Wars on many fronts

Glittering haven: Even as the Emiratis have sided with Saudi Arabia in their war against the Yemeni Houthis, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have gone on peacefully just as before. – AFP

LAST MONTH was a moment of mad scrambling by world powers.

The United States threatened sanctions against an expansionist Russia, saying that it would boot the Russians from the international banking system, as it has already done with Iran. For their part, members of the European Union squabbled over what must be done about the huge build-up of armament at Ukraine’s border with Russia.