Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine
The European Union is proposing a ban on coal imports from Russia, opening the door for the first time to sanctions against Moscow's lucrative energy sector over the war in Ukraine.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, will propose a coal embargo as part of a fifth package of sanctions which will need to be approved by the bloc's 27 members.
The package also includes a ban on some Russian shipping and on Russia importing certain high-tech items such as quantum computers and advanced semiconductors.
It comes after the grim discovery of corpses in Bucha, a town occupied and then abandoned by Russian forces, intensified pressure on the EU and other western countries to hit the Kremlin harder.
Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to Nato, said the world was "currently seeing the aftermath of war crimes and atrocities" and said Washington was working to collect evidence including first-hand accounts from Ukrainians.
"In the wake of the horrific images coming out of Bucha we feel even more compelled to take a fresh look at additional forms of assistance," she said.
Calls to cut off Europe's imports of Russian coal, oil and gas have previously run into concerns from some European countries, including Germany, that an embargo would make EU consumers pay rather than Russia.
Supporters of an embargo say Europe is essentially financing Russia's offensive in Ukraine by continuing to buy its fossil fuels, a process which the Kremlin says will eventually require payment in roubles.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reluctant nations on Tuesday that an import ban would stop "new Buchas" and said: "A few months of tightening your belts are worth thousands of saved lives."
Ms von der Leyen is proposing a potential compromise in which coal imports, worth about 4 billion euros ($4.4bn) a year, to be banned as a first step while oil and gas deliveries continue.
Although Russia provides about 45 per cent of the EU's hard coal imports, Europe is less reliant on such deliveries than it is on gas and oil shipments because it produces more coal and lignite within its own borders.
Ms von der Leyen said measures to stop oil imports were also being discussed along with further sanctions on individuals.
The energy-rich US has already stopped fossil fuel imports from Russia, while Britain plans to scrap oil imports this year and reduce what it says are already minimal gas deliveries. Coal deliveries are under review.
The EU's proposed shipping ban would stop Russian vessels from docking at the bloc's ports, but not if they are carrying energy, agricultural or food products or other essential goods.
Along with a proposed ban on Russian and Belarusian road haulage, it will add to restrictions in earlier rounds of sanctions which saw Russian planes banned from most of Europe's airspace.
Russia would also be banned from importing certain high-tech goods and from exporting wood, cement and seafood if the package is signed off by EU leaders.
"Clearly, in view of events, we need to increase our pressure further," Ms von der Leyen said. "Today, we are proposing to take our sanctions a step further. We will make them broader and sharper, so that they cut even deeper in the Russian economy."
Earlier rounds of western sanctions hit Russia's financial sector and prominent individuals in the Kremlin's inner circle, but critics say the fact that Moscow has not called off its invasion mean sanctions have not gone far enough.
The G7 countries - Britain, Germany, France, Italy, the US, Canada and Japan - are expected to hold talks this week on co-ordinating further sanctions amid outrage over the apparent massacre in Bucha.
The UK is urging the club of rich democracies to go after Russian gold and agree a timetable for phasing out all fossil fuel imports, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday.
Nato foreign ministers will also hold talks in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss further support for Ukraine, which Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said might include additional anti-tank weapons.
However, the alliance is unwilling to intervene directly in Ukraine - even to establish a humanitarian zone, said Ms Smith, the US envoy to Nato, in a briefing ahead of that meeting.
She would not be drawn on reports in Czech media that the government in Prague had sent a shipment of T-72 Soviet-era battle tanks to Ukraine, which would go further than the exports of defensive weapons so far.
Mr Stoltenberg said Russia's withdrawal from around Kyiv, which led to the grisly discoveries in Bucha, appeared to herald a renewed attack on the south and east as it tries to secure a land bridge between the Donbas and occupied Crimea.
“This is a crucial phase of the war,” said Mr Stoltenberg, who said the Kremlin had "not given up its ambitions" in Ukraine despite the apparent failure of its assault on the capital.
Nato's 30 countries will be joined at the summit by Ukraine, Finland, Sweden and Georgia, and by Asia-Pacific partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
Ms Smith said the US would look favourably on any Nato membership bid by Finland or Sweden, a possibility being debated in both countries.
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
