Iran launched dozens of aerial drones and missiles at Israel in reprisal for Israel’s recent attack on Damascus. More than 200 missiles and drones targeted Israel, forcing civilians to flee to bomb shelters. American and British air force fighters reportedly helped shoot down the incoming missiles and drones.
In other news, Iranian forces seized a container ship in the Persian Gulf owned by the Zodiac Group, an Israeli company.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Gary Fouse, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
The remarks, aside from serving as a sort of double-down on warnings aired by the CEO in recent days, came hours after the firm released its first-quarter 2024 financial results.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s Sticky Inflation: Auto Insurance Rates Record Biggest Annual Jump Since 1976
Joe Biden’s sticky inflation continues to ravage the working poor as Bidenomics falls flat on its face. The president’s ally at the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has yet to achieve the 2% inflation Fed target ahead of the November elections.
As inflation heats up in the first quarter of this year, the cost of driving on American highways is seriously spiraling out of control. Auto insurance in the US increased more than 22% in the 12 months that ended in March, the largest annual increase since 1976, according to Bloomberg.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In the German Government, There Has Been Opposition to Increasing the Debt of the EU
In the German government, there is opposition to increasing EU debt. Germany’s Finance Minister, Christian Lindner, stated that the European Union should not finance further programs until countries bring their finances in order, Bloomberg reports.
His comments were preceded by France’s statement that its deficit would be higher than expected, as well as forecasts from the Italian government indicating that its significant debt would only increase over the next few years. This, in turn, has raised concerns about whether EU member states will be able to adhere to the new budget rules approved last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Nonsensical”: Another Federal Judge Rejects All of Hunter Biden’s Claims for Dismissal
Authored by Jonathan Turley
While some legal analysts continue to boost Hunter Biden’s legal claims, the reviews in actual courts are far less glowing. Recently, we discussed a federal judge rejecting all eight motions of Hunter Biden to dismiss his tax charges in a stinging opinion citing a conspicuous lack of actual evidence to support their claims. Now, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika has also rejected those claims in the gun case in Delaware, calling Hunter’s arguments “nonsensical.”
Legal experts like MSNBC’s Andew Weissmann have slammed the gun charges as “an abuse.”
Hunter Biden’s counsel has argued selective prosecution and a bar on charges (based on the defunct notorious plea deal) in both cases.
While these arguments were given great credence on some networks, they were stomped on by actual judges applying the law to the case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Another Boeing Whistleblower Comes Forward
Another Boeing employee has come forward with allegations of major safety issues at the airline company.
An engineer who worked on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, Sam Salehpour, provided a whistleblower statement to The New York Times.
Salehpour alleges that the airplane manufacturer is connecting some sections of the plane’s fuselage in an extremely unsafe way.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Baltimore Bridge Collapse Has Dockworkers in Fear for Their Future
Baltimore’s Key Bridge, a vital transit and shipping route, collapsed last month after being hit by a cargo ship. The incident has left members of the community fearing for their future.
Following the deadly bridge collapse, the Port of Baltimore suspended operations, resulting in 8,000 job losses. Many dockworkers have not been paid for weeks and are waiting for cargo ships to resume operations so they can start working again.
Some are still working at nearby smaller ports or on the little cargo that remains in Baltimore from before the bridge collapsed. But that’s nothing in comparison to the flurry of activity this port once was.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
President Donald Trump ripped into President Joe Biden for his latest foreign policy failures during a rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania on Saturday, on the same day that Iran launched a drone strike on Israel. Trump promised that he would restore peace through strength, saying that the attack never would have happened if he were president.
“We will return the world to peace through strength. I will revive American strength abroad and we will restore American strength at home,” Trump told the massive crowd.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bridges Reopen After 26 Barges Broke Loose and Floated Down Ohio River, Damaging a Marina
(CNN) — A pair of Pittsburgh-area bridges reopened Saturday morning after 26 barges broke loose the previous night and floated uncontrolled down the Ohio River, damaging a marina, authorities said.
The bridges, about 2.5 miles apart, were closed after the barges — most of which were loaded with dry cargo — broke free after record-breaking rainfall Friday night, according to authorities.
The McKees Rocks Bridge reopened Saturday after it shut down out of “an abundance of caution,” McKees Rocks police said shortly after midnight, authorities said.
The bridge was closed but no damage was found after an inspection by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation bridge unit, said PennDOT spokesperson Steve Cowan.
The West End Bridge was closed in both directions and rail traffic was shut down on the rail bridge to Brunot Island, according to Pittsburgh city officials. Col. Nicholas Melin, commander US Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, said in a statement Saturday that “all bridges are currently open for vehicular traffic.”
“We had no reports of the West End Bridge being hit,” Cowan said.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
California Loses $24 Billion in Homeless Crisis Funds, Republicans Demand Answers
Officials in Democrat-controlled California have lost track of a staggering $24 billion in taxpayer funding that was meant to be spent on tackling the state’s escalating homelessness crisis.
An audit released earlier this week indicated that the state spent around $24B to tackle the homeless crisis over the past five years.
However, officials have no record of where the money was supposedly spent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Firefighters Struggle to Secure Fire Insurance for Essential Facilities
Firefighters in California are facing a troubling challenge: the inability to secure fire insurance for their own firehouses, POLITICO writes. This surprising revelation unfolded during a recent state Senate budget subcommittee meeting in Sacramento, where Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration sought funding to replace a kitchen at Ishi Conservation Camp, which trains inmate firefighters.
Typically, Cal Fire covers building maintenance costs using property value-based bonds. However, for the Ishi project, they couldn’t pursue this route due to insurers’ reluctance to provide coverage for the facility, citing perceived fire risks in the area. Even the insurer of last resort, FAIR Plan, didn’t meet the bond underwriters’ requirements.
State senators from both sides expressed disbelief at the situation, with one senator remarking, “We can’t get fire insurance at a fire station that’s going to be manned by firefighters.” This highlights the severity of California’s wildfire insurance crisis, which has seen insurers leaving the state amid increasing policy non-renewals and coverage moratoriums.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Stormy Daniels’ former lawyer Michael Avenatti has called President Donald Trump’s New York “hush money” trial the “wrong case at the wrong time.”
Avenatti is currently locked up in California’s Terminal Island Prison.
The anti-Trump former attorney is serving time for theft, tax fraud, and other crimes, Breitbart reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Upholds Georgia’s Right to Require Proof of Citizenship for New Voter Registrations
A federal judge has backed Georgia’s efforts to secure its elections by blocking foreign nationals from registering to vote.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross blocked a challenge to a rule requiring proof of citizenship for Georgia residents registering to vote, JustTheNews reported.
Judge Ross ruled to dismiss the challenge brought by several radical groups.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gen Z Activists Harness TikTok for Progressive Political Mobilization Amidst Uncertain Future
Over the past four years, Kohn-Murphy has leveraged TikTok to amass a significant following and disseminate progressive messages on various political issues, as written by POLITICO. The group’s strategy involves creating and sharing content to advance their policy agenda, focusing on issues such as climate change, immigration, and education reform.
However, their efforts face challenges due to TikTok’s uncertain future in the political landscape. President Joe Biden’s willingness to sign a bill potentially banning TikTok poses a dilemma for the platform’s progressive users, including Gen Z for Change. Despite initially supporting Biden’s candidacy, the organization has become disillusioned with his administration’s policies, particularly regarding environmental and foreign policy matters.
The looming threat of a TikTok ban underscores a broader tension within the Democratic Party regarding its approach to engaging with younger, progressive voters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google Blocks News Sites in California After Bill Would Make Tech Giant Pay for News Links
On Friday, Google announced that it began blocking links to California news websites for some California users in preparation for the passage of the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) which would force the search engine to pay for links to news articles.
In a statement, Google VP of Global News Partnerships Jaffer Zaidi said, “If passed, CJPA may result in significant changes to the services we can offer Californians and the traffic we can provide to California publishers.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In the U.S., a Former Ambassador Accused of Spying for Cuba Has Been Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
The United States has announced a guilty verdict for a former American ambassador accused of spying for Cuba — he has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, The Hill reports. The Department of Justice announced the sentence for 73-year-old Victor Manuel Rocha, who served as ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002.
The former diplomat was found guilty on two counts — conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy to defraud the United States, as well as acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying as required by law.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Indian-Origin Woman Arrested in US, Charged With Making Terror Threats Over Israel-Hamas Conflict
An Indian-origin woman, identified as Riddhi Patel has reportedly been arrested in the United States and charged with making terror threats against the Mayor of California’s Bakersfield.
Speaking at a city council meeting on Wednesday, Riddhi Patel lashed out at officials and directed threats towards them for not backing a ceasefire resolution for the Israel-Hamas conflict.
A video of Riddi’s speech went viral on the internet wherein she expressed her desire for “oppressed minorities” to “guillotine” the city’s officials. “I remind you that these holidays that we practice, that other people in the global south practice, believe in violent revolution against their oppressors, and I hope one day somebody brings the guillotine and kills all of you,” she said in her speech.
According to an NDTV report, the Indian-origin woman made the threats during two separate speeches she delivered to the city council that evening.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leftist ‘Reacher’ Actor Alan Ritchson: Christians Are a ‘Vitriolic Tribe’
Leftist actor Alan Ritchson has issued a hate-filled statement to attack Christians and President Donald Trump.
Ritchson called Trump a “rapist” and attacked Christians who support him.
The self-professed Christian posts videos online for what he calls InstaChurch.
InstaChurch is a series in which the “Reacher” actor explores scripture and how it relates to his life.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
— TOM LEONARD reveals the dark truths behind OJ Simpson’s murderous rage
His family announced yesterday that the former American football star, actor and jailbird had died aged 76 of cancer on Wednesday ‘surrounded by his children and grandchildren’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Movie Industry’s Push for ISP Site-Blocking Legislation Sparks Controversy Over Internet Censorship
The US Motion Picture Association (MPA), a trade association representing half a dozen huge film and TV studios, is gearing up for a big campaign to get lawmakers to pass legislation that would force ISPs to block sites — yet another way the industry hopes to fight its long “war on piracy.”
Association CEO Charles Rivkin revealed that this essentially lobbying effort of “working with Congress members” has the goal of mandating that internet providers must block sites accused of piracy.
Addressing the CinemaCon in Las Vegas, which gathers owners of movie theaters, Rivkin stated that “the next major phase” in what he said was an evolving danger of piracy is MPA “working with members of Congress to enact judicial site-blocking legislation here in the United States.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Advisor Defends Hunter Biden, Blasts ‘Unprecedented Corruption’ by Trump Family
A top advisor in former President Barack Obama’s administration has breathlessly defended Hunter Biden while pushing false claims of “corruption” about President Donald Trump’s family.
Former Obama advisor Ben Rhodes accused Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner of “unprecedented” “corruption” in his dealings with Gulf Arab states.
The comments come as Democrat President Joe Biden comes under mounting scrutiny for foreign influence peddling and bribery schemes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Advisor: OJ Simpson ‘Represented the Black Community’ Because He Killed ‘Two White People’
Former President Barack Obama’s White House Senior Policy Advisor Ashley Allison has made shocking statements about the late O.J. Simpson’s alleged links to the “black community.”
As Slay News reported, Simpson’s family revealed Thursday that he died at age 76 on Wednesday after a battle with cancer.
The death of the former Hollywood actor and NFL star has garnered mixed responses, however.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EXCLUSIVE: MailOnline can reveal a key police witness not only placed OJ Simpson at the scene but claims the NFL star orchestrated the killing by hiring Gambino mafiosos to carry out the hit.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Rumble, the growing video-sharing platform known for its commitment to free speech and minimal moderation, has announced the rollout of a new recommendation algorithm aimed at enhancing user engagement and supporting content creators. This feature marks a significant step in Rumble’s ongoing expansion and commitment to helping creators grow and be discovered.
Rumble has rapidly grown as a favored alternative among users seeking a platform with fewer speech restrictions on content. It has gained particular popularity among independent creators and those seeking diverse viewpoints. The platform has made headlines for its user-friendly policies and robust growth, attracting a wide array of content ranging from personal vlogs to in-depth political discussions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Roberts says, he offered ‘natural insemination’ or NI for free. NI means sexual intercourse. And that’s where the world of black market sperm donation takes an alarming turn.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Senate Passes Resolution to Overturn Biden’s Green Agenda Highway Emissions Rule
The U.S. Senate has voted to pass a resolution that would overturn Democrat President Joe Biden’s radical green agenda rule for highway emissions.
Senators voted to overturn Biden’s “climate” regulation that is already facing pushback from federal courts.
The Federal Highway Administration rule requires states to set targets for lowering greenhouse gas emissions on highways.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Speaker Johnson Holds Strategic Meeting With Trump Amid Removal Threats
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has faced growing pushback from his own party amid calls for his removal from his powerful leadership position.
In a significant political development, Johnson joined President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago for a key meeting and a joint news conference.
Amid growing tensions within his party, Johnson’s recent meeting with Trump may forge a vital alliance to counteract threats to his leadership.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Exodus Continues: Blue Regions Still Bleeding as Residents Escape Democrat Policies
Can Democrats take a hint? The answer is obviously no, but with millions of people flooding out of Democrat controlled places and relocating to more conservative regions one might think they would finally get the message.
Blue cities and states across the US have been experiencing a mass exodus of legal residents since before the pandemic event; many of them business owners taking their money (and job opportunities) with them. The hardest hit states in the country include New York, Illinois and California, with cities like NYC, LA, Chicago and San Francisco seeing some of the most aggressive population shift. In states like California the standard operating procedure has been to lie about the situation, using the surge of illegal immigrants to hide population loss in the census.
There are a multitude of reasons for the great American migration: The pandemic lockdowns made many people realize Democrats are inclined towards authoritarian policies and they left because they wanted freedom. Sanctuary status is allowing illegals to flood into blue areas, straining welfare programs and inflating housing costs. The bureaucracy of leftist cities creates a concrete barrier to success for most small to medium business owners, and even larger companies and chains are ready to exit because of high taxes and over-regulation. Finally, soft prosecution laws in blue states and cities have led to a clear spike in criminal activity which Democrats are also trying to deny.
It’s estimated by Zillow’s chief economist that establishing a residency in California would require around $1 million or more in starting money. The state has the second highest cost of living in the nation, as well as the worst reported job growth in the nation in 2023. Property prices are exploding higher, but with fewer and fewer buyers. This is probably why California has been dead last on the list of most desirable states to move to for the past few years running.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Supporter Who Hugged Him at Atlanta Chick-fil-A Says the Media Warps the Views of Black Voters
On Friday, the young black woman who went viral after she gave former President Donald Trump a hug at Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this week said the mainstream media is misrepresenting the support he has among Black voters.
The founder of Conserve the Culture who hugged Trump, Michaelah Montgomery, was asked by Fox & Friends’ Lawrence Jones what she meant when she told the former President, “I don’t care what the media tells you, Mr. Trump, we support you,” on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US House Passes Bill Renewing Warrantless Surveillance Under FISA Section 702 Amid Privacy Concerns
Ignoring rising privacy concerns, the US House of Representatives gave the green light on Friday to a bill renewing the warrantless surveillance program under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Section 702, for the next two years. However, the vote witnessed the piecing together of conservative resistance that had stalled a prior chance at its approval. A shorter renewal period, as opposed to an initially proposed five-year term, was agreed upon in an attempt to win over Republican dissenters, culminating in a 273-147 vote in favor of the bill.
Increasing distrust concerning governmental surveillance powers has been apparent of late, especially amongst some conservatives who want to see the Fourth Amendment protected. The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wisconsin City Hit With Lawsuit Over Illegal Same-Day Voting
The city of Green Bay in Wisconsin has just been hit with a lawsuit after it emerged that officials have been facilitating illegal same-day voting.
The city has allegedly been violating state law by allowing new voters to cast ballots the same day they register, JustTheNews reported.
The Public Interest Fund, a conservative legal group, lodged a formal complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission over the issue.
The complaint was filed against Green Bay City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Antwerp’s Diamond Chief Not Forever as He Quits ‘Over Sanctions on Russian Stones’
Ari Epstein, the Chief Executive of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), has resigned.
While he did not give a reason, it is widely believed that the organisation’s split over the way sanctions on Russian diamonds are handled was behind his decision.
Since Brussels imposed its “diamond package”, the 12th set of sanctions on Russia, all diamonds entering the European Union are now being channelled through the AWDC.
The system only has been fully in force since March 1 — but it is not without problems.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium to Probe Alleged Russian Interference in EP Elections
Belgian prosecutors are looking into possible Russian interference in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June following findings provided by intelligence services, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has said.
On April 12, he said investigators found that Russian groups were meddling in the EP elections to push forward pro-Russia candidates and thus weaken European support for Ukraine against Russia’s two-year-old invasion.
“The objective is to help elect more pro-Russian candidates to the European Parliament and reinforce a certain pro-Russian narrative in that institution,” De Croo said.
“Weakened European support for Ukraine serves Russia on the battlefield,” he added
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brussels Mayor ‘Collaborating’ With Extremists to Disrupt Conservative Event
Brussels’ socialist mayor is “collaborating” with extremists on the political Left to disrupt a conservative conference, organisers of the event have claimed.
Those sitting on the conference committee of the National Conservatism conference due to take place this coming week say that Socialist Party mayor, Philippe Close, actively put pressure on the conference’s venue to pull out of the event.
This was allegedly done alongside elements of the radical Left, including at least one so-called “antifa” group.
Such efforts were reportedly successful, with the Concert Noble in Etterbeek no longer set to act as host to the event.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch to Provide Extra €1 Billion in Military Aid to Ukraine This Year
The Netherlands will allocate an extra one billion euros this year for military aid to Ukraine. The caretaker Cabinet announced the decision on Friday during a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Prime Minister Mark Rutte wrote on social media.
By the end of December, the Netherlands will have contributed three billion euros in military support to Ukraine this year alone. That will be matched with another three billion euros for military aid in Ukraine next year, the prime minister said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Commission’s Chronically Late Replies to MEPs Prompt Complaint to Ombudsman
The sluggish turnaround of the European Commission in answering parliamentary questions is now subject to an official complaint to the European Ombudsman after an investigation by a Dutch MEP revealed 95% of questions were not answered in time.
Dutch populist MEP Rob Roos (JA21/ECR) made the complaint after compiling a list of 23,000 parliamentary questions submitted to the Commission since 2019. The parliamentarian also called out the increasingly poor quality of responses given by EU officials.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Discusses Additional Control for Ukrainian Carriers Traveling Through Poland
The European Commission is discussing the introduction of additional control measures for Ukrainian carriers entering Poland as part of possible changes to the “transport visa-free” agreement. This information, citing its sources, is reported by RMF24.
The European Commission is considering the idea in response to Polish protests to install GPS trackers in Ukrainian trucks to have a tool for monitoring where drivers are moving further on Polish territory and whether it corresponds to what was declared.
According to journalists, the European Commission does not currently plan to reinstate the permit system for Ukrainian freight carriers, as demanded by protesting Polish carriers at the borders.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Officials Push Youngsters to Counter ‘Populist’ Surge
EU officials are rallying young voter turnout in the hopes of countering a potential surge of Europe’s “populist” movements.
In an attempt to galvanize election involvement, Brussels has kicked off the European Youth Week with a spotlight on democracy and the European elections, strategically timed just two months ahead of the 2024 European elections.
Addressing a gathering of over 800 young attendees at Parliament on April 12, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas emphasised the role of the young in shaping policies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Parliament Sanctions Latvian MEP Charged With Spying for Russia
The European Parliament has sanctioned a Latvian MEP after Riga’s secret service charged her with spying for Russia’s FSB security service.
Tatjana Ždanoka, until 2022 a member of the Greens/EFA Group, arranged travel visas for Russian spies to visit Europe and reported to handlers from the FSB, according to the Insider, an independent Russian news outlet.
“Allegations that former Latvian MEP Ždanoka provided assistance to Russian intelligence services came as no surprise to many,” said Irish MEP Barry Andrews.
Ždanoka is “politically classified as ‘old Soviet’,” said Michael Gahler, a German MEP and the EPP’s spokesman on foreign affairs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Final Death Toll Rises to Seven After Italy Hydroelectric Blast
Italian rescuers have found the bodies of the last two missing workers from an explosion at a hydroelectric plant near Bologna three days ago, a spokesperson for the fire brigade said on April 12, bringing the final death toll to seven.
On April 9, a fire that broke out on a transformer and the subsequent blast rocked the plant on the shores of the artificial Lake Suviana, at Bargi, owned by Enel Green Power, a unit of utility group Enel.
The explosion has heightened concern of trade unions about workplace safety in Italy, where more than 1,000 people lost their lives while working last year, according to a report by the country’s national workers’ compensation authority INAIL.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Four German Teens Arrested for Preparing IS-Inspired Terror Attacks
Four young people have been arrested on suspicion of planning Islamist-motivated terror attacks, German media have reported. A state security officer called it another example of young people “becoming radicalized online.”
The suspects include a 15-year-old from Düsseldorf, a 15-year-old from the district of Soest, and a 16-year-old from the Märkischer Kreis district. The fourth young person comes from Baden-Württemberg. According to the Public Prosecutor General’s Office, their plans involved “murder and manslaughter in conjunction with the preparation of a serious act of violence endangering the state.”
According to Bild, the youths, who were detained over the Easter weekend, are said to have glorified the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS), and were planning to attack worshipers in churches and synagogues as well as police stations, using knives and Molotov cocktails.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Petition Demanding Fuel Price Cap Gains Momentum
On Wednesday, a French association of motorists, 40 millions d’automobilistes, launched a petition demanding a €1.50 cap on gas prices at the pump.
The group argues that in the span of just one year, the price of SP95 has risen by 32 euro cents and diesel by 21 euro cents. While these increases appear minor, each motorist, on average, would have to cover an additional cost of over €200 per year as a result.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Kindergartens Under Scrutiny Due to Aggressive Parents and Drug Gangs
In many German cities, kindergartens have become targets of unexpected threats, prompting the necessity for their security to be handled by security agencies, as reported by Novinky. Aggressive parents intimidating staff and the presence of drug gangs in the vicinity of buildings are reasons for these unusual measures.
By the end of March this year, the situation escalated at a kindergarten in Cologne, where parents hesitated not to cause chaos and discomfort to the teaching team. Attempts at dialogue were futile. Verbal and physical attacks on staff were commonplace, with threats of violence being a daily occurrence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hard-Right ‘Could Win 30 Per Cent of MEP Seats’
The hard-right could end up with nearly one-third of all European Parliament seats following the June elections, according to a leading Belgian Socialist Party candidate.
Estelle Ceulemans, who is second on the francophone party’s list of candidates, warned that a poor left-wing turnout could facilitate the rise of the populist right, which is already today the strongest political bloc in Belgium.
“Today the hard-right comprises 10 per cent of the European Parliament. Tomorrow, there’s a looming risk that they could escalate to 30 per cent,” she said during a meeting in a working-class municipality of Brussels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary: Orban’s New Challenger Gets Green Light to Run at European Elections
A former ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar, registered a party late on April 11 to run in the European elections in June, setting out a test for his ability to challenge the nationalist leader.
Magyar swooped into Hungary’s political scene in February when he accused the government of widespread corruption and running a centralised propaganda machine. Orban aides have rejected his accusations.
In late March, he published a recording of a conversation with Judit Varga, then his wife and Hungary’s justice minister, in which she allegedly detailed an attempt by Orban aides to meddle in a graft case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Switzerland, a Referendum on the Issue of Neutral Status May Take Place — Bloomberg
The referendum on Switzerland adopting a neutral status directly concerns sanctions against Russia, from which the referendum organizers want to distance themselves. The initiative for the vote was taken by the largest right-wing party in parliament, the “People’s Party”. It opposed the Swiss government’s decision to impose sanctions against Russia, Bloomberg reports.
Within the party, this was considered a departure from neutrality and they wanted to enshrine the position of permanent armed neutrality in the constitution, non-participation in any military alliance, as well as in “non-military coercive measures,” which include sanctions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Major Fraud Allegations Spur Concern Over Misuse of EU COVID Recovery Funds
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has found numerous cases of alleged misuse of European Union Covid pandemic recovery funds — worth billions of euros.
The EPPO expects cases of this type will increase in sync with EU pandemic subsidy expenditure.
On April 10, news broke that an investigation into one possible fraud of up to €2.5 billion was underway.
Investigators from the Greek Competition Commission are investigating three telecoms companies, five IT companies and two consultancies. EPPO has opened an inquiry into the same case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NatCon Brussels: Conference Goes Forward Despite Mayor’s Attempt to Cancel
The venue for next week’s National Conservatism (NatCon) conference in Brussels announced on Friday afternoon that it had pulled the plug on the event after political pressure from the left-wing mayor of Brussels.
Some 500 attendees are due to hear speeches by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, French presidential candidate Éric Zemmour, Germany’s Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former MEP and Brexit Party founder Nigel Farage, and the previous UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, among others. However, at the last moment, the Concert Noble venue in central Brussels told organizers that it was pulling out of hosting the conference.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Teacher at Veenendaal Islamic Center Preaching Hatred Toward Non-Muslims: Report
Islam teacher Musa Ibn Yusuf of the Islamic center Ar-Rahmah in Veenendal is urging Dutch Muslims to hate people of other faiths. “There is no solidarity with Christians,” he said in a podcast on YouTube, De Telegraaf reports. “Solidarity is simply wrong. There is just hatred towards those who do not believe in the enlightenment of Islam.”
Musa Ibn Yusuf was responding to a report that a church made parking spaces available for an adjacent mosque during the month of Ramadan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Norwegian Government Commission Recommends Close Cooperation With the EU
A commission appointed by the Norwegian government has recommended that Oslo, which has twice rejected EU membership, maintain close cooperation with the EU and accelerate the adoption of its rules and norms, Reuters reports.
The government commission stated that the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement provides Norway with “broader, deeper, and more predictable” relations with the EU than those of Switzerland, the UK, and Canada, which it was asked to compare.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Does Not Have a Ready Patriot System to Transfer to Ukraine, Confirms President Duda
During the 9th Three Seas Initiative summit in Vilnius, President Andrzej Duda revealed that Poland does not yet possess a ready Patriot missile defense system, as reported by RM24. In response to a question about the potential transfer of such a system to Ukraine.
“We are talking here about building this system in Poland, so at the moment, we have nothing to transfer, even if we wanted to,” the president added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Following the unjustified imposition of sanctions on March 27 against the Voice of Europe website, as well as baseless accusations of ties with Russia, the publication turned to other figures on the sanctions list for comment.
We sent a request to Viktor Medvedchuk’s press service to clarify why the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs associates the work of the media with the activities of the politician. In response, we received a link to a column authored by him, the text of which we present below.
Voice of Europe also sent a request to Artem Marchevsky’s lawyer to comment on what prompted the Czech government to unjustly put forward such a version to justify the imposition of sanctions. We were promised a response shortly.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two gangs made up of white inmates — called Death Before Dishonour and the Piranhas — have been fighting a brutal war against Muslim gangs since the 2000s.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Security Concerns Rise in Czech City Amidst Foreign Worker Influx
Residents of Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, express growing unease with the deteriorating safety conditions in their streets, attributing the increase in offenses to the influx of foreign workers, primarily employed at the local Škoda plant, Novinky.cz writes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Shift in Sentiments’ — Poles’ Attitude Towards Ukrainians is Changing
Polish employers hold Ukrainian workers in high regard, appreciating their quick adaptability, diligence, and ability to quickly learn the Polish language, as noted in the latest “Polish Labor Market Barometer” by Personnel Service. A significant 78 percent of firms have a positive or neutral attitude towards Ukrainian workers.
However, this employer satisfaction is increasingly not mirrored in the wider Polish society. There has been a notable “erosion of sentiment,” with only one in four individuals expressing a positive or somewhat positive view of Ukrainians, representing a 10-percentage point drop from the previous year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain and Ireland Push EU Member States to Recognise Palestine
The Prime Ministers of Spain and Ireland have met to discuss plans on how to get European Union Member States to officially recognise Palestine.
Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez travelled to Dublin on April 12, to meet Ireland’s newly installed Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris.
At the core of the talks is the creation of a consortium of EU nations, seemingly helmed by Ireland and Spain, who will together officially recognise Palestine in the coming weeks.
Both Belgium and Malta are already reported to be on board with the plan, with both also said to be trying to recruit Norway, Portugal and Slovenia for the mass recognition bid.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spanish Rental Housing Sector in Crisis
New data shows how in the past year the availability of affordable rental properties in Spain lags far behind public need. For every rental home advertised in Spain, there’s an average of 27 families interested in it, ten more applicants than the 17 per property in the first quarter of 2023. This follows years of decline in the private rented sector.
Recent data from the Idealista real estate portal was provided to El Mundo, showing the pressure on rental housing increased throughout the country, most pronouncedly in large cities. In Vitoria in the Basque country, there are as many as 70 applicants for each rental property. In Madrid and Barcelona, there are 40 and 41 families respectively looking for housing per available rental, and in Guadalajara, a bedroom community of Madrid, the number jumps to 51. Similarweb reports about 9 million people visit the Idealista website every month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The EU Has Finally Approved a Law Criminalizing the Circumvention and Violation of Sanctions
The EU Council on Friday formally approved a law on minimum rules for punishment for the violation or circumvention of EU sanctions in member states, the Council’s press service reported.
From now on, certain actions aimed at evading sanctions will be considered criminal offenses in all member countries. These offenses may include aiding in the evasion of entry bans, trading in sanctioned goods or engaging in prohibited financial activities. Incitement, aiding and abetting these offenses may also be punishable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Wurst Option: Germany Proposes Tax Hike on Meat to ‘Save Environment’
German farmers and meat producers could soon feel the brunt of yet another government decision that punishes meat-eating in the name of green policies and climate change.
According to local media, a panel of advisers on agriculture, the Zukunftskommission Landwirtschaft (ZKL) is proposing to raise the value added tax (VAT) on meat products from 7% to 19%, which would significantly burden consumers and thereby meat producers.
A higher tax on meat products is needed to reduce the food sector’s impact on the environment and increase the well-being of animals, said the government-appointed group, which is composed of representatives from the agricultural industry, retailing businesses, and consumer and animal protection groups.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top WHO Official Testifies: Vaccine Passports Were a Scam to Push Fake COVID Shots
A top official with the World Health Organization (WHO) has admitted during an explosive testimony that the vaccine passports pushed by the agency were just a scam to advance the global vaccination agenda.
Additionally, Dr. Hanna Nohynek testified that the WHO knew that Covid mRNA shots were ineffective but still pushed for the general public to be pressured into taking the experimental injections.
Dr. Nohynek says the WHO used the vaccine passports to force the public into complying with the vaccination agenda despite knowing the injections were ineffective against Covid.
Nohynek is the WHO’s chair of the Strategic Group of Experts on Immunization and serves as the chief physician at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and serves as.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The teenagers, aged from 15 to 16, are ‘strongly suspected of planning an Islamist-motivated terror attack and of having committed to carrying it out’, prosecutors said in a statement.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK Plans Facial Recognition Expansion, Empowering Cops to Scan Faces in the Street
In the UK, the government has presented its plans for a large-scale increase of the use of facial recognition technology which the police want to deploy in a number of ways and across a range of locations.
According to Big Brother Watch, taxpayers in that country will foot the bill amounting to a total of £230 million (some $288 million). In return for financing this expansion of what the rights group calls Orwellian tech, citizens will be subjected to even more intense mass surveillance.
A government press release said £55.5 million would be spent on facial recognition tools over the next four years specifically to address the problem of retail crime (also euphemistically referred to as “shoplifting”). That’s a good place to “tuck in” that information, given that the public is likely to look favorably at any attempt to tackle the problem.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Revealed: Just One in Four ULEZ Fines Paid in Kent Since London Mayor’s Controversial Expansion
Millions of pounds worth of ULEZ fines are going unpaid despite threats from bailiffs as Kent motorists continue to revolt against the charge.
Transport for London (TfL) is estimated to have been eligible to claim almost £10 million in fines from drivers in the county since the scheme’s controversial expansion last summer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Von Der Leyen’s ‘Reluctance to Debate Damages Democracy’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been criticised by the European Greens group over her aversion to debate.
Von der Leyen is known to keep critical journalists at arm’s length and, some claim, does the same with voters. The last major election she took part in was in 2013.
For the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, she also seems keen to stay out of the fray.
“Von der Leyen failing to participate in debates would be damaging European democracy,” the Greens said in a statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WEF: Depopulation Will ‘Save Elites’ & ‘Drown the Rest’
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has issued a chilling warning about how a global depopulation event would impact humanity.
The unelected globalist organization has revealed details of a so-called “Noah’s Ark” that will supposedly “save the elite” during an event that would wipe out most humans on Earth.
The WEF has accused global “elites” that they will be saved from depopulation while “the rest” are left “to drown.”
Details of the stomach-churning plan were revealed by senior WEF official Yuval Noah Harari.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WEF-Linked Study Blames ‘Accelerated Aging’ for Spike in Turbo Cancers Among Young People
A new study promoted by the corporate media claims that the global spike in turbo cancers among young people is being caused by “accelerated aging.”
In the last three years, cases of young people being diagnosed with rapidly developing cancers have soared.
Some doctors are even warning that patients are dying within one week of being diagnosed, despite appearing otherwise healthy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Four Individuals Sentenced to Death in Tunisia for Politician’s 2013 Assassination
Four individuals have been sentenced to death in Tunisia for the 2013 assassination of a politician, with two others receiving life imprisonment, according to a public prosecutor on Wednesday, as reported by AP News.
Chokri Belaid, leader of the Popular Front coalition, was fatally shot outside his home in Tunis in February 2013, marking the country’s first assassination in decades. The incident sparked widespread protests and contributed to the resignation of the then-prime minister.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former President Donald Trump has reacted to the recent Iranian attack on Israel, expressing his strong disapproval and suggesting that such an event would not have occurred if he was President. Trump made his remarks on Truth Social, his social media platform.
“Israel is under attack! This should never have been allowed to happen — This would NEVER have happened if I were President!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iran has launched waves of drones and missiles to attack Israel that are set to hit within hours, after Israel announced it was closing all schools amid fears of an upcoming attack from the rogue state.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Israel has weathered a huge barrage of over 200 missiles and drones launched by Iran tonight that forced innocent civilians to flee to bomb shelters across the nation.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Israel Says Its Defences in Action as Iran Attacks With Drones
Iran has launched dozens of aerial drones and missiles at Israel, marking a widely anticipated reprisal attack.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said the attack was aimed at “specific targets in the occupied territories”.
The Israeli military said Israel and other countries had intercepted dozens of cruise missiles and drones, mostly outside Israeli airspace.
Israel’s prime minister called a war cabinet meeting after the start of the Iranian attack.
It represents the first time hostilities between the two arch-foes, who have been engaged in a years-long shadow war, have spilt into open confrontation.
Iran had vowed to retaliate for a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April which killed seven IRGC officers, including a top commander. It accused Israel of carrying out that attack, but Israel neither confirmed nor denied it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iran Sends Drones, Missiles Towards Israel
Iran’s UN mission says its attack, in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, is “concluded”, warns Israel against retaliation.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Footage of the mission taken by a member of the crew shows at least three commandos rappelling down a rope from a helicopter onto the Israel-linked vessel
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Iranian Military Seizes Israeli Ship in the Persian Gulf
The naval fleet of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized a container ship in the Persian Gulf, the Tasnim news agency reports. The incident occurred approximately 50 nautical miles northeast of the port city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
According to the Times of Israel, the ship in question is the MSC Aries, flying under the Portuguese flag. The vessel is owned by the Zodiac Group, an Israeli company owned by billionaire Eyal Ofer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Now Says it Expects ‘Unconditional Capitulation of Zelensky Regime’ Before Peace
Ukrainian cities and especially the country’s energy infrastructure have been getting pounded by intensified Russian missile and airstrikes over the past several days and weeks, leading to widespread power outages across the country.
Russia’s defense ministry said Friday, “Russian troops delivered 48 precision strikes at Ukrainian energy and military-industrial sites, army and mercenaries’ deployment areas over the past week in the special military operation in Ukraine.”
This included a Thursday morning attack which destroyed one of Ukraine’s largest power plants in the Kyiv region. “The goal of the strike were achieved. All the targets were destroyed,” Moscow said. Ukrainian authorities are urging those with power to preserve and save their energy usage as much as possible.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S.: Russia Has Used North Korean Ballistic Missiles in Ukraine, is Seeking Iranian Missiles
The White House on January 4 said U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russia has acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea and is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran for use in its war in Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said recently declassified intelligence found that North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles. Russian forces fired at least one of those ballistic missiles into Ukraine on December 30, Kirby said, adding that a Russia-Iran deal on ballistic missiles had not been completed but is “actively advancing.”
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine has run out of missiles for use in Western air defense systems, and nearly all stock for other air defense means has either been depleted or destroyed, the senior editor for security policy at Germany’s best-selling newspaper has warned.
Bild analyst Julian Röpcke took to X on Thursday to claim that Kyiv no longer has access to Patriot and IRIS-T missiles to operate its ground-to-air defense systems and repel Russian attacks.
“This, while we have hundreds of systems and thousands of missiles in our depots. No words. Just anger,” the German journalist wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
India Plans $3.7 Billion Investment to Secure Myanmar Border
India is set to allocate approximately $3.7 billion towards securing its 1,610-km (1,000-mile) border with Myanmar over the next decade, according to a source familiar with the matter. The initiative aims to curb smuggling and other illicit activities along the porous border, as reported by Reuters.
Earlier this year, New Delhi announced its intention to fence the border and discontinue the longstanding visa-free movement policy with Myanmar for border residents, citing national security concerns and the preservation of the demographic balance in its northeastern region.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
China’s Trade Minister Warns EU Over ‘Green’ Tech Probes
China’s top trade official warned Brussels against protectionism, saying Beijing was puzzled by European Union inquiries into “green” technology exports and the bloc’s concerns they threaten the domestic solar panel, wind-turbine and electric vehicle (EV) industries.
Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao is travelling through Europe for discussions about the European Commission’s investigation into whether China’s EV industry has benefited from unfair subsidies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Japan Records Significant Population Decline
The population of Japan decreased by a record 837,000 people last year compared to the previous year, reaching 121.2 million, according to Kyodo.
It is noted that this is the largest recorded decline since demographic observations began in the country in 1950. Out of Japan’s 47 prefectures, only one showed population growth — Tokyo, where the number of residents increased for the second consecutive year.
According to a demographic study by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of October 1 last year, the country’s population, including foreign workers and students who had been in Japan for three months or longer, decreased by 595,000 to 124.4 million people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
K-Pop Star Park Bo Ram Drops Dead at 30 From Sudden Cardiac Arrest
South Korean K-pop star Park Bo Ram has dropped dead after suffering a sudden and fatal cardiac arrest while at a friend’s home, according to reports.
The massively popular singer was just 30 years old when she died suddenly on Thursday.
According to police, Park was with two other women at her friend’s house in Seoul on Thursday when she was found dead.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Adelaide Girl Facing a Sweep of Serious Terror Charges Fronts Court Hiding Behind Long Black Cloth
A young girl facing a sweep of serious terror charges has fronted court for her first public hearing, hiding behind long black cloth as she entered and left the court.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says state premiers are failing to heed the message of the Voice referendum and promoting a racist agenda pushed by an Indigenous minority.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Mr Smith, who has nine grandchildren, said young voters are likely to vote in favour of policies that will essentially seal their fate. This is what politicians must do now to protect future generations.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
— and targeted screaming mum and her baby first before unleashing 15 minutes of horror until lone female cop shot him dead
The knifeman who killed five women and one man during a rampage in Sydney today was ‘known to police’.
Six people were killed and three more stabbed during the horrific attack in that left multiple people critically injured including a mother and her baby on the start of the Australian school holidays.
Four women and one man died at the scene and another woman died in hospital. Other victims critically injured in the attack at Bondi Junction Westfield mall at around 3.30pm local time included a mother and her nine-month-old baby.
The attacker was in the mall at 3pm but left and returned at 3.20pm with a knife. He attacked the mother and child at 3.30pm before police arrived at 3.45pm and the mall was placed under lockdown at 4pm.
The baby is undergoing surgery in hospital. The motive was not immediately clear and police have not ruled out terrorism.
He was shot and killed by a hero female police officer, who apprehended the knifeman alone after being on patrol nearby.
| — Hat tip: Gary Fouse | [Return to headlines] |
— as theory behind stabbing rampage is revealed and details emerge about hospitalised victims including baby girl
Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live updates on the fallout of the horrific stabbing at the Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre on Monday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live coverage of this unfolding emergency in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
“Classical Art is a Way of Evangelising Through Beauty”: An Interview With Alejandro Peña Esclusa
Alejandro Peña Esclusa is an engineer, writer, analyst, and political consultant. A pioneer of the first protests in Venezuela against the Chavista regime, he was imprisoned for a year in El Helicoide (a prison notorious for its torture) and is now a political exile. An expert on the Sao Paulo Forum and the influence of cultural Marxism, he is the author of several books on these subjects. We discussed his latest book, Classical Art and Cultural Marxism.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Afghan Migrant on Terror List Released by Immigration Judge, Free to Roam USA
An Afghan man and illegal immigrant who’s on the FBI terror watchlist has been twice apprehended in the United States only to be released by a federal apparatus that continues to make a mockery of the very notion of “border security.”
Mohammad Kharwin, 48, was first arrested in Southern California in March 2023 after he’d illegally entered the United States from Mexico, according to NBC News, which was first to report the story. Border police suspected Kharwin was on the watchlist, because one unspecified attribute matched his entry on the list.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denver Cuts Taxpayer Services, Diverts $90 Million to Support Illegal Immigrants
Authored by Jana J. Pruet via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a major shift Wednesday in the city’s response to the illegal immigrant crisis, extending support to six months but with only about 1,000 spaces.
The city’s nearly $90 million budget plan identifies how it will fund immigrant housing and aid for the remainder of 2024. The mayor’s pivot comes after the city failed to get federal aid. Denver has served more than 40,000 immigrants since late 2022, according to a press release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Countries Are Deporting Refugees to Poland
According to border services, the number of foreigners arriving in Poland under the readmission of the so-called Dublin III agreement and other arrangements is increasing. These are foreigners who crossed the border of the European Union in Poland and applied for protection in this country but left for other EU countries without waiting for their application to be processed.
Foreigners are being returned to Poland, particularly under the Dublin III procedures, based on the Regulation of the European Parliament and Council from 2013, which governs the criteria and mechanisms for determining the member state responsible for examining an international protection claim submitted by a citizen of another country or a stateless person.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The newly approved EU migration pact is causing controversy across Europe.
While the Eastern European wing, such as Slovakia and Hungary, does not agree with the reform and the new liberal government in Poland says it opposes the measure in principle (even though its MEPs voted in favor), the Western and Southern states, such as Germany, Italy, and Greece, welcome the pact.
The results of Wednesday’s vote in the European Parliament also raised the debate about how important EU member states’ veto is in key issues of promoting national-state interests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Constitutional Council Rejects Referendum on Immigration
The French Constitutional Council has rejected the request from the centre-right party Les Républicains (LR) to hold a referendum on immigration issues.
After being voted through, Macron’s immigration law was gutted—against the wishes of a significant proportion of right-wing MPs—by the Constitutional Council, which rejected many of its provisions, robbing it of much of its effectiveness and firmness. In an attempt to counter this, the Les Républicains party submitted a request to organise a referendum, as is possible under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany to Hand Migrants Debit Cards Rather Than Cash
Olaf Scholz’s left-wing traffic light coalition has agreed to introduce special debit cards for asylum seekers in an attempt to control how and where they spend state benefits.
The scheme has been able to move forward after the Greens, who had been blocking it for months, “buckled” under pressure from their Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) coalition partners, Bild reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Will No Longer Accept Refugees Arriving From Other EU Countries
In the near future, asylum seekers in the EU will only receive social benefits for six months and only in the country that has sheltered them. This is provided for by the tightening of the asylum law, which was adopted on Wednesday, April 10, by the European Parliament, Bild reports.
The main goal of the reform is to prevent illegal movement of refugees from one EU country to another to seek asylum there. For Germany, in particular, this means that when people apply for asylum in the country, officials will check if the applicants have the right to do so in principle. If it turns out that another EU country is responsible for the person, the applicant will not receive any state benefits.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Diego saw a staggering 6,997 migrant encounters in just seven days at the start of April in an alarming indicator of the worsening border crisis, DailyMail.com can reveal.
The number is around the same as other sectors normally see in an entire month, and only reflects those who were caught — meaning the true scale is likely higher.
‘Unfortunately, I’m not surprised,’ San Diego County Commissioner Jim Desmond told DailyMail.com Thursday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government ‘Deceiving Voters’ Over Migrant Hotel Closure Claims
Rishi Sunak’s cabinet is “trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the British public” by announcing the closure of 150 hotels for asylum seekers, a leading researcher has said.
Robert Bates, who is research director at the Centre for Migration Control think tank, told The European Conservative that while it is “welcome that small communities and villages will no longer be upended by having to play host to dozens of undocumented young men,” key sites of British heritage, such as RAF Scampton, will still be accommodating illegal migrants long into the future.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Biden’s disastrous open southern border policies have sparked a migrant crime wave. This comes amid the ten million plus illegal aliens that have invaded the nation through the collapsed southern border, alongside recent calls from radical progressive lawmakers across crime-ridden metro areas to defund the police and limit criminal prosecution. All of this is a perfect storm of crime and chaos heading into the summer months.
According to Bloomberg data, the story count featuring “migrant crime” has surged from only a handful of headlines to hundreds in the last 3.5 months.
Some of these headlines include Chilean crime gangs roaming the nation on a burglary spree, targeting wealthy neighborhoods from coast to coast. Some migrants have even taken to social media to inform others about seizing homes from Americans under progressive squatting laws. Others run amuck in progressive metro areas where Soros-backed district attorneys fail to prosecute some criminals.
The latest instance of the migrant invasion and escalating crime wave was a 20-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela who attempted to rob a bank in Sandusky, Ohio.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australia: 20 Women Soccer Players Withdraw From League Over Transgender Players
Authored by Jim Birchall via The Epoch Times
Concerns over the physical safety of female-born football (soccer) players competing against transgender athletes have compelled at least 20 players to quit, according to a source from within a Sydney-based league.
Calling itself the “biggest LGBTQIA+ women’s and non-binary football club in the world,” the Flying Bats FC has made international headlines for fielding 5 self-identifying transgender players, with at least nine transgender players in the wider NorthWest Association.
Critics have said the Bat’s domination of the four-week pre-season Beryl Ackroyd Cup, which followed an undefeated season in 2023 that produced scorelines disproportionate to other teams’ results, was a direct result of the inclusion of male-born transgender players.
According to the feminist and pro-woman online news source, Reduxx, president of St. Patrick’s Football Club Frank Parisi said a March discussion over the Flying Bats FC’s ease of victories had prompted an informal meeting with stakeholders of the Northwest Sydney Football Association to address “concerns around how implausible it has become for any team to win against the Flying Bats as well as physical safety concerns.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrats Panic Over Fears Trump’s Abortion Pivot Could Lead to Victory in November
Democrats are reportedly panicking amid mounting concerns that President Donald Trump’s recently declared position on abortion could help him secure a victory in the critical November presidential election.
Trump’s recent pivot to the middle on abortion has angered some pro-life conservatives.
However, it has Democrats worried that he may disarm one of their most potent political talking points.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Brussels ‘Plotting Ways to Fund Abortions Across Europe’
Brussels is looking at ways to fund abortions across the continent, according to a report from a behind-closed-doors meeting.
European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Vera Jourova, is said to have floated a “legal trick” to her colleagues with the aim of getting around restrictions on the body entering the debate with its cash reserves.
Speaking to Brussels Signal, a source close to the EC said Jourova had spoken on the issue of the Commission supporting abortion at an internal meeting of the College of Commissioners on April 10.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Far-Left Trantifa Extremist Given No Jail Time for Attack Against Ohio Pregnancy Center
On Friday, a pro-abortion Ohio activist was sentenced to two years of probation and a $2,000 fine with no prison time for intentionally vandalizing a pregnancy center that focuses on the health of the mother and child.
Whitney Durant, 20, of Worthington, Ohio, who goes by the alias “Soren Monroe,” pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health care clinic in Bowling Green, Ohio on April 15, 2023, which is in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).
Durant will see no prison time as a result of the crime. The FACE Act has also been used against pro-life activists protesting outside abortion clinics. Recently several were convicted under the act after praying outside an abortion clinic in Washington DC and face up to 11 years of prison depending on the outcome of the sentence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Government Advisory Panel Recommends Liberalising Abortion
A body of advisors appointed by the German coalition government is pushing to expand abortion laws.
The panel, made up of 18 people with backgrounds in medicine, psychology, ethics and law, was set up by Olaf Scholz’s left-wing traffic light coalition last year, and now says lawmakers should legalise abortions within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to reports.
Existing German law only allows for abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and only after mandatory counselling from a state-certified provider. If a pregnancy is the result of rape, counselling is not required before an abortion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Landmark Study Reveals ‘Transgender’ Kids Actually Have Other Mental Health Diagnoses
Authored by Sara Parshaall Perry via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
It’s been a red-letter week for destroying the gender narrative. And the trans juggernaut just hit another speed bump.
Fresh off the heels of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announcing that it would not allow transgender-identified men to compete in women’s athletic events in any of its association’s 239 small private schools, a landmark study was released on Wednesday that defies the hysterical warning that if gender dysphoric adolescents don’t receive “gender-affirming care,” they will kill themselves.
The new study from British pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass confirms what we’ve always known: Children presenting with sudden onset gender dysphoria are actually suffering from other mental health diagnoses—not true gender dysphoria. Her research debunks the gender ideologues’ frequent talking point: that the imposition of medical “gender-affirming care” on mentally ill children is not only necessary, but life-saving.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A far-left extremist that firebombed a pro-life office in Wisconsin in 2022 has been sentenced to 7.5 years in federal prison, along with three years of supervised release and a $32,000 fine.
Hindu Sankar Roychowdhury, who also holds a PhD, was arrested in March 2023 and charged with attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the incident occurred in 2022 when Roychowdhury was accused of vandalizing and setting fire to the offices of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison. The firebombing took place following a leaked report suggesting the Supreme Court’s potential overturning of Roe v. Wade.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Polish Sejm Has Begun Discussions on Projects Concerning the Liberalization of Abortion Laws
The Polish Sejm has initiated discussions on easing conditions for legal termination of pregnancy, reports RMF24. Parliament is considering four bills with slightly different perspectives — two from the “Left” and one each from the “Civic Coalition” of Tusk and the “Third Way” bloc.
Among these political forces, the most conservative vision comes from the “Third Way” bloc, which believes that legal abortion should only be allowed in three cases: threat to the life and health of the mother, a high probability of serious and irreversible fetal pathologies or serious grounds to believe that pregnancy is the result of “prohibited actions.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Campaigners Demand Labour Clarify Transgender Treatment Stance
Given that Labour has an almost 100% chance of winning the next general election, activists who have long opposed experimental treatment of children questioning their gender are keen to hear what the party’s leading lights have to say about a new and important report.
The Family Education Trust (FET) research institute told The European Conservative that it “welcomes” some of the comments from one senior Labour figure, but argued that more clarification is needed from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer himself.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WHO Demands ‘Transformation’ of ‘Food Systems’ by Ending Meat-Eating to Fight ‘Climate Change’
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a statement demanding that governments implement plans to “transform” the “food systems” of the general public to fight “climate change.”
According to Tedros, the public must now “move away from meat-eating and traditional agriculture” to “save the planet” from “global warming.”
The WHO chief argues that farming and meat production are “harming the health of people and planet.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A french leftwing politician was enriched by those she wants to flood into her country:
https://modernity.news/2023/12/22/left-wing-politician-who-campaigned-for-mass-migration-brutally-beaten-by-north-african-men-in-france/
I hope she likes it.
You reap what you sow.