Estranged Iranian and Russian presidents to meet in Baku



The presidents of Russia and Iran will meet in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, tomorrow, hoping to mend an unprecedented breakdown in relations between the two traditional allies.

The Caspian Sea Summit of leaders of five littoral states seeks to address overlapping claims that the region's powers have to the vast energy riches believed to be buried offshore.

But the encounter in Baku between the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, and his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is sure to overshadow a summit that has a history of ending with little progress.

Dmitry Trenin of the Carnegie Moscow Centre said: "This represents Iran's last chance to come to terms with the international community."

Rajab Safarov of the Contemporary Iranian Studies Centre in Moscow said: "It is an extremely important meeting that comes amid an unprecedented deterioration of the bilateral relations. Our relations have not been this low at any point in our recent history." he noted.

Russian-Iranian tensions came to the boil this September when Moscow, after repeated delays, officially dropped plans to supply Tehran with high-precision S-300 missiles and a batch of other sensitive arms.

The S-300s are seen as Tehran's best defence from any potential attack by Washington and were the subject of vociferous objections from both the US administration and Israel.

Iran did little to hide its displeasure with Russia's reversal.

Mr Ahmadinejad this month accused Russia of falling "under the influence of Satan [the United States]" and selling out "to our enemies."

Iran has since said that it will test its own homemade S-300. But analysts question the country's ability to quickly recover from the Russian blow.

The S-300 saga in fact only manifests a slow creep by Moscow away from its unquestioning support for Tehran.

Russia has already backed a series of United Nations sanctions resolutions against the Islamic nation and Mr Medvedev himself has voiced a growing sense of frustration with the persistent nuclear ambitions of Tehran.

Mr Medvedev broke with years of Kremlin tradition by admitting this summer that Tehran was "nearing the possession of the potential" to build a nuclear weapon.

The pronouncement led to another round of name calling - Mr Ahmadinejad labeled Mr Medvedev a "mouthpiece" of Iranian enemies - and a recognition of a shift in Moscow's stance from Washington.

Analysts say that Russia was particularly angered by Iran's decision last year to reject a compromise deal under which it would have processed most of the Islamic state's stockpile of enriched uranium.

It was turned down after some indecision by Tehran in what analysts see as a turning point in its relations with the Kremlin.

Viktor Kremenyuk, deputy director of the USA-Canada Institute, said: "Iran tried to play games over the deal and received a firm rebuke. We took away their S-300s and began supporting the US position at the UN Security Council."

The Caspian summit itself, the third gathering of nations that also includes Azerbaijan and the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, was unlikely to make much progress on its most important dispute: how to split up the sea.

Iran insists on dividing the Caspian into five equal portions, while the Azerbaijanis are angling for access that corresponds to each country's coastline.

The question deals with much more than sovereignty issues: it determines which nation gets access to the juiciest part of the energy pie.

Moscow is willing to accept some sort of compromise but even Russian sources conceded that this was unlikely to happen in Baku.

The Voice of Russia state radio service concluded on its website: "It cannot be excluded that this summit will end up accomplishing nothing because Tehran is unwilling to accept any compromise."

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners

French Touch

Carla Bruni

(Verve)

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Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421,  Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day. 

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
Monster

Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

Monster Hunter: World

Capcom

PlayStation 4, Xbox One

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes. 

The trip

From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding

Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):

Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points