Germany's Finance Minister has made a striking pledge to the world. That to defy the trend of the times, Berlin has set its sights on emerging as the world's biggest development spender. If it isn't already.
USAID is mothballed and the UK has pivoted back to cutting aid so that it can spend more on defence. Lars Klingbeil, the Vice Chancellor in the new government, is warning other parts of the system that budget sacrifices will be made to meet the increase in military, infrastructure and development.
Speaking at the Hamburg Sustainability Summit, Mr Klingbeil made clear his dismay at the direction taken by the British Labour Party as it transfers billions from aid to defence. "In absolute terms, given current developments, we are on course to be the world's biggest contributor of official development assistance," he declared.
"Germany will stand by its international responsibility. Especially now when other major developed countries are reducing their support, Germany will remain a reliable partner. What we cannot do is to compensate for the global shortfall in development financing."
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil with Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan. Getty Images
In the ornate setting of the Hamburg town hall, the conference aims to do for the concept of sustainable development what Munich's Security Conference does for the defence establishment. Just don't call it Davos-by-Sea.
On Monday I met Mr Klingbeil's cabinet colleague at the summit, Reem Alabali-Radovan, after a media briefing at the adjoining Chamber of Conference. Ms Alabali-Radovan has a fascinating backstory in modern German politics. Born to Iraqi exiles, she grew up in Germany and has worked for the cause of refugees and migrants for much of her career.
She is a passionate and direct communicator, even cutting through while on panels on sustainable finance. It should stand her in good stead in her new role as the Development Minister.
Ms Alabali-Radovan spoke of her frustration over the situation in Gaza and displayed a much more robust German government line on the situation than has been seen. “There can and must be no military goal that justifies children starving, mothers being unable to receive treatment for their injured children, or entire families being buried under rubble,” she said. “No political strategy must lead to the blocking of humanitarian aid.”
One underplayed aspect of the UK's defence review this week was the assertion that a Nato overhaul is the only option for Europe's security. Nato leaders meet before the end of the month. Spending is dominating the headlines but the hard fact is the alliance will have to reflect modern realities with a change in how it operates.
If the Europeans are able to follow through on the vast sums now being committed, and if this spending boosts economic growth across the continent, America's drawback under Donald Trump can be a manageable revolution. But will the European economy be boosted by the programme of investments? That must come down to technological advances.
British officials claim to have a whole set of new secret weapons, from nano drones and microwave weapons to autonomous submarines. The government has announced nearly £1 billion in funding to install DragonFire, a laser-directed energy weapon on Royal Navy ships.
The fire travels at the speed of light and destroys incoming threats by turning metal surfaces into 3,000°C plasma at a range understood to be beyond 2km.
A range of highly advanced weapon systems, many of them undergoing trials in Ukraine, will now also benefit from a £4 billion post-SDR boost in funding, mostly at the UK Drone Centre.
SXSW London
The inaugural SXSW London has taken over the venues, art spaces and galleries of the achingly hip Shoreditch area of East London this week, building on the reputation and success of Austin, Texas.
The National was in attendance to witness music, media, culture and innovation. Guess what? AI was a hot topic on almost every panel and the takeaway recommendation was try everything.
SXSW London has taken over the streets of Shoreditch. Reuters
In an archway under the rumbling trains of the Tube network, the Saudi Music Commission is holding a cultural programme featuring live music each night, alongside workshops on film, fashion and tech.
Delegates heard from Munirah Alsaleh, a Riyadh-based artist manager who discussed the emerging live music opportunities in the Middle East and her desire to capture and capitalise on the "Sound of Saudi" in the way K-pop has for South Korea.
She praised the “cultural rebirth” sparked by Vision 2030 and also, in the UAE, the growing concert culture. She was sure the scene could create tourist opportunities for the whole GCC, a belief mirrored by Hisham Aramouny of entertainment company Attachment. He pointed to the high-profile events such as the Bahrain and Abu Dhabi F1 races, plus the Dubai Sevens rugby tournament for starting mass spectator music events in the Middle East.
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Engine: Duel electric motors Power: 659hp Torque: 1075Nm On sale: Available for pre-order now Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE) Where: Allianz Arena, Munich Live: BeIN Sports HD Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017 Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand Sector: FinTech, wealth management Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021 Current staff: more than 160 employees Stage: series D Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
