Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts a Brics summit in Beijing last year. AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts a Brics summit in Beijing last year. AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts a Brics summit in Beijing last year. AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts a Brics summit in Beijing last year. AP

China endorses Brics coalition’s ‘spirit of openness’ amid Tunisia’s reported bid to join


Ghaya Ben Mbarek
  • English
  • Arabic

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has said the economic co-operative bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, known as Brics, is open to new members.

His comments follow reports that Tunisia is seeking to join the economic bloc, an organisation set up in June 2009 as Bric, with South Africa joining the following year.

Mr Wang said: “The 14th Brics summit's Beijing Declaration made clear the organisation supports membership expansion; China upholds the Brics spirit of openness, win-win co-operation to accelerate the process."

Spokesman for Tunisian President Kais Saied's July 25 movement, Mahmoud Ben Mabrouk, said “the EU pushed Tunisia to seek out financial support and funding from Brics” by being “too slow” to offer financial assistance, local radio Mosaique reported.

Mr Ben Mabrouk also blamed EU members for Tunisia’s delayed negotiations with the IMF for its bailout support package.

“Tunisia opened up several opportunities to the EU to give the country economic support,” he said. "But the Europeans were slow, which pushed Tunisia to move toward the Brics group for funding and investments."

Mr Ben Mabrouk did not provide further details on either the talks or the support Tunisia is seeking.

Although first coined as a term in 2001, when British economist Jim O'Neil predicted that the current member countries would one day be the world's largest economies, Brics became an official organisation eight years later.

The coalition, which brought together powerful developing economies, also held the premise of acting as a counterweight to the G7 group with the view of shifting the global order from the West.

Despite Mr Ben Mabrouk's remarks, no official statements have been made by the Tunisian government on joining the coalition of emerging economies.

Several other countries have previously expressed their interest in joining the group, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Argentina and Algeria, which officially submitted its application to join in November.

“Algeria remains interested in the Brics countries because they are an economic and political force to be reckoned with,” its President Abdelmajid Tebboune told Al Jazeera Arabic podcast, reaffirming his country’s intentions to join the bloc and hinting that membership could be on the horizon.

IMF travails

Tunisia had sought $4 billion in funding from the IMF and reached a staff-level agreement with the fund in October for a new 48-month Extended Fund Facility worth about $1.9 billion to support the government’s economic reform programme.

However, it has yet to secure funding from the international lender pending a reform package, which would include subsidies and public spending cuts.

Despite the initial approval of Tunisia’s government on the IMF conditions, Mr Saied described those terms as "a threat to social stability" in the country.

The reforms proposed by the IMF are expected to affect Tunisia’s subsidies system, which regulates prices of essential goods, already in short supply, as well as vital services and the price of petrol, which has increased fivefold in the past year.

Meanwhile, China has been able to forge a role as an alternative resort for countries seeking to pay their debts.

Between 2008 and 2021, China reportedly spent $240 billion bailing out 22 countries, including Argentina, Pakistan, Turkey and Kenya.

Also through the Belt and Road Initiative project — later renamed the Global Development Initiative — the Chinese government allocated nearly $1 trillion dollars in investment and loans in support of infrastructure mega projects in various continents.

Chinese involvement in Tunisia has so far fallen short of its investments in other emerging economies, according to a recent study by the US Washington Institute for Near East Studies, which said Beijing's investment was far smaller than that of France.

The French invest about $2 billion a year in the North African country, but China could soon catch up with continuing projects such as the Melegue dam near El Kef, which is scheduled for completion this year.

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ

Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700

Engine 3.0L V6

Transmission Eight-speed automatic

Power 340hp @ 6,000pm

Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km

THE TWIN BIO

Their favourite city: Dubai

Their favourite food: Khaleeji

Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach

Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scores in brief:

Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

UAE SQUAD

Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri

MATHC INFO

England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)

New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)

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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

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Lexus LX700h specs

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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

RESULTS

 

Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)

Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke

Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)

Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke

Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)

Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO

Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision

Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke

Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke

Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO

Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

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Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

MATCH INFO

Norwich 0

Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')

Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)

EA Sports FC 25
MATCH INFO

Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports

Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Updated: April 11, 2023, 1:50 PM`