NEW DELHI: Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to skip this week’s G20 Summit in New Delhi, Beijing announced on Monday, in what is seen as a setback for India’s presidency of the major forum for the world’s biggest economies.
China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Premier Li Qiang will be attending the meeting of global leaders in New Delhi on Sept. 9 and 10, without mentioning Xi.
“Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to the New Delhi G20 Summit in India,” Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, said during a press conference in Beijing.
“The G20 is an important forum for international economic cooperation. China has all along attached great importance to and taken an active part in G20 events,” she added. “We are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 Summit a success and contribute to the steady recovery of the global economy and sustainable development.”
Xi’s likely absence will be the first time China’s top leader has skipped a G20 summit and is seen as a setback to India’s presidency of the grouping this year.
“Xi opting out of G20 is a setback,” Sanjay Kapoor, editor of the English fortnightly Hard News, told Arab News.
“The credibility of the discussion would be hurt as China is a big power and you can’t talk about the world economy and other issues without their presence.”
With Xi’s expected absence, China appears reluctant to endorse India’s global ambitions.
“It’s not like Beijing does not see value in the grouping, but it does not want to be seen endorsing India as a leader of the Global South, which is how the Indian government has pitched its G20 presidency,” Manoj Kewalramani, a fellow in China studies and chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies programmes in Takshashila Institution, told Arab News.
Indrani Bagchi, senior diplomatic editor at the Aspen Global Leadership Network, said that Xi’s absence at an important gathering for world leaders may risk China’s stance at the global stage.
“It reflects very poorly on China’s own approach to the world,” Bagchi told Arab News. “Not showing up, for the second largest economy of the world — that does not reflect well on China.”
NASA decision against using a Boeing capsule to bring astronauts back adds to company’s problems
The space capsule program represents a tiny fraction of Boeing’s revenue, but carrying astronauts is a high-profile job — like Boeing’s work building Air Force One presidential jets
Updated 15 sec ago
AP
NASA’s announcement Saturday that it won’t use a troubled Boeing capsule to return two stranded astronauts to Earth is a yet another setback for the struggling company, although the financial damage is likely to be less than the reputational harm.
Once a symbol of American engineering and technological prowess, Boeing has seen its reputation battered since two 737 Max airliners crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The safety of its products came under renewed scrutiny after a panel blew out of a Max during a flight this January.
And now NASA has decided that it is safer to keep the astronauts in space until February rather than risk using the Boeing Starliner capsule that delivered them to the international space station. The capsule has been plagued by problems with its propulsion system.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said the decision to send the Boeing capsule back to Earth empty “is a result of a commitment to safety.” Boeing had insisted Starliner was safe based on recent tests of thrusters both in space and on the ground.
The space capsule program represents a tiny fraction of Boeing’s revenue, but carrying astronauts is a high-profile job — like Boeing’s work building Air Force One presidential jets.
“The whole thing is another black eye” for Boeing, aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia said. “It’s going to sting a little longer, but nothing they haven’t dealt with before.”
Boeing has lost more than $25 billion since 2018 as its aircraft-manufacturing business cratered after those crashes. For a time, the defense and space side of the company provided a partial cushion, posting strong profits and steady revenue through 2021.
Since 2022, however, Boeing’s defense and space division has stumbled too, losing $6 billion — slightly more than the airplane side of the company in the same period.
The results have been dragged down by several fixed-price contracts for NASA and the Pentagon, including a deal to build new Air Force One presidential jets. Boeing has found itself on the hook as costs for those projects have risen far beyond the company’s estimates.
The company recorded a $1 billion loss from fixed-price government contracts in the second quarter alone, but the problem is not new.
“We have a couple of fixed-price development programs we have to just finish and never do them again,” then-CEO David Calhoun said last year. “Never do them again.”
In 2014, NASA awarded Boeing a $4.2 billion fixed-price contract to build a vehicle to carry astronauts to the International Space Station after the retirement of space shuttles, along with a $2.6 billion contract to SpaceX.
Boeing, with more than a century of building airplane and decades as a NASA contractor, was seen as the favorite. But Starliner suffered technical setbacks that caused it to cancel some test launches, fall behind schedule and go over budget. SpaceX won the race to ferry astronauts to the ISS, which it accomplished in 2020.
Boeing was finally ready to carry astronauts this year, and Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Starliner in early June for what was intended to be an 8-day stay in space. But thruster failures and helium leaks led NASA to park the vehicle at the space station while engineers debated how to return them to Earth.
The company said in a regulatory filing that the latest hitch with Starliner caused a $125 million loss through June 30, which pushed cumulative cost overruns on the program to more than $1.5 billion. “Risk remains that we may record additional losses in future periods,” Boeing said.
Aboulafia said Starliner’s impact on Boeing business and finances will be modest — “not really a needle-mover.” Even the $4.2 billion, multi-year NASA contract is a relatively small chunk of revenue for Boeing, which reported sales of $78 billion last year.
And Aboulafia believes Boeing will enjoy a grace period with customers like the government now that it is under new leadership, reducing the risk it will lose big contracts. NASA administrator Nelson said Saturday he was “100 percent” confident that the Starliner will fly with a crew again.
Robert “Kelly” Ortberg replaced Calhoun as CEO this month. Unlike the company’s recent chief executives, Ortberg is an outsider who previously led aerospace manufacturer Rockwell Collins, where he developed a reputation for walking among workers on factory floors and building ties to airline and government customers.
“They are transitioning from perhaps the worst executive leadership to some of the best,” Aboulafia said. “Given the regime change underway, I think people are going to give them some slack.”
Boeing’s defense division has recently won some huge contracts. It is lined up to provide Apache helicopters to foreign governments, sell 50 F-15 fighter jets to Israel as the bulk of a $20 billion deal, and build prototype surveillance planes for the Air Force under a $2.56 billion contract.
“Those are some strong tailwinds, but it’s going to take a while before they get (Boeing’s defense and space business) back to profitability,” Aboulafia said.
Since the refugee crisis of 2015, over a million people from Asia and Africa have passed through Serbia, according to the Serbian government
Updated 3 min 5 sec ago
AFP
SARAJEVO: The death toll from the sinking of a migrant boat on the Bosnia-Serbia border rose to 12 on Saturday after local residents found another body, the authorities said.
The vessel, which was carrying 28 to 30 migrants, capsized Thursday in the Drina river in a bid to cross from Serbia to Bosnia, leaving a nine-month-old baby girl and her mother among the dead.
The authorities called off the search Friday night saying that all bodies that were reported missing had been recovered.
“The body of the twelfth migrant, who died when the boat overturned on the Drina River, was found today in the town of Tegare near Bratunac,” the head of Bosnia’s civil protection service Boris Trninic confirmed to SRNA news agency.
“The body was found by local residents. And now we await a decision if it will be handed to the interior ministry of the Republic of Srpska or Serbia for further investigation,” he added, referring to one of the two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A joint operation that started early Thursday and was led by rescuers from Serbia and Bosnia found 18 survivors, including three children, who had managed to reach the shore.
Since the refugee crisis of 2015, over a million people from Asia and Africa have passed through Serbia, according to the Serbian government.
Most of those trying to cross in recent months are from Syria, Afghanistan, Turkiye, Morocco, and Pakistan, based on government data.
The number of migrants transiting through Serbia has significantly decreased over the years, with 10,389 illegal entries recorded in the first half of 2024, nearly 70 percent fewer than last year.
Serbian officials credit this decline to closer cooperation with Austrian police and the EU’s border management agency, Frontex.
Will Muslim American voters prove a critical constituency in the US election?
With Gaza and Middle East policy in focus, Muslim American voters could play a decisive role in key battleground states
Biden’s unwavering support for Israel cast a pall over the Democrats, forcing Harris strategists to consider a change of tack
Updated 24 August 2024
GABRIELE MALVISI
LONDON: With fewer than 80 days left until what could be one of the tightest US presidential elections of recent decades, the battle for votes is intensifying, with campaign strategies being deployed to appeal to every demographic.
Among the target groups are Muslim Americans, whose influence has grown considerably in recent years owing to events and foreign policy decisions in the Middle East and their potential impact on voter attitudes.
The conflict in Gaza, in particular, has sharpened the focus on Muslim Americans, as political strategists question how President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for Israel might affect the Democrats’ performance among this broadly pro-Palestinian demographic.
With little chance of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza before election day, the Democrats have been left wondering whether they can afford to alienate Muslim Americans, who were critical to Biden’s 2020 victory in key battleground states, such as Michigan.“
When it came to Israel and Gaza, then you saw the true colors of many of these politicians, and that they never really respected us to begin with,” Salam Al-Marayati, president and co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, told Arab News.
“Now there’s that sense of betrayal, since there’s so much investment made into the Democratic Party, especially after the first Trump presidency.”
According to the nonpartisan advocacy group Emgage, about 65 percent of Muslim American voters across the swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia supported Biden in the 2020 election, contributing to his narrow victory.
However, a similar survey taken in July, shortly before Biden exited the 2024 race, revealed that just 18 percent of Muslim Americans who had voted for him in 2020 planned to do so again.
Although attitudes may have changed since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee, questions remain as to whether she can reestablish the support of Muslim American voters.
Questions remain as to whether Kamala Harris can reestablish the support of Muslim American voters that President Joe Biden has lost for his unwavering support for Israel in its war on Palestinians in Gaza. (AFP)
“There’s more sympathy coming from her than Biden,” said Al-Marayti. “The rhetoric is definitely different, but that doesn’t translate into a change of policy.”
Historically, minorities, including Muslim Americans, have played a relatively marginal role in US elections, often due to exclusion from voting or limited political representation. However, the past few decades have witnessed a significant shift.
Pioneers such as Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian American elected to Congress in 1957, and Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, symbolize the increasing political representation of minorities.
This growing representation has translated into greater political engagement among minorities, including Muslim Americans.
US Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan state, is the first Palestinian American woman in Congress. (AFP/File)
According to Pew Research Center, the current Congress is the most ethnically diverse in US history, with 25 percent of voting members identifying as something other than non-Hispanic white.
As a result, Muslim Americans and other minorities have become increasingly influential in elections, earning them greater recognition from political parties.
“Our involvement started, in numbers and in significant ways, in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s,” Abed Hammoud, a lawyer of Lebanese origin and founder of the Arab American Political Action Committee, told Arab News.
“(But) naturally, that process takes time and you have to do it right, too, as a community.”
Abed Hammoud, founder of the Arab American Political Action Committee. (Supplied)
Hammoud says that internal conflicts, divisions over identity, disinformation, and the “natural fear people have when you’re not part of the mainstream” have historically undermined the unity of Muslim American voters and a political force.
Nevertheless, Muslim Americans have historically aligned with the Democratic Party, beginning with their involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s, led by figures such as Malcolm X.
This alignment deepened in the 1970s with the relaxation of immigration laws, which saw Muslim communities in the US rapidly expand.
In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton solidified this relationship by appointing Muslims to key positions, including M. Osman Siddique as the first Muslim American chief of mission, and by hosting Eid celebrations at the White House.
However, the post-9/11 era, and subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan launched by President George W. Bush led to disenchantment among some Muslim voters.
Despite this, President Barack Obama’s election in 2008 renewed hope within the community, heartened to see the first African American from a diverse background win the presidency.
But the situation has grown more complex in recent years.
In 2016, many experts predicted a record turnout of Muslim voters motivated by what American political scientist Youssef Chouhoud described as a “combination of fear and heightened civic duty” to avoid a Donald Trump presidency.
Despite the anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies during Donald Trump's administration, he still has supporters among Muslim Americans. (AFP)
Despite Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton receiving almost 76 percent of the Muslim American vote, a post-election survey by Emgage revealed a more nuanced picture.
Many Muslim voters felt disengaged, driven primarily by the need for better economic stability, improved national security, and more accessible healthcare and education rather than appeals to prevent a Trump victory.
In response, Emgage launched the “1 Million Muslim Votes” campaign in 2020, successfully mobilizing more than a million Muslim voters.
Of these, 86 percent supported Biden, who was viewed favorably for his stance on jobs, the economy, healthcare, and civil rights, particularly in light of the surge in hate crimes and Islamophobia during Trump’s presidency.
This goodwill, however, has since eroded.
“A lot of people are hurt because they felt that the Democratic Party was supposed to represent their values and their ways and their voice,” explained Al-Marayti.
Salam Al-Marayati, president and co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. (Supplied)
A 2021 post-election report by Emgage, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Change Research showed that many Muslim voters had high expectations for Biden to focus on Palestine.
These hopes were dashed as the US leader maintained a strongly pro-Israel stance against the backdrop of war in Gaza, leading many voters to mark themselves as “uncommitted” in this year Democratic primaries.
While support for the Democratic Party among Muslim Americans is more precarious than ever, the Republican Party has struggled to gain significant traction among the community.
Before 9/11, many Muslim Americans found common ground with the Republicans on issues such as family values, entrepreneurship, and social conservatism.
However, the Bush-era wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and domestic policies perceived as targeting Muslims led to a sharp decline in support. Trump’s presidency, marked by anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies, further alienated Muslim American voters.
In May, a group of prominent Arab Americans that included Bishara Bahbah, founder of Arab Americans for Trump, established a political action committee called Arab Americans for a Better America.
Bahbah has said that he and other members of the community have been offered assurances that a second Trump presidency would “put an immediate end to the war in Gaza,” though he offered no evidence.
Bishara Bahbah, founder of Arab Americans for Trump group. (AP/File)
He has also said that he is confident having Trump back in the White House would result in a quick end to the hostilities in Gaza.
“(Republicans) were making headway using the idea of: ‘Yeah, we are conservative like you,’” said Hammoud. “And they did make some headway this way in the community, but not significantly — nothing nearly as much as the situation in Gaza produced.”
As the Nov. 5 election looms, many Muslim Americans are looking to third-party candidates who might better represent their views, with Green Party hopeful Jill Stein seeking to capitalize on this sentiment.
However, the change in Democratic leadership, with Harris as the presidential candidate and Tim Walz as her running mate, could reshuffle the deck.
Indeed, Harris’ decision to enlist Afghan-American lawyer Nasrina Bargzie to help build support among Muslim voters, along with her willingness to meet with leaders of the “uncommitted” campaign to discuss the Gaza war, has been cautiously welcomed by the community.
US President Joe Biden's unwavering support for Israe in its genocidal war against Gazans has disillussioned many Muslim Americans. (AFP/File)
Hammoud expressed skepticism about Bargzie’s appointment, however, arguing that “it’s not enough to appoint someone just because they’re Muslim or Arab” to heal the divide.
“It’s an issue that has always been important — for us to have people, our own people, in positions. But we need to see action,” he said.
Some analysts suggest that Muslim Americans, who account for as little as 1 percent of the voting population, are unlikely to have significant sway over the outcome of November’s election.
“It’s all down to numbers. Numbers in the right states, too. And the Democrats may not need us to win,” said Hammoud.
However, as the fastest-growing religious group in the US, their influence on the nation’s policy direction cannot be taken for granted.
Pakistani singles defy tradition, search for spouses in person
Muzz, launched in 2015 in the Britain, which also has a sizeable Muslim population, has over 1.5 million users in Pakistan, its second-largest market after Morocco
Updated 24 August 2024
Reuters
LAHORE, Pakistan: Dozens of young singles gathered this week to meet potential marriage partners in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore, the first attempt by a UK-based matrimonial app to help people find spouses in person in the conservative Islamic country.
Typically, marriages in Pakistan are arranged by parents who look for suitable matches for their children from within their communities or the extended family. Dating apps are generally stigmatized and gender segregation socially and at work remains common in the country of 240 million people.
The Lahore event was organized by Muzz, formerly Muzzmatch, which says its app is based on Islamic etiquette. The app is restricted to Muslim users, and, in a nod to traditional values, gives the option of blurring pictures except for specific matches and allows for chaperones to oversee meetings.
Other smaller events are also emerging in the country to challenge traditional matchmaking norms.
Despite criticism online in the past for the app, the Muzz event was attended by about 100 people.
Aimen, a 31-year-old woman who did not want to be further identified, said she used the app on the recommendation of her US-based brother.
“I used the app for two weeks, but then I saw an ad for this event and thought, why not meet people in person?” she told Reuters.
She said that her mother would have accompanied her as a chaperone but couldn’t attend because of ill-health.
Muzz, launched in 2015 in the Britain, which also has a sizeable Muslim population, has over 1.5 million users in Pakistan, its second-largest market after Morocco.
Moaz, a 27-year-old man, said he has been using Muzz for a year and that he was hopeful of finding a wife through the app.
“I do get matches, but they have different priorities,” he said adding that girls on the app expect him to involve his parents from the beginning.
“That is not (immediately) possible,” he said, stressing the need of getting to know someone before taking the next big step.
Annie’s Matchmaking Party, another Lahore event last week, used an algorithm to match 20 young professionals after a selection process and invited them to the meet.
Noor ul Ain Choudhary, the 30-year-old organizer, faced criticism online that her event promoted a “hookup culture.” She countered that it aimed to provide a safe space for singles to meet and connect.
“In Pakistan, we’ve had two options: biased arranged marriages or time-consuming dating apps with no guarantees. Safety during meetings is also a concern,” she said.
Abdullah Ahmed, 22, was bullish about in person events and said he was convinced he may have found his perfect match at the Muzz gathering.
“The highlight was meeting an amazing girl,” he said, beaming with excitement, adding that they instantly clicked and swapped social media handles.
“We’re both Marvel fans! We’re already planning to catch the new Deadpool & Wolverine together,” he said.
Italian prosecutors open shipwreck and manslaughter investigation into superyacht sinking
Superyacht capsized during storm off coast of Sicily, killing seven people onboard
British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter among the dead
Updated 24 August 2024
AP
ROME: Prosecutors in Italy said Saturday they have opened an investigation into culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter after a superyacht capsized during a storm off the coast of Sicily, killing seven people onboard. They included British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter. Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the investigation has been launched, but hasn’t identified a suspect. “We are only in the initial phase of the investigation. We can’t exclude any sort of development at present,” he told reporters at a news conference. Cartosio said his team will carefully consider each possible element of responsibility, including those of the Bayesian’s captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision, the yacht’s manufacturer and others. “For me, it is probable that offenses were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate,” he said. The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed. Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and could have been a “downburst” — localized, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground. Initially, civil protection officials said they believe the yacht, which featured a distinctive 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast, was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout. Investigators were also asked why the crew was almost entirely saved, except for the chef, while six passengers remained trapped in the hull. Local official confirmed that most of the bodies recovered were found in the same part of the yacht — on the left side and closer to the surface — suggesting that passengers had sought safety in the cabins where the last air bubbles had formed. Deputy Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said it was likely that the passengers were asleep, adding that one of the main focus of the investigation is to ascertain whether they were alerted by someone. Cammarano confirmed that one person was on watch in the cockpit. Rescuers on Friday brought ashore the last of seven bodies from the sinking of the Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged luxury yacht that went down in a storm near the Mediterranean island in southern Italy early Monday. The sailboat was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers. The seventh victim was Hannah Lynch, 18, the daughter of Mike Lynch., whose body was recovered Thursday. He had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial in the United States. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 survivors. Rescuers struggled for four days to find all the bodies, making only slow headway through the interior of the wreck lying on the seabed 50 meters (164 feet) below the surface. Prosecutors said the recovery of the Bayesian will be crucial for the investigation, but noted it will be a long and complex process, which will be paid for by the owners. The other five victims are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s US lawyers, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.
