World

Shelling in eastern Ukraine enters second day

Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels reported increased shelling in eastern Ukraine for a second straight day on Friday, an escalation that Washington and other Western allies say could form part of a Russian pretext to invade.
Russia denies Western accusations that it is planning an invasion and has said this week it is drawing down forces massed near Ukraine. Western countries say they believe the opposite: more equipment and personnel are arriving and making the sort of preparations normally seen in the final days before an attack.

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Financial markets, on edge over the prospect of a major war in Europe, took some comfort from an announcement overnight that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had agreed to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov next week – provided Russia has not invaded first.
A marked escalation of shelling in eastern Ukraine, where government troops have faced Moscow-backed rebels for eight years, has stoked global alarm since Thursday.
Both sides have said shelling stepped up dramatically over the past 48 hours, although so far no deaths have been reported.
On Thursday, an OSCE monitoring mission, which typically records dozens of minor ceasefire violations a day, said there had been nearly 600 violations including more than 300 explosions in the past 24 hours.
The Kremlin expressed alarm on Friday over the situation in eastern Ukraine, saying it looked potentially very dangerous.

Blinken warning to security council

In the most detailed US warning yet of the likelihood of war, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the UN Security Council that Washington believed Russia was planning an all-out assault on its neighbor. It could begin with a manufactured pretext, possibly involving a faked attack and false accusations about the separatist conflict, Blinken said.
“We have reason to believe they are engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in,” President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House on Thursday.

“Every indication we have is they're prepared to go into Ukraine and attack Ukraine.”
Biden, who has been rallying allies to maintain a unified stance, will host a call on Friday with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania, as well as the European Union and NATO. Blinken will meet counterparts at a security conference in Munich.
The Kremlin has dismissed accusations that it is planning an invasion as Western hysteria. Moscow said on Friday that a tank unit and two mechanized infantry units were heading back to bases in southern and central Russia following exercises.
But Russia has also forcefully pressed a set of security demands, including a promise that Ukraine never be admitted into NATO, which the West calls a non-starter.
On Thursday Russia delivered a strongly-worded letter to the United States accusing it of ignoring Moscow's security demands and threatening unspecified “military-technical measures” in the absence of binding US assurances.
Russia announced that President Vladimir Putin would personally supervise exercises of its strategic nuclear missile forces on Saturday.
A quarrel over tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions also heated up, after Moscow ordered out the number two official in the US embassy in retaliation for what it said was the unjustified US expulsion of an unidentified senior Russian diplomat.

Washington said the Russians were expelling diplomats more quickly and with less warning, and called the moves escalatory.
Ukraine itself has played down the likelihood that Russia will launch a massive assault soon, often putting it publicly at odds with its Western friends. Kyiv argues that premature warnings of war play into Moscow's hands by sowing alarm and hurting the fragile Ukrainian economy.
“Our intelligence sees every move that could pose a potential threat to Ukraine. We estimate the probability of a large-scale escalation as low,” Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told parliament on Friday.
Among the ambiguities surrounding the Kremlin's intentions are its plans for tens of thousands of troops staging exercises in Belarus, north of Ukraine. Moscow has said the troops would go back to Russia at some point after the drills end on Sunday, but has not said when.
The Russian-backed leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, landed in Moscow on Friday to discuss the troop presence with Putin, suggesting he was open to letting them stay for now.
“It we take a decision, we’ll remove (the force) within 24 hours. If we decide a month, they’ll stay for a month. The armed forces will stay as long as needed,” Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the state BelTa news agency.
In a further indication of regional tensions, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday during a visit to Warsaw the planned sale of 250 Abrams tanks to Poland, a key NATO ally of the United States that borders Ukraine and Russia.

Russia expels no. 2 US diplomat from embassy in Moscow: State Department

US VP Harris to meet NATO chief in Munich soon

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