German foreign minister Heiko Maas again took aim at president Donald Trump’s foreign policy in a speech on Monday, branding his policies towards Europe “irritating”.
“Obviously it irritates us when President Trump describes Europe as an enemy of the USA in the same breath as Russia and China or calls Nato into question almost as a throwaway remark,” Mr Maas told a gathering of Romanian diplomats in Bucharest.
“It seems absurd that we in the European Union have to worry about reacting to US tariffs that are justified on national security grounds,” Mr Maas said, before going on to note that this “absurdity” may simply be the reflection of a new geo-political reality.
“‘America First’ was a wake-up call. Our answer to that must be: ‘Europe United!” Mr Maas said.
Last week the minister used an article in the Handelsblatt newspaper to call on Europe to consider a "new world order" more independent of the US, prompting chancellor Angela Merkel to make clear that this was only Mr Maas's personal opinion.
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In his speech on Monday, Mr Maas called on the EU to develop a “common foreign and security policy worthy of the name”, as well as a “defence union”, and added that the principle of unanimity had too often led to the policy of the “lowest common denominator”.
“We must be able to find areas in which majority decisions are conceivable for all member states,” he said.
Mr Maas also expressed concern over “polarisation” evident in Romania over alleged government corruption and controversial judicial reforms.
Earlier this month more than 450 people were hurt, including 30 police, during clashes at anti-government protests.
“It’s not the discussion as such that worries us, as that has to take place. It is the harshness of the debate, which has led to violent confrontations,” Mr Maas said.
He called for a “compromise” to be found over judicial reform which would preserve the balance of powers while bringing together Romanian society.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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)
On sale: Now
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
