A tense Russia-Nato summit ended on Wednesday with diplomats saying further talks were needed to reconcile “significant differences” over Ukraine and the future of European security.
Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said the opposing views were “not easy to bridge”, with Moscow demanding a say in the membership of Nato and the US insisting that any progress must include a withdrawal of Russian troops near Ukraine.
Russia's representative, deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko, described the talks as “a heart-to-heart”.
“The conversation was quite frank, direct, deep, intense, but at the same time it revealed a large number of differences on fundamental issues.”
The talks in Brussels, described by Mr Stoltenberg as a “defining moment for European security,” were the second part of this week’s peace efforts after Russia and the US met on Monday.
They took place as Russian troop movements led to fear of an invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Stoltenberg said Nato and Russia had “expressed the need to resume dialogue and explore a schedule of further meetings” as diplomats try to reduce tensions.
But he said Nato was “united on the core principle that each and every nation has the right to choose its own path”, and that “Russia doesn't have a veto” on who can join the military alliance.
Mr Grushko said that any further deterioration in relations could lead to the “most unpredictable and most dire consequences for European security".
He later said Moscow would use military means to neutralise security threats if diplomacy proved insufficient.
Moscow’s key objective is to stop any eastward expansion of Nato, a condition rejected by the US, the alliance and potential candidate countries such as Ukraine.
It wants Nato forces withdrawn from central and eastern European nations that joined the US-led bloc after the Cold War ended.
Wendy Sherman, the US deputy secretary of state who led the American delegation, said Russia brought nothing new to Wednesday's talks and had not been clear about whether it took diplomacy seriously.
“It's very hard to have dialogue, to have diplomacy that is conducive to success when in fact you have 100,000 troops live-fire exercises, propaganda, disinformation, other efforts to subvert that environment,” she said.
She repeated US vows to “exact a severe ongoing price for Russia’s economy and financial system” should it escalate its military activity in Ukraine.
To that end, Ms Sherman also met with European External Action Service secretary-general Stefano Sannino in Brussels to discuss potential financial penalties on Russia.
Those measures could include Germany terminating its agreement to put the Nord Stream 2 oil pipeline from Russia into operation.
The US and Nato have also vowed to shore up the alliance’s eastern flank if Russia does not back down. Alternatively, Nato has offered a series of areas to enhance co-operation with Russia in order to lower the temperature.
“The Nato allies offered their views on areas where Nato and Russia could make progress together in a way that strengthens security for all of us, and indeed for the world,” Ms Sherman said.
“These include reciprocal actions around risk reduction and transparency, improved communication and arms control.”
Following the meeting, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss reiterated support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and said Russia’s military build-up on the border of Ukraine and in illegally annexed Crimea was unacceptable.
She condemned Russia’s “aggression and destabilising activity”, saying Nato was pushing back against the Kremlin’s threatening behaviour.
She said that a further military incursion into Ukraine would come with a severe cost on Russia’s economy, including co-ordinated sanctions.
“The quagmire of a long-running conflict would cost lives and damage communities on both sides. This is the reality of armed conflict, as we have seen before.”
“What happens next will be absolutely critical to peace and security in Europe. The only way forward is for Russia to de-escalate and engage in meaningful discussions,” Ms Truss said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, spokesman at the talks, repeated Russia's denials on Wednesday that it intends to invade Ukraine.
“We are not negotiating from a position of strength; there is not, and nor can there be, any place for ultimatums here,” he said.
Josep Borrell, European Union foreign affairs chief, said Russia's proposals to end the stand-off “contravene the principles of the European security architecture".
He claimed Russia sought “to challenge the political and security order born after the Cold War”, which included the right of each state “to freely choose to belong, or not to belong, to an international organisation and to be a party to treaties or alliances".
Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to Nato, said Washington would push back on proposals from Russia “that are simply non-starters”.
“We will not allow anyone to slam Nato’s open-door policy shut,” Ms Smith said, speaking before the meeting.
The allies prepared for the meeting by consulting with Ms Sherman on the outcome of her talks with Russia on Monday. Those talks in Geneva ended with no breakthrough.
Denmark’s delegation to Nato said it hoped for a “meaningful dialogue” with Russia but said the Kremlin must “choose co-operation over confrontation”.
The Nato-Russia Council was established in 2002, and has kept going after most ties were severed following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The talks will continue with a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on Thursday. Russia said on Tuesday that it would not let the security talks drag on indefinitely.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERick%20Famuyiwa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPedro%20Pascal%20and%20Katee%20Sackhoff%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Saeed%20Teebi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%C2%A0House%20of%20Anansi%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Coronavirus in France
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDesign%2C%20multimedia%20and%20creative%20work%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELogo%20design%2C%20website%20design%2C%20visualisations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20management%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELegal%20or%20management%20consulting%2C%20architecture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EResearch%20support%2C%20proofreading%2C%20bookkeeping%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESales%20and%20marketing%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESearch%20engine%20optimisation%2C%20social%20media%20marketing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EData%20entry%2C%20administrative%2C%20and%20clerical%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20entry%20tasks%2C%20virtual%20assistants%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIT%2C%20software%20development%20and%20tech%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20analyst%2C%20back-end%20or%20front-end%20developers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWriting%20and%20translation%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EContent%20writing%2C%20ghost%20writing%2C%20translation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOnline%20microtasks%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImage%20tagging%2C%20surveys%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20World%20Bank%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Result
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
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
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
