Nato heads of state meeting in The Hague on Wednesday are expected to endorse a five per cent defence spending goal but a Spanish refusal has inspired others to push back in a domino effect that threatens to derail the summit.
It will be a difficult goal to reach for most yet allies are keen to please US President Donald Trump, who has long railed against European and Canadian reliance on US defence and cast doubt on his commitment to the alliance.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was unconcerned about Spain’s refusal possibly torpedoing the summit, despite Mr Trump previously heaping criticism on Spain.
“I’m not worried about that,” Mr Rutte said as he arrived at the summit. “Countries have to find the money. It’s not easy.”
His comments came after Mr Trump published on social media a graphic titled “Spain threatens to derail Nato summit,” alongside which he wrote: “The United States is at almost $1 trillion Dollars – this is incredible! Will be discussing it soon with Members of Nato.” Aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump told reporters that Spain’s refusal was “very unfair”.
Allies are expected to adopt more flexible language in their summit declaration to accommodate Spain. The final communique is set to only be one page long as allies hope to convince Mr Trump, who is known to dislike long negotiations, to soften his tone towards the alliance. “Each country has its own concerns how to reach those targets but we’ll easily be fitting those in,” said Finland’s Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen.
But Spain’s request for an exemption has appeared to inspire a knock-on effect, with the Belgian government agreeing on Wednesday to 2.5 per cent of its GDP on defence by 2034 – falling short of Nato’s new goals.
As he arrived at the summit, Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart de Wever said there was “no opt out clause” and that achieving the 3.5 per cent of GDP goal was a “matter of interpretation”.
If Spain can do it by spending less money, then others should follow suit, Mr de Wever argued. “We’ll certainly also try to achieve our capability targets and if possible spend less than 3.5 per cent of our GDP,” he said.
Ahead of the summit, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxim Prevot had said that Belgium was asking for “maximum flexibility”.
Close to one third of Nato allies have yet to reach a 2 per cent goal set a decade ago. Only three countries – Lithuania, Latvia and Poland – spend more than 3.5 per cent on weaponry. Canada is among those unlikely to hit that figure. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that his country would reach the 2 per cent spending target by 2030. In stark contrast, Germany said it would reach 3.5 per cent by 2029, six years before the deadline.
Further comments made on Air Force One casting doubt on Mr Trump’s interpretation of Article 5 – an attack on one ally is the same as an attack on all – have also heightened anxiety among European state leaders gathered in The Hague, particularly those bordering Russia.
Yet officials were also keen to smooth things over to avoid clashing with Mr Trump. Ms Valtonen, who pointed at the fact that the only time Article 5 was activated was after the September 11, 2001 attacks against the US, said: “I’m certain President Trump is 100 per cent behind it.”
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos – a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as ‘the pride of victory’ – and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels – sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim – chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street – the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth’s unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet’s topsoil
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
match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7′, 44′, 74′)
Sheffield United 0
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
Pharaoh’s curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was… 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth… $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was… $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at… $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be… $269bn
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
