Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a fifth term on Tuesday, offering closer ties with “the world's majority” after the West largely boycotted his inauguration.
Mr Putin, 71, took the oath of office at the Kremlin after winning an election that no serious challenger was allowed to enter.
His new six-year term is set to prolong the Putin era until at least 2030 after he had Russia's constitution changed to bypass term limits.
Since ordering the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he has defied sanctions and international pressure by tightening his grip on power and presiding over a growing war economy.
On the eve of his inauguration, he ordered troops stationed near Ukraine to hold tactical nuclear weapons drills in a show of force to the West.
In a short speech on Tuesday, Mr Putin said dialogue with the West remains possible but “only on equal terms, respecting each other’s interests”.
He said Moscow is open to developing relations with other countries he described as “the world's majority”.
Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony – in pictures
Russia's government was dissolved as part of the formalities, giving Mr Putin the option of a Kremlin reshuffle.
Russians “have confirmed the correctness of the country’s course. This is of great importance right now, when we are facing serious challenges,” he told assembled officials and dignitaries.
“We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacles, we will bring to life everything we have planned. Together we will be victorious.”
Many western countries avoided Tuesday's ceremony, after describing the election as a sham and condemning balloting in occupied Ukrainian territory. France sent an ambassador.
“We certainly did not consider that election free and fair,” said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
He accused Russia of “reckless and irresponsible” rhetoric on nuclear weapons but said there was no indication it planned to use them in Ukraine.
In Germany, which also boycotted the inauguration, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was “important to make clear that nuclear weapons must not be used in this war”.
Moscow said the nuclear drills were a response to hints by French President Emmanuel Macron and others that the West could deploy ground troops to Ukraine.
The Kremlin's troops have gone back on the offensive in recent months after a much-anticipated Ukrainian counterattack failed to knock out Russia's defences.
Mr Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged Russian war crimes since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine said Tuesday's ceremony gave an “illusion of legality” to the “nearly lifelong stay in power of a person who has turned the Russian Federation into an aggressor state”.
Mr Putin, a former Soviet intelligence agent, succeeded former president Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999.
After hitting a limit of two consecutive terms he switched to the prime minister's office in 2008 before returning as president in 2012.
Since then he has had his term-limit slate wiped clean to allow for two more terms that could in theory keep him in power until 2036.
His best-known opponent, Alexey Navalny, died in an Arctic prison in February and other prominent critics are in jail or have fled abroad.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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
