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Ap0caLipse

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About Ap0caLipse

  • Birthday 27/04/2005

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  1. 1. Because it is a good service and I help with it and work 2.Help and good dealing with society and respect and work day and night without failure 3.Because it's a good service and I love it, and I may make up for someone's absence sometimes and you may need me to help 🙂
  2. Nick: @Ap0caLipse Real name: Ap0c@lips3 How old are you?: 17 Years Which Games you play? and for how long?(each of them): Cs 1.6 For 9 or 10 Hours Where are you from?(country and city): Tunisia,Sfax Describe yourself(at least 50 words): My name is Motez Ben Amer, and my favorite game is Cs 1.6 which is the best game and my favorite hobby is a sport and I want to be in the future of a football player.. Note some of your qualities: Respected and loved everyone Tell us some of your defects: I want to make a great effort and hard work and my activity is high. I hate cheating, lies and occupiers Had you before any kind of responsabilities(describe it): Im Member on Project (Guardians of gaming (GOG)) and journalists on i Have a Good Activity On this projects .. On which category/categories have you been active lately?(describe your activity): Guardians of gaming : (Funny and vidéos ) journalists : News,sport,lifestyle,politics ... Which category/project you want to care off?: Guardians of gaming and journalists How well you speak english?(and other languages): ( English 9/10 , French 7/10 ,Arabic 10/10) Do you use TS3? Do you have an active microphone?: Yes I Do Have TS3 For how long can you be active after you get accepted?(days, weeks, months, years): Years Contact methods: TS3 , Discord , Facebook,forum, WhatsApp Last request: First Time ....
  3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BROTHER @THē-GHōST❤️🎉
  4. LINK:https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/11/federal-reserve-expected-to-raise-interest-rates-in-week-ahead.html Investors may take the Federal Reserve’s first post-pandemic interest rate hike in stride, while uncertainty over the Ukraine crisis continues to hang over markets. The Fed has clearly broadcast that it intends to raise its target fed funds rate by a quarter percentage point from zero, and it is expected to announce that move at the end of its two-day meeting Wednesday. The central bank should also reveal new forecasts for interest rates, inflation and the economy. There are a few economic reports of note in the week ahead, including the producer price index Tuesday, retail sales Wednesday and existing home sales Friday. “Earnings are over. Monetary policy is obviously going to be important here. I don’t see the Fed surprising anyone next week,” said Steve Massocca, managing director at Wedbush Securities. “It’s going to be a quarter point and then step into the background and watch what’s happening in Europe.” Stocks fell for the past week, with the Nasdaq Composite the worst performer with a 3.5% decline. Meanwhile, the small-cap Russell 2000, which outperformed the three major indexes, lost 1% for the week. A surge in oil prices spooked investors, with crude spiking to $130 at the beginning of the week but trading back below $110 on Friday. The S&P 500 was down about 2.9% for the week. Energy stocks were the top performers, up nearly 1.9% and the only positive major sector. Fed ahead The impact of Russian sanctions on commodities markets and the lack of clarity around the outcome of the war in Ukraine are likely to keep volatility high across the financial markets. The central bank’s statement and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday will be closely watched for guidance on how central bank officials view the Ukraine crisis, and how much it could affect their outlook and the path for interest rates. “His guidance is probably not going to be all that different from what he had to say in the [congressional] testimony. Basically, downside risks to the growth outlook have increased, upside risks to inflation have risen,” said Mark Cabana, head of U.S. short rates strategy at Bank of America. Because Russia is a giant commodities producer, its assault on Ukraine and resulting sanctions have set off a rally in commodities markets that has made already-scorching inflation even hotter. February’s consumer price index was up 7.9%, and economists said rising gasoline prices could send it above 9% in March. Gasoline at the pump jumped nearly 50 cents in the past week to $4.33 per gallon of unleaded, according to AAA. Market pros see surging inflation as a catalyst that will keep the Fed on track to raise interest rates. However, uncertainty about the economic outlook could also mean the central bank might not hike as much as the seven rate increases that some economists forecast for this year. Cabana expects Fed officials to forecast five hikes for 2022 and another four next year. The Fed previously anticipated three increases in both years. Cabana said the Fed could cut its forecast for 2024 to just one hike from the two in their last outlook. Any comments from the Fed on what it plans for its nearly $9 trillion balance sheet will also be important, since officials have said they would like to begin to scale it back this year after they start hiking interest rates. The Fed replaces maturing Treasury bonds and mortgages as they roll off, and it could slow that in a process Wall Street has dubbed “quantitative tightening,” or QT. “That they will be ready to flip the switch on QT in May is our base case, but we acknowledge there are risks that this will be skewed later,” said Cabana. He said if the Fed finds it is not in a position to raise interest rates as much as it hoped, it could delay shrinking the balance sheet right away, which would leave policy looser. Bond market liquidity The 10-year Treasury yield topped 2% at its highest level Friday, after dipping below 1.7% earlier this month as investors sought safety in bonds. Bond yields move opposite price. “It’s inflation and inflation expectations. Treasurys behave in this environment a little differently than a flight to quality asset,” Cabana said “That’s a different dynamic than we’ve observed. You may see a flight to quality into Treasurys, but the Treasurys are reflecting higher inflation expectations.” Cabana said the markets are showing signs of concern around the uncertainty in Ukraine. For instance, the Treasury market is less liquid. “We have seen that the Treasury market has become more volatile. We’re seeing bid-ask spreads have widened. Some of the more traditionally less liquid parts of the market may have become less liquid, like TIPS and the 20-year. We’re also seeing market depth thinning out,” he said. “This is all due to elevated uncertainty and lack of risk-taking willingness by market participants, and I think that should worry the Fed.” But Cabana said markets are not showing major stress. “We’re not seeing signs the wheels are falling off in funding or that counterparty credit risks are super elevated. But the signs there are very much that all is not well,” he said. “The other thing we continue to watch loosely are funding markets, and those funding markets are showing a real premium for dollars. Folks are paying up a lot to get dollars in a way they haven’t since Covid,” he said. Cabana said the market is looking for reassurance from the Fed that it is watching the conflict in Ukraine. “I think it would upset the market if the Fed reflected a very high degree of confidence in one direction or another,” he said. “That seems very unlikely.” Dollar strength The dollar index was up 0.6% on the week and it has been rising during Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The index is the value of the dollar against a basket of currencies and is heavily weighted toward the euro. Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex, also points out that the dollar funding market is seeing some pressure but it is not strained. “The dollar is at five-year highs today against the yen. That’s not what you would expect in a risk-off environment,” he said. “That’s a testament to the dollar’s strength.” handler said it’s possible the dollar weakens in the coming week if it follows its usual interest rate hike playbook. “I think there might be a buy the rumor, sell the fact on the Fed,” he said. “That’s typical for the dollar to go up ahead of the rate hike and sell off afterwards.” Oil on the boil Oil gyrated wildly this past week, touching a high not seen since 2008, as the market worried there would not be enough oil supply due to sanctions on Russia. Buyers have shunned Moscow’s oil for fear of running afoul of financial sanctions, and the U.S. said it would ban purchases of Russian oil. West Texas Intermediate crude futures jumped to $130.50 per barrel at the beginning of the week but settling Friday at $109.33. “I think the market getting bid up to $130 was a little premature,” said Helima Croft, head of global commodities strategy at RBC, noting the U.S. ban on Russian oil. She said the run-up in prices Monday came as market players speculated there would be a broader embargo on Russian oil, including Europe, its main customer. “Right now, the market is too extreme in either way. I think it’s justified at $110. I think it’s justified over $100. I don’t think we’re headed for an off-ramp, and I think we have room to go higher,” she said.
  5. LINK:https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/14/football/messi-neymar-what-next-psg-spt-intl/index.html Even by Paris Saint-Germain's standards, the past week has been an eventful one. It started last Wednesday with yet another Champions League capitulation, something PSG has become rather adept at. However, the recent meltdown against Real Madrid -- in which PSG conceded three goals in 27 minutes to throw away a 2-0 aggregate lead -- differed to the previous implosions against Barcelona and Manchester United in one key way: it wasn't particularly surprising. As soon as goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's dawdling had gifted Karim Benzema the first of his three goals, PSG's demise felt inevitable. But despite that inevitability, it still made for gruesome yet compelling viewing, like peaking through your fingers while watching a horror movie. The sequel to that horror show was Saturday's 3-0 win against Bordeaux, in which a significant section of PSG fans turned on their own players. During the match, most of the squad was treated to a frosty reception by the Parc des Princes crowd -- and some received a frostier welcome than others. Most notably Neymar and Lionel Messi, both of who were roundly booed by PSG fans during the build up to the opening goal. There was a loud cheer when Neymar turned the ball into the net, but those cheers promptly turned to jeers once the initial jubilation had subsided. Messi arrived in Paris to much fanfare in what was arguably the most shocking player move in history, but the signing has so far been painfully underwhelming for PSG fans. The Argentine has mustered a paltry two goals in 18 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, with five more coming in the Champions League, and has looked like a shadow of the player he was even in those later years at Barcelona. UEFA investigation The humiliation against Real Madrid on the pitch was compounded by the widely reported behavior of PSG delegates off it. After the game, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo reportedly confronted the officials in the referees' dressing room to express their anger at Real Madrid's first goal, which they believe came after Benzema had committed a foul on Donnarumma. UEFA later confirmed that a disciplinary case into the incident had been opened. "The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body will take a decision in due course," European football's governing body said. PSG declined to comment on the UEFA disciplinary case when contacted by CNN. While the frustration brought on by PSG's Champions League failures were directed at the players on the pitch on Saturday, Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo haven't escaped the ire of the club's supporters. In a statement released earlier on Saturday, club supporter group Collectif Ultra Paris called for Al-Khelaifi's resignation. "How can a coach be the respected leader of the changing room when he is clearly not the true decision maker?" was one of several questions posed in the statement. "We don't have a short memory. We know what our return owes to president Nasser Al-Khelaifi but it is clear he is not the man for the job. "The club's current situation requires complete reorganization at all levels going forward and the daily presence of its president." On Monday, fan frustration was visible for all to see at PSG's training center and Parc des Princes stadium, where insults and calls for Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo to leave the club were sprayed onto the facilities. "Nasser, Leo out," read one piece of graffiti, thought to be aimed at Leonardo rather than Messi. Likewise, head coach Mauricio Pochettino did not escape from the Real Madrid debacle without any blame. Unsurprisingly, the Argentine has faced calls for his sacking or resignation, but Leonardo insisted that wasn't a solution. "We shouldn't throw everything in the bin," he told RMC Sport. "We shouldn't start from scratch after every loss. The objective is to win the Champions League, and until half time we were fine. "We have to look to improve this team and maintain morale to play in Ligue 1 and to finish the season well. We should stay together. Pochettino is still part of the project for this season. It's not the time to think about that." With 10 games left in Ligue 1 and holding a 15-point lead over second-place Marseille, PSG is almost certain to secure it's seventh French league title in eight season. Following the win over Bordeaux, Pochettino said he was "sad" to hear the booing from the crowd and insisted their anger was also felt within the squad. "We were all affected," he said. "We understand the disappointment and the frustration. We're all living it together, as a team. We have a duty to take responsibility for what happened. We share this disappointment with the supporters." Player departures? One player who did manage to escape the booing was Kylian Mbappe. The striker, who was cheered throughout the match against Bordeaux, is the golden boy of French football and scored both of PSG's goals in the recent tie against Real Madrid. Despite the French club boasting both Messi and Neymar in its ranks, Mbappe is perhaps PSG's most prized asset. It will come as a significant concern, then, that there is the strong possibility of PSG losing Mbappe for free in the summer. The 23-year-old's current contract expires on June 30, 2022 and so far no headway has been made on a new deal. Mbappe told CNN at the end of December, just ahead of European football's January transfer window, that he would "100%" finish the season with PSG. However, he hasn't hidden his desire to move to pastures new -- specifically pastures in Madrid. When Real submitted a $188 million bid for Mbappe in August -- a deal that was close to being agreed -- the Frenchman admitted at the time that he wanted to leave PSG. "I was honest," Mbappe said. "I gave a feeling, I gave what I have in my heart. I'm happy to stay ... it's my city too. I'm French ... I want to win everything this season." Whether Mbappe is still "happy to stay" now, however, is another matter, and one that is sure to give Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo yet another headache.
  6. LINK: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-60732486 China will face consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions in its invasion of Ukraine, the US says. Unnamed US officials told multiple news outlets that China had signalled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia. The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of spreading disinformation. Russia denied asking Beijing for military help. The exchanges came before top US and Chinese officials met in Rome. Media outlets, citing Washington officials, say that Russia has in recent days asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones. On Monday, the US warned allies that China had suggested it was open to a move to provide military and economic support, media reports said. The report came as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, for talks in Rome. "Mr Sullivan raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine," a readout of the meeting said. "They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China." In an earlier CNN interview, Mr Sullivan said the US was "communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them". "We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world," he said. He added that while the US believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was "planning something" before the invasion happened, Beijing "may not have understood the full extent of it". "Because it's very possible that [Mr] Putin lied to them the same way that he lied to Europeans and others," Mr Sullivan said. In response, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing, Zhao Lijian, said the US had "been spreading disinformation targeting China on the Ukraine issue, with malicious intentions". Asked if he could clarify whether China had received a request for military help from Russia, Mr Zhao said this was "fake news" but did not deny it directly. He added that China's stance had always been consistent and that China was playing a constructive role in promoting talks. President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports Russia had asked China for military assistance were not true. "Russia possesses its own independent potential to continue the operation. As we said, it is going according to plan and will be completed on time and in full," he said. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US raised concerns with the Chinese delegation "directly and very clearly". China has so far refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion and has said Moscow's "legitimate security concerns" should be taken seriously. When the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russia's invasion earlier this month, China was one of 35 countries that abstained. But Beijing at the same time has expressed "unwavering support" for Ukraine's sovereignty. It has also called for peace and has said it is ready to help end the war through diplomacy. Several countries have urged China to do more to stop Russia's invasion. The EU and US help Ukraine, China helps Russia; if that's how this goes, then it's a delineation that will make the war in Ukraine an even more consequential one. The White House has decided to make public its claim just as President Biden's top security adviser is due to meet China's most senior diplomat. It appears to be a tactical move, to put pressure on China; presumably to either confirm or deny it. The bigger aim could be to try to make Xi Jinping weigh up the pros and cons to his current position of what was last week called a "rock solid" relationship with Moscow. Remember that it was just weeks ago, as the Winter Olympics opened in Beijing, that Presidents Xi and Putin declared a new alliance that had "no limit". Military aid could, clearly, be part of that. But in the days after Russia's invasion China has condemned the UK, the US and others for giving weapons to Ukraine's military, saying they were adding "fuel to the fire". If the US intelligence assessment is correct and Beijing follows through on that request, then they too would be "adding fuel".
  7. LINK:https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/12/politics/russia-ruble-bitcoin-crypto-what-matters/index.html A version of this story appeared in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)The isolation of Russia by much of the world economy may or may not convince Vladimir Putin to recall his invading troops from Ukraine (probably not). But it does mean pain for Russia's people and its economy as the value of the ruble craters. National currencies like the ruble have been the subject of much debate in recent years, particularly as technology like bitcoin has come to present a non-national alternative to the dollar. RELATED: Crypto 101: What you need to know I talked to Eswar Prasad, who's a professor at the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author of "The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Currencies and Finance," about the sanctions on Russia and what it all means for money. Our conversation, conducted by email and lightly edited, is below. What the cratering ruble says about currency WHAT MATTERS: When we first discussed doing this Q&A it was to talk about cryptocurrency and your book "The Future of Money." In the meantime, Russia has been partially isolated from the world economy for invading Ukraine and its currency has devalued. How does this episode factor into your thoughts on how the world will do business in the future? PRASAD: The US and other Western economies have deployed a set of highly potent financial weapons against Russia with remarkable speed. Cutting off access to global financial markets and to a country's war chest of foreign exchange reserves held in currencies of Western economies is a crippling blow for the Russian economy. This episode shows that, while the locus of global economic activity has been shifting eastward towards emerging market economies, the US dollar remains dominant in global finance. Meanwhile, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies appear to be entering the mainstream. Paradoxically, while bitcoin has failed in its stated purpose as a medium of exchange for conducting transactions, it has become a speculative financial asset. Cryptocurrencies are unlikely to seriously challenge major fiat currencies such as the US dollar. But they are setting off an important revolution. New financial technologies, including bitcoin's blockchain technology, could make it easier to create new financial products and services and give everyone, including low-income households, easy access to them. Digital payments, both within and across countries, are becoming cheaper, easier and quicker. This will benefit consumers and businesses, exporters and importers, and even economic migrants sending remittances back to their home countries. Is cryptocurrency a way around sanctions? WHAT MATTERS: One way Russia will try to find its way around sanctions is in bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency. How would that work? PRASAD: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies do not yet provide the scalability to evade financial sanctions at the level of an entire economy, especially in view of the need to ultimately convert cryptocurrencies into more widely accepted global currencies to make international payments. In other words, the Russian government cannot count on bitcoin to evade sanctions -- after all, payments for international transactions still need to be settled in real money such as dollars or euros. Furthermore, cryptocurrencies cannot in any significant way prevent a country's currency from collapsing in value relative to major reserve currencies since those values are determined in formal financial markets. Cryptocurrencies might in fact hurt Russia if they are seen by the country's citizens as a better option than the plunging domestic currency. Thus, bitcoin might end up precipitating a flight of deposits from Russia's banking system and even as a conduit for capital flight out of the country. On a more positive note, Ukraine's government seems to have been able to crowdsource foreign donations in cryptocurrencies, bypassing slower conventional channels. How should cryptocurrency be regulated? WHAT MATTERS: Are there other reasons, besides patrolling bad actors like Russia, to regulate cryptocurrency? How should governments be acting now to regulate these new forms of currency? PRASAD: Cryptocurrencies are rapidly entering the mainstream. Governments are rightly concerned that cryptocurrencies could be used to conduct illegal commerce and evade taxes, in addition to fueling speculation that could hurt investors and infect the rest of the financial system. Cryptocurrencies have positive aspects, too. The blockchain technology underlying bitcoin is enabling the creation of new products and services that could one day revolutionize the way we conduct payments, banking and other transactions. The technology could make commercial transactions more efficient by cutting out inefficient intermediaries, not just banks but even attorneys and settlement agents. Variants of the technology could also make low-cost real-time digital payments, both within and across countries, easily accessible even to low-income individuals. This will benefit consumers, businesses, investors and even economic migrants sending remittances back to their home countries. The US government has the opportunity to take the lead, if it acts fast, in setting standards for this industry and guiding international cooperation. It is also essential to make a push for digital and financial literacy that makes investors, who might get carried away by the technology, better aware of the risks. The industry itself will need to acknowledge various types of risks rather than wave them off and engage with regulators instead of merely offering to police itself. In fact, this might help the technology gain legitimacy and enable it to truly disrupt the existing financial system by fixing its many inefficiencies. Why the dollar probably isn't going anywhere yet WHAT MATTERS: The US has an important reason to keep its focus on the dollar, since so much of our social safety net is funded by selling US debt. Would that be possible if the dollar were to be replaced by a more international currency? PRASAD: International payments are certainly ripe for change. New financial technologies are making it easier to conduct financial transactions directly between pairs of emerging market currencies without involving an intermediating currency such as the US dollar. Directly exchanging Russian rubles, Indian rupees or Chinese renminbi for one another without the intermediate step of exchanging those currencies into or out of dollars will become easier. This means the dollar's role as a payment currency in international transactions might become less important over time. But the US dollar is likely to remain the world's dominant reserve currency, the main global store of value. The US enjoys a powerful combination of advantages: It is the largest economy, has the deepest and most liquid financial markets, and boasts a strong institutional framework that encompasses an independent central bank, open and transparent government, an institutionalized system of checks and balances, and the rule of law. China's renminbi is often mentioned as a possible competitor to the dollar. Unless China is willing to drop restrictions on capital flows across its borders and the tight control it keeps over its currency, the renminbi will not become a major reserve currency. More importantly, private investors are unlikely to place their trust in a reserve currency that is not backed up by a robust institutional framework. What is the future of money? WHAT MATTERS: What's the most important thing from your book that What Matters readers should know about the future of money? PRASAD: The era of cash (physical currency) is drawing to an end. Digital payments have already become the norm in many developing as well as rich countries such as China and Sweden and they are rapidly displacing cash in other countries as well. Meanwhile, national central banks around the world are looking to issue digital versions of their official currencies. China, Japan and Sweden are already experimenting with central bank digital currencies and a digital dollar is probably on the horizon as well. It is also likely that major corporations such as Amazon will someday begin issuing their own stablecoins, digital coins that are backed up by reserves of US dollars and can be used for payments within and across countries. Many of these developments have been catalyzed by bitcoin's blockchain technology, which will help in creating better digital payment systems, automating a broad range of transactions and helping to democratize finance. But we should be cautious about giving free and unfettered rein to digital technologies. Otherwise, the result might be the erosion of confidentiality and perhaps greater intrusion of big business and governments in financial systems and in the functioning of society.
  8. LINK:https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/12565452/premier-league-hits-and-misses-everton-in-big-trouble-martin-odegaard-impresses-and-much-more Any Everton fans in denial about the prospect of relegation can no longer just shut the curtains and pretend it's not happening. This is very real. The scenes at full-time in the stands at Goodison Park mirrored that fear and anger towards their team. The famous old ground was supposed to be a place where the club can haul themselves away from danger. A fortress. But when the atmosphere is like it was at full-time, playing away from home all of sudden might be a thing to relish from a set of players who have continually let their down their supporters. It is now a hinderance. It is now just goal difference separating them from the drop zone. Yes, they have three games in hand on Watford and one on Burnley but games in hand are absolutely worthless if you can't win football matches. And Everton are the Premier League kings at that. A run of just nine points from the last 60 available and only two league wins since September has left a squad drained of confidence in danger of dropping out of the top flight for only the third time in their history and first since 1951. Frank Lampard has had little impact in changing their fortunes around either. It is now five defeats in his six games as manager in the Premier League. He has an almighty fight on his hands to get this Everton team believing that they are truly too good to go down. Lewis Jones The clash with Newcastle was sold out before Thursday's sanctions on Roman Abramovich but a 'no tickets available' notice on the sign advertising Chelsea's next home game with Brentford was a stark reminder this was not any ordinary matchday in west London. Speaking to supporters around the ground before kick-off there was frustration at the way they had been affected by the restrictions. There was also understanding of the situation but real concern for what happens next. Universally, there was also admiration for Abramovich, even if his name was not sung as audibly as at recent away games. Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle - Match report and highlights How the teams lined up | Match stats That increased emotion was felt inside the ground, particularly in the early stages, when the supporters seemed intent on maximising the experience. When Kai Havertz scored the last-gasp winner, the celebrations were ecstatic - and continued on beyond the final whistle, as if these fans were trying to savour the moment. Havertz, with that wonderful touch and finish, certainly gave them something to treasure while they are away. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says he and his players are dealing with the uncertainty by focusing on one day at a time and recommended the approach. By the next time Chelsea play here, on April 2, the picture is likely to have shifted significantly again. These are strange times for all connected with Chelsea. On the pitch, they are still winning, but the bigger picture is in the balance - and many of the Chelsea fans will now have to watch events unfold from afar. Peter Smith Newcastle hard done by but show defensive grit As Jamie Carragher put it in Super Sunday commentary: "Newcastle don't deserve it, but that's football." Eddie Howe's side conceded a late winner at Chelsea, while two VAR calls did not go their way - the phrase "not their day at the office" has never been more appropriate. On paper, the game was decided one minute from stoppage-time when Kai Havertz ran off the back of Dan Burn to take down a superb Jorginho pass to prod home. But the momentum and result actually hinged on one decision by the officials made five minutes before half-time, with both Havertz and Burn involved in that incident too. The widespread condemnation of the referees' call not to send off Havertz for an alleged elbow on the Newcastle defender speaks volumes. Had Havertz been sent off, Chelsea would have been left without a key player who has scored six goals in his last five Premier League games - and Howe's men could have escaped Stamford Bridge with a well-deserved point. Throw in VAR's decision not to punish Trevoh Chalobah for a clear tug on the shirt of Jacob Murphy inside the area - and Newcastle could have run away with all three points on another day.
  9. LINK: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60724560 I'm in touch with Dmytro and Maksym and the other volunteers. This weekend I went to see them at their posts on the eastern edge of the city, where they have been issued with uniforms, body armour, proper infantry kneepads and helmets. A bitter wind blew through the checkpoint which the volunteers were trying to turn into a real obstacle with sandbags and steel tank traps. They made the best of their very basic training. Dmytro told me: "I got used to my gun. I learned how to shoot and how to act in the battle, also many other things that will be very crucial in the fight with the Russians." He laughed, as if he found it hard to imagine what he was contemplating. Maksym looked more urgent, more serious, less like a laid-back student. "I feel much more confident than I was before, because we get enough knowledge in tactics, in martial arts, in tactical medicine and in how to do something on the battlefield." Only half joking, he wanted to see the Ukrainian flag flying from the Kremlin. The question on everyone's mind here is whether the battle is coming for Kyiv. "It's definitely possible" said Dmytro. "We just have to stop them here, because if they get to Kyiv this war might be over." They are from the same town near the Russian border, which is being shelled. Their families are still there. I asked the boys what their parents thought of what they were doing. Maksym joked that his mother had told him to stay in a shelter and volunteer to cook the food. He had spared them the details of his deployment because he didn't want to worry them. Dmytro's parents knew what he was doing. He had started by volunteering to make Molotov cocktails and after a few days rang his dad to tell him he had decided to join the territorial defence force. His father told him not to try too hard to be a hero. My parents, Dmytro said, are proud of what I'm doing. He looked delighted. I asked him if he felt scared of what is ahead. "Not much, but it is human nature to feel scared, and of course deeply in my soul I feel a bit scared, as no one wants to die, even if it's for your country. So, death is not an option for us." Dmytro and Maksym talked about their dreams for the future, fun with friends, finishing their studies, careers and eventually families. Their parents must be praying that their sons' plans, energy and even their lives are not smashed by the brutal realities of war, like so many in all the other generations of young men who have joined up to fight in Europe's wars. line War in Ukraine: More coverage LIVE: Latest updates from Ukraine and nearby SANCTIONS: Impact on everyday lives in Russia EXIT: Russia faces brain drain as thousands flee abroad IN DEPTH: Full coverage of the conflict line Foreign journalists have no access to the young Russian men only a few miles away on the other side of the front line. Many are believed to be conscripts, who were not told properly what was being planned for them. Wars are mostly fought by young men. I have no doubt that many young Russians in the war have hopes as high as Dmytro and Maksym. One difference might be less motivation to fight, though without the chance to report their side properly, it is hard to say with certainty. The two young Ukrainian students-turned-soldiers went back to work on the checkpoint. The professional army is a couple of miles ahead, directly facing the Russians. But if the Russians come, like all the volunteers, Maksym and Dmytro will be firing out of the trenches they helped dig into the surrounding ground, where boxes of Molotov cocktails are waiting - old bottles filled with petrol and pieces of grated polystyrene and stuffed with a rag to ignite what they hope might even disable a tank. If that doesn't work, the Nato military alliance is pouring in thousands of much more sophisticated anti-tank weapons. Everyone here in Kyiv is waiting for what is likely to be the key battle of the war, soldiers, civilians in and out of uniform, along with Maksym and Dmytro and the other volunteers who are getting ready to fight with them.
  10. Happy birthday !!
  11. Happy birthday
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