NEW DELHI // Barack Obama and his promise of change are music to the ears of most people, but not in India, where George W Bush is sorely missed.
Last autumn, Mr Bush helped India lift a three-decade ban on nuclear trade, prompting the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, to tell the US president, who left office with only a 22 per cent favourability rating, that India "loved" him.
New Delhi's intelligentsia cringed, but Mr Singh was not lying.
Unfortunately for India, there is now a new US president who is firmly committed to nuclear nonproliferation.
Lifting the nuclear trading ban without a requirement that India sign the Nonproliferation Treaty was controversial, both inside and outside India. Critics complained it rewarded India for developing nuclear weapons on the sly using fissile material provided for civilian purposes.
They also objected to India's continuing refusal to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
But the ruling Congress Party was jubilant, interpreting the move as a seal of approval for India's nuclear weapons programme. "Without compromising on our weapons programme, without compromising on our fast-breeder reactor programme, without signing the NPT, the CTBT or the Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty, India has been able to access the entire spectrum of civil nuclear commerce on very much its own terms," Manish Tiwari of Congress said at the time.
It has also sparked a nuclear arms race just as Mr Obama attempts to calm the region, including Afghanistan, where it is fighting a Taliban insurgency. Pakistan has promised to beef up its nuclear arsenal, while Russia and China have reacted badly to India's determination to achieve a US-sponsored ballistic missile defence shield.
The Indian deal has also made it much harder for the United States to negotiate effectively with Iran to end its nuclear programme.
Some thought that the initiative for the deal came from New Delhi, with its rickety grid and constant power blackouts and brownouts; India has since announced plans for up to 30 nuclear reactors.
Some also suggested that the US civilian nuclear industry pushed Mr Bush into it. Others said Mr Bush is solely to blame.
"The commercial aspect from the United States' point of view is secondary to the strategic political dimension," said Achin Vanaik, head of the political science department at the University of Delhi.
"The initiative for this deal, actually, did come from the Bush administration, not from New Delhi, and it was motivated primarily by the desire to consolidate and deepen the strategic relationship."
The Bush administration actively encouraged New Delhi to view itself as a "strategic partner" of the United States, and a counterweight to an emerging China, said M K Bhadrakumar, a former Indian diplomat.
"Delhi's priority is to use the deal to provide the context for access to sensitive US military technology within the overall framework of the 'strategic partnership'," Mr Bhadrakumar told Asia Times.
The only problem, he said, is that the US-China relationship is established and relatively stable, despite - or perhaps even because of - the financial crisis.
"Obama threatens to shake up the daydreamers in Delhi," he said.
Mr Obama's commitment to nonproliferation is firm. He has promised to make ratification of the test ban treaty a priority, and has threatened automatic international sanctions on any nation - including India - that refuses to comply with the Nonproliferation Treaty.
Mr Obama supported lifting the ban partly because it provides a solution to India's crippling electricity shortage. But he quickly wrote to Mr Singh to clarify that he viewed the deal as a "central element" of US nuclear weapons policy.
That means adherence to the test ban treaty, including a total and verifiable production ban on fissile material, as well as much more stringent accounting of all its nuclear material. It is unlikely that New Delhi will go along with this, but given US weakness in the civilian nuclear industry, Washington may not have much to bargain with. "We don't need them," one observer said. "The deal is signed."
Mr Singh kept the letter under wraps for weeks, indicating both some unease about Mr Obama, and some concern about the durability of the strong US-India ties that developed under Mr Bush.
Mr Bhadrakumar speculates that the "strategic relationship" may have existed less in reality and more in the minds of Mr Bush and Mr Singh.
Mr Bush is now gone, and Mr Singh is now absent from office after undergoing heart bypass surgery at the weekend. He was moved out of intensive care at a New Delhi hospital yesterday, the Press Trust of India reported, and is making a "speedy recovery" at the state-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences, doctors were quoted as saying.
Mr Singh's government faces an election before May 15, in which the Hindu nationalist party - the Bharatiya Janata Party - is expected to make a strong showing. The BJP opposes the deal, but only because it thinks it places too many restrictions on India.
In the meantime, many energy experts say India is making a mistake investing in outmoded civilian nuclear projects rather than an renewable energy infrastructure that has limited political or environmental effect.
* The National
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith