This year ends in many parts of the world with an economic bang, not a whimper. From the foothills of the UK's party season our columnist Chris Blackhurst reports on a conversation with two would-be London unicorns who spoke of the intense pressure they are under to move their potential £1 billion-plus tech businesses overseas.
“Anywhere but Britain,” was in effect what they were hearing, with the UAE, US and Saudi Arabia the most favoured destinations.
AI Week at the Museum of The Future, in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
Why? Because in the case of the US, that is where the global financial power and digital know-how is concentrated, while the Gulf powerhouses are making major strides in attracting global talent and introducing digital innovation.
Up to now, outside of China, the AI world has coalesced around three centres: the US, the UK-EU region and Gulf countries. But the one that is looking most vulnerable and may find itself slipping away is the UK-EU zone. Why? Because European countries and their leaders are applying what is often referred to euphemistically as an abundance of caution – they are talking big about investment and opportunities but, at the same time, they are paying heed to politicians and regulators anxious about controlling AI and restricting its development and impact.
If US President Donald Trump is suited and booted in proscribing parts of the Muslim Brotherhood, the UK is still searching under the bed for its shoes.
There may be something stirring at one level of the political landscape, though. I attended a launch in parliament of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Extremism. I found a group of representatives who wanted to change the group thinking around the issue.
The current UK structures are focused on counter-terrorism, not so much on extremism. Those laws and strategies were forged after the 9/11 attacks on the US that created a new era of security priorities around the world.
Seizing the agenda is the art of politics in this regard, and the British government is far behind the curve in addressing extremism.
It faces calls to address the scope and scale of the problem beyond the established counter-terrorism infrastructure. It has not, for example, implemented the findings of an official report, Operating With Impunity, which recommended tackling “persistent groups” that not only radicalise but also propagate extremist narratives.
That is why MPs moving to form a parliamentary group that specialises in this area is such a welcome step.
The UK parliament's corridors have gained a new caucus against extremism. Getty Images
There is no doubt that the situation in Yemen has been intolerable for the largest faction in Aden and the southern seaboard for months.
Now there has been a decisive shift in strategy by the Southern Transitional Council. By mobilising its forces, it has effectively taken control of all of the south of the country.
In a complicated picture, three members of the eight-man council running the presidency are with the STC.
Representatives of the US, and British ambassador Abda Sharif, met Rashad Al Alimi, the head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, and asked for de-escalation.
Flying the flag in Aden. Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP
A spokesman for the STC has accused the PLC of failing to take up the battle to liberate the north from the Houthis. For the autonomy-minded STC, the President is more interested in "seeking to establish a state for themselves in the south”.
And the PLC’s failure to provide basic services in Aden and other areas forced the STC to act on the discontent of its own supporters. The STC said it “launched a military operation to drive out terrorist elements" from a large area along the coast.
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Ep1:A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2:PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3:The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4:Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5:Travel and tourism
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
