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- [00:04]
Georgina Godwin
Craft matters in small ways like how a coffee is brewed, and in not so small ways like how your money is cared for. Which is why for 160 years, UBS has elevated banking to a craft, tailoring unique strategies that combine human expertise with the latest technologies, all happening across 24 time zones and and 12 key financial hubs. With you at the heart of it all, UBS advice is our craft. You're listening to the Globalist, first broadcast on 3rd March 2026 on Monocle Radio. The Globalist in association with U.
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Fernando Augusto Pacheco
Hello,
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Georgina Godwin
this is the Globalist broadcasting to you live from Midori House in London. I'm Georgina Godwin. On the show ahead, we'll take you back to that familiar balcony in Dubai where we've been watching Iran's war with the region play out through the eyes of our Gulf correspondent. He'll bring us up to date with events overnight. And we'll also be in Beirut. Get the view from there.
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Dr. Anwar Gargash
Plus, the UAE and other countries in the Gulf have all worked very diligently in order to avoid the war.
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Georgina Godwin
That's Dr. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the President of the UAE. He'll give us his perspective. We'll rustle through the front pages and then we'll head to Kabul to learn more about the escalating conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Inzima Rashid
Then there has been more engagement between
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Tim Abrams
the Canadian and Indian governments in the last year than there has been in
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Dr. Anwar Gargash
more than two decades combined.
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Georgina Godwin
That's Mark Carney speaking after a fruitful meeting with Narendra Modi. We'll find out about this new phase in the relationship between the two countries and how India appears to be in a deal making frame of mind. Then a roundup of architecture news and we'll end with a conversation with the director of the film Sirat Oliver Lashe, whose hotly tipped for the Oscars. That's all ahead here on the Globalist. Live from London. First, a look at what else is happening in the news. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine will complete the technical work needed to open all European Union accession talks within days and is urging EU leaders to set a firm date for membership. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in Australia to deepen cooperation on defence, trade and critical minerals between the two middle powers as the global order shifts. And US First Lady Melania Trump has chaired a United Nations Security Council meeting on children and education in Conflict, becoming the first spouse of a serving world leader to preside over the body. Do stay tuned to Monocle Radio throughout the day for more on those stories. Now we begin in the Middle east once more, where our Gulf correspondent will bring us up to date on the Iran conflict as the fallout continues to affect the region, including Lebanon. So I'm joined now by Inzim Rashid, Monocle's Gulf correspondent in Dubai, and David Wood, senior Analyst for Lebanon of the International Crisis Group, based in Beirut insi. It's now the fourth day since the US and Israel attacked Iran, killing the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Can you tell us what happened overnight? Yes.
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Inzima Rashid
So look around the Gulf. It's been considerably quieter than what the weekend posed with a huge Iranian bombardment in retaliation to the Israeli and US joint attack, military attack on Iran. And it had been a pretty emotional response by the Iranians over the weekend. But last night we saw that dial down slightly, particularly here in the uae. We actually saw, for a very brief time, incrementally, as some airplanes allowed to leave the UAE from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the airspace opening ever so slightly, which was a very positive sign. And we actually also saw just the roads getting a little bit busy even this morning and into the afternoon. The roads are a lot busier, traffic moving, public transport on the move as well. Overnight we did see a bombardment of Iranian missile towards Abu Dhabi, but that was away from residential areas. That was actually towards the US military Al Duffera base. That was around 3 o' clock in the morning and there were alarms going off on people's phones, waking people up in the night. Here in Dubai, there was some rocket fire intercepted as well by the Ministry of Defense's systems. And then this morning in Riyadh, we've seen the US Embassy be targeted by Iran. Some drones which were intercepted, debris falling down and causing some damage at the US Embassy in the Saudi Arabian capital. The message from the United States overnight as well, Georgina is urging Americans to evacuate the 12, well, 12 Middle Eastern countries, including all of the Gulf states. So whilst yesterday and into the evening it did seem calm overnight. There has been a little bit of action around the Gulf. Yesterday, in fact, we also saw Iran targeting energy infrastructures around the Gulf. Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia was hit. A fuel tank terminal in Abu Dhabi also targeted and struck. Qatar Energy was disrupted because of Iranian attacks towards it. And this has all come following Iran's threat to completely block the Strait of Hormuz. They've specifically targeted energy infrastructure whilst also threatening to block the Strait, which of course, as we know, would have huge impact not just here in the region, but Globally as well.
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Georgina Godwin
Has there been any retaliation by the nations under fire from Iran? Is anyone actively fighting back?
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Inzima Rashid
I think that the closest we've seen to that is when there were a few Iranian fighter jets that approached Qatar yesterday. They approached Qatar's airspace and towards the Qatari land, essentially, and Qatar then launched its own attack, actually sending fighter jets in the air. There was combat in the air, I understand, for some time before those Iranian fighter jets were shot down and brought down by the Qatari military. So I think that's probably the closest we've got to some form of retaliation from the Gulf states. But otherwise they are trying to still have dialogue, they're trying to get Iran to the table to stop them targeting Gulf states. But their patience is wearing thin. And that's something that I learned late last night when I spoke to Dr. Anwar Gargach, the diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, is that the UAE's patience is running thin, Qatar's patience is running thin. And especially after now the US Embassy in Riyadh being targeted, I imagine the Saudis will not be happy with that latest attack by Iran. So whilst we haven't seen any military retaliation from the Gulf, they are obviously condemning the Iran's attacks across the region and are threatening military action if it continues.
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Georgina Godwin
Now, we will bring you that interview with Gargash a little bit later on in the show, so do stay with us, insi. Meanwhile, Israel, Israel carried out heavy airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon yesterday in response to an earlier missile and drone barrage sent towards Israel by the militant group. So to get clarity on that, let's now bring in David Wood in Beirut. David, talk us through the sequence of events.
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David Wood
Thanks for having me, Georgina. So what happened very late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning was that Hezbollah broke what I guess we could call a fragile sense of optimism that for once, Lebanon could sidestep a regional conflict. And that is because Hezbollah launched a combination of missiles and drones at Israel. And this is the first operation that the group had made against Israel in well over a year. For the most part, since a ceasefire was struck between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024, Hezbollah has done nothing to retaliate against Israel's near daily violations of that truce agreement. But that restraint was broken on early on Monday morning. And immediately everyone in Lebanon knew that this would provoke a furious response from Israel, which it did. So Israel started carrying out sweeping airstrikes in southern Lebanon, in eastern Lebanon's Beqah Valley, but also in the southern suburbs of Beirut. And that has really raised concerns that the situation, which has already become dire again in Lebanon, could grow even worse under this massive escalation.
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Georgina Godwin
What was the damage?
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David Wood
The damage was enormous. So southern Lebanon has already been suffering near constant strikes from Israel since the ceasefire was struck, effectively, but those are massively intensified. They've also been intensified in the country's east. Now in Beirut, the strikes have also been targeted at alleged Hezbollah infrastructure. But to give you a sense, Georgina, in just the first day of this escalation by Israel, the Lebanese government reported last night that over 50 people have already been killed, more than 150 have been injured, and almost 30,000 people have been displaced. And many of these are taking shelter in makeshift shelters for the displaced in schools. Schools have been closed around Lebanon. And unfortunately, Lebanon is not only enduring this horrific war, but also an untreated economic crisis, which means these shelters are hopelessly under equipped and the people inside them have no access to even the bare essentials they need.
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Georgina Godwin
You've referenced that ceasefire of 2024 a couple of times. I wonder how strong the memory is of that 13 month war that ended then. It was a conflict in which nearly 4,000 people were killed, more than a million were displaced. Is there panic? There are people leaving?
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David Wood
Absolutely. I mean, the roads around the country were crammed yesterday with people who were fleeing southern Lebanon after Israel issued displacement orders for dozens of villages very in the middle of the night on Monday. But more generally, I think another way to look at this is that for many people in Lebanon, especially the country's Shia community, the war never really ended with that ceasefire. Maybe the intensity of it reduced slightly. But even under the ceasefire, before this latest escalation, hundreds of people were killed by Israeli attacks. Tens of thousands of people remained displaced. And in Lebanon's Shia community, I think it's not unreasonable to say that almost everybody has lost something precious during this war. And those fears that this could happen again and things could grow even worse have only intensified in the past 48 hours.
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Georgina Godwin
Why would Hezbollah fire on Israel, given the knowledge, the certain knowledge, that the response would be so great?
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David Wood
So I think this is the key reason that many Lebanese have become even more frustrated with Hezbollah. Because the reason is that 24 hours earlier, Israel had assassinated the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini. And Hezbollah has relied for decades on Iran for financial logistical support. However, many Lebanese noted that even after the death of Hezbollah's leader, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, Iran did very little to support Lebanon. Also Hezbollah from when the ceasefire was struck until the past couple of days did not fire back at Israel even as Israel continued to violate the ceasefire and wreak havoc and destruction on Lebanese people. So when Hezbollah decided to reenter military confrontation with Israel effectively on behalf of Iran, I think that has proved a pill too bitter to swallow for many Lebanese.
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Georgina Godwin
And finally, David, how much control does the Lebanese government have over the actions of Hezbollah? And is the government actively trying to stay out of this war?
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David Wood
So the government's trying to stay out of direct confrontation with Israel. But yesterday the government took very clear steps to show its seriousness about clamping down on Hezbollah. So under the ceasefire agreement of November 2024, the government is required to over disarmament of non state actors, including Hezbollah. Up until now, the government has tried to attract Hezbollah's cooperation. But yesterday there was a noticeable shift in tone after Hezbollah launched these attacks on Israel, where the government resolved that first of all, all of Hezbollah's military activities are henceforth banned. And notably, by the way, that resolution was also backed by the ministers of the Shia party that's aligned with Hezbollah, the movement. And secondly, it instructed the army to expedite disarmament by all means necessary. However, while this intention has been made clear, we're not certain up until now whether the Lebanese army can actually implement those decisions and force Hezbollah to disarm and surrender its weapons.
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Georgina Godwin
David, thank you very much indeed. That's David Wood, senior analyst for Lebanon at the International Crisis Group based in Beirut. And we also heard from Monocle's Gulf correspondent Inzamin Rashid, who is staying on the line with me. This is the Globalist. It is 1114 in Abu Dhabi, 714 here in London. Well, still with me, as I said, is Monocle's Gulf correspondent Inzima Rashid. Insi, as you referenced earlier, you spoke to Dr. Anwar Gargash who's a diplomatic advisor to the President of the uae. Tell me a little bit about that conversation.
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Inzima Rashid
Well, look, last night when airspace kind of opened up ever so slightly allowing Emirates and Etihad planes to leave Abu Dhabi and Dubai Airport, I had a chat with Dr. Anwar Gargash. And actually whilst we were speaking, the UAE President, who he advises on diplomacy and is the most senior, the most senior diplomatic advisor in the country, the UAE President and the Crown Prince of Dubai and other ministers were actually taking a bit of a walk around Dubai Mall, having a coffee there as well, showing a sign of defiance, of resilience and also, also probably trying to show the people of Dubai and the people of the world that everything is safe. We can go back to our normal lives. We can continue as if nothing has happened. But of course, a lot has happened over the last three days. And that's something that I discussed with Dr. Anwar Gargach, who spoke heavily about potential Gulf military action. He spoke about the impact that Iran's attacks has had on the uae. He spoke a lot about also how he feels that there's no rational justification for Iran's retaliation. But I started off, Georgina, by asking him a bit about the mood in the camp of the UAE following three days of Iranian bombardment.
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Dr. Anwar Gargash
The current mood is very much on three levels. I think the first level is actually looking at the prospects of the American Israeli Iranian war. It will determine the sort of geostrategic shape of the region as we move forward. Still, the picture is not very clear. I think we need to look at how this will shape up. The Iranians clearly want a longer, protracted conflict where they feel their chances are better, and the Americans and the Israelis want a shorter, sharper one. Whatever happens here, this will have huge repercussions for the overall picture for the region. The challenges, I think, over the next decade will be very much the result of this confrontation. The second part, of course, there is a sense of shock with regards to the Iranian targeting of the UAE and other countries in the Gulf. The UAE and other countries in the Gulf have all worked very diligently in order to avoid the war and in many cases have called for negotiated settlements. And they continue to do so because, again, if there is an off ramp to the war, all of us want to see that offroad, because we've seen too many wars in the region, and we know that the repercussions of these wars are very complicated. The other part, of course, is this sort of Iranian compass has lost its north, so to speak. Iran has moved from what has traditionally been a bullying policy to outright aggression against the Gulf and against the UAE and other countries. Qatar and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and indeed even Oman, which was always the sort of facilitator for the nuclear negotiations. I think the third level is the domestic front. The UAE and other Gulf countries are not war societies. So there has been a psychological effect, but I think that psychological effect is also being now dealt with with a very effective institutional management, really, of our defenses and our day life. I mean, we are always prepared for emergencies. Our air defenses have been doing a marvelous, marvelous job in terms of securing people's lives, people's properties, et cetera. And at the same time, I think a lot of Our government institutions are sending all the right messages about not panicking, going back to business every day, and so on and so forth. So we are seeing partial opening of our airports, partial opening of our ports, and a sense of real resilience. And I think we'll take this with us as something that will only make us strong. As you know, the adage goes, if it doesn't break you, it'll make you stronger.
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Inzima Rashid
Why do you think Iran has retaliated so strongly over the last few days, not just towards the uae, but but also the wider Gulf? What do you think the reasons for that has been?
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Dr. Anwar Gargash
I will start by saying there is no rational reason. Nothing in my mind rationally justifies the sort of Iranian aggression that we are seeing. Especially you have to take into account that Iran in the last three, four years has been actively pursuing what it has called a good neighborly policy. So it has reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia, with Chinese help. This was a historic agreement. Its contacts and connections with every single Gulf states has improved. And this has been all part of a formal policy. So nothing justifies it. My analysis here, and this is different than me reading into the Iranian mind, it is more difficult for the Iranians to target the United States and Israel, which are the two antagonists in this war. And Iran thought that the Gulf is the weaker part in the underbelly. And in my opinion, Iran itself is surprised that this sort of callous behavior is recreating back to them.
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Inzima Rashid
What conversations have you and the UAE had with your Gulf counterparts? And what's the position? Is it still dialogue or is there a preparedness to retaliate militarily? I know it's something that you said could potentially be an option. The gcc, in a statement last night said it could be an option. Is that still an option? Could it happen?
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Dr. Anwar Gargash
Definitely. I mean, number one, the Gulf has historical practices of coalescing together under common threat. We are countries that share a lot together. We might have our differences over some issues, but when a threat of this magnitude takes place, we are able to talk to each other, we are able to coordinate with each other. So I think this is an important part now here. I think our basic position is we see ourselves as. I'm talking about the uae, but I hope I'm talking also for all the other Gulf countries. We see ourselves as collectively wanting to see a political solution, wanting good neighborly relations with Iran, realizing that this is very difficult because of the trust factor, which is just, you know, sort of become, you know, the size of a canyon but having said that, I think the idea basically of addressing these threats to us, currently we're in a passive mode. We're basically addressing the threats as they come. We're intercepting a lot of cruise missiles, a lot of other missiles. We're also addressing drones. But I can see where we can actually move actively, not as part of the American Israeli war with Iran, but independently addressing the source of these threats more in a self defense posture. Again, we have to think about these things, you know, deeply because the geography doesn't change, history doesn't change. Iran will be our neighbor forever regardless of who rules Iran. We need to understand these calculations clearly. The onus currently on Iran of being an aggressor, I don't think we should let that go easily. They are the ones that have tried to get the whole region in their own war, in their own failed policies, in their own failed negotiations. And I think they're very surprised that this idea of expanding the war field.
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Inzima Rashid
But how much more can the UAE realistically take before you know, you do actually decide to attack Iran to, to, to offer some military retaliation because it's hit civilian areas, it's targeted the two airports in the uae, it's, you know, shook people up from tourists through to residents to its own people. How much can the UAE take before you do retaliate militarily?
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Dr. Anwar Gargash
Well, our president has received close to 50 calls from all over the world from presidents, prime ministers, kings and others in the last only three days. And a lot of these calls are calls of solidarity. And I think all this and as well as discussions also international fora and regional fora are basically legitimizing our right to self defense. And I think when the time comes we will actually take that decision. But again, as I said, our purpose is to contain this war, find an off ramp, not to expand it. But again, as I said, if need be, then we will do everything to protect the uae, to protect everybody living in the uae, they and their families and so on, so forth.
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Georgina Godwin
That was Dr. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President of the UAE and he was speaking to Monocle's Gulf correspondent Rashid. Now, still to come on the program,
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Fernando Augusto Pacheco
this is what I learned about rave culture. You know, cry, scream, fall on the floor, but stand up and dance.
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Georgina Godwin
We'll have a chat with the director of the movie Seurat. This is the globalist craft is a matter of perspective, a unique outlook, an obsessive attention to detail. With UBS's Chief Investment Office Houseview, we're focused on identifying the latest investment opportunities and market risks to help you achieve your financial goals. So you get the big picture broken down into thought provoking insights delivered daily and curated by over 200 globally connected, locally active analysts. UBS Banking is our craft. Well, let's continue now with today's newspapers and today the view is from Turkey. Joining me is Hannah Lucinda Smith, Monocle's Istanbul correspondent. Good morning to you, Hannah. I wonder what Turkey is saying about Iran.
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Hannah Lucinda Smith
Yeah, good morning. Well, Turkey President Erdogan in particular is taking a very, very clear line against the US And Israeli attacks on Israel. President Erdogan has called these attacks a clear violation of of international law. He's warning of the risk of regional escalation, which of course we're already seeing. But he's also offering himself as a mediator. Of course, this is something that he has done in the past in other conflicts, also in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, also in the last outbreak of violence between Israel and Iran. And it's something that he's doing again this time around.
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Georgina Godwin
But he and Trump actually do have a pretty warm relationship.
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Hannah Lucinda Smith
They did until now. I mean, I think the big question is, is this going to be the first really big test since Donald Trump came back into the White House just over a year ago? It's really been pretty smooth sailing with President Erdogan. They seem to be sort of two leaders who understand each other pretty well in the way that they conduct politics, particularly in the way that they sort of, you know, deliver their messages in this very kind of harsh rhetoric. And Trump seems to have wanted to keep Erdogan very well on side. But, you know, Erdogan is taking this very, very clear stance. That's not a huge surprise. Of course, Iran's a neighboring country. You know, Erdogan positions himself also as a kind of leader of Muslims in the region. So both from a sort of practical level, from an ideological level, it's not surprising at all that Erdogan's taking this position. But I think the interesting thing is going to go to see whether Trump is going to take him up on this offer of mediation, use him as a kind of back channel, or whether Trump is going to take a stance against Erdogan.
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Georgina Godwin
And of course, the fact that Iran is a neighbor is relevant because it's proving provoking a refugee crisis into Turkey.
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Hannah Lucinda Smith
Yeah, absolutely. And already there have been hundreds of Iranians crossing the border into Turkey. There was a brief time when the attacks first started, when Turkey seemed to close that border to Iranian citizens. Only non Iranians were Being rallied through. That seems to have changed. There are people coming through now. I mean, it is quite away from the big cities. You know, it's not people immediately affected by those bombings in places like Tehran. But of course, if the violence continues and if chaos erupts, crucially, we are going to see, I think, a really big movement of refugees across that border.
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Georgina Godwin
Right, well, let's pivot away from the war now and have a look at another story that's making the headlines there, and that's about this seizure of 70 liters of contraband alcohol. Tell us more about.
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Hannah Lucinda Smith
Yeah, so this is in the city of Samson, which is on the Black Sea coast in Turkey. It's 70 liters of fake alcohol. It's not that much this time, but as part of a bigger pattern, it is significant. There have been a number of these kind of seizures by the police over the past couple of years, and in fact, also quite a lot of deaths as well. There was one incident in the Akshar district of Istanbul a couple of of years ago where dozens of people died. Now, this is happening alongside a huge rise in the cost of alcohol in Turkey. There's huge punitive taxes put onto that, both for public health reasons. If you ask the government, if you ask the population or the part of it that drinks, they'll say, well, it's to do with President Erdogan's own kind of Islamic outlook. And that's really pushing this kind of contraband trade in parts of Turkey.
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Georgina Godwin
Of course, alcohol is a big revenue driver for countries around the world, but now so is cryptocurrency. And apparently, as far as I can see here from. From these papers, the Turkish government is looking to regulate and tax crypto.
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Hannah Lucinda Smith
Yeah. So the Turkish government has been kind of interested in crypto for a couple of years now. Turks are one of the most enthusiastic countries for cryptocurrency. Again, that's partly to do with the economic crisis that they've been living through for. For nearly a decade now. They're seeing the collapse in the value of the lira. And many young Turks in particular have seen cryptocurrencies kind of hedge against that. Probably not the best idea, given that cryptocurrency is not the most stable. But now the government is seeing an opportunity there to tax that as well. It's looking at regulating and also applying taxes to cryptocurrency profits. There was also an effort a couple of years ago to introduce a national cryptocurrency, or I should say that the beginnings of an effort There was a presidential decree issued to set that up and it never materialized. But I think here we're seeing again the Turkish government interested in cryptocurrency, maybe not as a kind of, you know, technological advance, but as something that might bring some tax, tax revenues into the
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Georgina Godwin
coffers and also more tax revenues on precious stones.
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Hannah Lucinda Smith
Yeah, on, on diamonds in particular. You know, this is another hedge that is really popular in Turkey, particularly gold. You know, Turks, like many countries in, in this region, they look to gold as a kind of, you know, safe bet. And there are billions of dollars worth of gold stashed under mattresses in Turkey as well as other precious stones, you know, things that Turk see as safe investments. So obviously that's a problem for a government that's, you know, really trying to kick start a sluggish economy. So, again, you know, a way to try and bring some revenue from that hidden wealth into the coffers.
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Georgina Godwin
Hannah, thank you very much indeed. That was Monocle's Istanbul correspondent, Hannah. Lucinda Smith, this is the Globalist on Monocle Radio. Now here's what else we're keeping an eye on today. President Vladimir Zelensky says Ukraine will soon finish the technical preparations required to open negotiations across all, all EU accession chapters. He's pressing European leaders to agree on a clear timeline for membership, arguing it would provide long term security and political certainty for Kyiv. Mark Carney is in Australia for talks focused on defence cooperation, maritime security and critical mineral supply chains. The visit underlines a push by Canada and Australia to work more closely together as like minded US allies navigating economic uncertainty and geopolitical tension. And Melania Trump chaired a United Nations Security Council session focused on protecting children and safeguarding education in conflict zones. It marks the first time a presidential spouse has led proceedings at the Council, highlighting a more personalised US presence during its rotating presidency. This is the Globalist. Stay tuned. Now, fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan flared up in the early hours of Friday morning and has since escalated into the most serious clash in years. Afghanistan says it repelled a Pakistani strike on Bagram air base, while Islamabad said it's targeting Taliban positions in retaliation for militant attacks on Pakistani forces following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran. Pakistan is also facing deadly unrest after pro Iran demonstrations turned violent in Karachi and supporters of the supreme Leader breached the US Consulate compound. Well, for more, I'm joined by Lyn o', Donnell, who's a columnist for Foreign Policy magazine. Lyn, many thanks for taking time to be with us today. Can you Tell us how this conflict began and how and why it's escalated.
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Lyn O'Donnell
Afghanistan and Pakistan has really been simmering since not long after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in the middle of 2021. And they, they did that having been supported and funded and armed by Pakistan's military and intelligence agency throughout the war with America and the Western Alliance. So what Pakistan had hoped to do was create a Taliban controlled Afghanistan basically as a buffer between, against, I should say, India's ambitions for regional dominance. But pretty soon after the Taliban regained power, they turned around and bit the hand that had been feeding them. And Pakistan's frustration with that has really been building ever since, up to the point where the Prime Minister's office and the Foreign Minister have declared this an open war.
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Georgina Godwin
What is the strategic importance of Bagram and what does Afghanistan say happened at the air base?
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Lyn O'Donnell
Well, Bagram is an Air Base 50 miles outside of Kabul where it was built by the Soviets back in the 80s, but it was occupied by the Americans as the hub of the war that they fought, fought against the Taliban in Afghanistan for 20 years. They improved it, they built it up. When they left, they left an awful lot of stuff behind, albeit not a lot of it usable by the Taliban. But it is strategically important because it's located very close to the Pakistan border and also not too far from the China border. Afghanistan shares borders with half a dozen countries, countries in the region. And since he's become president for the second time, Donald Trump has name checked Bagram a couple of times saying that he wants it back. Giving it up was a stupid thing to do. This is aside from the fact that Donald Trump was the one who handed the Taliban power, as he did with his Doha agreement that he signed with the Taliban leadership in 2020. So the Taliban say that during the sorties that we saw last week by the Pakistani military against specific targets in Afghanistan, that Bagram base was also targeted. Satellite images showed that there is some damage. And I think it's just one of a number of strategic targets that Pakistan has been hitting in recent days.
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Georgina Godwin
Do you think that this is likely to become a sustained conflict?
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Lyn O'Donnell
Well, you know, the Taliban really can't match Pakistan for the firepower that it has. Pakistan is nuclear armed. It has a very disciplined army and air force. It is very well equipped. It receives billions of dollars every year from the United States to make sure that it is well equipped militarily. And it has China at its back as well. So if the Taliban really don't, I guess, you know, acquiesce that yes, they have been supporting terrorist groups that they have been providing a safe haven to on Afghanistan soil to attack Pakistani government facilities and military facilities. Then I think this is going to go on. The words that I'm hearing out of Pakistani government officials are very belligerent and patience really has run out. If they don't want to bring the Taliban to heel, what they want to do is make sure that the Taliban hears the message and stops supporting other basically terrorist organizations in the war that they are waging against the Pakistani state. For the Pakistani state. This is existential.
- [38:25]
Georgina Godwin
I mean, when you talk about other terrorist organizations, is there a worry that radical Islamic militant groups such as Al Qaeda or Islamic State which still have a presence in the region, might get involved?
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Lyn O'Donnell
Well, they are involved already. Pakistan, sorry, Afghanistan has become a hub for global transnational jihadism and extremist groups. Does a couple of dozen of them are based now in Afghanistan under Taliban protection. Al Qaeda has been able to reinvigorate and now running dozens of training camps for global jihadism. It has basically it's a revolving door. Al Shabaab and Libyans and Chechens, they're all coming in to train. And that also includes the Pakistani Taliban, which are the ones making the argy bargie for the Pakistanis. And it's that that has inspired the Pakistanis to hit these facilities and let the Taliban know that they're serious.
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Georgina Godwin
Tell us about the events at the US Consulate. These are the demonstrators who were very upset about the death of Khamenei.
- [39:47]
Lyn O'Donnell
Yes, it's very interesting. What seems to be missed outside of the headlines is that the Iranian leader was considered a very respectable religious figurehead by very many people across the region, not least of whom are the Shia minority in Pakistan. And so I'm told by people who know about this, these things closer at hand in cities like Karachi and Islamabad, that these were largely spontaneous to begin with. Shia's protesting and the involvement and the attack of the by the Americans and the Israelis against Khomeini. And this, these demonstrations were even before the death of Khomeini and his family members were, were known about. Israel is very unpopular amongst the Pakistani population and is seen as a proxy of America. And so these demonstrations very quickly turned violent at the Karachi consulate, which is a huge walled compound on the outskirts of the city. But interestingly, the roads around it were not closed when the American and Israeli attacks on Iran began, allowing demonstrators to get close and prompting Marines to fire into the crowd. Every embassy and consulate around the world is guarded by U.S. marines. And it is their job to ensure that what happened in Iran with The hostage taking 20 odd years years ago in, sorry, 1979 doesn't happen again. So yeah, there were a number of people killed when the Marines fired into the crowd of, of very violent demonstrators. But there's also footage online, accurate or otherwise, who knows these days showing that some of the demonstrators were also armed, at least with handguns.
- [42:00]
Georgina Godwin
And so beyond Karachi, how has the under unrest affected security in major cities?
- [42:07]
Lyn O'Donnell
There have been demonstrations in Islamabad, as I mentioned, and I think also in Peshawar. There was a call for Shia organizations to unite and demonstrate outside the US Consulate in Peshawar and also to a lesser degree in Lahore. There are sheer population everywhere, but they were probably and unlikely to be exclusively Shia because as I said, Israel and America are very unpopular among large parts of Pakistan's population.
- [42:44]
Georgina Godwin
Lyn, thank you very much indeed. That's Lyn o' Donnell there columnist for Foreign Policy magazine. This is Monocle Radio. Mark Carney has succeeded where successive Canadian prime ministers before him have failed by agreeing to conclude an economic trade deal with India. Talks around the deal began in 2010 and the leaders say that they will be signing it by the end of 2026. Canada is not alone. Narendra Modi has also agreed deals with the EU and more problematically with the US and, and is now in talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the gcc. So I'm joined by Maya Sharma, who's a journalist based in Bangalore who's been closely following the visit. Maya, there's been a period of diplomatic strain between Canada and India. What changed and what's driving this new phase in the relationship between them?
- [43:43]
Maya Sharma
Yes, you're absolutely right. In fact, diplomatic strain is putting it mildly. There was mutual expulsion of diplomats over the allegations from Canada and Justin Trudeau, former Prime Minister, that India was involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada some years ago. And the ties were really, really strained by all of that. But Mark Carney has come in and as he said, in the last one year there's been more engagement between the two countries than there was for the previous 20 years. I think what has changed really is just what is happening south of Canada's borders in the United States. The United States, which of course is Canada's biggest trading partner, is proving to be so unreliable that Canada is looking elsewhere. India also. India's in the middle of a rather awkward trade deal with the United States with so many tariffs being imposed over the import of Russian oil and other tariffs as well. So they are turning to each other the way many places in the world are turning to each other in a way of saying that we can't rely on the United States much anymore. Let's look to each other to see if we can see each other's markets and trade there. I mean, there was talk absolutely of how it's really needed in the time of this rather uncertain international environment.
- [44:56]
Georgina Godwin
So how significant is the deal and what does it cover?
- [45:01]
Maya Sharma
Well, of course, there is, as you said, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which will be signed by the end of the this year. And they're looking to boost bilateral trade between the two countries to up to $50 billion by 2030, much more than it is now, to almost double it, in fact. And a big deal on uranium. Canada will be supplying uranium for India's nuclear energy program. It will be supplying uranium over several years in a deal that's likely to be worth almost $2 billion. So that, of course, is a very big deal indeed. And other issues as well, whether it's clean energy, whether it's technology, education, and also cultural exchanges as well. The countries are really trying to boost their relationship. I mean, the way they put it is like to. To. To kind of make it into a different level itself. The expansion of a valued partnership and the renewal of a relationship are the words Mark Carney used. So, yes, it's basically this trade agreement, the uranium emergency and other fields as well, where the two countries will be turning to each other quite a bit.
- [46:04]
Georgina Godwin
And let's just have a little look at the putative GCC arrangement. How important are these negotiations to India's supply chains to energy security and export? And I wonder if the current situation with Iran possibly scuppers that.
- [46:21]
Maya Sharma
Well, yes, India's agreement with the gcc, the Gulf Coast Cooperative Council, is in its initial stages. There are negotiations on for a free trade agreement. And this is hugely important because India depends very, very largely for its crude oil imports from this region. Of course, and now with the current violence, the current conflict going on, there is a great deal of concern as to how that crude oil will actually come through. With the Gulf of Hormones also being under pressure, probably closed by Iran, there is a lot of pressure over that. But with these six countries, I mean, India trades a lot with them when it comes to crude oil, petrochemicals and gold. And 9 million Indians are also living across GCC countries. So there's a lot of engagement between these two countries. There is concern over how long this war will last. If it's just a matter of a few days, then probably India could tide over its needs for crude oil. But depending on how long it lasts, it will really make a difference to whether in fact India will turn again to Russia for its oil imports. There are lots of connected factors here, so India will be watching closely the conflict. But it also must be said that India did not outright condemn the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran. It has reached out to the GCC countries rather saying that condemning the Iranian attack and saying that they were thankful that they were looking after Indian nationals living in those countries. But yes, the FTA at a very initial stage and hopes that peace will be restored in the region soon.
- [47:52]
Georgina Godwin
Maya, thank you very much. That's Maya Sharma, a journalist based in Bangalore. This is the globalist on Monocle Radio, Iq, EQ and AI. Three components key to the craft of innovation at ubs. Because to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving age, you need a partner with decades of experience, endless passion for the work and a finger on the pulse of leading technologies. Bridging human expertise with artificial intelligence, all to elevate you. UBS Banking is our craft. Right now let's have a look at architecture. I'm joined by Tim Abrams, contributing editor to the Architectural Record. And Tim, very interesting and exciting things going on with a new contemplative pavilion on the Swiss German border. Tell us more.
- [48:56]
Tim Abrams
Yes, I'm just back from the Vitra campus in Vil am Rhein which is just over the Swiss bridge border in Germany. Vitra you may know as the producer of modernist furniture in Europe, Jean Prouve Eames, Werner Pantonchers, George Nelson's spiky clocks. But just as importantly, their campus is one of the most fascinating architectural sites in Europe. Early works by Frank Gehry, key works by Grimshaw, Alvaro Caesar, Herzog de Meuron. But just added to that is an interesting new project which suggests a little bit the innovations in the way of direction that Vitra are going in is a shrine by the late Balkrishna Doshi, a Pritzker Prize winner from India. Now the key figure behind all this is Rolf Feildbaum, who is the chairman emeritus now of Vitra. His niece takes care of the day to day running of the business while Rolf is looking after the campus. And after visiting the Sun Temple example in Gujarat under his suggestion from Balkrishna Doshi, Felbom had the idea let's have a shrine on the campus. And Doshi agreed. And they've created this beautiful he's designed this beautiful land form which emerged from a dream apparently had in which two Cobras were entwined. And these paths submerge you into the landscape and bring you to a small shrine at the end of it. It's a beautiful project and a sign that the Vitra campus, which had these prominent, very beautifully designed factory and showroom buildings, is turning into this more contemplated and beautifully landscaped site. There's Bas Smets, the Belgian landscape architect, is working on it. There's a new water feature opening in a couple of months. But the shrine by Doshi is, I think, a sign of this new lush and contemplative area. Definitely an extra reason to go to one of the key architectural sites in Europe, I'd say.
- [51:00]
Georgina Godwin
And I mean, it reinforces the campus's legacy. There are other really meaningful works there too.
- [51:08]
Tim Abrams
There are, There's. In recent years, as his energies are less taken up with the data, Ray Running of the. Of the. The company Rolf Vilbaum has been going around the world collecting all kinds of interesting, different things. There's a. A garden by Pete Urdoff, which has just been. Which is just coming to maturity. It's a beautiful big slide by the artist Kirsten Holler, the German artist Kirsten Holler. But then there's also these collections, Japanese modernist buildings, a Jean Prouve petrol station. And the site is evolving and turning into something else. There's now an architecture school on the site from the state of Baden Wurttemberg has opened up a new project there, a new site for students. So it's turning into this mature and evolved destination, rather than just a place where the factories were very nicely designed. It's somewhere to go to, I think.
- [52:11]
Georgina Godwin
Yeah. Now tell us about GDR modernist cinema reopening in Berlin.
- [52:18]
Tim Abrams
This is a lovely project and a sign again of a kind of a maturing of an architectural outlook, albeit across Berlin. Initially, after the Wall came down, there was a very strong reaction against the architecture of the former gdr. The Palastre Republic was finally a key. A key site was demolished in 2008. So it's all the more important that the Kino International on Karl Marx Allee, designed by a key architect in the GDR who also designed the rest of Karl Marx Alley, has been renovated. It has a very famous sequined curtain which was the. This moment of luxury within the austere GDR Republic. And the museum. The museum, sorry. The cinema has been recreated with a warm timber wall cladding and this sequined curtain, and is now a kind of beautiful evocation of a particular moment in time. And interestingly, I think with the Kino International Being renovated. We now see the architecture of, from both sides of west and east now speaking to each other. You know, you see the Berlin Philharmonic by Hans Shurin, which is in the west, and the Neue National Gallery by Mies van der Rohe, which is in the West. We now see them having a kind of conversation with these supposedly kind of communist architectural pieces, but actually just generally humanist architecture and very much reaffirms its
- [53:49]
Georgina Godwin
historic role as a socialist palace of culture.
- [53:55]
Tim Abrams
Indeed, this section of the Karl Marx Alley designed by Joseph Kaiser has got the Cafe Moscow opposite. And it was this set piece of modernist communist creativity and culture. And it's a key idea that, that we have to accommodate into our understanding of architectural history. And to remove it because we have ideological differences would be to sever, I think, Berlin and Germany as a whole from its historical past. And it's a great move to see the Kino International as this kind of symbolic moment, retaining its place within the cultural landscape of, of one of Europe's most important cities.
- [54:49]
Georgina Godwin
Now finally onto something that would be a very good news story, but of course, current events are sort of overtaking. This is the opening of Riyadh's Jax district. Tell us more.
- [55:03]
Tim Abrams
The resilience is a key quality in times of conflict and change. And I think that's what we're seeing in Riyadh, which is the capital of Saudi Arabia, which has experienced the attack in recent days. But the resilience of that city is something that we are going to see being developed over the next coming years. And the Jax district in Riyadh is an arts district which was previously used as a depot essentially for creating the incredibly road based, non pedestrian city that Riyadh was. And now, ironically, the Jax district is becoming an arts district which is walkable, which means that people will be able to experience the joys of outdoor living, which is not necessarily something that you can do in Riyadh at the moment. We've got all the top arts organizations in the country. Samoko, the first contemporary arts museum in Saudi Arabia, Noor Riyadh, the city's annual light festival organizers are now based there. There's a Biennale there. And the idea is that this district, which you know, used to be determined by the turning circle of a truck, has now, thanks to a restoration and renovation project by oma, the Dutch practice is now becoming somewhere where one can walk through a green and sheltered environment with lots of places to pause in shade so you can navigate what is a huge 15 hectare site. It's an important and key part of the city's development and something that will be looked to as it goes forward.
- [56:47]
Georgina Godwin
Tim, thank you very much indeed. That's Tim Abrahams, contributing editor to the Architectural Record. You're listening to the Globalist on Monocle Radio. Sirat might be the most intense film you'll watch this year. Set in the rave scene in the deserts of southern Morocco, it tells the story of a father looking for his daughter. The film's been nominated for two Oscars, Best International Feature and Best Sound. Monocle Radio's Fernando Augusto Pacheco spoke to the director Oliver Lache.
- [57:36]
Dr. Anwar Gargash
You know this girl?
- [57:41]
Tim Abrams
Oliver, my first question to you, like, first of all, I love the film so much. The landscapes. The first thing that caught my eye in the film, and I've been reading, you had some sort of a relationship with that landscape variety. Did you live in.
- [57:55]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
In Morocco? I lived 10 years in Morocco, and five of these 10 years I was in the south. I was in a palm grove called Skura and another Akades, I was in around Warzozat. That is where I was shooting Mimosas, my second feature. So I was really attracted by the landscape. There you have mountains, these mountains that they are showing, you know, like the wounds of the planet. You feel when you are in front of these mountains that you are contemplating the creation of the planet, and you feel small. You really feel you are nothing. I think it's the natural dimension of human being, you know, being nothing, being a zero, is the healthy one. At the beginning, you are in a kind of existentialism, you know, in this landscape, you ask yourself about you and about your death. You feel you are nothing again. And after this desert and the desert, you know, after these existentialist questions, the desert has the answer. And the answer is just surrender, just accept.
- [59:14]
Tim Abrams
Immerse yourself.
- [59:15]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
Immerse yourself. Look inside. You know, on a desert, it's impossible to distract yourself. You are looking inside all the time or you are looking to the sky. That is, in a way, is the same thing. I did three of my four films in Morocco. You know, there's a strong relationship there.
- [59:34]
Tim Abrams
What about, you know, when you talk about rave? I never seen rave scenes like this in cinema. You know, sometimes you see a film, it can even feel a little bit fake. But I think there's something quite spiritual, the way it's portrayed in Sirat, in my opinion.
- [59:50]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
Yes, Ravers, they have a memory in their bodies of something that we were doing. Human beings for thousands and thousands of years. That is praying with the bodies. That is having a space, a Dance floor. That is a ritualistic space. When you dance in community, you connect with your wound. You connect with your strength and with your fragility. So the body is giving you a lot of information about yourself. You are healing. When you dance, it's like on a cinema, I think, you know, on a dance floor, you don't know the people around you. You don't see them like when you are sitting watching a film. But there is something that is happening subtly and separately between the bodies. And yes, for me, it's necessary to dance. It's a film that I danced since the beginning. I was writing the script, dancing. And I think that we have to celebrate. Even if you are on a moment really particular in the history, you know, we are on a kind of sunset or a kind of change eras. I think we have to keep dancing. I think this is what I learned about rave culture. You know, cry, scream, fall on the floor, but stand up and dance. Never stop to dance.
- [61:15]
Tim Abrams
Beautiful, beautiful message. What about. I mean, the music is essential for a film like this. And. And you know, of course, the soundtrack by Keng Ding Ray. Tell us, how did you actually found out about the music? Were you a fan before? And when you were thinking about making Seurat, was it always kind of connected with the name of Kang Ding Ray?
- [61:36]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
I started to write in this project in 2013 after doing a trip in Senegal and Mauritania. So I had the first images of these tracks crossing the desert. And as I said, I started to dance these images. So the music or sound was related with these images since the beginning and after, when I was writing the script with Santiago Figol, the way we write is really atmospheric. And music are atmospheres, is atmospheric too. So always I write listening music. And I was putting on the script, like links from music, you know, and few of these links were from Kandenray.
- [62:19]
Inzima Rashid
Are you a musician as well?
- [62:20]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
I'm not a musician, but I discover working with Kandinray, that I have a lot of musical sensitivity. By the way, my previous film Fire will Come also won best soundtrack in Cannes in arcente regard. So I will say that more than a musician or more than a filmmaker, I'm a sculptor. And David too, you know, Kandin Ray too, you know, we were working with the more structural layer of sound and image. You know, when we talk about images and sound, we use the same words. Rhythm, texture, grain. You know, we were shooting in 60 millimeters distortion. Rayan's temple. That's the thing in Sirat, you don't know where the image ends and where the sound starts, you know, it's really a film where the images, you hear the images and you watch the sound, you know, we really built a sound landscape, you know. So I did a casting of musician and Camden was the best. I really thought that he could make his trip that we wanted. This film is about physical adventure that is at the same time a metaphysical adventure. A spectator dies watching this film is obliged, is forced to look inside. That is something that we never do. So at some point, the dissolution of the music, the dissolution of the landscape, the dissolution resolution of the receipt helps you to dissolve yourself, you know, to feel that you are going on in another dimension, you know.
- [64:18]
Georgina Godwin
And that was direct to Oliver Lashes. We can to Monocle's Fernando Augusta Pacheco. And that's all for this edition of today's programme. Thanks to our producers, Hassan Anderson, Carlotta Rabello and Angelica Jopson, our researcher Anneliese Maynard and our studio manager, Christy o'. Grady. The briefing is live with me at midday London time and the Globalist returns at the same time tomorrow. I'm Georgina Godwin. Thanks for listening. With ubs, you have a truly global partner incorporating new technologies, innovative approaches and unexpected opportunities, leading you to insights that help answer the questions that matter. Delivered with passion, care and unmatched expertise. Because it's about the rising with the dawn. Each day knowing that we can do even better. That's what banking is to us. Not just work, but a craft. UBS advice is our craft.