Somewhere amid Kharkiv’s smouldering city streets in north-eastern Ukraine, paintings and artwork by a group of American elementary pupils may well be blowing in the wind.
The art display was part of an exchange project between pupils from Cincinnati, Ohio, and some in Kharkiv, organised through Sister Cities International, a citizen diplomacy network.
But now the exhibition is thought to have been destroyed.
“We sent [the children's] artwork over in January,” says Bob Herring, president of the Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister City Partnership.
“The museum [hosting the display], I’ve seen pictures of it. Its windows are blown out. I don’t think the American kids are ever going to get their artwork back.”
While the wider world looks on aghast, communities around the globe that have fostered ties with Ukrainians over the years are left wondering what comes next.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and subsequent collapse of communism, Kharkiv and Cincinnati have held sister-city status, tied by a shared industrial history and their locations on inland rivers.
Over the decades, activists in both cities have worked to build relationships that have brought major change on local issues such as election best practices, infrastructure development and wider cultural exchange.
Mr Herring, a former school principal, says he became involved in 2013, shortly before Russian-backed separatists took up arms in eastern Ukraine and Moscow occupied Crimea.
“At that time Kharkiv was dealing with a lot of internally displaced people who had fled the war in the Donbas,” he says.
“Kharkiv sent a delegation here to take a look at best practices in terms of policies and procedures dealing with homeless people. How do you feed and house people; that whole service network.”
For Mr Herring, who has visited Kharkiv several times, seeing his colleagues on the other side of the world deal with the losses of the Russian invasion has been tough.
He says one in Kharkiv was supposed to visit Cincinnati last month to see how small Ohio communities join together to pool resources such as emergency services. But the trip was cancelled.
“Its all bad news. He left the east [of Ukraine] and headed west,” Mr Herring says.
Across the US, dozens of cities including Chicago, which is tied with Kyiv, and Milwaukee, which is paired with the Kyiv satellite town Irpin, have launched major aid operations to help Ukrainians fleeing the war.
But while several US cities are digging in to help their contacts in Ukraine, others are moving to suspend ties with Russian cities.
Chicago and Dallas have severed ties with sister cities Moscow and Saratov.
Smaller cities are also ending relationships. Colorado Springs had sister city status with Smolensk in western Russia, but in early March indefinitely suspended that relationship.
While many moves are symbolic at most, some have real consequences for American and Russian residents.
The mayor of Dallas, Eric Miller, announced that the city would be “agreeing to not approve city contracts with entities that have significant Russian ties.”
But not everyone believes ending a sister city arrangement is a productive move.
When a council member for the city of San Jose in California proposed cutting ties with its Russian sister city, Yekaterinburg, at a meeting last month, his motion was defeated.
“The relationships that we establish take years to deepen,” says Tim Quigley, chair emeritus of Sister Cities International and president of the San Jose-Yekaterinburg Sister City programme.
"So through the rough moments when governments are at sore points there is this sustaining connect of trust between the people we work with."
Mr Quigley says his peers in Russia have written to him requesting that the relationship not be suspended.
“This linkage is absolutely essential. In many cases it’s the last line of connect with the outside world. We do not demonise the folks at the other end.”
It is a sentiment shared by Mr Herring.
“If there’s a relationship, a friendship, a history, I would want to preserve that,” he says. “It may be strained, it may be uncomfortable, it may be difficult, but I would rather preserve that.”
Mr Herring says his contacts in Kharkiv, now scattered across the country, say that rather than medicine and first aid, cash donations are a top priority.
He and others are hoping to reach a Cincinnati donation goal of $100,000 by mid-April.
Longer term, Mr Herring is concerned about what would happen should Russia occupy Kharkiv, which is less than 30 kilometres from the Russian border.
“If there’s a puppet government there, would it be interested or be allowed to work with us, to set up an NGO?” he asks.
“All of our people are gone. I don’t know if they’re going to go back.”
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Scoreline
Chelsea 1
Azpilicueta (36')
West Ham United 1
Hernandez (73')
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THREE
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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