The Eastern Mediterranean in 2023: Escalation or Resolution?

Kevin McCarthy: The Republican Speaker of the House

While the world is obsessively focusing on the war in Eastern Europe, a geoeconomic tug of war is building up in the Eastern Mediterranean over maritime borders.

In the Cover Story, Dalia Ziada talks about how the pitching political and diplomatic fights may not necessarily kindle another traditional war that requires the intervention of the already strained international community, at least in the short term.

Yet, they could easily replicate the military tensions that traumatized the Eastern Mediterranean and its neighboring regions in the summer of 2020.

In the Politics Section, Suzan Quitaz talks about an announcement expected from the UK government in the coming weeks which is to designate Iran’s Islamic Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

In the Society Section, Mohammad Ali Salih writes about the fact that the U.S. Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law, the annual, almost two trillion dollar national budget that has a short, last-minute-added provision prohibiting the use of the social video site Tik Tok in federal government operations.

For a few years, there have been complaints by mostly Republicans and conservatives that the widely successful Chinese-owned site was also a secret Chinese technology that threatened U.S. security.

In the Economy Section, Maryam Raafat explains how Egyptian startups are dealing with the harsh economic conditions in Egypt.

Small and medium- sized enterprises in Egypt face many problems that limit the ability to develop them.

This sector is still suffering from basic obstacles such as difficulty obtaining finance and guarantees, and many other difficulties related to the inappropriate business environment, laws and regulations, poor infrastructure and banking.

In the Sports Section, Sara Gamal interviewed Anoud Al-Asmari who has been the talk of the Arab and international media, thanks to her success in becoming the first Saudi Arabian woman to receive a FIFA badge.

On Saturday, 7 January 2023, FIFA announced the appointment of Anoud Al-Asmari as the first Saudi Arabian woman international referee. Al- Asmari’s appointment is also the latest historic milestone for Saudi women’s football. The Kingdom submitted its bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in December.

Read these articles and more on our website eng.majalla.com. As always, we welcome and value our readers’ feedback and we invite you to take the opportunity to leave your comments on our website.

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

napshot

Hagia Sophia mosque

Visitors wait in line, in a queue to enter the Hagia Sophia mosque in )the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, on January 10 ,2023. )AFP

napshot

Snow Castles in Baltic Sea

Jan. 10, 2023. /AP

A woman takes a photograph of snow castles which were built by local residents at the Pirita Beach on the Baltic Sea in Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday,

EGYPT

Egypt's government has instructed ministries to cut non-essential spending until the end of the scal year in June as it tries to cope with continuing pressure on its currency and rising in ation.

The decision, dated Jan. 4 and published in the o cial gazette this week, includes the postponement of any new national project heavily reliant on foreign currency, and requires ministries to seek nance ministry approval on foreign currency expenditure. The health, interior, foreign, and defence ministries are exempted, as well as agencies tasked with expenditure on subsidised food products and energy. Some activities listed as non-essential spending include travel, marketing, and conferences, as well as grants and training for employees. The decision included no detail on how much money could be saved.

LEBANON

A European judicial delegation from France, Germany, and Luxembourg has started to arrive in Lebanon to probe the country’s Central Bank governor and dozens of other individuals over suspected corruption, the justice minister said Wednesday. Five European countries are probing the embattled governor, Riad Salameh on allegations of laundering public money in Europe. Switzerland rst opened a probe two years ago, followed by France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein.

SAUDI

Islam’s annual will return after restrictions commemoration

the coronavirus, The hajj, required once in their largest gatherings pandemic, year to Islam’s cube-shaped pray toward In 2019, over pilgrimage. sparked by drastically curtailed residents of part. It was even during tens of millions

SAUDI ARABIA

annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia to pre-pandemic levels this year restrictions saw the annual religious commemoration curtailed over concerns about coronavirus, authorities say.

required of all able-bodied Muslims their life, represents one of the world’s gatherings of people. Before the the pilgrimage drew millions each Islam’s holy city of Mecca, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that observant Muslims toward ve times a day.

over 2.4 million people took part in the pilgrimage. But in 2020, amid the lockdowns the pandemic, Saudi Arabia curtailed the hajj with 1,000 of Saudi Arabia permitted to take an unprecedented move unseen during the 1918 u epidemic that killed millions worldwide.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday named a veteran technocrat who both leads Abu Dhabi’s state-run oil company and oversees its renewable energy e orts to be the president of the upcoming United Nations climate negotiations in Dubai, highlighting the balancing act ahead for this crude-producing nation.

IRAQ

Iraqi authorities reopened Baghdad’s heavily forti ed Green Zone on Sunday in an attempt to ease tra c jams in the capital after it was closed and reopened several times in recent years.

Starting in the early hours of the day, Iraqi authorities removed checkpoints and opened major roads and tunnels that cut through the zone on the west bank of the Tigris River. Cars will be allowed to pass through the area while trucks will be banned, o cials said.

IRAN

Iran has sentenced a Belgian aid worker to a lengthy prison term and 74 lashes after convicting him of espionage in a closed-door trial, state media reported Tuesday.

The website of Iran’s judiciary said a Revolutionary Court sentenced 41-year-old Olivier Vandecasteele to 12.5 years in prison for espionage, 12.5 years for collaboration with hostile governments and 12.5 years for money laundering. He was also ned $1 million and sentenced to 2.5 years for currency smuggling.

A WEEK ACROSS

BRAZIL.

U.S.

The seventh consecutive atmospheric river since Christmas dumped more rain on Northern California on Wednesday, o ering little relief for a state already battered by oods, gale-force winds, power outages, and evacuations of entire towns.

Downtown San Francisco recorded a phenomenal 13.6 inches (34.5 cm) of rain from Dec. 26 until Wednesday morning, while San Francisco International Airport, the city of Oakland, and the city of Stockton all recorded 16-day records over the same period, the National Weather Service said.

Brazil's Supreme Court removed the governor of Brasilia from o ce for 90 days over security failings that it said allowed thousands of backers of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro to ransack government buildings in the capital.

Tens of thousands of anti-democratic demonstrators on Sunday invaded the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace in the worst attack on Brazil's institutions since democracy was restored four decades ago, drawing global condemnation.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who took o ce on Jan. 1 after a narrow October election win, promised to bring those responsible to justice, after demonstrators broke windows and furniture, destroyed art work and stole the original 1988 Constitution.

TUNISIA.

At least ve African migrants died and another 10 were missing after a boat sank o Tunisia, as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial o cial said on Saturday.

The coastguard rescued 20 migrants who had been on the overcrowded boat, which sank o Louata in Sfax region on Friday, the o cial told Reuters.

The coastline of Sfax has become a major departure point for people eeing poverty in Africa and the Middle East for a chance at a better life in Europe.

to a

ACROSS THE WORLD

UKRAINE

Russian mercenary group Wagner claimed to have taken control of the salt-mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine - a stepping stone in Moscow's push to capture the entire Donbas region - but ghting appeared to be continuing.

The contract militia said on Tuesday night that ghting was still going on in the town centre and the Kyiv government said its troops were still holding out.

From the outskirts, plumes of smoke could be seen rising over the town and the incoming artillery res was relentless.

A Reuters photographer saw many residents eeing along roads out of the town in perishing cold.

CHINA. INDIA.

India's power ministry has asked utilities to import 6% of their coal requirement until September, according to a letter seen by Reuters, warning that domestic supplies could be curtailed if import targets are not met.

Beijing retaliated on Tuesday against South Korea's COVID-19 curbs on travelers from China, while state media further downplayed the severity of the outbreak in the last major economy to reopen its borders after three years of isolation. China ditched mandatory quarantines for arrivals and allowed travel to resume across its border with Hong Kong on Sunday, removing the last major restrictions under the "zero-COVID" regime which it abruptly began dismantling in early December after historic protests against the curbs.

over story

E. Mediterranean in 2023:

Escalation or Resolution?

By Dalia Ziada

While the world is obsessively focusing on the war in Eastern Europe, geo-economic tugging is building up in the Eastern Mediterranean over maritime borders. Pitching political and diplomatic fights may not necessarily kindle another traditional war that requires the intervention of the already strained international community, at least in the short term. Yet, they could easily replicate the military tensions that traumatized the Eastern Mediterranean and its neighboring

The Turkish drilling vessel Fatih waits on the shores of Istanbul’s Marmara sea in Istanbul, Turkey, 9 April 2020. [Erdem Sahin/EPA/EFE]

regions in the summer of 2020. If nothing else, this could hinder the potential of the hydrocarbon-rich basin, which also enjoys a unique geo-strategic location between three continents, to participate in mitigating the consequences of the energy crisis in Europe and the food crisis in Africa. Consequently, the ongoing economic standoff between the western and eastern superpowers may escalate and magnify the costs of the global crises on vulnerable communities worldwide.

The Loop

The Eastern Mediterranean has been stuck in an infinite loop of unilateral sovereign decisions on maritime demarcations by the countries on three of its coastlines since the early discoveries of the massive hydrocarbon wealth in the seabed about two decades ago. The domestic political troubles in most Eastern Mediterranean countries, the uneven geo-political intricacies of the region, and the long-term conflicts between the neighboring countries have added extra layers of complications to the growing tensions over maritime rights.

On the bright side, the geo-economic threats posed by these conflicts have generated unexpected collaborations between the southern countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. Prominent examples include the recent Israel-Lebanon maritime border deal and the five years of cooperation between Egypt and Israel on extracting, liquifying, and exporting natural gas to Europe. Yet, on the not-so-bright side, the unresolved long-term conflicts between Turkey and Greece are still setting the region on fire.

During a visit to the Navy Command of the Marmara Region in northwestern Turkey this week, the Turkish Minister of Defense, Hulusi Akar, reiterated a warning to Greece against unilateral demarcation decisions that may further detract from Turkey’s claimed maritime zone. “We will not allow any fait accompli to be provoked by Greece in a way that could violate our

rights,” said Hulusi Akar after promising that “any misconduct by Greece will be immediately retaliated by Ankara.”

In June, Turkey’s President Erdogan celebrated Turkey’s success in producing short-range ballistic missiles by hinting that they could be used to deter Athens from militarizing its islands in the Aegean. “Turkey will not step back from using its rights if necessary and will not give up its rights in the Aegean per the international conventions,” Erdogan asserted.

Greece sees the issue as a sovereign right, but Turkey sees it as a threat to national security. Meanwhile, the related international conventions stipulate that these uninhabited islands should remain neutral, especially since they are closer to Turkey’s coastline than they are to Greece’s mainland. The Greek Island Kastellorizo, where most of the Greek military buildup has been happening since early 2022, is 600 kilometers away from Greece’s mainland, while it is only 1950 meters away from Turkey.

The repeated threats by Turkish officials have not prevented Greece from announcing in late December its intention to unilaterally extend its maritime zone to a point twelve nautical miles southwest of Crete. The Hellenic Presidential Bureau told the local press that the demarcation is scheduled to be officially announced in March before the parliamentary elections are held. Greece’s decision has obviously angered Turkey and Libya, which will be directly affected. Yet,

The ongoing economic standoff between the western and eastern superpowers may escalate and magnify the costs of the global crises on vulnerable communities worldwide.

over story

Greece’s unilateral move has also been frowned upon by Egypt, which has been a strong ally to Greece against Turkey, at least since the escalation between Turkish and Hellenic naval forces in 2020.

The Overlap

Greece’s unilateral move to expand its

maritime zone is believed to be motivated by Egypt’s unilateral decision to demarcate its maritime border with neighboring Libya. On December 11, Egypt’s Official Gazette published a presidential decree specifying nine geographic coordinates as benchmarks to Egypt’s western maritime border with Libya in the Mediterranean. The presidential decree demarcates Egypt’s territorial waters at an area of twelve nautical miles extending upwards from node no. 8 on the northern land border between Egypt and Libya. The various Egyptian authorities explained that the demarcation is based on the legal stipulations of the UN Convention of the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) and related documents.

Despite the overlap, it is not expected that Egypt and Greece would clash over these uncoordinated demarcations. However, such moves may overturn or completely invalidate their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) agreement, which they signed in August 2020 to rescind the

maritime

The repeated threats by Turkish officials have not prevented Greece from announcing in late December its intention to unilaterally extend its maritime zone to a point twelve nautical miles southwest of Crete.

Eastern Mediterranean

agreement signed between Turkey and the former Libyan interim Government of National Accord (GNA) in December 2019. In other words, this is not serving Greece’s goal to curb Turkey’s advances to use the Libyan maritime zone to conduct seismic research for hydrocarbon resources. That is particularly true in light of the improvement of Turkey-Egypt relations following a historic handshake between the Egyptian and Turkish presidents in Doha in early December. It does not seem that Egypt is planning to end its EEZ agreement with Greece, but it reserves the right to sign similar agreements with Turkey in the future.

Libya fiercely objected to Egypt’s unilateral demarcation decision as a violation of its sovereignty, although Egypt’s decision is believed to be motivated by the defense and energy memoranda that Turkey and Libya signed two months earlier. In early October, a delegation of senior Turkish of-

ficials flew to Tripoli to celebrate the signing of two new bilateral agreements. One agreement allows Libya’s interim Government of National Unity (GNU) to receive advanced weapons, including drones, from Turkey. The other memorandum admits Turkey to the Libyan waters in the Mediterranean for hydrocarbon exploration purposes. In a provocative response to Greece’s and Egypt’s objection to these memoranda, the Libyan and the Turkish officials plainly said they “do not care for what third parties think about our bilateral agreements.”

Unlike Greece, Turkey did not seem to

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting of his ruling AK Party in Ankara, Turkey January 5, 2023. Presidential Press Office/ Handout via REUTERS.

In early October, a delegation of senior Turkish officials flew to Tripoli to celebrate the signing of two new bilateral agreements.

over story

be threatened by the Egyptian unilateral demarcation of the western maritime border, although it clearly limits the scope of its newly signed agreements with Libya’s GNU. Instead, Turkey called for open negotiations with all involved parties in the Eastern Mediterranean. In the past year, Ankara led a successful campaign to mend broken ties with all its neighbors in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt, Israel, and Syria. Turkey’s renewed relations with neighboring countries, in

addition to Turkey’s mediator role in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, have dramatically improved Turkey’s situation in the Eastern Mediterranean in pursuit of its lost rights.

The Trauma

Given the fact that Libya is the common factor in all of the recent chess moves in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, one may tend to conclude that Libya is the problem. However, in reality, Libya is just another victim of an unfair agreement signed over a century ago in the fog of world wars. Rather than bringing peace, the Lausanne Agreement (1922) has left the Eastern Mediterranean with a chronic conflict over a messy geographic ordeal that the successive regional leaders have failed to resolve. The agreement preserved Turkish sovereignty over Turkey’s mainland but inelegantly stripped Turkey of its rights in the seabed resources of the Mediterranean, despite being the country with the longest

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles may be claimed by coastal countries.

The Turkish flag flies over an inlet in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. (Flickr/Clive Rogers)

Onlookers watch the Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022 before it leaves for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea. -

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

border (1870 km) in the hydrocarbonrich sea.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles (370 km) may be claimed by coastal countries. If the distance between the shores of two neighboring countries is less than this space, the maritime demarcation between them should be drawn exactly at the half-line distance. However, this is not the case for Turkey, which is literally cuffed to its own shores, either in the southern area towards Cyprus or the southwest zone towards Greece, because Lausanne Agreement gave all the small islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean to Greece.

At least since the early 2000s, Turkey has been trying to change the reality imposed by the Lausanne Agreement, sometimes through diplomatic negotiations with Greece and other times by employing military provocations. Up to this day, 63 rounds of negotiations have been held between the two countries, as well as an innumerable

number of meetings between senior military commanders and diplomats, but all ended in vain.

Turkey’s agreements with the Libyan GNA in 2019, and recent agreements with the GNU in 2022, are only desperate attempts to reclaim these lost rights. However, each time Turkey takes action in that direction, it backfires by causing security threats to the entire region. In 2020, this chronic conflict escalated to a harsh clash following the sailing of a Turkish hydrocarbon exploration vessel into the zone claimed by a bilateral maritime agreement with Libya’s GNA. In the summer of 2020, the quiet basin of the Eastern Mediterranean witnessed an unprecedented number of military encounters disguised as joint aeronaval military exercises, wherein advanced fighter jets and navy arsenals from outside the region intervened.

In 2023, these conflicts have a high potential to be re-ignited if they are not preceded by pragmatic negotiations wherein all the concerned parties on the three shores of the Eastern Mediterranean are involved.

UK to Proscribe IRGC as a Terrorist Organisation

Iran’s Version of the Deep State

By Suzan Quitaz

An announcement is expected within weeks that the British government is going to officially declare Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. The move is said to be supported by Britain’s Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, Home

Secretary Suella Braverman and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

In recent weeks and on numerous occasions, Cleverly stated that the United Kingdom has sanctioned Iran’s IRGC “in its entirety.” In a speech at Parliament on December 13, 2022, Cleverly said, “The protests in Iran are a watershed moment. After years of repres-

sion, the Iranian people have clearly had enough. They are standing up to the authoritarian regime under which they live. Sadly, the regime has responded in the only way it knows: with violence. The UK is committed to holding Iran to account, including with more than 300 sanctions—including the sanctioning of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety.”

On December 27, the British Foreign Office tweeted a short video-address by Cleverly describing the actions Britain has taken against the Iranian regime “because of their international and domestic actions, we are having to do a lot. We are working towards the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal] to try and prevent them acquiring nuclear weapons. We are sanctioning the morality police and sanctioning the judges who have been prosecuting the protesters in Iran. We have sanctioned the IRGC in its entirety.”

The Foreign Secretary’s repeated announcements about current sanctions against the IRGC have increased the government’s credibility as well as the likelihood that the UK will go ahead with formally declaring the IRGC as a proscribed terrorist group. In legal terms it would mean that it will become a criminal offense in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000, to belong, or profess to belong or support IRGC’s activities in the UK or overseas. Section 12(1) of the Terrorism Act also makes it an offense if a person “invites support for a proscribed organisation.” The support which is invited need not be material support, such as the provision of money or other property, but can also include moral support or approval – “expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation,” Section 12(1A). Under the Terrorism Act, it would also be illegal to arrange or manage meetings in support of the IRGC or to publically display images such as clothing, flags or logos associated with or supportive of IRGC.

In late December of last year, the Iranian regime arrested seven British nationals in Iran over anti-government protests. Despite the nationwide unrests entering their fifth month, the Iranian authorities as well as state-affiliated media are still insisting that foreign influences are behind the street protests, which they refer to as “riots.” Iran blames the U.S. and its allies for instigating the people’s uprising.

Dr. Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, has described the IRGC as “the top exporter of terrorism and a deadly instrument

of domestic repressions.”

Nearly five months after the start of anti-regime protests in Iran, a U.S-based human rights monitor said at least 516 protesters have been killed as of January 3, 2023. The IRGC has played an integral role in the brutal suppression and the killing of many protesters. The regime’s very survival is interconnected with the survival of the IRGC.

IRGC is the Most Prominent Entity in Islamic Republic

The IRGC was established on May 5, 1979, just days after the fall of Shah Pahlavi. It was founded as an ideological custodian of Iran’s Islamic revolution. The Guards were set up as a “people’s army” protecting the revolution and helping to consolidate the power of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founding supreme leader. The Ayatollah instituted a state based on the concept of velayat-e faqih, or “guardianship of the jurist.” The IRGC was also tasked with providing a counterweight to the regular armed forces.

However, the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988) drastically transformed the IRGC into a powerful military force which has enormous power in executing Iran’s foreign policy and has control of wide sections of the Iranian economy.

Its command structure is similar to that of Western militaries with highly trained officers and advanced weaponry. It remains a force that is aligned to Iran’s regular armed forces, with at least 190,000 troops under its command. However, since the end of IraqIran war the IRGC steadily rose to become a force more dominant than Iran’s regular armed forces and is behind many of the Islamic Republic’s key military operations. The IRGC’s current commander is Major General Hossein Salami, a figure who repeatedly issued threatening warnings against protesters urging them “to leave the streets.”

The IRGC has ground forces across all of Iran’s thirty-one provinces and is also in charge of commanding the highly trained and brutal Basij paramilitary force, a voluntary militia with about 100,000 fighters. The

The protests in Iran are a watershed moment. After years of repression, the Iranian people have clearly had enough

British Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat walks outside Downing Street in London, Britain December 2022 ,6.

REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Politics

Basij force is very loyal to velayat-e faqih and has played a vital role in brutally suppressing the protest movement in Iran. Basij units have been deployed in great numbers alongside IRGC units in Iran’s most intense and persistent protest regions: Iran’s Kurdish province and Baluchistan. It is in those two regions that we have seen the highest death toll and number of detainees.

The IRGC also has a naval and air force separate from Iran’s regular military and is responsible for providing Iran’s internal and external security, including protection of the key strategic oil waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s crude oil and petroleum products pass.

In addition, the IRGC is responsible for the development of Iran’s ballistic missile program, which it is the largest ballistic missile force in the entire Middle East, according to the American administration.

The IRGC is Iran’s single largest economic actor,

owning big enterprises like Iran’s largest construction company and Iran’s main telecommunications company, alongside owning and directing numerous banks as well as controlling 25% of the transactions in the Tehran Stock Exchange. It also has a prominent presence in Iran’s civilian institutions, e.g., in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, academia, scientific and research centers and charitable organizations.

The IRGC’s hold on Iran’s security and economy has led to a steady strengthening of its alliance with Mullah Regime since its inception. IRGC’s survival means the continued survival of Iran’s “thugocracy.” Together they have maintained an iron rule over the people of Iran. In addition to maintaining a jackboot on the Iranian people, they also have invested enormously in expanding their control outside Iran’s borders to pursue Iran’s hegemonic ambitions in the Arab world.

In order to achieve Middle East dominance, the IRGC created a special overseas branch, the Quds Force, which is Iran’s most important foreign policy tool. Others would call it an asymmetric war and terror force that brought death and mayhem to many countries across the Arab world.

The previous American administration under President Trump said that the Quds Force is “Iran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting” U.S.-designated terrorist groups across the Middle

In late December of last year, the Iranian regime arrested seven British nationals in Iran over anti-government protests.

Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard REUTERS

Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attend an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, October 2022 ,17. IRGC/ WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

East - including Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad - by providing funding, training, weapons, and equipment. Quds Force also fund, train and supply weapons to numerous armed Shia militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen and in some parts of Africa. Through IRGC’s Quds Force, Iran is playing a central role in aiding and fomenting unrest via their proxies in countries throughout the Gulf and the Levant region.

The Quds Force has also been accused of plotting or carrying out terrorist attacks, directly or indirectly through its proxies, in many countries across the world. The Quds Force’s previous Major General was Qasem Soleimani who was killed by a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad International Airport alongside Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, on January 3, 2020. Soleimani was known as Iran’s “shadow commander,” and had led the Quds Force since 1998. He was the mastermind of Iran’s clandestine operations abroad, quietly extending the military reach of Iran deep into foreign conflicts such as those in Syria and Iraq. Soleimani was considered one of the most infamous military operators in the Middle East by the U.S. and its Arab allies. The Quds Force is also the main backer of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen.

In 2017, when President Hassan Rouhani was elected for a second term in office in Iran, one of the promises he made to the millions of hopeful Iranians who

voted for him was to improve the economic situation by curbing IRGC’s role in Iran’s economy.

Rouhani said the IRGC had created “a government with a gun,” which “scared” the private sector. Despite several attempts, he has failed to strip them from their economic hold on Iran’s economy.

The United Kingdom’s proscribing the IRGC “in its entirety” would be unprecedented and would deal a massive blow to the Iranian regime. If the British government does indeed declare the unlawfulness of IRGC it will be sending a clear signal to the Mullah Regime to stop its barbaric oppression at home and its disruptive behaviour in the region. This move would most certainly have a domino effect by paving the way for more countries follow suit and may eventually lead to the demise of the regime.

The Quds Force has also been accused of plotting or carrying out terrorist attacks, directly or indirectly through its proxies, in many countries across the world.

Economy

Passing Through

By Maryam Raafat

At the moment she was about to write a post that she is selling her materials and tools on Facebook, Noha El Sayed remembered her long jour-

ney from eight years ago when she first thought to start her own business.

El Sayed, jewelry designer, recalled the very beginning when she launched her Facebook busi-

ness page, her first exhibition, and all the customers she dealt with throughout the past eight years.

As with many small businesses, El Sayed’s business is suffering due to the current financial crisis.

“This is the first time I am thinking to quit my business, things used to have ups and downs, but the current challenges are really serious,” El Sayed said to Majalla.

Over the past years, Egypt’s entrepreneurship ecosystem has expanded in several directions:

several venture capital funds were launched; a positive flow of investments in technology startups has become visible; the Micro, new laws and decrees for investments, bankruptcy, and industrial licensing, were enacted; a proliferation of entrepreneurship support programs as well as startup incubators and accelerators, including those at universities; ambitious reform programs for the educational sector, including basic education; and, an increase in the media’s attention to entrepreneurs and their stories. All these reforms, activities and initiatives are contributing to a positive momentum in the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt.

The increased awareness towards entrepreneurship along with the government’s intention to enhance entrepreneurial ability is coupled with serious challenges that are halting progress.

Small and medium enterprises in Egypt face many problems that limit the ability to develop them.

This sector is still suffering from basic obstacles such as difficulty obtaining finance and guarantees, and many other difficulties related to the inappropriate business environment, laws and regulations, poor infrastructure and banking.

“Since the last crisis between Ukraine and Russia, the cost of materials has risen many times which affected the whole process of production and selling,” El Sayed added in an interview with Majalla.

El Sayed is one of many whose businesses suffered substantially since the UkraineRussia crisis and its repercussions.

“Since most of the materials we use are imported, it has become very difficult to find some of them and the prices rose continuously every month. That means we need to raise our product’s prices to cover its costs, but at the same time the consumer can barely afford the new prices of the necessary commodities,” El Sayed explained.

At the outset of 2022, the global economy was just beginning to pick itself up from the rubble of the heavy toll inflicted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, particularly the “high inflation and strained supply chains.”

But when Russia launched its attack against Ukraine in late February, the conflict sowed new chaos and uncertainty, with more disruptions in global trade and supply chains, as well as a rise in energy and food prices.

Owing to that turmoil, Egypt, too, is faced with deep economic challenges. As policies and programs are implemented and citizens struggle to adjust, questions are raised as to the root cause of these challenges, and whether the war overseas is indeed the only culprit.

A file photo of a delivery worker rides his motorbike in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (AFP)

«This is the first time I am thinking to quit my business, things used to have ups and downs, but the current challenges are really serious».

Against the backdrop of these ominous indicators, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) allowed the Egyptian pound to move from its stable exchange rate, three times through the year, which led to the rise of both interest rates and prices of essential goods.

Six years ago, Egypt went through a similar episode of balance of payments and foreign exchange pressure, and had to conclude an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan of USD 12 billion (approximately EGP 216 billion at the time), securing further funding from Gulf states in support of its tough monetary and fiscal reform measures.

Many of the small business owners have quit their businesses or shifted their activity to other projects during the last crisis, while others are still striving to find solutions, hoping that things will change sooner or later.

Nehal Omran, a painter who has her own business of painted leather accessories and home accessories, has added a new product line that might attract different clients in the meantime.

started to sell painted mugs and cushions,

“I

Many of the small business owners have quit their businesses or shifted their activity to other projects during the last crisis, while others are still striving to find solutions, hoping that things will change sooner or later.

Egyptian street vendors of goods and traditional nuts and sweets waiting for customers in old Cairo, Egypt. December 28, 2022. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

as clients are looking more for practical products they can use in their daily life, and this helps me alot,” Omran said to Majalla.

Unlike Omran, Mostafa Abdel Halim, a woodworking craftsman who used to make gifts such as boxes and tableaus, has halted his output until things become stable again.

“I halted my production temporarily, because the wood prices are not stable and there is an increase on a daily basis,” Abdel Halim said.

“Now I am working as an outsourced graphic designer for one of the small companies, until things become clear,” he added to Majalla.

Small and medium enterprises have been considered the backbone of the promising economies in most countries.

Many governments, including the Egyptian government, have a great interest in small and medium enterprises as a part of a short and long-term strategy for the development of their economies.

They are considered as a key doorways to huge projects, and share greatly in the countries’ economy due to their flexibility and quick response to changes in the local and international market through their contribution to the investment of local savings needed in all developing economics.

Despite the current scene, there are many stories of micro, small and medium enterprises achieving success. However, there is always hope for further development by small businesses to realize an active role in the Egyptian economy to reduce poverty and to share the challenges of the unemployment problem.

An Egyptian street vendor carrying bread and sweets in old Cairo, Egypt. December 28, 2022. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

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High Tech but Low Standards Videos and Decency

By Mohammad Ali Salih – Washington

Last week, the U.S. Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed into law, the annual, almost two trillion national budget that has a short, last-minute-added provision prohibiting the use of the social video site Tik Tok in federal government operations. For a few years, there has been complaints by mostly Republicans and conservatives that the widely-successful Chinese-owned site was also a secret Chinese technology that threatened U.S. security.

The new law was criticized, not only for being political, but also for ignoring a major issue in Tik Tok and also in major American social video companies, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – Indecency.

Actually, the American companies’ social videos seem to have become more sexual so as to compete with Tik Tok, which has been dominating not only world-wide

audiences, but also advertisements – mostly of American companies.

On the steps of Tik Tok, Facebook and Instagram have “Reel;” YouTube and Snapchat have “Shorts;” and Twitter is said to be planning to join.

The problem of showing sexualized content started with the creation of the social videos, and technical algorithms often prioritize sexual content because it attracts more audience.

Following are excerpts from opinions by three experts on the subject, from their websites or as quoted in the media: First, Shane Blackheart, author of books on fantasy and horror, described some of the sexual videos that showed up on her phone without her consent.

Second, Christian Sandvig, the director of the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing at the University of Michigan, said that

President Joe Biden signed into law, the annual, almost two trillion national budget that has a short, lastminute-added provision prohibiting the use of the social video site Tik Tok in federal government operations.

Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

sexualized contents are intentionally introduced to increase audience and followers.

Third, Christine Pai, spokeswoman for Instagram, explains methods that social video companies use to detect and delete obscene videos.

Shane Blackheart: “Mostly Young Women:”

“When I started using TikTok last year, it was supposed to be related to my work because I wanted to connect with fans and reach new readers on the social-video sites. Needless to say that social videos have become hugely influential in the book world

“What did I find?

More than a few videos of women in outfits that were barely covering any skin, like lingerie or see-through things. Or just halfnude women dancing or modeling something,

or things similar.

I didn’t linger too long to see much more because those videos made me uncomfortable …

“My research showed me how common that problem was, as content were intentionally designed to get more watchers and followers,

Actually, the American companies’ social videos seem to have become more sexual so as to compete with Tik Tok, which has been dominating not only world-wide audiences, but also advertisements – mostly of American companies.

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including suggestive clips of women or things meant to shock.

The unfortunate result was that people find themselves unable to get the sexual videos out of their automated feeds, despite never liking them or following those creators …

“Researching responses from those video companies, I found that they expected people to “train” their own feed to stop showing unwanted videos. But that takes

time and isn’t as effective when pitted against human nature …”

Christain Sandvig: “Algorithms”:

“According to the numbers of likes and comments on many of the sexualized videos, they are broadly popular.

Social videos’ companies say that algorithms could detect a view’s taste, in any subject, and could work to accommodate that taste. And, in the case of sexualized videos, the companies said it was only a problem for a beginner – until the logarithms adjust his/her taste.

Those companies call the problem a “coldstart” problem, because they couldn’t make a behavioral prediction without any behavior

…

“Research that I participated in showed that virtually any algorithm may deserve scrutiny. It is true that a search algorithm that did not satisfy its users would be unlikely to continue operation for very long. But it is important to note that most situations in which algorithms

TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 2022 ,22 REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/ Illustration/File Photo

The problem of showing sexualized content started with the creation of the social videos, and technical algorithms often prioritize sexual content because it attracts more audience.

are employed permit the algorithms to satisfy multiple goals simultaneously.

There are also many ways an algorithm might be “rigged” that are normatively problematic. Therefore, public interest scrutiny of algorithms is required, so as to focus on subtle patterns of problematic behavior and that this may not be discernable directly or via a particular instance.

It is important to consider that algorithms can be manipulated in ways that do not disadvantage their users directly or obviously

“A group of female uploaders discovered an effective strategy to increase audience and advertizing revenue. These “reply girls” produced videos whose thumbnail depicted their own cleavage then marked these videos as responses to content that was topical and was receiving many views …”

Christine Pai: “Doing Our Best:”

“Our ranked feed and recommendations for new users prioritize posts and

recommendations we think users are more likely to enjoy based on what is trending or popular. Or based on interactions.

WE understand we may not always get it right. But we are working on improving suggestions and customization tools for new users …

“As part of our dedication to our audience, we have shut-down Boomerang, standalone app so as to better focus our efforts on the main app. But Boomerang is still supported in-app in Stories. And we will continue working on new ways for people to be creative and have fun on Instagram …

“Boomerang from Instagram launched back in 2014 and allowed users to create mini videos from a burst of 10 shots.

With 301 million lifetime global downloads, Boomerang was a famous app and people were still downloading the app at the time of its removal. But, the removal is from standalone, not from the main app …”

The TikTok logo is displayed outside a TikTok office on December 2022 ,20 in Culver City, California. Congress is pushing legislation to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app from most government devices.

Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

Kevin McCarthy: The Republican Speaker of the House

‘Classical Music is No More the Privilege of Elites’

Syrian Pianist Tamzejian talks to Majalla about Arabic Culture Affecting Classical Music

By Motasem Al Felou – Jeddah

Inspired by the sun when it rises in Lyon, France, where he lives, knowing that it had already risen in Damascus, Syrian pianist Jan Tamzejian is a repository of musical talents.

In his relentless endeavor to explore new depths of music, Tamzejian keeps digging in history, religions, languages, culture and memories, reaching greater heights in his musical journey. His passion for piano goes beyond mere music, as he explains: “The piano has always been my privileged home for noble emotions, either joyful or painful. The more I worked my instrument, the more that passion gave me insights and the more I understood

the role of piano in my musical life. I think we are living in an exciting time in the history of clavier instruments. Piano is the descendant of harpsichord that gave a new expansion to ancient repertoire.”

“I had passionate teachers like the late Vasken Pandjarian, who influenced me with his artistic profile as pianist and composer, and Zaretsky, who was aware of the composer inside his pupil and cultivated him pianistically,” he added

Tamzejian has interesting views on the term “classical music.” He has coined his own term to describe the genre of music he appreciates the most: “literary music.” He believes that the word

“classical” refers to only one era, and does not capture the full scope of the music.

Born in 1975 and raised in Damascus, Syria, the pianist has fully embraced cultural diversity. In one person, you can find the Syrian, Armenian, Arab, French and English cultures combined together with music at the heart of everything he does. The boundaries between the first three cultures disappear, making him a melting pot, where each culture has deep roots inside his identity. Music has been both a passion and profession for his family. His late father, musical historian and critic Vahe Tamzejian (1945-2011), had presented a musical and cultural TV and radio show entitled “Language of the World,” which focused on classical music.

Jan Tamzejian graduated from the High Institute of Music in 1998, and moved to France in 1999 to pursue his career in music. In 2021, he achieved the highest score in music in the examination for the public education system.

Tamzejian sheds light on the current situation of classical music, and shares his views on how Arab culture influenced classical music.

AN ELITE BRAND?

“Classical music is no longer the privilege of elites, namely the obscurantist elites. My father, Vahe Tamzejian, advocated, as I do, that music should be for everyone. Nevertheless, it is legitimate for music, as any art or science, to require its enlightened elites,” replied Tamzejian to Majalla’s question on the degree of popularity of this genre of music.

From his position in Lyon, the Syrian musician explains the reasons behind the declining value of classical music as a brand: “The declining value is a symptom of an artistic system that wants to invigorate its tree by sawing its oldest and biggest branch. Unwilling to see this area criticized as the most controversial one, it sat on the very branch it is sawing.”

“I do not intend to leave art to a world deprived of any visionary civilizational project. As Meleager put it in his poem thousands of years ago: “If I am Syrian, what difference, O stranger? The universe is our homeland,” he elaborated on the topic.

The France-based musician is infatuated with the idea of positive interaction between the East/Orient and the West through music. The musical interaction enriches the musical scene in multiple ways.

“Globalization is an ancient phenomenon. The intercultural relations are one of the most positive (if not the most positive) and sophisticated forms of human interaction. The latter is not possible without the sovereignty of all its cultural actors. In order to understand the enrichment of the musical scene one needs to

study the interbreeding mechanisms of musical styles and genres epistemologically and musicologically,” he explained.

“When we speak about ‘richness,’ the term is not merely figurative in order to make a nice phrase. Instead, we speak about a phenomenal potential of creativity and discovery of new styles and new forms of artistic expression,” he added.

PROSE EXPRESSED BY MUSIC

Considered widely the deepest form of human expression, music is a feast to the ear and the soul. Experimentation is at the heart of Jan Tamzejian’s musical experience. He has experimented with a unique genre of music called “lyric works,” which is based on turning poems (written texts) into musical pieces. Lyric works include Arabic and Armenian poems as well as Syriac prayers.

This musical adventure - if can be called so - requires diving into the deepest musical structures of words/texts, capturing their essence, and, eventually, transforming the conclusions into creative musical pieces.

The Syrian pianist starts with the obstacles he faced in his musical endeavor by saying: “Working with prose poems was indeed challenging and it took me a very long period of maturation to ‘dare’ it. I was brought up on the idea that Arabic literary language is unsuitable for ‘classical music style singing’ (whatever that means) namely because of its guttural consonants. This argument is somehow similar to the one Mozart had to face about German language but he broke the myth with ‘The Abduction from the Seraglio.’ I had to make my own ‘abduction’ also, but I faced another obstacle, which was more sociological than esthetical because of an already established ‘standardized’ style both in classical, popular, and ‘mediatic’ forms of singing.”

On the details of his experience, Tamzejian says: “Lyric works

In his relentless endeavor to explore new depths of music, Tamzejian keeps digging in history, religions, languages, culture and memories, reaching greater heights in his musical journey.

Tamzejian performing in France in 2013.

started with an ‘Armenian Lieder Project’ with songs based on two poems by Matteos Zarifian (1894-1924). This was extended into an ‘Arab Lieder Project’ with a newborn ‘Song for Bab Touma’ based on the words of the great poet Mohammad AlMaghout (1934-2006).”

He added: “From there on, I learned that diving into the structure of words, into their intonations and into their rhythms is a matter of a transparent acceptance and a sincere friendship with the text. I do not feel that I am ‘fabricating’ any music but rather listening to the inner music of the poem and giving it its own rights. Then and only then I feel as if the text is authorizing me to ‘do my own things’ to use an expression of Bruckner.”

ARAB CULUTRE INFLUENCE

“Antara” and “Scheherazade” are two stories that have inspired the Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) to create a couple of masterpieces in the world of classical music.

“Antara” is a symphony based on the story of a dream of a famous Arab knight named Antara bin Shaddad (525-608), who lived in the Islamic era. “Scheherazade” is another symphony that was built on a very famous story entitled “The Arabian Nights.”

Tamzejian uses a dreamy, optimistic and fresh language that reflects his rising musical spirit. When asked about how he perceived both symphonies, he answers: “I heard an anecdote about Rimsky-Korsakov visiting Syria and even his hearing Antara’s story in the Nofara café in Damascus! If not true, the career of Korsakov in the Russian navy and his travels could make a story of this kind plausible. It is not difficult to extract historical elements from books or internet (musicologie.org; Huston Sympho-

ny site, Britannica, Universalis, etc.) to have an idea about what inspired these two musical gems. Nevertheless, the interesting point is how they summarize and how they connect to music.”

According to Tamzejian, the above sources suggest that there were two elements which inspired Korsakov.

The first element is Francesco Salvadore-Daniel’s “collection of Algerian, Moresque and Kabyle songs.” Salvadore-Daniel was director of Paris Conservatory and Borodin had his book. It is said that Rimsky-Korsakov used it as an inspiration for melodic material in “Antar” and the 3rd movement of “Scheherazade,” but this is a thesis that Tamzejian does not accept. Why?

“In fact, it is much clearer to hear the strong intertextuality between the first instance of the melody of “Scheherazade” and the clarinet solo of Balakirev’s (Tamara) inspired by a poem of by Mikhaïl Lermontov. ‘Thamar,’ or ‘Akh Thamar,’ is a traditional Armenian legend. Why I cannot easily find resources to connect the ancient Armenian ‘Thamar’ with Lermontov’s ‘Thamar,’ although the Russian poet is celebrated as ‘the poet of Caucasus,’ I do not understand,” he elaborates.

The second element is probably a free adapted version of “Alf Layla w Layla” (The Arabian Nights) by Antoine Galland, French ambassador to Constantinople in 1670. Antoine Galland, who learned and taught Arabic, purchased ancient manuscripts and other “objects de curiosité” during his travels in the Levant as a part of the French East India Company, a colonial commercial enterprise.

“Galland purchased the earliest surviving manuscript of “Arabian Nights” from 14th century Syria, a manuscript that Syrians no longer possess. It is important for Armenians and Syrians not to neglect their history; this prevents them from seeing the close and strong relationship between their cultures and how it influences the world. It is time to claim our just place and refuse interposing layers of events pushing us into margins,” Tamzejian said.

Scheherazade by Léon Bakst (before 1917)

MUSICAL CRITIQUE

The Syrian composer provides his own critique for Rimsky-Korsakov’s two symphonies: “Antara” and “Scheherazade.”

“Musically speaking, we understand two things. First, RimskyKorsakov was careful not to express Oriental music with some Orientalist clichés. He respected both the Western and Eastern ear, and he found in the music of the Mashreq (East) and the Maghreb (West) a bridge between the well-tempered system and the system of maqam, namely to get a ‘credible’ melodic plasticity for the theme of ‘Scheherazade,’ which is a true compositional research lesson that Korsakov himself ‘learned’ from Balakirev.”

“Secondly, the free adaptation of Galland did not prevent our Arabic literature from influencing programmatic symphonic music in a unique matter. In fact, ‘The Arabian Nights’ has the particularity of being composed of tales inside a frame narrative. In Rimsky-Korsakov work, the same relationship is to be found: the introduction announces the outer tale and the later movements are scenes from the inner tales. Surprisingly, the same relationship persists in the movements but are reversed!” he added.

Tamzejian continues his critique by giving an example from the first movement “The sea and Sinbad’s ship” (Letters C to E, or measures 94 to 125 of the musical score). When we hear Scheherazade’s theme in the violin announcing “the wind,” the music ascends in a crescendo to a “storm” until the brasses announce, by the theme of Shahryar (measure 117), the “grand ship facing the waves of the sea.” The themes no longer represent the outer tale characters, rather these are transformed inside the inner tale scenes into musical “images!” We can describe this in contemporary semiotics thus: the signifier and the signified are connected through the musical motif (in Saussure’s terminology), or as the sign between the icons/characters and the symbol “images” (in

Peirce’s terminology).

According to Tamzejian, the motives are not a Wagnerian leitmotif, neither can we speak about program music excluding a symphonic poem logic or vice versa. We have a singular hybrid situation in musical literature, not only a mere evocation of an Arabian tale.

“Although it is not the first example of a cyclic form in music, and although Rimsky-Korsakov “always insisted that the music was not intended as an exact portrayal of any particular tale or any part of the collection” (Encyclopedia Britannica), the latter elements suggest that the cyclic form is strongly related to the episodic nature of the corpus itself.”

“This relationship was so strong that it enlarged the scope of its influence on “Antar.” Korsakov later tried to give the music a symphonic form and named it his 2nd symphony. Later on, we read in Korsakov’s chronicles that naming the piece as a symphony was inappropriate and Korsakov preferred the term: symphonic suite,” the musician concluded.

Vahe Tamzejian, Jan’s father

Syrian Pianist Jan Tamzejian

Experimentation is at the heart of Tamzejian’s musical experience. He has experimented with a unique genre of music called “lyric works,” based on turning written poems into musical pieces.

pinion o New Year, New Happiness Quest

When making resolutions, the hunt for fulfilment starts and ends with us

The dawn of any new year often brings with it New Year’s resolutions. This is the tradition of determining to do or be something - or indeed, to not do or be something - usually to the betterment or advancement of oneself or others.

By Luisa Markides

It may be to burn off some Christmas excess and get fit. It may be to build or rebuild a relationship, or build/rebuild a wall at the bottom of the garden. These resolutions can be vague or specific, multiple or single, short-term or longterm, difficult or easy. Boiled down, what most aim to induce is happiness, that much-sought after, much-heralded mental or psychological state of being to which many of us aspire.

The subject of happiness - including its definition, its cause and effects, its sustainability and loss – has all been pondered, probed, and penned by various mood-focused sages for thousands of years. It is the promise of advertisers, the barometer of gurus, the foundation of love and friendship, and the driving force behind much of what we do. But still we ask, especially at this time of year: what is happiness, and how can we achieve it?

The term happiness comes from the

Old Norse term ‘happ’ meaning ‘luck’ or ‘chance.’ It’s also related to the Old English word ‘hæpic’ meaning ‘equal.’ Yet whatever its origins, it helps to start by recognising that happiness is necessarily subjective, meaning that every person will define ‘happiness’ slightly differently.

For some, it will link to health, finance, family, or freedoms. For others, it is more feeling- or sense-based. Moreover, not only do people differ in how they define it; they also differ in the degree to which they feel it is being attained. Think, for instance, how wealth may influence it. For some, happiness may come from having enough to eat. For another, it may come from buying that new car in that colour with those optional extras.

Happiness can be transitory or semipermanent. Some philosophers categorise this as hedonism versus life satisfaction. It is the greater security of the latter, roughly synonymous with wellbeing or flourishing, to which most people aim. Some confuse true happiness for something altogether more fleeting, more superficial. Contrary to what they tell themselves, and what they may tem-

porarily believe, deep down, these people are not in fact happy.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, happiness is “about or with something, a state of being satisfied that something is good or right, a synonym of satisfaction”. Some would add that happiness cannot be bought, stolen, earned, or found externally, and that true happiness comes from within.

According to Greek philosopher Socrates, who considered the subject about 2,500 years ago, the secret of happiness “is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less”. We likely all know a consumer or two who would benefit from this advice!

Likewise, Plato described happiness as “the secure enjoyment of what is good and beautiful”. He also said: “The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depend upon himself and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily.” He thus defined happiness as personal growth, not something we glean from the outside world, but something we create within ourselves. Similarly, Democritus, another Greek philosopher, described happiness as a “case of mind” that did not rely on external circumstances.

As to its importance, when asked about the ultimate purpose to human existence, Aristotle replied that happiness was the end goal. In pursuit of happiness, he said man should strive for “that which is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else”.

Confucius, whose philosophy underpins much of the eastern world, stated that “the more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large”. It was an early example of the importance of positivity and positive thinking. More recently, 19th century philosopher Henry David Thoreau described happiness as “like a butterfly”, saying: “The more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will

come and sit softly on your shoulder.” The idea is a comforting one, certainly to those whose own pursuit of happiness seems full of hurdles, but at the same time it seems to disown responsibility.

To these and many others, the value attached to happiness can seem so priceless precisely because it can appear so elusive, yet it needn’t be, because ultimately the ability to be happy is universally innate - it is within all of us. Unless there is a clinical reason why someone cannot experience happiness, they can. Often, this means busting some myths. One of the biggest happiness myths is that we need a partner or spouse to be happy, that being in a relationship is the key that unlocks the happiness door. True, couples can be happy, but coupledom can also lead to the opposite. Again, this myth suggests that happiness emanates from external sources, yet wisdom dictates that its source is always ultimately internal.

In the midst of January in northern Europe, widely regarded as a pretty miserable month, the darkness of shorter days can echo in our mood, and the post-Christmas crash can leave us searching for things to bring a smile to our face.

At such times, it can help to begin a positivity jar. This is an empty jar people fill with a positive note every day or every week. This may be something affirmative, encouraging, pleasing, hope-inducing, pleasant, or otherwise light-hearted. At the end of the year, the jar will have 365 (or 53) positive notes to be read again. The idea is to remind ourselves of – and focus on - the good things in life, rather than the bad.

Despair not, happiness seekers. The road to nirvana can be long and rocky. The more we can take back control of our quest to be happy and the less we rely on others, the better. When we define what happiness means to us, we stand a far better chance of finding it. And remember: joy, celebration, value, affirmation – these are all there already, lurking inside, waiting to get out.

When we define what happiness means to us, we stand a far better chance of finding it .

ovies

‘M3GAN’: The Sweetest lil’ Lethal Robotic Friend a Girl Could Want Do Androids Dream of

Electric Sheep?

By Michael Phillips

A pleasantly nutty thriller about a crafty, high-end toy, “M3GAN” exploits a child’s grief for the greater good of the killer-doll genre. That may be enough for 100 minutes of your early January.

The writer Philip K. Dick once asked: Do androids dream of electric sheep? M3GAN, which stands for “Model 3 Generative Android,” looks as if she/ it dreams only of Nicole Kidman in “To Die For.” She’s a fast learner, this wide-eyed miracle of artifi-

cial intelligence and machine learning — mean girl, nice girl and killing spree all wrapped up in distinctive dance stylings, interesting eyewear, cunning emotional manipulation skills, and a way of running through the woods like a wolf in a skirt. Also — this part is great — she boasts an unerring sense of exactly when her primary human companion, a griefstricken young girl, needs comforting, and a few bars of the sappiest you’ve-got-a-friend-in-me ballad in the history of song.

There is, of course, a human element to the story,

even if robotics expert Gemma (Allison Williams) never quite seems human herself. Gemma works for the Hasbro-like toy firm Funki, maker of the talking, pooping “PurrpetualPetz.” Squirreling away research funds for their under-the-radar development of M3GAN, Gemma and her design colleagues Tess (Jen Van Epps) and Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) come up with a game-changer: M3GAN, an American Girl for the rest of us, carrying a $10,000 price tag (in other words, squarely in the American Girl range). The Funki CEO (Ronny Chieng) sees nothing but dollar signs.

Who needs parents with this silicon-encased wonder around? M3GAN runs a tiptop home schooling operation; she makes jokes; she listens; she reminds you to put the toilet seat down, and wash your hands after using. The “M3GAN” prologue takes place pre-M3GAN, with a fatal, snowy car crash that robs Gemma’s preteen niece Cady (Violet McGraw) of her parents and lands the child in the clueless protective custody of her aunt. When Gemma realizes that an early robotic invention of hers is the one source of consolation in Katy’s new life, it’s a quick montage and a couple of minutes of screen time to bring M3GAN into beta working order.

The movie, written with some actual wit by “Malignant” scribe Akela Cooper, tracks the results, and the resulting body count. Director Gerard Johnstone brings little style but some hacky verve to a film that slips all over the road in terms of tone, but isn’t dull about it.

At its best this is a horror comedy, and its antiheroine has learned all her tricks from previous movies. The second an annoying neighbor (Lori Dungey) and her

snarling pet dog show up, mentally you’re thinking: killer-doll victims one and two, step right up!

The idea is that M3GAN is both fiercely protective of Cady but also interested in her own developmental health and well-being. The android is played (when we see her portrayed by a human, that is) by Amie Donald and voiced like a whole team of Bratz dolls by Jenna Davis.

The dumbest thing about “M3GAN” is its dumbest character: Gemma, both as written and as played by Williams, may be the lowest-IQ parental unit in cinema, certainly in the killler-doll genre. The audience, natch, sees all the danger signs long before Gemma does, and she doesn’t do squat to make Katy’s anguished transition from one life to another any easier. It wouldn’t have killed the creative team to make the movie’s robotics expert a little less … robotic?

On the other hand, who remembers anything about the “Child’s Play” movies other than Chucky? At heart, though technically she lacks one, M3GAN is the love child of HAL 9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Haley Joel Osment in “A.I.” I suspect this will be hit for Blumhouse Productions: It’s modestly budgeted and just funny enough, intentionally, to take your brain off the eye-rolling bits. “M3GAN” offers plenty of sadistic mayhem (nail guns, etc.) comfortably ensconed inside a PG-13 rating. Some reasonably diverting time-wasters go in one eye and out the other. But it’s January, as previously mentioned.

‘M3GAN’

2.5 stars (out of 4)

Rated: PG-13 (for violent content and terror, some strong language, and a suggestive reference) Running time: 1:42

How to watch: In theaters Friday

article was originally published by Chicago Tribune.

This

The idea is that M3GAN is both fiercely protective of Cady but also interested in her own developmental health and well-being.

Violet McGraw, left, as Cady, M3GAN, and Allison Williams as Gemma in “M3GAN,” directed by Gerard Johnstone. (Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures/TNS)

The titular robotic nightmare stars as “M3GAN.” (Universal) (HANDOUT)

Culture

Al-Alfy: Egypt’s Champs-Elysées

The Historic Street Considered Most Prestigious in Downtown Cairo

By Salwa Samir

During his reign, Khedive Ismail (r. 1863-1879) had dreamt to make downtown Cairo resemble the European countries that underwent remarkable progress in the field of architecture at that time. Accordingly, he paid great attention to architecture in the capital with the help of senior French and Italian architects to achieve his dream.

Foreign architects used their skills in constructing the dazzling buildings in terms of Ottoman, Mamluk, or Pharaonic heritage after they removed the hills of dust that surrounded Cairo for hundreds of years, and replanned the streets.

Al-Alfy Street, located some 600 meters from Tahrir Square, is considered the most prestigious and beautiful street in the downtown. It is called Egypt’s “ChampsElysées” due to the similarity of its design to the international French street that tourists have visited for decades.

The pedestrian-only street has wooden benches on both

sides as well as a reading library. Trees were planted in its corners and there is a wonderful lighting system, not to mention the restaurants and cafes on its both sides.

This 135-meters long and 22-meters wide street was home to shops owned by craftsmen who were knitters, hairdressers, painters, makers of antiques and jewelery, and kneaders who made pies and sweets.

It was named after Mohamed Al-Alfy, the last Mamluk prince in Egypt. He survived the massacre of the Citadel made by Mohamed Ali to seize power. Al-Alfy was able to gain sufficient fame and status to qualify him as one of the competitors of the governor Mohamed Ali on the throne of Egypt.

Al-Alfy had a huge palace located on the side of the street. The palace was the marvel of its era, with its marble columns, windows of precious wood, antiques, and chandeliers that came as a gift from some of the richest people in Europe.

As soon as he finished building this palace, the French

campaign against Egypt began (1798–1801), and he fled to Upper Egypt. French military commander and leader of the campaign Napoleon Bonaparte chose the Al-Alfy Palace as his residence throughout his stay in Egypt.

During the reign of Mohamed Ali (1805-1848) the palace was turned into Al-Alsun School. It was closed for many years until it burned down in the tragic Cairo Fire on January 26, 1952. This day also called “Black Saturday” witnessed the burning and looting of over 750 buildings in downtown Cairo as a result of the British attack on an Egyptian government building in Ismailia, a city in north-eastern Egypt,that killed over 50 Egyptian policemen. Such anti-British riots led to the Egyptian revolution in July of the same year that toppled the monarchy.

Among the most famous and oldest landmarks of AlAlfy Street is the Alfi Bey Restaurant. It was originally called the old Printania Theatre, one of the largest thea-

tres in Cairo, built in 1906.

The building was demolished in the 1930s and was replaced by the Alfy Bey Restaurant, which was a meeting place of pashas, beys and statesmen. The restaurant has maintained its splendor and elegance until now.

Above the restaurant is the Shahrazad nightclub, which was founded by the Egyptian artist Fathia Mahmoud (1913-1981). It is regarded as the most important ar-

Al-Alfy Street in downtown Cairo.

(Credit: Salwa Samir)

It is called Egypt’s ChampsElysées due to the similarity of its design to the international French street that tourists have visited for decades.

Culture

tistic school from which graduated monologue artists, singers and dancers over many decades such as belly dancer and singer Badia Masabni (1892-1949), comedian Ismail Yassin (1912-1972), monologist Shokoko (1912-1985), singer Muhammad Rushdi (1928-2005), comedian actress Zeinat Sedki (1912-1978) as well as singer of Shaabi music Ahmed Adawiya (born in 1945) and dancer Nagwa Fouad (born in 1939).

There is also the Adas Building which was built by

Egyptian-Jewish businessman Daoud Adas, one of the major Egyptian merchants at that time. The building was originally a theatre called Kursaal, which presented performances by Naguib el-Rihani (1889 - 1949), the Father of Comedy in Egypt and the East’s Charlie Chaplin. The Kursaal Theater also hosted a concert by diva Umm Kulthum in 1932.

Among the landmarks is also the Windsor Hotel, which was used in the beginning of the twentieth century as hammams for the royal family, and then turned into a club for notables.

This 3-star hotel was a favorite place for British officers during the occupation.

Among other landmarks in the street was Shepheard’s Hotel. It was the leading hotel in Cairo from the mid19th century until its destruction in 1952 during the Cairo Fire.

It was built in 1841 by Samuel Shepheard under the name “Hotel des Anglais” (the English Hotel). In 1957, the hotel was reconstructed and renamed Shepheard.

The hotel was featured in the English film The Camels are Coming in 1934.

Among the most famous and oldest landmarks of Alfy Street is the Alfi Bey Restaurant. It was originally called the old Printania Theatre, one of the largest theatres in Cairo built in 1906.

Al-Alfy Street in downtown Cairo. (Credit: Salwa Samir)

(Credit:

Al-Alfy Street in downtown Cairo. (Credit: Salwa Samir)

Al-Alfy Street in downtown Cairo.

Salwa Samir)

port s

Anoud Al-Asmari: The 1st Saudi Arabian Woman to Receive A FIFA Badge

Saudi Arabia Plays Critical Role in Advancing Women’s Leadership in Sports

By Sarah Gamal

Since last week, Anoud Al-Asmari has been the talk of the Arab and international media, thanks to her success in becoming the first Saudi Arabian woman to receive A FIFA badge.

On Saturday, 7 January 2023, FIFA announced the appointment of Anoud AlAsmari as the first Saudi Arabian woman international referee. Al- Asmari’s appointment is also the latest historic milestone for Saudi women’s football. The Kingdom submitted its bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in December.

Furthermore, the Arab Gulf Cup Football Association (AGCFF) announced the participation of Saudi Arabia’s first female international referee in the (25) Gulf Cup, which kicked off in Basra with 8 teams.

FIFA named Al-Asmari as one of eight Saudis to the International Panel less than

a year after Saudi Arabia’s first women’s national team debuted.

“I am honored to be the first Saudi female referee to receive the international badge in Saudi sports history,” the 35-year-old told

FIFA has appointed Anoud al-Asmari as the first Saudi woman to serve as an international football referee. (Via Twitter)

The women’s team has 450 registered players, 49 qualified referees and more than 900 coaches. Jan. ,07 2023. | Photo: The New Arab

the media.

In 1988, Al-Asmari was born in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Asmari began her sports career as a referee in 2018 by managing a series of matches in the Saudi Women’s League. She was selected by FIFA to be the first Saudi female to hold the badge of international referee on the list of Saudi international referees for 2023.

She also began her refereeing career with small workshops at the end of 2018, and she honed her skills by attending a FIFA refereeing course in Dubai in 2019. She also took part in a qualifying coexistence program for Arab referees and Arab Women’s Cup participants in Cairo.

The 35-year-old also worked on the refereeing teams for Saudi Arabia’s first women’s regional league in 2021 and is now on the refereeing teams for the women’s Premier League’s inaugural season this season.

Al-Asmari stated that her ideal referee is

Kari Seitz, FIFA’s Head of Women Refereeing, whom she met during a FIFA refereeing session in Dubai in 2019, along with Captain Mari Al-Awaj and Captain Abdulaziz. The Future of Women Referees in Saudi Arabia Looks Bright

Al-Asmari’s arrival at the international badge highlighted the gradual development of women’s refereeing in Saudi stadiums, specifically in women’s competitions, through the Women’s Premier League and the Women’s First Division League.

Among the refereeing names that have

On Saturday,

January 2023, FIFA announced the appointment of Anoud Al-Asmari as the first Saudi Arabian woman international referee.

emerged in Saudi Arabian women’s competitions is Heba Al-Awadi, on whose future the Saudi Arabian Football Federation is betting, having decided in January 2022 to send her to an academic course for referees presented by the AFC that will last three years, until she obtains a master’s degree.

On the other hand, several female referees have worked in Premier League and firstclass matches. Reem Al-Dosari, Revan Matbouli, Lulwa Al-Dosari, Shahd Zerban,

Sarah Al-Dosari, Reem Al-Bishi, Rajaa AlHujaili, Eman Al-Madani, Lama Al-Juhani, and Wijdan Al-Ahmadi are among those who have participated.

The Saudi Football Association stepped up its efforts to develop Saudi women’s refereeing in 2022, hosting a FIFA refereeing course in April with the participation of 39 female referees, followed by a fitness trainers course for referees with the participation of 17 female referees, all under the supervision of Uzbek lecturer Julia Tarasova. In May, the federation held a fitness trainers course for female referees, followed by a FIFA refereeing course for female referees, with 23 female referees participating.

Women’s Football is Thriving in KSA Saudi Arabia has made its mark on the international soccer stage. Football, Saudi Arabia’s number one sport, has gained prominence and momentum in recent years, particularly after the national team’s recent victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with the entire squad based in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s national women’s football team won its first-ever international match beating the Seychelles on February 2022 ,20. (Twitter)

The 35-year-old also worked on the refereeing teams for Saudi Arabia’s first women’s regional league in 2021 and is now on the refereeing teams for the women’s Premier League’s inaugural season this season.

(Supplied)

Significant investment has been made in grassroots player development, competitions, coaching, and other areas over the last three years, including the inaugural women’s football league and girls’ school league.

Al-Asmari’s appointment came less than a year after Saudi Arabia’s women’s national soccer team, which was established in 2019, played its first match.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation officially inaugurated the women’s team in 2019, with 450 registered players, 49 qualified referees, and over 900 coaches.

Saudi Arabia, whose neighbor Qatar hosted the World Cup in November and December, has applied to host the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and is the sole bidder for the 2027 Men’s Asian Cup.

It is also considering a joint bid with Egypt and Greece for the 2030 World Cup.

Al- Asmari’s appointment also comes just a week after Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon D’or winner, arrived in Saudi Arabia following his historic signing with Al Nassr

Football Club.

If Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 is successful, it will play a critical role in advancing women’s leadership in sport both at home and abroad.

The decision by Saudi Arabia to bid on the women-only events reflects the country’s efforts to unlock untapped potential and opportunities for Asian women and girls.

Al-Asmari began her sports career as a referee in 2018.

Al- Asmari’s appointment also comes just a week after Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon D’or winner, arrived in Saudi Arabia following his historic signing with Al Nassr Football Club.

3 New Year’s Medication Resolutions

By Heidi Godman

The new year is traditionally a time to think about ways to improve your health. As you resolve to exercise more, eat a healthier diet, and get more sleep, you might also think about making changes in your medication regimen. There are several things you can do to ensure you take your pills reliably or even save money on prescriptions. Here are three resolutions to get you started.

1. Schedule a comprehensive medication review

Set up a consultation with your pharmacist (which is usu-

ally free) or call your doctor’s office to see if your clinician can review your medications at your next checkup. This includes both prescription medicines as well as overthe-counter supplements and remedies. Do any of the medications have dangerous interactions with each other? Are they causing side effects (such as unusual fatigue, aching muscles, depression)? Are all of your medicines still necessary?

For example: “You may be taking a prescription drug for osteoporosis that was only intended for a few years, but you’ve been taking it for seven years. Or maybe you’re taking so many supplements that it’s hard for you to

manage the rest of your medicines,” says Joanne Doyle Petrongolo, a pharmacist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

2. Look for ways to save money on medications

Getting rid of unnecessary pills is just one way you can reduce medication costs. Another is learning about the prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (signed by President Biden in August 2022). Starting this year (2023), the rules cap the cost of insulin (for diabetes) to $35 per month for people on Medicare, and make all vaccines (such as the shingles vaccine) free to people with Medicare Part D. By 2025, out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs will be capped at $2,000 per year (down from more than $7,000) for people with Medicare Part D.

Here are other strategies to save money on prescription medications.

Talk to your doctor about drug costs. When your doctor is writing a prescription, explain that you’d like the least expensive option possible, such as a generic versus a brandname drug.

Cut certain pills in half. Ask your doctor if it’s possible to prescribe a pill that’s twice the dose of your usual one, so you can cut it in two. Typically, the larger pills cost only a little more, but the prescription lasts twice as long, so you’ll wind up saving money. This only works for certain medications, such as tablets, that can be split easily and aren’t time-release formulations. For example, you could split many versions of atenolol, used to treat high blood pressure and other conditions.

Request a 90-day supply. That way you’ll make just one copay for a three-month supply, which may be cheaper than making three copays for three 30-day supplies.

Don’t always get the entire prescription filled. “There are certain times when you might not want to buy the full 90pill prescription--like if you’re trying out a new drug and you want to wait to see if it causes side effects before you pay for the whole supply. Talk to the pharmacist to see if a smaller quantity may be appropriate,” Doyle Petrongolo suggests.

Apply for a drug manufacturer’s patient assistance program. Some pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly (www.lillycares.com) and Pfizer (www.pfizerrxpathways. com) provide free medications to people who meet certain income requirements.

Use a mail-order pharmacy. “It may be cheaper. For some

generic medications, like levothyroxine for thyroid disease or atorvastatin to treat high cholesterol, the price may be zero dollars for a 90-day supply versus $9 at the local pharmacy,” Doyle Petrongolo says.

Use a prescription price finder. Type the name of the medication you need into an online price finder, and you’ll find out where your drug retails for the lowest cost.

These programs are often provided for free in apps such as GoodRx (www.goodrx.com), and by state governments, such as those in Florida (www.myfloridarx.com) and in Michigan (www.michigandrugprices.com).

Use coupons or drug discount cards. GoodRx and the nonprofit group NeedyMeds (www.needymeds.org) are popular for connecting people to deals.

3. Get organized

The new year is also a good time to review the way you take medications. Would a device keep you more organized and on track? Maybe you need a pillbox (perhaps one with an alarm); an automatic dispenser that releases the pills you need, when you need them; or a medication manager app for your smartphone that can remind you when to take each pill, and help you track when you take them. Your pharmacist can tell you about these devices. You can also ask your pharmacist about receiving your medications in presorted “pill packets” that bundle doses of several medications together, at no extra charge. All you need to remember is to take all the pills in the packet at a certain time of day. “If anything can help you do a better job at taking your pills, you’ll wind up feeling better. That would be a great accomplishment,” Doyle Petrongolo says.

article was originally published by Harvard Health Letter.

This

By 2025, out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs will be capped at $2,000 per year (down from more than $7,000) for people with Medicare Part D.

Credit: Pexels

Po rt ra it

Kevin McCarthy: The Republican Speaker of the House

By Majalla

Illustrated by Jeannette Khouri

Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, was elected House Speaker for the 118th US Congress last Saturday, a powerful position that puts him second in line for the American presidency.

Mr. McCarthy was elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives after a series of heated debates in which fellow Republicans nearly came to blows. Despite his party having a majority in the chamber, Mr. McCarthy won the job after 15 rounds of voting. It came after a dramatic pressure campaign on the House floor, during which party rebel Matt Gaetz was urged to vote for Mr. McCarthy. The Florida congressman was one of six holdouts who backed down late Friday.

Earlier, amid heated scenes in the chamber, Mr. Gaetz nearly clashed with Rep. Mike Rogers, a McCarthy supporter. The Alabama congressman was physically restrained by colleagues after yelling and pointing his finger at Mr. Gaetz.

The Speaker sets the agenda for the House and oversees legislative business. After the US vice-president, this position is second in line to the presidency. Mr. McCarthy tweeted shortly after his confirmation: “After this week, I hope one thing is clear: I will never give up. And I will never give up on you, the people of the United States.”

US President Joe Biden congratulated McCarthy on his victory and stated that he looks forward to working with the Republican Party.

Kevin Owen McCarthy, born January 26, 1965, was

previously the House Minority Leader from 2019 to 2023, as well as the House Majority Leader from 2014 to 2019 under Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan. McCarthy is serving his ninth House term, having previously represented California’s 22nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013, the 23rd congressional district from 2013 to 2023, and the 20th congressional district since 2023.

Mr. McCarthy was elected minority leader in January 2019 after Republicans lost the majority in the 2018 midterm elections and Speaker Paul Ryan retired, making him the first California Republican to hold the position.

Mr. McCarthy was a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump during his time as majority and minority leader. He supported Trump’s false denial of Biden’s victory and participated in efforts to overturn the results after Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Although he condemned the January 6 United States Capitol attack during its immediate aftermath, blaming Trump for the riot and saying the 2020 election was legitimate, he would later walk back these comments and reconcile with Trump.

He led the Republican Party to a narrow House majority in the 2022 House elections. He was later the Republican nominee for House Speaker, but he did not win the position until the 15th ballot. It was the first time since 1923 that a speaker was not elected on the first ballot, and the first time since 1859 that the election required more than nine ballots.

Mr. McCarthy voted against House Resolution 908, which condemned racism against Asian-Americans in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Septem-

ber 17, 2020. “At the heart of this resolution is the absurd notion that referring to the virus as a Wuhan virus or the China virus is the same as contributing to violence against Asian Americans,” he said.

Furthermore, in 2003 Mr. McCarthy “supported most abortion rights but opposed spending tax dollars on abortions,” while serving as minority leader in the state assembly. McCarthy had become “a staunch anti-abortion-rights advocate” by 2015, according to the Washington Post.

Mr. McCarthy supports the Hyde Amendment (a provision that Congress has annually renewed since 1976 that prohibits federal funds from being used for abortion except to save the woman’s life or if the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape) and cosponsored a bill in 2011 to make the Hyde Amendment permanent.

This bill was particularly contentious because it exempted funding for abortions caused solely by “forcible rape,” prompting abortion-rights activists to label it a redefining of rape.

Mr. McCarthy is against a California state law that requires health insurance plans to “treat abortion coverage and maternity coverage neutrally and provide both,” claiming that it violates the Weldon Amendment and other federal laws.

On the other hand, Mr. McCarthy has frequently clashed with environmentalists. As of 2015, the League of Conservation Voters gave him a lifetime score of 3%. McCarthy, as of 2014, does not accept the scientific consensus on climate change. He was a vocal opponent of President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.

He has argued that regulations governing methane leaks from fossil-fuel drilling facilities are “bureaucratic and unnecessary.”

Mr. McCarthy opposed the United States’ participation in global efforts to combat climate change in 2015. As the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference began, he announced that he would oppose an international climate change agreement.

Mr. McCarthy led House Republican efforts in 2017 to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn a

number of Obama-era environmental regulations. McCarthy previously supported the federal windenergy production tax credit, but he voted against its extension in 2014.

As for foreign policy, Mr. McCarthy stated that he supported Israel’s annexation of the West Bank. He signed a letter addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that reaffirms “the unshakeable alliance between the United States and Israel.”

Mr. McCarthy also praised Trump’s intention to

leave Afghanistan during his presidency. However, he chastised the Biden administration for the manner in which the withdrawal from Afghanistan was carried out.

Mr. McCarthy and Judy, his wife, have two children. They have lived in Bakersfield their entire lives. He and his family are Southern Baptist Convention members and Baptists.

He previously served on the Kern County Community Action Partnership’s board of directors.

Technology

Artists Accuse Adobe of Tracking their Design Process to Power its AI

A Setting in Adobe Photoshop’s Privacy Preferences Has the Artistic Community on Edge

By Bobbie Gossage

A recent viral moment highlights just how nervous the artist community is about artificial intelligence (AI). It started earlier this week, when French comic book author Claire Wendling posted a screenshot of a curious passage in Adobe’s

privacy and personal data settings to Instagram. It was quickly reposted on Twitter by another artist and campaigner, Jon Lam, where it subsequently spread throughout the artistic community, drawing nearly 2 million views and thousands of retweets. (Neither Wendling nor Lam responded to requests to comment for this story.)

The fear among those who shared the tweet was simple: That Photoshop, and other Adobe products, are tracking artists that use their apps to see how they work—in essence, stealing the processes and actions that graphic designers have developed over decades of work to mine for its own automated systems. The concern is that what is a complicated, convoluted artistic process becomes possible to automate—meaning “graphic designer” or “artist” could soon join the long list of jobs at risk of being replaced by robots.

The reaction was predictable: One commenter accused Adobe of having “predatory business practices against artists”; another worried “machine working overlords… steal from you while you work.” Another noted it was, “reason number 32405585382281858428 on why you shouldn’t use Adobe products.”

The reality may be more complex. Although Adobe did not respond to Fast Company’s multiple requests for comment, the company’s FAQ on its machine learning content analysis cites examples of how the company may use machine learningbased object recognition to auto-tag photographs of known creatures or individuals, such as dogs and cats. “In Photoshop, machine learning can be used to automatically correct the perspective of an image for you,” the company says. It also can be utilized to suggest context-aware options: If the company’s apps believe you’re designing a website, it might suggest relevant buttons to include.

The fear of design processes being tracked by technology and then used to train artificial intelligence taps into a broader discomfort with the way in which artists are treated by generative AI apps.

David Holz, the founder of Midjourney, an AI image generator, said in a September interview with Forbes that his organization had not sought the permission of the artists on which its AI was trained—which caused consternation among the art community. Some artists have created tools designed to allow their colleagues to opt out of having their work used to train AI. The European Union has also questioned the legality of AI tools hoovering up vast amounts of artwork to train their machine learning models.

“For me, it’s astonishing that a paid service assumes it’s okay to violate users’ privacy at such a scale,” says Andrey Okonetchnikov, a front-end developer and UI and UX designer from Vienna, Austria, who uses Adobe products to sync photographs. “It’s troublesome because companies who offer to store data in the cloud assume that they own the data. It violates intellectual property and privacy of millions of people and it’s assumed to be ‘business as usual’. This must stop now.”

Yet not everyone is quite as concerned. As with lots of movements on social media, some think that a legitimate concern has been overhyped and misconstrued. Part of that confusion stems from prior controversies with Adobe, where they planned to allow AI-generated images in their stock library—a move announced on December 5—which some saw as directly harmful to stock artists, and an earlier dispute with Pantone which resulted in some users losing access to the Pantone colors they had deployed in earlier design projects using Adobe software. “People saw that little checkbox for sharing data used for machine learning and conflated it with all the current AI image generation drama currently underway,” says Daniel Landerman, a Los Angeles-based creative director and illustrator.

To Landerman’s eyes, the data sharing feature for machine learning has been present in Adobe apps for years—and only applies to files stored in the Adobe cloud, which he says “any professional shouldn’t be doing anyway.” Landerman has long made sure to uncheck any options that share data

The fear of design processes being tracked by technology and then used to train artificial intelligence taps into a broader discomfort with the way in which artists are treated by generative AI apps.

Credit: TNS

with app makers, as part of the process of working with clients who often require him to sign non-disclosure agreements to work on projects.

“Everything is moving so fast with all the AI stuff: Artists trying to get regulations to catch up, AI engineers and NFT bros trying to outpace the artists,” Landerman says. “I’m not surprised some other non-issues get caught up in the turmoil.”

But beyond artists’ concerns, data protection experts say they’re worried about the way Adobe has handled the process. “Under European ePrivacy law, Adobe needs opt-in consent before reading data from individuals’ devices for the purpose not necessary for the service the user requested,” says Michael Veale, a University College London professor who specializes in digital rights.

“Sharing data in this way isn’t just unnecessary,” says Veale. “It’s way beyond users’ expectations, many of whom may have signed NDAs with clients ensuring that the content they’re editing doesn’t go anywhere.” Veale says he believes that the way the opt-out, rather than opt-in, is handled could be subject to investigations under European ePrivacy law, similar to one Apple was fined $8.5 million for earlier this week.

This article was originally published by Fast Company.

“Everything is moving so fast with all the AI stuff: Artists trying to get regulations to catch up, AI engineers and NFT bros trying to outpace the artists.”

Credit: Fast Company