A bill that would allow the government to seize Russian cash frozen in UK bank accounts and use it to rebuild war-torn Ukraine has been blocked from progressing through the House of Commons.
Labour MP Chris Bryant sponsored the proposals, but they were denied a second reading in the Commons.
The Seizure of Russian State Assets and Support for Ukraine Bill was aimed at ensuring that Russian assets in the UK, currently frozen as the war in Ukraine continues, were used to support the country.
The private member’s bill would give ministers a 60-day deadline to come up with plans for seizing the cash to support Ukraine.
But the government frontbench objected to it, and MPs will now be unlikely to debate it again before the current session of parliament ends in the autumn.
Labour former minister Mr Chris had urged the government not to block his bill as the Commons Friday sitting aimed at debating backbenchers’ lawmaking proposals began.
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The Rhondda MP told the Commons: “As I understand it, the government is toying — but hasn’t perhaps made a final decision on this — with objecting. If a single person objects, then it doesn’t go forward for its second reading today.
“I gather that the government’s briefing to the press overnight says that the reason that they might object is because it is not suitable for such a measure to be introduced in a private member’s bill, even though it has cross-party support from lots of Conservative members and chairs of two prominent select committees, both of whom are Conservatives.”
Deputy Commons speaker Rosie Winterton confirmed the bill was “orderly” and added: “It is not appropriate for me to offer a view about whether a private member’s bill is an appropriate vehicle for his objectives — that is a matter for the House.
“But I can confirm that such bills have been used for a variety of purposes as he describes and obviously we will wait to see what happens later.”
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When the government did later object to allowing the bill to progress for further scrutiny, Mr Bryant said he was “genuinely astounded” and furious with ministers.
After claiming he would “continue to press this”, he claimed the government would “end up introducing something very similar, very soon”.
The Rhondda MP’s comments raised the heckles of Tory grandee Christopher Chope, who said: “I don’t think I have ever heard such an inappropriate comment from a senior member of this House.
“He knows jolly well what the rules are. He only printed his bill on Thursday. There is no explanatory notes in relation to it, and he is expecting his bill to be able to take priority over all the other bills just because he thinks a lot of himself and he thinks he has got a good cause.
“Lots of us have got good causes but we don’t argue the toss with the rules.”
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Ministers have previously insisted that seizing frozen Russian assets would be difficult to enact.
A cross-party group of MPs urged the government to adopt its proposals to repurpose cash from Russian oligarchs while debating the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill in January.
At the time, security minister Tom Tugendhat stressed he had had “long conversations” with representatives from other western governments about seizing the Russian cash, but no country had yet come up with a legally sound solution for how to claim it.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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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
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
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1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
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3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
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- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
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Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
