UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.
Mr Guterres laid out his aims for the talks to Mr Lavrov before the meeting started.
He told Mr Lavrov the UN is “extremely interested in finding ways to create the conditions for effective dialogue, create the conditions for a ceasefire as soon as possible, and create the conditions for a peaceful solution".
Mr Lavrov said the situation in Ukraine has “become a catalyst for a great number of problems” which had built up over the decades in the European and Atlantic regions.
At a joint press conference after the talks, Mr Lavrov reiterated his government’s accusations that the administration in Ukraine was trying to ban the Russian culture and language, and had been promoting Nazi ideology through it laws.
The claims have been dismissed by analysts.
Mr Lavrov poured cold water on Kyiv's proposal to hold peace talks in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, and said it was too early to talk about who would mediate any negotiations.
He said Russia was committed to a diplomatic solution in talks on Ukraine, but said it was “depressing” the way the Kyiv delegation and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were behaving.
Mr Lavrov said Moscow was ready to co-operate with the UN to help civilians in Ukraine.
“Our goals are primarily to protect the civilian population and here we are ready to co-operate with our colleagues from the UN to alleviate the plight of the civilian population,” Mr Lavrov said.
Mr Guterres told reporters at the press conference that their discussion on the Ukraine crisis had been “very frank”.
He said he was concerned by reports that humans rights violations and war crimes may have been committed in Ukraine, and said the battle for the Donbas had brought “tremendous death and destruction” to eastern Ukraine.
He said effective humanitarian corridors were urgently needed to move civilians out of under-fire areas and called for a ceasefire.
Mr Guterres said the UN stands ready to move civilians tout of the besieged city of Mariupol.
“The sooner peace is established the better for the sake of Ukraine, Russia and for the world,” he said.
The UN chief acknowledged differences in opinions in Kyiv and Moscow, but pointed out that there are Russian tanks in Ukraine but no Ukrainian tanks in Russia.
He also said it was clear that Russia had “many grievances” with the UN.
“There is one thing that is true and obvious and that no argument can change: we have not Ukrainian troops in the territory of the Russian Federation but we have Russian troops in the territory of the Ukrainian Federation.”
Mr Lavrov said: “That is true, I confirm that.”
Germany on Tuesday did a U-turn on its approach to heavy weapons for Ukraine and announced it would send military vehicles.
Following domestic and international criticism, Berlin authorised the shipment of about 50 anti-aircraft missile carriers in response to appeals from Kyiv.
The shift came as Nato and EU defence ministers gathered in Germany to discuss further military assistance for the former Soviet nation.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin opened the meeting by declaring that ministers collectively believed Ukraine could win the war.
Before his meeting with Mr Guterres in Moscow, Mr Lavrov told his guest that he wanted to speak about the need for multilateralism and the work of the UN.
Mr Lavrov accused the West of neglecting the principles of multilateralism.
“These principles of true multilateralism have, for a number of years, been flouted by the West that has undertook the tactics of instilling into the world arena the unilateral world order for it to stay for good,” he said through a translator.
Mr Guterres responded by describing himself as a “very committed multilateralist based on the values of the UN Charter and international law”.
He said despite the UN and Moscow having different perspectives on the war in Ukraine, both sides could work together to minimise the suffering of the people there.
“I know that we have … different interpretations about what's happening in Ukraine,” he said during his first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.
“That does not limit the possibility to have a very serious dialogue on how best we can work to minimise the suffering of people.”
The UN chief said he was also eager to find ways to reduce the impact of the conflict on other parts of the world.
He said that many countries faced “dramatic impacts of the war” efforts were needed to shield them from knock-on effects in areas such as food security, energy and finance.
He stressed his commitment “to do everything possible to end the war as soon as possible".
Mr Guterres will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks later on Tuesday.
He will travel to Kyiv after his talks in Moscow have concluded.
Mr Zelenskyy criticised his decision to go to Russia before Ukraine, arguing there was “no justice and no logic” in it.
He said it was “simply wrong” for the UN secretary general to hold talks with Russian officials before meeting the Ukrainians.
Mr Guterres has accused the Russian government of violating the UN Charter by sending troops into Ukraine, and has repeatedly demanded a ceasefire.
Mr Lavrov on Monday said there was a realistic chance of a third world war breaking out because of the violence in Ukraine.
“The danger is serious, it is real, you can't underestimate it,” he told the Interfax news agency.
However, he said he felt confident that a ceasefire could be achieved between Moscow and Kyiv.
James Heappey, Britain’s armed forces minister, dismissed Mr Lavrov’s comments as bravado.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Match info
UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
