Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has agreed to stay in the post for a further year beyond the end of his term in October after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine plunged the alliance into crisis.
Mr Stoltenberg had been due to step down after eight years in charge of Nato and become the governor of Norway’s central bank. He announced on Thursday that an extension would see him step down at the end of September 2023.
Mr Stoltenberg, who was leading an emergency Nato summit in Brussels on Thursday, confirmed the third extension to his tenure after initially taking up a four-year post in 2014.
There is no formal selection procedure for the secretary general’s job, with a winner emerging from closed-door consultations between diplomats. Any extension would be agreed by consensus.
The civilian role is traditionally held by a European statesman, with a US general taking Nato’s top military post. Mr Stoltenberg is a former prime minister of Norway.
No clear front-runner had emerged in the race to succeed Mr Stoltenberg, although there was speculation that a candidate from Eastern Europe might be chosen to send a message to Moscow.
Russia's invasion has prompted Mr Stoltenberg to order a rethink of Nato's military posture in the East to deal with a more hostile Russia. It comes as the alliance updates a strategic blueprint that was last revised in 2010.
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
