For a week in early February 1945, the leaders of the Allied Powers met in Yalta on the Black Sea. There the host, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his guests, US president Franklin Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill, discussed the post-war future of Europe, in particular the fate of Central Europe. They represented the great powers of the world on the verge of winning the most consequential military victory in the history of the world. They were doing what great powers have done throughout history, drawing borders, divvying up the spoils of victory.
On November 22 of this year, 72 years after the Yalta summit and approximately 780 miles away in a different Black Sea resort, Russian president Vladimir Putin hosted another summit. This one was attended by Iran's president Hassan Rouhani and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They too met in the waning days of a brutal and destructive war, this one on a much smaller scale: the conflict that has ravaged Syria for the past six years. And they too played the role of major powers, seeking to set the terms for the peace that would follow. As before, they had their eyes set on an entire region in turmoil, this time, the Middle East.
Despite the fact that the agreement produced in Yalta spoke of free determination and democracy, in retrospect, we know that the meeting lay the groundwork for what became the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe. Similarly, despite the fact that the language of the Putin-hosted meeting focused on “peace” for Syria, it was also largely about the subtext of the nature of the continued influence of the parties present over peoples who were not represented in the room where the summit was taking place.
One party to Syria's civil war had been consulted. A week earlier, Bashar Al Assad, the Syrian dictator and the author of the mass suffering of his people, had also made a trip to Sochi to meet Putin. That his supporters in Russia and Iran were in a dominant position at the meeting ensured that any "peace deal" that would emerge from it would be as favourable as possible for him. There was a promise of future discussions involving all the parties to the Syria conflict but these should be taken with a large grain of salt much as the discussions of democracy and self-determination were in Yalta.
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Rather, as in Yalta, where the Russians were in such a strong position on the issues being discussed that one American negotiator later said, "it was not a question of what we would let the Russians do but what we could get the Russians to do". It was clear the Russians were in the driver's seat here too and that the primary beneficiaries would be not the people of Syria but Mr Al Rouhani's government in Iran. Because, rhetoric and diplomatic niceties aside, just as the Russian goal at Yalta was to extend the influence of their bloc as deep into Europe as possible, their goal this time was to ensure their influence in the Middle East by supporting their Iranian ally's efforts to extend its regional hegemony across the entire northern tier of the Middle East.
Russia wants a buffer between itself and extreme groups from the Middle East and to extend its influence as deep into the region as possible (ideally at the expense of US influence). The recent Russian deal to secure Egyptian air force bases for Russian fighter planes is another example of that strategy. Iran wants governments in Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut that will be compliant and support its agenda against both Sunni nations to the south and Israel. Both advanced their goals in Sochi.
Of course, one of the reasons the Russians were in such a strong position is one of the starkest differences between the meeting in Sochi and that in Yalta. The West was not represented in Sochi. Europe has long ceded its influence in such matters to the US and the US administration of Donald Trump has effectively given its proxy to Putin. Mr Trump consulted Mr Putin and has consistently deferred to him on issues associated with Syria. Further, at the same time as the execution of Russia's Syria initiative, the US announced it would no longer arm Kurdish fighters that had been key allies in the fight against ISIL. This would reduce resistance to the Assad regime but it would also assist the Russians and Iranians in granting Mr Erdogan one of his wishes: to get all sides to agree to contain the strong Kurdish impulses toward self-determination.
In Yalta, Russia got its way because it was the strongest military actor in the region being discussed while the Americans and British were either gullible or did not care to fight for the people of the East. In Sochi, the Russians and Iranians set in motion a plan that will succeed for similar reasons. Both Black Sea meetings will set the geopolitics in the regions being discussed for years to come. Both advanced the geopolitical agendas of their dominant players. And both, I suspect, will be viewed by history infamously as meetings where the rights and interests of those most affected by the decisions taken were not only ignored but were trampled upon.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
More on Quran memorisation:
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
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
