Russia on Friday vowed to retaliate if western countries seized $300 billion of Russian assets frozen because of the war in Ukraine.
G7 countries are expected to discuss options in February as Ukraine calls for frozen central bank funds to be put towards the country's reconstruction when the war ends.
Russia has drawn up a list of western assets it could seize in a retaliatory move and said any move to confiscate its funds would amount to "theft".
"It will be a significant blow to the main parameters of the international economy, it will undermine the international economy," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"It will undermine the confidence of other countries in the United States, as well as the EU, as economic guarantors. Therefore, such actions are fraught with very, very serious consequences."
About $300 billion of Russian central bank assets are frozen under western sanctions, meaning Moscow cannot use the money to fund its war effort.
The EU said last year that it froze another €19 billion ($21 million) belonging to Russian oligarchs as part of a suite of sanctions meant to increase the pressure on Moscow's elites.
Although several western governments have expressed interest in diverting Russian money to Ukraine, legal and practical questions mean little has been done.
Amid concerns that a seizure would damage the EU's reputation, officials have developed plans that would only address the interest gained on idling Russian assets, rather than the underlying amount.
Belgium, where many Russian assets are held in clearing houses, said it planned to invest about €1.7 billion in Ukraine next year after drawing on the tax revenue from those assets.
But leaked plans for February's G7 meeting show new legal theories will be put forward on confiscating the Russian central bank's assets, which are mostly held in euros, with some funds in US dollars and British pounds.
The cost of Ukraine's reconstruction has been estimated at more than $400 billion by the World Bank. Kyiv is urging the US and EU to confiscate Russian sovereign funds and the private wealth of oligarchs.
The assets could also be used as a bargaining chip to force Russia to pay compensation for its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's veto power on the UN Security Council means there is essentially no chance of the world body authorising compensation, as it did after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
AIR
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MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
