A TV reporter was tired after his mother interrupted him while filming news on the street – she stopped behind him in her car and excitedly waved and shouted “hello”.

Miles Harris, 30, of Columbus, Ohiowas in the middle of a segment recording for the local news station ABC 6 – when he suddenly noticed his mother, Sandy, 62, driving towards him, to his great horror.

But while the TV reporter was horrified by the meeting, his cameraman, DeAngelo Byrd, found Sandy’s surprise amusing and happily kept his camera spinning, filming the entire moment on tape, which was then shared online by Miles, much to the delight of viewers. .

Miles uploaded a video of the funny incident on his Instagram account, where it has since gone viral – leaving many people on the Internet in stitches due to the duo’s impromptu interaction.

The TV reporter’s mother drove away while he was filming the news so she could say hello – and the happy moment was recorded on tape.

Miles Harris of Columbus, Ohio, was in the midst of recording a segment for local news station ABC 6 – when suddenly his mother Sandy stopped and stopped him

Sandy (pictured with Miles in 2012) just wanted to congratulate Miles and the cameraman, DeAngelo Byrd, so she interrupted his news to do so.

Although Miles (pictured with his mother in 2015) seemed unhappy with her antics, many people on the Internet enjoyed them.

The video shows Miles suddenly stopping in the middle of a sentence after noticing his mother’s car approaching.

He shrugged before turning to look at the camera with an irritated look on his face.

“She’s my mom, wait,” he said.

“Hello, darling!” Sandy said excitedly as the cameraman burst out laughing.

“I’m trying to work right now, and you’re here calling me,” Miles told her, obviously disappointed by her interruptions.

Miles uploaded a video of the funny incident to his Instagram account, where it has since gone viral, leaving many people on the Internet crashing because of the duo

The video shows Miles suddenly stopping in the middle of a sentence after noticing his mother’s car approaching.

He shrugged before turning to look at the camera with an irritated expression on his face.

“Hello, darling!” She said, but Miles told her she was “trying to work” and “not holding back traffic.” Miles and Sandy are depicted together when he was young

Sandy, who seemed unperturbed by her son’s annoyance at the matter, then leaned over to greet the cameraman, who was still recording video.

“Don’t stop the traffic because you have cars behind you,” Miles told her before she kissed him and drove off.

Miles, a graduate of Wright State University, joined ABC6 / Fox 28 in 2021 as a multimedia journalist. He was previously a 24/7 digital writer for Ohio.

“Typical Sandy,” he wrote below the Instagram video. “Yes, a typical Sandy … Thanks to @DeAngeloBryd for keeping spinning.”

Sandy has already become a viral sensation and many people have gone to the comments section of Miles’ video to spit it out.

“This is the best thing I’ve seen,” wrote a fan of the video.

After greeting her son and the cameraman, Sandy (pictured in 2020) kissed him and continued on his way.

Miles, a graduate of Wright State University, joined ABC6 / Fox 28 in 2021 as a multimedia journalist. He was previously a 24/7 digital writer for Ohio

Sandy has already become a viral sensation and many people have joined the comment section of Miles’ video to splash it over

‘I’m dying! She loves her baby, “added another.

Someone else insisted: “The best moment since 2022.”

“Mom is the sweetest,” reads the fourth comment. “I don’t blame her, and I would drive!”

“Fascinating … Nothing like mom’s love,” said another Instagram user.

“Mom will mom,” someone else joked.

“Mom will always be your biggest cheerleader,” said another man.

A Minnesota a high school student who was patiently waiting to turn 18 to use social media was generously rewarded by his proud mother with $ 1,800.

When Sievert Klefsaas was 12, his mother Lorna challenged: If he stayed out of all social media until he turned 18, she would give him a hefty amount of cash.

On February 19, Sievert met and completed the 18-for-18 challenge – and his mother endured the deal.

“He really got deeper,” Lorna said KARE11. He was like, “I’m not going to break this.” I’m proud of him because there were a few times when it was harder. I knew for sure that he would succeed.

When Sievert Klefsaas was 12, his mother Lorna challenged: If he stayed out of all social media until he turned 18, she would give him a huge amount of money.

On February 19, Sievert met and completed the 18 for 18 challenge – and his mother endured the end of the deal.

Lorna got the idea for the reward system after hearing about another mother who did a 16 for 16 challenge with her child.

She had seen how social media had negatively affected her three older children, who were “so engrossed” and had negative feelings and problems with their friendships.

She said it was a “kind of depressant” and even took a phone from a daughter when she was 16.

The mother of four thought she might be able to prevent this negativity for Sievert and offered him the challenge, which he readily accepted.

“At 12, I still didn’t have such a great idea about money. So, I was like, sick, yes, absolutely, “he said.

“At 12, I still didn’t have such a great idea about money. So, I was like, sick, yes, absolutely, “he said

Without Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, Sievert has managed to focus more on school and sports such as football and basketball.

Without Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, Sievert has managed to focus more on school and sports such as football and basketball. He said he relies on friends to keep up with trends.

“I wouldn’t say there was ever a time when I thought I was going to break,” he said. CNN “As he went on, it was more of a matter of pride.”

When he was 12, he joked that he was buying a house with the money and thought he could take a car with it.

Now he thinks he’ll probably spend it on his dorm at Northwest St. Paul’s University, where he’ll be a freshman this fall.

He thinks he’ll probably spend it on his dorm at Northwest St. Paul’s University, where he’ll be a freshman this fall.

Now that he is 18, however, he is ready to join the digital world and sign up for Instagram for the first time on his 18th birthday.

Lorna says it’s the best money she’s spent, and Severt says it’s “totally worth it.”

“You just hear about all the things that happen and only to my friends and the school, and like ‘Oh, someone said that about you’ and ‘Oh, someone did that.’ And I was really spared all that, “he said.

Now that he is 18, however, he is ready to join the digital world and sign up for Instagram for the first time on his 18th birthday.

– This is funny. I feel like I’m 80. I can’t seem to understand social media. It’s quite awkward. I will be with my friends and they say, “What are you doing?” He said.

Cats and dogs can protect their owners from memory loss later in life by helping them stay stress-free and mentally sharp, research shows

• Scientists say that having pets can protect us from memory loss later in life
• A study found that animal owners have held on to more cognitive abilities for six years
• The researchers tested 1,300 people with an average age of 65, with 53% having pets
• Having a pet is already associated with lower levels of stress and blood pressure

from Victoria Allen is a scientific correspondent for the Daily Mail

Published: 01:39 GMT, 24 February 2022 | Updated: 1:39 AM GMT, February 24, 2022

Having a pet is already associated with lower stress and blood pressure.

And now scientists say that pets can also protect us from memory loss later in life.

Owners of animals, including dogs, cats and rabbits, have been found to retain more of their cognitive abilities when tracked for six years.

For the study, researchers tested more than 1,300 people with an average age of 65.

Fifty-three percent of them had pets and almost a third of this group had pets for more than five years.

A study found that owners of animals, including dogs, cats and rabbits, retained more of their cognitive abilities when tracked for six years (stock image)

Participants were asked to recall a list of ten words, both immediately and in five minutes.

They had to count back from 20 and back from 100, subtracting seven from each number.

The study found that after six years, long-term pet owners saw less decline in their average score on these tests than those without pets.

There is growing evidence that stress can lead to cognitive decline, and experts believe that pets can help us stay mentally sharp by reducing stress.

Those with dogs benefit from regular walks, as exercise is associated with a healthier brain.

However, the study’s authors say that people with better thinking skills may simply be more likely to have pets because they can handle their many demands.

For the study, researchers tested more than 1,300 people with an average age of 65. Those with dogs benefit from regular walks, as exercise is associated with a healthier brain (image)

The University of Michigan Medical Center study, which has not yet been published, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr Tiffany Braley, who led the study, said: “Previous studies have suggested that the human-animal relationship may have health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and stress.

“Our results suggest that having pets can also protect against cognitive decline.”

Responding to the study, Dr Rosa Sancho, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “People love their animals, and pets can be an important source of friendship and comfort throughout our lives.

“While this US-based study links pet ownership to some memory protection and impaired thinking, it cannot tell us whether these are long-term benefits or whether having a pet has anything to do with the risk of dementia.

“This study has not yet been published and it is not yet possible to reveal the reasons for the relationship that the researchers observed.”

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could trigger one of the world’s largest refugee crises, with five million people forced to flee their homes, warns US ambassador

• Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that the invasion could displace five million people
• She said it could cause famine, as both countries export huge quantities of wheat
• The warning came after the Ukrainian government declared a state of emergency

from Stephen Win-Davis for Mailonline

Published: 02:03 GMT, 24 February 2022 | Updated: 2:34 AM GMT, February 24, 2022

The United States warned of a Russian invasion of the East Ukraine it could displace up to five million people, causing one of the world’s largest refugee crises.

A state of emergency has been declared by the Ukrainian government and approved by parliament, as 200,000 military reservists have been called up, border areas have been restricted and three million Ukrainians have been told to leave. Russia.

The whole country was placed on a military basis, with Kiev recognizing for the first time that the attack could take place anywhere, anytime.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to The united nationstold a meeting of the Security Council in New York that a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine could displace up to five million people.

She said the invasion could cause famine in other countries, with bread prices expected to rise, given that Russia and Ukraine produce about 30 per cent of world wheat exports.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, has warned that a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine could displace up to five million people, causing one of the world’s largest refugee crises

Russian volunteers carry medical supplies to a warehouse in the town of Taganrog, near the border with Ukraine, after Biden warned that blood was being transported to the front line in what is considered one of the last moves before the attack

She said: “Russia’s actions could cause a spike in food prices and lead to even more desperate hunger in places like Libya, Yemen and Lebanon.

“The tidal waves of suffering that this war will cause are unthinkable.”

Her warning came before explosions were heard in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, raising fears it was under way.

Residents of the city, which is located in southeastern Ukraine, were awakened by explosions 30 miles from the Russian border.

The blasts came hours after the United States warned the Ukrainian government that Putin’s troops were “ready to go now” with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with 80 percent of Russian troops already gathered around the country to attack.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also said Wednesday night that he expects Russia to invade Ukraine before the end of the night.

“Everything seems to be in place so that Russia can take part in a major aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken told NBC, adding that he could not be precise about the time or place.

Significantly, Moscow-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine have asked Putin for military assistance to repel Ukrainian “aggression”, fueling fears that Russia’s strongman will use it as an excuse to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Many observers speculate that unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations of Ukrainian military aggression against Moscow-backed separatist forces would be a pretext for a full-scale invasion.

Earlier today, US President Joe Biden warned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of an “imminent” attack by Vladimir Putin’s troops over the next 48 hours, just hours after Ukraine was hit by a “massive” cyberattack targeting its government and banks.

Russian armored vehicles loaded on railway platforms at a railway station in the Rostov-on-Don region, not far from the Russian-Ukrainian border, on Wednesday

Putin declared two areas in eastern Ukraine independent and allowed Russian troops to take part in “peacekeeping” missions. The rebels already hold part of this territory (in red), but Putin has acknowledged a much wider region (yellow) amid fears that he will now try to seize it. There are also fears that he is preparing to attack Kharkiv in Ukraine (green) after gaining strength nearby

U.S. intelligence officials fear that Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is at particular risk of being invaded by Russia because it is close to the Ukrainian-Russian border.

On Tuesday night, a huge military convoy of more than 100 trucks of soldiers headed for the city.

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin addressed a sword to his troops to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day, praising their “combat readiness” and saying he was confident they would fight to protect Russia’s security interests. which he called ‘non-negotiable’. Russia is also evacuating employees from its embassy in Kiev.

Ukraine’s security agency says 45,000 plastic bags for corpses have already been ordered on Russian fronts, giving the first hint of the number of lives Putin is willing to sacrifice to get what he wants – after Joe Biden said. that blood transfusion supplies were also delivered.

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Kyle Rittenhouse said he has given up on his Lakers fans and now plans to sue their star player, LeBron Jamesas part of his attempt to prosecute all those he claims to have slandered him before he was acquitted of murder charges.

Rittenhouse, who said he wanted to hold “big” the big media and entertainment figures in charge, was primarily responding to accusations by the NBA superstar that he had falsified his tears in Kenosha. Wisconsin the courtroom during the trial, according to TMZ.

The teenager stood up in his own defense and became emotional when he spoke about the murder of two men and the wounding of a third during clashes amid anti-police protests in Kenosha in August 2020. He added that he acted in self-defense.

James’ tweet mocked Rittenhouse’s tears in front of his 50 million followers.

‘What tears ????? I didn’t see any. Man, take it off! “This boy ate a few lemon heads before going to court,” he wrote.

Kyle Rittenhouse has launched a media accountability project to target those he trusts. slanders him during the trial against him

LeBron James appears at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland

Rittenhouse said he stopped supporting the Lakers after James’ tweet.

“I liked LeBron,” Rittenhouse told The BlazeTV in December. And then I say to myself, “You know what the hell, LeBron.”

“I was a fan of the Lakers before he said that,” he added.

Last November, the 18-year-old was acquitted of first-degree premeditated murder and other charges and walked out of court as a free man.

Speaking of Tucker Carlson Fox News on Monday night, Rittenhouse said he wanted to hold the big media and entertainment figures in charge, noting that there was talk show host Upi Goldberg.

President Joe Biden is likely to be among the targets of the Media Accountability Project

Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse says he intends to take legal action against the media and “celebrities, politicians and athletes” who called him a “murderer”

Rittenhouse told Tucker Carlson on Fox News Monday night that he believed several organizations and individuals had been misled into covering him and the Kenosha incident.

TUCKER: “Will you sue news organizations?”

KYLE RITTENHOUSE: “We look at a lot, politicians, athletes, celebrities, Whope Goldberg is on the list, she called me a murderer after I was acquitted … Also Jenk [Uyhur] from the Young Turks. ” pic.twitter.com/MULZf38Vkf

– Greg Price (@ greg_price11) February 22, 2022

“We look at a lot of politicians, celebrities, athletes, Upie Goldberg is on the list. She called me a murderer after being acquitted by a jury of my peers. She kept saying that, and there are others, “Rittenhouse told Carlson.

Rittenhouse said he would create the Media Accountability Project as a tool to help raise funds and hold the media accountable for “the lies that were told about him.”

He also revealed that Jenk Uyghur, the founder of the Young Turks’ Show, was within his reach, adding that he continued to call me a “killer”.

The Young Turks show is a liberal and left-wing commentary news program on YouTube, which also appears on select television channels.

– What about the people who called you a supporter of the white race? This makes it very difficult to find a job for the rest of your life if you are a white fan. Will you answer them? Carlson asked.

– Absolutely. We will hold everyone responsible for lying to me, and anyone who lies calls me a white supporter, “Rittenhouse said in response. “They will all be held accountable. And we will consider them in court.

Rittenhouse has refused to be drawn to who else may come under fire from him, but it could be quite a list, including United States President Joe Biden.

Two months before Biden was elected president, he criticized then-President Trump for refusing to condemn opponents Black lives matter riots such as the white race.

The then-candidate’s tweet included an image from a video of Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time of the filming.

“There’s no other way to say it: the president of the United States has refused to deny white supremacy on the debate scene last night,” Biden tweeted in September 2020.

After the jury determined that Rittenhouse did not act with “complete disregard for human life” when he shot the two protesters, Biden delicately weighed the sentence, but back to his campaign tweet.

Two months before Biden was elected president, he criticized then-President Trump for refusing to condemn those opposed to the Black Lives Matter riots as “white leaders,” along with a video of Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time. years

“While the Kenosha verdict will make many Americans feel angry and worried, including me, we have to admit that the jury has spoken.

“I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, in accordance with the rule of law. Violence and the destruction of property have no place in our democracy.

At the time, Rittenhouse’s attorney, Mark Richards, said he was intimidated by Biden’s portrayal of a white man.

“I’ve never had a case, I don’t think I’ll ever have one, when within two or three days of each other, you know, the president and the presidential candidate comment on it. They both had so many different beliefs, “Richards said.

“President Biden has said some things that I think are so untrue and untrue – he is not a white supporter. I am glad that he at least respects the verdict of the jurors.

“I don’t want to see anyone else have to deal with what I’ve been through,” he added. “So I want to hold them accountable for what they did to me, because I don’t want to see anyone have to go through what I went through.”

During a speech Monday night, Rittenhouse said he would pursue people through his media accountability project, which he hopes will target those who speak ill of him.

The website begins with a video of Malcolm X with Rittenhouse reading a quote from the civil rights activist.

“The media is the most powerful subject on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that is power.

New HBO documentary highlights the life and career of Wall Street’s most fearsome investor, Carl Icahn

He’s one of the shrewdest investors in America, but according to Carl Icahn, capitalism is broken.

The 86-year-old billionaire financier points to his own $16.6b fortune as evidence: ‘Frankly I made this money because the system is so bad, not because I’m a genius.’ 

Icahn is the subject of a new HBO documentary titled, Icahn: The Restless Billionaire, which tracks the supremo’s life from his modest beginnings as a Queens-born boy who paid for his Princeton education by playing poker before dropping out of med school to become one of the most fearsome investors on Wall Street. 

For the last 50 years, Icahn, 86, has loomed large as a powerful and controversial figure in corporate America. 

He is capable of moving markets with a single tweet. His high-profile 2013 investment in Apple instantly raised the value of its stock by $17billion – a phenomenon known as ‘The Icahn Lift.’ 

As a camera pans across his plush New York City home office, the lens picks up on a notebook resting on the desk titled, ‘People who I want to punch in the face.’ Next to it, a custom nameplate reads: ‘Master of the Universe.’

Icahn is known to be tough. Intimidating. Relentless. As a child, his mother said he had the spirit of Genghis Khan. His wife Gail, says he can be ‘a bull dog’ when he sets his mind to something.

The late T. Boone Pickens said ‘he’s about smooth as a stucco bathtub.’  

The Wall Street iconoclast is infamously known for his hostile takeovers of blue-chip companies like Xerox, TWA, Texaco, Herbalife and Marvel Comics and well-known investments in Netflix, Ebay, Lionsgate and Time Warner, US Steel Corps and Dell Technologies. 

He calls himself a ‘shareholder activist’ and is every CEO’s worst nightmare. 

Carl Icahn, 86, is known as an ‘activist investor’ which means he uses his considerable shareholder stake in a corporation to put pressure on its management and force change as he sees fit. His goal is to boost profits for himself and fellow stockholders of the company. But detractors say that he’s a ‘corporate raider’ who enriches himself at the harm of the company and its employers 

Icahn is known to be tough, relentless and intimidating. As a child, his mother said he had the spirit of Genghis Khan. His wife Gail, says he can be ‘a bull dog’ when he sets his mind to something

Icahn was born an only child to a family with modest means and grew up playing basketball with the Gotti brothers on the streets of Queens. He taught himself  poker to afford his room and board at Princeton. After dropping out of med-school, he took his skill with numbers to Wall Street where he eventually became known as a ruthless foe to CEOs and friend of shareholders

But to his detractors, Icahn is a bloodsucking ‘vulture capitalist,’ and ‘corporate raider,’ who enriches himself at the expense of employees and the better interest of the company. . 

Nothing gets his hackles up quite like an overpaid, incompetent CEO that lacks accountability – and leaves everyman investors in the lurch. 

The combative moneyman thinks C-suite executives are more akin to country club committees that business. ‘They spend no time thinking about the company. They’re collecting their fee and they’re playing golf all day,’ said CNBC journalist, Scott Wapner to HBO.  

Rather than ‘corporate raider,’ he much prefers to consider himself an advocate and insists that everything he does is good for his fellow stockholders.

‘It’s sort of colorful term, ‘corporate raider,’ but it’s far from the truth,’ he tells HBO. ‘It’s the opposite of what we do. We bring things to the party, we don’t raid them and take them out. Activist or raider, I haven’t changed what I’ve done one iota. Call me whatever you want.’

As an ‘activist investor,’ Icahn focuses on purchasing large quantities of stock in undervalued companies with the goal of increasing their worth. ‘You have to buy things where the rest of the world are looking at you and thinking you’re a little bit crazy, you’re going against the trend,’ he says. 

After amassing large stakes in the undervalued company, Icahn then weaponizes his position to get seats on the board, so he can enforce change as he sees fit.  

Sometimes this means huge layoffs across the company, or adjustments in the structure of operations – but most of the time it means massive changes in upper management. 

If they refuse, he will do whatever it takes to browbeat them into submission. He will threaten executives with a shareholder revolt, undertake massive PR campaigns to sway public opinion and run his own alternate slate of directors at annual board meetings. For Icahn, waging proxy battles is sport.   

Identifying opportunity, imploding from within, and rebuilding companies stronger is a strategy that has made him fabulously rich, (he’s ranked 43 among the world’s richest people) while also padding the pockets of small-time investors.

His singular goal is to boost shareholder profit. He argues that what’s good for himself as a majority stakeholder, is also good for small stockholders. 

Bryan Burrough, author of Barbarians At The Gate told HBO: ‘He has helped stockholders quite a lot, including plumbers and teachers whose pension funds, fund their retirement. So this is not just for hoity toity big time investors.’

To prove the point, Icahn Enterprises LLP stock has increased 1,931% since the year 2000, ‘that’s when we really started getting into the activism,’ he tells the filmmaker. By comparison the S&P only increased 324% in that same time period. ‘The proof is in the pudding.’  

The film tracks Icahn’s career highlights from his first corporate takeover in 1978 when he took a controlling stake in the appliance company, Tappan – to one of his largest failures: the eventual bankruptcy of Trans World Airlines in 1985

Icahn believes that capitalism is broken. ‘Frankly I made this money because the system is so bad, not because I’m a genius.’ He says we exist in a ‘corporate welfare’ state. ‘You have levels and levels of vice presidents in corporations that really actually produce nothing,’ he says in old archival footage. ‘It’s survival of the unfittest’

Icahn insists that everything he does is good for his fellow shareholders. Finance writer, Bryan Burrough told HBO: ‘He has helped stockholders quite a lot, including plumbers and teachers whose pension funds, fund their retirement. So this is not just for hoity toity big time investors’

Icahn’s age old gripe with CEOs is that he believes they have grown fat at the expense of investor money. 

He says we exist in a ‘corporate welfare’ state. ‘You have levels and levels of vice presidents in corporations that really actually produce nothing,’ he says in old archival footage. ‘It’s survival of the unfittest.’ 

Sound familiar? That’s because the legendary moneyman was part inspiration for Gordon Gekko’s infamous ‘greed’ speech in the 1987 film, Wall Street. The iconic scene which lambasts ‘bureaucrats, with their luncheons, their hunting and fishing trips, their corporate jets and golden parachutes’ was informed by talks that director Oliver Stone had with Icahn while writing the script. 

‘He was telling us how it was necessary to attack these companies because they take profit for the executives and they don’t care about the shareholders,’ recalls Stone of his meeting with Icahn. ‘Of course there is some truth to that but, nonetheless, Gordon Gekko is also out for himself.’ 

Herein lies the great complexity of Carl Icahn: he is at once greedy and ruthless while at the same time a Robinhood-figure who advocates for smaller shareholders.

Born during the Great Depression, Icahn was the only child of a demanding schoolteacher mother, and a father who was a cantor at the local synagogue.

He grew up on the streets of Far Rockaway, Queens, where he played basketball with the Gotti brothers. 

As a child, Icahn was constantly told that he possessed ‘absolutely no talent,’ and while his parents bragged about him publicly, they would berate him privately. 

One of the more compelling moments in the doc is when the financier opens up about his ‘stormy’ relationship with his ‘egomaniac’ mother who demanded perfection, and his father whom he says: ‘I was never close to him. I never respected him or admired him.’ (It didn’t help either, that he suspected him to be a communist). 

For years, Icahn’s father never bothered to ask what he did for work. ‘Even when I went on Wall Street and was making the money. He never tried to have me explain it,’ he said while choking back tears. ‘I still cry about that.’  

‘I was never really happy in that whole environment, so I really wanted to get out of there.’ 

Icahn was a natural student with possessing intellect. His parents agreed to pay for his college tuition if he was accepted into Yale, Harvard or Princeton. It was a great surprise to everyone  when he was accepted to all three, ‘because nobody ever got in from Far Rockaway High School.’ None were more surprised than his own parents, he laughed.

In order to pay for his room and board at Princeton where he majored in philosophy, Icahn became a self-taught poker prodigy. 

He was working as a cabana boy in Atlantic City when a group of New Jersey business men invited him to play cards. ‘They wiped me clean,’ he said. Determined to not make the same mistake twice, Icahn checked out three poker books from the library – he walked away one week later, $800 richer.  

‘Activist or raider, I haven’t changed what I’ve done one iota,’ he tells the doc. ‘Call me whatever you want’

The proof of his skill is in the numbers: Icahn Enterprises LLP stock has increased 1,931% since the year 2000, ‘that’s when we really started getting into the activism,’ he tells HBO. By comparison the S&P only increased 324% in that same time period

Icahn’s critics who accuse him of running companies into the ground for his own financial gain are quick to remember his role in Trans World Airlines bankruptcy. His reputation as a ‘corporate raider’ was cemented when he acquire the company through a leveraged buyout in 1985. After massive layoffs, TWA holding the bag for $540million debt, while he ran off with $469million for his personal coffers

After college, Icahn pursued his mother’s dream of entering medical school but dropped out a number of times before he finally quit to join the military. As he saw it there were two options: face the ire of her disappointment, or enter the Army.  

He spent most of his time in uniform playing poker and left the Army with $25,000 in winnings. Using his talent for numbers, Icahn started his career as a stockbroker for Dreyfus in 1962. ‘And I’m making a fortune, I’m making all this money. I bought a Galaxy convertible, I had a beautiful girlfriend.’ 

Then the market dropped out one year later and the novice banker was broke. ‘I don’t know which one went first, the Galaxy or the girlfriend,’ laughed Icahn. ‘You always pay for hubris.’  

From there, the film tracks Icahn’s career to his first corporate takeover in 1978 when he took a controlling stake in the appliance company, Tappan, which had been trading at $7 per share. Within seven months, Icahn forced the company to sell itself to competitor Electrolux and the stock value rose to $18 per share. The deal doubled Icahn’s personal investment, earned him a cool $2.7million profit and padded the pockets of shareholders too. 

But there have been some big career missteps along the way. Icahn’s critics who accuse him of running companies into the ground for his own financial gain are quick to remember his role in Trans World Airlines bankruptcy and closure. 

He acquired the company in a leveraged buyout in 1985 and began systematically selling off its assets to repay the loans. He cut down on overhead with massive pay cuts which resulted in strikes that grounded the airline. Protesters stood outside his Bedford, NY compound where he put his foot in his mouth by accusing their leaders of lying to them. 

His reputation as a ‘corporate raider’ was sealed when he left TWA holding the bag for $540million debt, while he ran off with $469million for his personal coffers.  

He admits in the documentary, ‘I made a lot of mistakes.’ And says that his line of work can often result in ‘collateral damage.’ 

‘There’s no question,’ he says his line of work is ‘creative destruction.’ But ultimately, he believes that his corporate takeovers lead to changes that make companies more productive and ‘create more jobs in the macro picture.’

He points to Icahn Enterprises LLP to prove his point. Icahn Enterprises is his conglomerate holding company that owns minor and major interests in major corporations in a variety of industries. It employs over 20,000 people, has more than $10billion in revenue and over $2billion in assets. 

The film tracks his other greatest hits: in 1989, Icahn was responsible for the largest dollar transaction ever on the New York Stock Exchange when he sold his considerable stake in Texaco for $2billion. He also had his hand in businesses such as: RJR Nabisco, Blockbuster, Time Warner, Lear Corporation, US Steel, Hertz, Gannett, Pep Boys, PayPal, and a portfolio of Las Vegas casinos. 

As for what keeps him motivated, his wife Gail says, ‘It isn’t money, strangely enough. He just becomes obsessed on something and he just keeps going and going until he gets what he wants.’ 

Critics say that Icahn is exclusively motivated by money. In old footage featured on the doc, Icahn tells the interviewer: ‘Part of my values is to make money and I cant change my values. A great painter loves to paint. What do you do, criticize him because he likes to paint?  

Today Icahn says he’s driven by competition and winning. As a diehard history buff, he compares himself to the explorers like Cortez. ‘They believed in going for the gold. But I think the actual finding and doing is so much more exciting than having money.’ 

Money, he says,  is ‘not all what it’s drummed to be.’  

Icahn served as a special advisor to former president Donald Trump on issues relating to regulatory reform during his presidency. In a press release, Trump said of his longtime pal: ‘Carl was with me from the beginning and with his being one of the world’s great businessmen, that was something I truly appreciated. He is not only a brilliant negotiator, but also someone who is innately able to predict the future, especially having to do with finances and economies’

Carl Icahn’s wife of 22 years, Gail, began working for her husband as a secretary in 1978. They finally got married in 1999. Sitting in their resplendent toile chintz dining room in East Hampton, Gail tells filmmakers how she was originally hired through an employment agency. ‘This employment agency said, ‘I have this guy, I’ve had a hard time keeping people with him.’ She adds: ‘In the first two weeks, I was ready to quit’

Today Icahn says he’s driven by competition and winning. As a diehard history buff, he compares himself to the explorers like Cortez. ‘They believed in going for the gold. But I think the actual finding and doing is so much more exciting than having money.’ Money, he says, is ‘not all what it’s drummed to be’

Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that the Ukrainian people will ‘fight back’ if Vladimir Putin threatens their freedom and lives by launching a full-scale invasion.

President Zelenskyy made an emotional address to his nation after Moscow-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine asked Putin for military assistance in fending off Ukrainian ‘aggression’ – a move which has fuelled fears the Russian strongman will use it as an excuse to invade Ukraine.

The U.S. earlier tonight warned the Ukrainian government that Putin’s troops are ‘ready to go now’ with an invasion of Ukraine, with 80 per cent of Russian soldiers now assembled around the country in attack positions.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a further stark warning and said he believed Russia will invade before the night is over. 

And in a further worrisome move, Russia issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) which closed the airspace across Ukraine to all civilian air traffic.

In an emotional televised address tonight, President Zelenskyy said: ‘The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace.  

‘But if we come under attack, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives and lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.’ 

The Ukrainian President said he had tried to call Putin this evening, but there was ‘no answer, only silence’, adding that Moscow now has around 200,000 soldiers by Ukraine’s borders.  

The United Nations Security Council quickly scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday night – the second in three days – at Ukraine’s request. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the separatists’ request ‘a further escalation of the security situation.’ 

Earlier today, Ukraine was placed on a war footing: A state of emergency was declared and approved by parliament, 200,000 military reservists called up, border zones were restricted and three million Ukrainians told to leave Russia, with Kiev acknowledging for the first time that an attack could now take place anywhere, at any time.

U.S. President Joe Biden today warned President Zelenskyy of an ‘imminent’ attack by Putin’s troops in the next 48 hours, just hours after Ukraine was hit by a ‘massive’ cyberattack targeting its government and banks.  

But Blinken cut that time frame of a Russian invasion drastically and said on Wednesday he expected Russia to invade Ukraine before the night was over.  

U.S. intelligence chiefs fear Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is at particular risk of being targeted in a Russian invasion as it is close to the Ukrainian-Russian border. Last night, a huge military convoy of more than 100 trucks with soldiers were heading in the direction of the city. 

Elsewhere today…

• Twitter accounts tracking Russia’s military buildup were being temporarily blocked, apparently after being reported en-mass by Russian bots
• Fighting along the frontline between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels killed one Ukrainian soldier and wounded six others, with shells falling in villages close to the front
• Russia claimed to have foiled a terror attack against a church in occupied Crimea and arrested six Russian citizens it said were members of a banned ‘right-wing’ group, in what is feared to be another false flag
• Ukrainian troops along the frontline with separatists reported receiving text messages warning of a Russian attack and telling them to abandon their posts 
• Satellite images and photos from the ground showed that Russia continues to move troops to the borders, including newly-arrived troops in Belarus, close to Kiev 
• Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said conscription of men in the region is gathering pace to counter ‘Ukrainian threats’ and he is sure of support from ‘big Russia’ 
• United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly Wednesday that the world is ‘facing a moment of peril’ over Ukraine’s crisis with Russia 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that the Ukrainian people will ‘fight back’ if Vladimir Putin threatens their freedom and lives by launching a full-scale invasion

Vladimir Putin praised the battle readiness of his armies and boasted of developing hypersonic weapons as he called Russia’s security interests ‘non-negotiable’ in an address to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day today

Russian armored vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms at a railway station in the Rostov-on-Don region, not far from Russia-Ukraine border, on Wednesday

Putin has recognised two areas in eastern Ukraine as independent and authorised Russian troops to go in on ‘peacekeeping’ missions. Rebels already hold part of that territory (in red) but Putin has recognised a much-wider region (yellow) amid fears he will now try to seize it. There are also fears he is preparing to attack Kharkiv in Ukraine (green) after massing forces nearby 

Russia has up to 190,000 troops backed by tanks, artillery, fighter jets and bombers surrounding Ukraine from three sides, as the US warns of a full-scale invasion of the whole country including an attack on the capital, Kiev

Russian armoured vehicles and artillery pieces are seen at a rail yard in the Rostov-on-Don region, close to the border with Ukraine, as the country was today put on a war footing

Russian troops in full packs are seen marching through mud at a rail yard in Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia close to the frontline with Ukraine, with armoured vehicles loaded on to train carriages nearby

Russian armored vehicles are pictured at a railway station in the Rostov region, amid fears Putin is about to attack

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a further stark warning and said he believed Russia will invade before the night is over

A Russian attack on Ukraine could start in the Donbass region (top right) with attempts to expand rebel-held areas, that could either be in coordination with or before a much wider assault on the entire country (top right). Should the fighting spill over Ukraine’s borders, it could drag in NATO forces stationed in Europe (bottom centre)

‘Welcome to hell, you’ll die here’: Firebrand Ukraine MP threatens Russian troops 

A Ukrainian MP has warned invading Russian soldiers: ‘Welcome to hell…you will die here’.

In a firebrand speech to parliament in Kyiv, Oleksiy Goncharenko, 41, told Vladimir Putin’s forces: ‘You wont leave from here, we promise you this.

‘Welcome to hell. We can say, you will die here. Die like lousy dogs if you enter our country.

‘And your generals throwing you to this meat grinder will run away first.

‘So drop your [weapons] and go back home to your wives and kids.

‘You have nothing to do here. It’s not your land. And won’t ever be.’

Meanwhile Roman Dudin, head of the SBU security service of Ukraine in Kharkiv region, said today: ‘We see active maneuvering and movement of Russian troops along our borders.

‘The military presence is gradually increasing, there are no elements of withdrawing troops from the state border of Ukraine after the so-called exercises.

‘Today, according to our information, their best tactical group has only 70 per cent of serviceable equipment.

’30 per cent of equipment is defective.

‘We see even in the direction of Belgorod, where … military equipment that is unable to move independently.

‘We see a daily decline in the morale and psychological [wellbeing] of Russian troops.’

According to Dudin, Russian troops have purchased 45,000 cellophane bags to transport corpses.

‘However, I think, according to the ancient Russian tradition, they will bury them just in the middle of the field or in these nameless graves.’

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned that Putin is ‘hell-bent’ on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine with a direct attack on the capital of Kiev ‘highly likely’ to be in his plans. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted the attack is ‘likely to occur within the next 24 hours’. 

Meanwhile the EU imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia targeting the defence minister, heads of the armed forces, all 351 members of its parliament, and prominent propagandists. It comes after the US and UK announced their own measures on Tuesday, targeting oligarchs and banks.   

Russia hit back, saying ‘there should be no doubt’ that new US sanctions would be met with a ‘strong response’ which would be ‘well-calibrated and sensitive for the American side’ – while warning it is ‘capable of minimising the damage’ from American measures.   

Biden had last night announced a first wave of US sanctions, warning he is ready with more if Russia escalates. He also ordered the deployment of more NATO troops to Europe – 800 soldiers to Italy, dozens of Apache helicopters to the Baltics and Poland, and raised the prospect of the alliance’s first permanent base in eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official warned Putin’s military is as ready as it can be to launch a full scale invasion of Ukraine, with 80 per cent of Russian troops assembled around Ukraine in attack positions within three to 30 miles of the border.  

‘They are literally ready to go now,’ the official told NBC News, adding that Russia has brought in ‘nearly 100 percent of all the forces we anticipated [Putin] would need’ for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

‘He is as ready as he can be. We’ve been saying any day now and it’s certainly possible that today is that day,’ the U.S. defence official said. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC Nightly News on Wednesday that he expected Russia to invade Ukraine before the night was over but still sees a chance to ‘avert a major aggression’.

‘Everything seems to be in place for Russia to engage in a major aggression against Ukraine,’ Blinken told NBC in an interview, adding he could not be precise about time or place.

In a significant move, the Kremlin said rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine asked Russia for military assistance Wednesday to help fend off Ukrainian ‘aggression’.

Many observers have suggested baseless and unfounded claims of Ukrainian military aggression to Moscow-backed separatist forces would form the pretext to a full-scale invasion. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the rebel chiefs in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk wrote to Putin, pleading with him to intervene after Ukrainian shelling caused civilian deaths and crippled vital infrastructure. 

But the White House said the separatists’ request for Russian help was another example of the sort of ‘false-flag’ operations the West has consistently warned Moscow would use to create a justification for war.

‘We’ll continue to call out what we see as false flag operations or efforts to spread misinformation about what the actual status is on the ground,’ White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. 

In an apparent reference to Putin’s move to sanction the deployment of the Russian military to ‘maintain peace’ in eastern Ukraine, President Zelenskyy warned that ‘this step could mark the start of a big war on the European continent.’

‘Any provocation, any spark could trigger a blaze that will destroy everything,’ he said.

He challenged the Russian propaganda claims, saying that ‘you are told that this blaze will bring freedom to the people of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian people are free.’

If Russia does invade Ukraine, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby warned that any attack by Putin ‘won’t be bloodless’. 

‘There will be suffering,’ Kirby said. ‘There will be sacrifice. And all of that must and should be laid at his feet. Because he’s doing this by choice. 

And amid an ‘imminent’ Russian invasion, two separate convoys with no identifiable insignia were seen moving towards the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine along different roads from the direction of the Russian border, a Reuters witness said on Wednesday. 

One convoy included nine tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle, while the other was made up of trucks and fuel tankers, said the reporter, who was in the territory of two Russia-backed rebel regions recognised as independent by Moscow on Monday. 

And on Wednesday night, the crack troops of Russia’s advanced units were banned from using all mobile phones in what was believed to be a key sign that they would invade Kyiv-controlled Ukraine. 

The 1st and 2nd Army Corps in Donbas received an order to turn off mobile phones, according to the volunteer project Informnapalm on its Facebook page.

‘Attention! ….(we) received information from insiders from ORDLO that at 20:40 (Moscow time) all advanced units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps were ordered to completely turn off phones and walkie-talkies.

‘They were strictly forbidden to go on the air for this time, they were even ordered to remove the batteries from their phones. As an option, the Russians will probably scan the space and all available phones on the line of contact in order to make target designations by coordinates,’ the statement said. 

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, tweeted on Wednesday that a night shift of the Titan chemicals plant in annexed Crimea had been evacuated from the facility.

He said it was a possible preparation for another staged provocation by Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014.

‘Moscow seems to have no limits in attempts to falsify pretexts for further aggression,’ he wrote. 

Meanwhile, the websites of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service, and Cabinet of Ministers were all out of action Wednesday afternoon after a cyberattack. Bomb threats were also phoned in to several government buildings, thought to be part of a psychological pressure campaign by Moscow.

Deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov said banks were also targeted in a ‘massive’ distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack – which uses computer networks to bombard websites with information until they crash – in what analysts have warned would likely be the first stage of a Russian attack.  

As the noose tightened, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to send more weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against what the US has warned will be an all-out Russian assault. Johnson also promised more and tougher sanctions against Russia if Putin escalates further. 

Earlier in the day, Vladimir Putin had given a sabre-rattling address to his troops to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day, praising their ‘battle readiness’ while saying he is assured that they will fight to defend Russian security interests – which he called ‘non-negotiable’. Russia also evacuated staff from its Kiev embassy.  

Ukraine’s security agency claimed 45,000 plastic body bags have now been ordered to the Russian frontlines, giving the first hint of the amount lives Putin is willing to sacrifice to get what he wants – after Joe Biden said supplies of blood for transfusions have also been brought in. 

The UN Security Council has also now scheduled an emergency meeting following a request from Ukraine. 

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked for the meeting in a letter to Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, who holds the council presidency in February. The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday (02.30am GMT on Thursday).

The meeting comes two days after the 15-member council held an emergency open meeting, also at Ukraine’s request, which saw no support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of independence for two separatist areas in Ukraine’s east and his announcement that Russian troops would head there to keep the peace. 

A convoy of Russian military vehicles is seen as the vehicles move towards border in Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on Wednesday

A convoy of Russian military vehicles is seen as the vehicles move towards border in Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on February 23

Russia has for months been massing troops, tanks, and support vehicles (pictured) on the border with Ukraine and is now thought to have up to 190,000 men ready to attack the country

Russia also began evacuating diplomatic staff from its Kiev embassy, with the flag lowered over the building (pictured, workers leave the building with their baggage on Wednesday, February 23)

Moscow’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that it would evacuate diplomats from the country soon, saying this was in order to ‘protect their lives’, and the withdrawal appeared to be underway on Wednesday, with workers pictured leaving the building in Kiev

Boris Johnson is briefed by the Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin at the Ministry of Defence on the situation in Ukraine on Tuesday

Meanwhile, Ms Truss sought to defend the UK’s own sanctions – criticised yesterday for not being harsh enough – by insisting that ‘nothing’ is off the table should Putin decide to escalate. 

‘We’ve been very clear that we’re going to limit Russian access to British markets,’ Truss told Sky. ‘We’re going to stop the Russian government with raising sovereign debt in the United Kingdom.’

‘There will be even more tough sanctions on key oligarchs, on key organisations in Russia, limiting Russia’s access to the financial markets, if there is a full scale invasion of Ukraine,’ Truss said.

Separately, US Secretary of State Antony Bliken announced that he has called off a high-level summit with Russian Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov scheduled for Thursday, saying it ‘does not make sense’ to go ahead with peace negotiations when an invasion is already underway.

Russia today began evacuating diplomatic staff from Ukraine, with the flag lowered over the embassy in Kiev. 

Moscow’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that it would evacuate diplomats from the country soon, saying this was in order to ‘protect their lives’. 

Asked if the evacuation had begun, the embassy’s spokesperson Denis Golenko told AFP by phone today: ‘Yes.’  

Golenko said the evacuation was ‘linked to the fact that Western embassies announced evacuations of some of their staff, and that our ministry also took this decision.’

Some Western embassies, including the United States and Britain, moved their staff to the city of Lviv near the Polish border.

They did so fearing a Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying the capital could come under attack.   

Fighting also escalated along the frontlines between separatist forces and Ukraine’s men overnight, with one Ukrainian soldier killed and six injured in shelling. A house was also hit in the village of Muratovo. 

The Russian-backed leader of the breakaway Donetsk region said today that he wanted to peacefully settle its borders with Ukraine but reserved the right to ask ‘big Russia’ for help.

Denis Pushilin, who heads the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic that was recognised by Russia this week, said he favoured dialogue with Ukraine in the first instance.

But he told a news conference the situation in their long-running conflict had become critical and the separatists had accelerated a mobilisation of forces, in which healthy men between 18 and 55 have been called up to fight.

‘We will win. With people like this, we will win. With such a country, with big Russia, which we respect and value,’ he said. ‘We have no right to lose, or even to doubt in our victory.’

Russian armoured troop transports are pictured in an assembly area, amid fears they could soon roll across the border and into Ukraine – sparking the most-serious war in Europe for decades

Russia has alternately claimed to be staging routine training exercises in its border regions, withdrawing its forces and reinforcing its allies in the region – all of which has been dismissed by the West as pretense (pictured, a Russian soldier)

People hold placards during a pro-Ukrainian demonstration outside the Russian Embassy, in London, UK, on Wednesday night

The Brandenburg Gate is lit in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian national flag in solidarity with Ukraine and its people on Wednesday in Berlin, Germany

Tensions between East and West dramatically ratcheted up on Tuesday as Putin was granted authority by Russia’s lap-dog parliament to use military force abroad, a move that paves the way for him to attack Ukraine.

Hours earlier, he had given a speech in which he made expansionist claims about rebel-held territory in Ukraine’s east – saying Russia has recognised areas currently held by Ukrainian troops as belonging to the separatists.

That has sparked fears he is preparing for a land-grab of that territory under the auspices of a ‘peacekeeping’ mission to the region which could extend even beyond those boundaries and all the way to the city of Kharkiv – where several major Ukrainian military bases are located.

Russian tanks and armoured vehicles have been spotted hiding in civilian areas and the tree lines of forests in several areas just to the north of Kharkiv in recent days, within just three miles of the border. 

Putin has up to 190,000 troops backed by thousands of tanks and artillery units, hundreds of fighter jets and dozens of bombers encircling Ukraine from three sides – with up to 10,000 men already thought to have moved into rebel-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk on the current frontlines with Ukrainian forces.  

Western nations have tried to present a united front in the face of the invasion, with more than two dozen European Union members unanimously agreeing to levy their own initial set of sanctions against Russian officials. 

Germany also said it was halting the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia – a lucrative deal long sought by Moscow but criticized by the US for increasing Europe’s reliance on Russian energy.

Meanwhile, President Biden on Wednesday announced he was sanctioning the company building Russia‘s Nord Stream 2 pipeline and its CEO – a coordinated response by Germany and the U.S. to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.  

‘Today, I have directed my administration to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG and its corporate officers,’ Biden said in a statement. ‘These steps are another piece of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate.’

Biden waived sanctions last year against Nord Stream 2 AG, when the project was almost completed, in return for an agreement from Germany to take action against Russia if it used gas as a weapon or attacked Ukraine.  

The U.S. also moved to cut off Russia’s government from Western finance, sanctioning two of its banks and blocking it from trading in its debt on American and European markets. 

The administration’s actions hit civilian leaders in Russia’s leadership hierarchy and two Russian banks considered especially close to the Kremlin and Russia’s military, with more than $80 billion in assets. 

That includes freezing all of those banks’ assets under US jurisdictions.

Russia warned today that new sanctions would be met with a ‘strong response’.

‘There should be no doubt – sanctions will meet a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but well-calibrated and sensitive for the American side,’ the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said that Washington had slapped a new round of sanctions in order to ‘change Russia’s course.’

‘Russia has proved that, with all the sanctions costs, it is capable of minimizing the damage. And even more so, sanctions pressure cannot affect our determination to firmly defend our interests,’ the statement said.  

The Russian-backed leader of the breakaway Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, said on Wednesday that he had accelerated a mobilisation of forces, in which healthy men between 18 and 55 have been called up to fight

A Ukrainian pilot boards a fighter jet at an air base in an undisclosed region of the country early Wednesday, as he takes part in combat readiness drills amid fears Russian is about to invade

A Ukrainian Su-34 fighter jet, originally made in Russia, takes off from an airfield in an undisclosed region of the country amid fears that Russia is about to stage a full-scale invasion

The tail fins of Ukrainian Su-34 fighter jets are seen at an undisclosed air field somewhere in Ukraine as one takes to the skies during combat readiness checks ahead of what could be a full-scale Russian invasion

Ukrainian firefighters attempt to put out a blazing house in the village of Muratovo, close to the frontlines with pro-Moscow rebels in Luhansk, after it was shelled overnight 

Ukraine said one soldier died and another six were injured in shelling by pro-Moscow rebels overnight, which also hit and destroyed a house in the village of Muratovo

Russian volunteers carry medical supplies to a warehouse in the city of Taganrog, close to the border of Ukraine, after Biden warned that blood is being moved to the frontlines in what is considered to be one of the final moves before an attack

A wreath laying ceremony is held at the Fallen Warriors Memorial in Rostov-on-Don, where Russian troops are gathering

Frontline Ukrainian soldiers sent texts telling them to abandon posts

Ukrainian soldiers on the frontlines with pro-Moscow rebels have been sent texts warning of an imminent attack and told to abandon their posts.

‘Moscow gave a go to the use of [Russian] Armed Forces in the Donbas,’ one text read, referring to a wide area of eastern Ukraine where large parts of the country’s armed forces are currently deployed.

‘There’s still time to save your life and leave the [area],’ the text message added.

Another read: ‘Ukrainian military servicemen! The Russian army is already in Donetsk and Luhansk. Return home while it isn’t too late!’

There are fears Putin is about to stage a land-grab in eastern Ukraine after acknowledging the whole of the Donbass – including areas held by Ukraine – as independent and authorising Russian troops to go in on a ‘peacekeeping’ mission.

If his troops do try to advance into Ukrainian areas, then it would likely spark direct fighting between the two militaries which could quickly escalate into all-out war.

Biden, though, did hold back some of the broadest and toughest of the financial penalties contemplated by the US, including sanctions that would reinforce the hold that Germany put on any startup of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline; an export ban that would deny Russia US high tech for its industries and military; and sweeping bans that could cripple Russia’s ability to do business with the rest of the world.

Biden said he was moving additional US troops to the Baltics, though he described the deployments as purely ‘defensive,’ asserting, ‘We have no intention of fighting Russia.’

 The US is sending about 800 infantry troops and 40 attack aircraft to NATO’s eastern flank from other locations within Europe, according to a senior defense official. In addition, a contingent of F-35 strike fighters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will also be relocated.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is set to ask Turkey to close the Black Sea strait in the event of an invasion.  

Earlier Tuesday, members of Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council, voted unanimously to allow Putin to use military force outside the country – effectively formalizing a Russian military deployment to the rebel regions, where an eight-year conflict has killed nearly 14,000 people.

Shortly afterward, Putin laid out three conditions to end the crisis that has threatened to plunge Europe back into war, raising the specter of massive casualties, energy shortages across the continent and global economic chaos.

Putin said the crisis could be resolved if Kyiv recognizes Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, renounces its bid to join NATO and partially demilitarizes. 

The West has decried the annexation of Crimea as a violation of international law and has previously flatly rejected permanently barring Ukraine from NATO.

Asked whether he has sent any Russian troops into Ukraine and how far they could go, Putin responded: ‘I haven’t said that the troops will go there right now.’ He added that ‘it’s impossible to forecast a specific pattern of action – it will depend on a concrete situation as it takes shape on the ground.’

The EU announced initial sanctions aimed at the 351 Russian lawmakers who voted for recognizing the two separatist regions in Ukraine, as well as 27 other Russian officials and institutions from the defense and banking sectors. They also sought to limit Moscow’s access to EU capital and financial markets.

With tensions rising and a broader conflict looking more likely, the White House began referring to the Russian deployments in the region known as the Donbas as an ‘invasion’ after initially hesitating to use the term – a red line that Biden had said would result in severe sanctions.

U.S President Joe Biden said it defies logic to think Putin has taken such extensive military preparations, including putting 190,000 Russian troops on the border and moving blood supplies to those areas, for reasons other than invading Ukraine

Satellite imagery from Tuesday shows several new deployments of troops and equipment have been established in rural areas southwest of Belgorod, less than 20 kilometers to the northwest of the border with Ukraine

Satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies shows a close up of field hospital and troop deployment in western Belgorod, Russia, less than 20 kilometers to the northwest of the border with Ukraine

Satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies shows a close up of assembled vehicles at Bokov Airfield near Mazyr, Belarus, on Tuesday

Satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies shows armor and vehicles at a railyard in Belgorod, Russia, on Tuesday

Satellite imagery from Tuesday shows new deployments of troops and equipment that have been established in rural areas southwest of Belgorod, Russia, which is close to the Ukrainian border

‘We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion into Ukraine,’ Jon Finer, principal deputy national security adviser, said on CNN. ‘An invasion is an invasion, and that is what is underway.’

The White House announced limited sanctions targeting the rebel regions on Monday evening soon after Putin said he was sending in troops. A senior Biden administration official, who briefed reporters about those sanctions, noted ‘that Russia has occupied these regions since 2014’ and that ‘Russian troops moving into Donbas would not itself be a new step.’

Western leaders have long warned Moscow would look for cover to invade – and just such a pretext appeared to come Monday, when Putin recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk separatist regions. 

The Kremlin then raised the stakes further by saying that recognition extends even to the large parts of those two regions now held by Ukrainian forces, including the major Azov Sea port of Mariupol. 

He added, however, that the rebels should eventually negotiate with Ukraine.

Condemnation from around the world was quick. In Washington, lawmakers from both parties in Congress vowed continued US support for Ukraine, even as some pushed for swifter and even more severe sanctions on Russia. Senators had been considering a sanctions package but held off as the White House pursued its strategy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would consider breaking diplomatic ties with Russia, and Kyiv recalled its ambassador in Moscow.

If Putin pushes farther into Ukraine, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg insisted the West would move in lockstep. ‘If Russia decides once again to use force against Ukraine, there will be even stronger sanctions, even a higher price to pay,’ he said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. would slap sanctions on five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals. He warned a full-scale offensive would bring ‘further powerful sanctions.’

Zelenskyy said he was calling up some of the country’s military reservists but added there was no need for a full military mobilization.

In an address to the nation, Zelenskyy said his decree applied only to those assigned to the so-called operational reserve, which is typically activated during ongoing hostilities, and covers ‘a special period of time,’ without clarifying what that means.

‘Today there is no need for a full mobilization. We need to quickly add additional staff to the Ukrainian army and other military formations,’ he said. The head of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksii Danilov, said earlier this year that Ukraine can call up up to 2.5 million people.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian security council, takes part in a flower-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow’s Alexander Garden to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day

Russian supporters of President Putin’s party take part in a march through Moscow, waving flags of newly-recognised republics in the east of Ukraine that could be the trigger for war 

Men in rebel-held areas of Donetsk are conscripted into the military, amid fears they could soon be ordered to join an invasion of Ukraine along with regular Russian troops

Members of Poland’s parliament wave a Ukrainian flag as they show support for their neighbouring nation as it faces down the full force of a Russian invasion

Donnie Davis, a comedian loved by Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus, died in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday. He was 43 years old.

The impersonator, who frequently appeared on the Chelsea Handler show, Chelsea recently, was found dead in a room at the Resorts World Hotel, according to a local 8 News now report.

Authorities responded to the hotel at the southern end of the strip shortly after 6 a.m. and the cause of death has not yet been determined pending an autopsy.

Davis was known for his entertaining imitations in the comedy chain, including playing a version of Donald Trump’s Mini-Trump, and also working on a podcast series with Kelly Osbourne and longtime friend Jeff Beecher.

Rest in Peace: Donnie Davis, a comedian loved by Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus, died in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday. He was 43 years old

Davis played with Britney in Vegas at her Piece of Me residency in 2013 and was a regular in Los Angeles for more than two decades at Jeff Beecher’s Madhouse.

Beecher told DailyMail.com: “I didn’t just lose a friend today. I lost a dream, brother, best friend. Donnie wasn’t just a loyal loving best friend. I literally entrusted him with everything from my life to business and everything in between. Donnie was an angel.

“A magical being who spreads love and laughter to everyone in his presence, I would always tell people that he is not from this planet. He loved to love and he loved to make everyone happy.

“He was the best, best friend, producer and performer I knew and everyone will know. My love, condolences and prayers are to everyone who knows and or loves him like me, as well as to all his friends and family. Donnie, you will miss him more than you can imagine. I will appreciate our 20 years that God has given me with you as my Ride or die and the 100,000 people you have touched with your magical love and the fun you have given people.

“The planet was a better place with you on it.” I will continue our dream and win awards for our documentary and I will continue to push for equality for all in your honor. I love you Donnie. You are the best.

Tragic: The impersonator, who frequently appeared on the Chelsea Handler show, Chelsea recently, was found dead in a room at the Resorts World Hotel, according to a local report in 8 News Now; seen in 2018

Beecher told TMZ: “Donnie broke down barriers in the community of young people and was an inspiration to his peers. He will be terribly absent, but his legacy and the impact he had on those who loved him will live on forever.

Friends forever: Ryan Philip took to Instagram with lots of photos to immortalize his Dynamo friend, who had “more confidence than I could have hoped to have.”

Ryan Philip took to Instagram with lots of photos to immortalize his Dynamo friend, who had “more confidence than I could have hoped to have.”

He wrote: “It was impossible to be around him without having a good time. His energy was boundless and he got everything he could from life with the time he had here. A good lesson for all of us. I miss you now, my friend. Rest in peace and cause some chaos in the sky. You are unforgettable.

Comedian Jeffrey Ross wrote that Donnie is a complete “rock star” in a cheerful tribute shared on Instagram, writing: “I will miss my beautiful generous friend. My condolences to his family and his older brother Jeff Beecher.

Friends: Comedian Jeffrey Ross wrote that Donnie is a full “rock star” in a cheerful tribute shared on Instagram

It’s never a boring moment: his list of celebrity friends seemed endless with shared photos of wild nights with the city’s hottest stars, including Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato.

Just one more day: Donnie is having fun with Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner

Nicki Hilton commented: “We lost a legend” as Sister Paris added emoji to her heart under Jeffrey’s post.

Donnie’s list of friends seemed endless with shared photos of wild nights with the city’s hottest stars, including Nick and Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner, Demi Lovato and Paris Hilton.

While Davis gained fame on stage, he also appeared in the 2013 film Pain & Gain with Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie, as well as in Tommy Chong’s 2017 comedy It’s Gawd!

Always good weather: He shared “St. Pattys Day Returns, celebrating Paris Hilton’s birthday last year dressed in leprechaun threads