World

ICRC evacuates civilians from Ukraine’s Sumy, provides aid

Aid groups helped evacuate citizens from the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Wednesday to facilitate their safe passage, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

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The ICRC and the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) carried out an operation on Wednesday that consisted of two convoys with at least 80 buses traveling out of Sumy and heading to the Ukrainian city of Lubny.

The convoy left Sumy at around 3:30 p.m. CET.

“The dimension of this humanitarian catastrophe is just incomprehensible,” ICRC staff member Erik Tollefsen, who was present on the ground and involved in the evacuation, said. “We have civilians in the hundreds who are trying to get on buses and we [ICRC] will try and escort this convoy across the lines and bring them back into some kind of safety.”

The ICRC said in a statement on Thursday that it hopes this is the first of many operations to ensure safe passages for civilians that need urgent respite from violence and humanitarian aid.

An agreement between the parties involved in the conflict at a local level allowed the aid agency’s operation to take place, the statement added, reiterating that the ICRC is not a guarantor of such agreements though it has been able to assist in their implementation.

“It is up to the parties to agree to the terms of any safe passage agreement and then stick to the terms,” the ICRC explained, adding thar people in several Ukrainian cities, including Mariupol, remain trapped with little safe way out and are living without basic needs such as water, food, heat and electricity.

“They, like in other cities affected by the hostilities, desperately need to be allowed safe passage out of cities, they have to choose to leave, and humanitarian assistance needs to be allowed in.”

Around 20,000 civilians have managed to leave the besieged port city of Mariupol so far, mostly in their own private cars, Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko told Reuters on Wednesday.

Mariupol residents have been trapped in the city by Russian shelling without heating, electricity and running water for most of the past two weeks, Ukrainian officials say. At least 200,000 are in urgent need of evacuation, according to official Ukrainian estimates earlier this week.

200 tons of medical, food aid arrives in Ukraine

A convoy of 11 trucks carrying 200 tons of aid from the ICRC, the German Red Cross (GRC) and other partners of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement reached Ukraine on Wednesday, a statement revealed.

“I’m currently in Ukraine in the city of Vinnytsia. I’m in a warehouse where we are currently offloading the content of eleven trucks, that’s about 200 tonnes of humanitarian assistance that just arrived in the country,” said the ICRC’s spokesperson in Ukraine, Florian Seriex.

The trucks have transported 38 medical kits for those wounded in the conflict – each kit has the ability to treat 50 people with serious trauma injuries – 1,170 relief packages containing blankets, buckets, hygiene products and kitchen sets, as well as 5,120 body bags and water and sanitation supplies.

“Of course, we are conscious that this assistance is only a drop in the ocean of all the needs that we currently observe in Ukraine. People need food, people need water, people need to be in a safe place above all. In the coming days and coming weeks, the International Committee of the Red Cross and its partners will continue this humanitarian assistance and operations,” added Seriex.

The aid is set to be delivered to various affected locations across Ukraine, but this will depend on security conditions, according to the ICRC.

“A priority will be to deliver assistance to people displaced from their homes and living in shelters,” the ICRC statement revealed. “Whilst this aid convoy is a positive development, it is merely a drop in the ocean of the vast humanitarian needs that ICRC teams see unfolding for the people affected by the conflict in Ukraine by the day.”

Russian invasion poses ‘clear, growing threat’ to food security in Ukraine: FAO

Russia quits Council of Europe rights watchdog

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM