Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang are among representatives of 40 countries who will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in New Delhi starting on Thursday.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Australia's Penny Wong are among those scheduled to attend the forum.
The two-day meeting in New Delhi will take place in the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and spiralling US-China tensions over the spy balloon incident.
India assumed the G20 presidency in December last year. The foreign ministers' get-together is one of the first high-profile meetings of the forum.
While the summit is expected to focus on global challenges such as rising food and energy prices, growing debt, and poor economic recovery after the pandemic, some experts believe the Russia-Ukraine crisis will dominate talks.
“The foreign ministers would focus on the ongoing situation between Russia and Ukraine but also on the impact of that conflict on the rest of the world, Vinay Kwatra, India's foreign secretary, said on Wednesday. “Particularly the economic impact, the development impact and the challenges that developing countries are facing because of the conflict.”
China has called for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia and the opening of peace talks in a 12-point proposal.
The US and its western allies have been trying to isolate Moscow through economic sanctions and diplomatic manoeuvres.
Mr Lavrov reached New Delhi late on Tuesday.
Mr Blinken is expected to arrive early on Thursday after brief stopovers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, former Soviet states and close friends of Moscow.
He is expected to hold talks with India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The US state department said earlier that it would focus on strengthening multilateralism and deepening co-operation on food and energy security, global health, humanitarian assistance and other issues.
Mr Lavrov will also meet Mr Jaishankar individually and exchange assessments on topical international issues, the situation in Ukraine, the state of affairs in Afghanistan, and the creation of a security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Mr Qin's meeting with Mr Jaishankar will take place against the background of a simmering border dispute between New Delhi and Beijing.
No Japan
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is unlikely to travel to India because of a “scheduling conflict” with an impending parliament session.
Last week, he called for global efforts at the UN to force Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.
The second day of the meeting will be divided into two sessions.
The first will focus on the themes of Strengthening Multilateralism and Need for Reforms, Food and Energy Security and Development Co-operation.
The second will focus on Counter-Terrorism: New and Emerging threats, Global Skill Mapping and Talent Pool, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Brief scores:
Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)
England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)
Result: Scotland won by six runs
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
