A tense meeting of G20 foreign ministers in New Delhi ended without a joint communique on Thursday amid a stand-off between the US and Russia and their respective allies over the war in Ukraine, despite a meeting between the US Secretary of State and the Russian Foreign Minister.
The brief encounter between Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov was the highest-level meeting between the two sides since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
US State Department officials said Mr Blinken told Mr Lavrov of Washington’s commitment to supporting Ukraine and urged Moscow to engage with Kyiv, hours after Russia accused the West was employing blackmail and threats.
But Mr Lavrov said the West was turning the G20 meeting into a “farce” and derailing the agenda. He added that the grouping of 20 countries could not agree on a “joint statement due to western nations attempting to emphasise Ukraine in an emotional way”.
The last time Mr Blinken and Mr Lavrov were in the same room, during the G20 summit in Bali last year, the Russian minister stormed out, according to diplomats.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the G20 members at the opening session urging the ministers to find common ground on global issues and not focus on things that divide.
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the delegates had adopted a chair summary and outcome document at the end of the summit, as was done after the meeting of G20 finance ministers last week that omitted mention of Russia's war on Ukraine.
“There were differences on the Ukraine conflict on which there were divergences … there was a chair summary because there were differences which we could not reconcile between various parties who held differing positions,” Mr Jaishankar told journalists.
India, the host nation, has adopted a neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict but has found itself in an awkward diplomatic situation as host nation after assuming the G20 presidency last year.
“There was consensus on 95 per cent of paragraphs but … given the state of polarisation, even presumably developments, which have happened, we found that positions were very far apart and we tried very hard but we were not able to reach the gap,” he said.
Russia has been sensitive about the US and its allies’ description of its “special military operation” in Ukraine being described as a “war”.
The US and other western members were pushing for a strong joint statement denouncing Moscow over the conflict.
But Russia and close ally China have blocked such attempts in a setback to the West’s efforts to diplomatically isolate Moscow as it continues to hit the country with economic sanctions.
The US has warned Beijing against any move to help Russia in the conflict.
The summit was attended by foreign ministers from 27 countries apart from India as well as representatives of 13 international organisations including the World Health Organisation.
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 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
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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