End Times Headline News. February 19 2025

Russia&US agree on Ukraine peace talks. Coup in Kiev. Hamas proposes release of all phase 2 hostages at once. Trump Admin Shifts Strategy on Avian Flu. Bird Flu Is a Rerun of the Covid Playbook

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Russia and US agree on Ukraine peace talks – Lavrov

Moscow and Washington have agreed to start the conflict settlement process, according to the Russian foreign minister

Russia and the US have agreed to establish a framework for ending the Ukraine conflict in the near future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has announced. Top Russian and US diplomats met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to explore ways to restore diplomatic ties, lay the groundwork for a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, and advance efforts toward resolving the Ukraine conflict. Lavrov led the Russian delegation, which also included Yury Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide. Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), also took part in the negotiation process. The American side was represented by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and Steve Witkoff, Washington’s special envoy for the Middle East.

Trump speaks to journalists after US-Russia talks

The president he is even more confident about brokering a deal to end the Ukraine conflict

President Donald Trump spoke to reporters hours after high-profile US-Russia talks on how to end the Ukraine conflict ended in Riyadh on Tuesday. He remained optimistic about brokering a peace deal and criticized Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. Trump said he felt “much more confident” about the prospects of a lasting peace and reiterated that his immediate goal was to “save lives.” On cash for Ukraine Trump said that NATO countries and Kiev must make sure that aid provided to Ukraine is not wasted. “They have to pay. They have to find out where the money is going,” he said. “President Zelensky said last week that he doesn’t know where half of the money is that we gave him,” Trump stated. “Where is it going? I’ve never seen an accounting of it.’

West will have to reconsider Russia sanctions as part of Ukraine peace deal – Rubio

Ending the conflict could open up “historic” opportunities for US-Russian relations, the US secretary of state has said

The US and its allies will have to address the sanctions imposed on Russia in order to achieve an “enduring, sustainable” solution to the Ukraine conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in Riyadh on Tuesday. Washington is interested in developing economic cooperation with Moscow after the hostilities are brought to an end, he added. Rubio held a press conference along with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff after meeting with the Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia’s capital. Moscow was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

Rubio spoke to European counterparts after Russia talks, French foreign ministry says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to his French, British, Italian, and German counterparts as well as to European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas following his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the French foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said they had discussed the meeting between Rubio and Lavrov, which was held in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had discussed Monday's European meeting in Paris on European security and Ukraine.

Zelensky Throws Toys From Pram, Cancels Peace Talks Appearance

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is canceling his expected appearance at peace talks with Russian officials to be held in Saudi Arabia and moderated by the United States.

Zelensky instead announced on Tuesday he would depart Ankara, Turkey, where he was holding meetings with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and head home to Ukraine. “For Europe, it is fundamentally important that any talks on ending the war do not happen behind the backs of the key parties involved, who are affected by the consequences of Russia’s aggression,” Zelensky said in a press conference on Tuesday in Ankara. He continued: “Ukraine, and in the broader sense Europe, Turkey, and Great Britain, must be involved in the talks and in working out the necessary security guarantees, together with America, that concern our destiny in our part of the world.”

Coup in Kiev: Zelensky abuses peace talks to take out rivals

An attempt to eliminate the influence of former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko could be Zelensky’s last mistake

In the latest dramatic twist of Ukraine’s political wars, former President Pyotr Poroshenko now faces accusations of treason — nearly six years after his successor, Vladimir Zelensky, warned him of his future fate. During a heated presidential campaign debate in 2019, Zelensky famously told Poroshenko, “I am not your opponent. I am your verdict.” Now, as Kiev’s political landscape grows more volatile, those words seem eerily prescient. Poroshenko, leader of the opposition European Solidarity party, has long been entangled in criminal investigations, which he calims are politically motivated. But the latest charges are the most serious yet — alleging secret dealings with Russian officials and illegal coal purchases from Donbass following the outbreak of hostilities in 2014.

Russian Air Base In Syria Hit With Overnight Drone Attack: Reports

Anti-aircraft guns engaged...

At a tense diplomatic moment where Russia is trying to negotiate with Syria's new rulers in order to keep a military presence at Moscow's two longtime Russian bases on Syria's coast, Hmeimim airbase reportedly came under drone attack overnight. "Unidentified drones attacked a Russian-controlled air base in Syria overnight, Iran-linked media reported early Tuesday, as Moscow seeks to maintain its military presence following the ouster of its closest ally in the region," The Moscow Times writes. he publication cites regional publication Sabereen News: "Anti-aircraft guns inside the Russian-controlled Hmeimim air base in Syria are intercepting unidentified drones flying over the Russian base," details the report.

Hamas proposes release of all phase two hostages at once

Israel's security cabinet has not yet authorized negotiations on the proposal.

Hamas has submitted a new proposal that would involve releasing all remaining hostages at once in phase two, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem announced on Tuesday night. Qassem stated that this could be made possible should Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. He added that Hamas doubled the number of prisoners to be released at the request of mediators, claiming they had proven their commitment to honoring the ceasefire.

PM said to condition deal’s 2nd phase on end of Hamas presence in Gaza, no PA rule

Israel reportedly readying for potential resumption of war if ceasefire collapses, amassing troops and equipment along Gaza border; delegation yet to depart for latest Doha talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told cabinet ministers during a recent meeting that Israel’s conditions in upcoming negotiations on the terms of the second phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal are for the Hamas terror group to disarm and have no presence in Gaza, and for the Palestinian Authority to be barred from the post-war management of the enclave, Israeli television reported Tuesday. The Channel 12 news report came after the security cabinet met Monday night to discuss negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire agreement, which have yet to begin despite originally being expected to start on February 3. Kan news said Netanyahu is also demanding the demilitarization of the Strip.

6 hostages to be freed Sat.; Hamas says bodies of Bibas mom, kids set for Thurs. return

Family of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas ‘in turmoil’ over Hamas announcement, has not received Israeli confirmation; only 3 living hostages were to go free this week, but Hamas will instead release all 6 of phase 1’s remaining living hostages

All six remaining living hostages slated to be released in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal will be freed Saturday, Israeli and Hamas officials said Tuesday, in a surprise move apparently linked to growing worries that the ceasefire and captive release deal in the Gaza Strip could collapse. Encouragement over the expedited release, which will include two Israelis held in the Strip for over a decade, was tempered, however, with an announcement from the terror group that it would also transfer the bodies of mother Shiri Silberman Bibas and her two young children Ariel and Kfir back to Israel, dampening hopes that the three might still be found alive.

Egypt’s Sisi to visit Riyadh for talks on $20B Gaza reconstruction plan

Egyptian President expected to visit Riyadh on Thursday to discuss an Arab initiative for Gaza that could include up to $20 billion for reconstruction.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi is expected to visit Riyadh on Thursday, according to two Egyptian security sources quoted by Reuters on Tuesday. During his trip, he is set to discuss an Arab initiative for Gaza that could include up to $20 billion from the region for reconstruction, the report said. Arab nations are preparing to outline a post-war strategy for Gaza as a countermeasure to US President Donald Trump's proposal, which seeks to redevelop the enclave under US administration and relocate its residents, and which has sparked significant concern among regional leaders.

Attack on Iran's nuclear sites will set region aflame, IRGC commander warns

Asenior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said any attack on Iran's nuclear sites would spark an unprecedented regional conflagration and provided detailed threats of retaliation to Israeli and US interests.

"If Iran’s nuclear facilities are attacked, a fire will erupt in the region with dimensions beyond imagination," IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, days after US newspapers said Israel was mulling strikes this year. The remarks were the clearest delineation in months by a senior Iranian military official of a potential response to an attack which US intelligence assessments see Israel as more willing to carry out after military setbacks for Tehran.

Iran charges British couple with espionage, upping ante with West

Iran charged a British couple on a road trip with espionage, Iran’s judiciary said on Tuesday, in the latest detention of Western citizens by Tehran as a diplomatic standoff over its nuclear program deepens.

“These individuals were cooperating with front organizations linked to intelligence services of hostile Western countries,” Mizan news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying. The United Kingdom is one of three European countries involved in ongoing talks with Tehran over its disputed nuclear program. Another, France, has protested Iran's continued detention of three of its nationals.

Beijing Underground Command Center Signals Preparation For Conflict

Large enough to fit 10 Pentagons, the new super large facility should not be a surprise - it is a logical and iterative next step of a long program of underground facilities by China...

The media recently reported that China’s People’s Liberation Army is building the world’s biggest military base underground in possible preparation for conflict with the United States. Large enough to fit 10 Pentagons, the new super large facility should not be a surprise - it is a logical and iterative next step of a long program of underground facilities by China. The command center is on the western outskirts of the capital city of Beijing. In about 2011, stories began to appear around China’s “Underground Great Wall.” “In March 2008, China’s state-run CCTV network broke the news about a 5,000-kilometre-long network of hardened tunnels built to house the Chinese Second Artillery Corps’s (sic) increasingly modern force of nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles,” The Diplomat reported on Aug. 20, 2011.

Brazil's ex-President Bolsonaro charged in alleged coup plot

Brazil's former President, Jair Bolsonaro, was charged on Tuesday in connection with plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss, further complicating the beleaguered far-right leader's already narrow hopes of a political comeback.

Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet charged Bolsonaro and his running mate, General Walter Braga Netto, with leading a "criminal organization" that aimed to overthrow the country's 40-year-old democracy. A total of 34 people were charged, including several military officials, such as Bolsonaro's former national security adviser, retired General Augusto Heleno, and former Navy Commander Almir Garnier Santos, the office of the country's top prosecutor said in a legal document.

Argentina gov't says bribe speculations 'insulting' after Milei promotes failed crypto

Argentina's presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said on Tuesday that it was "insulting" to speculate that bribes were involved in the case of libertarian President Javier Milei promoting a cryptocurrency that rapidly slumped.

Milei recommended the little-known crypto coin $LIBRA late on Friday in a post on X, but later deleted the posting and denied having any link to the cryptocurrency. "We understand there was no attitude that went against public ethics," Adorni said in a press conference, saying there were no plans to fire any officials over wrongdoing. A federal judge is investigating Milei's involvement in what the finance chamber said may have amounted to a "rug pull" scam.

UK Jails Man for Emails ‘Insulting and Offending’ Sadiq Khan, Jess Phillips

A British judge has sentenced a man to 28 weeks in prison for sending “hateful” emails intended to “disparage, insult, and offend” London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, government minister Jess Phillips, and Matt Twist, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Jack Bennett, 38, was convicted of four counts of sending malicious communications and one of using a public communication network to send offensive emails. District Judge Stuart Smith railed that Bennett’s emails were “Saturated in hate and intolerance and shamelessly racist and offensive,” revealing “the real disdain [Bennett] held for ethnic minorities, targeting especially Muslims and immigrants in your abusive tirades.” The judge seemed particularly upset by Bennett having “purposely sought to disparage, insult and offend [Sadiq Khan] based on his ethnicity and Asian heritage.”

France's latest pensions battle could ignite fresh political crisis

PARIS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron braved strikes and street protests to force through a deeply unpopular reform in 2023 raising France's retirement age by two years to 64, saying it was the only way to keep the generous but costly pension system afloat.

Now an assessment this week by the country's independent public audit office on the size of the pension deficit could rekindle debate about the divisive reform and plunge Macron's fragile, debt-laden government back into crisis. Francois Bayrou, Macron's latest prime minister, requested the audit office's definitive judgement of the shortfall - estimates of which range from 6 billion to 45 billion euros after he offered to renegotiate the pensions overhaul in exchange for support from Socialist lawmakers.

Exclusive: EU antitrust chief says Trump has upended Europe-US relations

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The EU's competition chief says U.S. President Donald Trump has upended the "trustful relationship" between the United States and Europe, and that Brussels should focus on providing the predictability and stability that is lacking in Washington.

Teresa Ribera, the second most powerful official at the European Commission after President Ursula von der Leyen, told Reuters that while Europe needs to negotiate with the White House and hear its concerns on trade, it should not be pushed into making changes to laws that have been approved by lawmakers. "We need to stick to our strengths and principles," she said in an interview in London on Monday, criticising Trump's transactional approach to politics.

Trudeau Liberals spent $30K on transgender DEI program in Pakistan

Sheila Gunn Reid discusses how the Trudeau Liberals spent tens of thousands of taxpayer funds on a transgender DEI program in Pakistan.

X Fights Back as German Court Tries to Force User Data Disclosure Ahead of Election

X fights back against a German court's demand for election data, questioning legal jurisdiction and government overreach.

Most countries have election campaigns – but Germany seems to be experiencing a “pre-election frenzy” right now. And that election is to take place on Sunday, February 23. Time is of utmost essence – at least for some of the players involved. Simultaneously, one of the online platforms that appears to be driving the fear of God into Germany’s ruling class – is X. And so, a German court has sided with the demand to get X to “share” election data with “researchers.” But now X – that has all the time in the world in this particular configuration – is fighting back.

House report: 60 Chinese espionage cases, 224 espionage incidents in three years

Espionage threats increased as more than 176,000 Chinese illegally entered U.S. under Biden

(The Center Square) – More than 60 Chinese Communist Party-related cases of espionage and acts of transnational repression have been reported in 20 states according to a new report published by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security. That’s in addition to 224 reported incidents of Chinese espionage directed at the U.S. between 2000 and 2023, according to the report. Examples include transmission of sensitive military information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), theft of U.S. trade secrets to benefit the PRC, transnational repression schemes to target PRC dissidents and obstruction of justice.

Department of Homeland Security preparing to fire hundreds of senior leaders this week

The Trump administration is preparing to fire hundreds of high-level Department of Homeland Security employees this week as part of a move to rid the country’s third-largest agency of people deemed to be misaligned with the administration’s goals, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The sources said the Trump administration has a “centralized plan” and a list of people in high-level positions across every component of DHS who are to be targeted this week. The firings will come on top of hundreds of more general cuts that began across DHS on Friday night, which targeted the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Those firings were the latest in a governmentwide effort to reduce the federal workforce.

CIA Reportedly Flying MQ-9 Spy Drones Over Mexico As Cartel Fight Nears

"Some current and former officials say designating cartels as terrorist groups could potentially lay the groundwork..."

US Air Force spy planes have recently conducted signals intelligence (SIGINT) operations along the US-Mexico border, while Green Berets from the US Army's 7th Special Forces Group have been deployed to a naval facility in Campeche—a Mexican port city on the Gulf of Mexico—for what's described as a "training mission." These developments offer a clearer picture of President Trump's emerging strategy to combat Mexican cartels, which have fueled a drug death catastrophe of 100,000 Americans per year. This approach aligns with Trump's designation of these cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations."

Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Reports Significant Decrease in Daily Illegal Immigrant Encounters

U.S. Border Patrol encounters along the Mexican frontier have dramatically decreased in the first two months of President Donald J. Trump’s second term in office.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, revealed the drop in illegal crossings in a post on social media. In the 24 hours before February 17, agents reported encountering just 229 individuals across the southwest border, a significant drop from the over 11,000 daily encounters counted under the Biden government. “In the last 24 hours the U.S. Border Patrol has encountered a total of 229 aliens across the entire southwest border. That is down from a high of over 11,000 a day under Biden,” Homan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding: “I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984 and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low. President Trump promised a secure border and he is delivering.”

Behind the Curtain: America's drone-swarm crisis

Ask NFL executives their biggest fear, and it has nothing to do with fans, players or TV rights. It's drones — which are hard for authorities to track, and almost impossible to stop if ever unleashed on an open-air stadium.

Ask U.S. intelligence experts their biggest fears, and you'll inevitably hear dire warnings of drone swarms — domestic or foreign — targeting American soil. Probe deeper, and you'll learn that the vast majority of these drones are made by China — and, therefore, conceivably controllable by America's greatest adversary. TikTok is accused of being a security threat — but it can't spy or drop bombs.

Trump Administration all in on the Great Poisoning

Trump Administration Shifts Strategy on Avian Flu

Focus moves from culling to biosecurity and medication

The Trump administration is rolling out a new strategy to combat avian flu, moving away from mass culling of infected flocks. Spearheaded by National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the plan prioritizes enhanced biosecurity measures and medication to control the spread of the virus. Link to our prior Special Report on this topic. Key Points of the New Strategy Biosecurity and Medication: Improved containment protocols and medication aim to reduce reliance on widespread culling.

Bird Flu Is a Rerun of the Covid Playbook

Bird flu can be very confusing. This is true because, as is so often the case with our government, those who claim to be trying to solve the problem – our so-called “public health” and “pandemic preparedness” “experts” – are actually the ones who created the problem. What is worse, they are actively seeking to perpetuate it.

In this brief article, my goal is to explain what is happening with H5N1 Bird flu in the clearest, most fundamental terms. I hope to make it so clear that all our elected officials can understand what is going on, and therefore can take action to stop it. The key to understanding the current Bird flu panic is this: Bird flu is a complete rerun of the Covid script.

Don't Sleep On Silver

I’m always keeping an eye on gold - my favorite investment for nearly a decade now - as my readers have known for years. But also, let’s not forget silver: it’s the “gold” for the retail investor and for the mom & pop. I think silver’s next run higher will be its best in history, fueled by more retail exposure now than ever, and a favorable gold-to-silver ratio.

As a primer, retail investors favor silver over gold primarily due to its affordability, growth potential, industrial demand, and perceived market suppression. Silver is significantly cheaper than gold, allowing smaller investors to accumulate more without a large financial commitment. This makes it easier to trade in smaller increments, making it a practical choice for those looking to gradually build wealth.

Purchasing Power and the International Demand for Dollars

Often various factors are perceived to be important in determining a currency rate of exchange. For instance, for some commentators an increase in the government foreign debt is regarded as pointing to a likely deterioration in economic fundamentals ahead. This provides the rationale for the selling of the currency of concern.

For many economists, the state of the balance of trade is a key factor in the currency exchange rate determination. On this way of thinking, all other things being equal, an increase in imports, which leads to a trade deficit, causes an increase in the demand for foreign currency. To obtain the foreign currency, importers sell the domestic currency for it. As a result, this causes a strengthening in the exchange rate of the foreign currency against the domestic currency (i.e., more domestic money is sold per unit of a foreign currency). Conversely, all other things being equal, an increase in exports leads to a trade surplus.

Horrifyingly clear video shows the moment Delta plane crashed and burst into flames without warning in Toronto - so how did ANYONE survive?

Shockingly clear new footage has captured the moment a Delta plane crash landed before bursting into flames in Toronto.

The clip shows the plane, which was carrying 80 people including four cabin crew members who miraculously survived, slide down onto the icy runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport before bursting into flames. It was shared by Aircraft Maintenance Engineer on X, formerly Twitter, The Endeavor Flight 4819 from Minneapolis can be seen smoothly flying down towards the track before suddenly hitting the the ground, causing orange flames to shoot out from the underside of the commercial jet as it scrapes along the runway, with thick black smoke billowing from the plane.

Elon Musk gets green light to build the ‘Dubai Loop’

Elon Musk’s infrastructure venture, The Boring Company, has secured official approval to construct the “Dubai Loop,” an ambitious 17-kilometer underground transportation network designed to revolutionize urban mobility in Dubai.

This project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and significantly reduce travel times across the city. The Dubai Loop will feature a series of tunnels equipped with electric, driverless vehicles capable of transporting passengers at speeds up to 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour). The initial phase includes 11 stations strategically located to serve the city’s most congested areas, with a capacity to move over 20,000 passengers per hour.

DEVELOPING: Record-breaking cold to plunge temps 50 degrees below normal!

A powerful Arctic blast is sweeping across the United States, causing temperatures to plummet up to 50 degrees below normal in some regions.

The National Weather Service has issued extreme cold warnings affecting over 32 million people across 11 states, from the Canadian border down to Texas. In North Dakota, Bismarck experienced a record-breaking low of minus 39 degrees Fahrenheit, surpassing the previous record of minus 37 set in 1910. The National Weather Service reported that the night before, Bismarck also broke a 150-year-old record by hitting minus 35 degrees.

Earthquake swarm leaves scientists baffled as Greek Island swarm continues

In an extraordinary event that has caught the attention of seismologists worldwide, the Greek island of Amorgos, along with its neighbors Santorini and several other islands, has been experiencing an unusual earthquake swarm for over three weeks.

This seismic activity, while not causing significant damage or casualties, has puzzled residents and scientists. The tremors began in late January and have continued with varying intensity. According to recent reports, the island has felt thousands of earthquakes, prompting Greek authorities to close schools and implement emergency measures to ensure public safety. The situation has particularly affected the local community, with teachers like Dionysia Kobaiou on Amorgos dealing with the “anxiety and stress” of their students, some of whom have asked if they should hide under beds during tremors.

Scientists capture end-of-life brain activity that could prove humans have souls…

Recent scientific studies have delved into the enigmatic phenomena occurring in the human brain at the brink of death, offering insights that some interpret as evidence of the soul’s existence.

In a groundbreaking study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, researchers recorded the brain activity of an 87-year-old patient during his final moments. The team, led by Dr. Ajmal Zemmar, captured 900 seconds of neural data surrounding the time of death. They observed brainwave patterns, particularly gamma oscillations, akin to those associated with memory retrieval and dreaming. This suggests that the brain may engage in a final recall of significant life events, reminiscent of near-death experiences reported by survivors.

Deepseek AI: I Asked Deepseek "Who really controls the world?" You Won't Believe What it said