Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/25/2022

Russia is continuing its rocket attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, while two separate columns of Russian forces are reportedly pushing through the suburbs of the city. Meanwhile, thousands of Ukrainian refugees have crossed the country’s southern border into Moldova and Romania.

In other news, President Biden has appointed Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill the seat of the departing Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Judge Brown Jackson will be the first sitting Supreme Court justice with dreadlocks.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, MM, Reader from Chicago, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

USA
» /e/OS Upgrade Brings New Life to Older Phones With a Privacy-Focused and Open-Source OS
» Attempt to Use Copyright Claims to Unmask Twitter User Who Criticized Billionaires Faces Pushback
» Biden Announces Ketanji Brown Jackson to Replace Stephen Breyer on Supreme Court
» Bill Would Reimburse Defendants Who Shoot Under Self-Defense
» Bombshell: Biden’s DOJ Drops Anti-Spy China Initiative — Because Racism
» Breaking: Biden to Spend Weekend in Delaware as Ukraine-Russia Crisis Rages on
» Convoy of Protestors, Including Proud Boys, Brings COVID, Other Grievances to Downtown Raleigh
» CPAC: Parents, GOP Reps Speak Out Against CRT Indoctrination
» CPAC: Kristi Noem Slams Trudeau, Calls for US Energy Independence
» Major US Truck Convoy Gets Free Food, Loads of Donations After Starting Cross-Country Trek
» NYC Man Convicted of Threatening to Kill Senator Manchin, Fox News Hosts
» NYT Criticizes Privacy-Focussed Search Engine DuckDuckGo, While Praising Google for Heavy Censorship
» Poll: 33% of Americans Approve of Biden’s Handling of Russia-Ukraine Conflict
» Pressure Builds on Biden to Reopen Keystone XL Pipeline Amid Ukraine Crisis
» Three Former Minneapolis Police Officers Found Guilty of Violating George Floyd’s Civil Rights
» US National Security Officials Develop Unexplained Neurological Symptoms in and Around White House
» Youngkin Rescinds CRT-Inspired Programs From Virginia Department of Education
 
Canada
» Alberta Balances Budget, Forecasts Surplus for Next Year
» BC Church Arsonist’s Sentencing Delayed, While a Christian Community Tries to Heal
» Bring Back Smiles! Group Wants Kids Unmasked in Ontario Schools
» Canada Protest Convoy Organizer Pat King Denied Bail
» Convoy Supporters’ Bank Accounts Still Frozen
» Convoy Donations Came From Fed-Up People, Not Terrorists: Fintrac
» Did Trudeau Create a Dangerous Run on Canadian Banks by Freezing Protesters’ Bank Accounts?
» Freedom Convoy Truckers Regrouping at Undisclosed Location
» Liberals Demand Russian Vodkas be Pulled From Ontario Liquor Stores
» Ontario Mask Mandate Could be Lifted ‘Simultaneously’ Across Province and Schools
» Ontario to Ban Russian Products From LCBO Stores
» Ontario Judge Rules With Mother Who Doesn’t Want COVID Shots for Her Kids
» Ottawa Police Tweets Shredded by International Pushback
» Taxpayer Watchdog Launches Petition to Defund CBC and End Media Funding
» The Cost of Telling the Other Side of the Story
» The Great Reset: Vaccine Passports, Digital ID and Social Credit Scores
» Veteran Protesting COVID Mandates Prepares to March Over B.C. Mountains
» Woman Trampled by Police Horses at Freedom Protest Says She is Moving to Florida
 
Europe and the EU
» France: Security Officer Stabbed by African ‘Youth’ In Paris Metro
» French Presidential Race: Wikipedia Purges Pro-Zemmour Stance Editors
 
Russia
» Applebee’s Pulls Ads From CNN After Side-by-Side Spot With Ukraine Invasion Footage
» Breaking: Trudeau Announces Third Round of Sanctions, Supports Barring Russia From Swift Banking System
» Civilian Group Who Evacuated Americans From Afghanistan Embarks on Mission to Ukraine
» CPAC: Author Julie Kelly Equates Biden to Putin Over Mistreatment of Jan 6 Defendants
» Failing to Defeat Them, Putin Asks Ukrainian Soldiers to Stage a Coup
» Feeble EU Squabbles Over Whether to Include Designer Handbags, Diamond Trade in Sanctions
» Former Brexit Secretary Says British Warplanes Should Bomb Russian Forces
» George W. Bush Slams Putin for Illegal Invasion; Twitter Reacts
» Hacking Collective Anonymous Appears to Declare War on Putin After Russia Invades Ukraine
» Journalist: Trump Threatened to Bomb Moscow if Russia Attacked Ukraine
» Joy Behar Worries Ukraine War Will Jeopardize Her Italian Holiday
» Kyiv Bombarded by Rockets Overnight, Reports of Fighting in City’s Suburbs
» Live Updates From Russia’s Massive Ukraine Invasion
» Pics: Ukraine Claims Major Victories Against Russian Invaders, Including 1,000 Dead
» Psaki Claims Biden ‘Didn’t Mean It’ When He Said “No One Expected Sanctions to Prevent Anything”
» Russia Says Finland, Sweden Could Face Consequences if Countries Move to Join NATO
» Russian Citizens Take to the Streets for a 2nd Night as the Country Aims to Quash Resistance to Its Ukrainian Invasion
» Snake Island: Ukraine Says Soldiers Killed After Refusing to Surrender
» Time Mum on Infamous 2021 Cover of Sunglasses-Wearing Biden ‘Taking on Putin’ As Ukraine Crisis Unfolds
» UK Broadcasting Regulator Could Move to Ban RT News After Russia’s Ukraine Invasion
» Ukraine President Zelenskyy Pledges to Defend Kyiv; Russia Making ‘Limited Progress’
» Ukraine Invasion: West Imposes Sanctions on Russia’s Putin and Lavrov
» Ukraine Invasion: Russia Restricts Access to Facebook
» Ukraine-Russia News — Live: President Zelensky Warns Putin’s Troops Ready to Storm Kyiv Within Hours
» Ukraine Conflict: Your Guide to Understanding Day Two
» Ukraine President Says He’s Been “Left Alone” By West as He Considers Signing ‘Neutrality Deal’ With Russia
» Ukraine Discussing With Russia About Time and Place to Talk Cease-Fire, Peace
» Video: Ukranian Ambassador Demands to Know How Russia is Still Allowed UN Seat as it Drops Bombs
» Why is Russia Invading Ukraine and What Does Putin Want?
» Yandex Adds “Misinformation” Labels as Russia Warns Media Outlets That Deviate From “Official Sources” Face Shutdown
» Zelensky Sarcastically Rebukes Italian PM Who Suggested He Went Into Hiding After Missed Call
 
South Asia
» Afghanistan’s Taliban Government Calls for ‘Restraint’ In Ukraine-Russia War
 
Far East
» Biden Admin Shared Intel With China in Order to Prevent Ukraine Invasion — China Then Shared That Intel With Russia
» Chinese Censorship on American Soil
 
Australia — Pacific
» Aussies More Hesitant on Booster Shot
» Bill Gates: ‘If Every Country Does What Australia Did,’ the World Could Prevent the Next Pandemic
 
Immigration
» EU Countries Prepare for Ukraine Refugees While ‘Humanitarian Superpower’ Sweden Refuses
» Nearly 26,000 Ukrainians Have Reached Moldova & Romania
» UK: 90 Per Cent of Illegal Boat Migrants Are Male, Home Office Admits Under Cover of Ukraine
» Ukraine’s Neighbors Brace for Millions of Migrants as Russian Invasion Escalates
 
Culture Wars
» Google Drive Flags Benign Metadata Files for Copyright Violations
» Swedish Board of Health U-Turns on Hormone Blockers for Trans Kids
» We’re in Big Trouble
 

/e/OS Upgrade Brings New Life to Older Phones With a Privacy-Focused and Open-Source OS

Developers behind the /e/ operating system, /e/OS, have announced major upgrades to the new version of the software.

/e/OS is focused on data privacy and is designed to offer alternatives to Apple and Google’s mobile operating systems that are either fully or partially proprietary. The latest upgrades aim to extend the use of two models of Samsung Galaxy devices, S9 and S9+, and the main goal this time is to contribute to preventing unnecessary creation of e-waste — which in 2018 alone reached 50 million tons.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Attempt to Use Copyright Claims to Unmask Twitter User Who Criticized Billionaires Faces Pushback

In an amicus curiae brief filed Friday, rights groups American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asked Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California Court to vacate an order given by a lower court requiring Twitter to provide information that would help identify the person behind @CallMeMoneyBags.

The case involves Twitter and Bayside Advisory, where the latter claims copyright to some photos posted by Twitter user @CallMeMoneyBags Last November, US Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu issued an order requiring Twitter to identify @CallMeMoneyBags.

MrMoneyBags posted six photos in a series of tweets making fun of billionaires, including Brian Sheth.

In court, Twitter argued that the photos were protected under fair use principles. But Ryu argued she could not say there was fair use because MrMoneyBags did not present that evidence in court.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Announces Ketanji Brown Jackson to Replace Stephen Breyer on Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (LifeSiteNews) — The White House announced Friday morning that D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is President Joe Biden’s choice to replace the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court, fulfilling a campaign promise to make the nation’s highest court more “diverse.”

“Judge Jackson is one of our nation’s brightest legal minds and has an unusual breadth of experience in our legal system, giving her the perspective to be an exceptional Justice,” the White House said in its announcement of the nomination.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Bill Would Reimburse Defendants Who Shoot Under Self-Defense

A panel of lawmakers introduced legislation that would strengthen Idaho’s “stand your ground” law by requiring counties to reimburse anyone charged in a slaying if a judge or jury concludes they acted in self-defense.

Sen. Christy Zito, a Republican from Hammett, said the proposal is needed to protect people like Kyle Rittenhouse, who used an assault-style rifle to shoot three people during a street protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020. Rittenhouse killed Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, but he said he acted in self-defense. A jury last year acquitted him of multiple charges including homicide.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Bombshell: Biden’s DOJ Drops Anti-Spy China Initiative — Because Racism

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and his Chi-com libertine Fang Fang are going to crack open the champagne over this one. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dropped the Trump-era China Initiative, created to go after Chinese spies.

In 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions started the China Initiative to counter threats of Chinese espionage and corporate secret-stealing. In the three years that the successful Chinese initiative was operational, the DOJ had accrued almost 60 cases involving Chinese spying, hacking, and lying about grant applications.

This insane decision comes shortly after FBI Director Christopher Wray declared that China was “more brazen, more damaging than ever before.”

Why would Biden’s administration stop hunting Chinese spies? The excuse they are giving is exactly what you would expect from the left: racism!

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: Biden to Spend Weekend in Delaware as Ukraine-Russia Crisis Rages on

President Joe Biden will be spending the weekend in Delaware.

The president is scheduled to leave the White House today at 5:30 pm to Delaware, where he owns a home.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki added that Biden was traveling to Delaware to attend the memorial service of a family member.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Convoy of Protestors, Including Proud Boys, Brings COVID, Other Grievances to Downtown Raleigh

MEBANE, N.C. — An event billed as a truck drivers’ protest against COVID restrictions drew a wide variety of voices to downtown Raleigh on Friday afternoon. Some of the participants’ messages had nothing to do with the pandemic.

WRAL’s Bryan Mims followed the convoy of about 50 people from Mebane to Raleigh, where they assembled to the North Carolina Legislative Building. Although the event was advertised as a protest by truck drivers, most people who joined in were in cars or pick-up trucks, and only one tractor trailer appeared to be participating, Mims said.

The convoy arrived in downtown Raleigh at around 1:30 p.m.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

CPAC: Parents, GOP Reps Speak Out Against CRT Indoctrination

In a Friday townhall session hosted by Candace Owens titled “Pupil Propaganda,” she and a panel of four discussed current topics regarding schools from across the country, including pornographic books, masks, teachings on gender, and more.

The panel consisted of Virginia mother Stacy Langton, North Carolina Rep. Ted Budd, Illinois Rep. Mary Miller, and National Review editor Deroy Murdock.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

CPAC: Kristi Noem Slams Trudeau, Calls for US Energy Independence

During South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s speech at CPAC on Friday, the leader took aim at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the recent freezing of freedom protest attendee’s bank accounts.

Noem started by discussing how the National School Board Association worked with the White House to get the FBI to investigate parents who spoke out against critical race theory teachings.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Major US Truck Convoy Gets Free Food, Loads of Donations After Starting Cross-Country Trek

LUPTON, Arizona—A convoy numbering about 100 vehicles made its first two stops in Arizona, receiving free food from a pizza restaurant and the Navajo Nation.

The group, dubbed The People’s Convoy, is en route to Washington to protest against COVID-19 mandates and other actions drivers and supporters call government overreach.

The convoy spent their second night on the road on the Navajo reservation, keeping warm by fires and eating food provided by the nation.

“I’m here to support all of these patriots here as they go across the nation. I believe the message they’re sending is needed,” Myron Lizer, the vice president of the nation, told The Epoch Times.

“I believe in small government, I believe in everything that they stand for,” he added. “Government is overstepping its bounds. You can’t make people do anything. Our U.S. Constitution protects us, the personal religious freedom, and the personal rights of our citizens. So government needs to know when to step down.”

Truckers and people driving other vehicles traveling in the convoy made their way after to Great American Pizza and Subs, where owners cooked up over 600 pizzas and didn’t charge the convoy for the fare.

“We love freedom, number one. And they’re traveling the roads to express, ‘look, we want to be free,” Robert Hall, who owns the business with his wife, Kathleen, told NTD, part of the Epoch Media Group.

Tips were given to the restaurant that ended up equaling more than the amount the convoy would have been charged. Leftover tips were used by the Halls to buy fuel for convoy vehicles…

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

NYC Man Convicted of Threatening to Kill Senator Manchin, Fox News Hosts

A New York City man has been convicted on charges of threatening to murder Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), along with Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Greg Gutfeld.

Rickey Johnson was convicted on Thursday on two counts of transmitting threatening interstate communications, which carries a 5 year maximum sentence each, and one count of threatening a federal official, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

Johnson was also acquitted of one count of threatening a federal official.

These threats were made by the defendant, in the form of direct messages as well as public posts of videos on Instagram.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

NYT Criticizes Privacy-Focussed Search Engine DuckDuckGo, While Praising Google for Heavy Censorship

Google alternatives like DuckDuckGo are facing ideological and political, not technological, hurdles; corporate media like the New York Times, which is littered with privacy-invasive ads, is joining the pile-on against them; and that is a scary development.

It’s been over 20 years since a fresh-faced “do no evil” Google came up on the scene to crush web search competition of the time, simply by being better at the core product — and never forget, that was web search, not advertiser or political orchestrator.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Poll: 33% of Americans Approve of Biden’s Handling of Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A mere 33 percent of Americans “approve” of how Joe Biden has handled the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a Washington Post-ABC News poll shows.

While 33 percent of respondents “approve” of Biden’s handling of the situation, 47 percent “disapprove,” and another 20 percent have “no opinion.” The poll asked respondents if they think America’s leadership on the world stage is “weaker” or “stronger” under Biden. Just 23 percent of those surveyed said they believe America is a “stronger” global leader with Biden at the helm, while 48 percent believe the U.S. is “weaker”; another 26 percent said the “same” and 2 percent had “no opinion.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Pressure Builds on Biden to Reopen Keystone XL Pipeline Amid Ukraine Crisis

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, President Joe Biden faces calls to reopen the Keystone XL Pipeline in the US, shut down and sanction Russian energy production, and relieve America’s dependence on Russian energy.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Three Former Minneapolis Police Officers Found Guilty of Violating George Floyd’s Civil Rights

Three former Minneapolis police officers who were present at the scene of George Floyd’s death in addition to Derek Chauvin were found guilty on Thursday of deliberately violating Floyd’s constitutional rights.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

US National Security Officials Develop Unexplained Neurological Symptoms in and Around White House

(LifeSiteNews) — Former high-level U.S. national security officials have gone public this week with stories of unexplained, acute-onset neurological symptoms, including on White House grounds, that experts say resemble the effects of a targeted electromagnetic weapon.

The reported experiences of the government officials, publicized for the first time on this week’s episode of 60 Minutes, show a similar pattern: suddenly and without clear explanation, and sometimes along with a loud noise, they said they began experiencing acute symptoms such as vertigo, nausea, head pain, and impaired thinking; sometimes followed by long-term neurological issues such as with memory, eyesight, and balance.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Youngkin Rescinds CRT-Inspired Programs From Virginia Department of Education

It has been reported that newly-elected Governor Glenn Youngkin has been busy at work eliminating state-level education initiatives that have introduced and promoted critical race theory-inspired programs in Virginia’s public schools.

According to an exclusive report by the Daily Caller detailing the list of axed programs, the Youngkin administration has rescinded a slew of critical race theory-inspired programs from the Virginia Department of Education.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Alberta Balances Budget, Forecasts Surplus for Next Year

The Alberta government has announced a balanced budget for the first time in 14 years.

“Due to spending restraint + dynamic growth in every sector, Alberta projects first surplus in 14 years,” said Alberta premier Jason Kenney in a tweet on Thursday. “Alberta leads (Canada) in growth.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

BC Church Arsonist’s Sentencing Delayed, While a Christian Community Tries to Heal

On Wednesday, the sentencing for the arsonist responsible for burning down a 70-year old church — which also ran a large daycare — in Surrey, British Columbia, has been delayed until April 8 2021.

St. George Coptic Orthodox Church is described as a haven for its diverse community. It served over 500 families, many of whom are new immigrants, refugees, and have fled persecution for their faith in other countries to seek a better life in Canada.

On July 14 2021, a Ms. Kathleen Betty Panek, 35, set fire to decorations that were placed on the door of St. George Coptic Orthodox Church and walked away as a fire started and burned out on it’s own.

She returned five days later to set the church on fire, this time engulfing it in flames, destroying it beyond repair.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Bring Back Smiles! Group Wants Kids Unmasked in Ontario Schools

In this report, I feature a grassroots campaign launched by concerned parents looking to end mask mandates in schools. Coined “Bring Back Smiles,” the campaign sends emails to public officials.

The group of Ontario parents and other credible figures who are working behind the scenes saw a need for this kind of initiative, especially in Ontario where the science always seems to be different. As other provinces, like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, opt for personal choice instead of forceful mandates, Premier Doug Ford’s provincial mask mandate still has no end in sight.

And parents are fed up.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Canada Protest Convoy Organizer Pat King Denied Bail

OTTAWA, Ontario — A Canadian judge denied bail on Friday to a prominent organizer of the three-week convoy protest against coronavirus measures in Ottawa.

Pat King was arrested on Feb. 18 and faces charges of mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to obstruct police.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Convoy Supporters’ Bank Accounts Still Frozen

The funds of freedom convoy participants and sympathizers are still frozen, a representative of Trudeau’s cabinet told the Senate yesterday. This despite Emergencies Act powers being withdrawn, reports Blacklock’s.

Senator David Wells asked the question during Senate’s Question Period, to which the Government Representative in Senate said that he cannot “answer definitely that they have all been unfrozen” and that that was “probably not the case.” No reason was given as to why funds had not been unfrozen.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Convoy Donations Came From Fed-Up People, Not Terrorists: Fintrac

Canada’s chief financial intelligence agency has once again shut down claims by the Trudeau government that donations given to the truckers’ Freedom Convoy constituted terrorist funding.

Blacklock’s Reporter reported Friday that Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) deputy director of intelligence Barry MacKillop had declared the money raised for the convoy protests came from people supporting a cause they believed in.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Did Trudeau Create a Dangerous Run on Canadian Banks by Freezing Protesters’ Bank Accounts?

According to the Canadian financial blog Armstrong Economics, the emergency powers activated by Justin Trudeau to cripple the trucker protests have sparked panic among citizens, which could lead to a devastating financial crisis. On Feb. 14, Trudeau enacted the Emergencies Act, which enabled Canadian banks to freeze the assets of anyone who donated to protests against the vaccine mandates — without due process or any court action.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Freedom Convoy Truckers Regrouping at Undisclosed Location

After the recent police action last weekend, and the reinforcement to clear the area of protesters, I wondered what happened with all the people who saw their trucks, cars, furniture and equipment seized by the authorities.

I talked with some of the people who remained while they awaited more updates on the seizure — they revealed to me some of the secret locations other people went to.

At the first place I visited, I heard that the day before, they received a visit from the police who told them to leave or risk being arrested. The mainstream media also came to visit them this group. Most of them had already left the area when I arrived.

Afterwards, I drove two hours to the other side of Ottawa to find a really peaceful piece of private land where truckers and protesters were resting and taking some time off, relaxing after the recent traumatizing events.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Liberals Demand Russian Vodkas be Pulled From Ontario Liquor Stores

Ontario leader Steven Del Duca released a statement on Friday calling on the president of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to pull Russian vodkas from store shelves.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ontario Mask Mandate Could be Lifted ‘Simultaneously’ Across Province and Schools

Dr. Kieran Moore, the Chief Medical Officer for Ontario, told the public during a Thursday press conference that, when the mask mandate gets lifted, it will happen almost everywhere in the province “simultaneously.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ontario to Ban Russian Products From LCBO Stores

Ontario will act to remove Russian-made products from the shelves of LCBOs.

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced the change on his Twitter, stating: “Ontario joins Canada’s allies in condemning the Russian government’s act of aggression against the Ukrainian people, and will direct the LCBO to withdraw all products produced in Russia from store shelves.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ontario Judge Rules With Mother Who Doesn’t Want COVID Shots for Her Kids

In a sharply worded ruling about the pandemic’s effect on society, an Ontario judge has shut down a father’s attempt to force his ex-wife to get their two children unwillingly vaccinated against COVID-19.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Alex Pazaratz sided with the mother and two children, ordering that she be made the sole-decision maker over whether the children get the shots.

In his Feb. 22 ruling, Pazaratz lamented the polarization the pandemic has caused in society, and how it has divided people even in close relationships.

The judge also criticized the father’s tactic of trying to smear the mother’s character over her political views — including his pointing out her membership in the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) — rather than focus on the issues of the lawsuit.

[Comment: Wow, a good judge in Canada.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ottawa Police Tweets Shredded by International Pushback

Twitter announcements put out by the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) during last weekend’s crackdown on Freedom Convoy protesters have received some unflattering international attention.

As law enforcement moved in on the Ottawa demonstrators, the OPS continually put out statements — some containing threats — in order to deter protesters and to keep residents of the city updated on the situation.

The tweets made it far beyond Canada’s capital, however, drawing reactions from foreign politicians, journalists and other public figures and organizations.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Taxpayer Watchdog Launches Petition to Defund CBC and End Media Funding

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has launched a petition calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to scrap the more than $1 billion in funding per year for the CBC and to stop giving $600 million of taxpayers’ money to other media outlets.

“We launched this petition because Canadians should decide which news outlets they prefer and to support them financially if they choose to do so,” said CTF B.C. director Kris Sims in a statement emailed to True North on Thursday. “They should not be forced to pay for it through the government.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The Cost of Telling the Other Side of the Story

Alexa Lavoie on covering the Freedom Convoy

Rebel News reporter Alexa Lavoie was on the ground covering the Freedom Convoy protest for the duration of the near month-long demonstration. When police started using force to remove protesters from the designated “red zone” outside of Parliament, Alexa was on the frontlines bringing Rebel viewers the interactions between the police and the crowd as it happened.

That police use of force eventually made its way to Alexa, who was hit with a police baton and shot in the leg at point-blank range by an officer firing a crowd-control weapon.

Alexa joined yesterday’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show to break down what it was like covering the Freedom Convoy, and to discuss the police attack against her.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The Great Reset: Vaccine Passports, Digital ID and Social Credit Scores

On a recent Rebel News DAILY Livestream, Dakota Christensen and Ian Miles Cheong dove into a discussion about World Economic Forum chairman Klaus Schwab’s vision for The Great Reset and the organization’s connections to the Canadian government.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Veteran Protesting COVID Mandates Prepares to March Over B.C. Mountains

In a scene right out of Rambo (First Blood), Canadian Armed Forces veteran James Topp reached the town of Hope, British Columbia on Thursday evening, completing the first 170km of his march from Vancouver to Ottawa and preparing to take on the Cascade mountains.

His journey’s GPS Live Tracker can be found here.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Woman Trampled by Police Horses at Freedom Protest Says She is Moving to Florida

The Mohawk woman who was trampled by horses at the freedom convoy protests will be moving to Florida with her family.

A tweet by Candy Sero, the woman who was trampled by mounted police officers, announced her decision on Twitter on Thursday.

“After getting trampled by horses by Trudeau I decided I will be moving to Florida with my family,” she wrote.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

France: Security Officer Stabbed by African ‘Youth’ In Paris Metro

A security officer was stabbed by an African ‘youth’ when he tried to intervene in an armed robbery on a platform in the Paris metro, according to reports.

The incident unfolded at around 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening in the French capital.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

French Presidential Race: Wikipedia Purges Pro-Zemmour Stance Editors

Online encyclopedia-turned information giant Wikipedia has completely banned seven of its editors over their sympathy for French presidential hopeful Eric Zemmour.

Seven Wikipedia editors, including one of the site’s biggest French-language contributors, have been completely banned from the online encyclopedia over their pro-Zemmour stance.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Applebee’s Pulls Ads From CNN After Side-by-Side Spot With Ukraine Invasion Footage

Applebee’s has reportedly paused their advertising on CNN following an odd ad transition Thursday. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the network went from broadcasting air raid sirens in Ukraine to showing a picture-in-picture ad for the restaurant chain, featuring a cowboy shaking his butt to the Zac Brown Band song “Chicken Fried.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: Trudeau Announces Third Round of Sanctions, Supports Barring Russia From Swift Banking System

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced further measures on Friday in response to “President Putin’s war of choice,” after revealing that he has shared calls with world leaders including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Civilian Group Who Evacuated Americans From Afghanistan Embarks on Mission to Ukraine

The group responsible for evacuating Americans in Afghanistan last year has taken up the call to help Americans get out of Ukraine, following the launch of an invasion Thursday by Russian forces into the country.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Project Dynamo is the same private outfit that helped Americans flee Afghanistan, and with the situation in Ukraine they’ve revealed they’re back in business.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

CPAC: Author Julie Kelly Equates Biden to Putin Over Mistreatment of Jan 6 Defendants

On Friday, author Julie Kelly gave a speech about Jan 6 and the mistreatment of those that have been arrested and charged in connection to the day on a Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) panel titled “The Truth about January 6th: A conversation with Julie Kelly.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Failing to Defeat Them, Putin Asks Ukrainian Soldiers to Stage a Coup

Russian leader Vladimir Putin called on Ukranian soldiers on Friday to defect and stage a coup against President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose government Russia has so far failed to topple despite launching a “full-scale” invasion on Thursday.

Addressing a meeting of the Russian Security Council on Friday, Vladimir Putin said that Ukrainian Army should “take control” of the country as it would be “easier” for him to negotiate with the military, rather than what he termed as “junkies and neo-Nazis” under the control of President Zelensky.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Feeble EU Squabbles Over Whether to Include Designer Handbags, Diamond Trade in Sanctions

Despite tough talk over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union is squabbling internally over whether to include luxury goods and diamonds in sanctions, while there is reluctance on all sides to restrict energy imports.

While the 27-member bloc had been sounding off about severe consequences for the Vladimir Putin-led Russian Federation if it carried out a military offensive against its neighbour, it evidently failed to agree a common line on sanctions over the last several months.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Former Brexit Secretary Says British Warplanes Should Bomb Russian Forces

Senior British politician David Davis has called on the British government to “neutralize” Russian forces in Ukraine from the air, claiming that this would “reduce the risk of escalation”.

Davis, a leading backbench Member of Parliament, the government’s inaugural Secretary of State for Brexit, and a former party leadership contender, is not content with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of “the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen”, arguing that “[t]hey will not stop [Vladimir Putin].”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

George W. Bush Slams Putin for Illegal Invasion; Twitter Reacts

After George W. Bush slammed Vladimir Putin for illegally invading a country, Twitter users who weren’t born yesterday had some choice reactions.

“Russia’s attack on Ukraine constitutes the gravest security crisis on the European continent since World War II. I join the international community in condemning Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine,” said Bush in a statement.

“We cannot tolerate the authoritarian bullying and danger that Putin poses,” he added.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hacking Collective Anonymous Appears to Declare War on Putin After Russia Invades Ukraine

Anonymous, an international hacking collective that has conducted cyberattacks against governments and corporations, appeared to declare war against Putin and Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

The “YourAnonNews” Twitter account, which boasts 6.5 million followers, made the declaration on Thursday, saying that the hacking group is “currently involved in operations against the Russian Federation.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Journalist: Trump Threatened to Bomb Moscow if Russia Attacked Ukraine

According to New York Post journalist Michael Goodwin, Donald Trump told Vladimir Putin he would order the bombing of Moscow if Russia attacked Ukraine.

During a recent conversation with the journalist at Mar-a-Lago, Trump made it clear what he thought about current developments.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Joy Behar Worries Ukraine War Will Jeopardize Her Italian Holiday

The View host Joy Behar reacted to horrific scenes of the bombardment of Ukraine by complaining that the war might jeopardize her Italian holiday.

Yes, really.

Failing to understand that chat show airheads should refrain from even discussing serious geopolitical issues, co-host Sunny Hostin got the ball rolling by talking about the latest developments in eastern Europe.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Kyiv Bombarded by Rockets Overnight, Reports of Fighting in City’s Suburbs

The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv (Kiev) was hit by rocket strikes overnight, with reports of fighting in its suburbs claimed on Friday morning.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba described the rocket strikes on the capital as “horrific”, saying the city had not suffered such an ordeal since 1941 “when it was attacked by Nazi Germany.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Live Updates From Russia’s Massive Ukraine Invasion

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his long-anticipated invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Despite pleas from the international community, Putin rebuffed condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that attempts made by other states to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.”

Events of the invasion have played out in real time on social media platforms. Sources on the ground in Ukraine are reporting live on Twitter, and Military Times is chronicling these accounts and will continue to provide live updates. You can find updates prior to 11:30 a.m. Thursday here.

1:25 p.m. EST

“U.S. officials still think the ultimate goal of Russia’s invasion is to remove Ukraine’s government and install its own. At this point, Ukrainian command and control is still believed to be intact,” AP News reported.

12:50 p.m. EST

ABC confirms that the 30 members of NATO needed agreed to activate the force under the command of Gen. Told Wolter.

The human rights organization Council of Europe has suspended Russia, impacting its participation in the Committee of Ministers. Russia is still required to comply with the organization’s human rights conventions, however.

Buzzfeed confirm Zelensky is still in Kyiv despite rumors he fled.

11:45 a.m. EST

Ukrainian parliamentary member Olena Sotnyk called for military aid and humanitarian assistance as hospitals in Ukraine are overwhelmed with an influx of injured civilians and soldiers.

11:30 a.m. EST

In addition to the naval actions directed at Ukraine, Russia also has a 16-ship formation floating off the coast of Syria.

10:35 a.m. EST

Fox News reports a Russian Marine assault west of Mariupol.

10:15 a.m. EST

Foreign Policy reports that Ukraine is putting up greater resistance to Russian forces than anticipated.

10:00 a.m. EST

Putin urges the Ukrainian military to carry out a coup.

9:45 a.m. EST

Russian shelling in Luhansk leaves devastation.

Russian troops are continuing their attack on the Ukrainian capital as Putin claims willingness to turn back to diplomacy.

9:30 a.m. EST

NATO member nations, including the United Kingdom and the U.S., are rolling out aid to countries surrounding Ukraine. The U.S. has sent fighter jets and troops throughout the region, notably to Poland, Estonia and Lithuania.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has been spotted in the last 24 hours wearing kevlar and protective plating walking among Ukrainian troops, but his current whereabouts remain unknown after comments Thursday night that he was “Russia’s number one target.”

9:15 a.m. EST

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister said officials were collecting evidence to immediately send over to the Hague, the home of the U.N.’s International Court of Justice.

8:45 a.m. EST

This latest update comes just hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Moscow would hold talks with Kyiv only if Ukrainian forces laid down their arms.

8:30 a.m. EST

Troops from Chechnya are reportedly joining Russian and Belarusian forces in the invasion of Ukraine…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Pics: Ukraine Claims Major Victories Against Russian Invaders, Including 1,000 Dead

Ukraine’s state-run Ukrinform news service reported several victories against the Russian invasion force on Friday, including the destruction of Russian tanks, warplanes, and rocket launchers.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said a thousand Russian soldiers have been killed in action.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Psaki Claims Biden ‘Didn’t Mean It’ When He Said “No One Expected Sanctions to Prevent Anything”

In a grimly ridiculous moment Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claimed that Joe Biden wasn’t being serious when he said that “No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening,” with Russia and Ukraine, moments after announcing more sanctions.

Biden stated that “Putin’s not going to say ‘oh, my God, the sanctions are coming,’“ almost in the same breath as having announced that he would bring more sanctions on Russia.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Russia Says Finland, Sweden Could Face Consequences if Countries Move to Join NATO

A Russian official on Friday issued a warning to Finland and Sweden should both nations intend to join NATO, saying such moves would have “serious military-political repercussions.”

During a news briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made the remarks as Russian forces continue to battle the Ukrainian military following an unprovoked invasion into the neighboring country.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Russian Citizens Take to the Streets for a 2nd Night as the Country Aims to Quash Resistance to Its Ukrainian Invasion

Russian citizens across the country hit the streets on Friday evening for the second night of wide-scale protests against their country’s ongoing assault on Ukraine.

In Moscow, St. Petersburg, and dozens of other cities, thousands of Russians rebuked the Kremlin’s violent military invasion, even as Russian authorities clamped down on displays of opposition.

The OVD-Info rights group, which tracks political arrests, reported Friday that hundreds of protesters were detained in Moscow. Arrests in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Bryansk, and Arkhangelsk were also reported.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Snake Island: Ukraine Says Soldiers Killed After Refusing to Surrender

Ukraine has honoured 13 soldiers who were killed defending a tiny island after reportedly swearing at a Russian ship that ordered them to surrender.

In unverified audio clips, the borders guards defending Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea are told to “lay down your weapons” or “be bombed”.

“Russian warship, go to hell,” they respond.

Ukraine says they were then killed by air and sea strikes. Russia denies the account, saying they all surrendered.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Time Mum on Infamous 2021 Cover of Sunglasses-Wearing Biden ‘Taking on Putin’ As Ukraine Crisis Unfolds

TIME was mum on Friday when asked if it stands by its June 2021 issue depicting President Biden as ready to take on Vladimir Putin and “qualified” to ease tenses following the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, TIME was widely mocked ahead of Biden’s summit with Putin once the magazine’s cover image of a sunglasses-wearing president was revealed. The over-the-top, flattering image of the Democratic president featured Biden in his signature aviator shades with the headline, “Taking on Putin.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK Broadcasting Regulator Could Move to Ban RT News After Russia’s Ukraine Invasion

RT News, otherwise known as Russia Today, is facing an outright ban from broadcasting in Britain and potentially the rest of the world following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Censorship of RT has long been in the works and was being discussed prior to the escalation of tensions, with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries asking British regulator Ofcom to consider banning RT outright.

Dorries charged that “RT is demonstrably part of Russia’s global disinformation campaign, as its own editor-in-chief has made clear in the past, who has called the network an ‘information weapon’ of the Russian state.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine President Zelenskyy Pledges to Defend Kyiv; Russia Making ‘Limited Progress’

Ukraine supporters: Hundreds gather outside White House, demand tougher sanctions on Russia

Hundreds of Ukraine supporters gathered outside the White House on Thursday calling on President Biden to impose tougher sanctions on Russia.

“Russia bombed my family and friends now in Kyiv and many cities of Ukraine, one woman, Maria, told Fox News. “I want the whole world to know that this is time to act.”

“We need to act because we are protecting not only Ukraine, but the whole Western civilization,” she continued.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine Invasion: West Imposes Sanctions on Russia’s Putin and Lavrov

Western nations have ordered personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the invasion of Ukraine.

The men’s assets in the US, EU, UK and Canada will be frozen and, in the case of the US, a travel ban imposed.

The announcement came on the second day of the Russian attack on its neighbour.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine Invasion: Russia Restricts Access to Facebook

Russia has limited access to Facebook over the platform’s stance on the accounts of several Moscow-backed news outlets amid the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor accused the network of “censorship” and violating “the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens”.

Facebook said it had refused to stop fact-checking and labelling content from state-owned news organisations.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine-Russia News — Live: President Zelensky Warns Putin’s Troops Ready to Storm Kyiv Within Hours

Ukraine’s president has warned Kyiv to brace for a brutal assault tonight as Russian troops bear down on the capital.

Volodymyr Zelensky said the “fate of Ukraine is being decided right now.”

As explosions ring out across the city and desperate families shelter in underground stations, president Zelensky said Russia would be using all its might “to break our resistance”.

“This night we must persevere,” he said. “This night will be hard, very hard, but morning will come.”

The bombing is still reportedly several miles from the centre of Kyiv. Earlier, Russian tanks entered the city, and people were urged to fight back with Molotov cocktails.

Meanwhile, Russia has blocked a UN resolution demanding a stop to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Its defence ministry says troops have taken over the southern city of Melitopol. This has not been independently verified.

Ukraine says at least 137 people have been killed including civilians, while Russia has not released casualty figures on its side.

Amnesty International says Russia has violated international law with “indiscriminate attacks” on civilian areas, while the UN has predicted an exodus of up to 5 million refugees.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine Conflict: Your Guide to Understanding Day Two

The Ukrainian capital Kyiv was under missile fire on Friday evening, with explosions reported near a power station and gunfire heard on the streets.

Earlier, Russian tanks were seen entering the city on the second day of fighting, but Kyiv remains under government control.

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukrainians to resist the Russian invasion, with thousands of weapons handed out to civilians and instructions issued on how to make petrol bombs.

Men wearing jeans and trainers with rifles slung over their backs manned checkpoints in Kyiv and hid in trees behind anti-tank weapons, waiting for a Russian advance.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine President Says He’s Been “Left Alone” By West as He Considers Signing ‘Neutrality Deal’ With Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky complained that he had been “left alone” by the west and that NATO leaders were “afraid” as he considers signing a ‘neutrality deal’ with Russia that would bring an end to the attack.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine Discussing With Russia About Time and Place to Talk Cease-Fire, Peace

While at first it seemed unlikely that both Russia and Ukraine would come to a peace talks agreement amid the invasion, officials have signaled some hope of that by Friday evening on the second day of the conflict.

Representatives from Ukraine and Russia have contacted each other and are discussing a place and time for potential negotiations, according to a spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The spokesman said in a Facebook post that “Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about ceasefire and peace,” as is its “constant position,” according to a translation of his remarks.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Video: Ukranian Ambassador Demands to Know How Russia is Still Allowed UN Seat as it Drops Bombs

In a fascinating exchange Thursday, Ukrainian ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya addressed the United Nations and asked why Russia is still allowed to sit in and be a member while it bombs his country.

In what was clearly an uncomfortable moment for the Security Council, Kyslytsya referred to article four of the UN Charter, noting that the global body opens itself to all “peace loving states” that abide by the obligations within.

Kyslytsya then charged that “Russia is not able to carry out any of these obligations.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Why is Russia Invading Ukraine and What Does Putin Want?

By air, land, and sea, Russia has launched a devastating attack on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million people, and its forces are on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv.

For months, President Vladimir Putin denied he would invade his neighbour, but then he tore up a peace deal, sending forces across borders in Ukraine’s north, east and south.

As the number of dead climbs, he stands accused of shattering peace in Europe. What happens next could jeopardise the continent’s entire security structure.

Why have Russian troops attacked?

Russian troops are advancing on Ukraine’s capital from several directions after Russia’s leader ordered the invasion. In a pre-dawn TV address on 24 February, he declared Russia could could not feel “safe, develop and exist” because of what he claimed was a constant threat from modern Ukraine.

Airports and military headquarters were hit first, near cities across Ukraine, then tanks and troops rolled into Ukraine from the north, east and south — from Russia and its ally Belarus.

Many of President Putin’s arguments were false or irrational. He claimed his goal was to protect people subjected to bullying and genocide and aim for the “demilitarisation and de-Nazification” of Ukraine. There has been no genocide in Ukraine: it is a vibrant democracy, led by a president who is Jewish.

“How could I be a Nazi?” said Volodymr Zelensky, who likened Russia’s onslaught to Nazi Germany’s invasion in World War Two…

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

Yandex Adds “Misinformation” Labels as Russia Warns Media Outlets That Deviate From “Official Sources” Face Shutdown

Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor told the country’s media to use only official Russian sources when covering news about its invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement, the media watchdog said that Russian news outlets should “use only information and data from official Russian sources,” when covering “the special operation connected with the situation in the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Zelensky Sarcastically Rebukes Italian PM Who Suggested He Went Into Hiding After Missed Call

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Sarcastically rebuked suggestions that he had gone into hiding by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi after the two missed a phone call earlier today.

President Zelensky and Prime Minister Draghi were scheduled to speak on the telephone on Friday morning but were unable to connect, leading the Italian Prime Minister to suggest Zelensky had gone into hiding in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Afghanistan’s Taliban Government Calls for ‘Restraint’ In Ukraine-Russia War

The Taliban-controlled government of Afghanistan released a statement Friday addressing the Russia-Ukraine war, urging restraint and expressing concern for civilians.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and expresses concern about real possibility of civilian casualties,” the statement, which the Taliban government spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi posted on Twitter, began. “The Islamic Emirate calls for restraint by both parties. All sides need to desist from taking positions that could intensify violence.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Biden Admin Shared Intel With China in Order to Prevent Ukraine Invasion — China Then Shared That Intel With Russia

A new report reveals that the Biden administration attempted to stave off the Russian invasion of Ukraine as far back as last November.

They did so by trying to share intelligence with Beijing. But the partnership between China and Russia was strong enough that the Chinese government informed the Kremlin as to what the US knew.

It adds more to the questions surrounding what preventative measures President Biden undertook leading up to the invasion of Ukraine earlier this week.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Chinese Censorship on American Soil

Billionaire tech investor David Sacks recently summed up the present state of Communist Chinese intimidation of American business, sports leagues like the NBA, and anyone else with commercial interests in China. He sees it getting worse, not better.

Appearing on a podcast hosted by former Fox News anchor and NBC talk show host Megyn Kelly, Sacks was asked to address the backlash against his friend, Chamath Palihapitiya, for saying “no one cares” about repression and ethnic cleansing of the Uyghurs by China’s communist regime. Sacks told Kelly he accepts his friend’s later explanation that his words simply came out wrong. But Sacks’s larger response to the question of Chinese intimidation really hit the nail on the head:

“The CCP is essentially depriving Americans of their free speech rights — not in China, but on American soil — as a condition of doing business over there.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Aussies More Hesitant on Booster Shot

Booster shot popularity has declined, according to a survey in 2021.

Although 51% of adults have received their booster, the uptake rate has slowed despite increased government advertising.

The survey found that in October of 2021, 71.9% of eligible people were interested in getting a booster shot. This has fallen to 65.4%.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Bill Gates: ‘If Every Country Does What Australia Did,’ the World Could Prevent the Next Pandemic

For months, Bill Gates has warned of a new pandemic looming on the horizon. And according to the Microsoft co-founder, one country has already laid out a blueprint for successfully mitigating it.

“If every country does what Australia did, then you wouldn’t be calling [the next outbreak] a pandemic,” Gates, a health philanthropist who has dedicated billions of dollars to vaccine research, said at the annual Munich Security Conference earlier this month.

[Comment: Bill Gates can go to hell. And he is promoting medical disinformation, for scientific studies have shown that lockdowns don’t work.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Countries Prepare for Ukraine Refugees While ‘Humanitarian Superpower’ Sweden Refuses

Several European Union countries in central and eastern Europe say they are preparing for a wave of refugees for Ukraine, while “humanitarian superpower” Sweden has refused to take any.

Ukraine’s neighbour Poland, which has previously taken in large number of Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers after the 2014 Donbas war, has already set up working groups to determine the logistical challenges of helping those who flee from Ukraine. An estimated 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees already live in Poland.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Nearly 26,000 Ukrainians Have Reached Moldova & Romania

The neighbouring countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania have revealed that about 26,000 refugees have entered their respective countries, but few have applied for international protection.

According to an article from Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, about 15,800 Ukrainian arrivals have crossed the border in the last 24 hours, as the Interior Minister of Moldova, Ana Revenco, revealed.

In addition, about 10,000 refugees are estimated to have entered Romania, as Romania’s Interior Ministry has reported on February 25, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: 90 Per Cent of Illegal Boat Migrants Are Male, Home Office Admits Under Cover of Ukraine

The UK governmet has revealed that nine out of ten illegal boat migrants who landed in Britain last year were male, confirming long-made statements from Brexit leader Nigel Farage.

In a data dump — as Vladimir Putin’s millitary invaded Ukraine — the Priti Patel-led Home Office admitted on Thursday that men account for ninety per cent of all illegal boat migrants who reached British beaches in 2021.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine’s Neighbors Brace for Millions of Migrants as Russian Invasion Escalates

As the crisis in Ukraine unfolds, neighboring countries are closely monitoring the fallout.

Nations across the globe have imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow, but the economic and military repercussions of Russia’s Ukrainian invasion are just part of the picture.

The European continent is concerned that a full-blown incursion could lead to a major migrant crisis — the type not seen since World War II — with serious humanitarian, political and societal costs both for Ukrainian refugees and the countries to which they flee.

Indeed, some central European nations are already making preparations.

Poland, which shares an approximately 530-kilometer land border with Ukraine, said last month that it is preparing for up to 1 million Ukrainian refugees, whom they plan to house in hostels, dormitories and sports facilities. Nearby Romania is anticipating migration in the “hundreds of thousands,” while Slovakia and the Czech Republic put estimated inflows in the tens of thousands.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Google Drive Flags Benign Metadata Files for Copyright Violations

There’s trouble in “Big Tech paradise;” reports say that as Google goes through the files Apple users upload to Google Drive, in order to find and flag anything it thinks is copyrighted content, the automated system appears to be making mistakes.

And that is inconveniencing some macOS users who are receiving notices saying that their “.DS_Store” files violate Google Drive’s copyright infringement policy.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Swedish Board of Health U-Turns on Hormone Blockers for Trans Kids

The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has made a U-turn on its guidelines regarding hormone therapy for children who say they are transgender, claiming the risks to the children outweigh possible benefits.

The National Board of Health and Welfare is expected to release new guidelines after delaying a report in December following a series of investigations by the television programme “Uppdrag Granskning” last November, which examined the effects of hormone treatment on children.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

We’re in Big Trouble

While ballistic missiles were raining down on Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defence was tweeting about its successful LGBT coffee morning.

Wow, Kiev is saved. Putin’s turned back the tanks.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

33 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/25/2022

  1. I think a lot of people here are waiting for my comments. I will now share my personal thoughts. They may seem strange to you. Besides, I can not be called a very smart person.

    So, I have a low opinion of the Slavs. These peoples are very susceptible to brainwashing and manipulation. Well, maybe, except for the Czechs. As one commenter wrote here, “We’ve had so many religious wars that only the critical thinkers are left alive.”

    In Soviet times, in my childhood and youth, I had many Ukrainian friends. They were hospitable people with a wide soul. In general, most of Ukraine was friendly to the Russians. I liked Ukrainian guys with a cheerful gentle character, I miss these qualities so much in this harsh Nordic husband.

    Except Western Ukraine. Except for the Ukrainians who were annexed after 1939. It was those who staged the Volyn massacre of the Poles, and then became Hitler’s punishers.

    And then the collapse of the USSR happened. A puppet and alcoholic, Yeltsin did not defend the interests of the Russians, who mostly inhabit the Crimea.

    Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR began to urgently search for their identity. Western curators began to explain to them that all their troubles were due to Russians, and they began to make anti-Russians out of Ukrainians. And for some reason, they began to focus on the identity and history of most of the country, but on the identity of the renegades.
    The new generation of Ukrainians joined in with pleasure. Now you are observing these processes in your countries.

    And now we have come to what we have come to.

    Now I will write what the majority will not like.

    Recently, watching American films, I caught one line that popped up here and there in context. This is the topic of Jewish pogroms on the territory of the former Ukraine. The Jews were too smart and cunning not to live in the harsh Russian climate.
    Abraham’s tribe came up with this theory of “collective responsibility”. It’s us, the Slavic idiots, who have a short memory, while the Jews have kept their history for thousands of years.
    So the tribe of Abraham. I’m not a Christian (I consider this religion a way to colonize and stupefy non-Jewish peoples), but most of you are. And you must remember what Abraham’s deal with God consisted of: for a piece of foreskin, God gave the Jews forever the lands inhabited by other peoples, as soon as the Jews set foot on it.

    Counter-jihadists write a lot about how Muslims consider the land that once belonged to them to be theirs. Why shouldn’t this rule work with Jews?

    Link to an article from an Israeli resource. It writes about the most delicious and fertile part of the territory of Russia and Ukraine.
    https://besacenter.org/khazars-judaism-eurasia/

    So, one more time. some nations are very stupid and can’t think critically with their head and allow themselves to be manipulated.
    And I will step aside and try not to incarnate on this planet again.

    • Genesis 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

      …Abraham was a Chaldian from the city of Ur in Babylonia, but he left and went to the land of Canaan, where he was a stranger, yet God gave that land to him and to his seed.

      But his seed – “Israel”, misbehaved so greatly that God had sent the Assyrians to take Israelites from the land of Canaan in 722 BC, and they roam the world since then. The kingdom of Judah has been conquered by Nabuchadnessar, the king of Babylon, in 587BC, and its inhabitants deported back to Babylon.

      A remnant came back, and reestablished the kingdom of Judah, but that one has been once again – wiped out by the Romans in 70 AD. And after that the Jews roamed the world like their Israelite brothers, without a land.

      Israel has been put into existence once more in 1948…

      But the point is – from the scripture, we are still talking about Phoenicia-Canaan, on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, as the land which was given to Abraham and his seed.

      Am I right?

    • Today my husband and I and our friends discussed what is happening.

      Nothing in the country foreshadowed this expansion. The country did not go over to war footing. The economy is extremely weak, people are impoverished. There was not even military propaganda.
      Now Putin’s adventure is to suffer catastrophic losses with his outdated weapons. All this is similar to the defeat of Tsar Nicholas 2 in the Russo-Japanese War.
      We have all come to the conclusion that Putin has gone mad. Or this puppet fulfills some order of its masters.
      Maybe they told him to kill both the Ukrainians and us at the same time.

  2. “Google goes through the files Apple users upload to Google Drive, in order to find and flag anything it thinks is copyrighted”

    Well – I am glad that I have avoided these great Google Drive and Microsoft Cloud services like the plague! Nevertheless, I still don’t understand the hubris these google people have to go through other people’s data and decide what data are those people allowed to have…

    Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

  3. Russia massed its army outside while the Muslims mass their bums inside. Talk your way out of this one ladies. I don’t think so.

      • Well I do hope you racked and stackem!? A live jihadist is a deadly jihadist. I told you before, you stack 100 of them, and I”ll send you enough 30 ounce steaks to feed your family and 50 year old bottle Burbon for your trouble.

        • Old interrogatory technics are most reliable..
          One come to his sense in around 45 minutes..
          other two seeing how skilfull are the interrogators , confessed without hesitations..
          Gather info was extra value..so Big guys pick them up today..
          They complain about something like ” geneva convention on POV ” but any of us , never hear about such a think..
          They were wearing civil clothes.. no Army ID’S..lucky we didn’t brand them as a Terrorists..:=))

          • If they were wearing civilian clothing they can be shot on the spot. Use a battery and jumper cables next time, it saves time. Well done.

  4. Education professors win award for ‘Literary Whiteness’ book

    Two education professors will be presented with an award for their book called “Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Anti-racist Literature Instruction for White Students.”
    https://www.thecollegefix.com/education-professors-win-award-for-literary-whiteness-book/
    =================
    In Soviet times, behind the Iron Curtain, films were boring, and only “news from agricultural fields” was shown on TV.
    By the way, I’m lying, we were also shown French and Italian comedies.

    But then we all read a lot. ALL world classics were available in libraries (these books were published in large editions) . And here are modern works, only approved by the Politburo, which talked about the problems of capitalist society and ordinary people. HM. I remember even at home we had an anthology with a collection of stories by Belfast writers.
    The Soviets promoted the friendship of peoples and writers from third world countries. I remember Jorge Amada. I haven’t been able to read any of his novels. Some monkey jumping.
    Borges, Marquez and Cortazar were also published, but the public was not widely informed about these writers. They were widely discussed after Perestroika. But this is also the meaning of “white literature”.

    So, what then to read if the white heritage is thrown out of the libraries?

    Only the medieval Japanese writer Sei Senagon comes to mind. (she was also published in the USSR)

    Maybe I’m just not very well educated.

  5. And why the Serbs? They never enslaved blacks, the Turks drove them into slavery.

    This is a real mockery of the Serbs.
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9371666/

    During the late 14th century Serbia becomes the target of the Ottoman Empire. The year is 1388 and Turkish bandits freely roam throughout southern Serbia. While the majority of Serbian knights is concentrated around the city of Kruševac, capital of Serbia at the time, the southern borders are partially left undefended. It is not until the following year of 1389 when it will come to a total clash of two armies

    While the respected Serbian noble Strahinja Banović is out hunting, a Turkish renegade gang burns his castle, kills all of his servants, and takes the young wife of Banović Strahinja. Strahinja begins a long quest to rescue his wife despite everybody else’s doubts in her fidelity. Strahinja gathers a posse of scoundrels and goes after the bandits. In the meantime, the Turkish bandit Alija tries to seduce Strahinja’s wife Anđa, but she refuses him. However, over a period of time she begins to weaken.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Falcon_(film)

  6. I’m sure that not many people remember or have even heard of the remarkable Phil Haney who was murdered just 2 years.

    Phil was a whistleblower for the DHS who had uncovered a huge amount of dirt on Islamic terror groups like Hamas.

    Instead of being rewarded for his work that benefited and protected our country, he was investigated and harassed by the security agency that employed him.

    Thus far his murder has not been solved and many are questioning why.

    “As Haney explained in The Hill on May 5, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security ordered him “to delete or modify several hundred records of individuals tied to designated Islamist terror groups like Hamas from the important federal database, the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS).” The DHS investigated Haney nine times, revoked his security clearance, and finally ginned up fake complaints about his job performance.

    https://amgreatness.com/2022/02/25/department-of-homicide-security/

    • Wagner mercenaries Group , providing Taget killings as well..Operating legally without problems in Western countries..
      We got 3 off hem last night..
      Their target was to prepare ” logistic network” in Poland and Czechia for
      “unknown” clients..It took hard work ,to get confession from them.. .

  7. First succes !!
    Last night shift at 3.15 AM , personally with my 2 colleges , intercepter 3 Chechen saboteurs trying to sneak into Poland..
    After some hard ” pressure” they admit who they are , and what’s was targets..
    Members Wagner mercenaries Group.. ..

      • If someone has high work ethics and integrity Providence follows :-))
        We got Intel it will happen along the border..there were 3 attempt that night..all unsuccessful :-)..all borders from Krolewiec 😉 to Hrubieszow so tight , no mousse will sneak thru ..if they will not to be aloud to ;-))
        American military technology ( particularly at night) second to none :-)_
        Thinks you don’t even know does exist..that much i can say :-))

  8. BERLIN, Feb 23 (Reuters) – The World Health Organization has signed a contract with Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) subsidiary T-Systems to build a software solution for global electronic verification of coronavirus vaccination certificates, the telecoms company said.

    The QR code-based software solution will be used for other vaccinations as well, such as polio or yellow fever, T-Systems said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the WHO would support its 194 member states in building national and regional verification technology.

    The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

    “Health is a strategic growth area for T-Systems,” said T-Systems Chief Executive Officer Adel Al-Saleh.

    T-Systems previously worked with SAP (SAPG.DE) to develop Germany’s Corona-Warn-App tracing and verification app and a Europe-wide digital COVID-19 vaccine verification system.

  9. Notice Westerners ( particularly German) that is how real War Refugies look like !!!
    College from Polish border guard carries a young Ukrainian girl across the border to safety in Poland.

    This is how real refugees look like, women and children.

    It’s very different picture on the Belarusian border, where it’s mainly Middle Eastern men trying to cross into Poland illegally.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FMe52M9XMAM75g_?format=jpg&name=4096×4096

  10. VIDEO:
    https://rumble.com/embed/vt8y3k/?pub=4

    Chechen leader Kadyrov addressed 10,000 fighters

    Chechen leader Kadyrov addressed 10,000 fighters, 25 feb. 2022

    By Henrik M. Jensen c/o SNAPHANEN.DK

    In September 1999, several terrorist bombs exploded in Russia. Among other things, two apartment blocks in Bujansk and Volgodansk were hit and over 300 residents were killed.

    The blame for the terror was quickly placed on Chechens who had gained autonomy after the 1st Chechen war, and it led to the 2nd Chechen war, where Russia got Chechnya back in the fold.

    Several historians claim that the bombs were probably placed by the Russian intelligence service FSB, which then conveniently blamed the Chechens and thus gave the government a welcome opportunity to start the 2nd Chechen War.

    Shortly before the terror, Putin had replaced the post of director of the FSB with the post of prime minister. And the ensuing war made him so popular that in 2000 the road to the presidency was open.

    All very convenient.

    The assassins
    One of Russia’s opponents in Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, switched sides after the Russian victory and was installed as leader of Chechnya. He was 100% loyal to Putin and in return was given free rein to rule autocratly under Islamic law. In 2004, he was assassinated in an assassination attempt and was succeeded by his son Ramzan Kadyrov, who rules even more despotically and authoritarianly than his father and is 105% loyal to Putin.

    And now Kadyrov is paying back by lining up in Ukraine with specially trained assassins in Ukraine who have been tasked with capturing and / or murdering Ukrainian patriots.

    They have just held a Muslim prayer meeting in a forest outside Kiev and are ready for action.

    Putin’s friends
    This story shows that Russia is led by a nostalgic post-Soviet root-headed, ruled by the ideological maniac Alexander Dugin and his mish-mash of orthodox mysticism, national Bolshevism, anti-communism, pro-Stalinism, pan-Slavicism and the struggle for a “Eurasian” front against the West and liberalism.

    Putin’s Western supporters have an explanatory problem.

    Daily Mail: Chechen special forces ‘hunters’ are unleashed in Ukraine to detain or kill Kyiv officials – and are given ‘decks of cards’ with photographs of their targets. See photo and video
    ====================================================

  11. 25 feb
    Velkommen til den virkelige verdensorden

    https://www.snaphanen.dk/2022/02/25/velkommen-til-den-virkelige-verdensorden/

    ——————————————————————————

    The world is not much different from the one that led to the First and Second World Wars

    By Lars Hedegaard

    After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s suddenly clear that since 1945 the West has been living in a 77-year-long bubble of freedom, relative peace, and rising prosperity. A time when we had peace and surplus to concentrate on phenomena such as the number of women on boards, transgender rights, MeToo, critical race theory, internal cultural wars, and self-blame over the evils of the past.

    We are now entering an era when such kind will be considered luxury phenomena, for suddenly reality knocks on the door, and suddenly it is clear that our world is not much different from the one that led to the First and Second World Wars. The convention-based world order is now being replaced by the ancient struggles of states and power blocs over territories, raw materials and money.

    Few had foreseen the extent of Putin’s ambitions and willingness to use force, just as in the 1930s only a few took Hitler seriously when he spread his imperialist plans in Mein Kampf.

    We now see that it would not have been enough at all just to deny Ukraine membership of NATO (which I unfortunately thought), because Putin’s vision extends far beyond Ukraine. He wants to re-establish the Soviet empire, create divisions and disintegration in NATO and, together with his dictatorial friends in China and Iran, rule the world under an iron heel reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984.

    There can be little doubt that once Putin has finished oppressing Ukraine, he will try with Poland and the Baltic countries to test the determination and unity of the West. He has good cards in hand against a West that has made itself addicted to his whims and with an American president who has little idea what he is doing.
    At the time of writing, we are awaiting what sanctions President Biden intends to impose.

    Putin and Biden are like a rattlesnake to a mouse
    Will he go after the multibillionaire Putin’s money, which he has got a number of oligarchs to place in Western banks and assets? It would hurt.

    But especially: Will Biden finally acknowledge that his energy policy has been a colossal mistake, and that he will now make every effort to revive American energy production, which he has tried to stifle – to the delight and benefit of Vladimir Putin.

    At the moment, Putin and Biden are like a rattlesnake facing a mouse. These are not good prospects.

  12. Oceania opposing Eurasia while Eastasia hovers in the wings. The Hidden Hand, having writ, moves on.

  13. From now on, no info can be trusted, including heh my own comments. 🙂 I suspect this site has been monitored for quite some time… so be aware, commenters. Things just got uglier.

    Yesterday, on the aniversary of the communist takover of Czechoslovakia (25th February, 1948), Czechia’s deep state began removing alternative web sites. They began with 8, then the oppration enlarged to hit many others, and those that managed to move to a different (foreign) URL were hit with DDoS attacks. This is a massive operation. Czechia is “down” for the count in a very profound, neototalitarian sense.

  14. At the end of the day it’s NATO protecting Europe and the EU has again proved to be worth a puddle of piss.

    Brave, proud countries like Poland need to wake up and leave this self-serving mafia.

    After the invasion of Ukraine you can add cowardice to the EU’s list of crimes.

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