Have you noticed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine made COVID-19 disappear? There are almost no stories about the Wuhan Coronavirus (or the “vaccines”) in the news feed now. Not only that, the attention paid to the truckers’ convoys has been greatly reduced. Everything for the Ukraine, nothing outside the Ukraine.
In other news, migrants desecrated more than 2,000 churches in Greece between 2015 and 2020.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Insubria, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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.
Hungary Jobless Rate 4.2% in January
Hungary’s jobless rate was 4.2 percent in January, falling from 5 percent the same month in the previous year but up from 3.7 percent in December, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Friday.
The rate covers unemployment among the 15-74 age group.
In absolute terms, 201,300 people were jobless in January, 36,400 fewer than in January 2021. The number of jobseekers grew by 22,300 compared with December 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ruble’s Plunge is Expected to Drive Surge in Russian Inflation
The ruble was quoted at 110 to 120 per dollar by Russian banks on Sunday. It had traded at 75 before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and 83 on Friday. That plunge in the currency’s value of 30% to 40% would add about 5 percentage points to inflation, said Sergey Alekashenko, who was a senior Russian central-bank official in the late 1990s and now lives in the U.S.
Inflation had already climbed to 8.7% in January, more than double the central bank’s 4% target. Mr. Alekashenko added inflation could rise even more if disruptions to the payments system reduce the supply of goods.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sanctions Expert Warns of Global Economic Instability From Sanctions
The unprecedented intensity and breadth of Western sanctions on Russia raise concerns about the overall effect on the global economy and the potential for escalation by Russia, a U.S. sanctions expert said.
“I worry about the implications of destroying the Russian economy for global monetary and macro stability,” Julia Friedlander, director of the economic statecraft initiative at the Atlantic Council said in an interview.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Stock Futures Drop as Ukraine Crisis Stokes Tension in Markets
Investors are bracing for continued market turbulence as anxieties remain high over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Futures for the S&P 500 dropped 2.3%, while futures for the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 index declined 2.6% on Sunday evening.
U.S. stocks endured a turbulent span last week as investors shifted bets on the situation in Europe and how it might affect plans by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.
Oil prices rebounded Sunday, with most-actively traded futures for Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rising 5.3% to $99.13 a barrel.
The U.S., European Union, Canada and the U.K. intensified sanctions against Russia over the weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arrest Made in Shooting Near West Mesa High School
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Police have made an arrest, in connection with the fatal shooting of a West Mesa High School student Friday morning.
Fourteen year-old Marcos Trejo was arrested Friday evening, and has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence. He is being held at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center.
According to court records, 16-year-old Andrew Burson was fatally shot after a fight with Trejo near the West Mesa High School campus. Burson had accused Trejo of stealing his “ghost gun.” Burson and Trejo were both students at West Mesa High….
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s Job Approval Rating Hits Career Low: Poll
A new ABC News and Washington Post poll paints the bleakest picture yet as far as low approval ratings for President Joe Biden as the commander-in-chief contends with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict abroad and skyrocketing issues at home.
This latest poll shows Biden’s approval rating at 37 percent, a figure below other similar polls conducted recently. ABC News reported that a “career-low 37% of Americans approve of Biden’s job performance overall, with 55% disapproving.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Jan 6 Defendant Takes His Own Life
Jan 6 defendant Matthew Perna has reportedly committed suicide.
American Greatness senior writer Julie Kelly broke the news Sunday morning. “If confirmed, this defendant committed no violent crime and walked through an open door with Capitol police present,” Kelly wrote in the initial tweet.
“Biden’s DOJ has tried to destroy so many lives over the past year — they may have another victim,” Kelly tweeted over the weekend. “If what I am hearing is true, the Biden regime and news media have blood on their hands.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: NYC Mayor Announces Tentative End Date to City’s Vaccine, School Mask Mandates
On Sunday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a tentative end date to the city’s vaccine and school mask mandates.
“More than a million New York City school children will return to class tomorrow. If our numbers continue to show a low level of risk, we will remove the indoor mask mandate for public school students, effective Monday, March 7,” wrote Adams.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: New York to Lift Statewide School Mask Mandate
On Sunday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state would be dropping its school mask mandate, effective March 2.
“Our top priority has always been keeping kids in school and making sure our classrooms are safe,” wrote Hochul.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Convoy Rolls Through Oklahoma City to Protest COVID-19 Mandates
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)— A group of truck drivers called “The People’s Convoy,” trekked through Oklahoma City on Sunday.
The convoy started in Adelanto, California on Wednesday and is making its way to the Washington D.C. area with the mission to peacefully protest against COVID-19 mandates, as well as ending the state of emergency declared in 2020.
“The last 23 months of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a rough road for all Americans to travel: spiritually, emotionally, physically, and — not least — financially,” said The People’s Convoy in a press release. “With the advent of the vaccine and workable therapeutic agents… it is now time to re-open the country.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CPAC: Jack Posobiec Roasts Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg From the Main Stage
In a Saturday CPAC panel titled “Put Him to Bed, Lock Her Up and Send Her to the Border” referring to the current Biden administration’s leaders, Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec issued a warning from the main stage to political hopefuls who may stand in the way of Hillary Clinton for the White House.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CPAC: Mollie Hemingway Talks About Problems Surrounding 2020 Election
On Saturday, The Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway sat down with Conservative Political Action Coalition chairman Matt Schlapp to talk about her latest book Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections and problems surrounding the 2020 election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jussie Smollett Files Motion to Toss Out Guilty Hate Hoax Verdict
Lawyers representing Jussie Smollett have filed a motion asking a Chicago judge Friday to throw out the convicted hate hoaxer’s guilty verdict or grant the disgraced actor a new trial. Smollett’s legal counsel are arguing that his constitutional rights were violated by the court during the jury selection process.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Kill Andy Ngo’ Painted in Front of Portland Federal Courthouse
In front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland, someone wrote the threatening message, “Kill Andy Ngo,” in red paint on the Soldiers Monument. A blood-like streak accompanied the graffiti death threat.
The Spanish-American War memorial in Lownsdale Square was vandalized sometime on or around Feb. 22. In addition to the death threat against The Post Millennial‘s editor-at-large, “ACAB” and “Amir Locke” were written in the same paint on the other side of the memorial. Antifa symbols were also sprayed around the park.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NeverTrumper Adam Kinzinger Falls for Infamous Sam Hyde Prank in ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ Tweet
NeverTrump Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) fell victim to internet pranksters over the weekend, retweeting the viral hoax that the “Ghost of Kyiv,” an alleged Ukrainian fighter ace, was a man called “Samuyil Hyde.” Tricksters are quick to spread memes naming American comedian Sam Hyde as the culprit in media events such as mass shootings. In this case, Rep. Kinzinger fell for a poor photoshop of Hyde into a cockpit along with an ethnic spin on his name.
The meme, which spread quickly on social media after news of the “Ghost of Kyiv” started to trend, is a variant on the long-running Sam Hyde prank, which claims that the American comedian Sam Hyde is responsible for newsworthy events, particularly those involving mass casualties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A mass email from a Portland Police sergeant sent to the city’s downtown Central Precinct officers has sparked outrage and now an internal investigation over the message that included a graphic image of a MAGA-styled red hat with the text “Make Central [Precinct] Great Again” written across its front.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The People’s Convoy Makes Its Way Through the Texas Panhandle
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — With multiple truckers in tow, The People’s Convoy, bound for Washington, D.C., passed through the City of Amarillo Saturday morning. The convoy protests pandemic mandates across the nation.
The convoy comes on the heels of a separate convoy in Canada, also protesting COVID-19 mandates.
“On a global scale, this is a global issue and we are standing up as citizens of the world to protect our god-given human rights,” said Brian Brase, co-organizer of The People’s Convoy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Truck Convoy Leaves Alabama for D.C. To Protest COVID Mandates
Situated right off Exit 299 along Interstate 65, the Dodge City Petro truck stop is just about always a bustling place.
But on Saturday morning, the bustle stretched beyond the truck stop’s confines and up and down a jam-packed Alabama Highway 69, as big-rig truckers and a throng of supportive locals converged on the travel center to kick off the Alabama leg of the nationwide protest convoy bound this weekend for the nation’s capital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Psaki Confronted on Biden’s Tanking Approval Rating Ahead of State of the Union Address
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos had a pointed question for White House press secretary Jen Psaki during a Sunday morning interview on “This Week,” as President Joe Biden’s approval rating continues to hit new lows.
Stephanopoulos asked Psaki what Biden’s stragety is to “turn around” public opinion as his State of the Union address approaches. The anchor cited Biden’s tanking approval rating, Democrats trailing in the midterm polling, and a majority in ABC’s new poll Sunday even questioning the president’s mental capacity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White House Says America Must Reduce Dependence on Foreign Oil… and Oil in General
In a Sunday interview with ABC, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that that President Joe Biden wants not only to decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil, but on oil in general.
“What this actually justifies in President Biden’s view is the fact that we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil — on oil in general,” Psaki told “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exit Committee Finds “Canada’s Pandemic is Effectively Over”
The Canada Science & Policy Committee to Exit the Pandemic has declared we’re at a point to move on.
Taking its own advice, the committee, assembled by a think tank outside of government, has published a comprehensive strategy for Canada to leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind, including recommendations to immediately repeal many of its most intrusive restrictions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
James Topp is Marching to Ottawa to Protest the Government’s COVID Measures
Canadian Armed Forces veteran James Topp is marching from Vancouver to Ottawa to protest the government’s overbearing pandemic response. True North’s Harley Sims asked Topp on Sunday about the support he’s received and what he’s been hearing from fellow Canadians.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Member Countries in Talks to Supply Ukraine With Jet Fighters
BRUSSELS—Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has asked the European Union for jet fighter jets some EU countries plan to supply them, EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday.
A person familiar with the talks later said that discussions are still ongoing. The person said any planes would be supplied directly by EU member states and not funded through an arrangement announced earlier for the EU to finance weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Alliance of News Agencies Suspends TASS
The executive body of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has unanimously decided to immediately suspend TASS, Russian leading news agency, from the alliance for not providing unbiased news.
In a statement published on the website EANA wrote: “Under the circumstances of the new media regulation enforced by the Russian government (Roskomnadzor), which is heavily restricting media freedom, the Board of EANA considers that TASS finds itself in violation of the purpose of EANA as it is laid out in the Statutes of the Alliance, not being able to provide unbiased news, which stand at the core of EANA’s mission statement.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland & Denmark to Shut Down Airspace to Russian Planes
Finland and Denmark will join the list of European countries that have closed their airspace to Russian air traffic after the latter’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland’s decision has been confirmed by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Timo Harakka, who stressed that Finland “is preparing to close its airspace to Russian air traffic,” with whom it shares a 1,300-kilometre border, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary: Orban: “Whatever Sanctions EU Member States Agree on, We’ll Back Them”
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that “Whatever sanctions EU member states agree on, we’ll back them.”
In an interview with public news channel M1 on Sunday, he stressed that “strategic composure is necessary in time of war.”
Orban reiterated his position that Hungary must “concentrate efforts on staying out of this armed conflict”, noting that the country took the same stand during the Kosovo War in 1999 and the Crimean conflict in 2015.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: ‘Imam’ Who Allegedly Called for Vatican’s Destruction Indicted
Man allegedly instigated Islamist terrorism while in jail
(ANSA) — ROME, FEB 21 — A 43-year-old self-proclaimed imam who allegedly called for the Vatican to be destroyed has been sent to trial in Turin.
Bouchta El Allam, who is of Moroccan origin and was detained by Carabinieri police in May 2021, is accused of instigation to commit crimes for terrorism.
The trial is set to start in March.
The alleged wrongdoing regards Jihadi propaganda that the man alleged promoted during a spell in jail in Alessandria for a drug-related felony between the summer of 2020 and the spring of 2021. (ANSA).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Mosque Found Promoting Armed Jihad, Disrespect for French Laws, is Closed for Six Months
Does Fabienne Buccio think that after six months, this mosque will preach loyalty to the republic and respect for French law? France, and the entirety of Western Europe, is whistling in the dark.
“A temporary closure procedure initiated against the mosque of Pessac, in Gironde,” translated from “Une procédure de fermeture temporaire engagée contre la mosquée de Pessac, en Gironde,” by Christophe Cornevin and Luc Lenoir, Le Figaro, February 24, 2022 (thanks to Medforth).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Norway’s Massive Sovereign Wealth Fund to Exit Russian Holdings
The world’s largest sovereign-wealth fund is divesting its Russian holdings.
Norges Bank Investment Management, the arm of the Norwegian central bank that operates the $1.3 trillion fund, is freezing investments in Russia, a spokesperson for the fund said Sunday. The fund will neither buy nor sell shares right away, the spokesperson said, and will work with the Ministry of Finance to prepare a plan to divest from the Russian market.
The Norwegian government on Sunday outlined a raft of measures it is taking to support Ukraine, including allocating funds for humanitarian aid, joining European Union sanctions and withdrawing the oil fund from Russian investments. Norway, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, will also provide military equipment to Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PM ‘Deeply Moved’ by Poles’ Expression of Solidarity With Ukraine
Mateusz Morawiecki, the prime minister of Poland, has expressed, in a post on social media, his praise for Poles and their concern for the Ukrainian people.
Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Facebook that he was “deeply moved” by the solidarity of Poles with Ukraine.
“Their overwhelming kindness may not be able to stop the wave of (Russian President Vladimir — PAP) Putin’s brutality, but it will help thousands to survive,” the head of the Polish government added.
He also pointed out that 200,000 Ukrainians had already found refuge in Poland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Europe Needs a Strong Army, PM Tells German Daily
The EU should double its defence spending in order to build a very strong army that would be integrated with Nato, Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, has told the Berliner Morgenpost daily.
In an interview published on Sunday by the media group Funke, owner of Berliner Morgenpost, and in the Quest France newspaper, Morawiecki said the EU should increase its total defence spending from the current EUR 300 billion to EUR 500 billion-600 billion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scotland: Glasgow: Epidemic of Muslim Drivers Sexually Assaulting Women
In the 1980s, there was a commercial for Martini that said, “any time, any place, anywhere.” Every time I read of a sex assault against a female by a Muslim man, I’m reminded of the words to this jingle, because that is exactly how all too many Muslim males will strike. Any time. Any place. Anywhere.
In Glasgow recently, Abdul Samad sexually assaulted a young woman “repeatedly as he drove his hot food delivery route after tricking her into believing he was a private hire driver.” He spotted his victim waiting for her Uber on the street at 5am. He immediately pounced, allowing her to think she was his ride.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Netherlands Drops Masks, Social Distancing and Coronavirus Passes
The Netherlands abandons most of the remaining coronavirus measures on Friday, including the use of face masks, coronavirus passes and social distancing.
[Comment: Article dated February 25, 2022.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Pushes Forward With Plans to Reduce Online Anonymity
The government has added new provisions to the upcoming Online Safety Bill, requiring social media companies to allow users to block anonymous users and block “harmful” content.
The new rules are supposed to fight “abuse” by anonymous users and to give users control over the type of content they see but will have massive implications for free speech in the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jihad contamination and poisoning attempts are not new. In India in 2019, Muslims plotted to poison food offered in a Hindu temple that is consumed by at least 40,000 devotees.
Al-Qaeda has long considered the contamination of food as a jihad mass murder tactic. And in 2017, the Islamic State called on Muslims to poison food in Western supermarkets.
And it has happened at least twice in Britain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine: Italy May Reopen Coal Plants Says Draghi
May be necessary to cover immediate energy shortfalls — premier
(ANSA) — ROME, FEB 25 — Premier Mario Draghi said Friday that the knock-on effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were set to have a major impact on the Italian economy and, with the energy sector a particular concern, it may be necessary to reopen coal-fired power plans to meet the nation’s energy demands.
Reopening coal plants would be a huge setback to Italy’s efforts to cut its greenhouse-gas emissions and do its bit to address the climate crisis.
“Over the last few days the European Union has shown its determination and unity (regarding sanctions on Russia),” he said as he reported to the Lower House on the Ukraine crisis.
“We are ready for even tougher measures if they should not turn out to be sufficient.
“The sanctions that we have approved and those that we may approve in the future, oblige us to consider the impact on our economy with great attention.
“The greatest concern regards the energy section, which has already been hit by price increases in recent months.
“About 45% of the gas that we import comes from Russia, up from 27% 10 years ago.
“It could be necessary to reopen coal plans to cover eventual shortfalls in the immediate term”.
He added that his executive was ready to adopt more measures to soften the impact of soaring energy prices on households and businesses.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
‘We All Have to be Anti-Racists’ — Germany Just Created the New Position of Anti-Racism Commissioner
For the first time in history, Germany has an anti-racism federal commissioner, with the federal cabinet entrusting the Minister of State for Integration Reem Alabali-Radovan with the post.
As commissioner for anti-racism, Alabali-Radovan said she wants to work on strengthening the state and creating an active civil society that would oppose the roots of racism. She added that racism is a “crime against humanity.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Says War Exists in Black Sea, Allowing it to Block Russian Navy
Turkey’s foreign minister said Sunday that the situation in Ukraine had become a war, a legal distinction that paves the way for Ankara to potentially ban Russian warships from entering the Black Sea through a strategic chokepoint.
Turkey’s government had said on Friday it was working to determine whether a state of war existed in the region. In wartime, Ankara can block some warships from countries involved in the conflict from accessing the Black Sea under the 1936 Montreux Convention.
“We came to the conclusion that the situation in Ukraine has transformed into a war,” said Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu, speaking on CNN Turk. “We will implement all articles of Montreux transparently.”
Ukraine asked Turkey on Thursday, the first day of the invasion, to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits to Russian warships.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Convoy Carrying Ammunition Reaches Ukraine
Yet another convoy carrying ammunition has reached Ukraine, the Polish Ministry of National Defence has said.
In early February, Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Poland would supply Ukraine with ammunition and hand-held anti-aircraft launchers Piorun (Lightning). Other items transferred to Ukraine included helmets and bulletproof vests.
“Yet another of our convoys, this time with ammunition, has reached Ukraine,” Marcin Ociepa, a deputy defence minister, wrote on Twitter on Sunday morning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch to Send Anti-Tank Weapons to Ukraine, May Send Troops to Slovakia
The Netherlands has agreed to send 40 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank weapons and 400 missiles to Ukraine on top of the 200 Stinger air defence systems and other equipment which have already been agreed.
The Netherlands is also looking into the possibility of contributing both Patriot weapon systems and troops to the new Nato battle group in Slovakia, together with Germany, defence minister Kasja Ollongren told MPs on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Protests Against Russian Invasion of Ukraine Draws Thousands
More than 15,000 people turned up to Dam Square in central Amsterdam on Sunday to protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Many of the demonstrators were from across eastern and central Europe, including Russia. The crowd was awash in blue and yellow, including some creative people using Jumbo and Albert Heijn shopping bags to recreate the Ukrainian flag. Attendees included European Commission vice-chair Frans Timmermans.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kiev Mayor Says City Now ‘Fully Encircled, ‘ Making Evacuation Impossible
Russian forces have besieged the city of Kiev, leaving the city under siege and fully “encircled,” said Kiev Mayor and former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko during an interview with the Associated Press. The mayor indicated that it was therefore impossible for civilians to evacuate the city.
However, shortly after AP ran the story, Klitschko denied that the city was actually surrounded on his official Telegram page, raising confusion about the true state of affairs facing the city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian forces faced fierce resistance on the fourth day of their invasion of Ukraine, with Kyiv defenders holding on to the capital. Ukraine’s government projected confidence, saying resistance throughout the country had thwarted Putin’s plan to overthrow the country’s leadership.
Russian and Ukrainian officials prepared to meet for the first talks since the invasion began, although it’s unclear to what extent the planned negotiations could end the Russian aggression. President Putin, meanwhile, ordered the country’s nuclear-deterrence forces to be put on alert.
The European Union for the first time will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons, in a show of support for Ukraine. The EU is also banning Russian plans from its airspace. Following pressure from the U.K. government, BP said it would exit its nearly 20% stake in Rosneft.
Western governments said they would cut off a number of Russian banks from the Swift network, an international payment system. The U.S., the European Union, the U.K. and Canada also said they would take measures to prevent Russia’s central bank from deploying its foreign reserves to support its currency and economy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mufti of the Chechen Republic Says Ukraine Invaders Are ‘On the Path of Allah’
The Mufti of the Chechen Republic has endorsed Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, backed by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, saying that the invaders are “on the path of Allah”.
Kadyrov, an Islamist who fought in a jihadist insurrection against the Russian Federation in the mid-’90s but helped to crush a wider insurrection in 1999, ultimately following his father to become Chechnya’s undisputed master under President Putin’s patronage, recently boasted he could muster up to 70,000 fighters to aid the Ukrainian offensive.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pics: Heavy Fighting as Russian Forces Battle for Control of Ukraine’s Second City
Ukrainian and Russian forces have engaged in street fighting in the city of Kharkiv (Kharkov) after an “intensive” artillery battle overnight.
Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv is known to many history buffs as the scene of a series of fierce battles between the Red Army and the German armed forces and Waffen SS during the Second World War, marked by large-scale tank clashes and bloody house-to-house fighting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland for Fast Track of Ukraine’s EU Membership, President Says
The European Union should speed up Ukraine’s path to membership, President Andrzej Duda said on Saturday.
“Poland supports an express path for membership of Ukraine in the European Union,” Duda wrote on Twitter. “Candidate status should be granted immediately and membership talks should start immediately after.”
“Ukraine should also have access to EU funds for reconstruction. This is what Ukraine deserves,” Duda added.
[Comment: Countries should be getting out of the EU, not in it, in my opinion.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Suspended From International Judo Federation
Russian President Vladimir Putin was suspended from his role as honorary president of the International Judo Federation, the sport’s governing body said Sunday.
The IJF cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for its decision to oust Mr. Putin, a judo black belt and enthusiastic booster of the sport.
“In light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Mr. Vladimir Putin’s status as honorary president and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation,” the statement said.
Mr. Putin, 69 years old, has credited judo with getting him off Russia’s streets as a young man and teaching him discipline. He has even suited up in the past to spar with Russia’s national team.
The IJF said Friday that it had canceled the 2022 Grand Slam in Kazan, Russia, planned for May.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Puts Nuclear Forces in a ‘Special Mode of Combat Duty’
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his defense minister and chief of the general staff “to transfer the Russian army’s deterrence forces to a special mode of combat duty.”
Mr. Putin cited the threat of Western sanctions and what he described as aggressive statements from North Atlantic Treaty Organization officials.
The move would place Russia’s network of nuclear missiles, which is usually disconnected, into a state where it can be used if necessary—one step away from an actual missile launch, said Pavel Podvig, a Geneva-based expert on Russia’s nuclear forces.
“This is not necessarily preparation for a strike,” Mr. Podvig said. “The whole system is built to be able to respond. This prepares it to act quickly if needed.”
He added, “I’ve not seen anything to suggest this has been done before.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Quit Pussy-Footing Around’: Tom Cotton Slams Biden’s Soft Sanctions on Russia
In a Sunday morning interview, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) went on ABC’s “This Week” with host George Stephanopoulos where he slammed the Biden administration’s sanctions on Russia that he says are “riddled with loopholes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Bans Flights From Poland, Czech Republic and Bulgaria
Russia has said it is closing its airspace to flights from Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria in response to similar measures introduced by these countries due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this week.
Flights from these countries can now only be carried out with special permission from the federal air transport agency Rosaviation or the Russian Foreign Ministry, Rosaviation said on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Warns Sanctions Could See Space Station Crash Into United States or Europe
Russia has warned that sanctions on its aerospace industry could result in the International Space Station (ISS) falling into an “uncontrolled deorbit” and smashing into the United States or Europe, potentially with the force of a small nuclear bomb.
Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, issued the space station warning late Thursday, demanding of the United States: “Do you want to destroy our cooperation on the ISS?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.N. To Host Rare Emergency Session as U.S. Warns of Possible Atrocities
The United Nations Security Council on Sunday approved a rare emergency session of the broader General Assembly to consider a resolution there to push back on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the emergency session this week will be the first time in decades. She also warned Russian officers and soldiers not to harm civilians in Ukraine, saying, “Photographic and video evidence is mounting, and you will be held to account for your actions: We will not let atrocities slide.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Foreign Secretary Supports Britons Going to Ukraine to Fight Russia
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said she supports Britons going to Ukraine in order to take up arms against Russia.
Lizz Truss, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, has said in an interview that she supports British citizens making the journey to Ukraine in order to volunteer to join the war against Russia — despite the British government having previously punished those who have travelled to foreign conflict zones to fight in the past.
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Ukraine Guard Shares Vid of Soldiers Greasing Bullets for Chechen ‘Orcs’
The National Guard of Ukraine has shared video footage of “Azov fighters” greasing bullets with pig fat for Chechen “orcs” in their country.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Invasion: These European Countries Banned Russian Airlines From Their Airspace
Several European countries have banned Russian airlines from their airspace as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, Reuters reported that according to an EU official, a European-wide ban for Russian airlines could be part of an additional package of sanctions on Moscow to be discussed on Sunday by the EU’s Foreign Ministers, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
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Ukraine Crisis: Deliveries of Food, Fuel Arrive in Transcarpathia
An aid delivery of 28 tonnes of food and 100,000 litres of vehicle fuel from Hungary arrived in Transcarpathia, Ukraine’s westernmost region, Hungary’s foreign minister said at the Zahony border crossing on Sunday.
At a press conference, Péter Szijjartó said the government is working closely with the Ecumenical Charity, which collected the donations of food. He added that his ministry would provide 1 million euros to the charity to support the next delivery of aid.
He also acknowledged Hungarian oil and gas company MOL for the donation of vehicle fuel which will be used for hospitals, ambulances, humanitarian organizations and catastrophe protection agencies.
He said 66,000 people have crossed the border from Ukraine into Hungary so far. From Monday, six aid centres will start operating at points along the border, he added.
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Ukraine War: Zelensky Agrees to Talks on Border With Pro-Russia Belarus
Ukraine has agreed to meet a Russian delegation on the Ukraine-Belarusian border, despite initially refusing the country as a location for talks over its involvement in the invasion.
Negotiations are set to be held between Russian and Ukrainian officials on the invaded country’s border with Belarus.
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A striking incident of rape and assault of a girl has been reported from the Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh. According to media reports, a youth named Mohammad Zaid has been arrested on a complaint of the victim for abducting her and then raping her. The victim is the daughter of a priest in the Gebi Hanuman Mandir in Ujjain. However, according to the police, while the accused had attempted to rape the girl, he was not successful.
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Hungary Commends Egypt’s Moves to Prevent Illegals From Leaving for Europe
Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjartó has praised the Egyptian government for its commitment to stopping illegal migrants who wish to depart from its coast for Europe.
Minister Szijjarto made his comments on a trip to Cairo this week, stating that he wanted to see the European Union offer Egypt more support to prevent the departure of illegal immigrants from its shores.
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Long Queues at Polish Border as Thousands Flee Ukraine
Queues, which are several kilometres long, have formed at Poland-Ukraine border crossing points, as there are tens of thousands of people who want to leave Ukraine, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office has said.
Michal Dworczyk said during a press conference on Sunday that one of the biggest issues on the Ukrainian side are the “gigantic queues at the border, as a huge mass of people wants to get to Poland from Ukraine.”
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Migrants Desecrate More Than 2,000 Churches Just in Greece
According to a new report published by Greece’s Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, there were 2,339 incidents of church desecrations in the country between 2015 and 2020, when tiny Greece, seen as Europe’s eastern gateway, was flooded with migrants from the Islamic world. Greek City Times wrote regarding the report:
“There appears to be a correlation between the increase in illegal migration and the incidents of attacks on Greek Orthodox religious churches and religious spaces during the five year period which occurred during the peak of the migration crisis.”
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New York Times: Europeans Racist for Taking Ukrainian, Not Islamic, Refugees
by Daniel Greenfield
“For Ukraine’s Refugees, Europe Opens Doors That Were Shut to Others” is the snide New York Times headline.
The unsubtle implication is that European countries, especially Eastern European nations, especially countries like Poland, Czechia, and Hungary which were reluctant to accept masses of Islamic migrants, are racist for being willing to accept Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian refugees are actually neighbors and it makes a good deal more sense for countries to accept refugees who share a common culture with them. Furthermore, assuming the Russian invasion collapses, there’s good reason to expect that the refugees will actually return home instead of using the invasion as a pretext for moving to new countries. If they do decide to use the invasion as a pretext for relocating, they will more likely make their way on to Western Europe rather than remaining in Eastern Europe.
Whatever the Ukrainian refugees do it is highly unlikely that they will run around the streets of their new cities beheading innocent people, running over them in cars, opening fire on cartoonists while shouting “Allahu Akbar”.
Perhaps the New York Times should consider the possibility that this may factor into the decision of countries expressing reluctance to accept 10,000 or 20,000 Syrians or Afghans who show up at their border, but are willing to take in Ukrainians.
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Poland Expects More Ukrainian Refugees
Poland is expecting thousands of Ukrainian refugees to cross the country’s border in the days to come, as about 200,000 had already entered Poland by the fourth day of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the interior minister has said.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mariusz Kaminski praised Ukrainians fighting for freedom against a much stronger enemy.
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Poll: Democrats Prefer Defending Ukrainians Over American Border
Almost two-thirds of Democrats believe that defending distant Ukraine from the Russian invasion is more important than defending America’s border, communities, and workplaces from illegal migrants, according to a survey by Rasmussen Reports.
Fifty-seven percent of Democrats say “Defending Ukraine against Russian invasion” is “more important to America’s national interest” than the alternative of “defending the U.S. border against illegal immigration.” The February 23-24 survey included 1,000 likely voters.
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Swedes Put Some ‘Adidas Knights’ in Their Place
During the night of January 15, three Swedish men in their 30s were in the Stockholm metro on their way to an after-party. Suddenly they were attacked by several aggressive immigrants. One of the Swedes received two fist blows to the face, knocking him out. What the immigrants were not prepared for was that the Swedes, who all describe themselves as nationalists, would strike back.
Two Arabs, known as “Adidas knights” in Swedish slang, were beaten down and the third became so frightened that he fell backwards.
Andreas says that he had been out partying with two friends. “We had had a few beers and talked s***. It was a good atmosphere and a nice evening.”
Suddenly, they collided with a nasty gang of immigrants in the subway. As usual, the immigrants chose to harass only one of the Swedes who they had thought was alone. What they did not know was that he had two friends with him.
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Discord Introduces New “Anti-Misinformation” Policy, Will Ban People for Off-Platform Behavior
On Friday, Discord announced changes to its community guidelines aimed at “hate speech,” “off-platform behavior,” and “health misinformation.”
Now, the behavior of users on other platforms or in other aspects of life can be used to justify being banned from the community platform.
Discord’s idea is to curb the spread of vaccine skepticism, as well as to remove individuals and groups participating in organized violence, and to combat hate speech.
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Italy: Rightist Students Protest ‘Neuter’ School Toilet
‘Male and Female, Full Stop!’ says banner
(ANSA) — ROME, FEB 25 — Students belonging to the rightist Azione Studentesca, youth wing of the rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, on Friday protested against the opening in a Turin high school of a ‘neuter’ toilet for students who don’t identify as male or female.
Azione Studentesca militants displayed a banner outside the Liceo Classico Alfieri saying “Males and Females, Full Stop!” Another historic Turin classical lycée, the Gioberti, said it was also going to set up neuter bathrooms for students who feel they do not adhere to traditional gender distinctions.
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Levy: Toronto Elementary Students Given “Gender Inclusivity” Training
Students as young as nine years old at a midtown Toronto public school were forced to undergo gender diversity and sensitivity training last week.
The workshops — run by the nonprofit Get REAL — were conducted at Forest Hill Public School following a “number of homophobic/transphobic incidents,” according to Toronto District School Board (TDSB) spokesman Ryan Bird.
The exact content of the workshops is unknown, as are the transphobic/homophobic incidents that reportedly justified them.
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Yes , Covid is long gone !!, what piece of [ordure] ,
Moderna CEO said they are looking into the claim that virus has patented dna for accuracy.
I have to admit I am not as quick as I used to be or my brain just isn’t looking for evil all the time. I was looking at one of Alex Jone’s sites and their was a story about a Bill Gates linked lab trying to develop a needles vaccine which would spread (sounds like a custom virus to me). So to bad for the anti-vaxxer. Then I remembered an explanation of some of the corona virus research on bats on regular media. They were trying to develop a delivery mechanism with the lipid nano-particle that i believe was aerosolized – whether it was breathed or transdermal, I don’t think it was mentioned.