Ukraine pushes for Western fighter jets after tank deals

Ukraine won support Tuesday from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets, but there were no signs that larger nations like the U.S. and Britain have changed their stance of refusing to provide the warplanes to Kyiv after almost a year of battling Russia’s invading forces. “Ukraine needs fighter jets … missiles, tanks. We need to act,” Estonian Foreign Minister … Continue reading Ukraine pushes for Western fighter jets after tank deals

Western allies differ over fighter jets for Ukraine as Russia claims gains

Ukraine’s defense minister is expected in Paris on Tuesday to meet President Emmanuel Macron amid a debate among Kyiv’s allies over whether to provide fighter jets for its war against Russia, after U.S. President Joe Biden ruled out giving F-16s. Ukraine planned to push for Western fourth-generation fighters like F-16s after securing supplies of main battle tanks last week, an adviser to defense minister Oleksiy … Continue reading Western allies differ over fighter jets for Ukraine as Russia claims gains

Is Putin mobilising 200,000 troops for new invasion to topple Ukraine?

RUSSIA is massing at least 200,000 soldiers for a massive new assault on Ukraine, Nato’s top official has warned. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg grimly said there is “no sign” that Vladimir Putin is “preparing for peace”. He warned that Russia is preparing for “more war” ahead of the conflict’s first anniversary at the end of the February. It comes amid intelligence reports that Mad Vlad … Continue reading Is Putin mobilising 200,000 troops for new invasion to topple Ukraine?

Zelenskiy: Ukraine needs more weapons, faster

Ukraine needs new weapons and faster deliveries to confront a “very tough” situation of constant attacks by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday. “The situation is very tough. Bakhmut, Vuhledar and other sectors in Donetsk region — there are constant Russian attacks. There are constant attempts to break through our defences,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. … Continue reading Zelenskiy: Ukraine needs more weapons, faster

WSJ: Some Western Backers of Ukraine Worry That Time Might Be on Russia’s Side

Behind the decision to sharply step up Western military aid to Ukraine lies a worry in some Western capitals that time might be on Russia’s side.  That concern suggests the window for Ukraine isn’t indefinite and it needs powerful Western weapons—main battle tanks, other armored vehicles and more air-defense systems—soon to reinforce the momentum it achieved in offensive successes around Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson last … Continue reading WSJ: Some Western Backers of Ukraine Worry That Time Might Be on Russia’s Side

UK ARMY SPIED ON COVID CRITICS

A shadowy Army unit secretly spied on British citizens who criticised the Government’s Covid lockdown policies, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Military operatives in the UK’s ‘information warfare’ brigade were part of a sinister operation that targeted politicians and high-profile journalists who raised doubts about the official pandemic response. They compiled dossiers on public figures such as ex-Minister David Davis, who questioned the modelling … Continue reading UK ARMY SPIED ON COVID CRITICS

Iran says drone attack targets defense facility in Isfahan

Bomb-carrying drones targeted an Iranian defense factory in the central city of Isfahan overnight, authorities said early Sunday, causing some damage at the plant amid heightened regional and international tensions engulfing the Islamic Republic. The Iranian Defense Ministry offered no information on who it suspected carried out the attack, which came as a refinery fire separately broke out in the country’s northwest and a 5.9 … Continue reading Iran says drone attack targets defense facility in Isfahan

To Fix it’s Ukraine Problems, Russia Turns to the Architect of the War

Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, the architect of President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, took over the day-to-day running of Russia’s war effort this month by convincing his boss that his predecessor was too passive, American and European officials say. But General Gerasimov’s turbocharged strategy is what led to Russia’s problems to begin with, and Moscow still does not have the troops, ammunition or equipment … Continue reading To Fix it’s Ukraine Problems, Russia Turns to the Architect of the War

Pope says homosexuality not a crime

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an exclusive interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that … Continue reading Pope says homosexuality not a crime

Finland Floats Solo NATO Entry After Erdogan Rejects Sweden

Finland for the first time opened the door to potentially decoupling its NATO application from that of Sweden, after its neighbor encountered fresh resistance from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The path floated by Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, if it becomes more serious, would mark a significant shift in Finnish policy since the Nordic nations jointly applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in … Continue reading Finland Floats Solo NATO Entry After Erdogan Rejects Sweden

Senior Ukrainian officials ousted in corruption crackdown

The deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office quit Tuesday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged to launch a staff shake-up amid high-level corruption allegations during the war with Russia. Kyrylo Tymoshenko asked to be relieved of his duties, according to an online copy of a decree signed by Zelenskyy and Tymoshenko’s own social media posts. Neither gave a reason for the resignation. Deputy Defense Minister Viacheslav … Continue reading Senior Ukrainian officials ousted in corruption crackdown

Germany: Group accused of planning to start ‘civil war’

Federal prosecutors in Germany said Monday that they have indicted five people for treason and forming a “terrorist organization” that aimed to topple the government and spark a civil war. Prosecutors said the suspects, four men and one woman, had made “concrete preparations” to cause a large-scale blackout in the country and use the ensuing chaos to establish an alternative government. They also allegedly planned … Continue reading Germany: Group accused of planning to start ‘civil war’

France strikes: One million protest against Macron’s rise in retirement age

More than a million people have joined a day of protests and strikes, according to France’s interior ministry, against plans to push back the age of retirement from 62 to 64. Some 80,000 protesters took to the streets of Paris, with demonstrations in 200 more French cities. President Emmanuel Macron called the reforms “just and responsible” – but they are facing a make-or-break moment. The … Continue reading France strikes: One million protest against Macron’s rise in retirement age

Nearly half a million UK workers set for mass strike demanding higher pay

Close to half a million workers are ready to strike on a single day as Britain faces an escalation of industrial action across a number of sectors. Unions representing civil servants, teachers, university staff and train drivers have said their members will walk out on Feb. 1 as part of demands for higher pay to cope with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. About … Continue reading Nearly half a million UK workers set for mass strike demanding higher pay

Putin ally warns NATO of nuclear war if Russia is defeated in Ukraine

An ally of President Vladimir Putin warned NATO on Thursday that a defeat of Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war, while the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said the world would end if the West tried to destroy Russia. Such apocalyptic rhetoric is intended to deter the U.S.-led NATO military alliance from getting even more involved in the war, on the eve … Continue reading Putin ally warns NATO of nuclear war if Russia is defeated in Ukraine

The world’s oldest person, Sister André of France, dies at age 118

Sister André, the world’s oldest known person, died Tuesday at age 118 and 340 days. Less than a month away from her 119th birthday, she held the record for both oldest living person and oldest living nun, according to Guinness World Records. She was born in France on Feb. 11, 1904, as Lucile Randon and took the name Sister André in 1944. She spent most … Continue reading The world’s oldest person, Sister André of France, dies at age 118

Jailed ‘El Chapo’ drug kingpin sends ‘SOS’ to Mexico president

Notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has appealed to Mexico’s president for help due to alleged “psychological torment” he is suffering in a US prison, his lawyer said Tuesday. “In the six years that Joaquin has been in the United States, he has not seen the sun,” said Jose Refugio Rodriguez, a Mexico-based legal representative of the Sinaloa cartel founder. The message, described as … Continue reading Jailed ‘El Chapo’ drug kingpin sends ‘SOS’ to Mexico president

Ukraine helicopter crash kills interior minister, others

A helicopter carrying Ukraine’s interior minister crashed into a kindergarten in a foggy residential suburb of Kyiv on Wednesday, killing him and about a dozen other people, including a child on the ground, authorities said. Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, who oversaw the country’s police and emergency services, is the most senior official killed since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago. His death, along with the … Continue reading Ukraine helicopter crash kills interior minister, others

Russia to Boost Troops in West, Expanding Army to 1.5 Million People

Russia will create new commands near Europe as it expands its military to 1.5 million people amid deepening tensions with the US and its allies over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. New structures in the regions around Moscow, St. Petersburg and Karelia on the border with Finland will be created under the program, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told commanders Tuesday, saying the major changes will … Continue reading Russia to Boost Troops in West, Expanding Army to 1.5 Million People

Russian missile strike in Ukraine’s Dnipro kills dozens as battle for Bakhmut rages

It was a bloody weekend in Ukraine. After a couple weeks of relative calm in the skies, Russia’s military resumed its devastating aerial assault, either firing indiscriminately into civilian areas, or deliberately targeting people’s homes to spread terror. Dozens of people were killed and many more wounded in just one brutal attack on a massive apartment building in the city of Dnipro. Ukrainian President Volodymyr … Continue reading Russian missile strike in Ukraine’s Dnipro kills dozens as battle for Bakhmut rages

Russia says Britain’s tanks ‘will burn’ in Ukraine

The Kremlin said on Monday that tanks Britain plans to send to Ukraine “will burn”, warning the West that supplying a new round of more advanced weapons to Ukraine would not change the outcome of the war. Since President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, the United States and its allies have given tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weaponry including … Continue reading Russia says Britain’s tanks ‘will burn’ in Ukraine

Young people turning to Satanism instead of ‘stuffy’ Christianity

“With our rituals, there’s never any murder, there’s never any sacrifice, there’s never any blood rites to Satan. We don’t worship the devil. We don’t cast magic spells…” In fact, as the Global Order of Satan UK – as well as other leaders and members of Satanic groups around the world insist – it would be difficult to spot a Satanist walking down the street. … Continue reading Young people turning to Satanism instead of ‘stuffy’ Christianity

Ukrainians to start training on Patriot missiles in US as soon as next week, officials say

Ukrainian troops are set to begin training on the Patriot missile system in the United States as soon as next week, two US officials familiar with the matter tell CNN. The training program will take place at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where the US conducts its own training on operating and maintaining the advanced air defense system. Fort Sill is one of the Army’s four … Continue reading Ukrainians to start training on Patriot missiles in US as soon as next week, officials say

Single-use plastic cutlery and plates to be banned in England

Single-use items like plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trays will be banned in England, the government has confirmed. It is not clear when the ban will come into effect but it follows similar moves by Scotland and Wales. Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said the move would help protect the environment for future generations. Campaigners welcomed the ban, but called for a wider-ranging plastic reduction strategy. … Continue reading Single-use plastic cutlery and plates to be banned in England

Irish Govt Reopens ‘Tent City’ for Migrants as Public Protest Open Borders

Amid an influx of tens of thousands of migrants, the Irish government has reportedly decided to reopen a tent ‘city’, as locals protest the EU member-state’s open borders policies. Protests against the Irish government’s open borders approach to migration continue to spread across the country as state officials requisition more and more premises to house asylum seekers. With Ireland in the midst of a crippling … Continue reading Irish Govt Reopens ‘Tent City’ for Migrants as Public Protest Open Borders