Google has taken a variety of moves in reaction to the Kremlin’s military campaign since late February, including stopping ad sales in Russia and disabling Google Pay. Recently, Google Maps started revealing coordinates of Russian military airfields and navy warships.

Google has disputed making any modifications to the way its Maps service displays Russia’s important military facilities. On Tuesday, Russia issued a statement in reaction to news that Google Maps had unobscured Russia’s military airfields and navy warships. “Google Maps has opened access to Russia’s military and strategic facilities,” said the caption on a handful of satellite pictures uploaded by an unverified Ukrainian Twitter account connected to the country’s armed forces on Monday.

About 2,000 encircled militants, at Azovstal steel plant, are last Ukrainian hold-outs, Putin is told.

Russian forces have fully captured the key Donbass Black Sea port-city of Mariupol, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. However, more than 2,000 militants, loyal to Kiev, still remain entrenched at the Azovstal steel plant in the city, he added. President Vladimir Putin has called Shoigu’s plan of storming the area “inadvisable” and instead ordered him to “safely block” the area while extending to those inside another offer to lay down their arms. The last hold outs are cut off from supplies. When Mariupol was encircled in early March, some 8,100 Ukrainian soldiers, foreign mercenaries, and nationalist militants – including members of the notorious Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion – remained inside, according to the minister’s estimates. More than 1,400 militants have laid down their arms, Shoigu said, adding that over 142,000 civilians have also been evacuated from the city. It has been under siege for weeks.

Putin hails liberation of Mariupol, calls off operation to storm steel plant (TASS)
Mariupol is Liberated, Some Ukrainian Radicals Remain Besieged in Azovstal Plant, Shoigu Tells Putin (Sputnik News)

So far, the initiative has been openly supported only by one permanent member of the UNSC – the United States. The UN General Assembly is considering introducing a provision that would require permanent members of the Security Council to justify their use of veto powers. Currently, the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US – can veto any resolutions put forth by the body. The council's other 10 rotating members do not have such powers. The provision was tabled by Liechtenstein last week and presented at a closed-door discussion panel on Tuesday. The discussion turned out to be quite “positive” and the initiative received additional co-sponsors, the mission of the microstate to the UN said after the meeting.

Ukrainian media showed a video of Ukrainian soldiers dragging the corpses of dead civilians. It is reported that the video was filmed in the famous city of Bucha, where the AFU staged a massacre, blaming Russian troops for war crimes. While Kiev’s Western partners refused to launch an independent international investigation at Moscow’s request, numerous arguments were presented proving that the mass murder was staged. [THIS] video is another one. You can see how the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are laying out corpses on the streets. According to the Kiev legend, Russian soldiers deliberately killed civilians, and the corpses lay for several days and weeks, so that the locals could not even bury them.

#WhereIsGonzaloLira
Still no confirmation that Gonzalo Lira has been killed (21st Century Wire)
Foreign blogger critical of Kiev goes missing, feared abducted (RT.com)
Could well be him, but of course it is best to wait for confirmation (Vanessa Beeley)
Gonzalo Lira Gone Missing (04/18/22)

As evidence of a potential bioweapons cover-up begins to emerge, a company called Metabiota, whose founder is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader graduate, is gaining prominence. The links between Metabiota and several key players in the COVID pandemic and/or the Ukraine labs story are manifold, so there’s no really simple way to unravel it in a logical sequence. That said, let’s start with what Metabiota does and the connections of its founder, and expand from there.

After having shown that the war in Ukraine was prepared by the Straussians and triggered on February 17 by Kiev’s attack on the Donbass, Thierry Meyssan returns to the secret history that links the Anglo-Saxons to the Banderites since the fall of the Third Reich. He sounds the alarm: we have not been able to see the resurgence of Nazi racialism in Ukraine and in the Baltic States for thirty years, nor do we see that many of the Ukrainian civilians we welcome are steeped in Banderites’ ideology. We are waiting for Nazi attacks to begin in Western Europe before we wake up.

The NATO-Russia conflict played out in Ukraine and the Obvious Complicity of the US/NATO (A Stephen F. Cohen Interview from 2006)(The Transnational)

Emergency statement of the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine (April 19, 2022)

According to the available reliable information, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) is preparing another provocation to accuse the servicemen of the Russian Federation of so-called war crimes with the mass destruction of civilians in the Odessa region. To this end, in the near future it is planned to dress one of the SSU units in the uniform of Russian servicemen and make a demonstrative shooting of local residents. Photo and video footage of this action with alleged “Russian atrocities” will be published by Ukrainian and Western news agencies to immediately promote fakes. (LINK)

We Overcame the Most Sophisticated Forms of Manipulation. This post is the first in my future series, on how governments and shady non-governmental players psychologically manipulated us during the Covid-19 crisis. In this series, I will highlight various dirty tricks and explain why most people fell for them, one per post. [...] My future posts will go through various psychological manipulation concepts and how they were applied, by shady actors and co-opted governments, and how they affected each of us.

Regarding mRNA “Covid vaccines”: anyone who would think for a minute, would realize that there was not a way to know for sure that vaccines were safe and effective, simply because not enough time has passed. Similarly, anyone could see that the masterminds behind the lockdowns and vaccinations, the billionaires behind the scenes, and the corrupt governments, all ensured that any dissent would be silenced. Thus, the purported consensus did not, in fact, exist at all. The minority of people saw through that, decided accordingly, and refused vaccination. Who was that? You, my readers. What made you decide this? I am sure that there were just as many reasons as people here. The main factor is that you all took a few minutes to think about it critically. You were independently minded and decided to think for yourselves.

Donetsk, Apr 20 – DAN. Russia-led coalition has taken 30 townships under control, the DPR Territorial Defence HQ said.

💬 "As of April 20, the DPR forces with assistance of the Russian armed forces liberated and established total control over 167 towns," the report reads.

Among the liberated towns are Rovnopol, Novosyolka, Makarovka, Storozhevoye. Over the past day, DPR liberated Novoandreyevka, Stepnoye, and Kropivnitskoye in the Volnovakha district. Russia started a special military operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine on February 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the decision was made after the DPR and LPR Heads addressed him asking for help. The Russian leader said that Moscow is not planning to occupy Ukrainian territory, the only goal is to protect people who have been continuously shelled and subjected to other forms of genocide by Ukraine for eight years.

Lawyers for Julian Assange argued that the WikiLeaks founder had not yet exhausted his options to challenge the decision to extradite him, pointing out that "the troubling circumstances in which requesting states can provide caveated guarantees after the conclusion of a full evidential hearing" were not taken into consideration.

The London court made a formal decision to extradite Julian Assange to the United States on Wednesday. However, the final decision is to be made by the UK government. The order was issued at a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, with Assange forced to watch via video link from Belmarsh prison. During the hearing, his supporters rallied outside the court building, demanding freedom for the WikiLeaks founder.

WikiLeaks tweeted that the defence team has until 18 May to challenge the decision and make representations to Home Secretary Priti Patel before makes her decision on the ruling. Should he be extradited to the United States, where he is accused of espionage, Assange faces up to 175 years behind bars. WikiLeaks' chief editor Kristinn Hrafnsson said that by issuing the extradition order, the Westminster Magistrate's Court had signed Assange's death sentence.

Dark Day For Press Freedom As British Court Orders Assange Extradition (Kevin Gosztola)
UK Court Order to Extradite Julian Assange to Heart of Darkness USA (Stephen Lendman)
London court issues order for WikiLeaks founder Assange’s extradition to US (TASS)
WATCH: CN Live! — ‘The Assange Family Struggle’ (Consortium News)
An Open Letter to the Home Secretary (Consortium News)

Russia launched the special operation in Ukraine on 24 February in order to stop the eight-year-long war in Donbass waged by Kiev's troops. The Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian military infrastructure with high-precision weapons, while the DPR and LPR started reclaiming the territory of their Republics.

Since the beginning of the operation, Russian forces have eliminated 140 Ukrainian warplanes, 490 drones, 2,367 tanks and armoured vehicles, as well as many other objects, according to the Ministry of Defence. The situation remains tense in Donbass, where the Russian troops and Donbass militia are eliminating remaining Ukrainian radicals at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

U.S. and European Union officials are preparing a new meeting later this month officials hope will tie the two global players closer together on defense.

The event is meant to open an additional trans-Atlantic channel on security matters and complement similar communications already happening via NATO, officials have said. Having such a forum specifically for the trade-minded European Union would energize the bloc’s defense ambitions and signal Washington’s link to the continent on yet another level, the thinking goes. Speaking at the Atlantic Council think tank earlier this month, Charles Fries, a senior official at the EU diplomatic service, said the “dialogue on security and defense” would happen later in April in Brussels.

Japan, EU, U.S. pursue common course on Ukraine war (Anti-Bellum)

Former Swiss intelligence officer and NATO adviser Jacques Baud on the roots of the Ukraine-Russia war and its growing dangers. VIDEO

Newly uncovered documents proved that the Canadian government have used the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as leverage to bring the country more in line with the desires of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The documents were obtained by Canadian independent media outlet Rebel News through Access to Information Act filings. They are high-level briefing notes made to the then-Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of Global Affairs Canada Chrystia Freeland. (Related: Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s grandfather was a Nazi and she admires George Soros. It’s no surprise she’s labeling freedom-loving Canadians terrorists.) The briefing notes were made in preparation for the Great Reset meeting with the WEF that took place on December 8, 2020.

The Russian foreign minister stressed that the Ukrainian people should decide their fate for themselves. Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Tuesday that Moscow has no plans to press for regime change in Kiev.

💬 "We are not up for regime change in Ukraine," Lavrov said in his interview with broadcaster India Today.

The diplomat stressed that Russia had no other choice but to start the operation, as Ukrainian forces had intensified attacks in Donbass, prompting mass evacuations of civilians from the region and forcing the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics to ask Moscow for help. Lavrov noted that a new phase of the operation has begun, but once again stated that the Russian forces are targeting only Ukrainian military infrastructure. Russia launched its special operation back in February, aiming to stop the eight-year-long war in Donbass waged by Kiev. President Vladimir Putin called the conflict, which claimed thousands of lives, a genocide, and stressed that Russia's goals are the de-Nazification and demilitarisation of Ukraine.

The US government funded Peter Daszak’s ECO Health Alliance to the tune of $61,491,183 to make new coronaviruses that are infectious to humans. It also directly or indirectly funding the Wuhan Institute of Virology to the tune of $7.4 million dollars to make new coronaviruses that are infectious to humans. Meanwhile the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases funded Ralph Baric to the tune of $46,958,414 to make new coronaviruses that are infectious to humans. This totals more than $114 million in the period from 2000 to 2020 to make new coronaviruses which are infectious to humans. There is no question that SARS CoV 2 (causing Covid-19) is man made. Here’s the evidence…

In Germany if a person presents a Holocaust fact from official documents that is not part of the narrative, the person goes to prison regardless of the validity of the fact.

If the Holocaust narrative turns out to be false, it will be no different from any of the many false narratives in which we blindly live. We have, for example, the 1619 Project sponsored by the New York Times, a racist interpretation of US history that has no factual basis. We have just experienced the “Covid Pandemic” orchestration that is still the official narrative despite being contradicted by all known evidence. We have the false 9/11 narrative supported by no evidence. We have the “war on terror” narrative of Washington’s 21st century Middle East wars. We still live in the “lone assassin” narrative of President John F. Kennedy’s murder and also of Robert Kennedy’s murder. We have ‘Russiagate” and the “Trump Insurrection” that is being set in stone with kangaroo court convictions consisting mainly it seems of coerced plea bargains. We have the ongoing Ukrainian narrative. Dissenting from any of these narratives can bring denunciation and job loss just as does “Holocaust denial.” A person who sees the truth of the situation is a threat to the narrative and risks being cancelled.

Movies such as The Matrix and V for Vendetta convey reality. The official narratives are a form of mind control. Control is exercised by indoctrinating the members of society into the official narratives, some of which cover up government crimes and others of which serve special interests. Throughout human history, truth-tellers have had to pay a much higher price than liars.

The Holocaust: Myth and Reality, Overview of the book by Dr. Nicholas Kollerstrom (Antony C. Black)

Where is Gonzalo Lira? Missing in Ukraine since 15th April (Monotti + Yeadon + Morningstar)
Journalist Gonzalo Lira has disappeared. Alex is concerned (Alex Christoforou)(VIDEO)
We still don't know where Gonzalo is (Reality Theories, Eva K Bartlett)
Lira update (xymphora)
Gonzalo Lira Reported Missing in Ukraine (heavy.com)
Gonzalo Lira: Murdered by the Daily Beast? (Kevin Barrett)(VIDEO)
The YouTube fake account still claiming Gonzalo Lira is alive (Juan Sinmiedo)(Apr 19 at 10:03)
I haven't heard from Gonzalo Lira since morning April 15 (Tania The Herbalist)
WATCH: Gonzalo Lira has gone missing in Ukraine, this is how you may help! (Syriana Analysis)
Gonzalo Lira is missing! (The Saker)

The Tornado battalion crimes case is a criminal case opened in connection with numerous grave crimes committed by the personnel of the Ukrainian volunteer battalion Tornado during the armed conflict in Donbas.

According to the Ukrainian Military Prosecutor’s Office, the battalion’s fighters practiced inhuman killings, torture and rape against civilians. In addition, one in four of the Tornado personnel was found to have a criminal record. The investigation received a large public and political resonance, and the trial was subjected to strong pressure from representatives of the Ukrainian volunteer movement

Eventually, some volunteers from the Tornado battalion were found guilty of criminal charges (kidnapping, sexual violence, etc.) but a report by Global Rights Compliance LLP, which was published under the aegis of the British Embassy in Kyiv called the absence of any charges of war crimes against them with such obvious evidence inexplicable. In addition, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union expressed concern about the nationwide tendency to justify grave crimes by pro-Ukrainian formations.