Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to sign a minerals agreement with the US in “the very short term”, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Friday amid signs of cooling tension between Washington and Kyiv.
Mr Waltz said the Ukrainian leader would sign the deal granting the US access to its deposits of aluminium, gallium, tritium and other rare-earth minerals.
“Here's the bottom line, President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term,” he told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington. “And that is good for Ukraine.”
Mr Zelenskyy on Wednesday had rejected a US offer for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay the US for its military assistance, saying Washington had supplied nowhere near that sum and that the agreement did not come with sufficient security guarantees.
But on Friday, Mr Zelenskyy's office said the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, discussed “aligning positions” in bilateral relations in a call with Mr Waltz.
President Donald Trump was later asked how close the US and Ukraine are to signing a deal.
"I think they want it. They feel good about it, it's significant. It's a big deal, but they want it, and it keeps us in that country, and they're very happy about it, but it's how we get our money back," Mr Trump told reporters.
"We're going to either sign a deal, or there's going to be a lot of problems with [Ukraine]. So we're going to sign a deal to get security, because we have to do that. We're spending our treasure. They're spending their blood."
Keith Kellogg, Mr Trump's envoy for the Ukraine war, praised Mr Zelenskyy as being a “courageous leader”. The remark struck a more conciliatory tone than comments this week from Mr Trump, who at one point called the Ukrainian President a “dictator”.
Washington and Moscow held talks in Saudi Arabia this week aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which excluded Kiev and Europe. This marked a stark reversal of US foreign policy nearly three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
Mr Trump, who took office last month, campaigned on a promise to quickly end the war and cut US military aid for Ukraine. He says the US has grossly overspent compared to European allies who could be more affected by the war, given their geographic proximity.
Mr Trump has pledged that the US should be able to recoup American aid that was disbursed under former president Joe Biden's administration, saying American taxpayers deserve to be paid back.
“I've had very good talks with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine. They don't have any cards, but they play it tough. But we're not going to let this continue,” Mr Trump told Republican governors on Friday.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Congress has passed five bills allocating about $175 billion in aid to the war-torn country. Mr Trump has claimed the US has sent $350 billion in aid to Ukraine.
“I think President Trump is very upset at President Zelenskyy, and in some cases, rightfully so,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview aired on Friday.
Mr Rubio said the minerals agreement would be a “joint venture” with Ukraine. “Not because we're trying to steal from your country, because we think that's actually a security guarantee,” he said.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump blamed Mr Zelenskyy for starting the war with Russia. He said Mr Zelenskyy had misused American funding and taken advantage of Mr Biden.
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Ferrari
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
