The Israeli military announced today it will soon call up two reserve divisions for operations in Gaza. Meanwhile, according to a former financial adviser to Israel’s military, it cost Israel more than a billion dollars to activate its defense systems that intercepted Iran’s massive drone and missile attack.
In other news, Ukraine’s military chief said that the battlefield situation in the east has significantly worsened in recent days as Russia has increased its attacks.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, DV, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, 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.
Canada at High Risk of Losing Its AAA Credit Rating: Report
The federal government’s irresponsible fiscal discipline may lead to Canada losing its AAA credit rating, especially when comparing its economic policies to those of other top-rated countries.
The Royal Bank of Canada report released on Thursday, serves as a warning ahead of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s new fiscal budget announcement on April 16.
The report is urging the Trudeau government to show discipline in its upcoming budget and not to take its “status as a top-rated sovereign for granted.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Bankruptcies Grew by 46 Percent Last Quarter Despite Slight Improvement in March
The number of bankruptcies has been rising for almost two years. In the first three months of 2024, over 46 percent more companies were declared bankrupt than in the same period a year ago.
The number of bankruptcies decreased again in March. There were eight fewer bankruptcies in March than a year before, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), which is around two percent less.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
19 Retired Generals, Admirals File Supreme Court Brief Against Trump Immunity Bid
Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
More than a dozen former Defense Department officials, generals, and admirals filed a brief with the Supreme Court arguing against former President Donald Trump’s presidential immunity arguments.
It comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the former president’s assertions that he should enjoy immunity from prosecution for activity that he carried out while he was president. The former president invoked that argument after he was accused by federal prosecutors of attempting to illegally overturn the 2020 election results.
The amicus brief’s signatories include former CIA Director Michael Hayden, retired Admiral Thad Allen, retired Gen. George Casey, retired Gen. Charles Krulak, and more.
[Comment: They are, basically, members of the Deep State.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
50,000 Tons of Baltimore’s Key Bridge Steel Diced for Recycling
As one worker cut into a piece of steel with a torch, another operated an excavator — missing at first, but then picking up another portion of what used to be the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The pieces they each wrangled Friday couldn’t have weighed more than one short ton, less than 0.02% of the 50,000 short tons of bridge wreckage that fell into the nearby Patapsco River. Yet they represented a tiny step in a painstaking, arduous process.
When the Key Bridge collapsed into the midnight-black water in the early hours of March 26, it created a seemingly insurmountable task: clearing the channel of debris and the massive cargo ship that created the mess. The scale of the salvage job is difficult to comprehend, and although crews have begun to remove the wreckage from the channel, piece by piece, one can’t simply throw thousands of tons into a trash bin.
Instead, a nearby facility was swiftly tasked with processing the crumpled steel and concrete.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Americans Panic-Search “World War III” and “Can I be Drafted” as Iran Bombs Israel
Americans panic searched “World War III” and other related searches following Iran’s Saturday night attack on Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones.
Using data from Google Trends, “World War III” searches surged nationwide, hitting a five-year high.
Americans also searched “When will world war iii begin” and “When is world war iii going to happen” and even “Alexa, when will world war iii start,” as well as “Are We headed for world war iii”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brazen Armed Robber Swipes Loads of Nike Items From NYC Foot Locker: ‘We Couldn’t Stop Him’
A brazen gunman waltzed into a Foot Locker in The Bronx and stole a bunch of brand-name clothes — then whined on his way out that a worker dared to jostle him during the crime, cops and staff said Sunday.
The unidentified suspect hit the Third Avenue store about 7:45 p.m. April 9, police said.
He gathered a whole stack of Nike sweatshirts and sweatpants, according to security guard Lawrence Graham, who was not working that day but heard about the ordeal from the guard who was there.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Homeless Man Beats Woman Into a Coma, Injures Another
California police arrested a violent homeless man on attempted murder charges after he allegedly attacked two women, leaving one victim in a coma and the other unconscious and needing surgery.
The horrifying incident occurred at the canals in Venice, California on April 6.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Family Gathering Turns Deadly After Gunfire Erupts; Child Killed, 7 Others Wounded
An investigation is underway in Chicago after a shooting at a family gathering Saturday evening left a 7-year-old dead and seven other adults and children injured.
Chicago Police Deputy Chief Don Jerome said officers responded to a shot spotter alert of 18 rounds fired in the 2000 block of 52nd Street, west of Damen Avenue, at about 9:30 p.m.
The alert pointed officers to an area in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Child Killed, 10 Wounded in Back of the Yards Mass Shooting, Chicago Police Say
An 8-year-old girl is dead and at least 10 others, including three children, were injured in a mass shooting in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood Saturday night.
According to police, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the 2000 block of West 52nd Street just after 9 p.m. Saturday, and when they arrived on scene they found at least 11 gunshot victims.
An 8-year-old girl was among those shot. She was struck in the head by gunfire, and was later pronounced dead at Comer Children’s Hospital, police said.
A 1-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were both shot multiple times in the abdomen, and both were rushed to area hospitals in critical condition, according to police.
Another 9-year-old child suffered a graze wound to the finger, and was listed in good condition at an area hospital.
A 36-year-old man was shot in the right arm and in the back, and was listed in critical condition, police said.
At least six other victims were shot, and all were listed in good condition at area hospitals.
Exact circumstances of the shooting are still being investigated, but an individual in a black sedan fired dozens of shots into a crowd of people at the scene before fleeing south on Damen Avenue, according to an eyewitness.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation that further cracks down on retail theft, porch piracy, and the incitement of looting through social media. The move comes as a response to the growing problem of coordinated criminal activities that have led to significant financial losses for businesses across the country.
During the signing ceremony, DeSantis took a jab at Democrat-controlled areas, which have experienced the largest increase in these types of crimes. He emphasized that Florida was “pretty much doing the opposite of what a lot of states like California and New York have done.” The governor pointed out that coordinated retail theft and looting were being organized through social media platforms, resulting in companies reporting a staggering $112 billion loss in 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fed-Up Judge Makes Unusual Move in Arizona Rancher Trial
A judge in Arizona walked out of the courtroom in the middle of proceedings this week, exasperated with both sides of the trial.
Judge Thomas Fink of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court is presiding over the trial of rancher George Alan Kelly, who is accused of murder after the fatal shooting of Mexican national Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea.
Fink got up and momentarily left the bench on Thursday while the defense was presenting, deferring to the clerk and court reporter, according to local outlet Fox 29.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Four Teens Attack Uber Driver in Brooklyn While Filming it, Police Seek Suspects
Police are searching for four teens who beat and attempted to rob an Uber driver in Brooklyn, New York, earlier this month.
The victim of the attack told the New York Post that he was looking for the rider he was supposed to pick up on Alabama Street when he asked the nearby teens if they knew her.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minneapolis Delays Minimum Wage Increase for Rideshare Drivers After Uber, Lyft Threaten to Leave
Minneapolis has postponed the implementation of its planned minimum wage increase for rideshare drivers following threats from Uber and Lyft to cease operations in the city. The decision to delay the wage hike will provide lawmakers with additional time to negotiate a compromise with the rideshare companies.
City Council will require Uber and Lyft to pay their drivers either $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute or $5 per ride, ensuring they receive the same hourly wage as the city minimum of $15.57.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Orthodox Jewish Man Brutally Stabbed During ‘Horrific Assault’ in Rockland County
An Orthodox Jewish man was brutally stabbed in his own driveway in Rockland County, New York, in an attack that police called a “horrific assault.”
Elijah Dean, 23, of New City was arrested for the bloody attack Saturday evening and being held on one million dollars cash bond, according to Ramapo Police.
Dean was due in court Thursday to face charges of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, officials said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Plurality of Americans Want Biden to Toughen Up on Israel: Poll
A plurality of Americans want President Biden to begin taking a tougher stance on Israel and want a cease-fire in the war against Hamas, a new poll found prior to Iran’s attack.
Thirty-four percent of respondents felt that Biden is “not tough enough” on Israel, while 17% felt he is too tough, 26% believe he is handling it just right, and 24% aren’t sure, per a Politico-Morning Consult poll.
Although taken before Tehran’s unprecedented military strike against Israel Saturday, the poll sheds light on the thorny politics Biden is grappling with domestically on Israel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco Jails on Lockdown, Request Help From National Guard Amid Attacks on Deputies
Two San Francisco County jails were placed on lockdown Sunday afternoon and a request for help from the National Guard was issued as officials reported that attacks against jail deputies are on the rise.
“Recent incidents have shocked the community, including a sharp rise in prisoner fights, attacks on prisoners by other inmates, and injuries to both civilian employees and deputy sheriffs. These dangerous incidents underscore the pressing need for intervention to ensure the safety and security of all within the jails,” The San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association (SFDSA) said in a statement on Sunday.
Sheriff officials reported that since March 29, at least seven staff members have been injured by inmates, including two who sustained serious injuries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scandal-ridden Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard faced waves of jeers and booing throughout a raucous meeting where she faced fed-up constituents.
Henyard, the self-described “supermayor” of Dolton, a Chicago suburb, and Thornton Township Supervisor, has recently been dubbed the “worst mayor in America” by critics after being accused of misdeeds ranging from weaponizing police raids to spending taxpayer money on luxuries in Las Vegas. Most recently she has also come under fire for an alleged sexual assault by one of her allies during the Vegas trip, where the alleged victim claims to have been fired after speaking out.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he didn’t agree with President Biden on his stance that the U.S. wouldn’t join in an offensive operation against Iran during an interview on Sunday, saying he would never “capitulate to the fringe” of his party.
CNN host Jake Tapper asked Fetterman to respond to reports that Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. wouldn’t participate in any offensive operations against Iran during a conversation on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Intercept ‘Nearly Out of Money’ and ‘Facing Its Own Bitter Civil War’: Report
Semafor reports that The Intercept “is running out of cash” and will likely be out of money entirely by May 2025. Those projections however, per Intercept CEO Annie Chabel, are a worst-case scenario.
The Intercept, co-founded by independent journalist Glenn Greenwald, who left the outlet in 2020, is a far-left outlet that has been a major voice in opposing Israel’s fight against Palestinian terror group Hamas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Prepares for Monday’s ‘Fake Biden Trial’ With ‘Highly Conflicted’ Manhattan Judge
Former President Trump will take his 2024 campaign to New York on Monday, where he’ll be sitting in a Manhattan courtroom for what he decried as a “Fake Biden Trial” to face 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with the Stormy Daniels ‘hush money’ embroglio. The trial comes after an unsuccessful bid to adjourn the case due to overwhelming pretrial publicity, which Judge Juan Merchan denied, calling adjournment “not tenable.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video Shows Chicago Activists Cheer After Learning Iran Launched Attack on Israel: ‘Hands Off Iran!’
Self-described anti-war activists in Chicago cheered after learning that Iran had launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday.
Iran launched a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones at Israel in an apparent response to Israel’s reported role in an airstrike that killed a senior Iranian official in the country’s embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus last week.
On Saturday, a group of self-described anti-war activists, including March On DNC 2024 and Anti War Chicago, were gathered in Chicago when a man announced news of the attack on Israel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
the truth portion of truth and reconciliation. She has been piercing the smoke screen around Indigenous issues in Canada for decades. With works like her 2008 must-read “Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry: The Deception Behind Indigenous Cultural Preservation,” she has proven that her commitment to honest, critical, and academic research is not dissuaded by feigned politeness or the political correctness that Canadians are accustomed to any time First Nations’ issues are addressed.
Rebel News has had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Widdowson before, first when she tackled a great deal of the misinformation being shared about the purported unmarked graves in Kamloops, and then again when she was terminated from Mount Royal University in Calgary for refusing to bend the knee to woke ideologies.
Since then she co-authored a book titled “Grave Error: How the Media Misled Us (and the Truth About Residential Schools),” which takes an in-depth look at the dishonest and exaggerated claims that have been made about residential schools, particularly in Kamloops.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rebel News’ Alexa Lavoie asked Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Friday about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s refusal to have an emergency meeting with the country’s provincial leaders over his carbon tax hikes.
“Well, I can tell you his answer: that he met with the premiers in 2016,” Smith responded, noting that “none of the premiers currently at the table were at the table in 2016.”
“When they first implemented it, they talked about it having a $50 per tonne ceiling, and then they got elected and now it’s $170 per tonne by 2030, and when he’s asked if it’s going to go higher, he’s not answering. So how high is it going to go?” she asked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Carbon Tax Protest West of Calgary Shows No Signs of Ending
The demonstration against the Trudeau Liberals’ April 1 hike to the carbon tax is on its 12th day, with attendees telling Rebel News they’re in it for the long haul.
Tents, trailers, cars and semi-trailers are all part of the resistance to Justin Trudeau’s inflationary tax, which jumped from $65 per tonne to $80 at the start of the month.
Although there was a tense standoff with police early in the protest, the conflict ended without arrests and the demonstration has been entirely peaceful along the side of Highway 1, west of Calgary.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Coutts Three Trial: Crown Ends Arguments, Defence Teams Opt Against Inviting Witnesses
The Coutts Three — Marco Van Huigenbos, George Janzen, and Alex Van Herk — are being charged with mischief over $5,000 for their participation in the 2022 Coutts protest and blockade, which at times blocked traffic across the Canada-U.S. Coutts-Sweetgrass border crossing. The demonstration took place concurrently with the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa, ON, with the two peaceful protests utilizing civil disobedience in opposition to government orders and mandates marketed as “public health” measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission.
The three defendants told Rebel News they were pleased with their defence lawyers, with their attorney fees partially covered by The Democracy Fund, a non-profit organization describing itself as committed to protecting constitutional rights and freedoms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Covering the Coutts Three Trial: Freedom of Speech
The trial for Alex Van Herk, Marco Van Huigenbos, and George Janzen continued last week in Lethbridge, Alberta. The three men are each being charged with mischief over $5000 and facing up to 10 years in prison for allegedly being leaders of the 2022 Coutts border blockade.
Recent proceedings focused on the testimony of RCMP officer Greg Tulloch, who acknowledged that varying factions composed the Coutts protest. The prosecution is alleging that the three men exerted influence and control over the other protesters at Coutts.
The Coutts border blockade was an 18-day peaceful demonstration against government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions held at the border of Coutts, Alberta and Sweet Grass, Montana in early 2022.
The anti-mandate demonstration halted millions of dollars in trade and contributed to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Alberta, proving to be one of the most impactful protests Canada has seen in decades. The demonstration occurred concurrently with the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa.
Rebel News reporter Robert Kraychik has been on the ground at the Lethbridge courthouse, providing independent reporting, and joined Ezra Levant to share some updates from the trial of the Coutts Three.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dreams of Homeownership Vanishing for Canadians: CIBC Survey
Homeownership feels like a distant dream for the majority of Canadians who do not already own a home, according to a new CIBC poll.
76% of Canadians feel that entry to the housing market feels out of reach. Only 56% of non-homeowners said they still hope to own a home one day.
The online Maru Public Opinion survey was undertaken by CIBC and surveyed Canadians who owned a home, intended to purchase one within the next two years, and those who don’t own one.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pierre Poilievre Takes Aim at Trudeau Wanting ‘All the Power and None of the Responsibility’
Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre took the stage at the Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference this week to take aim at Trudeau’s response to the hearings on foreign interference in Canadian elections as well as his “illiberal” policies. He delivered the keynote address to a packed room of enthusiastic supporters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Quadriplegic Man Chose Assisted Suicide After Hospital Stay Ended With Bed Sores
Normand Meunier, a quadriplegic man in Quebec, sought assisted suicide after he developed bed sores due to a lack of specialized care at a hospital in Saint-Jérôme, Que.
According to Radio-Canada, who originally reported the story, Meunier’s arms and legs had been paralyzed since 2022 after experiencing a spinal cord injury.
In the article, his partner Sylvie Brosseau said Meunier spent 95 hours on a stretcher while in intensive care for a respiratory virus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘The Decline of Great North American Cities’ — Anthony Furey on Toronto’s Plethora of Issues
The Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa entered its second day, shining a spotlight on Anthony Furey, a columnist and broadcaster. Furey, who gained attention for his Toronto mayoral campaign in 2023, shared insights on the current state of affairs in the city and beyond.
Reflecting on Olivia Chow’s tenure as Toronto’s mayor, Furey remarked, “She’s a lovely lady…but when it comes to policies, I think that’s where we’re falling short.” He highlighted concerns over significant tax increases and deteriorating quality of life indicators, including traffic congestion and public safety issues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU and European Countries Condemn Iran’s Attack on Israel
Several European leaders have expressed condemnation for Iran’s massive air strike and pro-Iranian forces in neighboring countries targeting Israel’s territory overnight on April 14, during which nearly 300 missiles and drones were involved.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Antonia Food acted as a front for a foreign crime group now revealed to be the UK’s biggest ever benefit fraudsters, who made off with £54m.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Anti-Abortion March Held in Warsaw
In the Polish capital of Warsaw on Sunday, April 14, a march of anti-abortion activists took place, who are dissatisfied with the government’s steps aimed at liberalizing strict abortion laws, according to AP.
The march was supported by the Polish Catholic Church, which called for making Sunday a day of prayer “in defense of unborn life.”
Currently, public debates are ongoing in Poland regarding the steps of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government aimed at softening strict abortion legislation introduced by the previous conservative government.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Activists on Tenerife Stage Hunger Strike Demanding Tourists to Go Home
On the island of Tenerife, around 20 civil initiatives have united under the organization “Canarias seagota” and collectively protested against the influx of tourists to the Canary Islands, as reported by Bild.
Initially, they held a protest action outside the parliament building in Madrid, and now around ten activists have begun an indefinite hunger strike in front of La Concepcion church in northern Tenerife.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK to Rush Experimental ‘Dragonfire’ Laser Weapon Into Service to Deploy in Ukraine
Ukraine is to become a giant testing ground for a revolutionary new laser weapon which, if successful, promises to radically alter the economics of warfare, the British government says.
The “sovereign” British Dragonfire laser was successfully tested at an Army range in Scotland earlier this year. Now, defence procurement rules are being changed to rush it to deployment five years early, and perhaps to the front line in Ukraine even sooner. British Defence Minister Grant Shapps said the rollout of the anti-air laser to the Royal Navy warships was being brought forward five whole years, from 2032 to 2027, but made clear it could be seeing action earlier yet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tieran Carmody, 19, allegedly killed Mac Richardson after the defendant had asked him why he was smoking cannabis in a kid’s play area in Joyner’s Field in Harlow, Essex.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Hundreds of Manchester Arena Attack Survivors File Lawsuit Against MI5
In May 2017, 22 people were killed and another 100 injured when a bomber detonated his device at an Ariana Grande pop concert.
An official enquiry found in March 2023 that the attack might have been stopped if Britain’s MI5 security service had acted on vital intelligence.
“Legal teams representing injured survivors and families of the deceased from the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 can confirm that they have collectively submitted a group claim on behalf of more than 250 clients to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT),” the three law firms involved in the lawsuit — Hudgell Solicitors, Slater & Gordon and Broudie Jackson Canter — said in a statement sent to AFP.
The lawyers said they could not give more details at this stage.
The suicide attack, as concert-goers were leaving the show at the Manchester Arena in northern England, was carried out by 22-year-old Salman Abedi, who was from Manchester but of Libyan descent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Warns Netanyahu US Will NOT Support Israel’s Counterattack on Iran Amid Fears of All-Out War…
— President tells PM in late-night call ‘you got a win, take the win’ after IDF shot down ‘nearly all’ incoming drones and missiles
Biden spoke with Netanyahu after Iran bombarded Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday in response to a drone strike in Syria that killed 12 Iranians.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
IDF: ‘Significant Strategic Achievement’ as Israel Stopped 99% of Iran’s Missiles, Drones
“Significant strategic achievement” after it prevented 99% of Iran’s drones and missiles from reaching their targets.
As Breitbart News reported, Iran attacked Israel overnight Saturday into Sunday with a swarm of over 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Israel’s air defense systems intercepted most of them; the U.S., U.K., and Jordan also intercepted Iranian drones.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israeli Military Calling Up Reservists for More Gaza Operations
JERUSALEM, April 14 (Reuters) — The Israeli military said on Sunday it will soon call up two reserve divisions for operations in Gaza, where it has been conducting a war against Islamist militant group Hamas.
“In accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is calling up approximately two reserve brigades for operational activities on the Gazan front,” the military said, though it provided no further details.
Earlier this month Israel pulled some forces out of Gaza, saying troops would be preparing for further operations in the territory, including in the southern area of Rafah, where more than a million people have taken shelter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to evacuate civilians from Rafah before any incursion aimed at crushing Hamas battalions there, but that has done little to quell international concern over the planned assault.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Israel’s Defense Against Iran Attack Overnight ‘Likely Cost Over $1 Billion’
Via Middle East Eye
It cost Israel more than $1bn to activate its defense systems that intercepted Iran’s massive drone and missile attack overnight, according to a former financial adviser to Israel’s military.
“The defence tonight was on the order of 4-5bn shekels [$1-1.3bn] per night,” estimated Brigadier General Reem Aminoach in an interview with Ynet news.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Several Countries Come to Israel’s Aid to Stop Iran Barrage
Israel fended off a furious attack on Saturday with the help of powerful allies in the region and around the world.
Multiple countries came together to help fend off over 300 drones and missiles launched at Israel from Iran, with the Israeli Defense Forces claiming that roughly 99% of the attack had been thwarted by their forces and allies.
“At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles,” President Biden said in a statement condemning the Iranian attack.
But the U.S. was not the only country to step up in the defense of Israel, with France, Jordan and the United Kingdom also playing roles in intercepting the attack.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Video Evidence Shows Several Iranian Cruise Missiles Scored Direct Hits
Both Israel and the US have declared a ‘victory’ in defending against the overnight massive Iranian drone and missile attack, which reportedly saw over 300 projectiles sent toward Israel. Ground anti-air systems were very active, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow system — the latter intended to thwart long-range missiles. The night skies over Israel were lit up for several hours, with explosions ringing out above various cities, especially Jerusalem.
US systems were also heavily engaged on behalf of Washington’s closest Middle East ally. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also subsequently said its air force fighter jets downed some 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles. A statement further said “All the drones and cruise missiles were downed outside of the country’s airspace by the IAF and its allies, including the United States, United Kingdom, Jordan, France, and others.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine in ‘Serious Risk’ of Losing War to Russia This Year, Says Former UK Commander
Ukraine is facing a potential outright defeat by the Russians this year, the former commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command has warned.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine continuing into its third year, the badly outnumbered and outgunned Ukraine is facing a “serious risk” of having to admit defeat to Russia, General Sir Richard Barrons told the BBC. there is “a serious risk” of Ukraine losing the war this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The top commander of the Ukrainian armed forces has admitted that the situation along the eastern front with Russia has “significantly worsened” amid a renewed push from Moscow’s forces.
Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi — who took over the top post in February following the ousting of Valerii Zaluzhnyi after calling the war a “stalemate” — wrote on Telegram on Saturday that his forces are struggling to cope with escalating assaults being waged by Russia, which he claimed have intensified amid improving weather conditions and the recent “election” in Russia which cemented Vladimir Putin’s hold on power for at least another six years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kyiv’s military chief has said that Ukraine’s battlefield situation in the industrial east had “significantly worsened in recent days”, as Russia increase their attacks.
Analysts for the Institute for the Study of War have warned that delays in Western military assistance would increasingly hamper their ability to fight back against Russian advances.
It comes as sixteen people were killed in the Russian-held town of Tokmak in the southern Zaporizhzhia region after it was shelled by the Ukrainian military.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the region’s top official, said on Telegram that the shelling on Friday night also injured at least 20 people, 12 of them seriously.
Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday its forces had captured Pervomaiske, a village in the Donetsk region where Moscow has focused its offensive for months.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
India: Muslims Make Bombs to Attack Hindu Festival
Banka Blast in Muslim areas before Ram Navami gives a signal to Hindus to make adequate security measures.
Banka Blast in BiharUpendra Bharti | HENB | Patna | April 14, 2024:: Two children died tragically in the bomb blast in Banka on Friday, while the condition of two remains critical. Police have arrested two Muslims men named as accused, from whose house a huge quantity of explosive material has been recovered. The remaining accused are yet to be arrested. Such blasts before Ram Navami and during the Election season alarmed the police and administration.
There is mourning in Ahiro village of Banka. Two of the four children injured in the sudden bomb blast in Ahiro village under Dhoraiya police station area of Banka late evening on Friday (April 12) have died. Both of them were undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, Bhagalpur. The other two children are also being treated in the same hospital.
The deceased children have been identified as Qurban, 8 year old son of Mohammad Ismail Ansari, resident of Maqsood Mohalla of Ahiro village of Dhoraiya block, and Saniullah, 5 year old son of Mohammad Saddam. According to the information, bombs were being made in the house of Mohammad Ismail Ansari and kept unsafe, one of which suddenly exploded late on Friday evening and the children were playing outside the house.
SDPO Archana Kumari said that along with children, some elders were also injured in this incident. During the investigation, blood stains were found at various places at the spot, while most of the men in the locality are absconding from home. Based on the statement of Dhoraiya Police Station Head Ashok Kumar, further action is being taken by registering a case against five named people and some unknown people.
In the FIR police mentioned Mohammad Ismail, Arif Ansari, Farooq Ansari alias Zafir Ansari, Asghar Ansari and Noor Mohammad, all residents of Ahiro village. It is said that Asghar Ansari and Noor Mohammad used to make bombs by procuring bomb making materials from outside.
Though such a bomb blast in Bihar during election time is not an uncommon thing, such preparedness in Muslim areas to hit others by bombs before Ram Navami indicates a very alarming situation in the state.
This year Ram Navami falls on April 17, and is very significant as the first Ram Navami celebration after the consecration of Ayodhya Ram Temple held on January 22. The arrogant Muslims can take revenge by attacking Ram Navami celebrations across the country.
Bomb making by Muslims and Banka blast in Bihar before Ram Navami gives a message to the Hindus to take adequate security measures to maintain safety in Ram Navami processions and other celebrations. Why the Muslims were making bombs in their homes during election times before Ram Navami Celebrations?
All the Central and State intelligence agencies must take cognisance of the Banka blast accordingly.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
China Accused of Flooding United Kingdom With Counterfeit Postage Stamps
British authorities have accused China of attempting to flood the country with fake postage stamps, a form of industrial sabotage and “economic warfare” often associated with the days of the Second World War.
A sudden rise in detected forgeries of postage stamps in the United Kingdom — and complaints from unsuspecting customers being charged £5 to receive a letter posted with a fake — has been traced to Chinese companies offering to print a million stamps a week for just pennies apiece.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Arrived in China for a Meeting With Xi Jinping
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has arrived in China. His three-day visit began in the metropolis of Chongqing. The Chancellor will also visit Shanghai and Beijing, where he will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, Reuters reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Bloody Amazing’: Dad’s Heartbreaking Act for Children in Bondi Massacre
Footage of a father leading his children out of a Sydney shopping centre in eye masks following a deadly mass stabbing attack is going viral on social media.
Six people, including the alleged offender, have been confirmed dead following the harrowing Saturday afternoon attack at Bondi Junction Westfield.
Multiple other people, including a mother and nine-month-old baby, suffered stab wounds.
An assailant, named as Queensland man Joel Cauchi, began running around the busy shopping centre armed with a knife and stabbing people across multiple floors of the busy centre at 3.30pm.
The man was shot dead by a “heroic” police officer who confronted the assailant.
Multiple people have been seen fleeing the shopping centre in the wake of the attack, including a father who it seems went to great lengths to protect his children from the horrific scenes.
“Just saw two young children on the news with eye masks over their eyes, being guided by their father out of Bondi Junction shopping centre,” a user wrote on X.
“That man covered their eyes so they wouldn’t see the horrors of what has just happened. That’s a bloody amazing father.”
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
While the Middle East wobbled on the precipice of World War III on Saturday, a Brazilian UFC fighter gave us hope by using his victory speech to deliver an emphatic endorsement of Austrian economics, Ludwig von Mises, the First Amendment and gun rights.
Renato Moicano’s televised speech came after he pulled off a comeback win over Jalin Turner at Las Vegas. Joe Rogan joined him in the ring to discuss the fight, but Moicano had other priorities, and proceeded to drop a profanity-peppered liberty bomb on the T-Mobile Arena crowd and a worldwide audience.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, is currently suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for access to the royal’s visa documents to determine whether he made false statements about prior drug use.
Harry has admitted to experimenting with cocaine, cannabis, and psychedelic mushrooms — behavior he would have been required to disclose on application forms filed before he relocated to the United States in 2020.
The government warns immigrants that making misleading or false claims on government paperwork is grounds for deportation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A dozen illegal immigrants brazenly arrived in the US by taking a speedboat to a beach in California, nearly hitting people in the water, and then escaping in cars.
The boat missed what appeared to be a surfer in the water by a few feet as it zipped by and approached the beach at very high speed.
After beaching the vessel on the sand, the migrants got out and sprinted towards the row of oceanfront houses on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Immigration Costs American Households Hundreds of Billions Annually
Authored by Chadwick Hagan via The Epoch Times
Illegal immigration weighs heavily on the wallets of hardworking American taxpayers — to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Still, the Biden administration turns a blind eye to these fiscal strains, neglecting the toll on our economy, the structural integrity of our nation, and the safety of our citizens.
Estimates suggest that illegal immigrants cost each household about $1,000, adding up to more than $120 billion a year.
Sources such as Newsweek hint that the true cost may be even higher, possibly reaching $150 billion annually, an amount shared by both federal and state governments. In all actuality, the financial impact could be much worse.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Block Turned Into Illicit Open-Air Market for Migrant Crooks, Prostitution: ‘It’s Relentless’
A stretch of Jackson Heights has devolved into an illegal migrant shopping district — an unchecked open-air market where everything from women to stolen goods can be had, The Post has learned.
Roosevelt Avenue near 91st Street is littered daily with migrant vendors hawking goods they ripped off from shopkeepers just steps away, while prostitutes proposition passersby at all hours — and frustrated merchants and residents say they’re helpless to do anything about it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A controversial charity is planning new court challenges to Rwanda deportations despite a minister pledging yesterday that flights would finally take off ‘within weeks’.
The law is finally set to pass through Parliament this week, paving the way for the first illegal migrants to be sent to Africa.
But Care4Calais said it had recruited hundreds of volunteers to identify migrants who are due on the first flights and will help them make last-minute appeals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Lawsuit ‘Subverting States Rights’ to Regulate Abortion Head to Supreme Court
The Supreme Couret is set to consider a second abortion case this term, this time dealing with claims by a Republican-led state that the Biden Administration is attempting to wield a 40-year-old law as an ‘abortion mandate.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Government of Alberta to Intervene on Legal Challenge of Saskatchewan’s Parental Rights Bill
Alberta and Saskatchewan are joining forces to defend their parental consent policies for minors under 16.
On Tuesday, Ministers of Justice Mickey Amery and Bronwyn Eyre released a joint statement to reveal Alberta’s intervention at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.
“Saskatchewan and Alberta agree that the key figures in children’s lives are their parents, and our provinces are both committed to supporting families and children so that they can work through unique needs together,” said Amery and Eyre.
Bill 137, the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act, mandates that children under 16 years of age cannot change their name, use different pronouns, or affirm their ‘gender identity’ without parental consent. It also bans third-party sex education organizations from classrooms, such as Planned Parenthood.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leftist Scottish Leader’s Popularity Collapses After Hate Speech Law Introduced
Far-left Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf’s popularity has plummeted amid the introduction of new draconian speech restrictions, with less than three in ten supporters of his own party believing that he is doing a good job.
A survey conducted between April 9th and 12th by Norstat for The Sunday Times found that First Minister Yousaf’s net popularity among those who voted for his Scottish National Party (SNP) in the 2019 general election fell to negative seven per cent, a steep decline from January when the leftist leader had a positive popularity of net 14 per cent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NPR’s New CEO Katherine Maher Haunted by Woke, Anti-Trump Tweets as Veteran Editor Claims Bias
The woke, anti-Trump tweets of NPR’s new CEO are coming back to haunt her after she struggled to refute bombshell charges of journalistic bias lodged this week by a veteran editor.
Award-winning NPR business editor Uri Berliner’s lengthy essay in The Free Press was “profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning,” Katherine Maher, the radio network’s 42-year-old president, complained in a letter to staffers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two-Thirds of Colleges Mandate DEI Courses for Graduation, Report Finds
A new report released Thursday by the group Speech First finds that nearly two-thirds of colleges and universities reviewed have requirements for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) courses to satisfy graduation requirements
The report, titled “No Graduation Without Indoctrination: The DEI Course Mandate,” investigated 248 colleges from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and found that 67% of the institutions reviewed mandate DEI courses to satisfy general education requirements. Of the 165 institutions identified that enforce DEI requirements, 59% were taxpayer-funded public institutions and 41% were private institutions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Today’s coliseum is filled with Drag Time Story Hours and a calendar so crammed with celebrations of every stripe of pride and culture that one might need a guide to navigate it. Subsidies shower down like the finale of a firework show, ensuring the populace remains too stuffed on the bread and dazzled by the circus of reality TV outrages and viral sensations to notice the ground shifting beneath their feet.
In this grand festival of the now, one has to wonder if we’ve become spectators in our own version of Rome’s downfall, squinting at the bright lights, too entertained to notice we’re perched on the edge of history’s greatest pratfall.”
https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/bread-and-circuses-and-what-it-means-for-once-great-nations-5622429
“As more and more clueless Bolshevik two year-olds flee the mess they themselves’ve made throughout the northeast and west coasts, they’ll infect the rest of non-hyphenated America, thus diluting the remains of America’s sensible melting pot and accelerating the Fall of Rome 2.0.” —posted to fb (Sept 2018)
But Iran made 36 billion in oil revenues that had been sanctioned before the Biden administration. He basically funds the Iranian terrorists in the Middle East as well as indirectly Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houtis. All while gas prices go up in the US and oil lease are denied here.
“Award-winning NPR business editor Uri Berliner’s lengthy essay in The Free Press was “profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning,” Katherine Maher, the radio network’s 42-year-old president, complained in a letter to staffers.”
Really? I read it and thought it was extremely polite, mild mannered, and restrained, given the state of affairs at NPR. Looks like they are doubling down with this doozy of a prez replacement.