Algerian protesters demand Thursday’s election be canceled
Shadowy leaders seek to outflank protest movement
Protesters see vote as a charade to keep status quo
Updated 11 December 2019
Reuters
ALGIERS: A big crowd of protesters marched through central Algiers on Wednesday to demand Thursday’s presidential election be canceled, chanting that they would not vote in a poll they regard as a charade.
They chanted “No election tomorrow” and held up banners reading “You have destroyed the country” as riot police stood blocking roads and a helicopter circled overhead. In one place, a column of police barged through the crowd.
The election is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in the months-long struggle between the shadowy network of military, security and political leaders known as the “pouvoir,” who have ruled for decades, and a leaderless street protest movement.
While the military, the dominant force in the pouvoir — “the power” — has cast the election as the only way to end the stalemate on the streets, the protesters reject it as a sham designed to maintain the status quo.
They say no election can be free or fair while the old guard of rulers remain in power and the military stays involved in politics. No foreign observers are in Algeria to monitor the vote.
Whoever is elected after Thursday’s first round and a potential run-off later this month will face a series of hard decisions, with declining energy revenue leading to a planned 9% cut in public spending next year.
DEADLOCK
The deadlock between the enormous protest movement and a state increasingly dominated by the military has put at stake the political future of Africa’s largest country, a nation of 40 million people and a major gas supplier to Europe.
All five of the state-approved candidates running on Thursday are former senior officials linked to the former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika whom the army forced aside in April in response to the protests.
“Algerians want radical change. They are fed up,” said student Ahmed Kamili, 25, wrapped in the national flag.
In the Kabylie region, the fiercest arena of the 1990s civil war between the state and Islamist insurgents, almost all businesses and government offices are closed in a general strike in support of the protesters and against the election.
“The baker and pharmacy are the only open shops in the village,” said Mezouane Azouz, a resident of Haizer in the Kabylie region.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Gaed Salah, who has emerged as Algeria’s most powerful political player since Bouteflika was ousted, has pushed for Thursday’s vote as the only way to resolve the political crisis.
Keke Palmer shows off vintage Azzedine Alaia look in New York
Updated 8 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: US actress and author Keke Palmer made an appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show” in New York this week wearing a vintage look by late Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaia.
Hailing from his Spring/ Summer 1986 ready-to-wear collection, the denim power suit featured a cross-body zipper, oversized sleeves and statement lapels.
Based in Paris, Alaia shot to international fame in the early 1980s and was quickly dubbed the “King of Cling.” Alaia won the Designer of the Year and Best Collection of the Year prizes at the Oscars de la Mode by the French Ministry of Culture in 1985.
Palmer showed off the look as she promoted her new book, “Master of Me.”
The “Nope” actress released the book in November and has been promoting the title at various media appearances, including on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
In a conversation with Barrymore, the pair connected about the experience of being child stars, with Palmer stating “I’m not a victim, I’m a victor” after she praised her parents for supporting her career, which began with 2004’s “Barbershop 2: Back in Business.”
“In her own raw and intimate words, Keke talks about everything from her struggles with boundaries to unconditional love, forgiveness, and worthiness,” the book’s description reads.
“Throughout the book, Keke also poses readers with the questions needed to get them through their own challenging times by sharing personal stories and lessons she’s learned along the way,” the blurb adds.
Palmer also sat down with US Iranian actress Yara Shahidi to discuss the book.
She took to Instagram shortly after the sit down, saying: “One of my favorite girls @yarashahidi discussed the themes of my book ‘Master of Me’ this past week. We had a great conversation in Boston around her old stomping grounds at Harvard! The excitement around the Many Masters Tour and the people I get to speak to is that we learn there are so many unique paths that lead to self-mastery and the exciting part is in creating your own path.”
ISLAMABAD: The OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), in collaboration with Pakistan’s Gourmet Industries, has announced the COMSTECH-Gourmet Industrial Internship Program for its first batch in January 2025, Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
Hosted by Gourmet Industries, the largest food processing complex in Pakistan, the program offers 10 internships lasting four weeks. Selected candidates will receive accommodation, meals, and return economy-class air ticket to participate in the program, which aims to promote innovation, research, and skill development across various industrial sectors, offering participants practical training and exposure to advanced technologies and industrial processes.
The program will focus on key areas in food industry operations including bakery, dairy, and beverages, plant utilities, recycling through innovative RPET methodologies, shrink-wrap production, sugar mill logistics, and media training in journalism and broadcasting. Participants will gain hands-on experience in supply chain management, production processes, and sustainability practices also.
“The internship is open to applicants from OIC member countries holding a BS/BSc or MS/MSc in relevant fields and under the age of 40,” the report said.
“The objective of the COMSTECH-Gourmet Industrial Internship Program is to foster innovation and research and development (R&D) across diverse industrial sectors, including food processing, engineering, plant operations, recycling, and so forth.”
The program will provide interns hands-on experience and exposure to cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, thereby enhancing their practical skills and theoretical knowledge.
“By engaging in real-world projects, interns will contribute to the advancement of industrial processes and the development of sustainable solutions, ultimately driving technological innovation and improving operational efficiencies in the fields of human nutrition and value addition,” Radio Pakistan added.
“This initiative underscores COMSTECH’s mission to empower youth in OIC nations and advance technological development for socio-economic progress.”
Applicants have to complete an application form and upload requested documents (CV, Research Proposal, etc.) at: (https://form.jotform.com/243101366016444) till Nov, 30. Applicants can contact [email protected] for further information.
ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of Pakistan’s National Economic Council has approved ten infrastructure projects costing Rs172.7 billion ($625.54), Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, with a majority of the schemes approved for the remote Balochistan province.
The ECNEC met in Islamabad on Monday with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair.
“The projects pertain to the infrastructure sector for improving connectivity in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Six of the approved projects are in Balochistan,” Radio Pakistan said.
“World Bank funded project for developing solid waste infrastructure for Karachi costing 29.2 billion rupees was also approved.”
Balochistan, which comprises 44 percent of Pakistan’s total land mass, is its most backward by almost all economic and social indicators.
Rich in land and mineral wealth, most parts of the Balochistan province often lack even the rudiments of modern life. Home to Reko Diq, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits, and the site of major Chinese investment projects, the province lacks employment opportunities and basic facilities like Internet, health and education.
Balochistan also has the lowest density of roads among the four provinces of Pakistan. Poor connectivity and access continue to be a major problem, which particularly affect the poor, who live mostly in the rural areas.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, annual rainfall and temperature patterns have significantly increased and the lack of resilient infrastructure has escalated the impact of disasters on people and livelihoods. Flooding events since 2010 have substantially damaged the road network, hampering connectivity and escalating transportation costs.
Home to over 55 million people, Sindh is Pakistan’s second largest province and generates a third of national GDP. However, economic development is skewed in favor of the provincial capital Karachi, the country’s largest city and responsible for three-quarters of overall trade activity. Rural areas are poorly connected to the regional centers, and the road conditions of about half of the 2,830 km of provincial highways are substandard due to damage from heavy truck traffic and seasonal flooding.
Supply chain reforms, demographic shifts among key investment drivers: Al-Falih
Updated 17 min 28 sec ago
Nirmal Narayanan
RIYADH: Sustainability, technological disruption, and supply chain decentralization are redefining global investment dynamics, Saudi Arabia’s investment minister said at an event in Riyadh.
Speaking at the 28th World Investment Conference in Riyadh, Khalid Al-Falih noted that while the global economy is recovering from headwinds, challenges such as geopolitical tensions continue to create instability.
Running from Nov. 25 to 27, WIC 2024 is focused on digital transformation and sustainable growth, and unites global leaders to discuss investment policies shaping future economies.
Addressing attendees, Al-Falih said: “There are four major trends that will play a crucial role in shaping the global investment landscape. The first is the importance of investment in sustainability. The second is the unprecedented technological disruption unfolding in front of our own eyes.”
He added: “The third global trend is the steady reconfiguration of the global supply chain, with the decentralization of supply chains creating hubs in emerging regions that offer new opportunities for investments, infrastructure, and new production capacity.”
According to the minister, the fourth global trend is demographics, where entities will invest money where talent is available and consumption is high.
Al-Falih acknowledged both opportunities and challenges for global investment, citing issues such as geopolitical instability and trade barriers but emphasized progress in inflation containment, capital market growth, and consumer confidence restoration.
“We are confronted with crosswinds to global investments — driven forward on one hand by the tech revolution, booming stock markets, and the onset of promising monetary policies, while constrained on the other hand by geopolitical instabilities, trade barriers, and talent and skill shortages,” said Al-Falih.
“Let me remind all of us that investments require sound and deliberate stewardship,” he said.
Saudi Arabia’s investment minister Khalid Al-Falih. Screenshot
Saudi Arabia has made strides under Vision 2030, with gross domestic product up 70 percent to $1.1 trillion, with half of that driven by non-oil activities.
Al-Falih said that foreign direct investment flows have tripled, and over 550 international firms have established regional headquarters in the Kingdom, surpassing targets.
This came as the Kingdom offered businesses various incentives if they relocated their Middle East-bases to Riyadh, including a 30-year exemption from corporate income tax and access to discounts and support services.
In November, US-based Morgan Stanley secured approval to establish its regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, followed by Citi Group.
The Kingdom also launched the premium residency program to welcome international investors and talented people. “In the last three years alone, 1,200 investors have been awarded these premium residencies, allowing them to be treated as if they are in their own countries,” said Khalid Al-Falih.
Global appreciation
At the conference’s opening ceremony, Nivruti Rai, managing director and CEO of Invest India and president of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, lauded Saudi Arabia’s diversification efforts.
“Vision 2030 entails growth through technology, growth through greenification, and growth that also enables tourism, including spiritual tourism,” said Rai.
She added: “In 1938, Saudi Arabia discovered oil. I am so happy that today we are dreaming of NEOM, a smart city built on technology. To enable that, the one way — and only way — is to unite and ignite the passion that drives digital transformation and the passion that harnesses sustainability.”
Nivruti Rai, managing director and CEO of Invest India. Screenshot
Rai also highlighted the importance of a green future, noting the need for a mix of energy sources to sustain growth.
“We all have to work toward greenification, because the world knows that power is directly proportional to GDP. The input to growth is power,” she said.
Emergence of new markets
James Zhan, chair and executive director of the World Investment Conference, emphasized the transformative trends shaping the global economy.
“We are now witnessing the emergence of new markets, new funding sources, new business models, and new industries. All this offers immense potential for global investment promotion and business facilitation,” said Zhan.
WAIPA’s executive director and CEO, Ismail Ersahin, stressed the significance of WIC in fostering collaboration and actionable outcomes.
“World Investment Conference is not just a place where we share our experiences, but now we are also addressing investors and telling them, ‘Here are the opportunities, so you should participate,’” said Ersahin.
New investment paradigms
In a separate press statement, Ersahin said that WIC 2024 comes at an “important moment in the global economy,” noting that as the international community navigates the nuances of digital transformation and the push for sustainable growth, the event serves as an essential platform for leaders to explore new investment paradigms shaping the future.
He added: “The need for investment promotion agencies to drive economic development and foster foreign direct investment has never been more critical. By bringing together key global stakeholders in international development and investment, we are creating an environment where strategic partnerships and actionable solutions can flourish.”
The conference is hosted by Invest Saudi, the national investment promotion brand overseen by the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority, and focuses on scaling investment opportunities while offering participants practical tools and connections to drive impactful outcomes.
Marcos’ trip marks ‘significant and symbolic milestone,’ Manila envoy says
Philippines, UAE to sign new agreements on energy transition, artificial intelligence
Updated 22 min 9 sec ago
Ellie Aben
Manila: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to meet his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday as he makes his inaugural trip to the Gulf nation.
The Philippines and UAE are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations this year, with the two countries eyeing closer cooperation across many fields to mark the occasion, including in energy transition and artificial intelligence.
The working visit will be Marcos’s first to the UAE since he took office in 2022.
“The president will personally oversee the overall state of bilateral relations between the Philippines and the UAE, and witness the signing of several agreements across a wide array of areas of cooperation, such as energy transition, artificial Intelligence, judicial agreements and culture,” Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso A. Ver told Arab News on Monday.
The one-day trip marks a “significant and symbolic milestone” in bilateral ties, he added.
“Bilateral relations between the two countries have reached a historic high, and have since expanded to new and innovative forms of cooperation,” Ver said, citing collaborations in space science, agriculture and digital infrastructure as examples.
“With President Marcos’s visit, the Philippines is keen to further boost the positive, robust, and comprehensive state and trajectory of our relationship with the UAE.”
The two countries are currently negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which has made “significant progress” as of early October, according to the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry.
Around one million Philippine nationals reside in the UAE, making it the second-largest employer of Filipino expats after Saudi Arabia.
“The president will also convey the gratitude of the Philippine government to the leaders of a nation that has tapped Filipino talent, allowing it to flourish in an environment that fosters kindness, respect, and tolerance,” the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.
“It is expected that these productive dialogues will lead to agreements that will deepen the ties between the two countries … While the President’s visit will be short, the goodwill and opportunities it will create will be substantial, resulting in stronger Philippine-UAE relations.”
