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U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield claims Vladimir Putin’s actions pose “a clear threat to international peace and security” but Russian officials accused the U.S. of “baseless allegations and assumptions.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon has warned that enough units to “invade the whole of Ukraine” are massed on the Ukraine-Russian border as tensions show no sign of calming. U. S. and Ukraine turn to U. N. in an attempt to further deter a Russian invasion Russia accuses the U....

Last month, Ukrainian troops regained control of settlements in Donetsk and have continued to fend off Russian attacks despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deadline for taking more ground in the area. Even after Putin added soldiers and received support from Belarus and Iran, Ukrainian forces continue to regain territory. One such area is Kherson. According to a report last week from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian authorities seem to be laying the groundwork to justify a planned retreat from Ukraine’s southern region of Kherson after several losses in the area....

The “C” rating by Fitch Ratings sends a signal to investors that Russia might soon be unable to pay its debts, the Washington Post reported. Two other global credit agencies, Moody’s and S&P Global, have taken similar action in recent days. The downgrade came as a swath of Western sanctions chip away at the nation’s economy. The economic measures have caused the value of the Russian ruble to plummet, which will boost the cost of imported goods when inflation was already high, the Associated Press reported....

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov also told state-run news agency RIA that Moscow was committed to defending those in the war-torn Donbas region of eastern Ukraine where “citizens of our country live.” Lavrov’s interview was published after a phone call between Biden and Putin in which the U.S. president said it would “respond decisively” if there were any invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov told reporters after the call that any stepping up of sanctions by the U....

Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov told the Times he devised a three-drug blend that was mixed with liquor to supply to athletes, then helped cover it up by replacing their tainted urine samples after Russian operatives figured out how to compromise supposedly tamper-proof specimen bottles. MORE: Sports’ most famous drug cheats Rodchenkov told the Times that at least 15 medal winners from the 2014 Winter Olympics were involved in the program, which was designed to ensure the hosts came away with a significant medal haul in Sochi....

This weekend, Ukrainian officials accused Russia of committing brutal war crimes near the nation’s capital, Kyiv, when they withdrew troops from the region. Zelensky said more than 300 people were tortured and massacred in Bucha alone, a town located northwest of the capital, where graphic images have emerged showing mass graves and corpses with their hands tied behind their backs. Today marks the 41st day of Russia’s war in Ukraine....

The daily assessment by Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) said Ukrainian forces “continue to consolidate their positions on higher ground” in Lysychansk, days after Putin’s troops seized control of its twin city Severodonetsk which lies across the Siverskyi Donets river. British defense officials said on Tuesday that Ukrainian troops “continue to disrupt Russian command and control with successful strikes deep behind Russian lines.” The assessment said that the “unusually intense waves of strikes” by long-range Soviet era missiles, which were designed to make strategic strikes, were being expended “in large numbers for tactical advantage....

“We received another warning from [Russian communications regulator] Roskomnadzor,” the editors of the paper wrote in a statement. “After that, we suspend the publication of the newspaper on the website, in networks and on paper - until the end of the ‘special operation on the territory of Ukraine.’ Sincerely, the editors of the “Novaya Gazeta” Several other American and foreign media outlets have halted reporting from inside Russia out of concern for the safety of their employees after the country created a new law that allows the reporting of “false information,” including using the terms “war” and “invasion” for Russia’s actions in Ukraine, to be punished with prison time....

The op-ed in Nezavisimaya Gazeta follows a Telegram social media post in which Medvedev, now deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, raised the prospect that Moscow may be “forced to use the most formidable weapon against the Ukrainian regime.” Medvedev, an ally of Vladimir Putin who served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012, said this could happen if Ukraine carried out “large-scale” aggression that threatened the Russian state. Medvedev added that if Moscow’s invasion turned nuclear, NATO would not directly intervene because it valued the fate of the alliance more than that of Kyiv....

Real Madrid are weighing up the merits of a huge summer bid for Tottenham’s Dele Alli, the Mirror reports. The Spanish capital side are said to have been keeping tabs on the attacking midfielder for some time and have dealt with Spurs before through deals for Luka Modric and Gareth Bale. A January move is out of the question due to Madrid’s transfer ban, but Real are looking to put together a summer package that would be a significant increase on his current £60,000-a-week deal....

In this MMO, players don’t necessarily have a “grand” quest. Rather, they’re dropped in the world of Gielinor as they make a name for themselves, be it as adventurers, traders, crafters, or everywhere in between. And for fans who feel a bit overwhelmed with the number of things they could do in the RuneScapeMMO, there are quite a ton of sites and communities players could use in order to optimize their enjoyment of the game....

Chicago will save $2.85 million with the move, clearing $1.85 million in 2014 salary cap space. Mostly a backup in his career, Bush started 20 of 89 games in seven seasons with Oakland (2007-11) and Chicago (2012-13), rushing for 3,250 yards with 29 touchdowns. He added 1,010 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 104 receptions. As a second-stringer behind Matt Forte with the Bears, Bush had 177 rushing attempts for 608 yards and eight touchdowns....

On Japan’s auto-assembly lines, the feast of the 1980s has turned into famine. With Japanese buyers staying away and the strong yen undermining exports, companies that only yesterday made Americans fear and tremble are awash in red ink at home. But shrinking their way to profitability is proving even tougher for Japan’s carmakers today than it did for Detroit a decade ago. Closing plants and shedding workers – the tactics that restored Ford and Chrysler to health in the 1980s – is simply not the way Japanese employers are expected to behave....

A close race took place at the NYC Half and Boston Marathon Champion Meb Keflezighi posted a mark faster than last year’s race. What does it mean for his chances going into Boston? Chris Chavez was on-site in Los Angeles for the U.S. Marathon Championships. As Ryan Hall stepped off the course at the halfway mark, did it spell the end for his career and hopes? Mitch discusses Hall for the last time ever....

One of the key architects of Chennai Spartans’ championship-winning run was Canadian international player Rudy Verhoeff. The 29-year-old from Calgary, Alberta finished as the leading scorer in this year’s RuPay Pro Volleyball League 2019. The Canadian international was already the crowd favourite before the finals and felt that playing before the home crowd helped the team. In the press conference post the final match, he expressed his happiness saying, “Playing in front of such huge crowds is a huge advantage....

With the 2019 World Cup looming large, West Indies have called up all-rounder Andre Russell in their ODI squad for the last two matches against England. Meanwhile, the latest ICC Test rankings have been released. New Zealand have risen to the second spot for the first time in their Test history. Here are all of today’s top news from the cricket world. AB de Villiers signs with Middlesex for 2019 T20 Blast Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has signed with Middlesex for the 2019 T20 Blast....

The left tackle opened up about his decision in a Players’ Tribune article back in July, but he opined about it further Friday evening in a Facebook post. MORE: Best photos from the 2016 NFL Combine While Okung is representing himself, he’s doing it with a bit of help. He admitted he brought on former agent and Redskins executive J.I. Halsell as a consultant. “He adds an analytical as well as a support value....

In his new ad for Foot Locker, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook took a shot at making a satirical version of the intense, hardcore and emotional fare we’re used to seeing from sports companies. MORE: John Wall’s career unravels in ad | Duncan and Rose star in Foot Locker ad In the spot, Westbrook helps train a young player by moving through a set of staid sports cliches: getting doused with water to wake up, drinking eggs, working out in a hot gym, working out in a dramatically lit gym and flipping tires, to name a few....

The viral post published on the 9.2 million-member-strong r/interestingasf*** Reddit group displayed a graphic that showed the estimated difference in military strength between NATO and Russia. Since being uploaded earlier today with the title “comparison of NATO’s and Russia’s military strength” by user u/lestaz_ the post attracted some 70,200 upvotes and nearly 6,000 comments. The graphic, which appeared to draw from a similar comparison list by Statista, revealed NATO allies had superiority over Russia in most areas of military strength....