Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Ukraine is to blame for the confrontation in Crimea, as Moscow warned that the conflict could escalate because of Kiev’s decision to declare martial law.

In a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, Putin said he is “seriously concerned” about the weekend’s incident.

He said Ukraine provoked the confrontation for political reasons.

Merkel’s spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, said the chancellor in the conversation with Putin stressed the need for de-escalation and dialogue.

Hours after the phone call, the Kremlin issued a follow-up statement denouncing the martial law in Ukraine.

“The imposition of martial law in some regions may pose a risk of escalating tensions in the conflict-hit region, namely the south-east,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in comments carried by state news agency TASS on Tuesday.

Ukraine’s leadership responded to the clash, between the Ukrainian navy and Russia’s coastguard, by imposing martial law throughout much of the country on Monday.

On Tuesday, the country’s state security service announced that its intelligence officers were among the crew on Ukrainian naval ships seized by Russia.

The SBU agency said the officers were fulfilling counterintelligence operations for the Ukrainian navy, in response to “psychological and physical pressure” by Russian spy services.

It did not elaborate, but demanded that Russia stop such activity.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from Kiev, said that the SBU has acknowledged that two fighter jets opened fire with missiles on three Ukrainian boats on Sunday.   

“This hasn’t been heard of before,” Simmons said, adding that there were injuries during the incident.  

Earlier, Russia’s main intelligence agency released a video of three seized Ukrainian crew members allegedly involved in the incident on Sunday.

The FSB put out the video on Tuesday, showing interviews with three seamen, all of whom confirmed that they violated the Russian border.

It was not immediately possible to ascertain if the men were talking under duress. One of them was clearly reading from a teleprompter.

Pro-Russian separatist groups, which Russia has represented in negotiations, and the Ukrainian military have been battling in Ukraine’s two eastern-most regions for the past four years.

With tensions spilling over, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas suggested on Tuesday that Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine could work together to resolve the tensions between Moscow and Kiev.

“We must do everything for de-escalation, to prevent this crisis turning into an even more serious crisis for security in Europe,” Maas said.

He called on the two parties to show the greatest possible restraint, and offered to work on a solution to end the crisis.

On Monday, the UN also held an emergency session to discuss the incident.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies

AC Milan’s starting line-up for that game – a 4-4-2 of Dida, Cafu, Jaap Stam, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Kaka, Hernan Crespo and Shevchenko – reads like the PES Master League team of your dreams.

Image: Getty Images for iHeartMedia

On Wednesdays we wear pink, but on Tuesdays we watch music video trailers.

Continuing the countdown to the music video for her latest single, “thank u, next”, Ariana Grande shared the following Mean Girls-inspired trailer on Instagram and Twitter on Tuesday.

See how many cameos you can spot:

Judging by the 1.4 million Instagram likes and 80,000+ retweets that trailer’s racked up in less than three hours, the video itself is probably going to do some pretty huge numbers.

Four for you, Ariana.

British academic Matthew Hedges, who was jailed for spying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has arrived in the United Kingdom a day after being pardoned by the Emirati president, ending a seven-month ordeal.

A flight carrying the 31-year-old scholar landed at London’s Heathrow airport on Tuesday morning, according to Reuters news agency.

Abu Dhabi’s Federal Court of Appeal had sentenced the British scholar to life in prison last week after he was convicted of spying and supplying sensitive security information to external actors.

He was among more than 700 people pardoned by President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Monday, the country’s national day.

Emirati officials made a point on Monday to insist that the arrest came on solid grounds, showing journalists in Abu Dhabi short video clips of Hedges purportedly acknowledging his intelligence work.

In one video clip, Hedges is seen describing himself as a captain in MI-6 during what appears to be a court hearing in the Gulf Arab country.

Another clip appears to show Hedges speaking to someone in an office and saying: “It helps the research to go in an easy way.”

Then, Hedges is seen snapping his fingers and adds: “Then it becomes MI-6.”

Emirati officials did not allow journalists to record the video.

“He was a part-time PhD researcher, a part-time businessman, but he was a 100 percent full-time secret service operative,” said Jaber al-Lamki, an official with the UAE’s National Media Council.

“Mr Hedges has been found guilty of espionage. He sought out sensitive information he knew had access to it. He was here to steal the UAE’s sensitive national security secrets for his paymasters,” al-Lamki added.

Daniela Tejada, Hedges’ wife, said on Twitter that the pardon was the “best news we could’ve received” but told the BBC that she did not believe her husband is a spy. 

“I can’t wait to have him back,” she said. “In my heart, I know that he isn’t a spy.”

International pressure

The UAE had come under immense pressure from Britain since Hedges, a doctoral student in Middle Eastern studies at Durham University in northern England, was handed a life sentence.

He was arrested at Dubai International Airport on May 5 after a two-week research visit.

The UAE signalled on Friday that it was working on an “amicable solution” to the issue after London described Hedges’ sentence as deeply disappointing.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Twitter that the pardon was “fantastic news” and that the UK was “grateful” the issue was resolved.

In a statement regarding the pardon, Emirati Foreign Minister Dr Anwar Gargash said: “It was always a UAE hope that this matter would be resolved through the common channels of our long-standing partnership. This was a straightforward matter that became unnecessarily complex despite the UAE’s best efforts.”

The International Campaign for Freedom in the UAE (ICFUAE), meanwhile, said the release of Hedges did not “right the wrong of a grossly unfair trial or of [him] being held for months in solitary confinement without access to legal counsel”.

“Matthew’s ordeal should serve as a wake-up call to the UK government on the realities of repression in the UAE. All future relations with the Gulf state must now be conditional on the Emirati regime’s adherence to international human rights legislation,” the ICFUAE said in a statement.

“Let us not forget the scores of other prisoners of conscience who remain detained in the UAE … it is imperative that his case be understood within this wider climate of repression,” it added.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies

England’s early exit from the 2015 World Cup was the result of “individual egos and selfish players”, says cross-code international Sam Burgess.

England became the first World Cup hosts not to reach the knockout stage, after defeats by Wales and Australia.

Burgess joined Bath from South Sydney Rabbitohs a year before the World Cup, but his selection by coach Stuart Lancaster sparked much debate.

The 29-year-old said he was “committed” but “others had their own agendas”.

Former Bradford Bulls player Burgess was responding to the news Andy Farrell will replace Joe Schmidt as Ireland coach after the 2019 World Cup.

Farrell, himself a former dual-code England player, was Lancaster’s assistant coach during the 2015 World Cup. Lancaster resigned following the tournament, and successor Eddie Jones replaced his coaching team.

“I seem to be getting a few tweets regarding the Rugby WC in 2015…. still,” Burgess wrote on Twitter. “If people actually re-watched the games I participated in you will see I added to the team.

“What cost us an early exit was individual egos and selfish players not following our leader, which essentially cost the coach and other great men their jobs.

“Tournaments are not won by the coaching staff or one player. It takes a commitment from the full group. I guarantee you this, I was committed but others had their own agendas.”

Burgess, who rejoined South Sydney Rabbitohs soon after the World Cup, says he has “fond memories and great friends” from his time in rugby union.

He added: “One day I will tell my side of the story but for now I love watching England and cannot wait to see them as they prepare for the 2019 WC in Japan.”

Image: Steve Granitz/WireImage

How well do you remember the Twilight movies?

It’s around 10 years since the first one came out, so chances are (unless you happen to own the DVD) your memory might be a little blurry.

Anna Kendrick’s is, anyway. And she was in the actual franchise.

Kendrick posts a lot of very good tweets, but — in a sort of low-key way — that one may be one of her best.

The people of Twitter were quick to reassure her that, while Kendrick may not remember, they certainly do.

Hey: if you’re at the point where you’re forgetting blockbuster franchises, you know you’ve made it.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has requested to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the upcoming two-day G20 summit in Argentina, Turkish foreign minister said.

“Yes, he has asked Erdogan on the phone, whether they could meet in Buenos Aires. Erdogan’s answer was ‘Let’s see’,” Cavusoglu told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.

“At the moment there is no reason not to meet with the crown prince,” Cavusoglu said, adding that the request was made during a phone call.

Erdogan and Prince Mohammed, who is commonly known by his initials MBS, will attend the G20 meeting in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires on November 30-December 1.

Saudi-Turkish relations have been strained by the killing last month of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.

After offering numerous contradictory explanations, Riyadh said Khashoggi had been killed and his body dismembered in “rogue operation”.

Riyadh has repeatedly said the prince had no knowledge of the killing, which Turkey says was apparently carried out at the kingdom’s consulate by a 15-member hit squat with links to MBS’s security team.

Erdogan has said the killing was ordered by the highest level of Saudi leadership but ruled out that it had come from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, putting the spotlight instead on the 33-year-old crown prince.

United States President Donald Trump said last week Washington would remain a “steadfast partner” of Saudi Arabia despite saying that Prince Mohammed may have known about the plan to murder Khashoggi.

‘Why identikit pictures?’ 

Asked if he knew for sure who in Riyadh gave the order to kill Khashoggi, Cavusoglu said that the team would not have acted on its own, but could not say anything else without proof.

Cavusoglu said Riyadh had offered to send identikit photos of local helpers who assisted in the cover-up. “Why identikit pictures? The Saudis know the names,” he said.

Turkey says it has recordings related to the killing which it shared with Western allies. Cavusoglu said he had listened to the recordings and that Khashoggi was killed within seven minutes.

“It was premeditated murder,” he told the German newspaper, rather than a last resort after they failed to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia.

“It can be heard how the forensics expert instructs the others: they should listen to music while he cuts up the body. One notices how he enjoys it.”

Back in July, Miley Cyrus wiped her Instagram account clean and made her avatar black — a move that other artists, like Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, have made to signal the beginning of a new era of music. But the “Malibu” singer then left her account totally untouched, returning just this morning (November 26) to tease what she’s been working on: a collaboration with Mark Ronson.

Miley’s short teaser centers around a disco ball shaped like a shattered heart, which spins slowly as sweeping strings play in the background. She also tagged Ronson in the post and confirmed the track’s release date by captioning it “11/29.”

Shortly after, she followed up with another, far more confusing clip that shows a clown running down the street as the same dramatic instrumental plays. What this one means is anyone’s guess.

Ronson, meanwhile, teased the new release over the weekend by cryptically tweeting, “the heartbreak era is coming… sooner than u think.” He also retweeted a post that reveals his and Cyrus’s new song is titled “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart.”

As if that all wasn’t exciting enough, Monday also brought the news that Cyrus and Ronson will perform their new collab on Saturday Night Live. They’ll be the musical guests on the December 15 episode, joining host Matt Damon.

We don’t know much about “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” yet, but back in June, Ronson called it “one of my favorite songs” while posting a pic of he and Cyrus. To put things into perspective, the super-producer has helmed such massive pop albums as Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Adele’s 19, and Lady Gaga’s Joanne — so that’s very high praise indeed.

It’s been just over a year since Cyrus released Younger Now, and her presence in the pop sphere has definitely been missed. It’s unclear if her new song will be a one-off release, if it signifies the birth of a new era, or if it’s part of a collaborative project for her and Ronson. Luckily, we’ll find out very soon — and hopefully get some answers about that creepy clown.

Former England left-back Ashley Cole has been released by LA Galaxy after his contract at the Major League Soccer club expired.

The club decided not to exercise an option to re-sign Cole, 37, along with seven other players.

The former Arsenal and Chelsea defender joined LA Galaxy in 2016 and was named captain in March, two months after signing a one-year contract extension.

Cole scored three goals in 86 appearances for the club.

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of 16 players named in LA Galaxy’s squad for the 2019 MLS season, which is scheduled to start in May 2019.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit agreement with the European Union (EU) may hamper trade between Washington and London.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said the deal that May struck with Brussels “sounds like a great deal” for the EU.

“I think we have to take a look at, seriously, whether or not the UK is allowed to trade, because you know right now, if you look at the deal, they may not be able to trade with us,” he said.

“That wouldn’t be a good thing. I don’t think they meant that, I don’t think the prime minister meant that, and hopefully she’ll be able to do something about that,” Trump said.

May’s office rejected the statement saying that the agreement allowed the UK to sign trade deals with countries around the world, including the US.

“We have already been laying the groundwork for an ambitious agreement with the US through our joint working groups, which have met five times so far,” said a spokesperson for the office.

On Sunday, the 27-member bloc approved the withdrawal agreement and political declaration on the future EU-UK relations.

A very turbulent period now lies before the members of Britain’s parliament, as they will vote on the deal in the coming weeks.

On Monday, May made a blunt appeal to sceptical lawmakers to back the deal: It isn’t perfect, but it’s all there is, and the alternative is a leap into the unknown.

In essence, she urged parliament: Let’s agree and move on, for the sake of the voters.

December 11 vote

May confirmed that British lawmakers will vote on December 11, after several days of debate, on whether to approve or reject the agreement.

Scores of legislators – from both the opposition and May’s governing Conservative Party – have vowed to oppose it.

Rejection would plunge Britain into a political crisis and potential financial turmoil just weeks before it is due to leave the EU on March 29.

“No one knows what would happen if this deal didn’t pass,” May told the House of Commons.

“Our duty as a parliament over these coming weeks is to examine this deal in detail, to debate it respectfully, to listen to our constituents and decide what is in our national interest.”

Before then, May plans a frantic two-week cross-country campaign to convince both the public and lawmakers that the deal delivers on voters’ decision in 2016 to leave the EU “while providing a close economic and security relationship with our nearest neighbours”.

But May’s defence of her hard-won deal in parliament was followed by a torrent of criticism, from hard-core Brexit-backers, pro-EU lawmakers and previously loyal backbenchers alike.

During Monday’s debate in parliament, legislators again expressed their deep unease, if not hatred, of the deal that keeps Britain outside the EU with no say, but still subject to the rules and the obligations of membership at least until the end of 2020 while a permanent new relationship is worked out.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said the “botched deal” would leave Britain worse off, with “no say over EU rules and no certainty for the future”.

“Plowing on is not stoic. It’s an act of national self-harm,” he said.