WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is poised to announce Friday that it is withdrawing from a treaty that has been a centerpiece of superpower arms control since the Cold War and whose demise some analysts worry could fuel a new arms race.
An American withdrawal, which has been expected for months, would follow years of unresolved dispute over Russian compliance with the pact, known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, treaty. It was the first arms control measure to ban an entire class of weapons: ground-launched cruise missiles with a range between 500 kilometers (310 miles) and 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles). Russia denies that it has been in violation.
US officials also have expressed worry that China, which is not party to the 1987 treaty, is gaining a significant military advantage in Asia by deploying large numbers of missiles with ranges beyond the treaty’s limit. Leaving the INF treaty would allow the Trump administration to counter the Chinese, but it’s unclear how it would do that.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in early December that Washington would give Moscow 60 days to return to compliance before it gave formal notice of withdrawal, with actual withdrawal taking place six months later. The 60-day deadline expires on Saturday, and the administration is expected to say as early as Friday that efforts to work out a compliance deal have failed and that it would suspend its compliance with the treaty’s terms.
The State Department said Pompeo would make a public statement on Friday morning, but it did not mention the topic.
During remarks made at a news conference in Bucharest, Secretary General Stoltenberg, said there are no signs of getting a compliance deal with Russia.
“So we must prepare for a world without the INF Treaty,” he said.
Technically, a US withdrawal would take effect six months after this week’s notification, leaving a small window for saving the treaty. However, in talks this week in Beijing, the US and Russia reported no breakthrough in their dispute, leaving little reason to think either side would change its stance on whether a Russian cruise missile violates the pact.
A Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, was quoted by the Russian state news agency Tass as saying after the Beijing talks Thursday, “Unfortunately, there is no progress. The position of the American side is very tough and like an ultimatum.” He said he expects Washington now to suspend its obligations under the treaty, although he added that Moscow remains ready to “search for solutions” that could keep the treaty in force.
US withdrawal raises the prospect of further deterioration in US-Russian relations, which already are arguably at the lowest point in decades, and debate among US allies in Europe over whether Russia’s alleged violations warrant a countermeasure such as deployment of an equivalent American missile in Europe. The US has no nuclear-capable missiles based in Europe; the last of that type and range were withdrawn in line with the INF treaty.
The prospect of US withdrawal from the INF pact has stirred concern globally. The mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, Frank Cownie, is among dozens of local officials and lawmakers in the US, Canada, Europe and elsewhere who signed a letter this week to President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing worry at the “unraveling” of the INF treaty and other arms constraints.
“Withdrawing from treaties takes a step in the wrong direction,” Cownie said in a telephone interview. “It’s wasn’t just Des Moines, Iowa. It’s people from all around this country that are concerned about the future of our cities, of our country, of this planet.”
The American ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison, set the rhetorical stage for Washington’s withdrawal announcement by asserting Thursday that Russia has been in violation for years, including in Ukraine. She said in a tweet and a video message about the INF treaty that Russia is to blame for its demise.
“Russia consistently refuses to acknowledge its violation and continues to push disinformation and false narratives regarding its illegal missile,” she said. “When only one party respects an arms control treaty while the other side flaunts it, it leaves one side vulnerable, no one is safer, and (it) discredits the very idea of arms control.”
Nuclear weapons experts at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said in a statement this week that while Russia’s violation of the INF treaty is a serious problem, US withdrawal under current circumstances would be counterproductive.
“Leaving the INF treaty will unleash a new missile competition between the United States and Russia,” they said.
Kingston Reif, director for disarmament at the Arms Control Association, said Thursday the Trump administration has failed to exhaust diplomatic options to save the treaty. What’s more, “it has no strategy to prevent Russia from building and fielding even more intermediate-range missiles in the absence of the agreement.”
Reif said the period between now and August, when the US withdrawal would take effect, offers a last chance to save the treaty, but he sees little prospect of that happening. He argues that Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, is “unlikely to miss the opportunity to kill an agreement he has long despised.”
US poised to announce withdrawal from nuclear arms treaty
US poised to announce withdrawal from nuclear arms treaty
- An American withdrawal would follow years of unresolved dispute over Russian compliance with the pact
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in early December that Washington would give Moscow 60 days to return to compliance before it gave formal notice of withdrawal
Arab, international support for Lebanon pours in as Aoun set to form government
- Bukhari expressed “Saudi Arabia’s satisfaction with Lebanon’s successful presidential election”
- Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides visited Beirut to congratulate Aoun, marking the first visit by a foreign head of state to Lebanon following the election
BEIRUT: Joseph Aoun’s first day as president of Lebanon was marked by strong Arab and international support.
Parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister will take place next week.
Imran Riza, UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, announced the allocation of $30 million from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund to address urgent humanitarian needs caused by the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s Dar Al-Fatwa relayed remarks from the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, during his meeting with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian.
Bukhari expressed “Saudi Arabia’s satisfaction with Lebanon’s successful presidential election, achieved through Lebanese unity that inspires hope.”
He described the accomplishment as a significant step toward Lebanon’s renaissance, reconstruction, security, and stability, as well as the initiation of reforms and restoring Arab and international confidence.
Dar Al-Fatwa also reported that Bukhari admired “President Joseph Aoun’s inaugural speech, which was a reflection of his national responsibility.”
On Friday, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides visited Beirut to congratulate Aoun, marking the first visit by a foreign head of state to Lebanon following the election.
Aoun also received a congratulatory message from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing “the Iranian government’s readiness to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation in all areas.”
Pezeshkian said he hoped the presidential elections would lead to political stability, economic growth, peace, and security for the people of Lebanon. He added that reinforcing stability and unity would thwart Israel’s ambitions in Lebanon’s territory.
Aoun’s initial meetings included a session with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who, along with Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, is set to visit Syria on Saturday. This marks the first official Lebanese visit to Damascus since the fall of Bashar Assad.
Aoun asked Mikati to “continue managing caretaker duties until a new government is formed.”
Mikati said after the meeting that during the two years and two months since the end of former President Michel Aoun’s term, his government held 60 Cabinet sessions and issued more than 1,211 decisions and more than 3,700 decrees.
“We managed to navigate this phase and maintain the continuity of the state, particularly through its backbone — the army — under the leadership of Gen. Joseph Aoun and through our cooperation with him.”
Mikati explained that the discussion with the president focused on “the existing challenges and the content of the inaugural address, in which Aoun outlined the directions for any new government to implement the speech’s content through the necessary constitutional steps.”
Mikati said: “We talked about the situation in the south and the necessity for a swift and full Israeli withdrawal, reestablishing stability in the south and halting Israeli violations.”
He said the next government must be able to reflect the direction outlined by the president. “We are embarking on a new phase that requires everyone’s cooperation to exert serious efforts to save the nation. The broad outlines set by the president are very important and the leadership of this country has the will to act. Many of these objectives can be achieved quickly through an active government.”
Regarding Aoun’s insistence in his speech on “the state having a monopoly on bearing weapons,” Mikati said: “Do we expect the president of the country to say that weapons are legal for everyone? Do we expect a new government to say that weapons are legal for all citizens? Today, we are entering a new phase that starts from southern Lebanon, specifically south of the Litani River, to withdraw arms and ensure that the state will be present across all Lebanese territory, with stability beginning from the south.”
Aoun’s inaugural address on Thursday was widely welcomed in Lebanon, and across the Arab and international states. Leaders of political parties and economic bodies expressed support for the speech and its implementation.
Sami Gemayel, head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, said: “His address is unprecedented in the past three decades, as all presidents came during the Syrian guardianship or when Hezbollah controlled decisions and no president was allowed to speak about the interest of his country.”
Gemayel pledged to “defend the speech, which fully represents us, and to stand by the president to realize his national project.”
A few hours after the election of the president, Israeli reconnaissance planes resumed violations of Lebanese airspace, starting from the south and reaching Beirut and its southern suburb, extending to Hermel on the border with Syria.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued their incursions into southern Lebanon, destroying border villages.
Aita Al-Shaab was subjected to artillery shelling, with Israeli forces conducting explosions and intensive sweep operations inside the town.
Movements of Israeli forces’ vehicles were observed between Tallat Al-Hamames and the adjacent Metula settlement at the Khiam-Wazzani triangle.
Once again, Israeli tanks and infantry forces conducted incursions in the town of Taybeh and opened fire on the remaining houses.
On Friday, a Lebanese Army unit entered the town of Aitaroun in Bint Jbeil, accompanied by a bulldozer to clear a dirt barrier previously erected by the Israeli Army at the village entrance.
The Lebanese Army is awaiting a signal from a five-member committee, tasked with overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire resolution, to redeploy in positions at the Al-Qouzah-Debel-Aita Al-Shaab triangle following the Israeli withdrawal.
On Thursday Israel heavily bombed the border town of Aita Al-Shaab, causing tremors deep in southern regions.
Israel also carried out operations to detonate houses in Kafr Kila, Houla, and the vicinity of Wazzani, with the Israeli military claiming it had bombed “five large ammunition warehouses.”
Israeli forces still have 15 days left of the 60-day deadline to fully withdraw from the area following the incursion on Oct. 1.
On Friday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee renewed his warning to the residents of southern Lebanon via social media, advising them against “moving south to the line of villages from Mansouri in the west to Shebaa in the east until further notice. Anyone who moves south of this line is at risk.”
Civil defense personnel, in coordination with the army and UNIFIL, continue to search and survey the areas from which the Israeli army withdrew, looking for the bodies of Hezbollah fighters who were reportedly missing.
Stitching hope: Sindh’s artisan program uplifts rural women through handicrafts
- The Sindh Rural Support Organization has trained over 6,000 women in some of the poorest areas in Pakistan’s south
- Woman artisans in Sindh say the organization has not just brought them financial stability, but dignity and hope as well
KARACHI: Dressed in a vibrant pink embroidered dress with traditional patterns depicting the Sindhi culture, Ponam Shaam Lal proudly displays her handcrafted cushions to visitors at an upscale mall in Karachi. Had it not been for Sindh’s rural artisan programs, Lal, in her late 30s, would have been bereft of skill, and the means to earn her bread and butter.
Lal’s creations were among the 5,800 handicrafts showcased at a four-day exhibition launched by the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), a not-for-profit organization, in Karachi’s Ocean Mall on Thursday. The event, a collaboration with the Sindh government, featured 3,545 rural woman artisans displaying products ranging from traditional shawls to embroidered accessories.
The SRSO has trained thousands of rural women in different trades from some of the most under-developed regions of Sindh such as Jacobabad, Kandhkot-Kashmore, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Badin districts in the last 16 years.
Lal, who rarely ventured beyond her remote village near Rohri up until a few years ago, is one of those thousands of artisans at the Karachi event, which aims to help these women sell to high-end customers in Pakistan’s urban cities.
“Before, we never went out; we didn’t know the outside world. Only my husband would earn. We would sit idle, wondering how to make ends meet or pay for our children’s education,” Lal told Arab News, as she showed her handicrafts to a customer.
“We were poor, but when we started doing this work, took on orders, and worked hard, our circumstances improved.”
Lal says the crochet and embroidery work she learned due to the SRSO’s training program has helped her send her children to school, and life is “finally stable.”
Shahida Baloch, an artisan and trainer from Sindh’s Sukkur city, learned embroidery from her mother and grandmother, but she had little formal education or access to markets where she could sell her products.
“I am a rural woman from the village,” Baloch, a mother of seven, told Arab News.
“We learned embroidery and sewing at home from our grandmothers, without attending any institute or training center.”
But things changed for Baloch, when the SRSO reached her village almost a decade ago. She says the organization provided her recognition for her embroidery and sewing skills by showcasing her work at exhibitions across the country.
As one of the few trainers at the SRSO, Baloch now guides woman artists on how to transform traditional craft into marketable products.
“I trained women to make cushions, bags, and pouches from the same art. We also worked on color combinations, blending traditional Sindhi colors — blue, yellow, red, green, all natural colors — with modern preferences. This way, the color became more appealing to urban customers,” she said.
“Similarly, we taught them to create buttons as a supplementary product. For instance, if no one buys large, embroidered fabrics worth fifty thousand or a hundred thousand rupees, they might buy a few buttons to embellish their shirts.”
SRSO CEO Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro said the organization has trained over 6,000 women in Sindh’s poorest areas through 316 Business Development Groups.
“Our aim is to connect these women with high-end markets and ensure better incomes,” he said.
Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed said the SRSO, part of a larger poverty-reduction initiative, provides loans and support to woman artisans, and with a 98 percent repayment rate, it has proven highly effective.
“Earlier, this program was limited to a few districts,” Javed said. “Now, it has expanded to urban slums in Karachi and Sukkur.”
For women like Lal and Baloch, the SRSO has brought more than financial stability.
It has brought them dignity and hope.
“I am extremely grateful to Allah for making the SRSO the means through which I was empowered,” said Baloch, who could not study beyond the fifth grade, but has managed to send two of her daughters to university.
“Today, I am successful, and so are my children.”
Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh looks to bolster global links
- Mining leaders from 85 countries gather next week to discuss challenges, outlook
- The event is being organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources under the patronage of King Salman
RIYADH: Leading mining representatives from more than 85 countries will meet in Riyadh next week as the Future Minerals Forum discusses challenges and developments in the global mineral industries.
Key stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, business federations, investors, and sector leaders, will take part in the forum from Jan. 14-16 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center.
The event is being organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources under the patronage of King Salman.
According to the ministry, the fourth annual international ministerial meeting of mining ministers, due to take place on Jan. 14 as part of the forum, will feature its largest-ever number of government representatives and topics to be discussed.
Among the 85 countries represented will be 16 nations from the G20. At least 50 ministers and 13 deputy ministers are taking part, the ministry said.
The ministry said that over 50 official and nongovernmental organizations, along with trade unions and leading figures in the global mining industry, will attend the event, reflecting the significance of the gathering as a global platform to discuss mining and mineral industry affairs, ways to meet the growing demand for strategic and critical minerals, and new opportunities for development in mineral-producing and processing countries.
The meeting will focus on several issues, including progress made during the previous year concerning the three ministerial meeting initiatives, which include developing a strategic framework for critical minerals increasing value-added processing in mineral-producing countries, producing green minerals using modern technologies and renewable energy, and ensuring sustainability and transparency in supply chains.
Discussions will also focus on the establishment of centers of excellence in major mining regions to enable investment, build capabilities, and develop human resources.
Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef will chair the meeting and deliver the opening address, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustainable mineral development and emphasizing its leadership role in advancing the sector’s future.
He will also discuss opportunities for global cooperation to face challenges and invest in the vast potential offered by the mineral sector.
Among the ministers attending the meeting are Italian Minister for the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin; UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds; Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira; Indian Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy; South African Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau; Democratic Republic of Congo Minister of Mines Kizito Pakabomba; Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi; Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals Development Henry Dele Alake; and Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali.
Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer said that the meeting represents an important step toward achieving sustainable development in the global mining and minerals sector.
He said that the international ministerial meeting provides an ideal platform for finding solutions and developing legislation on best practices in sustainable mining, exploring ways to invest in mining projects to achieve economic and social development in producing countries.
Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh looks to bolster global links
- Mining leaders from 85 countries gather next week to discuss challenges, outlook
- The event is being organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources under the patronage of King Salman
RIYADH: Leading mining representatives from more than 85 countries will meet in Riyadh next week as the Future Minerals Forum discusses challenges and developments in the global mineral industries.
Key stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, business federations, investors, and sector leaders, will take part in the forum from Jan. 14-16 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center.
The event is being organized by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources under the patronage of King Salman.
According to the ministry, the fourth annual international ministerial meeting of mining ministers, due to take place on Jan. 14 as part of the forum, will feature its largest-ever number of government representatives and topics to be discussed.
Among the 85 countries represented will be 16 nations from the G20. At least 50 ministers and 13 deputy ministers are taking part, the ministry said.
The ministry said that over 50 official and nongovernmental organizations, along with trade unions and leading figures in the global mining industry, will attend the event, reflecting the significance of the gathering as a global platform to discuss mining and mineral industry affairs, ways to meet the growing demand for strategic and critical minerals, and new opportunities for development in mineral-producing and processing countries.
The meeting will focus on several issues, including progress made during the previous year concerning the three ministerial meeting initiatives, which include developing a strategic framework for critical minerals increasing value-added processing in mineral-producing countries, producing green minerals using modern technologies and renewable energy, and ensuring sustainability and transparency in supply chains.
Discussions will also focus on the establishment of centers of excellence in major mining regions to enable investment, build capabilities, and develop human resources.
Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef will chair the meeting and deliver the opening address, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustainable mineral development and emphasizing its leadership role in advancing the sector’s future.
He will also discuss opportunities for global cooperation to face challenges and invest in the vast potential offered by the mineral sector.
Among the ministers attending the meeting are Italian Minister for the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin; UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds; Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira; Indian Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy; South African Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau; Democratic Republic of Congo Minister of Mines Kizito Pakabomba; Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi; Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals Development Henry Dele Alake; and Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali.
Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer said that the meeting represents an important step toward achieving sustainable development in the global mining and minerals sector.
He said that the international ministerial meeting provides an ideal platform for finding solutions and developing legislation on best practices in sustainable mining, exploring ways to invest in mining projects to achieve economic and social development in producing countries.
NEXTG3N Hackathon: Shaping future skills through Web3, gaming
- Event gathered international, Saudi innovators in Riyadh
- The event was spearheaded by Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, founder and CEO of Adhlal, in collaboration with W3 ff Venture Builder
RIYADH: As the world rapidly evolves, projections indicate that 65 percent of future jobs are yet to be created. Hence, Saudi Arabia is proactively preparing its youth for this dynamic landscape.
The NEXTG3N Hackathon, which started Jan. 9 and ends Jan. 11 at Princess Nourah University in Riyadh, gathered international innovators alongside Saudi talent to develop groundbreaking solutions at the crossroads of Web3 and gaming.
The event was spearheaded by Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, founder and CEO of Adhlal, in collaboration with W3 ff Venture Builder.
Participants were invited to create practical solutions that addressed critical areas such as education, digital inclusion, and emerging technologies.
This initiative aimed at empowering the next generation with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a world increasingly influenced by technological advances.
The hackathon leveraged Web3’s decentralized framework and gaming’s engaging approach to address the critical challenge of preparing the next generation for an uncertain job market.
Selected innovations from the hackathon will be showcased at the World Economic Forum in Davos, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the global digital and creative landscape.
This initiative aligns with Saudi Vision 2030’s goals, creating a platform from which Saudi youngsters collaborate with global innovators to tackle shared challenges and shape the future of work.
The first day of the event featured an impressive lineup of speakers who are pioneers in their respective fields. Among them were Princess Nourah; Hamad Al-Owaishiq, founder and CEO of the Saudi Youth Society; Tanja Ludwig from W3 ff Venture Builder in Germany; Dalia Samra-Rohte from the Algemeine Handels Kamer; and Xavier Prost from Veridos UAE, one of the event’s sponsors.
Princess Nourah spoke of the importance of creating a safe online environment for children through Web3 technology. She highlighted how blockchain can provide a secure space for young users, fostering their engagement with digital platforms. She introduced Adhlal as a research-based community and design consultancy focused on innovation and creativity in design.
Princess Nourah remarked on the significance of soft skills in preparing the youth for future challenges, and added: “When we think about the evolving landscape over the next few years, we must consider how to foster innovation and creativity among youth.”
Al-Owaishiq said: “Web3 is the focus of the current global discourse, and it’s crucial for young people to be aware of this paradigm shift. They need to develop skills that allow them to engage with Web3 technology creatively and innovatively.”
His emphasis on youth empowerment underscored the hackathon’s goal of equipping participants with the tools to navigate and lead within the new digital landscape.
Sabrina Goerlich, a Web3 consultant, emphasized the vision behind NEXTG3N, saying: “Our objective is to create a safe, hybrid space that utilizes technologies like blockchain and Web3 to empower the younger generation. We aim to cultivate tomorrow’s architects of change.”
She noted that the collaboration with W3 ff Venture Builder brought both technological and business perspectives, enhancing the overall impact of the initiative.
The NEXTG3N Hackathon represented a strategic effort to harness creativity and technology for the betterment of society. By bringing together diverse talents, the event sought to inspire participants to develop solutions that addressed real-world challenges, while fostering a culture of innovation.
As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in the future of its youngsters, events like the NEXTG3N Hackathon highlight the nation’s commitment to preparing its workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.
By focusing on Web3 and gaming, the hackathon aimed to equip participants with essential skills, ensuring they are not only consumers of technology but also innovators and leaders in the digital economy.
