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Ukraine: What are Russia’s possible attack routes?

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Moscow insists it is not planning to invade Ukraine, but the US says Russia could attack “at any time”. On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We think they have a huge preparation ready to go. “Everybody can see what the potential routes in are.” Military analysts agree that with about 150,000 troops near the Ukraine border, Russia has a range of options, should it decide to strike. The Belarus option If Russia’s goal is full regime change in Ukraine, an assault from the north is highly possible, according to Michael Kofman, of the US-based CNA research organisation. Russia

Kamila Valieva: Anger and sympathy as 15-year-old breaks down at Winter Olympics

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In the end it became one of the most uncomfortable, unpleasant moments of sport in recent memory. After a week of outrage following a failed drugs test, 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva left the ice in tears as her controversial Olympics came to a distressing conclusion. “It should never have happened,” said former Olympic champion Robin Cousins, who himself was overcome by emotion during his commentary. Elsewhere, there was anger and sympathy as Valieva’s Games came to an end… Who is Valieva? Valieva came into the Beijing Games as the biggest star in a highly-rated Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) squad.

Winter Olympics: Men’s curling team guarantee Great Britain silver medal at least

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Great Britain have their first medal of the Winter Olympics after the men’s curling team defeated the United States 8-4 in a nail-biting semi-final to guarantee at least silver. Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan stole one in the penultimate end and held out. The Scottish quartet will play Sweden for gold at 06:05 GMT on Saturday. Thirteen days in, it ends concerns the British team might finish without a medal for the first time since 1992. Eve Muirhead’s women’s side will have the chance to replicate the men’s achievement when they play Sweden at 12:05 on

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee music released by British-Israeli composer

Pieces of music specially commissioned for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee have been released by their composer in Israel. Loretta Kay-Feld says she was privately contacted by a member of the Royal Family “close to the Queen” with what was a personal request. Mrs Kay-Feld, an accomplished composer, author and lyricist, says it was “a great privilege and a great honour”. Sunday marks 70 years since the Queen acceded to the throne. She succeeded her father King George VI upon his death in 1952, and was crowned Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. The Queen is the first British monarch to

Saudi-backed Iran spies found guilty in Denmark

A Danish court has found three members of an Iranian opposition group guilty of spying for Saudi Arabia. The three men were detained by police in February 2020 and are members of the Saudi-backed Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA). They were also found guilty of “promoting terrorism” by supporting its armed wing in Iran. They face sentencing next month, with possible prison terms of up to 12 years and deportation. During a lengthy trial at Denmark’s Roskilde District Court, the jury heard that between 2012 and 2020 the three men had passed information on a variety

As Mideast wars encroach on UAE, US gets drawn in

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The wars of the wider Middle East that long surrounded the United Arab Emirates now have encroached into daily life in this U.S.-allied nation, threatening to draw America further into a region inflamed by tensions with Iran. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched missile and drone attacks since January targeting the Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms home to oil-rich Abu Dhabi and the skyscrapers and beaches of Dubai. American forces at Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, home to some 2,000 U.S. troops, twice have opened fire with their own Patriot missiles to help

Ukraine latest updates: US troops arrive in Germany

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Ukraine news from February 4: Troops deployed to reinforce Washington’s NATO allies arrive in Wiesbaden, US military says. The first US troops deployed to Europe to reinforce Washington’s NATO allies have arrived in Germany, the US military’s European Command has said. Meanwhile, China put on a united front with Russia on Friday as the Ukraine crisis escalates, with President Xi Jinping joining Vladimir Putin in opposing further NATO expansion. In a joint statement issued on Friday after the Russian president met Xi in Beijing, the two powers called on NATO to “abandon the ideological approaches of the Cold War”. The United States and its

EuroMillions: UK player wins £109.9m jackpot

A UK ticket-holder has won a £109.9m EuroMillions jackpot. The winning numbers were 3, 25, 38, 43, 49 and the lucky star numbers were 3 and 7. A UK player matched all seven numbers to scoop the top prize and lottery firm Camelot is urging players to check their tickets to see if they have won. While it is a huge sum of money, the win is not in the top five highest UK winners, with a British record of £170m claimed in October 2019. Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at The National Lottery, said: “What an amazing night for

Iceland whaling: Fisheries minister signals end from 2024

Commercial whaling in Iceland could be banned within two years, after a government minister said there was little justification for the practice. The northern European country, an island in the North Atlantic, is one of few places to allow whale hunting. But demand for the mammals’ meat has decreased dramatically since Japan – Iceland’s main market – resumed commercial whaling in 2019. Iceland’s fisheries minister says whaling is no longer profitable. “Why should Iceland take the risk of keeping up whaling, which has not brought any economic gain, in order to sell a product for which there is hardly any

World War Two: Nazi guard’s son finds propaganda in loft

“What do you expect in a loft? Some ancient Christmas decorations, maybe an obsolete computer… but definitely not Nazi propaganda posters.” Yet that’s what faced Craig Lambert from Barry, when he had to clear out his father’s attic after his death in 2019. Between 1951 and 1955 Royal Welsh Fusiliers Sargent-Major Colin Lambert was detailed to guard Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, during his life-long sentence at Spandau Prison in Berlin. Some of the artefacts with which he returned from Germany would remain a secret until his death. Dating from 1942, they include scenes justifying the London Blitz, and others extolling

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