Podcasts about Independence Square

Ukraine is known for its historical landmarks like Saint Sophia Cathedral and Independence Square, big cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv, and the ports of the Black Sea. Few visitors, however, know about the small and picturesque villages of one of the largest countries in Eastern Europe. 乌克兰以其历史地标，例如圣索菲亚大教堂和独立广场，基辅和哈尔基夫等大城市以及黑海的港口而闻名。 但是，很少有游客知道东欧最大的国家之一的小村庄。 Today, we will learn about Tupychiv, a small village nearly 200 kilometers north of the capital city of Kyiv. 今天，我们将了解Tupychiv，这是一个小村庄，一个小村庄，位于首都基辅以北近200公里。 Tupychiv is one of 11 small villages in the Chernihiv area. From the regional center of Chernihiv, visitors can take a bus or car to Tupychiv. The small village has no link to important historical events or possesses any major architecture. What it does have is nature. Tupychiv是切尔尼希夫地区的11个小村庄之一。 从切尔尼夫地区中心，游客可以乘公共汽车或汽车去图皮奇夫。 这个小村庄与重要的历史事件没有联系，也没有任何重大建筑。 它的确是自然。Tupychiv is surrounded by forests. The woods are more than just an ecosystem. They are a part of life for people in the area. Workers look after the forests to keep the trees, including birch, oak, pine, and fir, in order. Tupychiv被森林包围。 树林不仅仅是一个生态系统。 它们是该地区人们生活的一部分。 工人照顾森林，以井井有条，包括桦木，橡木，松树和冷杉。 In early spring, fresh green leaves blossom on the trees and bushes. The sound of birds singing fills every corner of the forest promising new life and joy after the cold winter day. In May, herds of cows wander to the forests to graze between the bushes and wood clearings. 在早春，新鲜的绿色叶子在树木和灌木丛上开花。 鸟类唱歌的声音充满了森林的每个角落，在寒冷的冬天后，有希望的新生活和喜悦。 5月，牛群徘徊在森林中，在灌木丛和清除木材之间放牧。As the summer arrives, villagers ride their bikes to the forests to pick berries. Strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are important sources of nutrition for villagers. They are also an important source of money for those who bring them to market. 夏天到来时，村民骑自行车去森林挑选浆果。 草莓，黑莓和覆盆子是村民营养的重要来源。 对于那些将他们投放市场的人来说，它们也是重要的资金来源。 The quietest month in the forest is June when animals and birds have their babies. 森林中最安静的月份是六月动物和鸟类的婴儿。 But the 7th of July is a special day in the forests of Tupychiv. 但是7月7日是图皮奇森林的特殊日子。 According to legend, the ferns in the forests would only blossom one night a year, from nighttime on the 6th to daytime on the 7th. Those who could see its bloom would be given a gift to find treasures. But the night is also the time when evils in the woods would come out and only the bravest men would dare to go into the Tupychiv forests. 根据传说，森林中的蕨类植物每年只有一个晚上，从夜晚的6日到7日的白天。 那些可以看到盛开的人将获得一份礼物来寻找宝藏。 但是，夜晚也是树林里的邪恶会出来的时候，只有最勇敢的人敢进入蒂皮奇夫森林。Whether the story is true or not, villagers believe that the plants have a magic force on the 7th of July. So many hurry to the woods to gather medicinal plants or berries on that special day. 无论故事是否真实，村民都认为植物在7月7日具有魔力。 这么多人急于在那个特殊的日子里收集药用植物或浆果。 When autumn comes, the forests turn into a palette of golden leaves on birches, flaming scarlet leaves of oak trees and dark green firs and pines. Villagers would go for a walk in the woods and come back with a basket of mushrooms and unforgettable memories. 当秋天到来时，森林变成了桦树上的金色叶子，橡木树的炽烈猩红叶，深绿色的冷杉和松树。 村民会在树林里散步，并带着一篮子蘑菇和难忘的回忆回来。 As for memories, no one in Tupychiv ever forgets the year 1933. That was the year Ukrainians suffered from hunger caused by Soviet policy. Thousands died of hunger but the people of Tupychiv and neighboring villages survived with berries, mushrooms, and edible plants found in the woods. 至于回忆，在图皮奇夫中，没有人忘记1933年。那一年，乌克兰人遭受了苏联政策造成的饥饿。 成千上万的人死于饥饿，但图普奇夫（Tupychiv）和邻近村庄的人们在树林中发现的浆果，蘑菇和可食用植物幸存下来。

Mahama Introduces Tinubu As 'President Of Ghana' During Inaugural Addresshttps://osazuwaakonedo.news/mahama-introduces-tinubu-as-president-of-ghana-during-inaugural-address/07/01/2025/#Breaking News #Accra #Bola #Dramani #Ghana #Mahama #Tinubu ©January 7th, 2025 ®January 7, 2025 4:53 pm Newly sworn in President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama may have mistakenly introduced Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the “President of the Federal Republic of Ghana” during his inaugural address after he was sworn into office at the Independence Square in Accra, the capital of the West Africa country. #OsazuwaAkonedo

In this week's episode, Laurie Dean and Dan talk about the impact the proposed GO bond will have on the Independence Square.

Things to Come? Pray David Eells – 7/10/24 (audio) Dana Coverstone (Notes in blue) 5/19/23  (David's notes in red) (This revelation seems to be the backlash of the DS against the supporters of the Alliance and the people in general.)  Preface: Dana said that this dream lasted from April 17th to May 16th, almost a month, almost 30 days, it's been one the longest dreams he's had.    The dream began with me sitting in the top of a very tall tree, looking down on fog and mist that hung over the entire nation. It was covering over Canada and Mexico as well. It did not cover the water, just this nation, only the land. (It appears as a fog but is man-made and controlled. Prevailing winds would normally remove it.) I can see the physical land covered in fog. It covered Canada and Mexico as well, but it looked like the fog was churning. It was moving. It was staying in place over the United States of America, (This is Man-made and controlled. Chemtrails gage the prevailing winds to put their poison where they want it.) but not [staying] over Mexico or Canada. It reminded me of a locust swarm that you can see like in a National Geographic photo. (The locusts in Joel 2 were the Assyrian army that was able to take down apostate northern 10 tribes but not the Bride, Jerusalem.) It was just moving effortlessly, but it was also frothing. It was like the steam coming off of hot coffee or hot cocoa or hot tea or something. But what it covered was thick and you cannot see anything below what you were seeing from the top of the fog. (True fog skips dry areas and manifests over damp watery places.) And as I was pondering the moving of the fog, is when the man appeared to me, and I believe the man is Jesus or represents the Holy Spirit at times, but he came out and he simply said, “Let me show you something.” And he grabbed my hand, and we stepped out into the air. Because I was in a tall tree, looking down, I was kind of hanging, you know, like holding on to a limb with my feet just looking at it. I'm thankful that God sees all the things that are going on. He knows what's coming, he knows what's happening. And I just had that sense as I was watching that I was about to be instructed or told some things. We descended down through the fog, we were not flying, it was like we were walking. The fog seemed to be very evil and very intentional. It appeared to try to reach out and grab me with these eerie ethereal arms. (It is a menace to man and will kill many.) It was almost like the fog was alive. (It is alive with disease) It was dark, it was evil, but it was trying to grab hold…   The man led me on until he reached the ground and then he said, “Look up.” When he said that, I realized that the fog was gone, but I could see jets that were flying in all directions and it appeared to be almost 7:00 or 7:30 at night. It was dusk. (How often we have seen this same thing? Chemtrails.) The lights were going off as people were getting ready for bed. Darkness was hitting; it was almost like I could see traffic had stopped and people were home going to bed and to get ready for work the next day. (Poisoned as they slept.)  So I'm watching all these jets that are going back and forth, north, south, east and west, flying in all directions. It was obviously dusk and the lights were going out. And that's when I realized that I heard this loud hissing and every single jet was spraying something out of the exhaust. (We would call these things chemtrails.) And the jets flying north would be going north for a while. Then suddenly turn around and come back and spray the same way. The ones going east would go east for a couple miles and then come back and it was like regional. It wasn't like one jet going all the way north and south, it was not just east and west. It was like this in every state, there were jets flying over in every state, every region, every area, in that sense. And the jets flying east, and west were doing what the ones going north were doing. They kept blanketing the country in whatever it was spraying. The time passed and the jets disappeared. (In A.A. Allen's vision he saw the same thing and then people started dropping dead everywhere in the U.S.) Then I saw people getting up leaving their houses and going to work. So all of this stuff was being done at night. And the sense that I have about it was a whole lot of evil that's going on right here and right now in our world. This spraying was going on at night when no one was aware. No one was watching and no one was awake. Almost as if there was some elite and corporate plan to poison the nation. (It's a Satanic depopulation cult.) On July 1st Michael and I had a very similar thing happen to us. As we were headed into the city for our prayer meeting, I saw clouds that were black and mentioned to Michael that we had just been chemtrailed. Later, after we left the meeting, we started smelling that burnt smell in the air and it got worse and worse and darker and darker as we approached the lower part of downtown. This part reminded me of Dana's experience of looking down from treetop level and seeing the dense darkness and then when he descended, he looked up and saw the dense blackness that could not be seen through. It was just like this as we dropped about a tree's distance down to the lower part of town. We could only see light at the horizon and the smell was far worse than we have ever experienced. It was a choking feeling. It stayed with us until we got to the house and went inside, where the atmosphere was totally different. My angel told me that they had hit a few cities before they grounded the planes. Back to Dana's revelation: Once again the fog was over Mexico and Canada, but it was not moving anywhere except the United States of America. (Also, I realized that this is probably a real conspiracy, these things that were going on, the things that we're seeing in that regard. And it's all happening at night, so nobody sees them.) People are getting up for school, getting on the buses and going to school. And then the next thing that I see happening is this, I was standing in Times Square watching those jumbotron television screens with a breaking news item of a major outbreak of a new virus. Now, the timeline that I could tell in the dream is late summer, early fall as the news broadcast we're talking about this.   The World Health Organization was laying out guidelines that must be followed regardless of constitutions or national law. (This is to kill the population and make money for the DS pharmaceutical companies.) Those are the two words they used, “regardless of constitutions or national law”. There were military tanks and Hummers, that started patrolling as the announcements were being made. And I said to the man that the jets appeared to be the source of the medical issue.   (So here I saw that the news was complicit and almost an accomplice with what was going on and what was being said. Obviously somebody was behind this; it was happening at night. And so who knows if that's the cause (of the disease). All we realize is that there is something sinister happening in our world and it's being allowed. It's being pushed probably by those in power.)  Evangelist A.A. Allen's Vision First "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday". (Psalms 91:5-6) Then as I watched, another amazing thing was taking place. Far to the northwest, just out over Alaska, a huge, black cloud was arising. As it rose, it was as black as night. It seemed to be in the shape of a man's head. As it continued to arise, I observed two light spots in the black cloud. It rose further, and a gaping hole appeared. I could see that the black cloud was taking the shape of a skull (A skeleton Skull has been the symbol of poison.), for now the huge, white, gaping mouth was plainly visible. Finally, the head was complete. Then the shoulders began to appear; and on either side, long, black arms. It seemed that what I saw was the entire North American continent, spread out like a map upon a table with this terrible skeleton-formed cloud arising from behind the table. It rose steadily until the form was visible down to the waist. At the waist the skeleton seemed to bend toward the United States, stretching forth a hand toward the east and one toward the west--one toward New York and one toward Seattle. As the awful form stretched forward, I could see that its entire attention seemed to be focused upon the United States, overlooking Canada at least for the time being. As I saw the horrible black cloud in the form of a skeleton bending toward America, bending from the waist over, reaching down toward Chicago and out toward both coasts, I knew its one interest was to destroy the multitudes. As I watched in horror, the great black cloud stopped just above the Great Lakes region and turned its face toward New York City. Then out of the horrible, great gaping mouth began to appear wisps of white vapor which looked like smoke, as a cigarette smoker would blow puffs of smoke from his mouth. These whitish vapors were being blown toward New York City. The smoke began to spread until it had covered all the eastern part of the United States. Then the skeleton turned to the west and out of the horrible mouth and nostrils came another great puff of white smoke. This time it was blown in the direction of the west coast. In a few moments' time the entire West Coast and Los Angeles area were covered with its vapors. Then toward the center came a third great puff. As I watched, St. Louis and Kansas City were enveloped in its white vapors. Then on they came toward New Orleans…. Suddenly the silence was shattered by the screaming of sirens. The sirens seemed to scream, "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Never before had I heard such shrill, screaming sirens. They seemed to be everywhere--to the north, the south, the east, and the west. There seemed to be multitudes of sirens; and as I looked, I saw people everywhere running, but it seemed none of them ran more than a few paces, and then they fell. … I now saw millions of people falling in the streets, on the sidewalks, struggling. I heard their screams for mercy and help. I heard their horrible coughing as though their lungs had been seared with fire. (Often warnings like this get out so that God's true people pray the judgment down or even away.) Worldwide paralysis and sifting of the tears (dream) 6/13/24 Andrew Gelinas Matthew 13:49-49 So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. In my dream the first thing I remember was I was loading up a newspaper inserting machine like I used to at the newspaper I worked at about ten years ago. The machine would start running but I had a hard time keeping up with loading the stacks of inserts into it quickly enough so I had to keep hitting the stop button so I could get a tall enough stack in before running it again. (The newspaper represents the good news of the Gospel.  The inserts are what the publishers use to make money off of the good news like many preachers do. But this slows down the ability for the good news to get out quickly. And Jesus said, freely you have received freely give and give and it will be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.) Then, later on I and another person were handling these strange gem or crystal-like stones at a table while I was still in the newspaper facility. In the dream these objects were somehow the news and were what needed to go into the newspaper. (The gems are the really valuable revelations that people need and are not getting in their churches.)  I was working at breaking off chunks of the clear brittle stone with my fingers. The other stone I saw the other person handling was a purple amethyst color. (Purple represents royalty.  The good news gems bring one into the royal family of Jesus.) Then the dream moved on and I was in a single story house I had never been in before with my wife and brother Colin. We were just kind of hanging out together but I kept feeling anxious that I was late for work and kept asking my brother Colin for the time. I had the feeling of it being earlier in the day because I wasn't dressed for work yet and wouldn't have to get ready for a little while yet. I knew I had to be at work at 3pm so I was startled when he or my wife would tell me it was already 1:15, and at other times I'd ask and it was in the 2 o'clock hour. I had a digital wrist watch on and would try to look at it but the face was hard to read clearly. it would first appear to be 9 or 10am but as I focused my eyes on it more it would change to somewhere in the 1 or 2 o'clock hour. This kept happening over the course of this part of my dream. (You are getting closer to being late to get the good news out freely. Andrew had a revelation that He would be here with us getting the good news out. We believe it. So don't be late.) The next thing I remember, someone held up a screen that showed that Trump was definitely going to win. (This is about to be abundantly clear. The Supreme Court has made rulings that will cancel the vote, Biden, and Congress and give the presidency to Trump.)  As I was looking at it, a scene of a crowded New York City sidewalk appeared. When all at once every person walking on the sidewalk or street collapsed on their backs in a state of paralysis. As they lay there with their eyes rolled back in their heads, I began to hear an unearthly dark sounding voice speaking over them and into their conscience. I could hear what the voice was saying in the dream but don't recall any of it now. (Both the paralysis and the voice are technologically possible now. We have had dreams of the population being stunned and laying on the ground.) Soon after seeing this distressing sight, I became aware that something was happening to the region where I and my family were. It somehow felt like I was on the west coast of the U.S. possibly San Francisco. (never been there in reality) We gazed out across the large bay where the land on the other side of the bay was being inundated and/or attacked by a sky sized swarm of strange lighted entities raining down about 2 or 3 miles away. (Satan and his fallen angels of light falling to earth as in Rev 12 where they are cast down by the saints and the angels of God.) (Here's a real example of what I saw in my dream looked like, only in my dream they were far greater in number.) At that time, we were gathered out on a large deck and looked up and saw vailed behind a thin layer of clouds about a thousand feet up, the heavy traffic of large triangular alien-looking space craft traveling in all directions but in straight lines. (In a grid pattern, like the chemtrail planes, in order to attack the populous.) This was like you would see in Star Wars movies where a planet would have highways in the sky. (These are tr-3b's, which are very fast and maneuverable and can fly in space. These were in the DS possession up until recently but were grounded by angels and given to the Alliance. Since Andrew had this dream I believe this plot has been foiled.) After seeing this we all hurried back into the house and quickly began turning off all of the lights and shutting the curtains. (In hiding from the DS enemy.) The rear of the house overlooking the bay had floor to ceiling windows spanning the length of the house and they continued around the side as well. After we had finished, we all tried to stay very quiet, and I gathered everyone into the living room to sit on the floor in a circle to pray because that was the only defense we knew we had. (YES) I began to pray but only got a few words out when I was hit with full body paralysis just like those I had seen in NYC. (They can pick up your voice from above.)  Then as this went on I began to see this scene from an overhead view. As my figure lay helpless and now alone on the living room floor I was now seeing through the perspective of a 9 or 10 foot tall veiled pitch-black figure who was walking through the closed front door. (The DS satanists are working with demons masquerading as aliens and sometimes humans as we have seen with our own eyes. These have no problem walking through closed doors or walls. These leftist antichrist cities are where they would start to play the alien card because the leftist people are stupid in this regard. Like all angels in the Bible fallen angels can take on a bodily form, large or small.) As it moved through the house toward my paralyzed body he began to speak in the same dead evil voice. I remember he was recalling all of my past sins to me. (This is a dead giveaway. This is a demon whose only defense against Christian's authority over them is to destroy their faith through condemnation for past sins that the Lord has forgiven. Anyone who has dealt with demons very much knows this.)  As he came close to the left side of my body on the floor, suddenly Jesus appeared in brilliant white light and interrupted his accusations and told him that he had taken all of those things on himself and they were buried and gone now. (This good news is the foundation of our faith. The demons fear the authority we have over them.  Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. But this authority works through faith. Mar 16:17  And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons …) I believe the above would be part of a bigger plan by the DS. This is from Operation Disclosure: The Deep State is to initiate Project Blue Beam Sky Event – a fake Alien Invasion inside a False Flag Event using fake UFOs, Holograms and advanced Military Sound Weapons, while the Alliance White Hat Military will mimic Project Blue Beam, but have a different outcome that benefits current Alliance Military Strategy War Games. Also, the ten days of communication darkness, martial law, and the EBS declass are coming in a few days. Hallelujah!!! Then the dream ended and I woke up. I find this fact as a confirmation. I tried to send this to you back on 6/14/24 but just noticed that it never got to you because the email address was missing the @ symbol in it even though I copied and pasted it. (This is the second time I have put interpretation in a reply mail. Just earlier as I was about to send it, it disappeared. They are mad and they are losing.)   George Washington's Vision of America The father of our country, George Washington, was a man of prayer. We have all read of how he went to the thicket many times to pray during the winter his army was at Valley Forge; however, little publicity has been given to the vision and prophecy he received at that time. The account of this vision was given in 1859 by an old soldier. He gave it to a writer, Wesley Bradshaw, who published it. In the vision God revealed to George Washington that three great perils would come upon the republic. He was given to know that America was going through the first peril at that time. The old soldier who told the story of the vision said that the nation would soon see the account verified by the second peril descending upon the land. The account is given here as it was reprinted in the U.S. war veterans' paper The National Tribune in December, 1880. The National Tribune is now The Stars and Stripes. This article was reprinted in The Stars and Stripes December 21, 1950. Here is the report of this phenomenal, and most importantly, heavenly message for us at this hour. Wesley Bradshaw wrote: The last time I ever saw Anthony Sherman was on the 4th of July, 1859, in Independence Square. He was then 99 years old and becoming very feeble. But though so old, his dimming eyes rekindled as he gazed upon Independence Hall which he came to visit once more. Withheld Message Disclosed "Let us go into the hall", he said. "I want to tell you of an incident of Washington's life, one which no one alive knows of except myself; and if you live, you will before long see it verified. Mark the prediction; you will see it verified. "From the opening of the Revolution, we experienced all phases of fortune, now good and now ill, one time victorious and another conquered. The darkest period we had, I think, was when Washington, after several reverses, retreated to Valley Forge where he resolved to pass the winter of 1777. Ah! I have often seen the tears coursing down our dear commander's care-worn cheeks as he would be conversing with a confidential officer about the condition of his poor soldiers. You have doubtless heard the story of Washington's going to the thicket to pray. Well, it was not only true, but he used often to pray in secret for aid and comfort. And God brought us safely through the darkest days of tribulation. "One day, I remember it well, the chilly winds whistled through the leafless trees, though the sky was cloudless and the sun shone brightly. He remained in his quarters, nearly all the afternoon, alone. When he came out, I noticed that his face was a shade paler than usual, and there seemed to be something on his mind of more than ordinary importance. Returning just after dusk, he dispatched an orderly to the quarters of an officer who was presently in attendance". An Uninvited Guest "After a preliminary conversation of about half an hour, Washington, gazing upon his companion with that strange look of dignity which he alone could command, said to the latter: 'I do not know whether it is owing to the anxiety of my mind or what, but this afternoon, as I was sitting at this table engaged in preparing a dispatch, something in the apartment seemed to disturb me. Looking up, I beheld standing opposite me a singularly beautiful being. So astonished was I, for I had given strict orders not to be disturbed that it was some moments before I found language to inquire the cause of the visit. A second, a third, and even a fourth time did I repeat my question, but received no answer from my mysterious visitor except a slight raising of the eyes. "By this time I felt strange sensations spreading through me. I would have risen, but the riveted gaze of the being before me rendered volition impossible. I assayed once more to speak, but my tongue had become useless, as if paralyzed. A new influence, mysterious, potent, irresistible, took possession of me. All I could do was to gaze steadily, vacantly at my unknown visitor. "Gradually, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to fill with sensations and grew luminous. Everything about me seemed to rarefy, the mysterious visitor also becoming more airy and yet more distinct to my sight than before. I began to feel as one dying, or rather to experience the sensations which I have sometimes imagined accompany death. I did not think. I did not reason. I did not move. All were alike impossible. I was only conscious of gazing fixedly, vacantly at my companion". First Great Peril "Presently, I heard a voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn', while at the same time my visitor extended an arm eastward. I now beheld a heavy white vapor at some distance rising fold upon fold. This gradually dissipated, and I looked upon a strange scene. Before me lay, spread out in one vast plain, all the countries of the world--Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. I saw rolling and tossing between Europe and America the billows of the Atlantic, and between Asia and America lay the Pacific. 'Son of the Republic', said the same mysterious voice as before, 'look and learn'. "At that moment I beheld a dark, shadowy being, like an angel, standing, or rather floating in mid-air, between Europe and America. Dipping water out of the ocean in the hollow of each hand, he sprinkled some upon America with his right hand while with his left he cast some over Europe. Immediately a cloud arose from these countries and joined--in mid-ocean. For a while it remained stationary, and then it moved slowly westward until it enveloped America in its murky folds. Sharp flashes of lightning gleamed through it at intervals, and I heard the smothered groans and cries of the American people". (This may be interpreted to have been the Revolutionary War, then in progress.) Second Great Peril "A second time the angel dipped water from the ocean and sprinkled it out as before. The dark cloud was then drawn back to the ocean in whose heaving billows it sank from view. "A third time I heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn'. I cast my eyes upon America and beheld villages and towns and cities springing up one after another until the whole land from the Atlantic to the Pacific was dotted with them. Again, I heard the mysterious voice say, 'Son of the Republic, the end of the century cometh. Look and learn'. "And this time the dark shadowy angel turned his face southward. From Africa (Slavery) I saw an ill-omened specter approach our land. It flitted slowly and heavily over every town and city of the latter. The inhabitants presently set themselves in battle array against each other. (The Civil War) As I continued looking, I saw a bright angel on whose brow rested a crown of light on which was traced the word 'Union'. He was bearing the American flag. He placed the flag between the divided nation and said, 'Remember, ye are brethren'. (Reconciliation) "Again I heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn'. At this the dark shadowy angel placed a trumpet to his mouth and blew three distinct blasts; and taking water from the ocean, he sprinkled it upon Europe, Asia, and Africa". Third and Most Fearful Peril (The present war) "Then my eyes beheld a fearful scene. From each of these continents arose thick black clouds that were soon joined into one; and throughout this mass there gleamed a dark red light by which I saw hordes of armed men. These men, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by sea to America, which country was enveloped in the volume of cloud, and I dimly saw these vast armies devastate the whole country and burn the villages, towns, and cities which I had seen springing up. "As my ears listened to the thundering of the cannon, clashing of the swords and the shouts and cries of millions in mortal combat, I again heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn'. Where the voice had ceased, the dark shadowy angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth and blew a long and fearful blast". Heaven Intervenes "Instantly, a light as of a thousand suns shone down from above me and pierced and broke into fragments the dark cloud which enveloped America. At the same moment the angel upon whose head still shown the word 'Union' and who bore our national flag in one hand and a sword in the other, descended from the heavens attended by legions of white spirits. (The angels intervene) These immediately joined the inhabitants of America who I perceived were well-nigh overcome but who, immediately taking courage again, closed up their broken ranks and renewed the battle. "Again, amid the fearful noise of the conflict I heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn'. As the voice ceased, the shadowy angel for the last time dipped water from the ocean and sprinkled it upon America. Instantly the dark cloud rolled back, together with the armies it had brought, leaving the inhabitants of the land victorious. "Then once more I beheld the villages, towns, and cities springing up where I had seen them before, while the bright angel, planting the azure standard he had brought in the midst of them, cried with a loud voice, 'While the stars remain and the heaven send down dew upon the earth, so long shall the UNION last'. And taking from his brow the crown on which blazoned the word 'Union', he placed it upon the standard while the people, kneeling down, said, 'Amen'". Interpretation "The scene instantly began to fade and dissolve, and I at last saw nothing but the rising, curling vapor I at first beheld. This also disappeared, and I found myself once more gazing upon the mysterious visitor who, in the same voice I had heard before, said, 'Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus interpreted: Three great perils will come upon the republic. The most fearful for her is the third, but the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the republic learn to live for his God, his land and UNION'. With these words the vision vanished, and I started from my seat and felt that I had seen a vision wherein had been shown me the birth, the progress, and destiny of the United States". "Such, my friends", the venerable narrator concluded, "were the words I heard from Washington's own lips, and America will do well to profit by them". From LIFE MESSENGERS - Seattle, Washington

Join us as we chat about our recent trip to Philly.   Learn some tips on seeing the historical sites. We found some great places for Happy Hour and  the famous Philly Cheesesteak.   Here are  the links to the places we talked about  Her Place Restaurant - https://www.herplacephilly.com PJ Clarks- https://pjclarkes.com/location/philadelphia/ Curio Hotel - https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/phlqqqq-the-logan-philadelphia/ Liberty Bell- https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/stories-libertybell.htm Independence Square- https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/independencesquarebuildings.htm Wolly Mammoth Bar - https://woollymammothphilly.com/index.html Reading Ternimal Market - https://readingterminalmarket.org    

The Good Friday miracle service with Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is a yearly service held at Independence Square in Accra, Ghana. But this year, the avenue was changed to Accra Sports Stadium.

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:• Central European University: CEU• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio Follow us on social media!• Central European University: @CEU• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @AHDCentre Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks!  GlossaryEuromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity(05:36 or p.2 in the transcript)On November 21, 2013, one and a half thousand people rallied through social networks. They took to the Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) to express their protest against pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign the association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. At the same time, people in different cities of Ukraine gathered every day and organized events in support of European integration. On the night of November 29-30, about 400 activists, mostly students, remained on the streets of Kyiv. Armed fighters of the former police unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine called “Berkut” forced people out of the square. They used explosive packages, beating people with batons and stomping them with their feet. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the center of Kyiv on December 1, 2013, to protest the forceful dispersal of peaceful protesters. Due to the European integration slogans, the events were called Euromaidan. This turned into a struggle for the renewal of the state system, the defense of democratic ideas, and the refusal to submit to the pro-Russian regime. The struggle became known as the Revolution of Dignity. Protesters occupied the building of the Kyiv City State Administration (KMDA) and the House of Trade Unions, where the Headquarters of the National Resistance were located. Independence Square and nearby streets were filled with protesters. Euromaidan activists began to set up tent cities, surrounded by barricades and several roadblocks. On December 8, 2013, the “March of Millions” took place in Kyiv, a public event with over a million participants. Activists decided to block the Presidential Administration and Government buildings. On the night of December 10-11, “Berkut” and units of internal forces launched an assault to disperse peaceful protesters. The impetus for the escalation of the confrontation was the adoption of “dictatorship laws” by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on January 16, 2014. They limited the rights of citizens and expanded the powers of special officers to punish participants in protest actions. On January 19, Euromaidan started a move to prepare an open-ended picket of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The march met with units of internal troops and special units of “Berkut” on Hrushevsky Street — clashes began that lasted all night. Armed security forces used stun grenades and rubber bullets, as well as a water cannon, against the demonstrators. Euromaidan activists wore construction helmets, and they threw cobblestones and Molotov cocktails at the police. On January 22, 2014, another illegal decision was made to extend the powers of the security forces that acted against Euromaidan participants. They were allowed to use light noise and smoke grenades delivered from the Russian Federation. On this day, for the first time during the Revolution of Dignity, two activists – Armenian Serhii Nigoyan and Belarusian Mykhailo Zhiznevskyi – died from gunshot wounds on Hrushevsky Street in Kyiv. Hundreds were injured by rubber bullets, debris, and chemical burns. At the end of January, the uprising spread to other regions of Ukraine. Protesters occupied administrative buildings, and they removed pro-Russian heads of state administrations from their positions. On February 18, 2014, activists marched to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, where deputies were supposed to consider changes to the Constitution of Ukraine. Activists called on the parliament to return the Constitution of 2004, according to which the political system of Ukraine was supposed to become parliamentary-presidential again, which reduced the possibilities for usurpation of power. The peaceful offensive turned into mass clashes between the Euromaidan and security forces. The Berkut police special unit dispersed the demonstrators on the approaches to the parliament and began an assault on the Maidan. On this day, more than 20 Euromaidans were killed with firearms. The events of February 20, 2014, on Instytutska Street in Kyiv entered the modern history of Ukraine as “Bloody Thursday”. On this day, snipers killed 48 Euromaidans. On the same day in 2014, Russia began the occupation of Crimea, and in the spring they invaded Eastern Ukraine. Eight years later, in 2022, the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion. source  

On the tenth episode of the Ukraine's Story series, we will delve into the events of the Revolution of Dignity (or Euromaidan), which unfolded in late 2013 and early 2014. It was a series of mass protests and demonstrations in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Sparked by President Yanukovych's decision to suspend an association agreement with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia, the movement evolved into a broader call for democratic reforms, an end to government corruption and closer ties with Europe and the West. The protesters, known as Euromaidan activists, endured harsh winter conditions as they occupied Kyiv's Independence Square. The movement culminated in February 2014 with the ousting of President Yanukovych, marking a pivotal moment in Ukraine's modern history. Ukraine was at a crossroads, torn between closer ties with the West and maintaining historical ties with Russia, reflecting the nation's internal struggle in defining its geopolitical identity and future direction.You can find bonus content such as videos and extended versions of episodes over at The History Buff Patreon (it's free - for now!). You can also follow The History Buff on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram.Music: As History Unfolds by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Embark on a journey from Poland to China in this riveting episode as we explore why dictators are drawn to town squares and how these very squares become the stages of their demise. From Tiananmen Square in Beijing, witness the poignant events of 1989, to the Grand Market in Krakow, a symbol of resilience against Nazi and Communist regimes. Discover the historical significance of town squares as dictators' theatres of power and learn how, in a twist of fate, these squares become the battlegrounds for resistance, ultimately sealing the fate of autocracies.  Till then Check out the other episodes, The strange Polish notion of Holocaust Envy - https://bit.ly/48zECZr The Oak Tree that chronicled Poland's Modern History - https://bit.ly/4b1PlO8 The suprising evolution of Polish food - https://bit.ly/48RUGWe The complicated legacy of Schindler's List - https://bit.ly/3vF9NEi The untold story of Holocaust heroism: 'Under the Eagle' Pharmacy - https://bit.ly/3vEtzzL Two Billion Euros and the Polish Temple of Memory - https://bit.ly/3HjkrmN You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on https://bit.ly/4b3wOB8  You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @‌whywetravel42(https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42  ) Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.  Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supporters of the New Force have thronged the Independence Square chanting patriotic songs as they demand access to the venue for The Convention programme. The Convention which was put together by the New Africa Foundation is to bring together thought leaders in Africa including Professor PLO Lumumba, Peter Obi, Julius Malema, and others to speak on key challenges confronting Africa's development.

Jane Westaway reviews Independence Square by Martin Cruz Smith, published by Simon & Schuster.

This week, Laurie Dean and Dan talk about the Independence Square. What has happened and what may happen in the future. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/we-have-issues5/message

Preached at the Good Friday Miracle Service, Independence Square, Accra.

Preached at the Good Friday Miracle Service, Independence Square, Accra.

This week, Dan and Laurie Dean are joined by Tom Lesnak from the Independence Chamber of Commerce who talks about the 50th anniversary of the SantaCaliGon Festival which will be held on the Independence Square on Labor Day weekend. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/we-have-issues5/message

In Ukraine, today is a day of celebration and sadness. On this day, thirty-one years ago, Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union, after nearly 70 years under Moscow's control. This came as the USSR was slowly crumbling, and many Soviet satellite states had already established democracies after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Ukraine's Independence Day is usually marked with a military parade in the capital, air force pilots flying over the Independence Square in Kyiv, and people gathering in their local town squares to celebrate. But when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th of this year, that all changed. Today also marks six months since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine. In the capital today, Kyiv authorities have banned mass gatherings for fear of intensified attacks from Russia. Instead, destroyed and burned-out Russian tanks and military equipment line the capital's main street is lined with – a quiet, triumphant nod to Russia's president who had once hoped to overtake the city.  And across the US, vigils and events were held throughout the week in solidarity with Ukrainians. Last night, a crowd gathered at a park in lower Manhattan in a candlelight vigil organized by Razom, a nonprofit in New York working to support Ukraine. Attendees wore Ukrainian flags and held candles to honor the soldiers and civilians whose lives have been lost in the war. We speak with Nataliya Gumenyuk, a Ukrainian journalist and founder of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, with updates on the ground from Kyiv, Ukraine.

In Ukraine, today is a day of celebration and sadness. On this day, thirty-one years ago, Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union, after nearly 70 years under Moscow's control. This came as the USSR was slowly crumbling, and many Soviet satellite states had already established democracies after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Ukraine's Independence Day is usually marked with a military parade in the capital, air force pilots flying over the Independence Square in Kyiv, and people gathering in their local town squares to celebrate. But when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th of this year, that all changed. Today also marks six months since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine. In the capital today, Kyiv authorities have banned mass gatherings for fear of intensified attacks from Russia. Instead, destroyed and burned-out Russian tanks and military equipment line the capital's main street is lined with – a quiet, triumphant nod to Russia's president who had once hoped to overtake the city.  And across the US, vigils and events were held throughout the week in solidarity with Ukrainians. Last night, a crowd gathered at a park in lower Manhattan in a candlelight vigil organized by Razom, a nonprofit in New York working to support Ukraine. Attendees wore Ukrainian flags and held candles to honor the soldiers and civilians whose lives have been lost in the war. We speak with Nataliya Gumenyuk, a Ukrainian journalist and founder of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, with updates on the ground from Kyiv, Ukraine. She also recently wrote an article for The Guardian titled, "Ukraine's independence day was always important. Now it is a matter of life and death."

In this episode we're going to visit a small country in South America. I'm on my way from Buenos Aires in Argentina with a small group of nomad friends that I've gotten to know from the Nomad Cruise. We're going to be spending a few days in Montevideo and then the others are going back to Buenos Aires, but I'm staying a few days longer because I have an interesting appointment in the countryside. Something I'm also going to share with you here on the podcast.   FACTS ABOUT URUGUAY HOW BIG AND HOW MANY PEOPLE? Around 3.5 million people live in Uruguay. With 181,000 km2 (69,000 square miles) Uruguay is the second-smallest country, and the smallest Spanish speaking country in South America. Montevideo is the capital andwith 1.7 million people, the country's largest city.  WHERE IS IT? It shares borders with Argentina to the west and southwest and Brazil to the north and northeast. And then it's bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast and the river we're crossing, Río de la Plata to the south. A MAINLY FLAT COUNTRY Much of the country consists of gently rolling land only a few hundred feet above sea level. Uruguay's highest point is Mount Cathedral at 514 meters (1,685 feet). RELIGION The majority of the population 58% of Uruguayans define themselves as Christian (47% Roman Catholic, 11% Protestant), and approximately 40% of the population says they have no religion. In the capital of Montevideo there's also a small community of Jews. Church and state are officially separated more than a hundred years, since 1916. Religious discrimination is punishable by law, and the government generally respects people's religious freedom. DEMOCRATIC AND TOLERANT Uruguay is a democracy and ranks high on global measures of personal rights, tolerance, and inclusion issues, including its acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Actually, being gay was legalized all the way backin 1934. The country has legalized cannabis, same-sex marriage, and abortion. EAT MORE BEEF THAN ANYONE We know that Argentineans love their beef, but Uruguay consume the most beef per person in the whole world. URUGUAY HAS THE LONGEST NATIONAL ANTHEM IN THE WORLD When Uruguay achieved their independence in 1828, they needed a national anthem. The poet Francisco Esteban Acuña de Figueroa offered to write one. The anthem originally had 11 verses but since many of them were rather rude about their previous colonizers Spain, Portugal and Brazil, only the chorus and first verse are now sung. But even so, it's almost five minutes long, making it the longest national anthem music in the world.  URUGUAY HOSTED THE 1ST WORLD CUP EVER Like many South American countries, football (what you call soccer in the USA) is the most popular sport in Uruguay. The first-ever World Cup tournament was hosted in Uruguay in 1930. This actually came about after football was dropped from the Olympics program – after Uruguay had won gold medals back-to-back in Paris in 1924 and Amsterdam in 1928. And they also won the first World Cup and won again in 1950 – which was especially a big deal as that time they beat the favorites Brazil in Brazil. URUGUAY'S ELECTRICITY COMES FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES One of the most amazing things about Uruguay is how eco-friendly it is, particularly when it comes to energy production. In 2020 it was estimated that between 98-100% of Uruguay's electricity was generated through renewable sources – wind and water (hydropower) and a bit of solar and biomass energy. What's even more impressive is that it took less than 10 years for Uruguay to get to this point, and costs are lower. I hope more countries in the world can take pointers from Uruguay. THE FLAG Their national flag consisting of five white and four blue horizontal stripes and in the upper left corner on white background there is a sun with a face – “The Sun of May.” The Sun is a national emblem for Uruguay – andalso the national emblem of Argentina, and they also have it in their flag. This sun symbolizes a god that was worshipped by the Inca Empire – the Incan sun god Inti.     FREE WALKING TOUR OF THE OLD MONTEVIDEO We joined a ”Free Walking Tour” through “Ciudad Vieja”. On our 2.30 hours walk through the Old City of the capital Montevideo, our tour guide Rodrigo shared a lot about Montevideo´s culture, society, and history. The original fortifications are gone here in Ciudad Vieja, but there are churches and mansions dating back to the 18th century surrounded by narrow cobbled streets. After having been neglected for decades, dozens of buildings have been restored and now they house smart cafes, hotels, hostels, restaurants, and boutiques. Other buildings are still crying out for some tender loving care. We start the tour at Plaza Independencia, where there's also a big palace: Palacio Salvo. Rising 105 metres, it's the most eye-catching sight on Montevideo's largest square, and when it was unveiled in 1928, this “skyscraper” was the tallest building in South America. And you can actually rent an apartment. Wouldn't that be cool? At the plaza's core, there is a statue of Uruguayan independence hero, Jose Artigas. He is considered a national hero in Uruguay, sometimes referred to as "the father of Uruguayan nationhood". His mausoleum below street level. A LOOK IN THE HISTORY BOOK As Rodrigo is talking about history here at the Independence Square, let's have a look in the history book… Uruguay had long been inhabited by indigenous people who would hunt, gather, and fish. Europeans discovered the country in 1516, and it was settled by the Portuguese in 1680. But in 1726, the Spanish took control and founded Montevideo and only a few indigenous people remained. The Uruguayans fought to resist complete takeover from Argentina and Brazil – and in 1828, a treaty proclaimed Uruguay as a separate state and buffer between the two countries. Two years later in 1830 they got their first constitution. They had a civil war from the mid-1800s to until stability was finally achieved in 1905 when one of the sides (the Colorado's) were elected to power. Uruguay suffered the effects of the Great Depression but had an economic boom during World War II and the Korean War. They were able to sell wool, meat, and other animal products to European countries and the U.S. But the end of the wars brought a slump for the Uruguayan economy and political instability that lasted into the late 1900s. New leadership would eventually bring about economic growth and more job opportunities that continue through present day. URUGUAY: THE NEXT BIG THING? East of Plaza Independencia, you'll find the busy Avenida 18 de Julio shopping strip. And that's where we're going for lunch and a cool beer after the tour with Rodrigo. Montevideo is not something that is high on many people's bucket list. But things are changing – and I can see why. The city is emerging as one of the continent's coolest capitals, famous for its architecture, old quarters and thriving cultural scene. It's only a short 45-minute flight from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. But you should consider doing like we did – riding the ferry across the Rio de la Plata. Most of Montevideo's residents are descendants of Spanish and Italian immigrants, giving the city a strong European feel.  If you get there and have time for it, you should also take a walk on La Rambla, Montevideo's 22-kilometre waterfront esplanade. We were only there for a few minutes because we went to prison. THE WEATHER In Uruguay, the climate is subtropical, with mild winters (from June to August) and hot summers (from December to March). It's also quite rainy throughout the year. In most of the country, the average temperatures are similar to those of the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe. But here, even the summer is rainy, but don't worry, this doesn't reduce the sunshine hours much as it mostly happens because of thunderstorms. The best time of year to visit Montevideo (if you like warm weather) is from early November to early April. MODERN ART IN AN OLD PRISON The Museum is called “Espacio De Arte Contemporaneo” – in English “Contemporary Art Space”. It's in a part of what was the Miguelete prison building from 1889 to 1986. There's a ton of history in this building. It was modeled after an English prison in Pentonville, England built in 1840. The building itself is absolutely also worth the visit. It's an easy walk from the old town of Montevideo – Ciudad Vieja. You find exhibition of all expressions of modern art – some of it so modern, I had a hard time to understand. I enjoy abstract art – I don't have to see what it is. But some it was on another level and in my opinion just plain weird. And it might seem like I'm contradicting myself but the weird one of the reasons why I like going to see exhibitions like this. To push myself to see something new even though I don't really understand what I see. It makes me think. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPE WINE Argentina has Malbec. Uruguay has Tannat. It's dry, bold red wine, made from grapes brought to Uruguay by a Basque in the late 19th century and the Tannat wine accounts for a third of the country's wine exports. You find it in many wineries in Uruguay and also here at Pizzorno where I'm meeting Lucio – a young winemaker in his mid-20's. Three years before my visit to the winery Lucio got a call from Francisco – the fourth generation in the family-owned winery. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.     CORRECTION Before we wrap up this episode, I'd like to say something about the episode I did from the Maasai Village in Kenya. Because I might have said something wrong in that episode. I received an email from, Esther Ngunjiri: “Hi, I've read your story on the maasai and I can say you got most of it right but not all maasai are as primitive as you put it. Most maasai bury their dead in graves and have permanent residences, though the young men move their cattle from place to place for pasture. Another thing you got all wrong is the 40-something lifespan. That's a pure lie. I live in Kenya and I can assure you they live up to old age, rarely do you find maasai's in hospitals cos they make their own medicine from herbs, honey and sometimes raw animal blood. They live up to old age of 80 or even more. So, what the young guy told you was very true, the kind of concoctions they make boosts their immunity so much that they rarely fall sick. There were times, not sure if they still do, they used to pierce a bull neck drain a bit of blood mix it with milk and drink it raw. Esther.” Thank you, Esther to set me straight. I always try to do my research as good as I can, but sometimes I'm wrong. In my research, I googled “Life expectancy Maasai” and found several different blogs and websites saying more or less the same. That the average male lives to the age of 42, whilst the women live until the age of just 44. After I got your email, I looked more into it, and I still haven't been able to find anywhere where it says, “80 or even more”. I'd like to know where you have those numbers, but you seem like you know something I don't know. Anyway, I apologize if I said something wrong. And for all of you listening… please remember that I'm not a journalist or a “truth witness” on anything. I do my best but I'm not always right.

In this episode we're going to visit a small country in South America. I'm on my way from Buenos Aires in Argentina with a small group of nomad friends that I've gotten to know from the Nomad Cruise. We're going to be spending a few days in Montevideo and then the others are going back to Buenos Aires, but I'm staying a few days longer because I have an interesting appointment in the countryside. Something I'm also going to share with you here on the podcast.   FACTS ABOUT URUGUAY HOW BIG AND HOW MANY PEOPLE? Around 3.5 million people live in Uruguay. With 181,000 km2 (69,000 square miles) Uruguay is the second-smallest country, and the smallest Spanish speaking country in South America. Montevideo is the capital andwith 1.7 million people, the country's largest city.  WHERE IS IT? It shares borders with Argentina to the west and southwest and Brazil to the north and northeast. And then it's bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast and the river we're crossing, Río de la Plata to the south. A MAINLY FLAT COUNTRY Much of the country consists of gently rolling land only a few hundred feet above sea level. Uruguay's highest point is Mount Cathedral at 514 meters (1,685 feet). RELIGION The majority of the population 58% of Uruguayans define themselves as Christian (47% Roman Catholic, 11% Protestant), and approximately 40% of the population says they have no religion. In the capital of Montevideo there's also a small community of Jews. Church and state are officially separated more than a hundred years, since 1916. Religious discrimination is punishable by law, and the government generally respects people's religious freedom. DEMOCRATIC AND TOLERANT Uruguay is a democracy and ranks high on global measures of personal rights, tolerance, and inclusion issues, including its acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Actually, being gay was legalized all the way backin 1934. The country has legalized cannabis, same-sex marriage, and abortion. EAT MORE BEEF THAN ANYONE We know that Argentineans love their beef, but Uruguay consume the most beef per person in the whole world. URUGUAY HAS THE LONGEST NATIONAL ANTHEM IN THE WORLD When Uruguay achieved their independence in 1828, they needed a national anthem. The poet Francisco Esteban Acuña de Figueroa offered to write one. The anthem originally had 11 verses but since many of them were rather rude about their previous colonizers Spain, Portugal and Brazil, only the chorus and first verse are now sung. But even so, it's almost five minutes long, making it the longest national anthem music in the world.  URUGUAY HOSTED THE 1ST WORLD CUP EVER Like many South American countries, football (what you call soccer in the USA) is the most popular sport in Uruguay. The first-ever World Cup tournament was hosted in Uruguay in 1930. This actually came about after football was dropped from the Olympics program – after Uruguay had won gold medals back-to-back in Paris in 1924 and Amsterdam in 1928. And they also won the first World Cup and won again in 1950 – which was especially a big deal as that time they beat the favorites Brazil in Brazil. URUGUAY'S ELECTRICITY COMES FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES One of the most amazing things about Uruguay is how eco-friendly it is, particularly when it comes to energy production. In 2020 it was estimated that between 98-100% of Uruguay's electricity was generated through renewable sources – wind and water (hydropower) and a bit of solar and biomass energy. What's even more impressive is that it took less than 10 years for Uruguay to get to this point, and costs are lower. I hope more countries in the world can take pointers from Uruguay. THE FLAG Their national flag consisting of five white and four blue horizontal stripes and in the upper left corner on white background there is a sun with a face – “The Sun of May.” The Sun is a national emblem for Uruguay – andalso the national emblem of Argentina, and they also have it in their flag. This sun symbolizes a god that was worshipped by the Inca Empire – the Incan sun god Inti.     FREE WALKING TOUR OF THE OLD MONTEVIDEO We joined a ”Free Walking Tour” through “Ciudad Vieja”. On our 2.30 hours walk through the Old City of the capital Montevideo, our tour guide Rodrigo shared a lot about Montevideo´s culture, society, and history. The original fortifications are gone here in Ciudad Vieja, but there are churches and mansions dating back to the 18th century surrounded by narrow cobbled streets. After having been neglected for decades, dozens of buildings have been restored and now they house smart cafes, hotels, hostels, restaurants, and boutiques. Other buildings are still crying out for some tender loving care. We start the tour at Plaza Independencia, where there's also a big palace: Palacio Salvo. Rising 105 metres, it's the most eye-catching sight on Montevideo's largest square, and when it was unveiled in 1928, this “skyscraper” was the tallest building in South America. And you can actually rent an apartment. Wouldn't that be cool? At the plaza's core, there is a statue of Uruguayan independence hero, Jose Artigas. He is considered a national hero in Uruguay, sometimes referred to as "the father of Uruguayan nationhood". His mausoleum below street level. A LOOK IN THE HISTORY BOOK As Rodrigo is talking about history here at the Independence Square, let's have a look in the history book… Uruguay had long been inhabited by indigenous people who would hunt, gather, and fish. Europeans discovered the country in 1516, and it was settled by the Portuguese in 1680. But in 1726, the Spanish took control and founded Montevideo and only a few indigenous people remained. The Uruguayans fought to resist complete takeover from Argentina and Brazil – and in 1828, a treaty proclaimed Uruguay as a separate state and buffer between the two countries. Two years later in 1830 they got their first constitution. They had a civil war from the mid-1800s to until stability was finally achieved in 1905 when one of the sides (the Colorado's) were elected to power. Uruguay suffered the effects of the Great Depression but had an economic boom during World War II and the Korean War. They were able to sell wool, meat, and other animal products to European countries and the U.S. But the end of the wars brought a slump for the Uruguayan economy and political instability that lasted into the late 1900s. New leadership would eventually bring about economic growth and more job opportunities that continue through present day. URUGUAY: THE NEXT BIG THING? East of Plaza Independencia, you'll find the busy Avenida 18 de Julio shopping strip. And that's where we're going for lunch and a cool beer after the tour with Rodrigo. Montevideo is not something that is high on many people's bucket list. But things are changing – and I can see why. The city is emerging as one of the continent's coolest capitals, famous for its architecture, old quarters and thriving cultural scene. It's only a short 45-minute flight from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. But you should consider doing like we did – riding the ferry across the Rio de la Plata. Most of Montevideo's residents are descendants of Spanish and Italian immigrants, giving the city a strong European feel.  If you get there and have time for it, you should also take a walk on La Rambla, Montevideo's 22-kilometre waterfront esplanade. We were only there for a few minutes because we went to prison. THE WEATHER In Uruguay, the climate is subtropical, with mild winters (from June to August) and hot summers (from December to March). It's also quite rainy throughout the year. In most of the country, the average temperatures are similar to those of the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe. But here, even the summer is rainy, but don't worry, this doesn't reduce the sunshine hours much as it mostly happens because of thunderstorms. The best time of year to visit Montevideo (if you like warm weather) is from early November to early April. MODERN ART IN AN OLD PRISON The Museum is called “Espacio De Arte Contemporaneo” – in English “Contemporary Art Space”. It's in a part of what was the Miguelete prison building from 1889 to 1986. There's a ton of history in this building. It was modeled after an English prison in Pentonville, England built in 1840. The building itself is absolutely also worth the visit. It's an easy walk from the old town of Montevideo – Ciudad Vieja. You find exhibition of all expressions of modern art – some of it so modern, I had a hard time to understand. I enjoy abstract art – I don't have to see what it is. But some it was on another level and in my opinion just plain weird. And it might seem like I'm contradicting myself but the weird one of the reasons why I like going to see exhibitions like this. To push myself to see something new even though I don't really understand what I see. It makes me think. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPE WINE Argentina has Malbec. Uruguay has Tannat. It's dry, bold red wine, made from grapes brought to Uruguay by a Basque in the late 19th century and the Tannat wine accounts for a third of the country's wine exports. You find it in many wineries in Uruguay and also here at Pizzorno where I'm meeting Lucio – a young winemaker in his mid-20's. Three years before my visit to the winery Lucio got a call from Francisco – the fourth generation in the family-owned winery. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.     CORRECTION Before we wrap up this episode, I'd like to say something about the episode I did from the Maasai Village in Kenya. Because I might have said something wrong in that episode. I received an email from, Esther Ngunjiri: “Hi, I've read your story on the maasai and I can say you got most of it right but not all maasai are as primitive as you put it. Most maasai bury their dead in graves and have permanent residences, though the young men move their cattle from place to place for pasture. Another thing you got all wrong is the 40-something lifespan. That's a pure lie. I live in Kenya and I can assure you they live up to old age, rarely do you find maasai's in hospitals cos they make their own medicine from herbs, honey and sometimes raw animal blood. They live up to old age of 80 or even more. So, what the young guy told you was very true, the kind of concoctions they make boosts their immunity so much that they rarely fall sick. There were times, not sure if they still do, they used to pierce a bull neck drain a bit of blood mix it with milk and drink it raw. Esther.” Thank you, Esther to set me straight. I always try to do my research as good as I can, but sometimes I'm wrong. In my research, I googled “Life expectancy Maasai” and found several different blogs and websites saying more or less the same. That the average male lives to the age of 42, whilst the women live until the age of just 44. After I got your email, I looked more into it, and I still haven't been able to find anywhere where it says, “80 or even more”. I'd like to know where you have those numbers, but you seem like you know something I don't know. Anyway, I apologize if I said something wrong. And for all of you listening… please remember that I'm not a journalist or a “truth witness” on anything. I do my best but I'm not always right.

Many experts predicted that Russia would take Ukraine in a matter of days –– but fighting is now in its third week. Today on Post Reports, the failures of Russia's military strategy, the surprising strength of Ukrainian forces, and how this could end. Read more:Almost three weeks into the Russian assault on Ukraine, Kyiv remains under Ukrainian control, to the surprise of many onlookers. “I think, broadly, there are two big reasons,” says national security reporter Shane Harris. “First, the Ukrainian people's will to fight is, I think, greater than a lot of people had anticipated –– particularly Vladimir Putin. The second is that this ferocious, feared Russian military has turned out to be a lot less, maybe, than people had thought it was.”On today's episode of Post Reports, Shane and Martine discuss the mistakes of the Russian military apparatus and the strength of the underestimated Ukrainian forces and game out scenarios for the end of the war. Plus, we hear from reporter Sudarsan Raghavan in Kyiv about the local orchestra playing in the city's Independence Square. “Fortunately, it was extremely quiet during the performance,” Sudarsan says. “We didn't hear any shells landing. A few moments afterwards, air raid sirens went off and people moved away from the square.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched an illegal, unjustified war against Ukraine and Putin himself is the only person who can stop the war immediately. In this episode, we seek to understand why President Putin has launched this horrific war in order to judge our country's ability to bring the war to a quicker end. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD244: Keeping Ukraine CD186: National Endowment for Democracy CD168: Nuclear Desperation Ukraine Civil War Alan MacLeod. Feb 22, 2022. “Documents Reveal US Spent $22 Million Promoting Anti-Russia Narrative in Ukraine & Abroad.” The Washington Standard. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Oct 8, 2021. “Conflict-related civilian casualties in Ukraine.” United Nations. Andrew Higgins and Peter Baker. Feb 6, 2014. “Russia Claims U.S. Is Meddling Over Ukraine.” The New York Times. NATO Expansion Becky Sullivan. Updated Feb 24, 2022. “How NATO's expansion helped drive Putin to invade Ukraine.” NPR. Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov. Dec 17, 2021. “Russia Demands NATO Pullback in Security Talks With U.S.” Bloomberg. Joe Dyke. Mar 20, 2021. “NATO Killed Civilians in Libya. It's Time to Admit It.” Foreign Policy. NATO. Updated May 5, 2020. “Enlargement.” NATO. 2020. “The Secretary General's Annual Report.” National Security Archive. December 12, 2017. “NATO Expansion: What Gorbachev Heard.” Arms Control Association. “The Debate Over NATO Expansion: A Critique of the Clinton Administration's Responses to Key Questions.” “Record of conversation between Mikhail Gorbachev and James Baker in Moscow. (Excerpts.)” February 9, 1990. National Security Archive. “Ukraine: The Orange Revolution and the Yushchenko Presidency.” In The Encyclopedia Britannica. NATO in Ukraine Xinhua. Nov 14, 2021. “Ukraine, NATO countries hold naval drills in Black Sea.” News.cn Chad Menegay and Aimee Valles. Sept 22, 2021. “US, NATO, Ukraine enhance interoperability with Rapid Trident exercise.” NationalGuard.mil Reuters. April 3, 2021. “Ukraine and Britain to Hold Joint Military Drills.” U.S. News and World Report. NATO Allied Maritime Command. Mar 17, 2021. “NATO forces train with the Ukrainian Navy.” European Deterrence Initiative Paul Belkin and Hibbah Kaileh. Updated July 1, 2021. “The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview” [IF10946.] Congressional Research Service. Weapons Treaties TASS. Feb 21, 2022. “Europe won't understand Kiev talking of regaining nuclear weapons — Russian diplomat.” Center for Arms Control and Non-proliferation. Updated March 2021. “Fact Sheet: Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.” Arms Control Association. Last reviewed August 2019. “The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty at a Glance.” General Dynamics General Dynamics. “Corporate Governance: Board of Directors.” Russia-China Alliance Chen Aizhu. Feb 4, 2022. “Russia, China agree 30-year gas deal via new pipeline, to settle in euros.” Reuters. Robin Brant. Feb 4, 2022. “China joins Russia in opposing Nato expansion.” BBC News. Sanctions Matina Stevis-Gridneff. Feb 25, 2022. “European Leaders Agree to a Second Wave of Russia Sanctions.” The New York Times. Congressional Response Joe Gould. Feb 22, 2022. “Emergency funding proposal for Ukraine gets bipartisan backing in Congress.” Defense News. Reuters. Feb 25, 2022. “U.S. providing $600 mln for Ukraine defensive weapons -House Speaker Pelosi.” Reuters. Images State Property Fund of Ukraine USAID Partnership Audio Sources House Speaker Weekly Briefing February 23, 2022 YouTube Version Overview: At her weekly briefing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), along with several of her Democratic colleagues, talked about the situation in Ukraine and President Biden's sanctions after Russia recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region. Clips 10:25 Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Putin is terrified by the prospect of a democracy at his border. A democracy, giving an example to the Russian people of the kind of life and economy they might enjoy if they cast aside their own autocrat. This is, I think, one of the preeminent motivations of Vladimir Putin. 15:32 Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA): I chair the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign operations, which oversees many of the resources to assist the Ukrainian people through this crisis. This includes our economic assistance to Ukraine, including loan guarantees. Economic assistance would come through the economic support accounts for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia, those of the accounts that would come through. Without getting in too many of the weeds, I wanted to just mention that because it's an effort that we're looking at now in terms of our funding. It also includes humanitarian plans, including funding for refugees, God forbid, and for those internally displaced by conflict. The administration has committed to us that in the event of conflict, there is a need over the next 12 months of at least $1 billion for humanitarian needs. So I support the efforts of the administration also to bolster Ukraine's economy, including the proposed $1 billion in loan guarantees to continue with Ukraine's economic reforms. 22:08 Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): I will just close by saying this: I had the privilege of going with President Clinton, who invited four members of Congress House and Senate, Democrat and Republican, the Senate Democrat was Senator Joe Biden. And we went to the expansion of NATO meeting in Paris. And it was all the heads of state of the then NATO countries who spoke and it was so beautiful because they all spoke in such a positive way about NATO. We thought like we were NATO and they were also NATO, they had ownership and agency in possession of the NATO possibilities. The representative of Russia who was there was Boris Yeltsin. And he was very ebullient, but he was welcoming to what was called was the expansion we had supported in our own country, the Baltic States, Poland, others countries becoming what was called the Partnership for Peace and it included many countries. Now Putin is saying push it back to pre-1997. Don't ever try to add another country and remove weapons out of Eastern Europe. That's what he wanted. No, that was not going to happen. 33:35 Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): What is this about? The people of Hung -- many of us have visited Ukraine and have seen that they love democracy. They do not want to live under Vladimir Putin. He does not want the Russian people to see what democracy looks like. And therefore he wants to bring them under his domain. 35:15 Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): When we talk about the president, he's doing the sanctions. He has a full picture of all this. As I said, he was present there the day of the expansion of NATO. I saw the respect he commanded then, and that was 1997, by the heads of state of all those countries, and of course, that has only grown over time, by his leadership, but also the expansion of NATO. I think we're very well served, I respect his judgement. And again, it's not just about when you do the sanctions, or how you support the people. It's about how the world views what Putin is doing. This is a very evil move on the part of Vladimir Putin. President Biden Remarks on Russia and Ukraine February 22, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: During an address, President Biden announced new sanctions against Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin sending Russian troops into separatist regions of Ukraine. Clips 1:57 President Biden So, today, I'm announcing the first tranche of sanctions to impose costs on Russia in response to their actions yesterday. These have been closely coordinated with our Allies and partners, and we'll continue to escalate sanctions if Russia escalates. We're implementing full blocking sanctions on two large Russian financial institutions: V.E.B. and their military bank. We're implementing comprehensive sanctions on Russian sovereign debt. That means we've cut off Russia's government from Western financing. It can no longer raise money from the West and cannot trade in its new debt on our markets or European markets either. Starting tomorrow [today] and continuing in the days ahead, we will also impose sanctions on Russia's elites and their family members. They share in the corrupt gains of the Kremlin policies and should share in the pain as well. And because of Russia's actions, we've worked with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 will not — as I promised — will not move forward. 3:23 President Biden: Today, in response to Russia's admission that it will not withdraw its forces from Belarus, I have authorized additional movements of U.S. forces and equipment already stationed in Europe to strengthen our Baltic Allies — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Let me be clear: These are totally defensive moves on our part. We have no intention of fighting Russia. We want to send an unmistakable message, though, that the United States, together with our Allies, will defend every inch of NATO territory and abide by the commitments we made to NATO. 4:22 President Biden: Russian forces remain positioned in Belarus to attack Ukraine from the north, including war planes and offensive missile systems. Russia has moved troops closer to Ukraine's border with Russia. Russia's naval vessels are maneuvering in the Black Sea to Ukraine's south, including amphibious assault ships, missile cruisers, and submarines. Russia has moved supplies of blood and medical equipment into position on their border. You don't need blood unless you plan on starting a war. 6:25 President Biden: I'm going to take robust action and make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at the Russian economy, not ours. We are closely monitoring energy supplies for any disruption. We're executing a plan in coordination with major oil-producing consumers and producers toward a collective investment to secure stability and global energy supplies. This will be — this will blunt gas prices. I want to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump. This is critical to me. 7:37 President Biden: Yesterday, the world heard clearly the full extent of Vladimir Putin's twisted rewrite of history, going back more than a century, as he waxed eloquently, noting that — well, I'm not going to go into it, but nothing in Putin's lengthy remarks indicated any interest in pursuing real dialogue on European security in the year 2022. 8:04 President Biden: He directly attacked Ukraine's right to exist. He indirectly threatened territory formerly held by Russia, including nations that today are thriving democracies and members of NATO. He explicitly threatened war unless his extreme demands were met. And there is no question that Russia is the aggressor. Russian President Putin Statement on Ukraine February 21, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced after a Security Council meeting that Russia would recognize the independence of the separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine's Donbas region. Clips 00:15 President Putin: I would like to emphasise again that Ukraine is not just a neighbouring country for us. It is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, by family ties. 1:22 President Putin: I would like to start by saying that the modern Ukraine was completely created by Russia. To be more exact, Bolshevist, partially communist Russia. This process started almost immediately after the 1917 revolutions, leading and planning and his group of supporters did it in a rough way. If we talk about Russia, they were alienating parts of historical territories of Russia. And millions of people who live there, obviously no one asked anything. Then before the Great Patriotic War, Stalin added to the USSR and handed over some lands that belonged to Poland and Hungary, and as a compensation gave some ancient German lands to Poland. And the 1960s crucial decision to take Crimea away from Russia and also gave it to Ukraine. That's how the territory of Soviet Ukraine was formed. 3:05 President Putin: We cannot help but react to this real threat, especially since I would like to reiterate that Western backers they can help Ukraine with getting this weapon to create yet another threat for our country because we can see how consistently they are pumping Ukraine with weapons. The United States alone starting from 2014 transferred billions of dollars including the arm supply training personnel. In recent months, Western weapons are sent to Ukraine given ceaselessly in front of the eyes of the entire world 7:05 President Putin: Actually, as I have already said, Soviet Ukraine is the result of the Bolsheviks' policy and can be rightfully called “Vladimir Lenin's Ukraine.” He was its creator and architect. This is fully and comprehensively corroborated by archival documents, including Lenin's harsh instructions regarding Donbass, which was actually shoved into Ukraine. And today the “grateful progeny” has overturned monuments to Lenin in Ukraine. They call it decommunization. You want decommunization? Very well, this suits us just fine. But why stop halfway? We are ready to show what real decommunizations would mean for Ukraine. 9:31 President Putin: Everything seemed to be working well in conditions of the totalitarian regime, and outwardly it looked wonderful, attractive and even super-democratic. And yet, it is a great pity that the fundamental and formally legal foundations of our state were not promptly cleansed of the odious and utopian fantasies inspired by the revolution, which are absolutely destructive for any normal state. 10:05 President Putin: It seems that the Communist Party leaders were convinced that they had created a solid system of government and that their policies had settled the ethnic issue for good. But falsification, misconception, and tampering with public opinion have a high cost. The virus of nationalist ambitions is still with us, and the mine laid at the initial stage to destroy state immunity to the disease of nationalism was ticking. As I have already said, the mine was the right of secession from the Soviet Union. 13:55 President Putin: Even two years before the collapse of the USSR, its fate was actually predetermined. It is now that radicals and nationalists, including and primarily those in Ukraine, are taking credit for having gained independence. As we can see, this is absolutely wrong. The disintegration of our united country was brought about by the historic, strategic mistakes on the part of the Bolshevik leaders and the CPSU leadership, mistakes committed at different times in state-building and in economic and ethnic policies. The collapse of the historical Russia known as the USSR is on their conscience. 14:39 President Putin: It was our people who accepted the new geopolitical reality that took shape after the dissolution of the USSR, and recognised the new independent states. Not only did Russia recognise these countries, but helped its CIS partners, even though it faced a very dire situation itself. This included our Ukrainian colleagues, who turned to us for financial support many times from the very moment they declared independence. Our country provided this assistance while respecting Ukraine's dignity and sovereignty. According to expert assessments, confirmed by a simple calculation of our energy prices, the subsidised loans Russia provided to Ukraine along with economic and trade preferences, the overall benefit for the Ukrainian budget in the period from 1991 to 2013 amounted to $250 billion. 21:24 President Putin: A stable statehood has never developed in Ukraine; its electoral and other political procedures just serve as a cover, a screen for the redistribution of power and property between various oligarchic clans. Corruption, which is certainly a challenge and a problem for many countries, including Russia, has gone beyond the usual scope in Ukraine. It has literally permeated and corroded Ukrainian statehood, the entire system, and all branches of power. Radical nationalists took advantage of the justified public discontent and saddled the Maidan protest, escalating it to a coup d'état in 2014. They also had direct assistance from foreign states. According to reports, the US Embassy provided $1 million a day to support the so-called protest camp on Independence Square in Kiev. In addition, large amounts were impudently transferred directly to the opposition leaders' bank accounts, tens of millions of dollars. 23:37 President Putin: Maidan did not bring Ukraine any closer to democracy and progress. Having accomplished a coup d'état, the nationalists and those political forces that supported them eventually led Ukraine into an impasse, pushed the country into the abyss of civil war. 26:30 President Putin: In fact, it all came down to the fact that the collapse of the Ukrainian economy was accompanied by outright robbery of the citizens of the country, and Ukraine itself was simply driven under external control. It is carried out not only at the behest of Western capitals, but also, as they say, directly on the spot through a whole network of foreign advisers, NGOs and other institutions deployed in Ukraine. They have a direct impact on all the most important personnel decisions, on all branches and levels of government: from the central and even to the municipal, on the main state-owned companies and corporations, including Naftogaz, Ukrenergo, Ukrainian Railways, Ukroboronprom, Ukrposhta , Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine. There is simply no independent court in Ukraine. At the request of the West, the Kiev authorities gave representatives of international organizations the pre-emptive right to select members of the highest judicial bodies - the Council of Justice and the Qualification Commission of Judges. In addition, the US Embassy directly controls the National Corruption Prevention Agency, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, and the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court. All this is done under a plausible pretext to increase the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. Okay, but where are the results? Corruption has blossomed as luxuriantly, and blooms, more than ever. Are the Ukrainians themselves aware of all these managerial methods? Do they understand that their country is not even under a political and economic protectorate, but reduced to the level of a colony with a puppet regime? The privatization of the state has led to the fact that the government, which calls itself the "power of patriots", has lost its national character and is consistently leading the matter towards the complete desovereignization of the country. 31:04 President Putin: In March 2021, a new Military Strategy was adopted in Ukraine. This document is almost entirely dedicated to confrontation with Russia and sets the goal of involving foreign states in a conflict with our country. The strategy stipulates the organisation of what can be described as a terrorist underground movement in Russia's Crimea and in Donbass. It also sets out the contours of a potential war, which should end, according to the Kiev strategists, “with the assistance of the international community on favourable terms for Ukraine.” 32:05 President Putin: As we know, it has already been stated today that Ukraine intends to create its own nuclear weapons, and this is not just bragging. Ukraine has the nuclear technologies created back in the Soviet times and delivery vehicles for such weapons, including aircraft, as well as the Soviet-designed Tochka-U precision tactical missiles with a range of over 100 kilometres. But they can do more; it is only a matter of time. They have had the groundwork for this since the Soviet era. In other words, acquiring tactical nuclear weapons will be much easier for Ukraine than for some other states I am not going to mention here, which are conducting such research, especially if Kiev receives foreign technological support. 33:47 President Putin: Foreign advisors supervise the activities of Ukraine's armed forces and special services and we are well aware of this. Over the past few years, military contingents of NATO countries have been almost constantly present on Ukrainian territory under the pretext of exercises. The Ukrainian troop control system has already been integrated into NATO. This means that NATO headquarters can issue direct commands to the Ukrainian armed forces, even to their separate units and squads. The United States and NATO have started an impudent development of Ukrainian territory as a theatre of potential military operations. Their regular joint exercises are obviously anti-Russian. Last year alone, over 23,000 troops and more than a thousand units of hardware were involved. A law has already been adopted that allows foreign troops to come to Ukraine in 2022 to take part in multinational drills. Understandably, these are primarily NATO troops. This year, at least ten of these joint drills are planned. Obviously, such undertakings are designed to be a cover-up for a rapid buildup of the NATO military group on Ukrainian territory. This is all the more so since the network of airfields upgraded with US help in Borispol, Ivano-Frankovsk, Chuguyev and Odessa, to name a few, is capable of transferring army units in a very short time. Ukraine's airspace is open to flights by US strategic and reconnaissance aircraft and drones that conduct surveillance over Russian territory. I will add that the US-built Maritime Operations Centre in Ochakov makes it possible to support activity by NATO warships, including the use of precision weapons, against the Russian Black Sea Fleet and our infrastructure on the entire Black Sea Coast. 36:54 President Putin: Article 17 of the Constitution of Ukraine stipulates that deploying foreign military bases on its territory is illegal. However, as it turns out, this is just a conventionality that can be easily circumvented. Ukraine is home to NATO training missions which are, in fact, foreign military bases. They just called a base a mission and were done with it. 37:16 President Putin: Kiev has long proclaimed a strategic course on joining NATO. Indeed, each country is entitled to pick its own security system and enter into military alliances. There would be no problem with that, if it were not for one “but.” International documents expressly stipulate the principle of equal and indivisible security, which includes obligations not to strengthen one's own security at the expense of the security of other states. This is stated in the 1999 OSCE Charter for European Security adopted in Istanbul and the 2010 OSCE Astana Declaration. In other words, the choice of pathways towards ensuring security should not pose a threat to other states, whereas Ukraine joining NATO is a direct threat to Russia's security 38:10 President Putin: Let me remind you that at the Bucharest NATO summit held in April 2008, the United States pushed through a decision to the effect that Ukraine and, by the way, Georgia would become NATO members. Many European allies of the United States were well aware of the risks associated with this prospect already then, but were forced to put up with the will of their senior partner. The Americans simply used them to carry out a clearly anti-Russian policy. 38:41 President Putin: A number of NATO member states are still very sceptical about Ukraine joining NATO. We are getting signals from some European capitals telling us not to worry since it will not happen literally overnight. In fact, our US partners are saying the same thing as well. “All right, then” we respond, “if it does not happen tomorrow, then it will happen the day after tomorrow. What does it change from the historical perspective? Nothing at all.” Furthermore, we are aware of the US leadership's position and words that active hostilities in eastern Ukraine do not rule out the possibility of that country joining NATO if it meets NATO criteria and overcomes corruption. All the while, they are trying to convince us over and over again that NATO is a peace-loving and purely defensive alliance that poses no threat to Russia. Again, they want us to take their word for it. But we are well aware of the real value of these words. In 1990, when German unification was discussed, the United States promised the Soviet leadership that NATO jurisdiction or military presence will not expand one inch to the east and that the unification of Germany will not lead to the spread of NATO's military organisation to the east. This is a quote. They issued lots of verbal assurances, all of which turned out to be empty phrases. Later, they began to assure us that the accession to NATO by Central and Eastern European countries would only improve relations with Moscow, relieve these countries of the fears steeped in their bitter historical legacy, and even create a belt of countries that are friendly towards Russia. However, the exact opposite happened. The governments of certain Eastern European countries, speculating on Russophobia, brought their complexes and stereotypes about the Russian threat to the Alliance and insisted on building up the collective defence potentials and deploying them primarily against Russia. Worse still, that happened in the 1990s and the early 2000s when, thanks to our openness and goodwill, relations between Russia and the West had reached a high level. Russia has fulfilled all of its obligations, including the pullout from Germany, from Central and Eastern Europe, making an immense contribution to overcoming the legacy of the Cold War. We have consistently proposed various cooperation options, including in the NATO-Russia Council and the OSCE formats. Moreover, I will say something I have never said publicly, I will say it now for the first time. When then outgoing US President Bill Clinton visited Moscow in 2000, I asked him how America would feel about admitting Russia to NATO. I will not reveal all the details of that conversation, but the reaction to my question was, let us say, quite restrained, and the Americans' true attitude to that possibility can actually be seen from their subsequent steps with regard to our country. I am referring to the overt support for terrorists in the North Caucasus, the disregard for our security demands and concerns, NATO's continued expansion, withdrawal from the ABM Treaty, and so on. 43:05 President Putin: Today, one glance at the map is enough to see to what extent Western countries have kept their promise to refrain from NATO's eastward expansion. They just cheated. We have seen five waves of NATO expansion, one after another – Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary were admitted in 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2004; Albania and Croatia in 2009; Montenegro in 2017; and North Macedonia in 2020. As a result, the Alliance, its military infrastructure has reached Russia's borders. This is one of the key causes of the European security crisis; it has had the most negative impact on the entire system of international relations and led to the loss of mutual trust. The situation continues to deteriorate, including in the strategic area. Thus, positioning areas for interceptor missiles are being established in Romania and Poland as part of the US project to create a global missile defence system. It is common knowledge that the launchers deployed there can be used for Tomahawk cruise missiles – offensive strike systems. In addition, the United States is developing its all-purpose Standard Missile-6, which can provide air and missile defence, as well as strike ground and surface targets. In other words, the allegedly defensive US missile defence system is developing and expanding its new offensive capabilities. The information we have gives us good reason to believe that Ukraine's accession to NATO and the subsequent deployment of NATO facilities has already been decided and is only a matter of time. We clearly understand that given this scenario, the level of military threats to Russia will increase dramatically, several times over. 45:07 President Putin: I will explain that American strategic planning documents confirm the possibility of a so-called preemptive strike at enemy missile systems. We also know the main adversary of the United States and NATO. It is Russia. NATO documents officially declare our country to be the main threat to Euro-Atlantic security. Ukraine will serve as an advanced bridgehead for such a strike. 46:00 President Putin: Many Ukrainian airfields are located not far from our borders. NATO's tactical aviation deployed there, including precision weapon carriers, will be capable of striking at our territory to the depth of the Volgograd-Kazan-Samara-Astrakhan line. The deployment of reconnaissance radars on Ukrainian territory will allow NATO to tightly control Russia's airspace up to the Urals. Finally, after the US destroyed the INF Treaty, the Pentagon has been openly developing many land-based attack weapons, including ballistic missiles that are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 5,500 km. If deployed in Ukraine, such systems will be able to hit targets in Russia's entire European part. The flying time of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Moscow will be less than 35 minutes; ballistic missiles from Kharkov will take seven to eight minutes; and hypersonic assault weapons, four to five minutes. It is like a knife to the throat. I have no doubt that they hope to carry out these plans, as they did many times in the past, expanding NATO eastward, moving their military infrastructure to Russian borders and fully ignoring our concerns, protests and warnings. Excuse me, but they simply did not care at all about such things and did whatever they deemed necessary. Of course, they are going to behave in the same way in the future. 47:46 President Putin: Russia has always advocated the resolution of the most complicated problems by political and diplomatic means, at the negotiating table. We are well aware of our enormous responsibility when it comes to regional and global stability. Back in 2008, Russia put forth an initiative to conclude a European Security Treaty under which not a single Euro-Atlantic state or international organisation could strengthen their security at the expense of the security of others. However, our proposal was rejected right off the bat on the pretext that Russia should not be allowed to put limits on NATO activities. Furthermore, it was made explicitly clear to us that only NATO members can have legally binding security guarantees. 48:35 President Putin: Last December, we handed over to our Western partners a draft treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on security guarantees, as well as a draft agreement on measures to ensure the security of the Russian Federation and NATO member states. The United States and NATO responded with general statements. There were kernels of rationality in them as well, but they concerned matters of secondary importance and it all looked like an attempt to drag the issue out and to lead the discussion astray. We responded to this accordingly and pointed out that we were ready to follow the path of negotiations, provided, however, that all issues are considered as a package that includes Russia's core proposals which contain three key points. First, to prevent further NATO expansion. Second, to have the Alliance refrain from deploying assault weapon systems on Russian borders. And finally, rolling back the bloc's military capability and infrastructure in Europe to where they were in 1997, when the NATO-Russia Founding Act was signed. These principled proposals of ours have been ignored. 50:21 President Putin: They are again trying to blackmail us and are threatening us with sanctions, which, by the way, they will introduce no matter what as Russia continues to strengthen its sovereignty and its Armed Forces. To be sure, they will never think twice before coming up with or just fabricating a pretext for yet another sanction attack regardless of the developments in Ukraine. Their one and only goal is to hold back the development of Russia. 51:06 President Putin: I would like to be clear and straightforward: in the current circumstances, when our proposals for an equal dialogue on fundamental issues have actually remained unanswered by the United States and NATO, when the level of threats to our country has increased significantly, Russia has every right to respond in order to ensure its security. That is exactly what we will do. 51:33 President Putin: With regard to the state of affairs in Donbass, we see that the ruling Kiev elites never stop publicly making clear their unwillingness to comply with the Minsk Package of Measures to settle the conflict and are not interested in a peaceful settlement. On the contrary, they are trying to orchestrate a blitzkrieg in Donbass as was the case in 2014 and 2015. We all know how these reckless schemes ended. Not a single day goes by without Donbass communities coming under shelling attacks. The recently formed large military force makes use of attack drones, heavy equipment, missiles, artillery and multiple rocket launchers. The killing of civilians, the blockade, the abuse of people, including children, women and the elderly, continues unabated. As we say, there is no end in sight to this. Meanwhile, the so-called civilised world, which our Western colleagues proclaimed themselves the only representatives of, prefers not to see this, as if this horror and genocide, which almost 4 million people are facing, do not exist. But they do exist and only because these people did not agree with the West-supported coup in Ukraine in 2014 and opposed the transition towards the Neanderthal and aggressive nationalism and neo-Nazism which have been elevated in Ukraine to the rank of national policy. They are fighting for their elementary right to live on their own land, to speak their own language, and to preserve their culture and traditions. How long can this tragedy continue? How much longer can one put up with this? Russia has done everything to preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity. All these years, it has persistently and patiently pushed for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2202 of February 17, 2015, which consolidated the Minsk Package of Measures of February 12, 2015, to settle the situation in Donbass. Everything was in vain. Presidents and Rada deputies come and go, but deep down the aggressive and nationalistic regime that seized power in Kiev remains unchanged. It is entirely a product of the 2014 coup, and those who then embarked on the path of violence, bloodshed and lawlessness did not recognise then and do not recognise now any solution to the Donbass issue other than a military one. In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision and to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. I would like to ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision and then ratify the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance with both republics. These two documents will be prepared and signed shortly. 54:52 President Putin: We want those who seized and continue to hold power in Kiev to immediately stop hostilities. Otherwise, the responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodshed will lie entirely on the conscience of Ukraine's ruling regime. Ukraine is 'longing for peace' says Zelensky at Munich Security Conference February 19, 2022 Transcript Overview: Western powers should drop their policy of "appeasement" toward Moscow, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky told a security forum Saturday, as fears mount of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Clips 13:37 Vladimir Zelensky: Ukraine has received security guarantees for abandoning the world's third nuclear capability. We don't have that weapon. We also have no security. 14:37 Vladimir Zelensky: Since 2014, Ukraine has tried three times to convene consultations with the guarantor states of the Budapest Memorandum. Three times without success. Today Ukraine will do it for the fourth time. I, as President, will do this for the first time. But both Ukraine and I are doing this for the last time. I am initiating consultations in the framework of the Budapest Memorandum. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was commissioned to convene them. If they do not happen again or their results do not guarantee security for our country, Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt. President Biden Remarks on Russia-Ukraine Situation February 18, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: Following talks with NATO allies, President Biden provided an update on Russia-Ukraine tensions and international efforts to resolve the crisis. Clips 3:04 President Biden: You know, look, we have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week — in the coming days. We believe that they will target Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people.War posturing - Biden US provided record security assistance to Ukraine 4:00 President Biden: This past year, the United States provided a record amount of security assistance to Ukraine to bolster its defensive — $650 million, from Javelin missiles to ammunition. And we also previously provided $500 million in Ukrai- — in humanitarian aid and economic support for Ukraine. And earlier this week, we also announced an additional sovereign loan guarantee of up to $1 billion to strengthen Ukraine's economic resilience. 7:24 President Biden: Well, I don't think he is remotely contemplating nuclear — using nuclear weapons. But I do think it's — I think he is focused on trying to convince the world that he has the ability to change the dynamics in Europe in a way that he cannot. President Biden Remarks on Russia and Ukraine February 15, 2022 YouTube Version Transcript Overview: President Biden gave an update on tensions between Russia and Ukraine, calling for diplomacy to resolve tensions. Clips 1:47 President Biden: The United States has put on the table concrete ideas to establish a security environment in Europe. We're proposing new arms control measures, new transparency measures, new strategic stability measures. These measures would apply to all parties — NATO and Russia alike. 2:14 President Biden: We will not sacrifice basic principles, though. Nations have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity. They have the freedom to set their own course and choose with whom they will associate. 3:17 President Biden: And the fact remains: Right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraine's border. An invasion remains distinctly possible. That's why I've asked several times that all Americans in Ukraine leave now before it's too late to leave safely. It is why we have temporarily relocated our embassy from Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine, approaching the Polish border. 4:12 President Biden: The United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia. Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the U.S. nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not — do not have plans to put them there as well. 4:26 President Biden: To the citizens of Russia: You are not our enemy. And I do not believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine — a country and a people with whom you share such deep ties of family, history, and culture. 5:52 President Biden: Today, our NATO Allies and the Alliance is as unified and determined as it has ever been. And the source of our unbreakable strength continues to be the power, resilience, and universal appeal of our shared democratic values. Because this is about more than just Russia and Ukraine. It's about standing for what we believe in, for the future we want for our world. 7:25 President Biden: And when it comes to Nord Stream 2, the pipeline that would bring natural gas from Russia to Germany, if Russia further invades Ukraine, it will not happen. 7:35 President Biden: While I will not send American servicemen to fight Russia in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military with equipment to help them defend themselves. We have provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose. 7:50 President Biden: And make no mistake: The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power. An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us. And the United States commitment to Article 5 is sacrosanct. Already, in response to Russia's build-up of troops, I have sent additional U.S. forces to bolster NATO's eastern flank. Several of our Allies have also announced they'll add forces and capabilities to ensure deterrence and defense along NATO's eastern flank. We will also continue to conduct military exercises with our Allies and partners to enhance defensive readiness. And if Russia invades, we will take further steps to reinforce our presence in NATO, reassure our Allies, and deter further aggression. 9:12 President Biden: I will not pretend this will be painless. There could be impact on our energy prices, so we are taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset rising prices. We're coordinating with major enersy [sic] — energy consumers and producers. We're prepared to deploy all the tools and authority at our disposal to provide relief at the gas pump. And I will work with Congress on additional measures to help protect consumers and address the impact of prices at the pump. Hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Russia Senate Committee on Foreign Relations December 7, 2021 Overview: Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward Russia. She addressed President Biden's earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that Russia would suffer severe consequences if it attacked Ukraine. Other topics included the use of sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, the cooperation of NATO and U.S. allies, Russia's use of energy during conflict, and the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Clips 10:42 Victoria Nuland: Since 2014 The United States has provided Ukraine with $2.4 billion in security assistance including $450 million this year alone. 30:55 Sen. Todd Young (R-IN): President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov have repeatedly indicated that they seek to deny any potential path to NATO membership for Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Does the administration view this demand is a valid issue for negotiation? Victoria Nuland: No we do not and President Biden made that point crystal clear to President Putin today that the issue of who joins NATO is an issue for NATO to decide it's an issue for applicant countries to decide that no other outside power will or may have a veto or a vote in those decisions. Foreign Affairs Issue Launch with Former Vice President Joe Biden January 23, 2018 Clips 24:30 Former Vice President Biden: I'll give you one concrete example. I was—not I, but it just happened to be that was the assignment I got. I got all the good ones. And so I got Ukraine. And I remember going over, convincing our team, our leaders to—convincing that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I went over, I guess, the 12th, 13th time to Kiev. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor. And they didn't. So they said they had—they were walking out to a press conference. I said, nah, I'm not going to—or, we're not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, you have no authority. You're not the president. The president said—I said, call him. (Laughter.) I said, I'm telling you, you're not getting the billion dollars. I said, you're not getting the billion. I'm going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said: I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. (Laughter.) He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Amid Moscow's increasing build-up of troops along the Ukrainian border and the preparation of infrastructure for a possible invasion, tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to mount. Dating back centuries, the history of the relationship between the two countries is one of complexity - but one that is important to understand to make sense of the current crisis.A. D. Miller is a former Moscow correspondent for the Economist, and the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of ‘Independence Square,' a novel set in Kyiv during the Orange Revolution. In a conversation about the historical dispute behind Russia's current threat to invade Ukraine, A. D. Miller and Dan discuss the key events in the twentieth century, including the turning point - the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the relevance of NATO. They also detail the consequences of the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the most recent of tensions.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Amid Moscow's increasing build-up of troops along the Ukrainian border and the preparation of infrastructure for a possible invasion, tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to mount. Dating back centuries, the history of the relationship between the two countries is one of complexity - but one that is important to understand to make sense of the current crisis.A. D. Miller is a former Moscow correspondent for the Economist, and the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of ‘Independence Square,' a novel set in Kyiv during the Orange Revolution. In a conversation about the historical dispute behind Russia's current threat to invade Ukraine, A. D. Miller and Dan discuss the key events in the twentieth century, including the turning point - the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the relevance of NATO. They also detail the consequences of the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the most recent of tensions.If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A lot of people asked the question, "why?" when I mentioned I was visiting the Ukraine. My answer was a prompt "why not?" It became independent from Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. There of course is plenty of influence in the city from the Soviet days.As I was in Moscow during the final week of the Soviet Union's existence, I was amazed at the architecture in the city and I thought Kiev might be just as dramatic. I was not disappointed.There was a language barrier of course, but it mattered not. I walked 6 miles a day to see some of the wonderful buildings, with a map and iPhone GPS in hand.There was a little edginess in the city at the time due to political issues, but I did not let that worry me, in spite of a large protest with armed police and military present on my final day.I stayed adjacent to Independence Square, an important part of the city.The National Opera House, St. Sophia's Cathedral, St. Elijah Church, Kiev Founders Statue, The Great Lavra Bell House, Vydubychi Monastery, St. Pantheleimon Nunnery, The Cathedral of St. Pantaleon are just a few of the sites to see, but St. Michaels Monastery was the standout for me.All in all, I am so happy I made the trip.The adventure continues and so does the learning experience. 

Top Story: Wife of the late Jerry John Rawlings, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, says her late husband was God’s greatest gift to her. This was contained in a tribute read on her behalf by Princess Amina Rawlings during the final funeral rites and burial ceremony of the late Rawlings at the Independence Square, Accra.

This message was preached in Independence Square in Charlotte, NC at the corner of Trade & Tryon Streets. In that spot on May 20, 1775, the citizens of Mecklenburg County gathered together and declared their independence from the tyranny of Great Britain. This event influenced what took place more than a year later in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. On this city corner, known as the "Cradle of American Liberty," Jesse Boyd preaches about the cradle of spiritual liberty which was also at a specific time and in a specific place in history: Calvary around 3:00pm, when the three hours of darkness were coming to an end and Jesus Christ cried "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

The world has been electrified these past weeks by the explosive events in Ukraine: a dramatic political revolution in Kyiv's Independence Square, the surprise annexation of Crimea into Russia, and rising tensions between Russia and the United States/European Union that are reminiscent of the darkest of Cold War days. Join hosts Leticia Wiggins and Patrick Potyondy as they talk with Myroslava Mudrak, Sergei Zhuk, and Origins editor Nick Breyfogle about Crimea's rich and varied history, how Crimea was absorbed into Russia, and what the future holds for Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula. This is part 1 of a 2 part episode. Posted: April 10, 2014 Connect with us! Email: Origins@osu.edu Twitter: @OriginsOSU Instagram: @OriginsOSU Facebook: @OriginsOSU Find transcripts, background reading, and more at origins.osu.edu

Once a senior British diplomat in Kiev, Simon Davey lost everything after a lurid scandal. Back in London, still struggling with the aftermath of his disgrace, he is travelling on the Tube when he sees the woman he holds responsible for his downfall. Set against the 2004 Orange Revolution in the Ukraine, Independence Square is an exceptional political thriller from A.D. Miller, the bestselling author of Booker-shortlisted Snowdrops. Rob Weinberg talks to A.D. Miller about his first-hand experience of reporting from the Ukraine for The Economist and the inspiration behind his novel. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Soldiers in Mali who removed the government in a coup have said their priority is stability, not power. They've promised fresh elections in what they called a 'reasonable' time, accusing President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of allowing Mali to sink into chaos and anarchy. Also in the programme: We hear from the police captain in Belarus who resigned over the authorities' violent response to protests; and what measures should schools put in place to reopen safely? (Image: A crowd of people cheer Malian army soldiers at the Independence Square after a mutiny, in Bamako, Mali August 18, 2020. Credit: REUTERS/Moussa Kalapo)

President Lukashenko has remained defiant in the face of growing protests at his disputed re-election, threatening striking workers with being fired, in a stand-off that could last a long time. Even state broadcasters are raising their voices, as former state TV presenter Dmitry Kohno explains. Ed Butler hears from two leaders in Belarus’ burgeoning tech sector, who worry both for the sector’s continued growth, and their own safety. And economists Anders Aslund and Sergei Guriev question whether Belarus can ever compete as a market economy, or move away from its reliance on Russia. Producer: Frey Lindsay (Picture: Protesters stage a rally in Independence Square, Minsk; Credit: Getty Images)

100 – Ukraine Welcome Topics - Ukraine – A history lesson 866-988-8311 info@republickeeper.com Ukraine Ukraine was once Keivan Rus and it was the most powerful state in Europe Why is the location so strategic and the opportunity for corruption so great. There has always been struggle over Ukraine. To control it or to maintain control even when briefly independent. Odessa in the South is like Portland Or. In the West - Kiev is like Everett WA or call North Seattle, Vancouver Canada is the northern border. In the Midwest – Fargo is Odessa, Northern border is Winnipeg East Coasters – Odessa is Montreal, Quebec City is Kiev and then go north for a couple of hundred km to Belarus Gained independence in 1991 Officially Neutral – 1994 – Partnered with NATO In 2004 they had the “Orange Revolution” Yanukovych then PM, was declared winner of the Presidential elections. The elections were rigged, as determined by their supreme court The opposition guy was poisoned with dioxin, probably by Russia. So we stirred the pot – From Wikipedia “Activists of the Orange Revolution were funded and trained in tactics of political organisation and nonviolent resistance by Western pollsters[clarification needed] and professional consultants[who?] who were partly funded by Western government and non-government agencies but received most of their funding from domestic sources.[nb 1][155] According to The Guardian, the foreign donors included the U.S. State Department and USAID along with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the International Republican Institute, the NGO Freedom House and George Soros's Open Society Institute.[156]” Yanokovych kicked out be re-elected in 2010 Monopolies are dangerous but they existed in a number of arenas, media, energy, rail, etc. After In 2013 Yanukovich decided to suspend the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement and seek closer economic ties with Russia, a several-months-long wave of demonstrations and protests known as the Euromaidan began, which later escalated into the 2014 Ukrainian revolution that led to the overthrow of Yanukovych and the establishment of a new government. These events formed the background for the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014, and the War in Donbass in April 2014. Just recently - June 24th, 2020 Yanukovych was charged with treason along with his defense minister for using the military on behalf of Russia instead of Ukraine. It’s the same folks who trained these guys who trained the PKK and the KPG we were talking about, they pulled down the statue of Lenin. 12/9 - Monday - LENIN CLIP 12/11 – Wednesday - UKRAINE POLICE PULL OUT 12/11- Nuland - Food 12/13/2013 Friday – Nuland While Ukrainian riot police have reportedly left Kiev's Independence Square, one of the United States' top diplomats says she has told President Viktor Yanukovych that "what happened last night, what has been happening in security terms here, is absolutely impermissible in a European state, in a democratic state." Nuland was in Kiev on Wednesday. She reported that she "spent more than two hours with President Yanukovych. It was a tough conversation, but it was a realistic one. I made it absolutely clear to him that what happened last night, what has been happening in security terms here, is absolutely impermissible in a European state, in a democratic state." But, Nuland added, "we also made clear that we believe there is a way out for Ukraine, that it is still possible to save Ukraine's European future and that is what we want to see the president lead. But that is going to require immediate security steps and getting back into a conversation with Europe and with the International Monetary Fund, and bringing justice and dignity to the people of Ukraine. I have no doubt after our meeting that President Yanukovych knows what he needs to do. The whole world is watching. We want to see a better future for Ukraine." https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/world-watching-us-diplomat-tells-ukraine 12/16/2013 – Monday – Senator McCain Audio 12/25/2013 - Anti-government journalist Tetyana Chornovol beaten up in Ukraine 1/15/2014 – Wednesday NULAND Nuland – European Future Nuland – Integrity of the process Sometime in Q1 – Victor Pinchuks company hires Norm Coleman, former MN senator at Hogan & Hartson for $230 – it was the 1st lobbyist in a decade. Continues through now, same firm, different lobbyist. Coleman – was a lib. Bit part of anti war movement, sit ins, etc, 1993 - I am a lifelong Democrat. Some accuse me of being the fiscal conservative in this race—I plead guilty! I'm not afraid to be tight with your tax dollars. Yet, my fiscal conservatism does not mean I am any less progressive in my Democratic ideals. From Bobby Kennedy to George McGovern to Warren Spannaus to Hubert Humphrey to Walter Mondale—my commitment to the great values of our party has remained solid. In 1996 he chaired Paul Wellstone’s re-election campaign. Pivoted to the RNC in Dec 1996. In 2010 he was considered for RNC Chairman. In 2011 he joins the firm and So FF and here’s Normy, now lobbyist for them and Saudi Arabia,   1/24 Friday Protest Riots Spread across Ukraine 1/28/2014 -Tuesday - Parliament votes to annul protest law and President Yanukovych accepts resignation of PM and cabinet 1/29/2014 – Wednesday - Parliament passes amnesty law for detained protesters, under the condition occupied buildings are vacated 2/4/2014 – Tuesday NULAND – PYATT CALL LEAKS 2/6/2014 - Thursday 'This is what you cook for Ukraine?' State Dept Psaki grilled over leaked tape 2/7/2014 – Friday – Fiona Hill Feb 28 2014 – Friday – Russian Troops invade Crimea – CNN Report – Features Chuck Hagel Support request Pray Subscribe & Share Donate

This week, it’s Jess and I (KJ) talking to Olivia and Meghan from the Marginally podcast, which we love for its frank conversations about challenges and setbacks and day jobs and the struggle to keep your butt in the chair (sound familiar?).We talked about finding your writing people, the joys of keeping that day job, and the things that grow from grabbing a friend and starting the thing you wish someone else would start. #AmWritingMeghan: Followers by Megan AngeloThe Glass Hotel by Emily St John MandelOlivia: Emma by Jane Austen (and all the movies)Independence Square by A.D. Miller Jess: Wow, No Thank you by Samantha IrbyKJ: Love Lettering by Kate ClaybornThanks to everyone who supports the podcast financially. To join that team, click the button below:But it’s all good. The pod is free as it always has and always will be. This shownotes email is free, too, so please—forward it to a friend, and if you haven’t already, join our email list and be on top of it every time there’s a new episode. Find more about Jess here, Sarina here and about KJ here. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

On 25 July 2019, the President of the United States made a phone call to the recently-elected President of Ukraine - congratulating him on his party's election victory. What Donald Trump said in that call to Volodymyr Zelensky has ended up threatening his own presidency, triggering the impeachment of the president. Donald Trump says his interest was in rooting out corruption. Meanwhile Joe Biden's role in Ukraine was to do the same - root out corruption. The Inquiry asks why Ukraine has such a corruption problem. Presented by Ruth Alexander. (A Ukrainian flag flies in Independence Square in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Photo credit: Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images)

How are we already two-thirds through our second season? Time sure does fly, I mean, college basketball is back, fantasy football is on the downslope, and Dru turns 30 this week...what?! Y'all shoot him an email at podcast@vangocreative.com to show him some love. Meanwhile, we're hopping back to Uptown for a deeper look into those statues on all four corners of Trade and Tryon, and the haunted Dunhill hotel. Be ready for discussions on suicide rates during the Great Depression, artistic symbolism that nobody will ever notice (but that we love!), and the ongoing accounts of Dusty the friendly ghost. Oh, and don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for black Thor riding his eagle! Check us out on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_Edd8RDVyEIIwpwJBE9bQ/Sugar Creek Brewinghttps://sugarcreekbrewing.comThe Sculptures on the Squarehttps://www.wfae.org/post/trifling-place-episode-8-story-behind-those-big-statues-independence-square#stream/0The Mayfair Manorhttp://www.cmhpf.org/S&Rs%20Alphabetical%20Order/surveys&rmayfair.htmMore Deaths at the Mayfairhttps://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article179749096.htmlA Ghost Named Dustyhttps://www.queencityweekend.com/haunted-dunhill-hotel/Don't forget to subscribe!!

Please keep Rev Kev and his family in your thoughts and prayers. HIs mother passed away Saturday evening. Russell Peirce delivers an impassioned sermon entitled The Kingdom is in your Midst. He references Luke 17:20-21 If you will be in the Independence Square area for Santa Cali Got Labor Day weekend, please consider parking with us. All funds raised go to support our Children's and Youth Ministries as well as our Benevolence Funds to help families in need. You can also contribute financially to our Ministry here We would love to have you worship with us in person! We meet Sunday mornings at 9AM for Sunday School and then at 10:30 for Worship service. We are at 500 West Truman Road in the heart of the Historic Independence Square just one block from the Harry S. Truman home.  

The word “worship” means one thing, and it’s very simple:  Going to a church service -  Right? That’s sometimes the extent of peoples’ understanding of what worship is.  In the last few years it has been slightly modified by some: You might even hear people refer to the musical part of a service is the “Worship,” and there’s everything else. We even call our Music leaders “worship leaders,” because of this. These and other examples show a real misunderstanding of what God considers “worship.” The scriptures teach us something of worship in Paul’s letter to the Roman. Today, we reference Romans 12:1-2 Listen along as Rev Kev explains the teachings from this passage Worship is an act or lifestyle that brings honor and glory to GodGod can use a life of worship to change the worldGod's Work through Worship A life of faith is a gift of worship to God.  This worship is a way to bring glory to God, and invite His presence and influence into our lives. If you will be in the Independence Square area for Santa Cali Got Labor Day weekend, please consider parking with us. All funds raised go to support our Children's and Youth Ministries as well as our Benevolence Funds to help families in need. You can also contribute financially to our Ministry here We would love to have you worship with us in person! We meet Sunday mornings at 9AM for Sunday School and then at 10:30 for Worship service. We are at 500 West Truman Road in the heart of the Historic Independence Square just one block from the Harry S. Truman home.   

I recently hear someone say to a family member, “How am I supposed to know if no-one tells me?” That’s a good point, isn’t it?  It applies to so many situations – even in the area of faith! If someone is never told about Jesus, how can they know and follow Him? This is exactly the truth behind what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Christians in Colossae. In today's episode we reference Colossians 4:2-6 This passage shows us that: Evangelism is God’s plan for drawing people into the faith The Church has been given the task of sharing the gospel message Rev Kev also shares some Guidelines for Evangelism Approach with a spiritual attitude Strengthen your witness with your lifestyle Personalize the message One other thing Paul adds at the end is especially important, especially in times of conflict and social upheaval – Be nice!  “Let your speech always be with grace.” God calls us to share the message of Jesus with a gracious and loving attitude, and relate to others in a way that communicates the generous nature of this great gift from God.  Avoid name-calling and judgmental comments, and treat people like you would like to be treated, and spoken to. If you will be in the Independence Square area for Santa Cali Got. Please consider parking with us. All funds raised go to support our Children's and Youth Ministries as well as our Benevolence Funds to help families in need. You can also contribute financially to our Ministry here We would love to have you worship with us in person! We meet Sunday mornings at 9AM for Sunday School and then at 10:30 for Worship service. We are at 500 West Truman Road in the heart of the Historic Independence Square just one block from the Harry S. Truman home.

The last time I ever saw Anthony Sherman was on the Fourth of July, 1859, in Independence Square. He was then ninety-nine years old, his dimming eyes rekindled as he gazed upon Independence Hall, which he had come to visit once more. "I want to tell you an incident of Washington's life one which no one alive knows of except myself; and which, if you live, you will before long see verified." He said, "From the opening of the Revolution, we experienced all phases of fortune, good and ill. The darkest period we ever had, I think, was when Washington, after several reverses, retreated to Valley Forge, where he resolved to pass the winter of 1777. Ah! I often saw the tears coursing down our dear commander's careworn cheeks, as he conversed with a confidential officer about the condition of his soldiers. You have doubtless heard the story of Washington's going to the thicket to pray. Well, he also used to pray to God in secret for aid and comfort.

Preached at the Good Friday Service at the Independence Square, Accra.

Preached at the Good Friday Service at the Independence Square, Accra.

LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE__EPISODE 005 Religion, Marriage, and Murder Hi, everyone, and welcome to episode 5 of my podcast Leading A Double Life. I’m Kwei Quartey, a physician and author of the Inspector Darko Dawson novels. On my podcast, what it’s like to be a medical doctor and a writer. This episode, Religion, Marriage, and Murder. On Tuesday, August 29, 2017, a little under three months from now, my fifth Detective Chief Inspector Darko Dawson novel will go on sale. It’s called DEATH BY HIS GRACE, and like the other books in the detective series, it’s set in Ghana, my birthplace. Here’s my elevator pitch: Katherine Yeboah’s marriage to Solomon Vanderpuye is all the talk of Accra high society. But when it becomes apparent that Katherine is infertile, Solomon’s extended family accuses her of being a witch, hounding her until the relationship is soured. As some of Inspector Darko Dawson’s old demons resurface, he investigates a case of marital bliss turned deadly. If the fourth novel, GOLD OF OUR FATHERS, took Darko far from home, this one comes too close. Darko’s wife, Christine, is Katherine’s first cousin. So, as Darko wrestles with the case, family members inject their emotions and opinions into the investigation, including and especially Darko’s consistently annoying mother-in-law, Gifty. DEATH BY HIS GRACE is based in part on the real-life events of a Ghanaian friend of mine. The story has three major components: first, the ostensibly fairytale marriage of accountant Katherine Yeboah to lawyer Solomon Vanderpuye; second, religion, which plays a major role in the life of Ghanaians; and, third, of course, murder. Can’t write a murder mystery without a murder. Now Katherine’s and Solomon’s extravagant Accra wedding was a society event—one of those occasions at which anyone with social standing would want to be seen. But a year later, the marriage has lost its magic as it becomes apparent that Katherine is sterile. At that point, life turns hard and ugly. Solomon and his extended family begin to hound her, calling her a witch. In Ghana, fertility is very important, and having children in a marriage is the norm. In the West, we generally don’t disapprove if a married couple chooses not to have children, but in Ghana, that would be regarded negatively, and an infertile woman would fall under great suspicion. I say suspicion because one of the reasons some Ghanaians give for female infertility is that a witch or someone else has cursed the woman, or that the woman herself is the witch. One theory goes something like this: at night, the woman’s witch form, I guess you could call it, carries the fetus out of the uterus to her coven of fellow witches, who join her in devouring her baby. I know—not a pretty visual. Incredulous as it may seem, belief in witchcraft is still alive and well in Ghana, including among educated people. You might ask how that’s possible, but deeply held beliefs are often dissociated from education. I’d venture to say that there are educated Americans who believe God made the earth in seven days and that Adam and Eve were real people living in the Garden of Eden about 3000 years ago. And there are also lots of Americans who believe in ghosts, which I personally don’t. Anyway, back to Ghana—bottom line, try to avoid being designated a witch there. That might be funny if it weren’t so serious because Ghanaian women perceived as witches can be physically attacked, hurt and even killed by their accusers. Or these women can be subjected to dangerous traditional treatments of all kinds. In fact, as in my novel, if a woman is murdered and there was talk about witchcraft, take a look at the people who leveled that accusation because there may lie your suspects. If the marriage of Katherine and Solomon are front and center in the novel, the backdrop is religion. In 2013, a WIN-Gallup poll found Ghana to be the most religious country in the world. Not one of the most; the most. The poll used something called the “religiosity index,” defined as, “the percentage of the population who self-describe themselves as ‘a religious person’ in the following question: Irrespective of whether you attend a place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not a religious person or a convinced atheist?” Some of the other countries on the “most religious” list include Nigeria at number two; Armenia, number three; Fiji, number four; and Macedonia, number five. On the other end of the scale, China is 47% atheist. Shifting to the US for a moment, a Pew Research Center study finds the top five most religious states are, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas. I don’t see any surprised looks in the room. California, my home state, is number 35. The least religious state is New Hampshire. One of the important takeaways of the Gallup poll is that the poor are more religious than the rich. People in the bottom income groups are 17 percent more religious than those in the top income groups. I think you can see this on a macro and micro level wherever you go in the world. In Ghana, religiosity is everywhere. Some people go to church not just once a week on Sundays, but on one or two weekdays in addition. These may not be brief services either. They can be up to four hours of worship. If you are imagining small, humble churches, yes, there certainly are those, but Ghana also has a mammoth Pentecostal movement that involves mega-churches of the kind seen in the United States—huge structures that can seat the thousands flocking to their revered evangelist. Prayer vigils and so-called deliverance services take place in large venues like sports stadia and the Independence Square in Accra. The most famous and prosperous evangelist religious leaders, like Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, who also has churches in the US, are able to pack these audiences in as well as any music celebrity. Although religiosity spans the different levels of society, anyone going to these events will be struck by how many poor people attend. I think this correlates closely with the global findings of the Gallup poll. On a daily basis, Ghanaians don’t fail to remind you of their belief in God. When you say to someone, “Hello, how are you?” you’re likely to get the response, “By His grace,” which is shorthand for, “By God’s grace, I’m well,” or nowadays with socio-economic circumstances in Ghana so tough, you also hear, “By God’s grace, we’re managing.” Someone once quipped that Ghana has a lot of managers. I borrowed this ubiquitous Ghanaian phrase, “by His grace,” for my book title, DEATH BY HIS GRACE. I’ve thought a lot about what the title means. It could be asking: while God’s grace bestows good fortune on some, did He forget to protect others, like the perfectly decent, upstanding, and churchgoing Katherine Vanderpuye, who suffered an awful murder? A fundamental issue is whether a so-called man of God can be under the same level of suspicion of murder as an outright sinner. DCI Darko Dawson apparently thinks so, much to the dismay of some of his family members. I guess my novel raises the question also whether religion and belief in God, professed by so many people in Ghana, influences moral behavior there. From what I see for myself when visiting the country, the answer is no. If such a religious nation is seeing rising corruption, fraud, armed robbery, murder, and vehicle theft (of which I myself have been a victim), there’s either no connection between religion and crime, or there’s a negative correlation. On the other side of the coin, some non-religious countries have low rates of corruption and crime in general, the obvious example being the Scandinavian nations. During my research in Ghana for DEATH BY HIS GRACE, I went to religious services held by these prominent men of God. These events can be quite spectacular; particularly the deliverance services in which healing of the sick and casting out of demons take place. Also, speaking in tongues, or glossolalia, is characteristic of the Pentecostal and so-called charismatic churches. Most dramatic are the congregation members who become slain in The Spirit—that is, when the Holy Spirit presumably enters their bodies and causes them to collapse. For that, professional catchers are dispatched throughout the church or other venue to prevent people from hurting themselves as they drop to the ground. From a logistics and medical point of view, though, I don’t see how everyone falling to the ground can possibly be caught before impact. It’s doubtful then, that these are genuine instances of loss of consciousness because a lot more people would get hurt if that were the case. The casting out of demons can be extraordinarily violent and creepy. A person may writhe around on the ground screaming and sweating while a pastor yells at them in order to expel the demons. One girl in a church setting was worked on for more than an hour straight and the bishops trying to exorcise her had to take a break because they were so exhausted. At a service I attended run by a bishop called Boniga, there was a mother with her infant who suffered from epilepsy. The story was that the mother’s sister, presumably out of jealousy or hatred, had cursed the child. So mom came to Bishop Boniga with her baby to have the demons cast out. The so-called healing I witnessed by Bishop Boniga wasn’t terribly impressive either. An old man who was said to be wheelchair dependent from crippling arthritis threw his cane away after being touched by Boniga, and walked off the stage without the cane. However, I noticed later one of his family members came back to get it. The old guy probably endured the short walk off the stage, but I bet once he had done that, he felt overcome again by the arthritic pain. So, why all this piety with poverty in Ghana and other countries like it? It’s a question I put to myself all the time. Is it belief for the sake of belief? Is it that the charismatic faiths hold out the promise that God in His wisdom and at some point of His choosing, will bestow blessings and financial success on the worshipper? In other words, the harder you pray or speak in tongues, the more likely you are to get rich? Or is it that prayer, churchgoing, Bible study and so on, are lifestyles in which poverty-laden people experience a sense of power and fulfillment in a life that otherwise gives them precious little of that? I don’t have those answers, but that’s part of the reason I wrote the book. Writing a story with a backdrop I don’t fully understand is a way to explore it through the lens of murder, and that always renders it more intense. That’s all for this episode. Again, thank you for listening. If you’re hearing this on iTunes, please also check out my website, kweiquartey.com. That’s k-w-e-i-q-u-a-r-t-e-y dot com. There’s a sign-up bonus, so to speak, right now. If you subscribe to my email list, you win a beautiful Page Anchor exclusively from the lovely nation of Sweden. It’s a unique, pocket size device with both form and function that holds your pages open for you. The podcast episodes are also available on my website with accompanying show notes. I’m on Twitter as @doublekwei, one word. Until next time, be happy and healthy.

Three years ago this winter hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians gathered in Kiev's Independence Square, demanding closer integration with Europe instead of Russia, and, eventually, forcing the government's resignation. But what's changed in the years since? Demonstrators continue to protest over poor economic conditions and entrenched corruption, and there has been an exodus of reformers from the government, claiming their attempts at change are being blocked. Meanwhile, despite intermittent ceasefires, the conflict in the eastern Donbass region with Russian-backed rebels seems no closer to peace. Join Owen Bennett Jones for a special edition of Newshour Extra in Kiev, as he and his expert panellists discuss the future of Ukraine. Contributor names: Svitlana Zalischchuk - Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and former journalist. Vladimir Gusak - Member of the Ukrainian Parliament. Taras Berezovets - Political analyst. Tom Burridge - BBC Kiev correspondent (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Preached at the Good Friday service held at the Independence Square, Accra.

Preached at the Good Friday service held at the Independence Square, Accra.

AstronomyCast 348: 2 Independence Square, the NASA Headquarters by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

It started in Sochi — the most expensive winter Olympics in history. A winter Olympics which, let us not forget, saw Great Britain take the gold in curling! Then Pussy Riot— which is decidedly not a niche pornography market — were being publicly horsewhipped by men in funny hats while the world recoiled in horror and… didn’t do much of anything, really. Then, in the beating Orange heart of Kiev’s Independence Square, came the protesters — or maybe they weren’t protesters at all: maybe they were agent provocateurs from America. Next came the riot police — or maybe they weren’t riot police at all — maybe they were paramilitary thugs from the infamous mercenary force, Blackwater. Suddenly there were 70 dead, hundreds injured, a Ukrainian president forced to flee his massive gold-plated presidential palace leaving behind that most incriminating evidence of dictatorship — a private zoo. Suddenly Russian troops — or maybe they’re not Russian; the uniforms are vague —deployed inside Crimea. Suddenly, if you believe the narrative being played out on the nightly news — half of Ukraine wants an EU passport while the other half wants to strip half-naked and wrestle bears a la Vladamir Putin. On tonight’s Litopia After Dark, we have, in studio, satirist, television talking head and former Kremlin advisor Alexander Nekrassov. And folks, believe us – Alexander does not get an easy time. Download the show as mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe to our shows by Email If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

It started in Sochi — the most expensive winter Olympics in history. A winter Olympics which, let us not forget, saw Great Britain take the gold in curling! Then Pussy Riot— which is decidedly not a niche pornography market — were being publicly horsewhipped by men in funny hats while the world recoiled in horror and… didn’t do much of anything, really. Then, in the beating Orange heart of Kiev’s Independence Square, came the protesters — or maybe they weren’t protesters at all: maybe they were agent provocateurs from America. Next came the riot police — or maybe they weren’t riot police at all — maybe they were paramilitary thugs from the infamous mercenary force, Blackwater. Suddenly there were 70 dead, hundreds injured, a Ukrainian president forced to flee his massive gold-plated presidential palace leaving behind that most incriminating evidence of dictatorship — a private zoo. Suddenly Russian troops — or maybe they’re not Russian; the uniforms are vague —deployed inside Crimea. Suddenly, if you believe the narrative being played out on the nightly news — half of Ukraine wants an EU passport while the other half wants to strip half-naked and wrestle bears a la Vladamir Putin. On tonight’s Litopia After Dark, we have, in studio, satirist, television talking head and former Kremlin advisor Alexander Nekrassov. And folks, believe us – Alexander does not get an easy time. Download the show as video file Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe to our shows by Email If you enjoy Radio Litopia, please help us to keep going by making a donation!

Ukraine's embattled president Viktor Yanukovych is calling the country's political crisis a "coup", saying it resembled the rise of Nazis in the 1930s. Yanukovych also says he has no intention of resigning or leaving the country. "I'm not going to leave the country. I'm not going to resign. I'm a legitimately elected president. I've been given guarantees by all the international mediators with whom I worked, they have given security guarantees. I will see how they are going to play this part. Everything that is taking place today is, to a large exent, vandalism, and banditry, and a state coup." Yanukovych and opposition leaders signed an agreement aimed at resolving the country's turmoil on Friday. Ukraine's former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the arch-rival of Yanukovych, arrived in Kiev on Saturday to be greeted by a crowd of supporters and journalists. Parliament arranged the release of Tymoshenko after protesters took control of the capital. Upon her release, Tymoshenko promised to run for president and immediately went to Kiev's Independence Square, also known as Maidan. Tymoshenko has served two and a half years on a conviction of abuse of office.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has agreed to a truce with the opposition. This comes amid another tense night in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, as protesters continue to occupy Independence Square after a series of bloody battles this week which have left over two dozen people dead. Casualty figures from the deadly clashes which first erupted Tuesday now stand at 26 dead and over 600-others injured, including close to 350-police officers and over 250-protesters. Yanukovych has already sacked the head of the armed forces in the fallout from the violence. This comes as speculation continues to fester that the armed forces could be deployed for the first time since the protests began some 3-months ago. Massive fighting broke out Tuesday afternoon after riot police in Kiev moved in to try to clear Independence Square. Yanukovych has since ordered the authorities to back down for the time being. The deadly clashes have drawn sharp reactions from world powers. Martin Nesirky is a spokesperson for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "The use of force that we've seen from both sides is clearly excessive and has no place in an ancient European capital of Kiev. It is something that seems inexplicable at this point." The Chinese government has also offered its thoughts on the situation. Chinese foreign minitry spokesperson Hua Chunying. "China has been paying close attention to the situation in Ukraine. We think the casualties caused by the current conflict are regrettable. We hope the various parties involved will consider the larger national interests and restore order via dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible. We think the international community should play a constructive role in this matter." The United States and a number of EU countries are now talking about possible sanctions against the Yanukovych government. For more on the situation in Ukraine, we spoke earlier with journalist Andre Koulikov who is based in Kiev. Journalist Andre Koulikov based in Ukraine's capital, Kiev.

As the world focuses its attention on the Olympic Games in Sochi and controversies around the Russian government's apparent hostility toward gay and lesbian rights, a far-reaching drama is playing out in the former Soviet Republic of Ukraine. The Eastern European country, independent since the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, has been gripped by a series of protests that may very well determine its long-term political fate. The Euromaidan was apparently named after the Independence Square in Kiev, Maidan Nezalezhnosti, where a major protest was held on the evening of November 21 of last year. The gathering of 1,000 to 2,000 people was staged in opposition to the abandonment by the Yanukovych government of an Association Agreement with the European Union.[2] Further protests ensued until a particularly violent crackdown by Ukrainian police on November 30. [3] From that point forward, demonstrations intensified and grew larger in number. The protests seemed to take a much more violent turn by mid-January after the Ukrainian Parliament pushed through a sweeping 100 page anti-protest law. [4] The law essentially banned the installation of tents, stages or amplifiers in public places, all critical components of the Euromaidan up to that point. Two and a half months later, the law has been repealed, Yanukovych's Cabinet has been dissolved, and detained protesters granted amnesty on condition of an end to the occupations of government buildings. [5] Nevertheless, the protests continue and demands to end “government corruption” and the resignation of the Russian President remain unrelenting. Complicating the situation is the role of militant fascist groups which appear to be influencing the protest movement, and are reminiscent of Hitler's Brown Shirts and Mussolini's Black Shirts from an earlier era. Foreign governments appear to be influencing the situation as well. Russian President Vladmir Putin's offer of substantial reductions in the cost of Russian natural gas and their willingness to purchase $15 billion in Ukrainian Government Eurobonds could be read as a bribe to keep Ukraine under Russian influence. [6] Meanwhile, Western governments, including those of the US and Canada, are clearly expressing support for government opposition demonstrators. Following harsh crackdowns before and during the G20 protests in 2010, it is hard to imagine the Canadian government behaving much differently if faced by similar demonstrations which have included the occupation of government buildings and the use of molotov cocktails being hurled at police. This week's Global Research News Hour probes some of the less talked about aspects of the Euromaidan with three analysts. University of Winnipeg Associate Professor of History Andriy Zayarnyuk is a Ukrainian national and is a specialist in the field of the Social and Cultural History of 19th and 20th Century Eastern Europe, including the Ukraine and the Soviet Union. He is also the author of the recently released book, Framing the Ukrainian Peasantry in Habsburg Galicia, 1846-1914. He helps provide an overview of the political and cultural background of the current struggle. Eric Draitser is a New York-based geo-political analyst with StopImperialism.org. He discusses the right-wing fascist groups involved with the Euromaidan protests and threats they may pose over and above the opposition movement itself. Finally, Rick Rozoff of Stop NATO returns to provide a thorough examination of the geo-political and geo-strategic context in which the popular uprising is taking place.