Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine
The EU and the US on Friday said they are preparing to impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin in a personal hit that would deepen the West's retaliation for Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
Russia's long-serving Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will also be affected under plans that were being finalised by the US and the EU's 27 foreign ministers on Friday.
The measures are aimed at isolating Russia's ruling elite.
“In alignment with the decision by our European allies, the United States will join them in sanctioning President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov and members of the Russian national security team,” White House Sress secretary Jen Psaki said.
European diplomats said an agreement was close on freezing the assets of Mr Putin and Mr Lavrov, but that the two men would not be subject to travel bans, so a revival of peace talks remains possible.
Ms Psaki, however, said the two men would be subject to US travel bans.
The announcements came on the second day of Russia's incursion into Ukraine during which fighting on the outskirts of Kiev continued as top Ukrainian officials lobbied intensively for tougher sanctions.
Speaking at a Nato meeting, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia had “shattered peace on the European continent".
Sanctioning Mr Putin personally would go further than earlier measures taken his close allies in the political, business and media worlds and against the financing of the Russian war effort.
“To show how serious we are, we're taking a step that has never been taken in this form before,” said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, citing Mr Putin's status as leader of a nuclear power and permanent UN Security Council member.
“Russia has chosen a path of war and violence and has thereby isolated itself internationally,” he said. “We will react by isolating Putin and his system from the world economy.”
His German counterpart Annalena Baerbock said Mr Putin and Mr Lavrov “are responsible for the fact that innocent people are dying in Ukraine”. The UN reported civilian casualties, and Ukraine raised the alarm over high radiation levels at the Russian-held Chernobyl exclusion zone.
The sanctions were announced following frantic discussions in Brussels, after overnight talks between the 27 EU heads of government failed to reach consensus on sanctioning Mr Putin.
Other western allies have hinted at similar moves against the Russian president. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was open to sanctioning the president and his family.
In a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mr Johnson said allies should take “immediate action” on cutting Russia out of global payments system Swift, a prospect that European diplomats said was not off the table but which was played down by Germany and France.
The package of EU sanctions is the second to be approve in the space of three days after a first round hit Putin allies such as Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and the editor-in-chief of TV channel Russia Today.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy urged European leaders to levy tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Ms Baerbock said the planned measures targeting the financial and energy sectors would “ruin Russia”, but that banning Russia from Swift might stop ordinary Russians from sending money to relatives while elites find other ways to transfer funds.
Discussions on this point have been going on for weeks as diplomats prepared a package they hoped would deter Russia from attacking Ukraine at all. The US and UK have signalled support for taking action on Swift but acknowledge there is little they can do unilaterally.
Leaders including the presidents of France and the Czech Republic admitted that Mr Putin had caught them out by launching his assault on Thursday.
Nato was seeking to reassure allies on its eastern flank that it would guarantee their security. The alliance is not intervening in Ukraine because it is not a member state.
At a gathering of Eastern European countries who once lived under the shadow of Russian domination, Polish President Andrzej Duda said the whole of European security order was at stake.
“The countries of our region should understand these words better than anyone else,” he said. “We must not stop at just condemning in a passive way this brutal attack. We have to start acting in a concrete way.”
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
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- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
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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.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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