Weeks of brinkmanship in the east of Ukraine have now turned into what was before then unthinkable to many. Russia, the country with the highest number of nuclear warheads, has launched what appears to be an invasion of the interior of Ukraine. After just one day of fighting there is no longer any doubt that Europe has descended into potentially the most dangerous conflict since the Second World War.
The world is still far from a return to the level of bloodshed seen in the early 20th century, and these terrible developments have rightly resulted in intense calls for de-escalation and diplomacy. But making a loud-enough case for restraint will not be easy. A horrible effect of war, borne out by history, is that it immediately makes interstate rivalries harder to solve. It is very difficult to call for dialogue once the bombs have started dropping.
Even ascertaining the truth that forms a basis for negotiations becomes difficult to find. As US Senator Hiram Warren Johnson said during the First World War, "the first casualty of war is the truth". We do not know the true extent of today's and yesterday's losses, and uncovering them will be difficult in a conflict in which misinformation has proven a key weapon.
One of the few early certainties is that the international community is almost unanimous in its calls for peace. In one of the most severe remarks in his tenure, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres used social media to implore: "Under the present circumstances, I must change my appeal: President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia. This conflict must stop now.”
Such direct statements are warranted. Many thousands of lives are on the line with no immediate clear end in sight to the crisis. Thoughts must now must be with those most in danger. If long-term diplomacy has failed in this instance, emergency aid does not have to. As roads out of Ukraine's capital are log-jammed with people trying to flee, neighbouring countries should be willing to open their doors to what could well become another refugee crisis for the continent. Germany has already pledged to help its Eastern European neighbours in the event of an influx. Countries that are not directly affected by the huge movement of people should understand this is more than Europe's problem, but a humanitarian one in which the entire international community should chip in.
And while it will be tested in the upcoming weeks, a sense of global resolve for solidarity and a peaceful way out is there. A statement by Kenya's ambassador to the UN has gone viral – he draws on the coexistence of diversity and broad peace found across Africa’s borders, in spite of them having been drawn up by colonial powers, to build a case against the invasion of sovereign Ukraine. The crisis is reminding the whole world, not just the West, of the value of self-determination, global solidarity and the international order.
This awareness is perhaps even more acute in a world that has been dealing with the pandemic, another global crisis solvable only through co-operation. What is particularly tragic about the situation in Ukraine, however, is that it was much easier to prevent than any pandemic.
And while it will be a lot harder to put a full stop to it now, it is still possible. A monumental change hit Europe on Thursday. Another is needed, in the form of a swift retreat from the battlefield towards the negotiating table.
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Sweet%20Tooth
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SWEET%20TOOTH
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The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
