Learn Vocabulary from Newspaper Articles (THE HINDU)

Diplomatic Mayhem

The Saudi-led bid to isolate Qatar could have far-reaching economic-political consequences

The dramatic decision by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen to suspend diplomatic ties with Qatar could have far-reaching economic and geopolitical consequences. Tensions were brewing within the Gulf Cooperation Council for the past six years ever since Qatar started actively supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, a political Islamist movement that the Saudis and their close allies see as a threat to stability in West Asia. In 2014, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain had temporarily withdrawn their ambassadors from Qatar over this. But a suspension of diplomatic ties as well as air and sea travel to and from Qatar is unprecedented. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain on Monday asked Qatari diplomats to leave their countries within 48 hours and Qatari citizens within 14 days. Saudi Arabia blames Qatar for “harbouring a multitude of terrorist and sectarian groups that aim to create instability in the region”. But such allegations can be raised against most Gulf countries. It is an open secret that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar back their proxy militant groups throughout West Asia. Take the case of Syria, where the Saudis back Salafi groups such as Ahrar al-Sham, while the Qataris bankroll the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both share the same goal: to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad. In Yemen, Qatar is part of the Saudi-led coalition that has been bombing the country for over two years.

It is not immediately clear what drove Riyadh to take this extreme step. Emboldened by President Donald Trump’s open embrace and anti-Iran agenda, the kingdom could be making a renewed attempt to rally Sunni countries under its leadership against Tehran. Qatar has historically played off both sides of the Saudi-Iran rivalry. Even as it joined the occasional GCC outbursts against Tehran, it maintained sound economic and diplomatic ties. Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who had a phone conversation with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani last week, is reportedly critical of the Saudi-led efforts to drive up an anti-Iran agenda. It is to be seen whether Saudi Arabia has overplayed its hand. If Qatar continues to resist the GCC line, it could trigger a wider crisis in the region. Qatar is an economic powerhouse in the Gulf and hosts the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command. The air war command for the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is also in Qatar. So any prolonged attempt to isolate the country would not only have economic consequences — oil prices fluctuated soon after the decision was announced — but also complicate the fight against the IS yet more. What West Asia requires is a united front against terror and lowering of Saudi-Iran tensions. Opening new fronts in the rivalry will only destabilise the region further. Source : THE HINDU


1) Brewing (तैयार करना) - Brew-ing

Meaning - (of an unwelcome event or situation) begin to develop - Verb
Synonyms - impend, imminent
Antonyms - dry, dehydrate
Example - A storm was brewing up out at sea.

2) Unprecedented (अभूतपूर्व) - Un-prece-dent-ed

Meaning - never done or known before - Adjective
Synonyms - unmatched, prodigious
Antonyms - normal, common
Example - The scheme has been hailed as an unprecedented success.

3) Harbouring (विचार करना) - Har-bour-ing

Meaning - keep (a thought or feeling, typically a negative one) in one's mind, especially secretly - Verb
Synonyms - nurture, maintain
Example - The overall picture is of the first generation harbouring little interest in sport, apart from horse racing!

4) Coalition (गठबंधन) - Coa-li-tion

Meaning - a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government - Noun
Synonyms - alliance, combination
Antonyms - detachment, division
Example - The centre-right parties have formed a coalition.

5) Emboldened (उत्साहित) - Em-bol-den-ed

Meaning - give (someone) the courage or confidence to do something - Verb
Synonyms - buoy, encourage
Antonyms - dishearten, depress
Example - His kind manner emboldened her to ask for help.

6) Rivalry (विरोध) - Rai-val-ree

Meaning - competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field - Noun
Synonyms - conflict, contest
Antonyms - accord, agreement
Example - The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.

7) Prolonged (दीर्घकालीन) - Pro-long-ed

Meaning - continuing for a long time or longer than usual, lengthy - Adjective
Synonyms - continued, delayed
Antonyms - shortened
Example - They prolonged their visit by a few days.

8) Destabilize (अस्थिर) - De-stay-bil-ise

Meaning - upset the stability of (a region or system), cause unrest or instability in - Verb
Synonyms - undermine, weaken
Antonyms - enlarge, extend
Example - They uncovered a plot to destabilize the government.

9) Aficionado (अनुकरणकर्ता) - Afi-shi-nado

Meaning - a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime - Noun
Synonyms - expert, authority
Antonyms - doubter, skeptic
Example (English) - A good news for chocolate aficionados, a new study has suggested that chocolate could be good for heart.
Example (Hindi) - चॉकलेट भक्तों के लिए एक अच्छी खबर, एक नए अध्ययन ने सुझाव दिया है कि दिल के लिए चॉकलेट अच्छा होगा।

Now considering the article above as a Reading Comprehension question, try to answer the following -
  • How Arab Countries’ Decision To Break Ties With Qatar Complicates Things For The US?
  • What Just Happened With Qatar?
Given below are some words to check your vocabulary you can make sentences with those words in the comment section which will be reviewed by us.
  • Allegations
  • Proxy
  • Militant
  • Isolate

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