MBC is a TV channel that is entertainment based. In Dubai, we were not only in the same building but also on the same floor. In Dubai Media City. Of course, I didn't know that a Saudi businessman was bankrolling MBC. Here is the latest news, c/o of Al Monitor. Launch of Saudi news channel sparks controversy among Iraqis READ IN: العربية Omar al-Jaf...
New Zealand PM bows out
Here's an article from The Economist which, while talking about John Key's resignation, states that NZ is "one of the most successful countries in the world. While this is debatable, there is no doubt that Key has had successes- namely international recognition- along with failures, housing, immigration and the environment. We have yet to see whether the new Prime Minister, John English, will have the same success.
I read this story that was on Newshub New Zealand with shock and horror. ( https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/02/saudia-arabian-6yo-beheaded-in-front-of-mother-over-religious-beliefs.html ) It's a story that should have been covered more widely. Sadly, it wasn't. This is the true face of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian 6yo beheaded in front of m...
I was stunned when I read this article, but I was not surprised and certainly believed that what is outlined in the article could happen. Everything is politicised in the UAE, including sport. Although I wrote about finance, business and economics for many years in the UAE, it was important to know the relationship each family had to one another, b...
Iran is like a sword in the side of America. It won't go away. The US, or at least President Trump, has decided that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and may use them soon. US intelligence agencies disagree. When I was living in the UAE there was one occasion, in 2013, when Israel was firing at Iran's nuclear plant in the south of the country. We...
This article shows how the NZ Superannuation Fund is evolving and new appointments that have been made. The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation has appointed Sam Porath to the position of Manager – NZ Equities. Mr Porath will lead the team managing the NZ Super Fund's in-house active New Zealand equities mandate. Currently Portfolio Manager – S...
Until I read this article, I had not realized that Qatar had a problem with the money it grants to the Gaza Strip authorities. Each tranche has to be agreed and approved by Israel. The third tranche was frozen. Here is how Al Monitor explains the situation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his diplomacy-defense cabinet on Jan. 25, asking ...
I hit upon this issue the other day- ageism. It's not only a problem in New Zealand- one that is seldom discussed- but in other places too, such as the United Kingdom. There, when you are about 30 you are "too old", or rather "not a good fit" for an organisation. It's all about semantics. In both the UK and NZ ageism might be against the law- in ot...
There has always been a lot of discussion about the number of people who are caught drinking without a licence in the UAE and obviously the few murders that take place. Wow, in this case, both have happened together. This article from Khaleej Times, for which I once worked, explains what can happen. Drunk man stabs Dubai roommate over Dh100 after l...
News in the Middle East is usually dominated by Iran, Saudi Arabia and sometimes Qatar and the economic sanctions against it by the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). But Israel, often said to be the only democratic country in the Middle East, is also having its "issues" and maybe becoming less democratic. Here is why. Should Netanyahu be ...
This article intrigued me. It talks about freedoms and democracy. Of course, in the Middle East, this is nothing unusual. When I was in the UAE I was asked the same questions regarding my friends and family. It is scary. I chose to leave because it was too intrusive. So this article shows that Israel is going the same way. It is still the only demo...
Israel has hit Iranian targets in Syria, according to news reports. Unusually, Israel has confirmed the reports while Syrian state media has reported that the country's air defences have shot down "hostile targets", according to Al Jazeera English. What is going on and what is the strategy? How does the US pull out of troops affect developments? He...
There's been much talk about what the withdrawal of US troops in Syria means for the rest of the world and for the rest of the Middle East in particular. According to President Trump, Islamic State has been defeated In Syria. The fact that US troops were killed in Syria on Thursday is beside the point. This is what Al Monitor has to say on the matt...
Tuesday's vote by British MPs against Prime Minister Teresa May's Brexit deal has left the country in chaos. This was to be expected. The anti-deal vote was overwhelming at 432 votes while those for the deal only numbered 202. What does this result mean for Britain, for Europe, and for Teresa May? What does it mean for the rest of the world and the...
With the partial government shutdown in the US over funding for the wall, the pulling out of US troops in Syria, the on-going Russian probe, and the many tweets from President Trump that determine foreign policy, it's easy to forget there might be other issues at play in the Middle East, especially concerning Iran. After living in the Middle East f...
I am often asked what will happen in the Middle East, politically that is, especially regarding Syria, Israel and the Gulf countries. I might have lived there, but I do not know the answers. All I know is that it is survival of the fittest. Agreeing with this philosophy is Bryant Harris writing for Al Monitor. Here is what he says on the issue. Isr...
There's been a lot of talk about the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and how this will affect the destruction of IS (if it has not been already) and the rest of the world. I doubt that IS has been destroyed in the Middle East, and is unlikely to be. Turkey is known for hating the Kurds, whom it sees as a terrorist group, and the planned US withd...
There's a lot of talk nowadays about what the best apps are, the best intranets and the best browsers. Therefore, I was interested to read another article from Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) on the best intranets, 10 Best Intranets of 2019 by Kara Pernice and Patty Caya on January 6, 2019 Topics: Intranets Summary: Winners are from large and medium-siz...
Happy New Year. I've taken a break over the past fortnight as I've been cooking, and visiting, family and friends. This time of year is full on but it's soon over and then all goes back to normal. I've also got a sick mother, who came out of the care home for the day but we all found the day trying and traumatic. It's never easy. This email come in...
When I was living in the Middle East I often said that the Western world, mainly the US and Britain, should stay out of the region. Now senior fellows from the Brookings Institute agree with me. Mara Karlin and Tamara Cofman Wittes Tuesday, December 11, 2018 Painful though it may be, the United States needs to begin the work of pulling back from it...
Brexit may not be the Middle East, but whatever happens next week in Britain will affect the rest of the world. This is what the latest poll says, as polled by the Independent newspaper. Brexit: Majority of country now think Britain should remain in the EU, new poll finds A majority of the country now think Britain should remain inside the European...