• The UAE in June sent a plane carrying 52 tonnes of food supplies for Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria. All photos: Wam
    The UAE in June sent a plane carrying 52 tonnes of food supplies for Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria. All photos: Wam
  • The humanitarian support was part of continuing efforts by Emirati authorities to support displaced Ukrainians affected by the conflict with Russia.
    The humanitarian support was part of continuing efforts by Emirati authorities to support displaced Ukrainians affected by the conflict with Russia.
  • The plane is being loaded with food packets.
    The plane is being loaded with food packets.
  • In March, the UAE announced it would provide relief aid to affected civilians in Ukraine worth $5 million, in response to an urgent appeal by the UN.
    In March, the UAE announced it would provide relief aid to affected civilians in Ukraine worth $5 million, in response to an urgent appeal by the UN.
  • The aid plane was dispatched after talks between Reem Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, and Teodora Genchovska, Bulgaria's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
    The aid plane was dispatched after talks between Reem Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, and Teodora Genchovska, Bulgaria's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

UAE sends plane carrying food supplies for Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria


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The UAE on Thursday sent a plane carrying 52 tonnes of food supplies for Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria.

The humanitarian support is part of continuing efforts by Emirati authorities to support displaced Ukrainians affected by the conflict with Russia.

It is estimated that Bulgaria is hosting more than 90,000 people who fled Ukraine.

The aid plane was dispatched after talks between Reem Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, and Teodora Genchovska, Bulgaria's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

During the talks, Mr Genchovska spoke about bilateral relations and the UAE's efforts to provide relief to Ukrainian refugees.

Sultan Al Kaitoob, UAE's ambassador to Bulgaria, said the Emirates was keen to “actively participate in humanitarian relief efforts in light of the leadership’s directives to provide support and assistance to Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries”.

He also said the UAE government and its people are always ready to stand by other countries during crises.

On June 18, the UAE sent more than 27 tonnes of food and medical supplies to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Before that, the Emirates sent six planes to Poland and Moldova, carrying more than 156 tonnes of food and medical supplies.

In March, the UAE announced it would provide relief aid to affected civilians in Ukraine worth $5 million, in response to an urgent appeal by the UN.

Ukraine conflict — in pictures

  • Ukrainian servicemen in a shelter at the frontline near Kharkiv. AP
    Ukrainian servicemen in a shelter at the frontline near Kharkiv. AP
  • A Ukrainian and his puppy in the Donetsk region. AP
    A Ukrainian and his puppy in the Donetsk region. AP
  • Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, third left, is shown apartment buildings damaged by Russian shelling during his visit to Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP
    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, third left, is shown apartment buildings damaged by Russian shelling during his visit to Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP
  • Rescue specialists work at the site of a destroyed residential building after blasts in Belgorod, Russia. Reuters
    Rescue specialists work at the site of a destroyed residential building after blasts in Belgorod, Russia. Reuters
  • A woman lays flowers during a demonstration against the invasion of Ukraine in front of the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland. EPA
    A woman lays flowers during a demonstration against the invasion of Ukraine in front of the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland. EPA
  • A woman injured when her house was damaged by the Russian shelling sits in the yard of her house, in Bakhmut, Ukraine. AP
    A woman injured when her house was damaged by the Russian shelling sits in the yard of her house, in Bakhmut, Ukraine. AP
  • Local residents stand next to a damaged residential building in the town of Serhiivka, about 50 kilometres south-west of Odesa, Ukraine. AP
    Local residents stand next to a damaged residential building in the town of Serhiivka, about 50 kilometres south-west of Odesa, Ukraine. AP
  • Viktor Shevchenko stands in a crater to show its depth after a Russian shelling in the Saltivka district in Kharkiv. AP
    Viktor Shevchenko stands in a crater to show its depth after a Russian shelling in the Saltivka district in Kharkiv. AP
  • An image taken from a video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office purports to show the moment a missile struck the shopping mall in Kremenchuk. AP
    An image taken from a video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office purports to show the moment a missile struck the shopping mall in Kremenchuk. AP
  • People watch as smoke rises after a Russian missile strike hit a crowded shopping mall, in Kremenchuk. AP
    People watch as smoke rises after a Russian missile strike hit a crowded shopping mall, in Kremenchuk. AP
  • Firefighters clean the rubble of the destroyed Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk. EPA
    Firefighters clean the rubble of the destroyed Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk. EPA
  • A woman cries after the body of her husband, who was killed in the yard of an apartment building during shelling, was loaded into an ambulance in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP
    A woman cries after the body of her husband, who was killed in the yard of an apartment building during shelling, was loaded into an ambulance in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP
  • Firefighters and rescue workers at the destroyed Amstor shopping mall. EPA
    Firefighters and rescue workers at the destroyed Amstor shopping mall. EPA
  • Rescuers work at the site of a shopping mall hit by a Russian missile strike, in Kremenchuk. Reuters
    Rescuers work at the site of a shopping mall hit by a Russian missile strike, in Kremenchuk. Reuters
  • A couple wounded by a Russian missile strike hold hands in a hospital, in Kremenchuk. Reuters
    A couple wounded by a Russian missile strike hold hands in a hospital, in Kremenchuk. Reuters
  • People wait to receive humanitarian aid in front of a residential building damaged during a Russian attack in Borodyanka, Ukraine. EPA
    People wait to receive humanitarian aid in front of a residential building damaged during a Russian attack in Borodyanka, Ukraine. EPA
  • Ukrainian servicemen take a bus to their positions near Severodonetsk, in Luhansk area. EPA
    Ukrainian servicemen take a bus to their positions near Severodonetsk, in Luhansk area. EPA
  • A Ukrainian service member and a dog in the industrial area of the city of Severodonetsk. Reuters
    A Ukrainian service member and a dog in the industrial area of the city of Severodonetsk. Reuters
  • A couple sits in front of a residential building that was damaged during a Russian attack, in Borodyanka. EPA
    A couple sits in front of a residential building that was damaged during a Russian attack, in Borodyanka. EPA
  • Local residents receive humanitarian aid in Borodyanka. EPA
    Local residents receive humanitarian aid in Borodyanka. EPA
  • A Ukrainian armed forces tank in Severodonetsk. Reuters
    A Ukrainian armed forces tank in Severodonetsk. Reuters
  • Ukrainian service members walk past a damaged car in Severodonetsk. Reuters
    Ukrainian service members walk past a damaged car in Severodonetsk. Reuters
  • A giant Ukrainian flag is held up during the benefit concert 'Embrace Ukraine' on the Museumplein in Amsterdam. The free event will raise money for victims of the war in Ukraine and the purchase of mobile X-ray equipment that the country needs. EPA
    A giant Ukrainian flag is held up during the benefit concert 'Embrace Ukraine' on the Museumplein in Amsterdam. The free event will raise money for victims of the war in Ukraine and the purchase of mobile X-ray equipment that the country needs. EPA
  • A fire from a gas processing plant continues to burn behind a field of wheat after it was hit by shelling a few days earlier in Andriivka, in the Kharkiv region. Reuters
    A fire from a gas processing plant continues to burn behind a field of wheat after it was hit by shelling a few days earlier in Andriivka, in the Kharkiv region. Reuters
  • An onlooker takes in the damage from overnight shelling on Kharkiv's Housing and Communal College. Reuters
    An onlooker takes in the damage from overnight shelling on Kharkiv's Housing and Communal College. Reuters
  • A destroyed tank in the village of Novoselivka, outside Chernigiv. AFP
    A destroyed tank in the village of Novoselivka, outside Chernigiv. AFP
  • A man decorates a toy cabin for children made from used ammunition crates in the village of Novoselivka, outside Chernigiv. AFP
    A man decorates a toy cabin for children made from used ammunition crates in the village of Novoselivka, outside Chernigiv. AFP
  • An internal view of the Housing and Communal College building damaged by recent shelling in Kharkiv. EPA
    An internal view of the Housing and Communal College building damaged by recent shelling in Kharkiv. EPA
The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm

Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)

On sale: Now

Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)

Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City

Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.

For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae

 

What is a black hole?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Mobile phone packages comparison
Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

Chatham House Rule

A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding,  was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”. 

 

The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.  

 

The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events. 

 

Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.  

 

That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.  

 

This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.  

 

These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.  

 

Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.   

 
Updated: June 30, 2022, 8:38 AM