Britain's new leader has fired her widely respected national security adviser, replacing him with a Foreign Office official who was former ambassador to Kyiv and Moscow.
Prime Minister Liz Truss took the unusual and potentially destabilising step of ousting the key person behind the UK’s major defence decisions by replacing Sir Stephen Lovegrove with her former Foreign Office colleague Sir Tim Barrow.
Sir Stephen was widely praised for his handling of the Ukraine crisis and is understood to have urged former prime minister Boris Johnson to arm Kyiv with NLAW anti-tank weapons last year, which proved vital in holding back the Russian invasion.
But Sir Tim worked closely with Ms Truss at the Foreign Office as political director, with experience across various foreign and national security policy issues including the subsequent diplomatic moves against Moscow.
“Sir Tim brings a huge wealth of experience safeguarding the interests and security of the British people around the world,” said Ms Truss. “This includes working on the UK’s response to Mr Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
She thanked Sir Stephen stating that his focus would now be on Britain’s “thriving nuclear defence industry”.
Sir Stephen, a former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence, was seen as one of the chief protagonists behind arming Ukraine in the months leading up to the February 24 invasion.
He also drove the defence agreement with American and Australia, the other members of the Aukus alliance, but has now been demoted to the Prime Minister’s Defence Industrial Adviser, a job that will last until the end of this year Downing Street confirmed.
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case thanked Sir Stephen for his “remarkable leadership” since taking over the role in March 2021 leading the national security response “during a hugely significant period”.
Two new ministers of state were also announced at the Foreign Office with the expectation that the government will reinstate the Middle East minister that was axed last February only days before the Russians invaded Ukraine, which led to soaring world energy prices.
Foreign Office sources said once the full ministerial positions had been appointed the department would be able to confirm whether it has reinstated a minister for the Middle East.
Leo Docherty, a former Scots Guards officer who has good knowledge of the Gulf region, was one of the ministers and Jess Norman the other.
Mr Norman, 60, on Old Etonian, has had a steady political career with ministerial positions in transport and the Treasury.
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
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- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
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About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Price, base: Dh1,731,672
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
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Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
