bank, told the Security Council that the Biden administration still strongly believes in a two-state solution "in which a Jewish and democratic Israel lives in peace alongside a sovereign, viable Palestinian state." She reiterated US opposition to Israeli settlement expansion, saying "the practice has reached a critical juncture, and it is now undermining even the very viability of a negotiated two-state solution." Thomas-Greenfield said Israel and the Palestinians "are locked in a spiral of distrust" that is preventing cooperation, and rebuilding "some degree of confidence in each other" is key to advancing toward peace. She made no mention of the Quartet but said that in her meetings "both sides spoke of the need for confidence-building measures to break down the walls of distrust." Trust-building needs to be worked out mainly between Israelis and Palestinians, the US ambassador said, but the Security Council can facilitate constructive steps by enforcing its resolutions "to constrain Iran´s regional malign activities, nuclear threats, support for terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah." Thomas-Greenfield said the council can also denounce incitement to violence by terrorist organizations or individuals and promote efforts to improve the lives of ordinary Palestinians by urging Israel to grant more work and building permits and facilitating humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Gaza.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334676/un-envoy-warns-risk-new-israel-palestinian-violence
Tel Aviv Ranked World’s Priciest City for First Time
Business
Asharq Al-Awsat
Tel Aviv climbed the EIU rankings partly due to the strength of the shekel as well increases in prices for transport and groceries Emmanuel DUNAND AFP
Tel Aviv is the world's most expensive city to live in as soaring inflation has pushed up living costs globally, according to a survey published on Wednesday The Israeli city climbed five rungs to score top place for the first time in the authoritative ranking compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The Worldwide Cost of Living Index is compiled by comparing prices in US dollars for goods and services in 173 cities. Tel Aviv climbed the rankings partly due to the strength of the national currency, the shekel, against the dollar, as well increases in prices for transport and groceries, AFP reported. Paris and Singapore came joint second, followed by Zurich and Hong Kong. New York was in sixth, with Geneva in seventh. Rounding off the top 10 were Copenhagen in eighth, Los Angeles in ninth and Osaka, Japan, in 10th. Last year, the survey put Paris, Zurich and Hong Kong in joint first place. This year's data was collected in August and September as prices for freight and commodities rose and shows that on average prices rose 3.5 percent in local currency terms -- the fastest inflation rate recorded over the past five years. Social restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic "have disrupted the supply of goods, leading to shortages and higher prices," said Upasana Dutt, head of worldwide cost of living at The EIU. "We can clearly see the impact in this year's index, with the rise in petrol prices particularly stark," she said, while central banks are expected to raise interest rates cautiously, reducing inflation. The average inflation figure does not include four cities with exceptionally high rates: Caracas, Damascus, Buenos Aires and Tehran. The Iranian capital rose from 79th to 29th place in the ranking as US sanctions have pushed up prices and caused shortages. Damascus was ranked the world's cheapest city to live in.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334671/tel-aviv-ranked-world%E2%80%99s-priciest-city-first-time
Can Goldman and Jamie Dimon Help Hong Kong Out of Quarantine?
Opinion
Anjani Trivedi
Anjani Trivedi -
Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. have pledged to compensate their Hong Kong employees for the mandatory hotel quarantine the territory imposes on travelers and residents as part its stringent Covid-zero strategy. JPMorgan was the first to move, saying it would reimburse Hong Kong employees up to $5,000 for quarantine when returning from visiting immediate family. Morgan Stanley quickly followed suit with an offer of up to $5,100. Then Goldman Sachs said it, too, was offering a one-time subsidy of up to $5,000. Generous and practical as that may seem, these multinationals are effectively endorsing the government’s quarantine policy, which can keep people in hotel rooms for up to 21 days. The approach is short-termist. If these institutions want to do business in the financial center and retain people, stop-gap measures don’t do much to create much long-term confidence in the city. It also ends up putting a price on a system that doesn’t fully take into consideration the physical, economic and mental health burden people and their families are faced with as they ride out those three weeks trapped inside. It’s almost a footnote that the amount they’re offering doesn’t even go that far in getting a decent hotel room to isolate in, which can cost as much as $6,432 a night for the limited amount of large, family-sized accommodation available. (The amount is a tiny portion of these banks’ balance sheets. As they announced reimbursements, a local hospitality group, Black Sheep Restaurants, with over 30 eateries in the city, said it is shelling out $650,000 for its employees to travel home, quarantine and test. On a per employee basis, the sums are about the same. Hong Kong’s quarantine policy is among the strictest in the world. It doesn't make much of a difference if you’re vaccinated, either, which undermines the case to get inoculated altogether. Besides the lack of evidence supporting such an extended period of isolation, it also isn’t the safest option given the facilities and several reported mishaps. These aren’t the airtight, medical-grade centers with adequate ventilation that are 100% safe. In recent months, cases of people getting infected during quarantine have risen. The government has also tightened its restrictions, so that if you did test positive for Covid-19 in quarantine or on arrival, you’d be sent to an isolation center for further tests before being discharged on recovery. A few thousand dollars doesn’t compensate anyone for this risk. But if meaningful contributors to gross domestic product start backing these policies, it takes a degree of responsibility off the government’s shoulders and allows them to avoid actively reconsidering the increasingly oppressive and absurd rules. After all, banks’ acquiescence means the government has gotten its way. Meanwhile, the emergence of Omicron has some saying that the tracing and tracking associated with the Covid-zero approach taken in China and Hong Kong vindicates the stringent strategy. However, it has been well-established that variants will keep coming, and while measures like extended quarantining offer one way forward, they aren’t a sustainable public health tactic at this point in the pandemic. Hong Kong’s Truman Show-esque existence shouldn’t distract from the fact that you cannot leave that easily, no matter how much money is thrown at the problem. Even those willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on quarantine haven’t been able to get a room. So if deep-pocketed employers like Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan want to advocate for their employees’ well-being, they should consider taking a different stance. Their tacit messaging matters, too. For years, Hong Kong has served as the banks’ key conduit between Chinese and Asian clients and global investors, raising billions of dollars of capital and serving as the gateway to mainland China. Wall Street firms have continued to push deeper into the onshore market, unfazed by geopolitics. These institutions have reaped the benefits and profits, as has the city: The sector contributes to over a fifth of value added in gross domestic product, more than any other single industry. One of the territory’s main priorities is to remain an international financial center. JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon visited Hong Kong this month, swooping in on a Gulfstream jet for a few days. He was exempted from the 21-day quarantine. Dimon told reporters the center’s travel restrictions “make it harder” to retain talent in the global financial hub. When asked why Dimon was given a free pass on quarantining, officials defended the decision. “The justification is related to economy, as this is a very huge bank with key business in Hong Kong,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam said. “He needs to come to Hong Kong for work for about a day.” She noted that Dimon’s “entire trip was restricted. The risk is totally manageable.” If the head of the territory is calling you a key business, it means you have a lot of leverage. Instead of throwaway comments about Taiwan and outliving the Chinese Communist Party, Dimon would have done us all a service by speaking up about a policy that is increasingly eroding Hong Kong’s position as a financial hub. It has already pushed many to leave and is clearly creating difficulties for even his own employees. The finance industry has tried to increase the pressure by sending a letter to Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, urging the administration to ease its strict quarantine rules and loosen its Covid-zero policy. So far, this hasn’t cut through. The banks may be better off lobbying the powers that be to open up and reduce quarantine. Ultimately, this may be the only way to get Hong Kong to finally open up — or at least, make better decisions. Bloomberg
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334666/anjani-trivedi/can-goldman-and-jamie-dimon-help-hong-kong-out-quarantine
What It Will Take to Make the World’s Ships Run on Time
Opinion
James Stavridis
James Stavridis -
I spent nearly 10 years on the deep ocean — entirely out of sight of land. During the long voyages, I would track the massive civilian cargo ships and oil tankers sailing near my warships. An exquisite system keeps them running essentially 24/7, hustling cargoes among a network of global megaports. Those of us at sea watched with respect for their size and scale, mingled with a sense that they were so often on the edge of trouble. Shippers’ margins on time and cost are thin, and their crews are incredibly small, often not adequately trained or sufficiently compensated. All of these factors are playing into the current delays with raw materials and consumer goods in the global supply chain. Naturally, these delays aren’t entirely dependent on ocean transportation. But given that more than 90% of internationally traded goods move through what the 19th-century naval strategist Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan called the “sea lanes of communication,” it is a good place to focus more attention. The huge ports are part of the maritime infrastructure as well, and some of them have become structural choke points, much as we think of critical geographic choke points like the Suez or Panama canals or the straits of Hormuz or Malacca. At the moment, serious backups and delays continue to be the norm at ports around the world. The largest American complex is in Southern California, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. For weeks, dozens of vessels have been waiting at anchor offshore. Thousands of empty containers still need to be sent to other ports. And as is the case at many other key ports worldwide, cargo infrastructure is overwhelmed. Part of the problem has to do with how we think of supply chains. They are not really chainlike in the sense of being simple, linear pathways. If they were, the problems would be easier to fix. They are more accurately envisioned as networks or even a cloud — as nonlinear as the sea itself. In essence, the global supply chain is a host of distinct nodes that function smoothly only if they are synchronized. When the “just in time” system falters, the network’s extraordinary interconnections — ordinarily a strength — create problems. As Covid-19 has made it difficult to get manpower to the docks to offload ships, those problems have been magnified throughout the network. Covid also impedes the flow of mariners from land to sea and back as national quarantines, testing regimes and border closings are put in effect. Global maritime systems still need to adjust to all of this. The big shipping companies (A.P. Moller-Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Co., China Ocean Shipping Co., Evergreen Marine Corp.) and associated organizations (the UN International Maritime Organization, Lloyd’s of London) have to collectively assess the bottlenecks. Governments need to participate through their associated agencies, such as the US Maritime Administration (MARAD). This is at heart an intelligence function, and only by pooling vast sets of data can the extent of the problem be understood. President Joe Biden is right to keep up a conversation with retailers and other business leaders about measures to get the supply chain moving. (I am a board member of the Greek Onassis Foundation, which runs a substantial international shipping business headquartered in Europe, and I consult for Crowley Maritime in the US) Armed with a clear idea of how the maritime network is functioning, experts can apply appropriate analytical tools (including nascent artificial intelligence techniques) to formulate solutions. In the US, for instance, a plan is needed to shift cargo delivery away from overloaded ports to underused ones. The US has few megaports (only Los Angeles and Long Beach are in the world’s top 20) but many smaller ones — a legacy of our vast coastline and decentralized infrastructure. That weakness could be turned into a strength. It would also help to know where it’s best to invest in port improvements. As the Transportation Department carries out the recently passed infrastructure legislation, this effort should be a priority. Over the long term, it’s important to invest in global shipping, beginning with mariners themselves. In the US, this means supporting merchant marine colleges, including the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, and state maritime colleges. Governments including the US should also subsidize environmentally safe shipping operations and improvements in port technology — including collapsible shipping containers, “smart” offload cranes and pop-up warehouses to handle overflow. The current global system has been desynchronized not only by Covid-induced manpower shortages but also by extraordinary delayed demand for durable goods, aging and neglected infrastructure, and severe weather disturbances. The combined effects will take a year to unwind. Unfortunately though unsurprisingly, this problem also has a geopolitical aspect. Controversy over which country runs a particular port or canal discourages the sharing of information and intelligence. The US-China competition also complicates efforts to resynchronize the global shipping system. The pressure on maritime networks is still growing, and no other option remains for moving most of the world’s goods. International cooperation among nations, interagency coordination within countries, and — above all — a high level of public-private integration will be needed to untangle the snarls in the system. Bloomberg
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334661/james-stavridis/what-it-will-take-make-world%E2%80%99s-ships-run-time
This was no typical start to the work week in Singapore. At a bus depot in the city-state's northern suburbs, people were lining up to do something extraordinary: make the journey of less than a mile across the water to Malaysia. Once almost as routine as the commute between New York and New Jersey, the economically vital border saw about 300,000 people cross daily pre-coronavirus. It has been shut to most citizens since the pandemic began. For a very small number, that began to change Monday morning. As the world was learning to add omicron to its Covid-panic dictionary, these few dozen travelers were taking part in Singapore's most symbolic attempt yet to unbolt its borders. It’s an open question whether the government can tolerate the risks that come with this small step. The mundane scene at Woodlands interchange — people with bags patiently queuing, socially distanced, paperwork in hand — belied the significance of what was occurring. Many of those were ready to see their families for the first time in two years. But while this wasn’t a weepy airport scene from the 2003 movie “Love Actually,” it was a marker in the course of Singapore’s struggle with the pandemic: A tiny, rich republic dependent on imported labor, energy, food and water feels just confident enough to ease restrictions on its land boundary. Malaysia is no ordinary neighbor. One of Singapore’s most important trading partners, the two share a deep political and cultural history. While the land travel is aimed, initially, at reuniting families and is being done in a very gradual and tightly controlled manner, its success or failure will say a lot about the appetite some prosperous and highly vaccinated economies have to truly open. Live with Covid-19? Sure. But how much of the disease, and what level of risk, can you tolerate? It has become the question as scientists race to assess the transmissibility of the omicron variant and the effectiveness of existing shots. Countries around the world are already erecting fresh travel barriers: Japan barred new foreign arrivals, while Australia delayed the opening of borders to foreign workers and students. South Korea may postpone its planned easing measures. Many think of Singapore's top-notch airport at Changi as the barometer of the nation's ability to re-engage. The Woodlands bus terminal ought to be at least as useful a yardstick. A causeway stretches over the water border running through the Strait of Johor; calling it a “land lane” distinguishes it from quarantine-free air routes for vaccinated travelers between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, which also began Monday. The program is beginning with a trickle: just a few thousand each day on a coaches operated by only two companies. Even if the people waiting to board the 10 a.m. bus expressed some concern about borders slamming shut again, trapping them on the other side, it wasn't going to stop them. The chance to see family is a risk worth taking. For Nagarajan, a 29-year-old maintenance engineer from Ipoh in northwestern Malaysia, this homecoming would be more meaningful than almost any other. Last year, while stuck working in Singapore, his wife had given birth to their daughter, a child he has seen in only pixelated form. His visit is a surprise. “I hope they are home,” he cracked. Ellie, a Malaysian who works in finance in Singapore and hasn't been home for two years, wasn't going to let omicron ruin her day. She had filled out the necessary forms, was fully vaccinated and followed the procedures to book her seat on the bus. What more was there she could do, Ellie asked. What did she look forward to most? “My mum's homecooked food. It's precious.” The pragmatism of these passengers notwithstanding, I did seriously wonder about their ability to return. Would folks with tickets in coming days and weeks actually get to use them? On Sunday, Singapore suspended vaccinated travel lanes with several Middle Eastern nations, hours before they opened for applications, citing risks from omicron. Singapore tried several times the past 18 months to start an air-travel bubble with Hong Kong, only to abandon the effort. One attempt was called off on the eve of the first departure. The government has been careful not to rule out further changes to border rules, which remain some of the world's tightest. “We are not sure yet, but we may well be forced to take a few steps back before we can take more steps forward,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a speech Sunday. If Singapore does close down again, it will have a much larger impact than expats visiting family or Singaporeans off to Europe for some skiing. You don't have to go far to find evidence of labor shortages. Health authorities are offering a S$12,000 ($8,750) finder fee for referring experienced nurses. “Help wanted” signs are plastered on walls of everything from vegan snack-food stores downtown to neighborhood hawker centers dotting the suburbs. Last week, while strolling to lunch, I met a food delivery robot being tested by Grab Holdings Inc. Singapore avoided paying a huge economic price for its tough pandemic measures this year because it was lifted by the big rebound in global commerce. The expansion will be much slower in 2022. For a country that proclaims its openness to the world and has a very high rate of vaccination, keeping the buses running shouldn’t be too much to ask. Bloomberg
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334656/daniel-moss/singapores-reopening-age-omicron
UN: Fewer Libya Arms Embargo Breaches but Foreign Fighters Remain
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
The United Nations logo is seen on a window in an empty hallway at United Nations headquarters during the 75th annual UN General Assembly high-level debate in New York, US, September 21, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo
Fewer violations of the arms embargo on Libya have occurred this year as compared with 2020, but the "continuing presence" of foreign fighters is "still a serious threat," UN experts said in a confidential report. Nonetheless, while the "intense pace of delivery" of banned weapons has abated, "the arms embargo remains totally ineffective," the experts tasked with monitoring the embargo said in an interim confidential report recently given to the Security Council and seen Tuesday by AFP. For the study, which covers January to November 2021, the experts traveled twice to the north African country, in April and again in September. For the first time since 2017, they were able to go to the eastern city of Benghazi. The UN experts note that the majority of Libya is still controlled by armed groups. "Based on the 2020 transfers, arms stockpiles remain high and sufficient to sustain any future conflict," the experts said. "The control of the supply chains by some member states continues, thus significantly hindering detection, disruption, or interdiction" of arms deliveries, they added, without naming any offending countries. Though the opposing sides in Libya have asked foreign fighters to leave the country, the experts say they are "maintaining foreign fighters among their forces, including nationals from Chad, Sudan and Syria as well as from Russian private military companies." The United Nations has previously estimated that 20,000 mercenaries and foreign fighters are deployed in Libya, including from the Russian private security firm Wagner. "The panel has no evidence of any large scale withdrawals taking place to date," the experts said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334651/un-fewer-libya-arms-embargo-breaches-foreign-fighters-remain
Duterte's Chosen Successor Exits Philippines Presidential Race
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
His sudden exit narrows the field of candidates vying to replace Duterte LISA MARIE DAVID POOL/AFP
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's chosen successor on Tuesday announced his withdrawal from the 2022 presidential race, saying it was "not yet my time". Senator Christopher Go, a close aide to the president, entered the contest for the country's highest office two days before the November 15 deadline, after previously registering for the vice presidential race, AFP said. His sudden exit narrows the field of candidates vying to replace Duterte, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a second six-year term. He is running for the Senate. "My family doesn't want it either so I thought maybe this is not yet my time," Go told reporters. Go said his decision to withdraw was also to avoid causing "more problems" for Duterte, who he professed to love "more than as a father". "I remain loyal to him and I promise to be with him forever," Go said. "In the past few days I realized that my heart and my mind are contradicting my own actions." Most analysts had given Go little chance of success in the May election, though he was the most likely candidate to protect Duterte from criminal charges in the Philippines, and an International Criminal Court investigation into his deadly drug war. "From the very start he has launched a lukewarm campaign and it's very obvious that he was just thrust into that job by President Duterte," said Jean Franco, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines. The son and namesake of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos has a commanding lead in the race, according to a recent survey by respected polling outfit Social Weather Stations. Marcos Jr was followed by incumbent vice president and Duterte critic Leni Robredo, celebrity mayor Francisco Domagoso and boxing great Manny Pacquiao. Duterte has been an ally of the controversial Marcos family, which had gone into exile in the United States after the patriarch's humiliating downfall in 1986. But recently Duterte has been publicly critical of Marcos Jr, describing him as a "weak leader... saddled with baggage". Sara Duterte, his daughter, had been widely expected to run for president. But she has filed her candidacy for vice president, a position which holds very little power, and formed an alliance with Marcos Jr. Go's exit from the "tight election race" could strengthen the "political force" of Marcos Jr and Sara, said Franco. But she doubted that Duterte would endorse Marcos Jr for his job. Go's decision also comes after a tumultuous week when many of the leading presidential and vice-presidential candidates took drug tests after Duterte accused an unnamed candidate of snorting cocaine.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332941/dutertes-chosen-successor-exits-philippines-presidential-race
Berlin - Asharq Al-Awsat
The game focuses on a young boy experiencing a severe nightmare. (Amanita Design)
A proverb once said: Never judge a book by its cover. Well, it also applies for video games…You should never judge it by its name because anyone who expects “Happy Game” to be light-hearted fun will be in for a nasty surprise, reported the German news agency. The game from developer Amanita Design – best known for family-friendly adventures like Machinarium or Samorost – is indeed not a happy game at all, but rather a horror adventure. The game focuses on a young boy experiencing a severe nightmare. Things he has lost like a ball or a teddy bear suddenly reappear in his nightmare, but to bring them back with him to reality, the boy has to go through absurd adventures and solve disturbing puzzles. When it comes to the depiction of violence, Happy Game doesn't hold back: blood, dismembered corpses, and even guillotines are all here and the many smiling faces and colorful bunnies do little to change that. And if the player makes a mistake, they may be sending the young protagonist to the afterlife. The game isn’t suitable for children, but those who like horror and over-the-top violence will likely enjoy themselves. "Happy Game" is available for Windows, and Macs.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332931/happy-game-not-faint-hearted
Prosecutors Ask US Supreme Court to Rule on Bill Cosby Release
Entertainment
Asharq Al-Awsat
US actor Bill Cosby arrives at court in September 2018 in Norristown, Pennsylvania for his sentencing Brendan Smialowski AFP/File
Prosecutors have asked the US Supreme Court to review comedian Bill Cosby's overturned conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 15 years ago, they announced Monday. "The US Supreme Court can right what we believe is a grievous wrong," Kevin Steele, district attorney for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania said in a statement announcing that the appeal had been filed last Wednesday. Cosby was freed from prison on June 30 following a ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that he had been denied a fair trial, in a move seen as a blow to the #MeToo movement. At the time of his release, the comedian had been jailed since 2018 for assaulting Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia mansion in 2004 when she was an employee at Temple University, AFP reported. In its decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court focused on a non-prosecution agreement between a former district attorney and Cosby over evidence he gave in a civil case. Cosby had admitted giving Quaaludes, a now banned party drug, to women with a view to having sex with them in deposition testimony in that case. However the testimony was then used against him in a criminal trial years later brought forward by Steele. Cosby's lawyers argued he believed that testimony was immune from prosecution in criminal court when he gave it. They argued that the non-prosecution agreement meant he should not have been charged, which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices agreed with. However Steele said Monday that "petitioning to ask the High Court for review was the right thing to do," and denounced the "far-reaching negative consequences" of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision. In his appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Cosby presented a 2005 press release as evidence of the first prosecutor's statement not to prosecute him. Steele said Monday that the decision merited appeal because it set a precedent "that prosecutors' statements in press releases now seemingly create immunity." A spokesman for the 84-year-old actor criticized the latest appeal as "a pathetic last-ditch effort," in a statement quoted by multiple US news outlets. Cosby served more than two years of a three-to-ten-year sentence for aggravated indecent assault and has always maintained his innocence. Although more than 60 women charged that they had been victims of sexual assault by Cosby, he was tried criminally only for Constand's assault, since the statute of limitations had expired in the other cases. Cosby shattered racial barriers with his Emmy-winning role on "I Spy" in the 1960s and also starred as a dad and doctor on the hit TV series "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332921/prosecutors-ask-us-supreme-court-rule-bill-cosby-release
Iran Makes Maximalist Demands as Vienna Nuclear Talks Open
Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat
Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri wait for the start of a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 29, 2021. (Reuters)
Iran struck a maximalist tone Tuesday after just one day of restarted talks in Vienna over its tattered nuclear deal, suggesting everything discussed in previous rounds of diplomacy could be renegotiated. Iranian state media reported the comments by Ali Bagheri, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, and Mohammed Eslami, the country's civilian nuclear chief. It remained unclear, however, whether this represented an opening gambit by Iran's new hard-line president or signaled serious trouble for those hoping to restore the 2015 deal that saw Tehran strictly limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The United States left the deal under then-President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran in 2018. Since the deal’s collapse, Iran now enriches small amounts of uranium up to 60% purity — a short step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran also spins advanced centrifuges barred by the accord, and its uranium stockpile now far exceeds the accord’s limits. President Joe Biden has said America's willing to re-enter the deal, though the negotiations continue with US officials not in the room as in previous rounds of talks since Washington's withdrawal. Speaking to Iranian state television, Bagheri referred to the previous rounds of talks only as a “draft.” “Drafts are subject to negotiation. Therefore nothing is agreed on unless everything has been agreed on,” he said. "On that basis, all discussions that took place in the six rounds are summarized and are subject to negotiations. This was admitted by all parties in today’s meeting as well.” Another state TV segment saw Bagheri in Vienna also saying Iran demanded a “guarantee by American not to impose new sanctions” or not re-impose previously lifted sanctions. Eslami, speaking to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, reiterated that demand. “The talks (in Vienna) are about return of the US to the deal and they have to lift all sanctions and this should be in practice and verifiable,” he said. He did not elaborate. Talks in Vienna resumed Monday after an over five-month hiatus as hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi took power. Raisi, a protégé of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, campaigned on getting sanctions lifted. However, fellow hard-liners within Iran's theocracy long have criticized the nuclear deal as giving too much away to the West. Iran's comments Tuesday stood in stark contrast to the optimistic tone offered by the European Union diplomat leading the talks. “I feel positive that we can be doing important things for the next weeks,” Enrique Mora told reporters on Monday. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's top representative to the talks, also tweeted Tuesday that the resumption of negotiations was “quite successful.” “Participants decided to continue without delay the drafting process in two working groups - on sanctions lifting and nuclear issues," he wrote. "This work starts immediately.” Israel, Iran's regional, nuclear-armed rival, kept up its own pressure amid the negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a video address delivered to nations negotiating in Vienna, warned that he saw Iran trying to “end sanctions in exchange for almost nothing.” “Iran deserves no rewards, no bargain deals and no sanctions relief in return for their brutality,” Bennett said in the video that he later posted to Twitter. “I call upon our allies around the world: Do not give in to Iran’s nuclear blackmail.” Iran maintains its atomic program is peaceful. However, US intelligence agencies and international inspectors say Iran had an organized nuclear weapons program up until 2003. Nonproliferation experts fear the brinkmanship could push Tehran toward even more extreme measures to try to force the West to lift sanctions. Making matters more difficult, United Nations nuclear inspectors remain unable to fully monitor Iran’s program after Tehran limited their access. A trip to Iran last week by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, failed to make any progress on that issue.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332906/iran-makes-maximalist-demands-vienna-nuclear-talks-open
Omicron Variant Raises New Fears for Pandemic-hit World Economy
Business
Asharq Al-Awsat
A woman looks on from the observation deck of Tokyo's Haneda international airport on November 29, 2021, as Japan announced plans to bar all new foreign travelers over the Omicron variant of Covid-19 Philip FONG AFP
Just as it was recovering from the body blow of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global economy has taken yet another hit from the Omicron variant of the virus, which has led to a raft of new travel restrictions. First reported to the World Health Organization in South Africa less than a week ago, the new strain has rapidly spread everywhere from Africa to the Pacific, and from Europe to Canada, causing dozens of countries to announce travel restrictions. The severity of the economic impact will depend on how dangerous the variant proves to be, and how well existing vaccinations stand up to it, AFP reported. That has meant that even with the most favorable scenarios in mind, economists are already revising their 2022 forecasts downwards. The International Monetary Fund, which expects growth of 4.9 percent for the next year, has been insisting for months that the coronavirus and its variants remain the main threat. The economic impact could be "modest," in the order of 0.25 percentage points on global growth in 2022, if Omicron causes "relatively mild symptoms" and the vaccines are "effective," said Gregory Daco, chief economist at Oxford Economics. In the worst-case scenario, in which Omicron proves extremely dangerous and large swaths of the world are in lockdown again, 2022 growth could fall to around 2.3 percent, as compared to the 4.5 percent expected by Oxford Economics before the variant emerged. And in such a scenario it is not certain that governments, which have stumped up trillions of dollars in aid since the start of the pandemic, would be willing to put in place further fiscal stimulus packages, especially if vaccines are available, Daco said. Those aspects "are going to be really key to how it affects the global economy and people's behavior," said Erik Lundh, an economist at The Conference Board. - Self-isolation - Beyond government measures to contain the new strain, fear of infection could lead people to limit their own travel and economic activities, such as going to restaurants and reducing consumption, which will in turn impact growth, Lundh said. Another risk is the exacerbation of the global supply chain crunch. Lundh pointed out that "a lot of air cargo is stored basically in the belly of passenger planes...It's not just all sorts of FedEx planes." "So if there are cancellations, if there's a lapse in demand for commercial flights for passengers, it does run the risk of limiting the route of trade," which could in turn worsen inflationary pressures as goods become more scarce. In addition, a wave of Omicron infections "could cause some workers to temporarily exit the workforce, and deter others from returning, making current labor shortages worse," said Neil Shearing, chief economist at Capital Economics in a note. Omicron has sparked more anxiety than any other variant since the emergence of Delta, itself already much more contagious than previous strains. US President Joe Biden, however, said Monday that there was "not a cause for panic," even if the United States has closed its borders to travelers from the southern African region where the variant was first detected. As for vaccine manufacturers AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax have expressed confidence in their ability to combat the variant. - Interest rate hike delayed? - However, the threat of a potentially more serious variant will complicate the task of central banks which could "postpone plans to raise interest rates until the picture becomes clearer," said Shearing. The Federal Reserve is due to meet on December 15, with several others, including the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England meeting the day after. Pfizer CEO said Albert Bourla said it will be a few weeks before drug makers know most of what they need to know about the new strain. In the meantime, "uncertainty is damaging," said economist Daco. "Every time you come back to a climate of uncertainty and fear, it slows down the recovery of the world economy." On Monday, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell himself warned that Omicron is a risk for the US economy, which together with China and the European Union is one of the engines driving the global economy.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332886/omicron-variant-raises-new-fears-pandemic-hit-world-economy
Morocco's King Calls for Rebuilding Trust Between Palestinians, Israelis
Arab World
Rabat - Asharq Al-Awsat
Morocco's King Mohammed VI. (AFP)
Morocco's King Mohammed VI called Monday for building trust between Palestinians and Israelis with a view to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He stressed Rabat will press ahead with its efforts in order to ensure the right conditions for a return of the two sides to the negotiating table. "I call, once again, for the launching of an intensive and effective diplomatic effort to get the parties back to the negotiating table in order to settle the Palestinian issue within the framework of the two-state solution and thus build a promising future for upcoming Palestinian and Israeli generations," he said in a message to the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Cheikh Niang, on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The monarch called on the international community to help the two parties build trust and refrain from any practices that undermine the peace process, recalling that seven years have now passed since direct negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides stopped. "During that period, trust between the two parties has vanished. That trust could have been leveraged to implement the solution desired by the international community," he stressed, adding that the impasse in the Middle East peace process places a heavy burden as well as a great responsibility on the international community - and more particularly on the influential countries - to overcome the complex, intertwined obstacles that prevent any breakthrough in the political domain. King Mohammed said Morocco will press ahead with its efforts in order to bring about the right conditions for a return to the negotiating table as the only means to put an end to the conflict and ensure security and stability in the Middle-East region. "However, no matter how sincere the intentions may be, no effort can succeed in the face of unilateral measures that destroy the chances of peace and fuel violence and hatred," he warned, reaffirming Morocco's immutable position regarding the justness of the Palestinian cause. He added that the Moroccan position does not change according to circumstances, nor is it governed by some pointless political outbidding tactics. Rather, he said: “It is the embodiment of a conviction which is deeply rooted in the consciousness of the Moroccan people and which is backed by serious, purposeful diplomatic endeavors as well as tangible work on the ground for the benefit of the just cause of Palestine and Jerusalem.” The King called for the preservation of the Arab and Islamic identity of Jerusalem as well as its legal, demographic and historical status. "It is important to make sure the holy city is open to the followers of the monotheistic religions, who should coexist in an environment where fraternity, affection and peace prevail," he said. King Mohammed also expressed his full support for the Palestinian Authority, under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas, in its efforts to fulfill the aspirations of the Palestinian people for freedom, independence, unity and prosperity.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332771/moroccos-king-calls-rebuilding-trust-between-palestinians-israelis
Croatia Advances to Davis Cup Semis after Beating Italy
Sports
Asharq Al-Awsat
Croatia's Marin Cilic returns the ball to Italy's Jannik Sinner during their Davis Cup men's single Finals tennis match at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. (AP)
Croatia became the first team to reach the Davis Cup semifinals after seeing off Italy 2-1 on Monday. With the singles squared, the top-ranked doubles team of Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic had no trouble seeing off Fabio Fognini and Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4 in the decider. Sinner replaced Simone Bolelli after winning his singles, which took nearly three hours. But he and Fognini couldn't get a break point against Pavic and Mektic, winners of Wimbledon and the Olympics this year. Croatia, a two-time champion, awaits Serbia or Kazakhstan. Their quarterfinal is on Wednesday in Madrid. Borna Gojo set up Croatia's win by surprisingly taking the opening singles against Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-2. Gojo, who is 252 places below the 27th-ranked Sonego, turned around a 4-1 deficit in the opening set to force the tiebreak. Sonego rallied in the second set but continued to make errors in the third, including wasting three break points in the seventh game. “I knew third set it was either one’s game — one set, anything can happen,” Gojo said. “It was a really tough game at 4-2 and I managed to hold. So, yeah, I’m really happy.” Sinner evened the score when he beat former US Open champion Marin Čilić 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Ranked No. 10 in the world, he rode passionate home support in Turin, even encouraging the fans several times to cheer even louder. “It's an amazing feeling of course, I don’t have the voice anymore,” Sinner said with a laugh. The other quarterfinals this week are: Britain vs. Germany on Tuesday in Innsbruck, and the Russian team vs. Sweden on Thursday in Madrid.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332756/croatia-advances-davis-cup-semis-after-beating-italy
UK Spies Seek Help from Tech Firms against Cyber Threats
Technology
Asharq Al-Awsat
MI6 chief Richard Moore says the agency has to “become more open to stay secret” in a world of destabilizing technological changes. (Reuters)
Britain’s spies must give up some of their deep-rooted secrecy and seek help from tech firms to combat fast-moving cyber threats, the head of the UK’s foreign intelligence agency says. MI6 chief Richard Moore says the agency has to “become more open to stay secret” in a world of destabilizing technological changes. Moore plans to set out his view of current threats Tuesday in his first public speech since becoming head of the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, in October 2020. According to extracts released in advance by the government, Moore will say the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence and other rapidly developing technologies “is a white-hot focus for MI6.” “According to some assessments, we may experience more technological progress in the next 10 years than in the last century, with a disruptive impact equal to the industrial revolution,” he plans to say. “As a society, we have yet to internalize this stark fact and its potential impact on global geopolitics.” “Our adversaries are pouring money and ambition into mastering artificial intelligence, quantum computing and synthetic biology, because they know that mastering these technologies will give them leverage,” Moore will say. To keep up, British spies “are now pursuing partnerships with the tech community to help develop world-class technologies to solve our biggest mission problems.” “Unlike Q in the Bond movies, we cannot do it all in-house,” Moore added, referring to the fictional MI6 gadget-maker in the James Bond 007 thrillers. Moore says working with the private sector is a “sea change” for an organization enmeshed in secrecy. Until 1992, Britain’s government refused even to confirm the existence of MI6. The organization has gradually become more open in recent years, even allowing publication of an authorized history — though it only goes up to 1949. MI6 began publicly naming its chief, who uses the code name C, in the 1990s.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3332746/uk-spies-seek-help-tech-firms-against-cyber-threats
