US President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop attacks on Ukraine.
“Vladimir, stop!” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after Russia pounded the Ukrainian capital with missiles and drones overnight, leaving at least eight people dead. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. Not necessary and very bad timing.”
The comments were a sharp turn from a social media post a day before, when Mr Trump said Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy was derailing peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine by insisting that Russia give up occupied Crimea.
“We're in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired, and I was not happy with it,” Mr Trump later explained.
Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance both assailed Mr Zelenskyy in a meeting in the Oval Office last month, accusing the Ukrainian leader of not being grateful for US support.
On Thursday, Mr Trump met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at the White House. Former Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, who is now Norway's Finance Minister, also attended.
“We're putting a lot of pressure on Russia,” Mr Trump said, adding that it would be “difficult” for Ukraine to get territory in Crimea back.
Earlier, he said he had his “own deadline” for when he believes Ukraine and Russia should come to an agreement to end the war. “We want it to be fast.”
Mr Trump, who took office in January, had campaigned on a promise to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine. As part of his “America first” foreign policy agenda, he also wants to cut US military aid to Ukraine and for European allies to contribute more funds through Nato.
Mr Trump said Moscow was willing to make concessions: "Stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country, pretty big concession."
On Wednesday, he said he may meet Mr Putin after his trip to the Middle East next month. He also said the Russian leader has “a certain respect” for him.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte met Mr Trump on Thursday after meeting Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. Talks were primarily focused on Ukraine and come after efforts to pursue a peace deal fell short in London on Wednesday.
"What I'm seeing here is a United States and a leader in President Trump who was first to break the deadlock. I think when you look at the outcome of the meeting yesterday in London, we can be quite positive on where we are," Mr Rutte told reporters outside the White House.
"So I'm not seeing a situation where the US is walking. I'm seeing a situation that under President Trump's leadership could bring this to a positive end."
He said there was a "total" US commitment to Nato, as well as commitment from alliance members "to speed up the spending in Europe, do more ourselves".
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled attending the talks between US, European and Ukrainian officials after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to accept an American peace plan that involved giving up sovereignty over Crimea, leading to an angry response on social media from Mr Trump.
Mr Trump has consistently used a softer tone when discussing Mr Putin than he has with Mr Zelenskyy, who he has previously called a “dictator”.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said it would be “very unfair” to draw the conclusion that the US has been asking more of Ukraine than it has of Russia in peace talks.
“These are the best diplomats in the world,” Ms Bruce told reporters. “It is about getting the carnage to stop.”
RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Jetour T1 specs
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Joy%20Ride%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adele%20Lim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAshley%20Park%2C%20Sherry%20Cola%2C%20Stephanie%20Hsu%2C%20Sabrina%20Wu%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
