Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday every indication shows Russia is now planning to invade Ukraine, including signs Moscow is carrying out a "false flag operation" to justify it, after Ukrainian forces and pro-Moscow rebels traded fire.
Mr Biden's remarks came shortly after Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists exchanged fire across the front line, in what western officials described as a possible pretext created by Moscow to invade.
"We have reason to believe they are engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in. Every indication we have is they’re prepared to go into Ukraine and attack Ukraine," Mr Biden told reporters as he departed the White House.
A false flag operation is one in which an attack is staged or falsely attributed to a military force or foreign power and then used as a pretext for war.
Moscow, for its part, ejected the number two official from the US embassy last week and released a strongly worded letter to the US accusing it of ignoring its security demands.
Meanwhile at the UN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken squared off against Russian diplomats at the Security Council. He said the US still sought a diplomatic resolution but was set to impose "severe measures" if Russia invades.
Speaking in New York, Mr Blinken explained how Russia may "manufacture a pretext" for invading Ukraine, adding that such a false flag operation may be "unfolding right now" in the tense border area.
It could be a "fabricated so-called terrorist bomb" attack on Russia, a mass grave discovery, a staged drone or chemical weapons strike, followed by Russian officials "theatrically" holding emergency talks and alleging "ethnic cleansing or a genocide" against the Russian-speaking population, Mr Blinken said.
He invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to meet him in Europe next week to address Russian security concerns, and called for talks with Europeans and Nato to avert the crisis.
"The Russian government can announce today with no qualification, equivocation or deflection, that Russia will not invade Ukraine — stated clearly, stated plainly to the world and then demonstrated by sending your troops, your tanks, your planes back to their barracks and hangers and sending your diplomats to the negotiating table," Mr Blinken said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said Mr Blinken's military scenarios were regrettable and dangerous and said some Russian soldiers were already returning to home bases.
He blamed tension in eastern Ukraine on the "intense stepping up of drills of Nato, including alarmist propaganda that we cannot ignore" and accused Kiev of failing to deliver on a 2014 peace agreement.
Yasar Halit Cevik, the chief monitor for an Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe mission to eastern Ukraine, described about 500 explosions overnight on Wednesday along the front line but said they had slowed and “may seem to be easing”.
The UN's political chief Rosemary DiCarlo said tension was "running higher" in Ukraine than at any point since the last Russian incursion into the country in 2014 and called the deepening crisis "extremely dangerous".
She called for "maximum restraint" amid fresh shelling incidents in Eastern Ukraine.
"If verified, these must not be allowed to escalate further," Ms DiCarlo said.
"Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders must be respected."
Lana Nusseibeh, the UN ambassador for the UAE, which holds a two-year seat on the council, called for "constructive dialogue" to stop tension escalating into a full-blown confrontation.
Before the council meeting, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said Russia was still moving towards an “imminent invasion” after amassing about 150,000 troops, tanks and other hardware along its frontier, in Moscow-friendly Belarus and Crimea.
Russia seeks assurances that Ukraine will never join Nato, among other guarantees. It has repeatedly denied planning to invade its neighbour, saying troop movements are routine and claiming to have pulled some forces back, while accusing western critics of “hysteria”.
The UN talks were planned before the current crisis and focused on the Minsk agreements on the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, where Moscow-aligned secessionists have been battling Ukrainian government forces since 2014.
“Our goal is to convey the gravity of the situation,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said.
“The evidence on the ground is that Russia is moving towards an imminent invasion. This is a crucial moment.”
Mr Blinken was set to attend a security conference in Munich this week, but detoured through New York to “emphasise the path towards de-escalation and to make it clear to the world that we are doing everything we can to prevent war”, added Ms Thomas-Greenfield.
The 15-nation council met against a backdrop of conflicting messages on Ukraine.
Moscow claims it is pulling back troops from its borderlands, while Washington said it is building up its readiness for combat.
Late on Thursday, the US Senate voted overwhelmingly for a resolution to show unwavering support for an independent Ukraine and “condemn” Russian military aggression toward its neighbour.
Agencies contributed to this report
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6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
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8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
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10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
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10pm: Chasing Dreams
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
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Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HWJN
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
