Tension continued to run high as EU leaders butted heads into a second evening over an unprecedented budget and bailout fund to battle the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Leaders from the bloc’s members have been in deadlock for months over how and under what conditions vast sums of money should be given to the 27 EU nations.
The EU executive has proposed a €750 billion (Dh3.147 trillion) fund, partly based on common borrowing, to be sent as loans and grants to the worst-hit countries.
The bailout will supplement a seven-year, €1 trillion EU budget that leaders were fighting over when the coronavirus pandemic swept across the continent.
By the end of the afternoon on Saturday, after a day and a night of negotiating, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said there was still no deal in sight but there was “movement in the right direction”.
The coronavirus and subsequent negotiations on conditions for the bailout have laid bare longstanding divisions in the bloc, principally between frugal northern members and southern nations that have been characterised as more fiscally profligate.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said discussions looked “more complicated than expected.”
In a video statement recorded from Brussels on Saturday, Mr Conte said the second day of talks as having gone through “a phase of stalemate.”
Earlier, Mr Conte struck out at proposals of a veto for member nations over how much recovery money is spent.
Italy, one of the countries which was hit hardest in Europe by the outbreak, has regularly called for a generous bailout without too many strings attached.
Mr Kurz, whose nation along with countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden makes up the fiscally conservative bloc, has said he wants to see a higher proportion of loans and fewer grants in the bailout fund.
The frugal nations also want conditions such as economic reforms attached to EU handouts.
On Saturday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, one of the most intractable leaders among the northern nations, met German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Mr Conte for crisis talks. They were joined by the leader of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and EU Council President Charles Michel.
The progress that has been made emanated from proposals from Mr Michel offering to reduce the proportion of grants and increase the number of loans, an olive branch to the northern nations.
How the funds should be tracked remains to be seen, though Mr Michel has proposed measures that would stop short of a full member veto on handouts.
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
