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Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters trapped for more than two months in the vast Azovstal steel works have surrendered to their Russian besiegers after their commanders finally called time on the defense of Mariupol. A total of 264 soldiers, 53 of them badly wounded, were taken in a convoy of buses to two towns held by Russian-backed rebels in the Donetsk area, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday. It is unclear how many more are left in the steelworks, where as many as 1,000 fighters had been holed up in a network of underground tunnels and caverns in a medieval siege. (snip) Russia...

If you just followed news reports on Ukraine, you might think that the war has settled into a long, grinding and somewhat boring slog. You would be wrong. Things are actually getting more dangerous by the day. For starters, the longer this war goes on, the more opportunity for catastrophic miscalculations — and the raw material for that is piling up fast and furious. Take the two high-profile leaks from American officials this past week about U.S. involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war: First, The Times disclosed that “the United States has provided intelligence about Russian units that has allowed Ukrainians...

During a Tuesday interview with state media, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said that if the U.S. and other Western allies of Ukraine continue to provide the country with weapons, the risk of the war escalating into a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated.” CBS News reported that Lavrov said that by providing weapons to Ukraine, NATO countries were “pouring oil on the fire” and risking “World War III.” Lavrov said that by providing weapons to Ukraine, NATO nations were already “in essence engaged in war with Russia.” The Russian diplomat’s warning came as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin...

Good God, I hope everyone in Congress recognizes what this bill, which apparently has now passed and Biden will sign it (seeing as he asked for it directly), means.Let's recap. Per our Constitution the military is under civilian control. That is, the actions of the military, including weapons used by same or suitable for same, are under the control of Congress and The Executive.Congress must authorize anything that leads to expense, and such must come from The House. Again, this is basic Constitution stuff.Now Congress has explicitly authorized, and Biden will sign, this bill that specifically permits the transfer to...

KYIV, April 21 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the Ukraine war on Thursday, declaring the port of Mariupol "liberated" after nearly two months of siege, despite hundreds of defenders still holding out inside a giant steel works. In a televised meeting with his defence minister inside the Kremlin, Putin said there was no need for a final confrontation with the last defenders who were boxed in after surviving nearly two months of Russia's siege. "I consider the proposed storming of the industrial zone unnecessary," he told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a televised...

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...