www.majalla.com Issue 1918- August- 19/08/2022 2 AWeeklyPoliticalNewsMagazine www.majalla.com Issue 1918-August-19/08/2022 Suha El-Gendy: Egypt’s New Immigration MinisterA Weekly Political News Magazine Stronger Turkey Challenging Status Quo in Mediterranean A Century of Warm RelationsDiplomatic EnlargementNATO’s
While the world is witnessing its worst energy crisis in the modern age, as the Russian war on Ukraine is dragging on and more consequences are anticipated, countries are looking for untapped resources to help rescue their Thiseconomies.week, Dalia Ziada is focusing on Turkey’s declared drilling for natural gas in the Mediterranean. Recalling the warlike zone that the basin turned into the last time Turkey attempted such operations, Ziada argues that the south Mediterranean states have now shifted into new alliances that may enable Ankara to have access to new natural gas resources to save its struggling economy while investing in its influential position as a key strategic player in the ongoing conflict. On the backdrop of Europe’s energy, Iranian nuclear negotiations are gaining momentum as Tehran announced that there had been a “relative development.” In an interview for Majalla, an expert tells our writer Jiwan Soz that Iran is seizing the moment to return back to 2015 nuclear deal and keep its influence on Syria and Lebanon. Also in the politics section, Motasem Al Felou explores the aspects of the bilateral relations of Saudi Arabia and Greece in various fields, while confirming that that Saudi administration has new blood and more creative ideas to make Saudi a country that is friendly to the world and most importantly, a peacemaker. In culture section, writer Bryn Haworth navigates the odd topic of “nose” in literature. He points to the bookishness revealed in the 2022 Pulitzer-winning fiction by Joshua Cohen. Haworth traces back the nose in literature to the tale of Slawkenbergius in Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy, pointing out that “with Joshua Cohen’s addition to the long history of noses in literature, we have a fresh insinuation that large, or even misshaped, noses are tokens of ReadJewishness.”thesearticles 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
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Issue 1918- August- 19/08/2022A Weekly Political News Magazine 5 19/08/22 African Gas and the Future of Energy in Europe 28 56 How to Conquer the Heart of our Children: Be Like Them 58 The Art of Monotasking 34 America’s Biggest Financial Threat Isn’t Government Spending Europe’s Energy Crisis to Contribute to Return of Nuclear Agreement32 Nose in a Book4050 Cairo’s Social Landmark Where Time Has Stood Still !
Children stand on a boat lying on the dried-up bed of Iraq’s receding southern marshes of Chibayish in Dhi Qar province, on July, 2022.The reputed home of the biblical Garden of Eden, Iraq’s swamplands have been battered by three years of drought and low rainfall, as well as reduced river flows from neighbouring Turkey and Iran. / AFP Drought
Iraq
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Kashmiri women gesture as they attend a ceremony to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day in Srinagar on August 15, 2022. / AFP India Independence Day
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Saudi energy pro ts pro$11.62billionExxonMajorearnings.pumparoundcrownTheitscomparedjumpedhalf-yearincreaseprince’sthewhileoilcompaniesMobilprobillion.trecord.
The attack struck close to home among Lebanon’s Shiites. The assailant, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, is a dual Lebanese-U.S. citizen, and his father lives in a village in Hezbollah-dominated southern Lebanon. Matar’s mother has said she believes her son’s visit to the village of Yaroun in 2018 turned him into a religious zealot.
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EGYPT SAUDI LEBANON Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accepted the resignation of central bank governor Tarek Amer and appointed him as a presidential adviser, state television and Sisi's o ce said on Wednesday. Egypt's dollar-denominated bonds fell as much as 1.6 cents on the dollar on the news, according to data from Tradeweb. Amer, who has a banking background, was appointed for a four-year term as central bank governor in November 2015 and reappointed for another four years in November 2019. Governors are only allowed to serve for two terms. State TV said Amer had stepped down "to allow others to complete the successful development process under the leadership of the President of the Republic".
The stabbing of author Salman Rushdie has laid bare divisions in Lebanon’s Shiite Muslim community, pitting a few denouncing the violence against fervent followers of the Iran-backed Shiite militant Hezbollah group who have praised the attack. One Rushdie defender received death threats.
IRAN QATAR
SAUDI ARABIAUAE
energy company Aramco said Sunday its jumped 90% in the second quarter to the same time last year, helping half-year earnings reach nearly $88 billion. increase is a boon for the kingdom and the prince’s spending power as people world pay higher gas prices at the while energy companies rake in top companies had a strong quarter with Mobil booking an unprecedented $17.85 t while Chevron made a record billion. The U.K.’s Shell shattered its own record.Dubai International Airport expects passenger tra c to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023, a year earlier than its CEO Paul Gri ths’ prediction of hoping to regain pre-Covid tra c levels by 2024.
World Cup ticket sales have reached 2.45 million, FIFA said Thursday, with more than 500,000 seats still available three months before the tournament starts in Qatar. FIFA said 520,000 tickets were bought in a rst-come, rst-served phase of sales that closed this week. Brazil’s games against Serbia and Cameroon were among the most Thein-demand.top10places ranked by ticket sales to their residents include Qatar and neighboring countries Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The United States, England, Mexico, France, Argentina, Brazil and Germany are also on the list released by FIFA. Iran said Tuesday it submitted a “written response” to what has been described as a nal roadmap to restore its tattered nuclear deal with world powers.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency o ered no details on the substance of its response, but suggested that Tehran still wouldn’t take the European Union-mediated proposal, despite warnings there would be no more negotiations.
“The di erences are on three issues, in which the United States has expressed its verbal exibility in two cases, but it should be included in the text,” the IRNA report said. “The third issue is related to guaranteeing the continuation of (the deal), which depends on the realism of the United States.”
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A WEEK ACROSS , CANADA. U.S. U.K. President Joe Biden signED Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “ nal piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before midterm elections.
The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to ght climate change — some $375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients.
The demand to outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the two Conservative Party candidates vying to replace him coincides with the next expected energy price cap rise on Friday when parliament is in recess for the summer.
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Britain's opposition Labour Party said parliament should be recalled on Monday to freeze energy bills for the winter as the country deals with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.
Canadian in ation is not likely to return to the central bank's 2% target until 2024 after possibly peaking in June, as less volatile items like wages and rent displace energy as key sources of price pressure, analysts Insay.a bid to return in ation to target, since March the Bank of Canada (BoC) has raised its benchmark interest rate by 225 basis points to 2.50%, including full-percentage-pointa move in its last policy decision in July, the biggest single hike by a G7 country in this economic cycle. A slow grind back to target could make the central bank less willing to pivot to interest rate cuts next year if the economy moves into recession as some analysts expect.
The United States and Taiwan have agreed to start trade talks under a new initiative to reach agreements with "economically meaningful outcomes", with a Taiwan o cial saying China's "economic coercion" would also be discussed. Washington and Taipei unveiled the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade in June, just days after the Biden administration excluded the Chinese-claimed island from its Asia-focused economic plan designed to counter China's growing in uence.
ACROSS THE WORLD
UKRAINE. CHINA. INDIA. Russia said on Thursday there was a risk of a man-made disaster at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and accused Kyiv and the West of planning "provocation" there on Friday during a visit to Ukraine by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. A senior Ukrainian o cial dismissed what he depicted as a cynical assertion by Moscow, and said the simplest solution to the situation would be for Russian forces to withdraw from the plant, remove any munitions stored there and demine it. India will aim to become a developed nation within 25 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a national day address on Monday, with policies to support domestic production in power, defence and digital technology.
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Turkey is hopping back into the serene waters of the Medi terranean, ambitiously looking for natural gas resources that it can extract to cover its enormous demand for energy.
Stronger Turkey Challenging Status Quo in Mediterranean over story
By Dalia Ziada
The Abdul Hamid Han, which will navigate the area extend
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and senior offi cials from his government, including the Minister of De fense, Hulusi Akar, saw off the Abdul Hamid Han drilling vessel on August 9th as it started a research mission that will last for three months in an area of 55 sq. km (about 34 sq. miles) off the shores of Antalya.
Will Turkish Drilling for Gas Help Save the Country’s Struggling Economy?
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Vice President Fuat Oktay, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirisci, poses on board Turkey’s new drill ship Abdulhamid Han at Tasucu port in the Mediter ranean city of Mersin, Turkey August 9, 2022. Presidential Press Office/ Handout via REUTERS President Erdogan and his team assume that the gas to be extracted from the southern waters of Turkey could cover the energy needs of Turkey and its European neighbors.
THE ECONOMIC BURDEN
Erdogan’s statements were received by concern in Greece and Cyprus, who fear the renewal of their military tensions with Turkey that had turned the quiet basin of the Mediterranean into a warlike zone in the summer of 2020.
The total cost of Turkey’s annual gas consumption is rapidly exceeding 55 billion dollars that are paid to exporters from the Middle East, Eurasia, and Rus sia, per long-term contracts that usually extend up to 25 years. Turkey’s average annual consumption of natural gas is between 47 to 50 billion cubic me ters. That is a huge amount if compared to Turkey’s geographic size and population. However, Turkey depends on natural gas as a sole source of energy for a myriad of purposes, ranging from household heating and cooking, up to generating electricity and operating industrial facilities. In January, Turkey’s daily natural gas consumption hit a record high of 280 million cubic meters, according to a report by the Turkish Ministry of Energy which had justified the increase as resulting from the forced lockdown during the early attack of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Rough estimates indicate that Turkey’s gas demand could increase to a record 60 billion cubic meters by the end of 2022. This huge gas bill has always been a horrendous burden on the already struggling Turkish economy.
The inflation rate in Turkey spiked to 79% in July, with no indication of a decline or any future cool down. The global energy and food crises, resulting from the ongoing war in Eastern Europe, are to be partly blamed for the economic crisis in Turkey and many other countries. However, the use of unortho dox monetary policies on which the Turkish state has been insisting, despite their proven failure, is the main reason for the outlandish depreciation of the Turkish Lira. Turkey had not been able to renew gas import contracts with Iran and Azerbaijan after they expired last autumn. Turkey offered to partially pay for Russian gas im ports in rubles, as part of several economic and po litical deals that the Turkish President and his Rus sian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussed at their summit, which was held in the Black Sea city of Sochi on August 5th. Russia covers 24% of Tur key’s imports of oil, and 45% of total gas imports. There is a network of pipelines that pours gas into the mainland of Turkey, and from there to Europe.
To a great extent, the geological characteristics of the gulf of Antalya are similar to the areas where fossil fuels have been discovered in the waters of the southern Mediterranean and the Levantine ba sins, according to hydrocarbon engineers who were boarded on the Fatih mission in this area, three years ago. Turkey hopes to discover a reserve as big as the natural gas reserve that Egypt found at Zohr gas field in 2014. President Erdogan and his team as sume that the gas to be extracted from the southern waters of Turkey could cover the energy needs of Turkey and its European neighbors, reiterating his ambition to turn Turkey into a hub for energy trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe.
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ing from Turkey’s continental shelf down halfway into the area claimed by Cyprus as its own maritime zone, is a state-of-art hydrocarbon research vessel.
It is equipped with a team of 200 engineers and the most advanced tools of seismic research and drill ing machines that can go as deep as 12 thousand kilometers under the seabed. Yet, it is quite unlikely that the vessel can find something worthy of cel ebration before the deadline of its mission on Oc tober 4th. That is perhaps why President Erdogan said that the mission could be renewed in the same area or transferred to another spot in the sea after that “Thedate.survey and drilling work we are conducting in the Mediterranean are within our sovereign territo ry. We do not need to receive permission or consent from anyone for this,” Erdogan said at the Abdul Hamid Han launching ceremony. “Neither the pup pets nor the ones who hold their strings will be able to prevent us from getting our rights in the Mediter ranean,” he added.
THE GEOPOLITICAL OBSTRUCTION Given the escalating strategic complications at the Black Sea and Eurasia fronts, Turkey – and the entire world – is now looking at the hydrocarbon wealth of the eastern Mediterranean as an alternative resource for natural gas imports. The geographic closeness of the eastern Mediterranean to Europe is a compara tive advantage that promises profitable revenues to the countries of the region. In June, the European Union already signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Egypt and Israel for the exportation of liquefied natural gas to European countries. Italy, France, and even Qatar, which is the biggest gas exporter among all Arab countries, have started to pour generous investments into Egypt’s gas fields and plants, due to their strong potential. Turkey, despite being the country with the long est border (1870 km) on the Mediterranean, cannot benefit from this lucrative opportunity because of the Lausanne Agreement that was signed in 1922 during the fog of war. The unfair agreement pro tected Turkey’s sovereignty on its land against the aggression of world superpowers at that time. Yet, it also stripped Turkey of almost all its maritime rights in the Mediterranean in favor of Greece and Cyprus. 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. In case the distance between the shores of two neighbor countries is less than this space, then the maritime demarcation be tween 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 on Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan waves during a ceremony to launch Turkey’s new drill ship Ab dulhamid Han at Tasucu port in the Mediterranean city of Mersin, Turkey Au gust 9, 2022. Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS Turkey has been able to fix its relationship with Arab Gulf countries, to balance their growing relationships with other Mediterranean countries.
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The most famous of these is the TurkStream pipe line. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, the Europeans decided to halt gas im ports from Russia, and thus supplies passing from Russia to Europe through the pipelines in the Bal tic Sea had been stopped. The only pipeline that is still open up until this moment is the TurkStream. Apparently, Putin told his Turkish counterpart that “Europe should be grateful to Turkey for keeping the Russian gas supplies uninterrupted.”
THE SOUTH AXIS Apparently, Egypt’s alliance with Greece was the alarm that opened Turkey’s eyes to the fact that it cannot succeed in the Mediterranean if political ten sions with the main countries in the Middle East remained unresolved. Thus, in early 2021, Turkey started a diplomatic campaign to reconcile with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In a relatively short time, the diplomatic efforts started to bear fruit, in favor of Turkey’s interests in the eastern Mediterranean. In spite of the EEZ agreements between Egypt and Turkey’s opponents Greece and Cyprus, Egypt has always been careful not to trespass into the areas which Turkey identifies as sovereign in the Mediter ranean. In early March 2021, the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum unexpectedly published an updated map of Egypt’s gas exploration activities in eastern Mediterranean. The new map reassigned the posi tion of Egypt’s bid block “EGYMED-W18” so that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his ministers and the other officials, poses in front of Turkey’s new drill ship Abdulhamid Han at Tasucu port in the Mediterranean city of Mersin, Turkey Au gust 9, 2022.
Putin told his Turkish counterpart that “Europe should be grateful to Turkey for keeping the Russian gas supplies uninterrupted.”
the southern area towards Cyprus or the southwest zone towards Greece. At least since early 2000s, Turkey has been try ing to change the reality imposed by the Lausanne Agreement, sometimes by diplomatic negotiations with Greece, and other times through employing military provocations. Up to this day, 63 rounds of negotiations have been held between the two countries, and infinite number of meetings between senior military commanders and diplomats, but all ended in vain. Even when Turkey tried to claim its rights in the Mediterranean by signing a maritime agreement with the transitional government in Libya in 2019, the situation backfired by prompting Greece to sign an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) agreement with Egypt in August 2020 that intersected with the de marcations sketched in the Turkey-Libya agree ment. Then, one month after that, the East Med Gas Forum, which was formed by Egypt, Greece, Cy prus, and Israel in January 2020, was turned into a regional organization, purposefully excluding Tur key, and further frustrating its ambitions to benefit from the mineral fortunes of the Mediterranean.
Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS 17 19/08/22
it stops at point “meridian-28,” which Turkey identi fies as a sovereign maritime zone, and labels it as the boundary line of the Turkish continental shelf.
NEW GEOPOLITICAL BALANCE
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gets briefed onboard Turkey’s new drill ship Abdulhamid Han at Tasucu port during a ceremony in the Mediter ranean city of Mersin, Turkey August 9, 2022. Presidential Press Office/ Handout via REUTERS story
Turkey’s strategic importance has been steadily growing, especially since the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan and the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Turkey’s Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, immedi ately welcomed Egypt’s move. “Egypt’s respect for our continental shelf is important. We have many historical and cultural values in common with Egypt. The activation of these values could make a differ ence in relations in the coming days,” said Hulusi Akar, who also hinted that a maritime agreement be tween Turkey and Egypt could be created in the near future. Later that year, Egypt started to ship cargos of liquified natural gas to Turkey from its plants off shore the Delta province to cover its needs after the expiry of Turkey’s contracts with Asian exporters.
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When Turkey deployed the seismic research ves sel “Oruc Reis” to explore seabed resources in the eastern Mediterranean in August 2020, it basically wanted to make a statement against the members of East Med Gas Forum. The complicated geopolitics of the eastern Mediterranean, the historical dispute between Turkey and Greece over maritime zones, and the heated political and diplomatic tensions be tween almost all the countries in that region stirred up a conflict that quickly turned the quiet basin into a warlike zone, attracting military interventions by rivals in the Middle East and Europe under the guise of convening joint naval exercises. Eventu ally, Turkey had to withdraw its research and mili tary ships in December of that year, when it was confirmed that Joe Biden was elected as the new U.S. president.
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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan looks out of his heli copter at Turkey’s new drill ship Abdulhamid Han at Ta sucu port before attending a ceremony in the Mediterra nean city of Mersin, Turkey August 9, 2022. Presidential Press Office/Handout
Turkey has been playing a tremendous role on the economic, diplomatic, and military lev els, in mitigating the influence of the war in Eastern Europe on the rest of the world. Turkey has mediat ed talks between the Russians and Ukrainians, safe guarded the Black Sea against the consequences of the ongoing war, and is now leading an impressive effort to keep the cargos of wheat traveling from Ukraine to other countries. That is an effort that will greatly contribute to rescuing many countries in the world from famine or total economic col lapse.Turkey’s strategic importance has been steadily growing, especially since the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan and the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Turkey is the only country, worldwide, that can keep a perfect balance between the competing alliances that it deals with, extending from the United States and Europe, NATO, Russia, Eurasia, to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Turkey has become a key strategic player that none of these power coalitions can do without. That could further strengthen Turkey’s position in the near future regarding its struggle for economic rights in the eastern Mediterranean, and thus enable the cur rent Turkish leadership to reverse the disadvanta geous reality that it had to accept at a moment of feebleness, a century ago.
After a two year hiatus, Turkey decided to quietly return to pursuing its rights lost in the Mediterra nean. However, this time, the recent geopolitical balance in this region had apparently altered the situation in the Mediterranean in favor of Turkey.
Turkey has been able to fix its relationship with Arab Gulf countries, to balance their growing rela tionships with other Mediterranean countries. The East Med Gas Forum has been idle for more than a year, proving Turkey’s point that no such organiza tion can succeed if it excludes a key Mediterranean country like Turkey. Israel and Egypt, two key members of the East Med organization, are reviv ing their economic ties with Turkey. Likewise, the Mediterranean gas pipeline and electricity network projects that were initiated by Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, have been thwarted since last year when the United States announced them to be economically Meanwhile,unfeasible.
By Motasem Al Felou- Jeddah Who knows that King Fahad’s Fountain, a gift by King Fahad bin Abdul Aziz to the city of Jeddah in 1985 and the tallest of its kind in the world (312 me ters high,) was executed by a Greek company? Both Saudi Arabia and Greece had relatively warm relations for 90 years. The first Greek diplomatic rep resentation was sent to the Kingdom 1926. The em bassy was opened in 1943. In 2026, the two countries will have completed 100 years diplomatic recogni tion. However, since the ascendance of HRH Crown
A Century of Warm Diplomatic Relations
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Saudi Arabia- Greece: From Mutual Respect to Potential Alliance
Politics
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman listen to the national anthems prior to their meeting at the prime minister›s office in Athens on July 2022 ,26.
GettyKARAHALIS/AFP(YORGOSviaImages)
The Saudi administration has new blood and more creative ideas to make Saudi a country that is friendly to the world and most importantly, a peacemaker.
VITAL SPACE AND SOFT POWERS
Each of the two countries needs a footstep in each others’ vital spaces so they can have more influ “Weence. produce the best white tuna in the world. We have the white-fin and blue-fin kinds of tuna. Sau dis have a big purchasing power. Saudis look for the best in the world of foods, and we can add more luxury options for the Saudis, our target audience,” said Georgios, a Greek food producer whom Ma jalla met on the margin of a Saudi international ex hibition held a while ago. Both Saudi Arabia and Greece have a lot of things in common. However, “soft power” is the most common thing between them, albeit in each one’s “Saudimodality.Arabia is the largest Middle East economy and the world’s biggest oil producer with huge growth prospects this year, especially with high prices of the vital substance. The country has a spe cial religious status in the Islamic World as it hosts the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Medina,” explained Ezzat regarding the concept of Saudi soft “Onpower.the other hand, Greece controls around 20 per 21 19/08/22
Prince Mohammed bin Salman to power in the past 7 years, Saudi-Greek relations have thrived and prospered to reach the point of a potential alliance. “For Saudis, Greece is the southern gate of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea. For the Greeks, the new Saudi Arabia is the beating heart of the Middle East. Each partner wants a grant of more access to the markets of the other partner. In other words, Saudis see an opportunity in Greece. The strategic location, common history and mutual interests, all play a role in understanding and welcoming Saudis as major economic, cultural players in Europe from the Continent’s southern gate,” said Samer Ezzat, an observer of Arab-Greek relations. “On the other hand, Greece’s economic and politi cal relations with the Kingdom are governed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and EU agree ments. However, the ruling elite in Athens believes that their nation should free itself up from the EU membership’s restrictions and commitments, and build direct relations with different countries in dependently for bigger margins. The Greeks want more access to the GCC markets, starting with the center of the Arabian Peninsula,” Ezzat added. What else is common between the two countries?
Some say that the Saudis have strengthened their relations with Greece to tease and to spite Turkey. This theory needs to be double-checked.
“Saudis appreciated the Greek prompt response to the Saudi request of the Patriot system, and Greece will get a favorable status in Saudi politics,” com mented observer Ezzat.
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cent of the world’s cargo ships and a considerable number of yachts, both private and touristic. 15 million tourists visited Greece in 2021. It is still lower than the 34 million tourists who visited the European country in 2019. The strategic location of Greece, in addition to the fertile land, rich natu ral resources and the abundance of investment op portunity, all together make Greece a country with great soft power,” added Ezzat. The two countries are joining forces in different fields, including the military. In September 2021, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff of Greece announced it had delivered a Patriot antiaircraft missile system together with 120 soldiers to operate the system. This came after the US delayed the delivery of the same defense weapon despite the continuous drone raids that were being sent to the Kingdom by the Houthi rebels of Yemen last year and this year before the truce was agreed upon by the Saudi-led Arab Alliance and the Yemeni re Chiefbels.
of Greek General Staff General Konstantinos Foloros said the Greek forces’ mission is to main tain peace and stability in the Middle East.
GREECE VS TURKEY
“Saudi Arabia has strategic plans and major inter ests that go beyond the old differences with Turkey over the intervention in GCC and Arab political and military issues. Saudi and Turkey had normal ized relations after Turkish President Erdogan vis Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meet at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, July 2022 ,26. (REUTERS/ Louiza Vradi)
Politics
Since the ascendance of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to power, Saudi-Greek relations have prospered to reach the point of a potential alliance.
TRADE, BUSINESS AND EXPATS
The trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Greece had reached USD 1.4 bn in 2021. It grew by 40% compared to previous year when the total value was USD 1 bn. This shows that Saudi Arabia and Greece are speeding up the development of trade relations. Saudi imports foods, mineral and pharmaceutical products, and exports organic chemicals, petro chemicals and mineral products, especially copper and aluminum, according to the Saudi General Au thority of Statistics. With each and every visit of the leaders of both countries to each other, several agreements have been signed to consolidate trade, cultural, econom ic, academic, scientific and military bilateral rela tions.Afew tens of thousands of Greek citizens (ac cording to multiple resources) live in Saudi Arabia. They work mainly in the fields of water desalination, food industry, construction, and in “Itdustry.isa long way to go. There is always room for improvement and growth,” concluded Ezzat.
Both Saudi Arabia and Greece have a lot of things in common. However, “soft power” is the most common thing between them, albeit in each one’s modality.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Farhan meets with Greece’s President Sakellaropoulou.Katerina(SPA)
ited Saudi last April and the Saudi Crown visited Istanbul less than a couple of months ago. Neither the deterioration nor the improvement of relations with Turkey have stopped or speeded up Saudi Arabia’s strengthening of relations with Greece. They are on two different tracks,” commented Samer Ezzat.
The Saudi administration has new blood and more creative ideas to make Saudi a country that is friendly to the world and most importantly, a peacemaker.
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By Suzan Quitaz President Putin has always been a strong opponent of any NATO expansion, calling it an imperialist threat and claiming that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is nothing more than an extended arm of US Thepower.Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24th and, within less than three months, Moscow’s fears of a NATO enlargement landed at the Russia’s doorstep.
The Unintended Consequence of
NATO’s Enlargement Russian’s Invasion of Ukraine
Politics
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On May 2022 ,15, the Swedish government announced it wants to join NATO, a decision which was supported by the Swedish political establishment and the population. Various polls indicated that Swedish public opinion in joining NATO had a major shift due to the Russian’s invasion. Statista Research Department has conducted a number of surveys on the perception of NATO membership in Sweden between the years 2014 to 2022. In April %56 ,2014 were strongly opposed and said Sweden should stay out. In December 2015, the opposed side slightly decreased to %50 and the “yes Sweden should join NATO” stood at %34 In December 2016 to December 2017, the percentage of Swedes in favor of NATO membership stood within %30 to %35 In January 2022, a month before the Russian invasion, the in “favor” side was %37, the “don’t-know” side %28, and the “oppose” side was %35. Following the invasion, there were more Swedes in favor. In the days after the invasion the number went up to %41 and in April it increased slightly to %45. By 25 19/08/22
Russian aggression and Putin’s own political miscalculations pushed Sweden and Finland from a position of neutrality to soon-to-become fully-fledged NATO members.
THE HARDENING OF PUBLIC OPINION IN SWEDEN AND FIN LAND
Both Sweden and Finland are soon to become NATO’s 31st and 32nd member states. The most recent NATO enlargement came in March 2020 when North Macedonia joined the alliance. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine have also stated their interest in joining. In fact, President Putin has only himself to blame insofar as he unintentionally assisted in strengthening NATO-promoted fears that Russian troops could attack other nearby Incountries.thewords of Magdalena Andersson, the Swedish prime minister: “There is a before and after 24 February.” Russian aggression and Putin’s own political miscalculations pushed Sweden and Finland from a position of neutrality to soon-to-become fully-fledged NATO members.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (C), Finland›s Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (L) and Sweden›s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde give a joint press conference after the signature of the accession protocols to NATO of Finland and Sweden, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 05 July 2022. EPA/ STEPHANIE LECOCQ
Sweden’s neighbor, there is also is a majority in favor of joining NATO. For almost three decades, Finnish people were staunchly opposed to any NATO membership. For the past 30 years, those who favored a Finnish NATO membership stood %20 to %29 In January %28 ,2022 said they want to see Finland join the alliance. A month after the Russian war, March 2022, the in-favor side dramatically jumped to %62, and in May it went up to %76
26 19/08/22 May 2022, it jumped sharply to nearly 60 percent of Swedes in favor of their country joining NATO. The “oppose” side which had stood at %56 in April 2014 was all the way down to %19. Therefore, looking at those figures one can agree with those analysts who say that the invasion of Ukraine has had the unintended outcome of strengthening the Inalliance.Finland,
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The percentage of opponents to NATO membership had dropped radically in both Sweden and Finland. The Russian aggression’s unintended outcome has meant that Russia will soon share an 800 mile border with a NATO member state, Finland.
Sweden’s decision to join NATO was a drastic shift from its over two-hundredThis marks one of the speediest expansions of the pact of mutual defense among the United States and its democratic allies in Europe during its 73 -year history.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting via a video conference link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 2022 ,16. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
On August 2022 ,9, the US became the 23rd ally to approve NATO membership of Sweden and Finland. At the signing, Biden said that the partnership was an “indispensable alliance” and added, “In seeking to join NATO, Finland and Sweden are making a sacred commitment that an attack against one is an attack against all (…). It was and is a watershed moment I believe in the alliance and for the greater security and stability not only of Europe and the United States but of the world.”
From left, Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, Karin Olofsdotter, Sweden›s ambassador to the U.S., and Mikko Hautala, Finland›s ambassador to the U.S. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The accession to NATO must be approved by all 30 member states before Finland and Sweden can join the alliance. Sweden and Finland submitted their applications three months ago and already more than 23 NATO members including Turkey, which initially had reservations, have welcomed in the two new nations. This marks one of the speediest expansions of the pact of mutual defense among the United States and its democratic allies in Europe during its 73 year history. This begs the question, what was Putin thinking when he decided to invade Ukraine? In the words of President Biden, Putin is now getting «exactly what he did not want,» meaning the enlargement of NATO.
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year history of neutrality. The paradox here is that Sweden’s neutrality began after a colossal loss of territory to Russia during the Napoleonic wars in 1812. During the first and second world war, Sweden was able to not get involved. During the 20th century, Swedish foreign policy was mainly focused on taking an active role to promote international peace, democracy and human rights through diplomacy and cooperation. After the cold war ended, Sweden actively supported efforts to develop a new cooperative European Security Order centered around rules on conflict prevention, reconciliation and the respect of International law, which also included respect for national sovereignty and national borders.
President Joe Biden signs the Instruments of Ratification for the Accession Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty for the Republic of Finland in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 2022 ,9
Solutions
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PoliticsByAhmedTaher
The African continent was and continues to be an important source of global needs, not only for food, but also for various oil, gas, and mineral resources, as well as human resources on which various countries around the world rely for labor. This explains the extent of global competition for a presence in African coun tries and the extension of dominance over their potentialities, whether directly as during European colonialism or indirectly after decolonization through the use of political, economic, and military mechanisms to ensure the continuation of this presence. As a result, when the world is in crisis, attention is drawn to the brown continent, which can be described as the global stockpile that meets the growing needs of all humanity, emphasizing the continent’s position and role in managing many international is sues, economically and politically, even if there is a crisis in the extent to which the peoples of the continent perceive this position in the past, making it an open arena for domination and exploita tion. However, the African continent’s younger generations have become aware of this situation and are fighting for their people’s right to benefit from the returns on their wealth and capacities.
African Gas and the Future of Energy in Europe Promising
Current Challenges and
6 - MAURITANIA
The African continent’s younger generations have become aware of this situation and are fighting for their people’s right to benefit from the returns on their wealth and capacities.
“The European Union countries sought to intensify cooperation with African countries to help replace imports of Russian natural gas, as African countries, particularly in the western part of the continent, such Nigeria, Senegal, and Angola, have largely un tapped LNG resources,” it indicated.
Given the foregoing, a question arises respecting African gas’s ability to meet the needs of the European energy market in the short and medium term. Could Africa be an alternative to Rus sian gas in meeting the demands of European markets, which are expected to increase this winter?
According to 2017 estimates, the African continent has proven gas reserves totaling 148.6 trillion cubic meters, accounting for more than 7% of global gas reserves. In 2019, the European Un ion imported approximately 108 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas from African countries.
Sonatrach company said it is ready to supply Europe with extra gas. (Getty Images)
5 - LIBYA It has 53.1 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, ac counting for 1% of total global natural gas reserves.
The Mauritanian Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Minerals re cently announced that the quantities of natural gas discovered off the Mauritanian coast amount to 15 trillion cubic feet, covering 30 to 50 years of continuous production, and an increase in the volume of discoveries is expected to reach more than 50 trillion cubic feet of gas, which is equivalent to Africa’s total production for seven years.
2 - ALGERIA Algeria ranks eleventh in the world and second in Africa in terms of proven natural gas reserves, accounting for nearly 2% of total global gas reserves. Algeria is Africa’s largest country and the world’s sixth largest gas exporter.
7 - ANGOLA Angola has proven gas reserves of 13.5 trillion cubic feet. How ever, because it is Africa’s second largest oil producer after Ni geria, the majority of the output is burned or re-pumped into oil fields to increase oil extraction. Its economy is heavily reliant on the hydrocarbon industry, with crude oil driving economic growth and accounting for one-third of its GDP and more than 90% of exports.
This was demonstrated by Francesco Galietti, head of the Romebased center for consulting services, Policy Sonar, who stated that “the African continent is ready to fill the vacuum of Russian oil and gas in Europe, and that European leaders’ goal is to end their dependence on Russia.”
The 55 African countries have natural gas reserves estimated at 634 trillion cubic feet, making them a suitable alternative to meet the needs of European countries, not only to replace Rus sian gas, but possibly as an alternative to other sources of gas. This is reinforced by a geographical proximity, particularly with regard to North and West African countries, which puts them in a preferential position to meet these needs, as well as Africa’s possession of pipelines connected to the European gas network. African exports pass through Algeria to Spain and Libya to Italy.
Two major points can be made in response to this question:
Ten important countries can be mentioned by taking a quick look at the continent’s most prominent gas producing and exporting countries, which are: 1 - NIGERIA
Therefore, it was unsurprising that global attention in general, and European attention in particular, was directed towards the African continent to present the appropriate alternative to fill the gap in European needs for energy in general, and gas in particu lar, with the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. European Union countries sought to avoid harming their economies by looking forward to solutions to re place their Neolithic energy sources.
FIRST: AFRICA- A PROMISING MARKET FOR NATURAL GAS
4 - EGYPT
According to the Department of International Trade’s Energy Re sources Guide for 2021, its proven gas reserves are estimated to be 77.2 trillion cubic feet. It is Africa’s fourth-largest holder of proven natural gas reserves.
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According to the draught EU En ergy Strategy document published in early May, “Russian oil and gas before 2030 may lead to new gains in the liquefied natural gas market for Nigeria, Angola, Libya, and Algeria (2022)”.
3 - MOZAMBIQUE It has nearly 100 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, accounting for about 1% of the global total. These reserves can meet 1,545 times their annual consumption, implying that they have 1,500 years of gas left.
8 - CONGO It has proven natural gas reserves of 10.1 trillion cubic feet.
According to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Ni geria has proven gas reserves of 206.53 trillion cubic feet, mak ing it the continent’s largest natural gas reserves.
According to data released by PricewaterhouseCoopers South African branch, the crisis of weak infrastructure in the oil sector resulted in a 19% decrease in oil production on the continent in 2019 compared to the previous year (2017), accounting for 7.8 percent of global output. Moreover, gas production in Africa fell by 5% during the same time period. This necessitates the search for sources of funds to maximize infrastructure investments, which extend beyond exploration and production to include other operations such as transportation and logistics. Timber Silva, Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, stated, “We want to build a trans-Saharan gas pipeline to transport gas all the way to Algeria, and then to Europe,” but he warned that “there is no spare capacity that we can provide.”
4 - CONFLICTS AND WARS IN THE PRODUCTION AND EXPORT SECTORS
9 - QUATORIAL GUINEA
1 - WEAK INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR
3 - AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS REACHED WITH VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL PARTIES
According to Foreign Policy magazine, some of Africa’s larg est production sites are located in areas with security challenges, such as Mozambique, which has the third largest natural gas re serves in Africa. However, the armed conflict in the northern European Union countries sought to avoid harming their economies by looking forward to solutions to replace their Neolithic energy sources.
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The proven reserves are estimated to be 4.8 trillion cubic feet.
10 - CAMEROON
The signing ceremony of the gas export and trans port agreement between Egypt, Israel and the European Union. (Getty Images)
Some African countries have begun to implement development strategies and programs to improve their societal conditions in or der to maintain their stability and meet the needs of their commu nities, which may result in a limitation on the volume of exports, especially given the lack of funding required to expand the vol ume of production to meet the needs of the export market as the world faces a crisis. The financial ramifications are exacerbated by high levels of inflation in various global economies follow ing the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, which followed the Covid-19 crisis, the effects of which are still visible in the slow movement of global markets.
Oil and gas contracts are known to be long-term contracts, mak ing it difficult for producing countries to find space to exit from agreements reached with companies if emergency events arise due to an increase in demand for these products. There is no doubt that contracts have been concluded by African gas pro ducing countries with many international companies, making it difficult to grant new concessions to European companies in pro duction areas due to the presence of other global players such as Chinese, Indian, and Russian companies. This means that deals concluded with European companies will either be at high prices, putting pressure on the European economies, or will have long terms with no immediate return.
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SECOND- AFRICA AND THE ENERGY ALTERNATIVE TO THE RUSSIAN MARKET: OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES
Equatorial Guinea has proven natural gas reserves of 5 trillion cubic feet and produces nearly 300,000 million cubic feet per year, ranking 50th in the world.
European Union countries rushed to the African continent in search of alternatives to Russian gas, with European companies successfully concluding deals to supply African gas to African countries, similar to what the Italian company Eni S.p.A did by concluding two deals. The first is with Egypt to provide quanti ties of liquefied gas totaling 3 billion cubic meters in 2022. The second agreement is with Algeria to gradually increase natural gas exports by approximately 9 billion cubic meters through the Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline in 2023 and 2024, as well as two additional gas supply agreements with Congo-Brazzaville and Angola.Despite these European efforts, the situation is not as simple as some believe. It is true that the Russian-Ukrainian crisis repre sented an opportunity for African countries to gain a greater share in the fossil energy market in general, and gas in particular, but seizing it remains contingent on the availability of favorable con ditions. African gas exports to European countries face obstacles and challenges that make capitalizing on this opportunity limited in the short term, but its timing may be appropriate in the medium and long term if African countries succeed in overcoming those obstacles, which can be summarized in four points:
2 - INCREASING CONSUMER REQUIREMENTS
The same thing happened in Libya, where gas and oil fields linked to pipelines in Italy are being blocked due to the politi cal situation and tribal conflicts. This also occurred in the Niger Delta following the country’s rebellions, which had an impact on the volume of gas produced there.
The energy research Rystad Energy Co. expects African gas pro duction to peak at 470 billion cubic meters by late 2030, which is equivalent to 75% of Russia’s expected supply this year, but these ambitions are contingent on the search for approaches capable of overcoming obstacles and challenges, which can be achieved through some proposed solutions, most notably the fol
1-lowing:Completion of the trans-Saharan gas pipeline known as “Nigal.” An agreement to build it was signed in 2009, for a length of more than 4,000 km across Algeria, Niger, and Nigeria, as this pipeline is expected to deliver gas to Europe through the three countries. According to the International Energy Observatory, the volume of gas transported through this pipeline after it is completed is estimated to be 30 billion cubic meters per year. Keep in mind that this is not a new idea, but for a long time the security situation in the region, as well as tensions between Algeria and Niger, prevented the project from being completed. Algeria and Niger reopened their borders in 2021, and the gas pipeline project was re started. This line will connect Nigeria to the existing pipelines between Europe and Algeria.
province of Cabo Delgado has caused the postponement of gas projects worth $50 billion.
2- Completion of European projects in some African countries that were halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as British company BP’s Torto Ahmeim LNG project in Senegal and Mau ritania. Due to the consequences of the pandemic, it was decided to postpone it until 2023.
3- Taking advantage of the African continent’s hydrogen produc tion and export capabilities, as estimates indicate that the conti nent’s countries can produce 5 billion tons of hydrogen annually for less than two dollars per kilogram, according to the Energy Agency. It is worth noting that a number of African countries, led by Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Namibia, and South Africa, have plans in this area.
In light of the foregoing, it can be stated that European countries have high ambitions to benefit from African gas and rely on it as an alternative, or at the very least to contribute to reducing Euro pean dependence on Russian gas in a way that reduces Russian pressure on European countries.
4- Providing the necessary funding to complete stalled projects and search for new gas production projects, taking advantage of the exit of many oil and gas companies from the Russian market and the possibility of their heading to the African market, similar to the exit of oil companies Equinor, Shell, and ExxonMobil from the Russian arena, and developing a strategy to exploit this situation. Refocusing on LNG assets in promising continental countries such as Mozambique, Cam eroon, and Mauritania.
The financial ramifications are exacerbated by high levels of inflation in various global economies following the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, which followed the Covid- 19 crisis.
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Europe’s Energy Crisis to Contribute to Return of Nuclear Agreement Iran ‘Exploiting Int’l Circumstances; Return to Nuclear Deal Means More Interference in Syria, Lebanon’
“The United States and Iran alike refrained from commenting on the text of the agreement proposed by the Europeans, but it seems that Tehran is not in a hurry even though it sent to Brussels in response to the agreement proposed by it,” said Nabil Alatoom,
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Brussels is scheduled to begin studying the Iranian response to a proposal that may pave the way for a return to the 2015 nuclear agreement which was designed to impose restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program, after it confirmed that the Iranian response had been received by Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The Iranian National Security Council announced in the middle of last week that it would send a three-pronged response to the European Union, a day after Tehran announced that there had been a “relative development” in the nuclear negotiations that have been ongoing for months in the Austrian capital of Vienna with the participation of Iran, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany, in addition to the indirect participation of the United States.
PoliticsByJiwanSoz
The 2015 nuclear agreement was concluded between Iran and six major international powers and contributed to the lift ing of sanctions against it in exchange for Tehran reducing its nuclear activities and ensuring the peacefulness of its nuclear However,program.
< What are the international conditions from which Tehran is currently benefiting during its negotiations?
The United States and Iran alike refrained from commenting on the text of the agreement proposed by the Europeans, but it seems that Tehran is not in a hurry even though it sent to Brussels in response to the agreement proposed by it.
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< What will this expected agreement look like? As for the expected agreement, it will take more into account Iran’s interests and achieve more gains, especially since Teh ran has so far succeeded in neutralizing three main problems in the negotiations, namely the Iranian missile, space and drone Thisprograms.comes in addition to Iran’s destabilizing role for security and stability through regional crises and turning a blind eye to the presence of uranium traces in three facilities that Iran has not disclosed.
The continued suffering of the European Union from the en ergy crisis following the Russian-Ukrainian war makes the EU more determined than ever to sign the nuclear agreement to gain benefits from Iran. This comes especially since the latter can bargain more while receiving more shares from the European energy market in order to obtain more concessions. Therefore, the time factor is in favor of Tehran, without the rest of the parties participating in its negotiations with Washington, in addition to the current international circumstances and changes, all of which may ac celerate the arrival or return of the nuclear agreement.
Here is the full text of the interview that Majalla conducted by phone with Alatoom.
Mohammad Marandi, adviser to the Iranian negotiating delegation, revealed this month that his country has a “big chance” to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, adding in newspaper statements that “the outstanding issues have been resolved, and there is a great possibility of returning to the nuclear agreement,” to which Tehran requires a return for the purpose of lifting Western sanctions on it.
With regard to the impact of the agreement on Syria and Lebanon, it is likely that Iran will continue to guarantee its influence there. Perhaps lifting the sanctions imposed on Iran may allow it to increase the pace of its activities and further support its arms and proxies, which will exacerbate regional tension and would further exacerbate the Israeli clash with Iran.
Alatoom stressed that “Iran is taking advantage of changing international conditions at the present time, as it is trying to enter into an alliance with Russia and China, especially with the possibility of the Taiwan issue exploding in its favor.”
< Is a return to the nuclear agreement imminent?
FILE PHOTO - Clouds are seen over the cool ing tower of the nuclear power plant Isar 2 by the river Isar amid the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Eschen bach near Landshut, Germany, August 1, 2022.
Washington unilaterally withdrew from it during the era of former President Donald Trump in 2018, when it reimposed severe sanctions on Iran which, in turn, reneged on most of its commitments under that agreement.
For example, there is a possibility that the Taiwan matter will explode. This is in favor of Iran, as it is trying to form an alliance with Moscow and Beijing, after it chose to link its interests with these two capitals.
AyhanREUTERS/UyanikNabilAlatoom, an aca demic who specializes in Iranian affairs
an academic who specializes in Iranian affairs.
Tehran is also looking for an agreement that takes Russian and Chinese interests into account. Therefore, opening diplomatic channels with regional countries are all variables that are in its interest and make it avoid rushing into an emergency nuclear agreement.
Alatoom, who runs the Center for Iranian Studies, added, “Tehran has reservations about the text of the agreement, and for this we will witness more rounds of talks and negotiations in the coming period.”
< How will this agreement reflect on the Syrian and Lebanese crises, especially with Tehran’s interference in the affairs of both countries?
America’s Biggest Financial Threat Isn’t Government Spending It’s the Cost of Climate Change
By Steven Bingler and Martin C. Pedersen
The passage of the Biden Administration’s climate change package, the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” has predictably split along partisan lines, with Republicans characterizing the bill as an act of reck less government spending, certain to raise taxes and fuel further inflation. But does this act really repre sent reckless spending? The legislation authorizes $430 billion in spending, the bulk of which—more than $300 billion—is earmarked for tax credits; other spending and initiatives aimed at stimulat ing the clean energy economy; and reducing carbon emissions. (The bill also allows Medicare to negoti
Economy
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ate prices with drug companies for certain ex pensive drugs.) The bill is funded in part by a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and an excise tax on companies that repurchase shares of their own stock. Given the scope of the prob lem, and the escalating future costs of climate inaction, this legislation is an exceedingly mod est, but very necessary, first step.
Further delay, in fact, will compound future economic pain. That might be why, as the costs of addressing inland flooding in his own state continue to escalate, with some worrying about the future of many Appalachian towns, Sena tor Joe Manchin of West Virginia had a change of heart and allowed for passage of the legisla tion. Let’s hope it’s the beginning of a realiza tion that our nation’s greatest financial threat isn’t a budget deficit, runaway inflation, declin ing productivity, or out of control government spending, but the impending and rapidly esca lating cost of climate change. To paraphrase the preeminent schlock-rockers Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” For exploding climate-related costs, it’s instruc tive to look at Steven’s home state of Louisi ana, the proverbial canary in the coal mine. Fol lowing the devastating damage of Hurricanes Katrina, the financial impacts became so acute that policymakers were forced to consolidate all climate change planning and budgeting un der a single Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), charged with identifying the most critical coastal restoration strategies and mitigation projects into a comprehensive Coastal Master Plan that is now updated every five years. To date more than 60 miles of barrier islands and berms have been constructed, 365 miles of levees improved, and 55,000 acres of wetlands revived. Going forward the CPRA is slated to spend $1 billion every year on mitiga tion projects, with the expectation that the pro gram will continue at the same cost (or likely more) for at least another 50 years. For the im periled state of Louisiana, this is not optional Inspending.addition to these costly government programs, additional financial burdens have fallen on the private sector. Four major insurance companies along with a handful of smaller ones have de clared bankruptcy since Hurricane Ida, and oth ers have decided to either pass the burden on to existing insurees or leave the state in the wake of accelerating rates of risk associated with storm damage. These private sector failures have long been backed up by federal and state insurance programs, but these programs are now reach ing the limits of their political efficacy, leaving many local citizens facing personal bankruptcy and a painful migration to higher ground (or out of state completely). But Louisiana is hardly alone. The costly im pacts of inland flooding, wildfires, and, perhaps most unforgiving of all environmental challeng es, drought, are taking their toll on increasingly large swaths of the country. For example, more than half of Texas is currently experiencing ex treme drought, and according to drought.gov, this year will be the sixth-driest year in the past 128 years. Meanwhile, it is August, the waters in the Gulf are heating up, and Houston, Gal veston, and other vulnerable coastal cities are bracing once again for another active storm sea son. (Note that the price tag for rebuilding New Orleans and Houston, after Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey, was more than $250 billion, or more than half of the cost of the climate bill, for just two Kentucky’sstorms).recent flooding is also a tragic case in point. A new study from SafeHome.org ranks that state as the ninth worst for severe climate change-related events. Of the five risk factors measured—extreme heat, drought, inland flood ing, wildfires, and coastal flooding—Kentucky is vulnerable to four. Climate Central found that 35
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Credit: (TNS) Across the United States, some 162 million people—nearly one in two—will most likely experience a decline in the quality of their environment.
At what point do we begin planning and, yes, spending accordingly, to mitigate these almost certain certainties? It’s important to mention that two of our most populated states, California and Florida, face even graver climate threats, with potential costs exponentially higher than those in Kentucky. Across the United States, some 162 million people—nearly one in two—will most likely experience a decline in the quality of their envi ronment, namely more heat and less water. For 93 million of them, the changes could be par ticularly severe, and by 2070, if carbon emis sions rise at extreme levels, at least 4 million Americans could find themselves living at the fringe, in places decidedly outside the ideal niche for human habitation. And for those who think about escaping to the remaining few oases of climate change it may be useful to imagine the vast numbers of privileged refugees that will also be looking at the same solution. As the impacts of climate change continue to accelerate, factors like human migration will bring even more social and economic challeng es. Communities impacted first, and most harsh ly, are often those who have access to the few est resources. In the 1930s Dust Bowl migration alone killed more than 7,000 farmers, left two million people homeless, and sharply reduced the nation’s agricultural output. If sea levels continue to rise as expected and the drought in the west persists, we’ll see similar if not more severe disruptions in our future.
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3.37% of Kentucky’s population is vulnerable to extreme heat, another 3.6% is at risk for in land flooding, and more than a third is at risk for wildfire. By mid-century Kentucky will experi ence 72 dangerous heat days (one of every five days), a 95% increase in summer drought, and an additional two weeks at risk for wildfires.
This is only the beginning of a future that will Credit: (Spencer Platt/ Getty Images) As the impacts of climate change continue to accelerate, factors like human migration will bring even more social and economic challenges.
Economy
Credit: Images)(TNS/Getty
Sea walls, floating cities, carbon capture facili ties, permanent and temporary housing to ac commodate population shifts, renewable desali nation plants, cooling centers, a green national energy grid—all these “must haves” and un foreseen others will require government spend ing that dwarfs the package Congress is about to pass. We spent about $6.5-trillion on wars in the Middle East. Climate change costs are likely to greatly exceed that. It’s time both political parties come to terms with that reality. Planning is always a good idea—but even better when we do it ahead of time.
Steven Bingler is the founder and CEO of Concordia: Community Centered Planning and Design, headquartered in New Orleans, Loui siana. Concordia was responsible for planning and managing the Unified New Orleans Plan for the recovery of New Orleans after Hur ricane Katrina and has recently completed a two-year Rockefeller Foundation funded “Sea Changes” report on planning for the impacts of climate change. Martin C. Pedersen is a New York-based writer, editor, and critic. He serves as executive direc tor of the Common Edge Collaborative, a web site dedicated to architecture, design, urbanism, and public engagement. This article was originally published by Fast Company. By 2070, if carbon emissions rise at extreme levels, at least 4 million Americans could find themselves living at the fringe.
37 19/08/22 leave our children and grandchildren to pay many trillions for environmental mitigation and restoration, due solely to the utter failure of our current generation to plan for these im pending costs. And while our political leaders are haggling with what the fiscal watchdogs call “nice to have” or “like to have” legislation that gets them through the next election cycle, it is important to understand that the “must have” costs of climate change will be much less forgiving.
Suha El-Gendy: Egypt’s New Immigration Minister
2 A Weekly Political News Magazine www.majalla.com Issue 1918- August- 19/08/2022
Café Riche was founded in 1908 and given its current name in 1914 by its French own er Henry Recine. He sold it a short time later to Greek businessman and art collec tor Michael Nicoapolits, who added a thea tre with performances by notable artists such as legendary Egyptian singer Umm
SongbirdsCaféRiche–CreativeCommonsviaWikimediaCommons.
Feature
Cairo’s Social Landmark Where Time Has Stood Still
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By Sarah Gamal Local artwork lines the walls in the nar row main corridor and the charming table arrangements are made up of the ever-socommon tiny wooden chairs, checked red and white tablecloths, and, as an added bonus, high-quality cloth napkins. Simple, glossy flower vases adorn the cenaters of the tables, each containing a single, fresh flower, adding a cozy, personal touch. An adjacent room is right next door and the green fluorescent lighting gives off an odd Invibe.the heart of Cairo, specifically on Talaat Harb Street, one of the most famous and historical cafes in the Egyptian capital is lo cated. Since its establishment in 1908, the Café has witnessed more than 100 years of history, during which it played a central role in the political, cultural and artistic life in CaféEgypt.Riche was never just a cafe or restau rant in Cairo – it is a famous landmark in the city center and a frequent destination for writers, authors, artists, painters, oppo nents, and politicians.
Café Riche Hosted Egypt’s Greatest Thinkers, Sweetest
ManyKulthum.cultural and political seminars and salons were held within the walls of Café Riche, near Talaat Harb Square, and were attended by Egypt’s most famous intellec tuals, from Taha Hussein to Naguib Mah Manyfouz.
The old Café was extended to Suleiman Pa sha Square (now Talaat Harb), and next to it was a music hall where the singing giants of the time performed, led by Saleh Abdel Hai and Zaki Murad. Next to the Café was a wrestling hall and a backgammon table.
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oriental musical, lyrical and artis tic concerts were held on its stage. Umm Kulthum, of “Kawkab al-Sharq” came from her village in 1923 to appear on the It’sstage.worth noting that the Café’s owners kept a newspaper advertisement from May 1923, which stated: “Theatro Café Riche delights the audience on May 31 with Miss Umm Kulthum, an Egyptian nightingale with a melodious voice, come and book your seats now, a special chair 15 piasters, public admission 10 piasters.”
In the past, great writers such as Naguib Mahfouz, Youssef Idris, Amal Donqul, Yahya Al-Taher Abdullah, Salah Jahin, Tharwat Abaza, Najib Sorour, Kamal AlMalakh, journalists, and artists frequented the Café for a cup of coffee.
A view of the entrance to Cafe Riche in Cairo. (Photo Credit: Twitter) “In the heart of Cairo, specifically on Talaat Harb Street, one of the most famous and historical cafes in the Egyptian capital is located.”
(Photo Credit: Facebook. com/Cafe Riche.eg). (Photo Credit: Facebook. com/Cafe Riche.eg).
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The literary sessions of Naguib Mahfouz took place alongside the seminars of AlAkkad and Tawfiq Al-Hakim. At its tables, they discussed politics, the economy, and Egyptian society’s concerns, so the Café decorated its walls with photos of these ce Insofarlebrities.as it was a place where publications were written during the revolution, the Café played a national role in 1919 and this is evidenced by the “printing press” discov ered years ago in the Café’s basement. The Café was damaged by the Cairo earthquake in 1992, and when the restoration work be gan, a small vestibule was discovered lead ing to an old storage room where empty alcohol barrels and a manual printing ma chine were discovered, indicating that the pamphlets were printed in the Café. In his book, “The National History of Egypt: From 1914 to 1921,” Abd al-Rah man al-Rafi’i stated, “Café Riche was the place where the middle-class mandarins sat. It was also known as a gathering place for revolutionaries and those who spoke 42 “Café Riche was never just a cafe or restaurant in Cairo – it is a famous landmark in the city center and a frequent destination for writers, authors, artists, painters, opponents, and politicians.”
about it or about the country as a whole.”
Café Riche has been a center of intellectual life in Cairo since its founding in 1908. The Cafe recently reopened its doors after closing following the death of owner Magdi Abdel Malak in May. (Photo Credit: Facebook.com/ Cafe Riche.eg).
Café Riche’s vibrant political history led to its closure during the reign of Anwar al-Sa dat. Although the late president frequented the Café, he ordered its closure after wit nessing heated debates and discussions about his rule and the peace treaty with Is rael within its walls.
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Egypt’s recent film “Kira & El Gin,” which premiered in Egyptian cinemas on June 30, also screened scenes in Café Riche, which played an important role in Egypt’s revolu tion of 1919 during the British occupation period. It was a secret hideout for militants resisting the British occupation at the time, as well as a place for nights out for the Eng lish rulers and leaders hosting parties and viewing silent films.
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“Café Riche’s vibrant political history led to its closure during the reign of Anwar al-Sadat.”
The Café has certain traditions, such as not serving “shisha” to its customers and prohibiting playing cards, and, despite the fact that the coffee is crowded, tranquility is the main feature of the place. Café Riche is like an album that tells the story of Cairo from the inside. There are images of Egypt’s flooded pyramids and ancient Cairo’s squares. When you enter the place, you feel a strange comfort and a unique feeling, and you come out of the hustle and bustle of the street to rest your ear on the voice of Mohamed Abdel Wahab chanting via the gramophone.
The café also witnessed many stories of ce lebrity love and marriage, when Fatima / Rose al-Yusuf appeared in acting roles ac companied by the voice of Muhammad Ab dul Quddus. They met, loved, and married, and they gave birth to Ihsan Abdul Quddus, an Arab world literary giant of the novel. In the 1940s, Café Riche witnessed the formation of the Arab world’s first musi cal syndicate, which hosted poetic evenings and cultural seminars. Taha Hussein, AlAkkad, Louis Awad, Yahya Haqqi, Sulei man Najib, and Tawfiq Al-Hakim were the most famous pioneers in the 1940s and 1950s, and since the 1960s, the most fa mous leaders have been Edwar Al-Kharrat, Yahya Al-Taher Abdullah, Najib Sorour, and Jamal Al-Eid.
Masters of Great Epics
Whoever has not seen the movie Avatar on the larg est cinema screens – either because he was young in 2009 when it came out for its first showings, or perhaps because he had not yet come to life, and for those who only watched it on CDs— now has the opportunity to fulfil the desire and watch it complete and restored, as if it had just come out of the postproduction labs. Twentieth Century Fox will re-release the film on more than 2,000 screens in the United States and Canada on September 23rd. The reason for this is not simply a retrospective, nor is it because the com pany’s store is devoid of new films, necessitating a return to its old ones to fill the void. Rather, the film will play a significant role in preparing for the second instalment of Avatar, which is scheduled for public screenings in more than 3,000 North Ameri can theatres on December 16th. The goal here is straightforward: to prepare viewers to recall the events of the first film so that they can simply follow and complete the same story (with new events) without having to search for old refer ences. Thus, the first part serves as a model for the second part, driving more success while achieving great commercial success on its own, adding to its revenues of over 3 billion and 847 million dollars.
VAST HISTORY Before the premiere of Avatar, Amazon Prime Vid eo will release episodes of a television production of another blockbuster film that was created specifi cally for private home screens. The first episode will air on September 1st, followed by the remaining episodes weekly. The TV series is a remake of another huge movie series, The Lord of the Rings, and the similarities between Avatar and Lord of the Rings are that both belong to the cinema of large fantasy produc tions that adhere to an epic sweep in terms of sto ries, characters, and statements. We can picture the “Iliad” and “Gilgamesh” written on Sumerian paper and walls. The difference is that cinema transmits the great stories of the world to large screens using appropriate technical elements, and it portrays all events that are larger than reality, utilizing the entire imagination of its writers.
In fact, that’s what the cinema has been doing since it decided to move away from easy, short films toward the big epic films. L’inferno (“Hell” about Dante”) by Giovanni Pastroni (1914) featured Branchesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, and Giuseppe d’Ligioro Cabiria. It was the first among his kin – silent and colorless, but full of a striving to embody the condi tions of the cinematic epic. David Wark Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation, 1915 followed in this setting before Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 The Ten Commandments. Cecil B. DeMille directed The King of Kings in 1927, the same year that Frenchman Abel Gance finished work on Na
How Coppola, Scott, Johnson and Cameron Dominate Today’s Narratives By Mohammed Rouda –
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FrancisHollywoodFordCoppola:TheGodfather of cinema. Art
45 19/08/22 poleon. Then there are the historical and sciencefiction masterpieces created by David Lean, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Mann, and Manyothers.of them first appeared in the 1950s and 1960s, when the film industry decided that the best way to compete with the younger brother called “televi sion” was to enlarge the size of the stories and dress them in epic garb of every kind and category.
Coppola transitions from an unforgettable first chap ter in which Don Corleone listens to Bonasera, who comes to him asking him to avenge two aggressors in his daughter’s honor to telling the story of Don Corleone (Marlon Brando), who has three sons, Mi chael (Al Pacino), Sonny (James Caan), and Fredo (John Cazale).
The first are the most silent, the second are the most emotional, and the third are the most cowardly, as events will show later. Corleone tries to avoid be ing forced to trade in drugs by the organization and refuses to reveal the names of politicians and senior officials with whom he has vested interests. An as sassination attempt propels Pacino through a series of transformations from the quiet guy to the guy everyone (both inside and outside the family) fears. According to many critics, the second chapter was the best. In any case, it was no less epic treatment than the previous one, and the third part is also epic, despite being less important in terms of content than the previous two. Apocalypse Now (1979) was the most difficult chal lenge: A film about what America did in the Viet nam War and what the Vietnam War did to Amer ica. Among all the films about the Vietnam War produced by American cinema, Apocalypse Now is the best in terms of writing, directing, acting, and production elements, despite the fact that the prob lems that preceded filming and those that occurred during filming could have eliminated the work or jeopardized its ambitions. Coppola presents a tale that departs from the core of the novel with careful choices to reflect the chaos that accompanied the Vietnam War on every lev el, based on Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” (which takes place primarily in the Congo) and a screenplay by hard-duty man John Milius. The military leadership requests that Captain Willard (Shane) carry out an assassination mission for Colo nel Kurtz (Brando), who has rebelled against the Apocalypse Now.
The film industry decided that the best way to compete with the younger brother called “television” was to enlarge the size of the stories and dress them in epic garb of every kind and category Ridley Scott.
COPPOLA’S IMPOSSIBLE CINEMA
From Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai to Da vid Lean’s Doctor Zhivago, and from Stanley Ku brick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey to Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the cinema has enjoyed dozens of these massive productions that joined the previously mentioned ones.
This great director turned his epic concept into four films, three of which are the Godfather trilogy while the fourth is the massive war film Apocalypse Now. To begin with, The Godfather (1972) was not your typical gangster film. It was and continues to be the pinnacle of organized gang films. It has an artistic repertoire that never gets tired of repeating itself. At the same time, the story is so comprehensive that the film is still the most important thing ever recorded on tape about the great clash between Sicilian family concepts and the great American dream. Between two mindsets, one sees America as the world’s best country and declares his love for it, while the other uses it to engage in violent and lawless practices brought with him from Sicily. This is presented in a well-thought-out exposition with every technical detail imaginable, from the size of the shot to the movement of the camera, from the lighting to every word that is said, and from the content of the scene to everything that creates its desired atmosphere.
46 19/08/22 leadership by carving out a portion of the country on the Cambodian border. Willard leads a team of incompetents (Sam Bot toms, Frederick Forrest, Laurence Fishburne, and Albert Hall) who set out in a speedboat (named Er bos after the son of the Greek goddess of darkness) to travel from one event to the next. On that river road, the film depicts the craziness of life in the incubator of war: fighting, American bombing, the Viet Cong, casualties, dances, and so on. In one of them, a military commander (Robert Duvall) stands in front of his unit, which is shel tered from Viet Cong bombing, and says, follow ing an American napalm raid, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” Willard arrives at the loca tion where Colonel Kurtz carved out his mandate and witnesses the heartbreaking scene of a man who has lost his sanity and lived on violence until it has become a part of him. Willard eventually assassi nates Kurtz, perhaps to replace him because he can’t save anyone, starting with himself. Coppola does not miss the heart of what he wants from every shot, from the look in the eye to individ ual action to the indiscriminate killing of a boat of Vietnamese civilians to the largest scenes of killing and fighting. If there is a trigger, it is in the direc tor’s fervent mind, and he knows his destination and goals from a film that is as powerful as its content and as profoundly influencing as cinema should be. Coppola’s film is more than just a message; it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how the ele ments of the artwork constantly converge and diver sify on an epic scale and succeed.
In turn, Peter Jackson’s beginnings were far from epic cinema. This is shown in a number of mod erately successful low-budget films, including Bad Taste (1987), Dead Alive (1992), and Heavenly Creatures (1994). The latter received positive re views, but nothing in the film or what was written about it prepared for the huge step that Peter Jack son took when he finished filming the first part of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel with the same title. With its vast imagination, the film was amazing. The near-distant world that filled every nook and cranny of the image, people, nature (shot in New Zealand), and the novel concept of competing for a ring that can fulfil all desires. This conflict is continued in the two sequels, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Tow Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven. Art Coppola’s film is more than just a message; it is a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to see how the elements of the artwork constantly converge and diversify on an epic scale and succeed
RIDLEY SCOTT: HISTORY BUFF Director Scott is a fan of history films and sword and spear battles, which Hollywood used to provide in the 1940s and 1950s. The director has made six epic films in this genre, as well as others such as detective thrillers and science fiction: The Duelists (also based on one of Joseph Conrad’s works), 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Gladiator, and then the King dom of Heaven, Robin Hood, and Beyond Exodus: Gods and Kings. Was Scott drawn to history or historical filmmak ing? If there is a definitive answer, it is that his in terest in history stems from his interest in cinema, which allows him to re-work those blockbuster films for which Hollywood has been famous since the time of Cecil B. DeMille. For him and others, it is the reason for the birth of cinema. Thus, Scott belongs to the David Lean film genre (Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago). Like him, he focuses on two aspects of the narrative: an honorable perspec tive on history and the relevant details. While James Cameron goes beyond the fictional material most of the time and Coppola drew on the literature of the novel, Scott turned to history and extracted from it.
PETER JACKSON: HEXAGRAM FROM ANOTHER WORLD
Following this success, he directed a remake of King Kong (2005) and a detective film, The Lovely Bones (2009), before rolling up his sleeves and re turning to Tolkien’s world in a new trilogy titled The Hobbit (between 2012 and 2014). The latter suffered from a hasty writing and completion, but, like the rest of Jackson’s works based on Tolkien’s novels, it combined greatness and overwhelming imagination with entertainment, well-executed and unforgettable visuals.
James Cameron during the filming of Titanic.
Peter Jackson.
ers in 2002 and The Return of the Kings in 2003.
James Cameron began with low-budget films that were similar to other similar works of their kind. He began in 1981 with the horror film Piranha II: The Spawning and progressed to The Terminator in Returning1984. to this science-fiction film, we can see the desire to create a story that differs from the mul titude of films of the same genre in its narration. He wrote the script himself and gave the title role to Arnold Schwarzenegger, then turned it into two films, Aliens in 1986 and The Abyss in 1989, before returning to a second part in 1991, thanks to the suc cess of The Terminator. He finished True Lies with Schwarzenegger in 1994, three years before his first true epic film, Ti tanic (1997). The majority of those who saw this film enjoyed it on multiple levels. It was a massive production that told a story that actually happened in 1912, with human and tragic situations affecting ordinary people. It addressed two influential sides: A love story about a young man and a girl, dur ing which the first devoted himself to saving the life of the one he loves, and the second, how the social and class divide between luxury passen gers and steerage resulted in more casualties than second- and third-class passengers. These factors, along with depicting cases of panic and drowning, and then embodying the full catastrophic meaning, ensured that the film received the massive audience it Followingdeserved.its initial screenings, the film was com mercially re-released in 3D, which made these tech nical elements have a greater impact on the viewer. Everything is hazy, united, close, and crystallized, as if it were a new film. Following this film, Cam eron directed two works about the sea and his works are Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep (in 2003 and 2005, respectively), before setting out to make Avatar between 2007 and 2009, which, ac cording to what we mentioned in a previous issue, is the first among four parts.
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JAMES CAMERON: THE SEA & THE SKY
DAY SHIFT ★★
◆ Directed by Leah Purcell
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◆ Directed by Baltasar Kormakur
◆ Final Judgment: It deserves to be watched because of its originality and execution.
◆ Genre: Western [Australia]
THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON ★★★
◆ Final Judgment: It’s entertaining if you can get past the dialect barrier.
◆ Genre: Adventures [US] ◆ Gulf and International Screenings. You can’t blame the film’s hero (Idris Elba) for enjoying hunting predators in (what’s left of) Africa’s jungles. But you can’t blame him if he decides to bring his two young daughters along. Nonetheless, when a hungry lion roams the area and the father must defend himself and his two daughters. This suspense thread adds a good effect to the overall story. The film is uncommon these days because it is based on a story that existed during the time of Tarzan and the African bush. Today, where McDonald’s is located in the vicinity of those forests, the resulting effect on him is entirely dependent on the director’s skill, and this is what occurs.
BEAST ★★★
◆ Directed by J.J. PERRY
A weekly roundup of screenings at movie theatres around the world NEW MOVIES By Mohammed Rouda
◆ Screenings: Movie theaters only.
Art
◆ Genre: Action / Thriller [US] ◆ Netflix. Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx) works as a pool cleaner for the wealthy of the San Fernando Valley during the day. He works in a different occupation at night as a vampire hunter with two friends. For a while, it appears that the film will present itself as an interesting piece of work. There are no mental preoccupations, only fun as entertainment. However, after the introduction and establishment of the story, it devolves into a series of events that do not mesh well with one another, increasing the viewer’s confusion and raising questions such as why he should follow this movie, and even why this is a movie in the first place. Jamie Foxx struggles to deliver an impressive performance.
◆ Final Judgment: Violent and cartoonish characters. 19/08/22
Leah Purcell writes, directs, and portrays pages from Australia’s dark history, when white immigrants conquered the country’s vast lands and sentenced its na tives to exile in the deserts or extermination. The heroine of the film finds herself and her two sons in grave danger when one of these citizens seeks refuge on her farm. He is not a normal citizen, but a murderer who is fugitive from justice. Purcell creates a film that deals with both the present and the distant past (the events of 1893), and he finds the right opening to discuss white supremacy and guilt. But before and after that, the film is a thrilling formulation that benefits from its heroine’s overwhelming presence and a good portrayal of herself as a woman who will not hesitate to kill if she feels threatened.
THIRTEEN
◆ Horror.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
PREY ★★★
◆ Gulf Screenings.
◆ Final Judgment: For Quick Fun. LIVES ★★★
◆ Directed by Ron Howard
◆ Genre: Thriller (US)
The plot is well-known, but the director creates a drama of situations and charac ters that fills the atmosphere with appropriate suspense. The cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton.
◆ Final Judgment: Better than the director’s previous films. 19/08/22
◆
★★:
◆ Final Judgment: Without any special effects, a hunter and his THEprey.KILLER
★★
This is the fifth film in the Predator series, but it takes place 300 years before Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first encounter with the deadly monster in 1987. The location is a Native American reservation. The beast is identical. It falls from the sky and changes its gel-like shape at will. He is a predatory hunter who poses a threat to the tribe’s members, but only Naru (Amber Madthunder) is capable of defeating him. There is a level variation in the later parts of this series, but, still the first film is the best, and this one comes in second.
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★★★:
The story of a professional killer named Bang (as in the sound of bullets when Bang Bang goes off) who decides to retire (played by Jang Hyuk) after years of service. He has enough records to wrap a dozen sandwiches in, but the law has not caught up with him, nor has he been killed during any of the missions, but he has remained steadfast in the face of the challenges he has undertaken. He’d like to retire if things hadn’t gone as planned, but now he’s trying to save a girl from murder, killing, untying, and breaking the arms of anyone who gets in his way.
The real-life events occurred in northern Thailand in 2018, when 13 young men attempted to explore a mountain cave. A few hours later, a flood engulfed the cave, trapping them inside with no way out. The film tells the story of these peo ple as well as the rescue team, which began working immediately and encoun tered numerous difficulties. Director Ron Howard also triumphs over adversity.
◆ Genre: Action [South Korea]
Ratings: ★ Weak or average | Mediocre with merits| Good | ★★★★: Excellent | ★★★★★: A masterpiece
◆ International Screenings.
◆ Directed by Jae-Hoon Choi
◆ Genre: War [US]
Culture
It is said that London is too large for anyone to live in and that it really amounts to a collection of villages. One such village is Stamford Hill in the north of the city, a district almost entirely inhabited by a community of Orthodox Jews of the Haredi variety. During a fine spring, I moved there from neighbouring Hackney. As I stepped out of my front door, I would enter a stream of men dressed in long coats and fur hats with curls of hair at their ears, and women in frocks and hairdos redolent of the Fifties. It was a strange context at first, but no stranger than most places in London. Then one Sabbath, as I made my way up the road to a party across town, I found a young man with side curls but no hat, standing at the gate of a big house. He had a slightly desperate look in his eyes: Definitely bookish. Harold Bloom, literary critic, author, teacher at Yale. Pedigree of the nose
By Bryn Haworth
Bookishness is Next to Jewishness Nose in a Book
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He paused at that point, as if he was rapidly assessing just how Jewish I might be.
In an interview, Cohen said the announcement had taken him by surprise, as he had even less likelihood of remembering when the Pulitzer was announced than recalling his mother’s birthday. If this was a slightly awkward attempt at modesty, it was a dangerous gambit: bringing one’s mum up at moments like this could easily appear cute. On the other hand, the remark neatly forestalled psychoanalysis by reversing the old joke about Freudian slips, that you say one thing but mean your mother. Cohen proceeded to explain why he thought famous people, like Trump or Netanyahu, whose ‘soap operas’ we have to endure, could be fair game for a novel: ‘We›re beaten over the heads with them, the soap operas of these authoritarian figures, and we are engrossed in their scandals... but they are mascots in a way... hated mascots... and I resented the omnipresence of this saga that I didn›t sign up for, and I wanted to take some of its powers of projection and use it for my own purposes. Why not take a famous name, slap it on the front of a book, and use their generative power for the purposes of art – I certainly wouldn›t be the first one to do it.’ Hang on, is ‘mascot’ really the right word here? Entire regiments revere them. Indeed, all the mascots I’ve ever heard of have been considered lucky in some way. And there you have it. Mascot is the mot juste if you’re hoping Bibi’s hated surname will bring you some commercial good fortune. The problem is, by making it all about Bibi, you run the risk of reducing the whole enterprise to a polemic against 51 19/08/22
“Excuse me, are you busy?” he asked. “Not really,” I said, “why?” “It’s just, well, you’re not a Jew, are you?”
One such reader turned writer, a man with his nose permanently in a book, has now written a slim volume with a nose featuring prominently inside it.
The young man’s face was instantly suffused with relief. “You’re familiar with the word,” he said, amazed at his good luck to find such a well-informed gentile. “Then maybe you can help us out for a minute.”
He opened the gate, and led me up a long path towards the big mock Tudor house. It was dusk. As we crossed the threshold, we entered a vast hallway lit by dripping chandeliers. I say lit. The interior was actually dazzling, it was so over-lit. After the semi-darkness of the street, it felt like the foyer of a theatre. Off to the left I could hear numerous voices speaking, as I now know, in Yiddish. The young man led me away from them and up a palatial flight of stairs, thick with carpet, to a landing with several doors. “We just need you to turn off some lights,” he said. I nodded knowingly, which made him even happier, then he took me round five or six switches and I turned them off, one by one. Job done, I left and continued to my party, but something had changed. Even though I was never again asked to step in and do the good offices of a nonbeliever, I knew from that day I’d arrived: I was now, officially, the only goy in the village. Okay, this was not strictly true, as the house I inhabited had a few like me, but they didn’t even know what they were. I was the only one with the fascination. I remember reading about the rabbis arguing for so long over some delicate point about the Torah that God intervened, and then how some of the rabbis started arguing with God. I was fascinated by the levels of meaning in the Kabbala, as complicated as anything Harold Bloom had found in William Blake. It was no surprise the most celebrated Jewish literary critic had extrapolated from the Romantics no less than six revisionist ratios: clinamen, tessera, kenosis, etc. Back then, I would have had the patience to study them. I set about reading, in bed, the entirety of Freud’s monumental Interpretation of Dreams – my method was fool-proof; I could even continue my studies while asleep – and as I moved on to the Rat Man and Anna O, I would hear the rabbi muttering in the room next door. I recall one particular, glorious spring morning when, as usual, the birdsong was accompanied by a low hum of Hebrew or Yiddish. I got up and went over to the window to take in the beauty of the gardens behind our row of houses and there, standing on the neighbouring lawn, was a young man with side curls, his head bowed and his nose firmly planted in The Book. I suppose one bookish person is bound to recognise another, but not always with a sense of solidarity. The Romantic in me objected to the idea that while Nature was doing its thing – birds nesting, blossom on the trees, the sun beaming like an ecstatic god – this young man, no more than seventeen, was lost in an ancient text, oblivious to his surroundings. Ever since that time, in my lazy way, I have associated Jewishness with bookishness. In my last article I spoke about the awkwardness of discovering that a vague acquaintance has just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Well, the author in question, Joshua Cohen, did nothing to dispel this association. Moreover, the man he has dedicated the book to, the one-and-only Harold Bloom of the ratios, was often compared to a rabbi by his students. He is said to have known the entirety of Shakespeare’s plays off by heart and to have read everything else, which I know from experience would have taken him a heck of a long time; perhaps he too had mastered the knack of studying in his sleep. If anyone was a candidate for influence anxiety, it was Bloom, but of course he was a strong reader. It occurs to me that, had he tried harder to make it as a writer – the one novel he did attempt was a fantasy set in space – he might have discovered a simple glitch in his theory of influence: that it is not a strong or weak reading that sorts the poetical sheep from the goats, but a strong or weak rewriting. One such reader turned writer, a man with his nose permanently in a book, has now written a slim volume with a nose featuring prominently inside it. The book is called The Netanyahus and features what the subtitle calls ‘a minor and ultimately even negligible episode in the history of that famous family’. It’s a great victory for understatement that a ‘negligible’ tale should win the Pulitzer.
Now I had recently been reading a fair deal about the Jewish Diaspora, Kabbalism, Sigmund Freud and associated topics. When he paused in that way, it gave me an opportunity to think on my feet. “Ah,” I said, “if you mean am I a goy, yes, I am.”
Now it may just be me, but I didn’t hear the voice of the narrator speaking to me here; I heard the unmistakably patronising voice of the swot what wrote it. I shall of course – this being a brief essay on the role of the nose in world history – be returning to Freud in due course. For now, I want to explore the nose’s literary pedigree. I should hasten to explain that the nose in this prize-winning book is not the author’s, any more than the breast in another book was Philip Roth’s. It actually belongs to a young woman not unlike the nose in my picture, though that nose is also not the one in the book. It is a feminine nose nonetheless. And, I might add, one of exceptional beauty. In contrast, the nose in the book is one that its owner considers ugly and wants to get rid of.
‘…they can seem egoistic, egotistic, petty and vain, matters of custom, cuisine, or even just wardrobe…’ Definitely heading for Freud, and a phrase with firmly-established currency in the English language. ‘…but that doesn’t mean they didn’t exist and substantially define people’s lives: “der Narzissmus der kleinen Differenzen” is Freud’s famous phrase, which you don’t need more than kleinen German to puzzle out, or more than kleinen pride to be disturbed by.’
this ‘hated mascot’, when it is about so much more than that. Now I suppose you can be forgiven for fixating on the title, if that’s all your interlocutor has had time to read, but in reality, as Cohen implies, the title is just bait, and all this talk about ‘generative power’ and ‘the purposes of art’ is screamingly disingenuous: he merely seized an opportunity to exploit the famous name as a lure. This would suggest that, for all his arty-farty protestations, Cohen is not above showing a bit of leg when it comes to competing with the other hookers on the book shelves. But the book is about far more than the ghastly Netanyahus. It’s arguably about too much. For a slim volume, it has an immense amount of padding, enough to reverse Cyril Connolly’s axiom and demonstrate that in every thin man, there’s a fat man trying to get out. It is a semi-fictional account of a real incident, based on an anecdote, that nonetheless manages to be bookish. It’s a hybrid. It might easily have qualified for the journalism prize, had it not turned Harold Bloom into Ruben Blum, a fictional character who shares the name but with a different spelling, whose profession has changed from literary critic to historian of taxation. It also contains a cast of minor characters, such as Blum’s wife and daughter, his parents, his in-laws and a gallery of academic colleagues in descending order of plausibility. Yet it takes as its ostensible subject a real family, one of whose members was (until recently) Israel’s Prime Minister. Perhaps the Pulitzer committee should consider awarding a Neither Fact nor Fiction Prize in future, since for most of the time they had no way of determining where the original anecdote ended and the embroidery began. If he’d opted for a different title – one that might not have so blatantly invited a libel suit – Cohen could have done worse than A Nose Job. Perhaps simplicity of that ilk was too much to hope for. Given his penchant for long words, he would most probably have gone with Rhinoplasty. A penchant for the long word where a shorter and less exotic one might do is a sure sign of bookishness, but not of a good kind. They used to call words like this ‘inkhorn’ owing to the great quantities of ink spilt in devising them. In one humble chapter of The Netanyahus, the following words appear: eschatology, chthonic, nugatory, crepitus, propaedeutic and logopoeic. I struggle to describe what is going on here. Is it verbosity? Not quite. Loquacity, perhaps? No word springs to mind that quite expresses a tendency (shared by Boris Johnson, though no one could call him bookish) for employing polysyllabic words whose origins lie in Latin or Greek. Sesquipedalian, maybe, but it strikes me as singularly unsatisfactory that a word denoting a stylistic defect condemns you to bad style just for using it. I suffered from a similar tendency when I was at school, until a helpful English teacher diagnosed my condition as ‘logorrhoea’, though I think her thinly-disguised attempt at persiflage may have rendered that epithet more jocose than veridical. Clearly, Joshua Cohen never suffered the mockery of his English teachers. He doesn’t just prefer long words; he also favours strained and over-ingenious conceits. He describes a blameless Thanksgiving turkey, for instance, as a ‘huge fledgeless knoll of gleaming gravied flesh’. It’s a bloody turkey, man! The word ‘fledgeless’ is a poor substitute for featherless, and the word ‘knoll’ only has one obvious connotation in popular culture, and his turkey is emphatically not grassy. Should I get myself worked up about a conceited turkey? No, definitely not. But when a writer who knows German can come up with a passage like this concerning Freud, well honestly, I cannot desist from fuming impotently at such presumption. He is describing the subtle shades of identity that existed within the Diaspora: ‘In retrospect, the disparities… can seem ridiculously minor.’
At this point, it was already obvious we were heading for Freud here.
The nose in literature can be traced back at least as far as the tale of Slawkenbergius in Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy. It is an eminently bookish tale, one that Sterne is at pains to attribute to a Latin original, and which descends into ever more bookish complexity as the tale wears on. We are meant to wonder throughout whether the nose in question is actually another part of the anatomy altogether. It’s fair to say, that any dedicated reader is compelled to reflect long and hard (stop sniggering at the back) on this ambiguity. A ‘stranger’ – his name is Diego, and there are hints that he may be a Sephardic Jew –arrives in Strasbourg mounted on a trusty mule and on his way to ‘the borders of Crim-Tartary’… 52 19/08/22
Culture
The book is called The Netanyahus and features what the subtitle calls ‘a minor and ultimately even negligible episode in the history of that famous family’.
To this statement of intent, and other like it, the stranger reacts with wounded horror: ‘—no! said he, my nose shall never be touched whilst heaven gives me strength—To do what? said a burgomaster’s wife. The stranger took no notice of the burgomaster’s wife— he was making a vow to saint Nicolas.’
Cruikshank disambiguates Sterne’s ambiguity. George Cruikshank spoils the joke Bust of Laurence Sterne by Joseph ,1766 showing,Nollekenshisown very sizeable conk
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Sterne mentions the case of Corporal Trim’s brother, Tom, who was tortured on the rack by the Portuguese Inquisition for marrying a Jew’s widow who sold sausages. Tom is apparently mistaken for a ‘converso’ – which is to say a convert to Catholicism who continues to adhere to the Jewish faith – because his wife’s sausages contain no pork. This is an area covered by Benzion Netanyahu, but I shall come to that in the next article. Why is a Spaniard passing through Strasbourg on his way to the Crimea? Well, there was a Jewish population in Crimea as well as in Spain, but then there were many such communities distributed across Europe. As for Tartary, it seems to have been a generalised term for Asia at this time. The likelihood of Diego reaching the Crimea on a mule and then returning to Strasbourg inside a month seems slim. As the stranger passes through the city gates, he attracts a great deal of attention from the sentinel and a bandy-legged drummer, but he is destined to attract far more attention as the tale continues. The cause of all this interest is the immensity of his nose, which he explains by claiming to have come from the promontory of Noses, where he obtained “one of the goodliest and jolliest, thank heaven, that ever fell to a single man’s lot.” The prodigious dimensions of this nose stir ever more controversy, with some proclaiming its fleshly reality, while others insist it is a fake composed of parchment or metal: ‘Benedicity!——What a nose! ’tis as long, said the trumpeter’s wife, as a trumpet. And of the same mettle, said the trumpeter, as you hear by its sneezing. —’Tis as soft as a flute, said she. —’Tis brass, said the trumpeter. —’Tis a pudding’s end—said his wife. I tell thee again, said the trumpeter, ’tis a brazen nose. I’ll know the bottom of it, said the trumpeter’s wife, for I will touch it with my finger before I sleep.’
Is he indeed a Jew? It seems almost certain Cruikshank thought so. The illustration below shows how Cruikshank gave the same nose to Elsewhere,Fagin.
Cruikshank Fagin cell It is a semi-fictional account of a real incident, based on an anecdote, that nonetheless manages to be bookish. It’s a hybrid.
Nonetheless, the desire to touch the nose soon becomes unanimous, and is especially fervent among the good ladies of Strasbourg, not least those in its convents. The stranger begins to tease them with the possibility of touching it, given certain unspecified conditions, which may amount to the first recorded case of a prick doing the teasing: ‘I have made a vow to saint Nicolas this day, said the stranger, that my nose shall not be touched till—Here the stranger, suspending his voice, looked up—Till when? said the inn-keeper’s wife hastily. It never shall be touched, said he, clasping his hands and bringing them close to his breast, till that hour——What hour? cried she.—— Never!—never! said the stranger, never till I am got—For heaven sake into what place? said she.—The stranger rode away without saying a Eventually,word.’ the stranger leaves Strasbourg in some haste, bound for the east but with a promise of returning in a month’s time. The consequences for the town’s inhabitants, in particular the ladies and those domiciled in its convents, are catastrophic: ‘It was about the same hour when the tumult in Strasburg being abated for that night,——the Strasburgers had all got quietly into their ‘queenHowever,beds…’Mab, like an elf as she was, had taken the stranger’s nose, and without reduction of its bulk, had that night been at the pains of slitting and dividing it into as many noses of different cuts and fashions, as there were heads in Strasburg to hold them. The abbess of Quedlingberg […] was ill all the night. The courteous stranger’s nose had got perched upon the top of the pineal gland of her Evidently,brain.’the abbess is a closet Cartesian. Others ‘…were still in a worse condition than the abbess of Quedlingberg—by tumbling and tossing, and tossing and tumbling from one side of their beds to the other the whole night long—the several sisterhoods had scratch’d and mawl’d themselves all to death—they got out of their beds almost flead alive—everybody thought saint Antony had visited them for probation with his fire——they had never once, in short, shut their eyes the whole night long from vespers to matins. The nuns of saint Ursula acted the wisest—they never attempted to go to bed at all.’ It is as if a plague afflicts the city. It is reminiscent of the dancing mania, when entire towns danced literally until they dropped.
Culture
The deleterious effects of bagpipes? Dance at Molenbeek.
Folk memories of this affliction persist in the form of Tarantism in remote parts of Puglia. Because the nose obsesses one and all, it threatens to lay the city open to the depredations of the French: ‘every soul, good and bad—rich and poor—learned and unlearned—doctor and student—mistress and maid—gentle and simple—nun’s flesh and woman’s flesh in Strasburg spent 54 19/08/22 Now, with Joshua Cohen’s addition to the long history of noses in literature, we have a fresh insinuation that large, or even misshaped, noses are tokens of Jewishness.
their time in hearing tidings about it—every eye in Strasburg languished to see it——every finger—every thumb in Strasburg burned to touch it.’
Impatiens noli-tangere
Of course, this being Sterne, there is no consummation to be had for his readers. As for his nuns, the phrase ‘Noli me tangere’ will forever haunt their dreams. Actually, that’s just given me an idea – what if the stranger is a parody of Christ? He could easily be entering Jerusalem in Cruikshank’s picture. But hush, surely this is a speculation too far. Still, if you find the depiction below (by Hans Holbein the Younger) suggestive, you should see the one by Titian, too risqué for a family show: Laurence Sterne was a vicar, though not a very reverend one. After reading his sermons, Thomas Gray wrote ‘They are in the style I think most proper for the pulpit, and show a strong imagination and a sensible heart; but you see him often tottering on the verge of laughter, and ready to throw his periwig in the face of the audience.’ The jovial vicar would surely have relished the medical associations of noli me tangere, namely swellings that increase in size if touched, or the botanical angle of the touch-menot balsam, also known as Impatiens noli-tangere. Apparently, its seed pods explode when you touch them. It took many years for Tristram Shandy to get translated. It’s not a task anyone would take on lightly. When part of it was rendered in Russian in 1804, it finally arrived at the ‘borders of Crim-Tartary.’ There, it would inspire Gogol’s more celebrated nose in the short story of that name. Since Gogol has been accused of anti-Semitic undertones, the nature of that inspiration might repay further enquiry. Through Gogol, the debt to Sterne extended to include Kafka and Gregor Samsa’s transformation into a cockroach. It was absurdity that he bequeathed to European letters, coupled with a sentimental streak. Since then, Shandyism has ravished the continent. It only remains for a statue of Sterne’s nose to be erected in Strasbourg for Diego’s journey to come full Now,circle. with Joshua Cohen’s addition to the long history of noses in literature, we have a fresh insinuation that large, or even misshaped, noses are tokens of Jewishness. It comes not from the author, but from his narrator’s daughter, Judy, who has two main fixations, the first with assimilation into American society, which she sees as a beacon of fairness; the second a radical alteration of the most prominent feature of her face. This leads to her declaration in the book – maybe it was a certain nervousness that made me laugh out loud when I read it – “And fairness must also be this: that everyone in this country who can pay for a nose with their own money can have one.” Judy is clearly a very intelligent girl, but not in a bookish kind of way. 55 19/08/22
The nose in literature can be traced back at least as far as the tale of Slawkenbergius in Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy.
Hans Holbein the Younger ;)1524( Mary gets the stranger treatment. Noli me tangere
Some children might need more time than others before they come out from their shells. They require time to overcome their shyness, to open up to someone they do not know and feel comfortable with. Making children feel at ease, signaling that they are always supported, and we are there for them whenever they are ready to break the ice be tween us. Every child, regardless of their background and age, are looking for being listened to.
By
Furthermore, children require adults to rec ognize their limits. When the expectations towards them are too high, it can lead to frustration as a child could feel like a failure when not able to do a certain task. There fore, it is important to pay attention to their limits and not expose a child unnecessarily to those situations.
One of the main beauties of being a child is being impressively amazed by the world surrounding them. Allow yourself to be blown away together with them should a child want to show you something. Try to relive those hidden emotions, those you once also felt when you were a child. Sadly, it seems that while a child grows up, they
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How to Conquer the Heart of our Children: Be Like Them! Luisa Markides
They have the desire to convey their world and the impressions they are experiencing in that moment. When they have the feeling that they are carefully listened to and they can share their thoughts with someone – it opens up a whole world to them. One important fact is that children find treas ure in small things. They might find value in little things that are of no meaning to you. But those arts and crafts, drawings, small stones, sticks or flowers found by a child may represent a golden treasure by having a huge value for them. When a grownup enjoys those gifts given to them through their small hands, it may make a child feel recognized in their value and shared with their belongings. This may connect bridges between children and grown-ups.
Children can be raw and impulsive in their actions. They are able to express their emo tions unfiltered, leaving perhaps someone wondering how to gain their trust. Children can fearlessly reject a grownup without any specific motivation – simply because they do not feel an imminent bond. There is of ten no reason for it.
Those small hands, trying to reach out to hold on to a grownup person, to feel the comfort and safety of someone to hold on to. They are reaching out to somebody, try ing to find a role model who leads them through their life. They are reaching out to someone – to simply feel loved. Every child is unique and an individual in his personality, but everyone has the similar longing for love and care. One may won der, why some people attract children like a magnet, easier than some others are able to, while being surrounded by many tiny human beings? Why can someone win a child’s heart easier and faster than others?
While children might seem tiny creatures without much of a life-experience and knowledge, they are much more aware of the reality surround ing them. Too often adults try to shelter children from what concerns them, fearing they are not able to understand. However, when a child feels like actively taking part in someone’s life, they may feel empowered. Therefore, it could have a positive impact when parents or other key per sons in a child’s life express their thoughts. Do not fear to convey your own emotions, such as telling them about your personal dreams, wishes or life-lessons. Ask the child how they feel. By sharing what is important to you, it might make the child feel valued and recognized in his abil Butity.
what might be the most precious gift to you from a child, is to awaken your own inner child. Find amusement together. Make up stories, pre tend play with them and make silly jokes, build sandcastles, run around barefoot down hills.
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will lose over time those enthusiastically shared amazements. It is, as if they adapt and learn from their peers that showing emotions is a weakness. Therefore, lay in the grass with them, gazing with amazement the world passing by, even if it does not make sense to you. As it might be the whole universe to a child…and sadly it will not last long before they will forget about this skill.
Children might have worthfulbeautifulmakesthemthem,ownOpentoallneeds,complexbuttheyjustwantbeloved.yourhearttoembraceinwhattheirlifeand
Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash
Tickle each other and do rollie-pollie in the rain or just lay in the sun together, telling each other fairy-tales, dreaming about the future, gazing at the clouds passing by - while letting both your soul and sprit dangle freely. To summarize: children might have complex needs, but they all just want to be loved. Open your own heart to them, embrace them in what makes their life beautiful and worthful. Laugh with them and have an open ear and arms when ever they need you. Fully engage with a child and their needs and always take them seriously. Try to recognize them as equal human beings. Always be creative while playing and interact ing in their games. Try not to pretend, instead find happiness together in your actions. Comfort a child and dry their tears, making them feel at ease to express all their feelings, even if they’re overwhelmed. Help them bring calm into their chaos, while being yourself like a child in a gi ant body.
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Focusing your attention on only one task at a time is the secret to performing tasks correctly. You may think you can do everything at once, but you can’t -- and shouldn’t. Science has shown that when people multitask, they become more easily distracted and less productive, score lower on tests for recalling information, and make more errors. The reason is simple: the brain cannot devote equal attention to multiple tasks that require high-level brain function.
DISTRACTION REACTION
Older adults especially struggle with multitasking because aging brains have more trouble blocking distractions. Distractions can impair their working memory -- the capacity to hold and access informa tion over a brief period. “Working memory helps you perform everyday men tal tasks, such as learning a telephone number and then entering it into a smartphone, and following a conversation,” says Cho. “It also helps you conduct complex tasks, like reasoning, comprehension, and learning.”
“For older adults, multitasking increases the chance of making more serious mistakes,” says Lydia Cho, a psychologist and neuropsychologist with Harvardaffiliated McLean Hospital. “For instance, you could begin to pay bills, switch to another task, and then for get to go back and finish. Or you could get distracted juggling so many things that you forget to take your medication, or even take it twice.”
When faced with multiple to-do items, choose the top two and leave the others for another day. “Write them into a weekly or daily planner, or add them to your phone or computer’s calendar, so you know which ones require attention,” says Cho. Set aside time. Create a defined time frame for your task and commit to it. “The important part about blocking out time is respecting it,” says Cho.
HealthByMatthewSolan
Effective monotasking revolves around managing time well, working for brief periods, blocking distrac tions, and managing stress. Here are several strategies that can help you improve in these areas. List only two daily priorities. People get caught in the multitasking trap by taking on too many projects.
The Art of Monotasking The Secret to Performing Tasks Correctly
Work in intervals. Research has found that working in intervals helps with monotasking, especially for peo ple who struggle with attention. With intervals, you work for a set time followed by a brief mental break, and then you repeat the cycle until the task is finished.
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MONO, NOT MULTI The solution to breaking free from multitasking is to monotask, meaning you focus on only one job until it’s completed. “This approach lowers the burden on working memory, reduces your vulnerability to dis traction, and helps you complete the task more effi ciently and quickly,” says Cho.
(See “A time for intervals.”) “The back-and-forth be tween work and rest helps establish a rhythm, where
your brain knows when to work and when to rest,” says Cho. A time for intervals. A popular interval method is the Pomodoro Technique, in which you set a 25-minute timer and work straight through, fol lowed by a five-minute break, and then repeat. (You can adjust the work time as needed.) There are many apps for smartphones and computers that follow the Pomodoro Technique, such as Po modoro, Forest, and Focus Keeper. Block distractions. One study found that a threesecond interruption can double your risk of making errors when performing a task. Create a distraction-free environment when monotask ing. Stay away from the Internet, TV, and other stimuli. Turn off your phone, or set it to “do not disturb” to block calls and notifications. “Every time you switch from a task to a distraction and then back, it takes time and brain energy to refo cus, and the work ends up taking longer than it should,” says Cho. Manage stress. Spikes in the stress hormone cor tisol diminish working memory storage and re trieval, according to Cho. “Anything you can do to reduce and manage stress can support the brain for monotasking,” she says. For example, do more aerobic exercise, schedule regular social engage ments, devote time to a spiritual or religious prac tice, or consider psychotherapy. Practice being in the moment. Train your brain for monotasking by practicing ways to stay pre sent and focused. For instance, do a daily five- to 10-minute meditation: silently count your breaths in repeated sets of 10. Reading is another great exercise; set aside 10 to 20 minutes every day to read, and take breaks when your attention drifts.
This article was originally published by Harvard Men’s Health Watch 59 19/08/22
Credit: Westend61/ Jo Images/TNSKirchherr/Getty
Effective monotasking revolves around managing time well, working for brief periods, blocking distractions, and managing stress.
She also extended her sincere thanks to Ambassador Makram, former Minister of Immigration, for her tireless effort and the achievements made by the Ministry of Im migration during her tenure. She stressed that she would build on these efforts with more work and perseverance, to create many advanced programs directed for the benefit of Egyptians abroad within a modern work strategy that takes into account the political, cultural and economic dimen sion of Egyptian expatriates, with the aim of strengthening their relationship with their mother Ambassadorcountry.El-Gendy indicated that foreign tours and visits will be conducted to identify the needs of the Egyptian communities in light of the current conditions that the whole world is going through, including pandem ics, wars and climate change, and to give them more incentives and facilities that give them reassurance about their future. El-Gendy added that Egyptian expatriates are the first line of defense for Egypt and the first protector of its interests abroad. “There is a need to strengthen their connec tion to the homeland, not only the commu nities of the first generation, but the first, second and third generations, i.e., parents, children and grandchildren, all of whom need important programs with different goals and ambitions.” El-Gendy was born in Cairo in 1966. She holds a BA in English from the Faculty of Al-Alsun (Languages), Ain Shams Univer sity, since 1988, and in the following year she worked as a diplomatic attaché at the In stitute of Diplomats. Over the course of her diplomatic work, she served in a number of countries, such as Ger many from 1992 until 1996, then moved to Romania and worked there between 1999 and 2003. By 2006, El-Gendy held the position of Head of the Egyptian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York until 2010, and the last position she held before taking the portfolio of the Ministry of Immigration was Egypt’s ambassador to Ireland, which she held from 2015 to 2019.
Suha El-Gendy: Egypt’s New Immigration Minister
The new minister expressed her happiness at the nomination to take over the respon sibility of the Ministry of Immigration and this important issue in the light of the new Sherepublic.said, “My nomination from the President and the Prime Minister is a Medal of Honor on my chest at this current stage that requires a lot of effort and cooperation among state institutions for the benefit of the citizens, both Egyptians at home and abroad.”
El-Gendy also worked as a consultant re sponsible for the mission of the United Na tions General Assembly Third Committee in New York, which deals with human rights, humanitarian and social issues, including issues related to women, and was later pro moted to the position of Minister Plenipo Duringtentiary.this period, El-Gendy assumed the position of Alternate Permanent Representa tive and Deputy Head of the Egyptian Mis sion to the United Nations in New York.
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By IllustrationMajalla by Jeannette Khouri
This week, Ambassador Suha El-Gendy as sumed the portfolio of the Ministry of Im migration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, succeeding former Minister Nabila Makram, as part of a new cabinet reshuffle that took place in Egypt. On Sunday, Ambassador El-Gendy took the constitutional oath before President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to take over the portfolio of the Ministry of State for Immigration and Egyptians Expatriates Affairs.
As a result, inflation rises. However, data has never unconditionally supported such a relationship between budget deficit and inflation. As such, critics are justified in contesting the foundation of the bill. Furthermore, it›s apparent that global commodities price idiosyncrasies are the primary factor causing inflation rather than government spending and monetary policy, which is the case in normal circumstances. It seems the use of word “inflation” is just a way to sway the public while the main aim of the policy is the tax, energy and price reform involved in it. The most surprising and positive aspect is the price cap on pharmaceutical drugs, a rare loss by the industry. The bill will allow the government to negotiate the prices of 10 high-cost drugs for Medicare. If they don’t negotiate, they are burdened with a %95 sales tax on the drug. Additionally, Medicare beneficiaries have capped out-of-pocket drug costs at 2,000$. Insulin will be capped for Medicare at 2023( 35$(. Most reforms aim to be implemented in 2025 or onward (except insulin(, and as you know, many things could happen from now to then. In addition, reforms are aimed at Medicare beneficiaries, which insure 82 million Americans. However, many privately insured (177 million( and non-insured (35 million( individuals will not benefit from the bill. The second positive aspect is that there will be a %15 minimum tax on book income of 1$billion+ revenue, ending a major loophole used to avoid tax.
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Ambitious indeed, but many critics, especially from the right, cast some serious doubts on whether this will do what it says it will or if it›s beneficial. This article will explore whether the bill is worth all the Theenthusiasm.relationship between deficit reduction and the fight for inflation rate goes like this. The monetarist states that an increase in budget deficit means an increase in money supply in the economy, leading to a rise in the inflation rate. In fiscal theory, a deficit means an increase in federal loans which means a rise in interest rates – a higher cost of borrowing.
The inflation reduction act seems to be a scaleddown version of Biden›s Build Back Better. The bill sounds good for headlines but, upon close inspection, is extremely limited. It will probably not have much impact on current inflation, nor will it help the USA reach its climate goal if funds are channeled to carbon storage technology. The major positives are the minimum corporation tax, the deficit reduction for reasons other than inflation, and the cost limitation on pharmaceutical drugs.
The most talked about aspect of this bill is tax breaks, credits, and subsidies that aim to tackle the climate crisis. However, unfortunately, it seems it›s not as positive and historical as many claim, even if we assume the ideal that the 369$ billion spending and credit and tax breaks bring about a trillion in private spending. According to the calculations of Robert Pollin and others, they have estimated that for the USA to hit a 50 per cent CO2 emissions cut by 2030, it “will require about 400$ billion in today’s economy and an average of 600$ billion per year between now and 2050” (Pollin 2022(, which is nowhere near the current funding. Furthermore, the bill was passed in exchange for many things. One of them is constructing a 300mile-long gas pipeline in a mountain valley, which signifies that burning natural gas isn›t targeted as a way to reduce emissions. But instead, I speculate that the USA aims to reduce emissions through channeling funds to carbon capture technology, as they did in the past. Carbon capture is clearly not developed yet to be commercially used, or even to be a viable option.
The bill also seeks to “invest in domestic energy production and manufacturing and reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 per cent by 2030.” Lastly, it aims to combat pharmaceutical price abuses.
The Inflation Reduction Act… Minus the Inflation
62 19/08/22 pinionoThebillsoundsgoodforheadlinesbut,uponcloseinspection,isextremelylimitedBySaifAl-Abri
The “Inflation Reduction Act” miraculously passed the Senate and the House. It aims to “make a historic down payment on deficit reduction to fight inflation.”
