Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750
Odd Arne Westad
Bodley Head
Attempting to predict how China will use its burgeoning influence on the world stage is increasingly a preoccupation of the West, and this was most recently brought into focus by the dispute with Japan over islands both nations claim as their own.
Most of the attention has been on whether China's foreign policy will be aggressively expansionist, for which most analysts believe China's rich and convoluted history is the most useful indicator for the future. That is also the approach adopted by Odd Arne Westad, whose thesis in this comprehensive book is that a sense of grievance over perceived slights by the outside world since 1750 will lead China towards a more confrontational role in the region. He backs this theory with an exhaustive recount of interactions dating back to the Qing era, but one need onlylisten to the aggrieved tenor of China Central Television's English language service's coverage of the islands dispute with Japan to know that his analysis about what he calls the "new form of Chinese nationalism" rings true.
* John Henzell
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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City's slump
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Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
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The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
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Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Tomorrow 2021
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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
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Miguel Cotto world titles:
WBO Light Welterweight champion - 2004-06
WBA Welterweight champion – 2006-08
WBO Welterweight champion – Feb 2009-Nov 2009
WBA Light Middleweight champion – 2010-12
WBC Middleweight champion – 2014-15
WBO Light Middleweight champion – Aug 2017-Dec 2017