• US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Munich, southern Germany, where she will attend the Munich Security Conference. AFP
    US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Munich, southern Germany, where she will attend the Munich Security Conference. AFP
  • German and US flags on a car that will transport Ms Harris from the airport. AFP
    German and US flags on a car that will transport Ms Harris from the airport. AFP
  • The question of whether Russia will invade Ukraine is hanging over the conference. AFP
    The question of whether Russia will invade Ukraine is hanging over the conference. AFP
  • Journalists, staff and other attendees queue for Covid-19 tests in Munich on February 17. The conference takes place from February 18 to 20. AFP
    Journalists, staff and other attendees queue for Covid-19 tests in Munich on February 17. The conference takes place from February 18 to 20. AFP
  • A drain cover is sealed as part of security measures. EPA
    A drain cover is sealed as part of security measures. EPA
  • A police vehicle in front of the Bayerischer Hof hotel, where the conference will take place. EPA
    A police vehicle in front of the Bayerischer Hof hotel, where the conference will take place. EPA
  • Police officers and a dog patrol in front of the Bayerischer Hof hotel. EPA
    Police officers and a dog patrol in front of the Bayerischer Hof hotel. EPA
  • US Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Reuters
    US Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Reuters
  • Mr Guterres addresses the audience at the conference. EPA
    Mr Guterres addresses the audience at the conference. EPA
  • Designated Munich Security Conference Chairman Christoph Heusgen addresses the crowds. AFP
    Designated Munich Security Conference Chairman Christoph Heusgen addresses the crowds. AFP
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the 58th Munich Security Conference. AP
    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the 58th Munich Security Conference. AP
  • German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, right, waits for the speaker's desk to be cleaned. EPA
    German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, right, waits for the speaker's desk to be cleaned. EPA
  • Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Battsetseg Batmunkh. EPA
    Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Battsetseg Batmunkh. EPA
  • American business magnate Bill Gates. Reuters
    American business magnate Bill Gates. Reuters
  • Ms Harris addresses a multilateral meeting with the Estonian prime minister, the Latvian president and the Lithuanian president. AFP
    Ms Harris addresses a multilateral meeting with the Estonian prime minister, the Latvian president and the Lithuanian president. AFP
  • From left: Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Latvian President Egils Levits, Ms Harris and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. AFP
    From left: Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Latvian President Egils Levits, Ms Harris and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. AFP
  • Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. AFP
    Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. AFP
  • German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht. EPA
    German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht. EPA
  • Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. EPA
    Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. EPA
  • Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, and US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry. UAE
    Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, and US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry. UAE

Ukraine crisis dominates discussions at Munich Security Conference


Mina Al-Oraibi
  • English
  • Arabic

While the opening day of the Munich Security Conference was dominated by discussions on the possible ramifications of war in Ukraine, day two will not be much different.

The developments over the past 24 hours, with both US President Joe Biden’s statements that his Russian counterpart is intent on invading Ukraine and news of military escalation picking up pace there, were top of mind of diplomats and officials gathered in Germany.

On Friday, German diplomacy was on the stage as Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock gave a keynote speech and stressed that dialogue was the preferred route with Russia but that “solidarity” with Ukraine was unwavering. And while US officials are quite combative in their tone on Russia, German diplomats are eager to work towards a de-escalation. In meetings with diplomats and military personnel on the sidelines of the conference, the German line was firm on Ukraine but even firmer on the need to avoid war in Europe. However, considerations about energy sources, including Nordstream 2, are also top of mind for the Germans. As for the Americans, Vice President Kamala Harris is due to speak in Munich and re-assert her country’s commitment to European security.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock delivers her speech on the opening day of the Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2022. AFP
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock delivers her speech on the opening day of the Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2022. AFP

Despite the overwhelming focus on Ukraine, whose president is due to travel to Munich but may cancel due to fears of an invasion, there are a host of other discussions and meetings. A number of panels are intended to stimulate debate on key issues including climate action, security in the Sahel and how to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. The second day of the conference got under way with a host of closed-door meetings tackling challenges to the current international order, particularly issues of impunity and challenges to democratic systems of government.

The Middle East is represented in force with a number of ministers but less so in terms of major significance, with Ukraine being the central geopolitical issue of concern.

From the Arab world, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in addition to Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. For the UAE, climate diplomacy is in the lead with the Emirates' Climate Envoy and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Dr Sultan Al Jaber and Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Al Mheiri participating.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdoluhain is due to speak and he comes to Munich buoyed with news of a possible nuclear deal. The US appears even more compelled to announce a "diplomatic win" at a time when its diplomacy is particularly challenged.

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

Result:

1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds

2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds

3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds

4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds

5. Miriam Schneider (GER) atop Benur du Romet - 37.53 seconds

6. Annika Sande (NOR) atop For Cash 2 - 31.42 seconds (4 penalties)

MATCH INFO

Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
De Bruyne (70')

Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

Results

2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili

3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar

4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly

While you're here
Sonchiriya

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey

Rating: 3/5

Long Shot

Director: Jonathan Levine

Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan

Four stars

How%20champions%20are%20made
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EDiet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7am%20-%20Protein%20shake%20with%20oats%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E10am%20-%205-6%20egg%20whites%0D%3Cbr%3E1pm%20-%20White%20rice%20or%20chapati%20(Indian%20bread)%20with%20chicken%0D%3Cbr%3E4pm%20-%20Dry%20fruits%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%20-%20Pre%20workout%20meal%20%E2%80%93%20grilled%20fish%20or%20chicken%20with%20veggies%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E8.30pm%20to%20midnight%20workout%0D%3Cbr%3E12.30am%20%E2%80%93%20Protein%20shake%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20intake%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204000-4500%20calories%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESaidu%E2%80%99s%20weight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20110%20kg%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStats%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Biceps%2019%20inches.%20Forearms%2018%20inches%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate? 
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties? 
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

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.”

What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km

The BIO:

He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal

He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side

By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam

Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border

He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push

His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level

MATCH INFO

Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)

Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no

Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)

Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22

Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
OIL PLEDGE

At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.

HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Saeed%20Teebi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%C2%A0House%20of%20Anansi%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: February 19, 2022, 9:50 AM