Latest news with #power
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE This is the shocking truth about my very public fallout with Samantha Cameron - and why it broke my heart: SARAH VINE reveals how she went from dinner parties and holidays to social Siberia
Quite simply, I had never seen Samantha Cameron like that. So angry, so embittered, so full of vitriol. Yelling at me. It was the anguish of a woman who, like me, had seen her life twisted out of shape by politics, a person who had no choice but to choose between her husband and her friend. Why? Because in February 2016, politics and power had made it impossible to choose both.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
The future of American soft power
Power is the ability to get others to do what you want. That can be accomplished by coercion ('sticks'), payment ('carrots') and attraction ('honey'). The first two methods are forms of hard power, whereas attraction is soft power. Soft power grows out of a country's culture, its political values and its foreign policies. In the short term, hard power usually trumps soft power. But over the long term, soft power often prevails. Joseph Stalin once mockingly asked, 'How many divisions does the Pope have?' But the papacy continues today, while Stalin's Soviet Union is long gone. When you are attractive, you can economize on carrots and sticks. If allies see you as benign and trustworthy, they are more likely to be open to persuasion and follow your lead. If they see you as an unreliable bully, they are more likely to drag their feet and reduce their interdependence when they can. Cold War Europe is a good example. A Norwegian historian described Europe as divided into a Soviet and an American empire. But there was a crucial difference: the American side was 'an empire by invitation.' That became clear when the Soviets had to deploy troops to Budapest in 1956 and to Prague in 1968. In contrast, NATO has not only survived but voluntarily increased its membership. A proper understanding of power must include both its hard and soft aspects. Niccolo Machiavelli said it was better for a prince to be feared than to be loved. But it is best to be both. Because soft power is rarely sufficient by itself, and because its effects take longer to realize, political leaders are often tempted to resort to the hard power of coercion or payment. When wielded alone, however, hard power can involve higher costs than when it is combined with the soft power of attraction. The Berlin Wall did not succumb to an artillery barrage; it was felled by hammers and bulldozers wielded by people who had lost faith in communism and were drawn to Western values. If allies see you as benign and trustworthy, they are more likely to be open to persuasion and follow your lead Joseph S. Nye Jr. After the Second World War, the US was by far the most powerful country and it attempted to enshrine its values in what became known as 'the liberal international order' — a framework comprising the UN, the Bretton Woods economic institutions and other multilateral bodies. Of course, the US did not always live up to its liberal values and Cold War bipolarity limited this order to only half the world's people. But the postwar system would have looked very different if the Axis powers had won the Second World War and imposed their values. While prior US presidents have violated aspects of the liberal order, Donald Trump is the first to reject the idea that soft power has any value in foreign policy. Among his first actions upon returning to office was to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization, despite the obvious threats that climate change and pandemics pose. The effects of a US administration surrendering soft power are all too predictable. Coercing democratic allies like Denmark or Canada weakens trust in our alliances. Threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America. Crippling the US Agency for International Development — created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 — undercuts our reputation for benevolence. Silencing Voice of America is a gift to authoritarian rivals. Slapping tariffs on friends makes us appear unreliable. Trying to chill free speech at home undermines our credibility. This list could go on. Trump has defined China as America's great challenge and China itself has been investing in soft power since 2007, when then-President Hu Jintao told the Communist Party of China that the country needed to make itself more attractive to others. But China has long faced two major obstacles in this respect. First, it maintains territorial disputes with multiple neighbors. Second, the party insists on maintaining tight control over civil society. The costs of such policies have been confirmed by public opinion polls that ask people around the world which countries they find attractive. But one can only wonder what these surveys will show in future years if Trump keeps undercutting American soft power. Will America's cultural soft power survive a downturn in the government's soft power over the next four years? Joseph S. Nye Jr. To be sure, American soft power has had its ups and downs over the years. The US was unpopular in many countries during the Vietnam and Iraq wars. But soft power derives from a country's society and culture, as well as from government actions. Even during the Vietnam War, when crowds marched through streets around the world to protest US policies, they sang the American civil rights anthem 'We Shall Overcome.' An open society that allows protest can be a soft power asset. But will America's cultural soft power survive a downturn in the government's soft power over the next four years? American democracy is likely to survive four years of Trump. The country has a resilient political culture and a federal constitution that encourages checks and balances. There is a reasonable chance that Democrats will regain control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. Moreover, civil society remains strong and the courts independent. Many organizations have launched lawsuits to challenge Trump's actions and markets have signaled dissatisfaction with Trump's economic policies. American soft power recovered after low points in the Vietnam and Iraq wars, as well as from a dip in Trump's first term. But once trust is lost, it is not easily restored. After the invasion of Ukraine, Russia lost most of what soft power it had, but China is striving to fill any gaps that Trump creates. The way Chinese President Xi Jinping tells it, the East is rising over the West. If Trump thinks he can compete with China while weakening trust among American allies, asserting imperial aspirations, destroying USAID, silencing Voice of America, challenging laws at home and withdrawing from UN agencies, he is likely to fail. Restoring what he has destroyed will not be impossible, but it will be costly. Copyright: Project Syndicate
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
TAQA, Abu Dhabi Airports sign deal to enhance energy, water infrastructure management
ABU DHABI - TAQA Distribution, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Abu Dhabi Airports at the World Utilities Congress 2025 to explore opportunities to enhance the management of power and water infrastructure, and integrate cutting-edge technologies into the existing and future utilities networks across all airports in the Emirate. The MoU was signed by Omar Al Hashmi, CEO of TAQA Distribution, and Elena Sorlini, MD & CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, in the presence of senior officials and industry stakeholders. As part of the MoU, TAQA Distribution will explore leveraging its years of experience effectively managing Abu Dhabi's highly reliable public utilities network, proven track record of designing and building energy and cost-efficient utilities infrastructure, ensuring high standard of operational excellence in maintaining private-sector utility assets. Omar Al Hashmi said, "The MoU allows TAQA Distribution and Abu Dhabi Airports to join forces to advance Abu Dhabi's vision of becoming a global aviation hub. Our core expertise in conceptualising, implementing, and operating utility assets will facilitate our seamless integration within Abu Dhabi Airports' operations, significantly enhancing infrastructural efficiency to better serve millions of passengers and support the Emirates' economic and logistical goals." Zayed International Airport (AUH) benefits from collaborations with strategic partners like TAQA Distribution, focusing on sustainable and innovative growth. These partnerships bolster Abu Dhabi's commitment to increasing capacity and improving operational efficiency, ensuring its status as a premier gateway for the region. Elena Sorlini said, 'As the aviation sector evolves, utility resilience and sustainability are indispensable for long-term success. Partnering with TAQA Distribution allows us to bring private network operations up to public standards, ensuring flawless service delivery 24/7. Together, we are reinforcing Abu Dhabi's role as a destination of choice for trade, tourism, and economic diversification.' This MoU is set to support several key pillars of the Emirates' growth strategy outlined within the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. The modernisation and digitisation of utility services — powered by AI-enabled predictive maintenance and cutting-edge customer relationship management — will further align the Emirate's airport infrastructure with global best practices.
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Syria to sign deal to potentially double electricity supply with four companies
The Syrian government is to sign a deal with four companies on Thursday to expand its electrical grid by 5,000 megawatts, potentially doubling supply in a country that has suffered severe power shortages after more than a decade of conflict. State-supplied electricity is available in Syria for only two or three hours a day in most areas, and the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to quickly ramp up power supply in the country. The deal launching the Syria Power Revival Initiative will be signed at the Syrian presidential palace on Thursday, according to a media invitation from Qatar's UCC Holding, whose unit UCC Concession Investments will be lead developer on the project. The deal will also involve Kalyon GES Enerji Yatirimlari, Cengiz Enerji and Power International USA, according to the invitation. Energy and construction company UCC Holding - whose chairman is Syrian-Qatari entrepreneur Moutaz Al-Khayyat and whose president and CEO is his brother, Ramez Al-Khayyat - did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further comment. The project will expand the grid through the development of gas turbines and solar plants. Fourteen years of war have destroyed much of Syria's electricity infrastructure, which UN estimates say will require billions of dollars to repair. Damascus used to receive the bulk of its oil for power generation from Iran, but supplies have been cut off since the ouster of Tehran-allied former president Bashar al-Assad in December. Qatar, a major producer of liquefied natural gas, has been providing Damascus's main power generation plant with gas since March as a stop-gap measure.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
The power secret: simple, everyday moves you need for a healthier and happier life
It's fairly well established that strength training is helpful at every age: as well as building muscle, it strengthens tendons and ligaments, increases bone density and seems to have protective effects against everything from osteoporosis to dementia. But a new study based on data collected over two decades in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, suggests that another physical attribute might be just as important – and it's one that declines even faster than strength as the years go by. The good news? It might also be less uncomfortable, and even slightly safer, to improve. Also, it will probably make you better at table tennis. Power, in case your physics is a bit rusty, is force multiplied by velocity – or to put it another way, how quickly you can apply the strength you have. Sprinters, high jumpers and hurdlers need huge amounts of power; marathon runners, who prioritise endurance over explosive strength, don't. Olympic weightlifting, where heavy barbells are thrown overhead in mere milliseconds, is incredibly power-dependent (unlike the confusingly named powerlifting, where grinding a bench press upwards can take several seconds). As for rugby, 'If you said to a rugby coach: 'Would you want a really strong player or a really powerful one?', they're going to pick power every time,' says the strength and conditioning coach Joe Lightfoot. But power also plays a pivotal role in day-to-day movement, from running up a flight of stairs to catching yourself when you fall, and it's here that it becomes most important for quality of life. In a recently completed study that tracked almost 4,000 men and women aged between 46 and 75, power was a stronger predictor of mortality than relative strength – meaning that, everything else being equal, people who can produce force quickly are less likely to die early. One reason for this might be accident prone-ness. 'Power is likely more related to the risk of falls than strength,' says Dr Claudio Gil Araújo, one of the lead authors on the study. 'Let's say you are walking down the street and stumble. To keep your balance and avoid falling, you will have to use your muscles to quickly make compensatory movements – and as we know, a fall, especially for older people, can have serious repercussions on your health. This is where muscle power comes in.' Part of the problem with this is that power tends to peak in your late 20s and early 30s – this is where elite sprinters typically hit their peak – and declines more quickly than other qualities if you don't train it. 'It's strongly advisable to include power training in exercise regimes for individuals in their 30s, 40s and 50s,' says Arto Hautala, an associate professor of physiotherapy and rehabilitation at Finland's University of Jyväskylä. 'Consider something as simple as crossing at traffic lights: you need to be quick enough to cross the street within the allotted time, which can be a challenge without power.' So how do you build it? Well, one way is to just keep doing the same physical things you already do, but a bit faster. 'Running upstairs is one of the simplest ways to incorporate power training into your daily routine, and it also incorporates the elements of coordination and balance we need as we age,' says Lightfoot. 'You could also try hill sprints or even regular sprints – though for the latter, you need to be more careful and warm up properly.' Jumping movements (often known as plyometrics) are the next level – it's impossible to do these slowly, so power is a prerequisite. Here, though, it's crucial to build up to the harder stuff properly, and minimise your risk of injury. (This is particularly true if you have osteoporosis. 'While moderate-impact exercise – such as running or racket sports – is generally safe for people with osteoporosis, we recommend that people who have suffered spinal fractures, or multiple broken bones as the result of osteoporosis, stick to low-impact exercises such as walking or stair climbing,' says Kirsty Carne, a senior osteoporosis specialist nurse at the Royal Osteoporosis Society.) 'There's a great set of movements that athletics coaches use known as the 'rudiment hop' series,' says Lightfoot. 'They are very simple – just low-amplitude jumps done forward, backward, sideways or in place – and much safer than more high-speed moves, but you can start with a handful and build up to a solid volume of them.' Skipping does something similar, encouraging you to keep your jumps low and challenging your coordination: if you have never mastered it, there's never been a better time to start. Once you've got the hang of small hops, you can move up to jumps for height, or for distance: the 'broad jump', where you take off and land on both feet at once, is a great test of explosiveness, and relatively safe. You can also try rebound jumps, where you'll step, or lightly hop, off a box, and then explode into another jump, though that's slightly more advanced. Don't do more than a few of these at a time, though, and stop well before your legs get tired: you're trying to build explosiveness, not endurance. If you're going to the gym, you can still do a lot of the same movements you are already doing – but just make a few tweaks to the way you do them. 'When we talk about power training, what we typically mean is using high velocity or speed of execution in the concentric, or 'raising', phase of the movement,' says Araújo. 'This is often represented by the simple expression 'as fast as possible'.' In other words, if you're doing a press-up or squat, you'll do the downward, or eccentric, part of the movement slowly and under control, then explode upwards for the concentric part. If you're using free weights or weight-training machines, it's a good idea to do this with 50-70% of the weight you could lift for a single rep – or about the same weight as you'd lift for 10-15 reps of a slower, more traditional movement. 'You should aim for a weight where you can complete six to eight repetitions without the last reps decreasing in speed, resting for one or two minutes between sets,' says Araújo. 'If you can reach more reps, increase the weight.' One little-considered benefit of training like this is that it's often a lot more pleasant than many traditional styles of training. If you're doing six to eight reps with maximum speed and stopping when you slow down, there's no need to go to failure – you're teaching your muscle fibres to fire together, rather than forcing them to work to their limit. But it might also be a safer way to train for people as they age. 'Arterial blood pressure, or BP, dramatically increases during heavy resistance training,' says Araújo, referencing studies showing that BP also increases dramatically with each rep, especially as a lifter approaches failure. 'Thus, the maximal BP tends to be lower at the end of six to eight than with 10-15 high-intensity reps. ' Finally, of course, you could just get into a sport. Almost any athletic endeavour includes some sort of power component – and generally speaking, the shorter each individual 'effort', the more power-intensive it is. But whether you're hurling a barbell overhead, or practising your push-block in table tennis, the important thing is to start building power before it's too late. Because power isn't just for elite athletes – it's essential for maintaining speed, coordination and resilience as you age. Developing it now might mean staying agile, capable and confident in your movements for the rest of your life. If you don't just want to do your existing workout regime faster, try adding some of these extras to your training plan. Medicine ball throwsCrossFit and Hyrox both use the upward variety as a staple of their programming, but there are loads of varieties to try – if you've got the space. 'One-armed throws, two-armed throws, overheads and slams on the ground are all great ways of generating power,' says Lightfoot. 'Just make sure you're not using a ball that bounces if you're doing slams.' Precision jumpsThese are a key move in parkour – and a fun way to challenge your body without overdoing it. Pick a point to jump to – a kerb is ideal, but even a line on the floor will do – and then jump to it as accurately as possible, trying not to stumble on the landing. If you make it, shuffle back a bit from your starting point and try again. Sled workMore and more gyms are including sled tracks, and you don't need much weight to challenge yourself. Use a sled that allows you to move at a decent speed, and push or pull it for 10-20 metres, rest for a minute, then go again. Inverted pullsPulling can be tricky to do with power – unless you've got enough strength in reserve to do an explosive pull-up – but using a suspension trainer is a great option, allowing you to put a little bit of oomph into each rep. Stand a decent distance from an overhead anchor point (your body should be at about 45 degrees from the ground) and pull hard on each rep. Kettlebell swingsAlmost every kettlebell move requires power to do properly: if you're using your shoulders for the movement, you're doing it wrong. To get your swing working, drive your hips forward and keep your arms loose, like ropes connecting your body to the bell. For something more structured, the Results Inc head coach, Callum Roberts, has put together two workouts that you can do at home, without any equipment. Warm up first – a practice rep or two of each move will do. 'These exercises are all about controlled explosiveness, and moving with intent – good for when you need that extra push, such as picking up a wriggling toddler or hoisting a box into the loft,' says Roberts. 'After a brief pause at the bottom of each, drive up as fast as you can, and repeat each move three times, for three to five sets. Rest for two minutes between sets. You shouldn't feel out of breath, but your body needs to recover fully to maximise power.' Sprinter step-back Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, then step one foot back into a deep lunge, driving the opposite arm forward (as if you're on the start line for a race), and keeping your front knee stacked over your ankle. Push through your front heel to drive back up to standing, and alternate sides. If you're confident, try sprinter lunges, where you alternate from one side to the other without touching the ground in between. Power press-up Do this one on a wall, kitchen counter, sofa or the floor, depending on how powerful you are feeling. Set your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, engage your core and lower with control. Now explode upwards into the rep. Ideally, your hands should briefly leave whatever you're pressing off, but just moving quickly is fine. Catch yourself softly and repeat. Paused squat jump (or squat to heel raise) Sink into a squat and pause, holding it for a second. Now drive up – jump off the ground (no tuck), land soft, and drop right back into the next pause. This isn't about rushing – it's about control into power. No jump today? No problem. Rise up to the balls of your feet in a strong heel raise and lower under control. 'These movements help your body react quickly, and stay relaxed and springy,' says Roberts. 'They're good for balance, coordination and staying agile. Aim to minimise the amount of time spent on the floor.' Do five reps per side, for three to five sets. Rest for one to two minutes between sets. Forward scissors Stand tall, with your arms up as if you're ready to sprint. Now, think quick feet – one foot forward, one foot back – staying light as you switch quickly between positions. Keep your upper body steady while the legs do the work. Need to slow it down? Step rather than jump, and make the movement faster over a few sessions. High plank shoulder taps The high plank is basically the top of a press-up: your shoulders should be over your wrists, your heels driving back, and core locked in. Now, without shifting your hips, tap one shoulder with the opposite hand. Then switch. Keep your glutes tight, and your body in a straight line from head to heel. Strong and still is better than fast and wobbly. Lateral pogos Start with your feet together, knees soft and core braced. Now bounce from side to side as if you're skipping over an invisible line. This should all come from the ankles and calves – keep your heels just off the ground and stay springy. Eyes forward, chest out, arms relaxed at your sides. You are training agility and power here – small jumps, big control. Need to ease in? Just step from side to side using one foot at a time.
