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Russia took military action against Ukraine in order to change a post-Soviet Union "world order" in which the U.S. and NATO have become dominant global forces, Russia's ambassador to the U.S. said. Anatoly Antonov justified his nation's "special military operation," the term the Kremlin uses to avoid calling the invasion a war, by saying it is meant to halt the West's expanding dominance worldwide, according to an interview published Monday by Politico. "It's a very narrow approach to say the 'Russian invasion of Ukraine,'" the ambassador told the news outlet. "We are talking about changing the world order that was...

...and the reasons why there is less space for any debate or dissent since at least 2002: [link to deBoer article at URL and below]

Following the invasion of Ukraine by neighboring Russia, the ruling class has mobilized all its resources to convince the American People that it is imperative that we are in support of Ukraine and therefore are willing to make sacrifices for them at a scale which they will determine for us (as experts). But why did Russia invade Ukraine? What led to this? Whose fault is it? Is this the beginning of the collapse of Western Civilization? So many questions -- do stay tuned!

On March 31, the Russian President signed the decree stipulating acceptance of payments for gas in rubles.If gas buyers from unfriendly states refuse to pay for gas in rubles, Russia will view it as breach of contract, President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting on the situation in the aviation sector."If such [ruble] payments are not made, we will consider this to be the buyers’ failure to perform commitments with all ensuing implications," Putin said.

The Federal Government has decided to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa because it was “in the public interest to do so”, casting serious doubt over whether the 20-time grand slam champion will compete in the Australian Open. Last week’s decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa was overturned in the Federal Circuit Court on Monday, but Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke still had the final say on whether the world No. 1 is allowed to stay in the country. Hawke was tasked with choosing whether the 34-year-old was a risk to the health and safety of the Australia community, but “lengthy further submissions”...

NOVAK DJOKOVIC'S visa is apparently set to be cancelled again tomorrow with Australia's immigration minister Alex Hawke set to give the Serb the boot. Australia's The Saturday Paper journalist Paul Bongiorno claims a decision is already made and the world No 1 will be deported. Djokovic may face five years in jail as Covid test error investigated He tweeted: "I am hearing @AlexHawkeMP will boot out the Joker tomorrow." Djokovic's visa was initially cancelled upon arrival after hours of interrogation by Border Force officials. A judge overturned that decision in court on Monday after Djokovic had spent five days detained...

Novak Djokovic has sensationally admitted to lying on his entry declaration, saying “human error” was the cause of his faulty entry declaration – amid growing concerns over the world No.1’s movements around the time of his positive Covid result last December. Djokovic took to Instagram on Wednesday as he waited for further clearance on his visa application – which was again delayed by a further 24 hours after further submissions from his legal team over a possible cancellation by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke. But in doing so he made the significant admission that he had incorrectly ticked a box on...

The Australian Border Force are investigating whether Novak Djokovic lied on his entry form. It appears he made a false declaration claiming he had not travelled in the 14 days leading up to his arrival in Melbourne, the Herald Sun reports. All travellers arriving in Australia are asked if they have 'travelled or will travel in the 14 days prior to your flight to Australia'. They are also warned: 'Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence. You may also be liable to a civil penalty for giving false or misleading information.' Djokovic ticked 'No' in response to the...

Novak Djokovic is set for his day in court to challenge the shock cancellation of his visa over COVID-19 rules, which threw the world number one's Australian Open plans into disarray. But unlike tennis, the online federal court hearing that opens at 10am (11am, Singapore time) on Monday (Jan 10) may not end with a simple win or loss. DJOKOVIC WINS If judge Anthony Kelly decides in favour of Djokovic, it would quash the cancellation of his visa, which would become valid again. It would be a sensational victory for the vaccine-sceptic Djokovic and a dramatic setback for the Australian...

Novak Djokovic’s legal team revealed a letter clearing the player to enter the country, but the document may not be the “rubber stamp” they think it is.The plot has continued to thicken in the Novak Djokovic visa saga as his legal team claims the world No. 1 had received word from the Department of Home Affairs that he had met “the requirements for a quarantine-free arrival into Australia”.However, the claim appears to refer to the Australian Travel Declaration which is an app travellers can use to give an indication of whether they will be allowed into Australia based on information...

Novak Djokovic might not make it to the 2022 Australian Open after all. According to The Times of London, the world No. 1 tennis player was stopped at border control upon entry to Australia due to a reported visa mix-up. A member of Djokovic’s team reportedly requested a type of visa that does not apply to individual(s) who have been granted a medical exemption from the COVID vaccines.

Chicago police are considering closing streets in the city's downtown area, along with other potential strategies, in an effort to avoid a repeat of weekend mayhem that resulted in the arrests of more than 20 people last Saturday, ABC Chicago reported on Tuesday. Citing an internal police memo that was given to police commanders on Tuesday and obtained by the ABC affiliate's investigative team, the affiliate reported that downtown streets near Michigan Ave. and lakefront parks could be closed. Police sources told the affiliate, however, that no plans had been announced and that such closures were meant to be used...

The next election will reflect the results of the 2020 Census. That means a net shift of seats from Democrat-controlled states to those governed by Republicans. As a result, CA, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA, and WV will lose one seat. Winners will be CO, FL, MT, NC, and OR gaining a seat and Texas taking home the grand prize of two new seats.How this plays out is left up to state legislatures. Republicans control the legislatures in 30 states. In 23 of those, they also control the statehouse. In Kansas and Kentucky, a Democrat governor faces a veto-proof Republican...

Yamina leader Naftali Bennett agreed to forming a coalition government with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, N12 reported. The two sides agreed that Bennett will serve first as prime minister until September 2023, when Lapid will take over until November 2025, according to N12. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place in 10 days, following an announcement of the new government either on Saturday night or Sunday.

A group of serving French soldiers have published a new open letter warning Emmanuel Macron that the 'survival' of France is at stake after the President made 'concessions' to Islamism. The letter published in the right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles (Today's Values) late on Sunday echoes the tone of a similar letter printed in the same magazine last month which also warned a civil war was brewing and called for military action against 'Islamists'. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, a close ally of Macron, slammed the letter as a 'crude maneouvre' and accused its anonymous signatories of lacking 'courage'. The previous...

Mr. President, it’s time to end this dark charade. We’re one week away from an enormously important moment for the next four years of our country. On Jan. 5, two runoff races in Georgia will determine which party will control the Senate — whether Joe Biden will have a rubber stamp or a much-needed check on his agenda. Unfortunately, you’re obsessed with the next day, Jan. 6, when Congress will, in a pro forma action, certify the Electoral College vote. You have tweeted that, as long as Republicans have “courage,” they can overturn the results and give you four more...

ATLANTA — Judge Timothy Batten in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has dismissed the lawsuit. A similar suit in Michigan was also dismissed this morning. Powell will appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, which dismissed a similar suit brought by attorney Lin Wood this weekend.

...fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.

Seattle has been making big news in the last couple of days. The first major story emerged Tuesday when police ceded an entire neighborhood to Antifa and Black Lives Matter, representatives of which barricaded a large segment of the Capitol Hill neighborhood and declared the area an “autonomous” community, separate from Seattle itself. The second newsworthy story occurred when thousands of leftist protesters led by Black Lives Matter and Antifa entered City Hall shortly after midnight on Wednesday, demanding that Mayor Jenny Durkan (a Democrat) resign. On Tuesday, the police in Seattle’s Eastern District had initially battled with the rioters,...

France on Sunday warned Britain to expect a bitter, bloody battle in Brexit trade talks with the EU, saying the two sides would "rip each other apart".