President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire”, expressing renewed frustration as Moscow continues to pummel Ukraine while all dragging out US efforts to secure a ceasefire deal.
It was the second time since Sunday that Mr Trump was critical of Mr Putin, a marked change in tone to his normally more diplomatic and deferential approach as he tries to broker an end to a war that began more than three years ago.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realise is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean really bad,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform
Russia recently conducted some of the biggest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine since Moscow's invasion of the country in early 2022.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who is now a top security official for Mr Putin, responded to Mr Trump's comments by invoking the risk of nuclear war.
"Regarding Trump's words about Putin 'playing with fire' and 'really bad things' happening to Russia. I only know of one really bad thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this," Mr Medvedev posted on X.
On Sunday, Mr Trump called Mr Putin “crazy” after an earlier series of intense attacks on Ukraine. He said he would “absolutely” consider additional sanctions on Russia.
“I don't know what's wrong with him,” he said. “What the hell happened to him, right? He's killing a lot of people and I'm not happy with that.”
Mr Trump took office in January promising to swiftly end the war in Ukraine.
The latest intensified Russia attacks threaten to set back US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire mediated by the Vatican. In March, Kyiv accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US, which Russia rejected.
Mr Trump has previously resisted calls by Senate Republicans and European leaders to put more pressure on Russia to end the war, although he did say in March that he was “strongly considering” sanctions against Moscow after a strong Russian counter-offensive.
Senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of Mr Trump, said in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published on Tuesday that he has co-ordinated with the White House on a bill that would put Russia on a “trade island”.
“If Mr Putin continues to play games, the Senate will act,” Mr Graham said. “I’m hoping for the best but when it comes to the thug in Moscow, we should all prepare for more of the same.”
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Mr Trump has several options if he chooses to punish Russia.
"There are many different things that the President has at his disposal to make sure that our position is felt and that that can be used to make an impact to stop this carnage," Ms Bruce told reporters.
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Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Jetour T1 specs
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
