Doomsday could start with a football ― the so-called nuclear football, as the briefcase carried wherever the US president goes is popularly known.
The rather awkwardly stuffed black bag does not look like much. The only clue to its importance is that it never leaves the hand of a uniformed military aide.
But inside are top-secret codes and plans enabling a president to authorise nuclear strikes from anywhere in the world ― and pick from a sort of menu of targets.
In the White House, the president has his secure Situation Room, where he can order war and communicate with military leaders.
But when President Joe Biden, for example, went to Puerto Rico, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Maryland within the space of a few days this November, he travelled, as he does everywhere, with his “football”.
According to Mr Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening the world with “Armageddon” when he hints at using nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
The US riposte, if it happened, could be launched from the back of the Beast limousine. Or Air Force One. Or a secret bunker.
Or really anywhere the “football” and the president are together.
The public has caught glimpses of the Presidential Emergency Satchel, as it is officially known, ever since one was photographed being carried behind John F Kennedy at his seaside family home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in 1963. Another accompanied Ronald Reagan right into Red Square during his summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1988.
More discreet ― and also bearing a deceptively innocuous nickname ― is the other important element in triggering nuclear war: the “biscuit”.
If the “football” houses the menu of war plans, the “biscuit” contains the codes, known as Gold Codes, by which the president can identify himself and make the order.
About the size of credit cards, one of these is meant to be carried by the president at all times.
Ultra-secret, ultra-secure they may be, but both items have had their share of misadventures.
Bill Clinton was said to have mislaid his “biscuit”, while the one carried by Reagan was inadvertently dumped with his clothing in a plastic hospital bag when he was stripped for surgery after being shot in Washington in 1981.
When Donald Trump's mob of supporters invaded the Capitol on January 6, 2021, vice president Mike Pence had to flee to safety ― along with a military aide holding the backup “football”, which also always accompanies the president's successor.
The chain of command ― legally speaking ― could not be shorter.
“The US president has sole authority to authorise the use of US nuclear weapons,” the Congressional Research Service states.
The president does have to identify himself (with the “biscuit” codes) and he can, and presumably would, discuss options with the top brass.
But even if presidents “seek counsel” from military staff, “those advisers are then required to transmit and implement the orders authorising nuclear use”, the congressional analysis says.
The order would pass through the ranks, down to service members manning the switches in silos or submarines or in the air.
In a memo to Congress last year, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, said that even he is not in the “chain of command” ― only the “chain of communication”.
The president has no big red button to push and whatever he orders still has to filter through several sets of human beings before becoming reality.
US military personnel are required to disobey illegal orders and, as John Hyten, then the commander of the US Strategic Command (Startcom), said in 2017: “We think a lot about these things.”
“If it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal'. And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that complicated.”
In a more extreme situation, the Cabinet could theoretically intervene to strip the president of his powers, by invoking the 25th Amendment.
That hasn't happened, although there were numerous claims that high-level discussions on the subject took place during the chaotic presidency of Donald Trump.
More likely, though, is a far less dire shift in the chain of command for planned medical procedures.
In this way, November 19, 2021 became a historic day, when Mr Biden underwent anaesthesia for a colonoscopy procedure and his vice president, Kamala Harris, became the first US woman to serve as commander in chief ― for 85 minutes the keeper of the “biscuit” and “football”.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
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Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
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Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Key facilities
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
