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AS IT HAPPENED: Davos 2020 Day Two - Middle East geopolitics and more

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The World Economic Forum 2020 continues on Wednesday from Davos in Switzerland. Foreign ministers from the Middle East and North Africa are taking to the stage to talk about the geopolitical outlook in the region. (Reuters)
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The World Economic Forum 2020 continues on Wednesday from Davos in Switzerland. Foreign ministers from the Middle East and North Africa are taking to the stage to talk about the geopolitical outlook in the region. (Reuters)
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The World Economic Forum 2020 continues on Wednesday from Davos in Switzerland. Foreign ministers from the Middle East and North Africa are taking to the stage to talk about the geopolitical outlook in the region. (Screenshot: WEF)
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The World Economic Forum 2020 continues on Wednesday from Davos in Switzerland. Foreign ministers from the Middle East and North Africa are taking to the stage to talk about the geopolitical outlook in the region. (Screenshot: WEF)
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The World Economic Forum 2020 continues on Wednesday from Davos in Switzerland. Foreign ministers from the Middle East and North Africa are taking to the stage to talk about the geopolitical outlook in the region. (Screenshot: WEF)
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Updated 22 January 2020
Arab News
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AS IT HAPPENED: Davos 2020 Day Two - Middle East geopolitics and more

  • The World Economic Forum runs until Jan. 24 in Davos, Switzerland
  • Middle East and North Africa, geopolitical outlook in the region in focus
Updated 22 January 2020
Arab News

DAVOS, Switzerland: The World Economic Forum 2020 continued on Wednesday from Davos in Switzerland. Foreign ministers from the Middle East and North Africa took to the stage to talk about the geopolitical outlook in the region.

There was also discussion panels on a range of topics including global financial markets, environment, science and technology.

Follow Arab News coverage here:

19:00 - That's it for Day Two, make sure you come back for another packed schedule tomorrow for Day Three. Good night...

18:15 - Superstar musician and entrepreneur will.i.am and youth activist Naomi Wadler have been talking about the fight to end gun violence — especially in the US — and how they are influencing policy change and inspiring the next generation.

17:30 - Iraq's president Barham Sali warned against pushing the country to choose sides in escalating tensions between neighboring Iran and the US. Using his address, he said a recent parliamentary vote to oust foreign forces from Iraq should not be understood as a sign of "hostility."

"The escalating tensions between Iran, the Gulf states, and the United States over the past month have reminded us that our aspirations remain subject to political disputes beyond our control and to unwelcome foreign interference," Saleh said. "It is not in our interest to choose to ally with one side at the expense of others, as long as both respect our sovereignty and independence."

He added that "no country should seek to dictate to Iraq" the nature of its relationships.

16:00 - Away from the high-profile panels and sessions at Davos, there's a whole host of interesting things on the sidelines - you can see Arab News' 'Davos Off-Piste' thread on Twitter here...

15:15 - As always, it was an impassioned speech from Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan, who spoke about why his country is so affected by climate change, the huge untapped mineral and human potential of Pakistan - he even made reference to speaking to Trump about war between the US and Iran...

14:30 - Iraqi President Barham Salih met with US President Donald Trump in Davos on Wednesday. And the two discussed reducing foreign troops in the country, the Iraqi presidency said, after Washington spurned an Iraqi request earlier this month to pull out its troops.

READ THE FULL STORY: Iraqi president Salih discusses foreign troops cut with Trump in Davos

14:15 - Missed yesterday? You can read our live blog from Day One - and you can check out the World Economic Forum's handy round-up video below...

13:50 - The UK's Prince of Wales, Charles, is giving a special address - focusing heavily on the environment and climate change and what the world can do to combat the latter's impact on the former. The prince says "we're in the middle of a climate change crisis"...

13:30 - Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam used her Davos platform to say on Wednesday that the city had several crises to manage and that it was her job to remain to deal with them. You can watch a recap of her session here...

13:00 - Historic rivalries and their impact on the politics of the Middle East are in focus in a heated panel discussion...

12:45 - The Wall Street Journal Editor Thorold Baker opens a discussion on the outlook for emerging markets this year. Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri is part of the panel, and he's joined by Alicia Ibarra from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; Economics professor Jin Keyu; and Standard Chartered Bank chief Bill Winters.

The Saudi minister mentioned the Kingdom's strides on "driving the non-oil growth." He emphasized the essesnce of Saudi Arabia's diversification model is to veer away from oil.

11:45 - Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman joins a discussion on the future of fossil fuels. Also on stage were Colombian Minister of Energy Maria Fernanda Suarez, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, and Total chief Patrick Pouyanne.

Prince Abdulaziz reiterated the Kingdom's commitment to developing renewable energy, saying Saudi Arabia is involved in a "transfromative effort."




The officials talked about supply and demand of the oil market. (Screengrab/World Economic Forum)

11:00 - Alphabet Inc. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai takes to the stage to talk about Artificial Intelligence and its impacts on society

10:00 - World Economic Forum President Borge Brende is moderating a panel discussion on the Middle East and North Africa. He is joined Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu, his Omani counterpart Yousuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah, Prime Minister of Jordan Omar Al Razzaz, and Jane Harman, the president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Jordan's Razzaz said the world has "to be very careful about the sorts of intervention, regional and global, that we do."

He added: "Jordan… has presented a model, that shows political and economic resilience."

Topics: Davos 2020 Davos World Economic Forum (WEF) WEF

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1 dead after a Russian missile hits a Ukrainian apartment block

Updated 5 sec ago
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1 dead after a Russian missile hits a Ukrainian apartment block

Updated 5 sec ago
KYIV: A Russian ballistic missile struck a residential building Tuesday in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih and at least one person was killed, local authorities said.
Gov. Serhii Lysak said at least 11 other people were injured and more people could be trapped beneath the rubble of the four-story apartment block.
Social media footage showed one side of the building had almost completely collapsed.
“Unfortunately, we are preparing for difficult news,” Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul wrote on his Telegram channel.
Minutes before his post, Ukraine’s air force alerted a “ballistic missile strike threat” for southern and central regions of Ukraine, later signaling a “high-speed” target flying in the direction of Kryvyi Rih.
The strike came as Ukraine prepared to officially celebrate Christmas for the second time on Dec. 25. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed legislation in July 2023 to bring Ukraine’s public Christmas holiday in line with the majority of other European countries, rather than the later date followed in Russia.
The shift sought to assert Ukraine’s national identity amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“While the rest of the world celebrates Christmas, Ukrainians continue to suffer from endless Russian attacks,” Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, wrote on social media.

Bangladesh says ousted PM will face charges of ‘crimes against humanity’

Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (AFP)
Updated 24 December 2024
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Bangladesh says ousted PM will face charges of ‘crimes against humanity’

  • Bangladeshi court issued arrest warrants for Sheikh Hasina and her ministers in October
  • In 2015, Dhaka returned Indian separatist leader under extradition treaty with Delhi
Updated 24 December 2024
SHEHAB SUMON

DHAKA: Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will face multiple charges of crimes against humanity, the country’s interim government said on Tuesday after sending an extradition request to India. 

Hasina travelled to New Delhi in August during the student-led demonstrations that ended her 15 years in power. The initially peaceful protests, which began in early July, were met with a violent crackdown by security forces, which left hundreds dead and sparked a nationwide uprising against Hasina, forcing her to flee the country. 

In October, a Bangladeshi domestic criminal tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina and more than 40 other people linked to the protest killings. 

Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser, Md. Touhid Houssain, said on Monday that his country had sent a diplomatic note to India’s Foreign Ministry asking for Hasina’s return in order to begin a “judicial process.”

“We expect (India) will respond as soon as possible,” Azad Majumder, deputy press secretary of the head of Bangladesh’s interim government Muhammad Yunus, told Arab News. 

There are multiple charges against Hasina, including that she bears responsibility for forced disappearances, and for ordering the killings that took place during the protests, he added. 

“She will face multiple charges against her regarding crimes against humanity, and investigations are underway in this regard,” Yunus said.

India has confirmed reception of the request from Bangladesh. Bangladesh has an extradition treaty with India, which serves as a “commitment that both parties will comply with this instrument,” said Jyotirmoy Barua, a lawyer at the Bangladesh Supreme Court and a human rights activist. 

In 2015, Bangladesh handed over Anup Chetia, a separatist rebel leader whose group had fought Indian rule in the northeastern state of Assam. He was arrested in 1997 for illegal entry into Bangladesh and for possession of large amounts of foreign currency. 

Though Bangladesh expects that India will return Sheikh Hasina in respect of their bilateral treaty and the precedent that was set in Chetia’s case, there are concerns that New Delhi may not comply. 

“India may (refer to) this clause of the treaty that Sheikh Hasina may face ‘political vengeance’ in the trial process and may not receive justice. On these grounds, India may not eventually comply with Bangladesh’s request,” Barua said. 

“So, there is a fear that India may not follow the diplomatic norms here in returning Sheikh Hasina. It depends on the good judgement of Indian leadership.” 

Topics: Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh

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Five convicted over Amsterdam violence against Israelis

Updated 24 December 2024
AFP
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Five convicted over Amsterdam violence against Israelis

Updated 24 December 2024
AFP

AMSTERDAM: A Dutch court on Tuesday convicted five men for their part in last month’s violence against Israeli football fans in Amsterdam that shocked the world and sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.
The Amsterdam district court found them guilty for a range of crimes from kicking fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the street to inciting violence in chat groups.
The heaviest sentence imposed was six months in prison, for a man identified as Sefa O. for public violence against several people.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv fans came under “hit-and-run” style attacks in the early hours of November 8 after their European League match against Amsterdam giants Ajax.
Images of the violence, which left five fans briefly hospitalized, went around the world and sparked a furious reaction in Israel including accusations of a “pogrom.”
The most serious case under consideration Tuesday was O., who prosecutors said played a “leading role” in the violence.
The court saw images of a man identified as O. kicking a person on the ground, chasing targets, and punching people in the head and the body.
The prosecutor said the beatings had “little to do with football” but added that “in this case, there was no evidence of... a terrorist intent and the violence was not motivated by anti-Semitic sentiment.”
“The violence was influenced by the situation in Gaza, not by anti-Semitism,” said the prosecutor.
The attacks followed two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalize a taxi and burn a Palestinian flag.
Police said they were investigating at least 45 people over the violence, including that carried out by fans of the Israeli club.

Another man identified as Umutcan A., 24, received a sentence of one month for assaulting fans and violently ripping a Maccabi scarf from one of them.
Prosecutors had called for heavier sentences against the men — of up to two years in the case of O.
The judge said that people convicted of such crimes would normally have to serve community service.
“But the court finds that, given the seriousness of the offense and the context in which it was committed, only imprisonment is appropriate,” she said.
Only one of the five men was in court to hear the verdicts, an AFP reporter saw.
A 22-year-old identified as Abushabab M., 22, faces a charge of attempted murder but his case has been postponed while he undergoes a psychiatric assessment.
He was born in the Gaza Strip and grew up in a war zone, his lawyer told the court, while M. sat sobbing as his case was being heard.
A further six suspects are set to appear at a later stage.
Three of these suspects are minors and their cases will be heard behind closed doors.
At an emotionally charged news conference the morning after the riots, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said the city had been “deeply damaged” by “hateful anti-Semitic rioters.”
However, Halsema later said she regretted the parallel she had drawn between the violence and “memories of pogroms,” saying this word had been used as propaganda.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the violence at the time as a “premeditated anti-Semitic attack.”

Topics: Amsterdam

Noche Buena: How Filipinos celebrate Christmas Eve with a traditional family feast

Updated 24 December 2024
Samantha Beltran
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Noche Buena: How Filipinos celebrate Christmas Eve with a traditional family feast

  • Noche Buena is the dinner that follows the last evening mass of the Christmas season
  • In Philippines’ Pampanga province, some Christmas celebrations take place from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2
Updated 24 December 2024
Samantha Beltran

MANILA: For many Filipinos, the time-honored traditions of Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, is the most awaited part of this holiday season, when dinner tables across the country are filled with a hearty selection of traditional dishes.

Noche Buena, which is Spanish for “the good night,” is the dinner that follows the last evening mass of the season, known as misa de gallo or simbang gabi.

The multi-generational feast features staples like queso de bola, a ball-shaped Edam cheese wrapped in red wax coating, or lechon, the popular roasted pig dish that often gets the spotlight in most Filipino festivities.

But it is the classic hot chocolate that Noelle Lejano looks forward to the most, as her grandmother makes it extra special and only at this time of the year.

“Hot chocolate holds a deeper sentimental value because my lola (grandmother) makes it only once a year, every Noche Buena. It’s the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had, and it makes the celebration feel extra special and nostalgic,” the 24-year-old writer and brand strategist from Manila told Arab News.

Her family mixes it up between classic and more modern fare for the occasion, from the tried-and-tested favorite Christmas ham to a charcuterie board that she makes with her mother.

“These dishes aren’t just food — they’re traditions that bring us together and make the holiday feel like home,” Lejano said.

“Noche Buena is a highlight, especially with everyone gathering together and making the rounds to greet and hug each other as the clock strikes midnight. To pass the time before midnight, we play games, which keep the energy alive and the laughter flowing.”

Noche Buena is also celebrated in Latin America, reflecting a unique mix of Catholic traditions, indigenous folk practices, and more recent American influences, the late food historian Doreen Fernandez wrote in her 1994 book “Tikim: Essays on Filipino Food and Culture.”

For people in Pampanga province, about 80 km north of Manila, the deep-seated Catholic and Spanish influences are reflected in their culinary fare.

In Gerald Gloton’s household, Noche Buena is a time to indulge in their provincial roots, which includes serving sopas, or Filipino chicken soup, from the morning of the 24th all the way into Christmas morning.

They also serve an array of other beloved dishes, such as the ube halaya, a rich purple jam made from boiled and mashed ube and thickened with milk, rice cakes, and menudo, a stewed pork and tomato dish.

“We gather for sumptuous meals, exchange gifts, and attend Mass to celebrate the birth of Christ, reinforcing our shared faith and family values,” Gloton said.

The celebration of Noche Buena, which comes after Midnight Mass, has been “customary and required” for food anthropologist and writer Ruston Banal, who was raised in a devout Catholic household and is also from Pampanga.

“It’s significant because, in my situation, it marks the moment when the entire family gets together. Some of my siblings are already employed elsewhere, but they still make an effort to honor this custom by coming home,” he said.

In his hometown of Guagua, Christmas is an extended celebration that begins from Dec. 24 all the way to Jan. 2, where celebrations are centered on food.

“It’s all about the food; some of my relatives even spend a lot of money to prepare a lavish feast for other relatives who visit us,” he said.

Every year, the occasion turns into “a quiet competition among family members,” as they try to make the greatest dishes, ranging from bringhe, a local version of the Spanish paella made with sticky rice, chicken, sausage, vegetables and coconut milk, to kaldereta, a hearty tomato and liver stew made with leghorn chicken with carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers.

“Food is an extension of themselves,” Banal said. “(They cook like) a person in love, giving it their all.”

Topics: xmas2024 Philipines

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Russian court jails US citizen Spector for 15 years in espionage case, RIA says

Updated 24 December 2024
Reuters
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Russian court jails US citizen Spector for 15 years in espionage case, RIA says

  • Spector in his first court case had pleaded guilty to helping bribe an assistant to an ex-Russian deputy prime minister
Updated 24 December 2024
Reuters

MOSCOW: A Russian court has sentenced US citizen Eugene Spector to 15 years in jail for espionage, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday.
Currently serving a 3-1/2-year sentence in Russia for bribery, Spector, who was born in Russia and then moved to the US, was charged last August with espionage.
Before his 2021 arrest, he served as chairman of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a company specializing in cancer-curing drugs, state media has said.
Spector in his first court case had pleaded guilty to helping bribe an assistant to an ex-Russian deputy prime minister.

Topics: Russia US

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