The New York State Supreme Court has struck down the state’s mask mandate. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that a fourth booster might very well become necessary for citizens who wish to maintain their “fully vaccinated” status.
In other news, ten Estonians were arrested for trafficking migrants from Belarus to Lithuania and Poland.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, Reader from Chicago, 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.
Activists Complain Bipartisan Antitrust Law Proposal Could Make Online Censorship More Difficult
The American Innovation and Choice Online Act that is currently making its way through Senate committees before being put up for the final vote, is attracting attention both from those who support it and Big Tech’s lobbyists, who earlier reports said had already launched a broad campaign against it.
The bill that has so far received bipartisan support, aims to significantly limit the way Apple, Amazon, and Google use their monopolistic business practices to undermine competition and antitrust laws.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Mandate Protest Held in Highland Park
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — Anti-mandate protesters gathered in north suburban Highland Park Sunday.
The group demonstrated downtown at Port Clinton Square after Highland Park recently adopted a proof-of-vaccination mandate for restaurants.
Demonstrators said they believe the mandates are doing more harm than good by failing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while hurting local businesses. Some also said they feel the order violates their right to privacy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Apple Makes Arbitrary Changes and Exceptions to Its Gatekeeper App Store Policies
Under cover of the pandemic, Apple has once again demonstrated how it arbitrarily controls the huge and massively lucrative App Store space.
The latest example comes from the announcement of an extension of a deadline for a class of event apps and group events to start complying with the giant’s controversial in-app purchase policy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden on Hot Mic Calls Fox News’ Peter Doocy ‘A Stupid Son of a Bitch’
President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic Monday evening calling Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy “a stupid son of a bitch,” after he asked the president about inflation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden State Department Claims ‘Collapse of Western Civilizazation’ Is Russian Disinfo
The Biden State Department claims that discussion about the ‘collapse of western civilization’ and the evisceration of traditional values is a Russian disinformation operation.
Apparently, it’s all just an invention of the Kremlin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Kathy Hochul’s Mask Mandate Struck Down by New York Supreme Court
The New York State Supreme Court has struck down unelected Governor Kathy Hochul’s statewide mask mandate. Judge Thomas Rademaker said that the issuance of a mask mandate without the state legislature actually voting on the measure is beyond the authority of either the governor or the state health commissioner.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cheney Loses Big to Trump-Backed Challenger in Wyoming GOP Straw Poll
GOP Rep. Liz Cheney was routed this past weekend by a Trump-backed primary challenger in straw poll conducted by the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee.
Cheney, an outspoken Trump critic and a member of the Democrat-led House Jan. 6 select committee, lost to challenger Harriet Hageman by a margin of 59-6.
Trump endorsed Hagemen in September.
The GOP former president had long criticized Cheney of being a war hawk. But he became increasingly incensed with her following the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol Building because she was on of several House Republicans who voted to impeach him over the matter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Demands More Big Tech Censorship
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus wants Big Tech to do more about Spanish-language “misinformation” on their platforms.
The caucus released a statement stating: “Addressing Spanish-language misinformation must remain an urgent priority. Many federal and state agencies, Members of Congress, and public health organizations rely on social media platforms to communicate life-saving health information and share federal resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, millions of Americans rely on social media as a source of information, including Latinos.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dr. Robert Malone Authors New Book — ‘Lies My Gov’t Told Me’
Dr. Robert Malone, believed to be an original inventor of mRNA technology, has authored a new book that will inform readers and challenge the “the mainstream government-pharma-media narrative” dictating the COVID-19 response strategy.
Malone broke the news Friday to radio host Dana Loesch on “The Dana Show,” announcing on the program that his new book, entitled Lies My Gov’t Told Me: And the Better Future Coming, is set to be released this year in early June.
“At some point, somebody is going to have to write a book on all the lies that the government told us,” Malone told Loesch during the exclusive interview. “And I’m glad to announce for the first time on your program that I’m writing that book.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Georgia Republicans Move to Block Critical Race Theory Instruction
(The Center Square) — A group of Georgia lawmakers has filed legislation to block critical race theory from being taught in public schools.
The theory is centered around the idea that race is a social construct used to oppress people of color. It was developed by legal scholars in the late 1970s and 1980s and concludes racism in America is systemic. It gained new notoriety in response to the 1619 Project, a New York Times multimedia piece that connects slavery to capitalism.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Huntington Park Standoff Ends With Man on Roof in Custody
Authorities were involved in a standoff with a man who refused to come down from the roof of a Huntington Park home Monday morning after reports of shots fired.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Jussie Smollett Gets March Sentencing Date in Hate Crime Hoax Case
Jussie Smollett will be sentenced on March 10 after he was convicted of five of six counts in his hate crime hoax case, Fox News Digital can confirm.
There will also be a status hearing on Thursday, Jan 27.
In December, a jury found Smollett guilty on the first five counts, and he was acquitted on a sixth count of lying to a detective weeks after Smollett said he was attacked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Shooting From Rooftop in Huntington Park, LASD Says
The shooter was in a residential area at Sale Place and Santa Fe Avenue.
A man was shooting from the roof of a home in Huntington Park early Monday morning, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
No injuries were reported as of 6:30 a.m.
The active shooter was in a residential area at Sale Place and Santa Fe Avenue.
Tactical operations from the LASD and the LASD Sheriff’s Enforcement Bureau were well underway at 6:40 a.m., and NewsChopper4 Alpha was near the scene to see authorities attempting to persuade the man off the roof…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Mayor Wu Extends Vaccination Deadline, But 100 Boston Firefighters Protest Mandate Outside City Hall
BOSTON (CBS) — About 100 firefighters stood outside Boston City Hall Monday in protest as Mayor Michelle Wu spoke about the decision to delay implementation of a vaccine mandate for city workers by another week.
Initially, city workers who did not provide proof of COVID vaccination were set to be subject to unpaid leave starting Monday. But Wu announced Sunday that enforcement would not begin for another week, citing productive talks with city unions in recent days.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta’s Metaverse Plans to Track User Facial Expressions, Monetize With Data-Driven Ads
Dozens of recently-filed patents revealed that Meta Platforms Inc. plans to track users’ facial expressions and eye movements, as well as body poses.
The company also plans to monetize the metaverse by creating “virtual stores” to sell ad-sponsored goods based on user data.
The patents, first reported by the Financial Times, revealed that Meta wants to use biometric data to create more natural-looking avatars using augmented reality or virtual reality.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Neil Young Comes Out in Favor of Censorship, Demands Spotify Drop Joe Rogan
Canadian rock icon Neil Young posted an open letter to his record label demanding that his music library be removed from music and podcast streaming giant Spotify due to the world’s number-one podcaster, Joe Rogan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Palin’s Libel Case Against New York Times Begins in Federal Court in Manhattan
The defamation lawsuit by former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin against The New York Times is set to begin Monday in a federal court in Manhattan.
Palin’s civil case was initially dismissed, then revived on appeal in 2019, resulting in the rare situation in which a major news outlet must defend itself before a jury in a libel case involving a major public figure, according to the Associated Press.
Palin, the 2008 nominee and a former Alaska governor, claims the newspaper damaged her reputation with an opinion story by its editorial board that falsely argued her political rhetoric contributed to the 2011 shooting of then-Arizona Democrat Rep. Gabby Giffords.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Parents Dispute Media Narrative That Critical Race Theory is Not in Schools: ‘Ridiculous, ‘ ‘A Joke’
RICHMOND, Va. — Parents, activists and academic scholars at Fox Nation’s “MisEducation of America” summit in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth, last week disputed the progressive media narrative that the controversial critical race theory (CRT) is not taught in K-12 schools.
Left-leaning outlets like CNN and MSNBC have argued that CRT, based on the notion U.S. institutions are inherently racist, is only saved for college-level courses. CNN reporter Eva McKend repeated the claim while reporting on the Virginia gubernatorial race in November and the factor it played in Republican Glenn Youngkin’s win.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Majority of Independents Want Anthony Fauci Gone
A new Trafalgar Group poll spells trouble for the reputation of Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
A narrow majority of Americans, 53.7%, believe Fauci should not resign from his role leading America’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the poll released Thursday. However, a majority of Independents joined a majority of Republicans in wanting him to resign.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
School Boards Sue After Gov. Youngkin Makes Masks Optional
Seven Virginia school boards are taking legal action over Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order that made masks optional in the state’s schools starting Monday.
Youngkin issued an executive order upon taking office Jan. 15 which seeks to “empower Virginia parents in their children’s education and upbringing by allowing parents to make decisions on whether their child wears a mask in school.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
School Accused of Creating ‘VIP Seating’ For Vaccinated Students
In an email sent to families on January 14, the dean of Cedar River Elementary wrote: “We are fortunate to have a designated lunchroom, however space is limited, so we are getting creative to keep kids safe and on campus. We are utilizing VIP seating to ensure fully vaccinated students who are close contacts have the ability to stay safe, while also giving them an added privilege of recognizing other students doing the right thing by handing out Otter Paws.”
The email, which no longer appears on the school website, quickly went viral, forwarded by furious parents and community members. Local schools in Washington state have made national headlines for forcing students as young as kindergarten to eat outside in near freezing temperatures and wet weather.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Will Consider Landmark Challenge to Harvard, UNC Affirmative Action Policies
The Supreme Court announced Monday it will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions, a decision that could eliminate a practice that in recent years primarily benefitted black and Hispanic applicants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Grift is Over for Lockdown Nerds
Over the past 2 years, a deluge of control freaks, who would otherwise have remained obscure nerds, have enjoyed the bright lights, prestige and financial bounty of regular TV appearances and media exposure.
“There are some scientists who have absolutely loved being media stars for the first time and they don’t want to stop.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Twitter Locks Out Columnist Over Oedipus Reference
Twitter’s “dumb” algorithms have claimed another victim — Mario Nicolais of the Colorado Sun, whose reference to a classic Greek myth of Oedipus seems to have thrown the social platform’s automated censorship for a loop.
Nicolais was on Twitter in an exchange with author and The Ringer senior staff writer Shea Serrano when he replied to one of Serrano’s tweets, which featured a satirical press release about his son beating him at a game of “21.”
To that, Nicolais made the mistake of responding — in the spirit of the original tweet — “All men must eventually kill their father. It is as it always has been.” The “killing” here was meant as a metaphor.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Fauci Declares it “Entirely Conceivable” That a Fourth Booster Vaccine Will be Needed
Appearing on ABC’s This Week Sunday, Anthony Fauci declared that it is “entirely conceivable” that a fourth booster vaccine will soon be needed by all Americans who wish to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’.
“We may need to boost again. That’s entirely conceivable,” Faiuci said, adding “Before we make that decision about yet again another boost, we want to determine clearly what the durability of protection is of that regular boost.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: CNN’s Stelter Visits School Kids Being Taught How to Spot ‘Misinformation’
Resident CNN clown Brain Stelter presented a segment during which he visited eighth-grade school kids in New York and spoke to them about what constitutes ‘misinformation’, prompting a massive backlash.
CNN’s Potato headed host spoke to the students about their class on ‘news literacy’, after the teacher directly told the kids that ‘satire’ is a form of misinformation.
Leaving aside the question of why kids, forced to wear masks, are being told by teachers what is and isn’t ‘misinformation’, the irony of CNN and Stelter being allowed inside a class on ‘misinformation’ wasn’t lost on anyone:…
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virginia Scraps CRT Program Critics Said Would Have Destroyed Math Education
A state plan to abolish teaching advanced math in public schools that was seen as a means of implementing Critical Race Theory (CRT) was canceled Monday, according to a parents group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As the Karen-led citizen enforcement of masking-wearing intensifies in the third year of the pandemic, a viral clip shows older masked white women assaulting a black man for not wearing a face mask, while shouting, “Black Lives Matter!”
“More mask madness, this time in an elevator. The mask police are really nuts,” tweeted Twitter account Libs of TikTok, which posts clips from the popular video-sharing app that capture the insanity of mask-wearing, gender-bending liberals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Vaccine Mandate Truck Convoy Rolls Through Saskatoon
A semi convoy protesting new federal COVID-19 rules for the trucking industry rolled through Saskatoon on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Saskatoon police advised of potential traffic headaches due to the convoy’s planned trip through the city.
“Police are aware of a trucking convoy travelling towards Saskatoon in protest of pandemic-related restrictions,” Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) said in a social media post.
The convoy, which is part of a larger protest movemment, is in reaction to the recent introduction of new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for cross-border commercial truck drivers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Trucking Alliance Says it ‘Disapproves’ Of Protest Against Trudeau’s COVID Mandates
The Canadian Trucking Alliance said in a statement released on Saturday that it does not support protests against the Trudeau Liberals’ vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers.
The convoy left British Columbia on Sunday and is making its way through Alberta and the rest of the country en-route to Ottawa.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Conservative MPs Accuse Trudeau of Pushing ‘Vaccine Vendetta’ As Convoy Protest Heads to Ottawa
Conservative MPs fiercely opposed to the federal government’s new vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers have slammed what they call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “vaccine vendetta,” saying that the policy will disrupt the country’s supply chains.
Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre, the party’s finance critic, claimed the government’s vaccine policy is “emptying grocery shelves and ballooning food prices,” leaving some Canadians to “go hungry.”
Garnett Genuis, a Conservative MP from Alberta, said he stands with unvaccinated truckers who plan on protesting the mandate. “Time to end Justin Trudeau’s nonsensical vaccine vendetta,” he said in a recent social media post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maskless Teen Student With Asthma Ostracized at Calgary Catholic School
A Calgary Catholic school has segregated and since banned a student from attending school for not wearing a mask, says the student’s parents.
And before that, teachers had even taped off an area around the boy’s desk “like a crime scene.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Massive Trucker Convoy Rolls Through Canada to Protest Vaccine Mandates
Thousands of truck drivers are participating in a “Freedom” convoy across Canada to protest federal vaccine mandates.
Over the weekend, the “Freedom Convoy 2022” consisting of “thousands” of truckers and concerned citizens began the journey from British Columbia to Ottawa, according to CTV Windsor. The journey is expected to take about a week, and more truckers are expected to join the convoy as it makes its way to Ottawa on January 29 for a rally.
Convoy organizers say that they’re fighting back against sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandates put into place by the Canadian government on January 15 requiring unvaccinated cross-border drivers to quarantine for 14 days following their return to Canada. The group says that the vaccine mandate will hurt small businesses, choke the supply chain, and harm workers.
A GoFundMe in support of the Freedom Convoy 2022 has racked up more than C$3.2 million in donations to pay for fuel, food, and hotels for drivers participating in the convoy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Truck Drivers Convoy Continues in Windsor
Truck lineups on Huron Church Road are nothing new.
But this time, it’s not due to shipping goods between Canada and the United States.
Transport truck drivers continued to hit the road Monday, protesting the federal government’s vaccine mandate for drivers crossing the border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Truck Convoy Rolling Through Winnipeg Protesting Mandatory Vaccine Mandate
A truck convoy is rolling through Winnipeg protesting mandatory vaccine mandates.
Dozens of vehicles were seen as a part of the convoy, driving into Winnipeg Monday morning. The convoy, which began in Morris, plans to drive to the Manitoba Legislature.
Winnipeg police said it is anticipating the convoy to be driving through the city between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“You can expect traffic delays along the route, which begins on Portage at the West Perimeter and heads east,” police said in a post on Facebook. “It carries through to Broadway and the area near Legislature. Avoid the route if possible.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trucker Convoy Funding Hits $3m
A grassroots fundraising campaign for Canadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates has now surpassed $3 million with more than 42,000 donors, and an average donation of $75.
The GoFundMe page was started 10 days again and hit $1 million in six days.
The current fundraising goal has been moved to $4 million, starting previously at $1.1 million, then $3 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: O’Toole Won’t Say if He Supports Trucker Convoy Protesting Trudeau’s COVID Mandates
Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole held a press conference on Monday to discuss the cost of living in Canada, but was met mostly with questions from media regarding the trucker convoy that is en route to Ottawa.
“We’ve been talking to the Canadian Trucking Alliance for several months. we’ve proposed policies to help alleviate that, the most important of which is vaccines,” said O’Toole, who urged Canadians to get their vaccines and booster doses.
“How can we use those tools alongside the other tools to make sure that we don’t see shortages on grocery store shelves.
“Here’s the reality: When there’s a shortage of products, the costs go up, and Canadians are already, 60 percent, worried about paying their grocery bill, so we can’t have policies that make that worse. And we can’t raise taxes… So that’s what we’ve been advocating for responsibly the last few months… Is to try to tackle to supply chain crisis, encourage vaccination, not ignore problems and divide the country like Mr. Trudeau does.
O’Toole said that he supported getting as many people vaccinated as possible, including truckers. “I probably encourage vaccination more than, maybe, any Canadian,” said O’Toole.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Author: The State Has Turned Vaccination Into a “Transubstantiation Ritual”
In a revealing article, author Josie Appleton explains how the state has turned vaccination into a “transubstantiation ritual,” and vaccine passports have become “a citizenship test for a morally and politically vacuous age.”
Appleton is particularly referencing France, which is beefing up vaccine passport requirements despite WHO officials asserting that Omicron likely heralds the end of the pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Four Injured in Shooting at German University
Police in the southwestern German city of Heidelberg on Monday said they were carrying out a large-scale operation at the city’s university after four people were injured in a shooting.
Authorities said a man entered a university lecture hall with a long-barreled gun as a class was running and opened fire.
Police said the shooter, who appeared to have acted alone, was dead. Soon after the incident they said there was no longer any danger to the public.
Germany’s DPA news agency reported the shooter was a student. Police are expected to share more information at a press conference later in the evening.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Teens Arrested for Shooting Driver, Passing Cars With Scoped Rifle
A trio of teenagers was arrested for shooting at passing cars and seriously wounding at least one driver in France last week, according to reports.
The disturbing incident unfolded on Friday evening in the coastal commune of Agde.
Police began receiving reports from motorists saying they had been targeted by gunfire while traveling along a departmental road at around 9:30 p.m.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italians Without a Vaccine Passport Could Find it Difficult to Claim Their Pensions
Italy introduced a vaccine passport mandate for banks and post offices, meaning retirees who pick their pension in person will have to produce a vaccine pass to access their pension or funds.
In Italy, people are given the Green Pass if they have been “fully” vaccinated, recovered from COVID, or by presenting a negative test
As reported by Il Giornale, the new requirement will have an impact on retirees because most of them pick their pensions in person.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘It’s Fake News’ — Czech Cardinal Says Census Data on Catholics Leaving Church Isn’t Accurate
Fewer people in the Czech Republic profess a faith, according to the first results of last year’s census published by the Czech Statistical Office. The Roman Catholic Church has lost almost a third of the faithful in the last decade or more than 340,000.
However, the data has its detractors. Cardinal and Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka questioned the survey and called it “fake news.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nothing Left to Lose: March Against Corona Dictatorship in Brussels
Violent scenes in the heart of the European Union with hundreds of angry protesters storming the offices of the EU Parliament and attacking law enforcement: Brussels has declared a state of emergency. Police were already entrenched in EU buildings, expecting civil unrest.
The civil war-like scenes in the capital of the EU show that the global Corona narrative is no longer sustainable. If EU governments do not withdraw their illogical measures soon, the violent protests threaten to spread like wildfire.
Europeans from all over the world gathered in Brussels on Sunday to show those in power that they no longer feel represented by the politicians. Hundreds of thousands of supporters took to the streets in a truly historic day.
The anger of citizens was directed mainly at EU buildings. Inflation, loss of livelihood, deprivation of liberty: Countless citizens have lost everything due to the Corona dictatorship. Media reported that “70 000” people had gathered for demonstrations in the heart of the European Union from 11 am. A group of protesters then broke away from the crowd to violently vent their anger.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Perpetrators of COVID-19 Scam Face ICC Charges
The jig is up: Excluding people from public life who insist on their right to bodily autonomy in rejecting an experimental injection (previously a much-touted right) is medical coercion and blackmail — a complete violation of the most basic human rights. Seven plaintiffs have now filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the perpetrators. The charges against them are very serious.
On behalf of the “people of the United Kingdom”, 16 individuals have been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.
The 16 individuals include Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Peter Daszak, Bill and Melinda Gates, the CEOs of Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson along with several other British authorities, as well as the presidents of the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Economic Forum.
One of the seven applicants is Dr. Michael Yeadon, a former vice president and chief scientist of allergy and respiratory research at Pfizer.
According to the charge, the 16 individuals have violated the Nuremberg Code and Articles 6, 7, 8, 15, 21 and 53 of the Rome Statute. The Nuremberg Code established 10 standards to which doctors must adhere in performing experiments on human subjects.
The ICC is a permanent, independent court that investigates global crimes and is governed by an international treaty known as the Rome Statute, which has been ratified by more than 120 countries, including the United States. It has the authority to step in when a member state fails to take appropriate action in bringing criminals to justice.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Plans Afoot for Trilateral Alliance Between UK, Poland and Ukraine
Talks are underway over the intention to form a trilateral alliance between the United Kingdom, Poland and Ukraine, U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed on Friday.
In a speech at the Lowy Institute think tank during a ministerial visit to Australia, Truss reiterated the United Kingdom’s commitment to Ukraine and suggested a more formal partnership between the three nations may be forthcoming.
“We’re strengthening our bilateral partnership following high-level talks in London in December — and we’re fostering new trilateral ties with Poland and Ukraine,” Truss announced, echoing the sentiment expressed by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs after talks took place between the three nations’ deputy foreign ministers on Jan. 18.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The European Union will continue to “punish” Poland if it keeps disregarding concerns in Brussels over democracy in the country, Spanish MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons has claimed.
“What is going on in Poland, it is because its government is doing things badly, and we will do what we can do but we cannot do everything. We will help the Polish people to change the government, which is not doing good for the country,” claimed Pons.
Pons, a vice-chair of the center-left European People’s Party (EPP), made the inflammatory remarks during an interview with Karolina Zbytniewska, the editor-in-chief of news outlet, EURACTIV Poland. The EPP was once considered the leading center-right, Christian political grouping in the European Parliament, but has made a sharp turn to the left in recent years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Taliban Delegation Lands in Europe, Immediately Reported to Police for War Crimes
Taliban member Anas Haqqani, head of the terrorist Haqqani network, was reported to Norwegian police for war crimes during a Taliban delegation visit to the country.
The police report was filed by Norwegian-Afghan media scientist Zahir Athari, who called for the arrest of Anas Haqqani — whose brother is Afghan interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani — who landed in Europe on Satuirday as part of a Taliban delegation visiting Norway for talks with the U.S., UK, EU, and others. Athari said of his reporting one of the members of the delegation: “The Norwegian authorities must stand next to the victims — the Afghan people.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Taliban Terrorist Leaders Touch Down in Oslo to Woo Humanitarian Donors
Representatives of Afghanistan’s unelected Taliban government continued talks in Norway on Monday trying to build support for their rule while gaining access to billions in funds they say are needed to help ward off starvation.
The terrorist negotiators arrived by private jet from Kabul over the weekend ahead of the talks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British broadcaster ITV was issued a warning by regulator Ofcom after a guest and a presenter on a TV show falsely claimed that 90 per cent of COVID hospital patients were unvaccinated.
The spurious remarks were made by Dr. Hilary Jones and Lorraine Kelly during a segment on the Lorraine show last month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WHO Chief Says Europe Moving Towards Pandemic “Endgame”
Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s Europe director, says the continent is moving towards an “endgame” scenario, in another sign that Omicron heralds the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
Despite record cases being recorded in multiple different countries, Kluge told AFP that the milder nature of Omicron means COVID-19 could finally be on the path towards becoming endemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Wins Right to Appeal U.S. Extradition
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday won the first stage of his effort to overturn a U.K. ruling that made possible his extradition to the U.S. to face espionage charges.
The High Court in London gave the Australian permission to appeal the case to the U.K. Supreme Court. But the Supreme Court must agree to accept the case before it can progress, AP reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Serbia Foils Assassination Attempt on President Vucic
The Serbian police foiled an assassination attempt against President Aleksandar Vucic following a tip-off from Europol, Minister of Interior Aleksandar Vulin said.
Vulin said a police officer from an EU member state informed Serbian police that a criminal organization made up of citizens of several countries is looking to assassinate Serbia’s president. Upon learning the news, the information was confirmed through a multi-level verification process. The Serbian Ministry of Interior, the Serbian Security and Intelligence Agency, Europol and its partner organizations were involved, Vulin said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NATO Members Send Military Ship, More Fighter Jets to Eastern Europe Amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis
NATO said Monday that nation members are sending at least one military ship and additional fighter jets to Eastern Europe amid heightened concerns that a Russia invasion of Ukraine is imminent.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization said in a release that members are “putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployments” in the region, as Russia President Vladimir Putin in recent days sends more troops to his country’s border with Ukraine.
Putin also has begun sending members of its embassy in Kyiv back to Moscow, as the United States begins similar efforts with embassy families in the Ukraine capitol city.
The State Department this past weekend also issued a warning to Americans inside Ukraine stating the U.S. will not be able to protect them if Russia attacks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pentagon Places 8,500 Troops on High Alert for Possible Eastern Europe Deployment
The Pentagon on Monday placed 8,500 U.S. troops on “heightened preparedness to deploy” to eastern Europe as tensions grow on the Russian border of Ukraine.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby made the announcement Monday during a press conference. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will deploy the troops at the direction of President Joe Biden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainian Official Says ‘Americans Are Safer in Kyiv’ Than ‘Crime-Ridden’ U.S. Cities: Report
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes Kyiv does not face any “imminent” threats and is safer than “crime-ridden” U.S. cities, a source close to the leader told Buzzfeed News on Monday.
Many Ukrainian officials are reportedly angry over the Biden administration’s orders to evacuate diplomats’ families and authorization to allow U.S. government employees to voluntarily withdrawal. The decision comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has placed 8,500 U.S. troops on “heightened preparedness to deploy given Russia’s continuing provocations along its border with Ukraine,” according to the Pentagon.
Zelensky “does not think there’s any remotely imminent threat to Kyiv” a source told Buzzfeed. The Ukranian president reportedly thinks the U.S. Embassy’s decision is “utterly ridiculous.”
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Ukraine Applauds as Second Shipment of U.S. ‘Lethal Aid’ Arrives
A second shipment of what has been euphemistically called “lethal aid” arrived in Ukraine from the U.S. late Sunday as NATO confirmed the deployment of more ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe while Russia continues its troop build-up in the region.
The load touched down just hours before the State Department authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. embassy employees in Ukraine while ordering their family members to leave the country amid possible Russian aggression, as Breitbart News reported.
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India: Protest Staged Against Compulsory COVID Vaccination
People’s Federation against Compulsory Vaccination staged a demonstration here on Monday protesting against the government forcing people to compulsorily get COVID vaccine.
Citing the affidavit filed by the Centre in the Supreme Court which said that the government was not forcing anyone to get themselves compulsorily vaccinated, the federation said that the union government should give up its present policy on vaccination which was against the Constitution of India.
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Singapore: Loyang Killing: Boy, 14, Who Stabbed Father to Death Given 5 Years’ Detention
SINGAPORE — Perceiving his father to be too strict with him, and upset with the older man for accusing him of something he did not do, a 14-year-old boy stabbed him in the neck with a fruit knife.
The 49-year-old man later died from the wound, and his son, now aged 15, was given five years of detention on Monday (24 January) after pleading guilty to one count of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
He had originally been charged with murder but this was reduced after discussions between the prosecution and the boy’s lawyer, Shashi Nathan.
The accused cannot be named as his identity is protected under the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA). His family members cannot be named as well…
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China Silences Australia PM Scott Morrison: Hijacks Control of WeChat Account
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has lost control of his social media account on the Chinese-owned platform WeChat as a lawmaker Monday accused Beijing of political interference.
Morrison’s 76,000 WeChat followers were told his page had been reframed as “Australian Chinese new life” earlier this month and his photograph had been removed, the Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. The changes were made without the government’s knowledge, the report added.
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Watch: Bill Gates Praises China for Their Great Work on COVID-19 in New Video Message
Bill Gates addressed the nation of China, praising their response to the coronavirus pandemic—which may well have begun in a Wuhan virology lab before leaking to the rest of the world.
In a brief video with Chinese subtitles marking the Lunar New Year, Gates praised China for their handling of the pandemic, saying that “China has worked hard to not only contain the virus, but also contributed to closing the equity gap by supporting other countries with many different supplies, including great vaccines.”
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Google is fighting to get an Australian court judgment overturned in order to avoid liability for defamatory content found in hyperlinked pages.
The case that is now before the country’s High Court stems from a previous decision by the Victoria Supreme Court that found Google liable for showing a search result leading to an article published in the Age about George Defteros, which he found defamed his person.
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Australian State of Victoria Floats Idea of Booster Vaccine Passport
Residents of the Australian state of Victoria might need to show a passport of a third dose of Covid vaccine to be allowed to enter most hospitality venues, including pubs, restaurants, and cafes.
According to The Age, the government met with representatives from the hospitality and retail groups on Friday to discuss the impact introducing a mandatory third dose would have. The future of QR codes was also discussed.
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Tennis Fans at Australian Open Ordered to Remove Anti-China Shirts, Hand Over Signs
Spectators at the Australian Open tennis tournament have been ordered to take off and hand over anti Communist China shirts and signs, with officials saying it is a condition of entry that no political slogans be brandished.
ESPN reports that a security official was recorded Saturday seizing the material.
“The Australian Open does have a rule that you can’t have political slogans,” the official noted, adding “it’s a rule that it’s a condition of entry.”
The shirts and banner read “Where is Peng Shuai?”, referring to the previous disappearance of the Chinese tennis star who accused a high ranking CCP official of sexually assaulting her.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Doctor Who Discovered Omicron: ‘I Was Ordered to Label This Variant Serious’
Angelique Coetzee, general practitioner and president of the South African Medical Association, reacted in an interview with the Austrian ServusTV to the fear, panic and totalitarian rules imposed because of the Omicron variant, which she said was very mild.
Coetzee, who was the first to spot the variant, said that 99 percent of people who became infected with it had developed only minor symptoms. “It’s similar to a cold or the flu.”
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10 Estonians Arrested for Trafficking Migrants From Belarus
Ten Estonians have been caught trafficking middle eastern migrants who crossed the Belarusian border into Europe by Polish and Lithuanian authorities since the crisis began, newspaper EPL reported on Monday.
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16 Member States Demand EU Fund Border Fence Construction
Over half of the EU’s member states want the EU to fund border fences and barriers, but a top pro-migration EU official is already rejecting their request.
At the behest of Poland, Lithuania, Greece and Austria, a meeting was held between EU ministers of the interior devoted to the management of the EU’s external borders and the Schengen zone. Delegations from 29 member states took part, along with EU commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson and Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri.
In a joint statement, 16 EU nations urged amendments to the Schengen Borders Code to blacklist transport operators involved in human smuggling and trafficking of people into the EU. They called for reducing “incentives for illegal migration” and for preventing the abuse of the asylum system.
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In the German town of Dormagen in North Rhine-Westphalia, an asylum seeker poured gasoline on city officials and threatened to set them on fire. Colleagues of the female victims were able to overpower the Azerbaijani migrant and hand him over to the police.
The 28-year-old had previously handed over a letter to workers at the asylum center. In it, the resident of an asylum accommodation requested that he be placed in a single room away from others roommates, writing that otherwise he would take his own life.
The man had already been arrested for crimes in the past, said a police spokesman to Junge Freiheit. The migrant has since been admitted specialist psychiatric clinic. A preliminary drug test revealed evidence of cannabis use, and a small amount of drugs was also found on the man.
In the incident, three employees of the city administration suffered minor injuries due to irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract.
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Latvia Plans to Extend State of Emergency at Belarusian Border Until May 10
Authorities in Latvia are planning to extend the state of emergency in the Ludza Region, Augsdaugava Region, Kraslava Region, and the City of Daugavpils until May 10.
Such an initiative proposed by the Ministry of the Interior comes after taking into account the situation at Latvia’s border with Belarus, as reported by the Baltic Times.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, since August 10, last year, a total of 4,962 people have attempted to reach Latvia through the common border with Belarus. In addition, since December 13, the number of migrants attempting to reach Latvia through Belarusian routes has marked a significant increase, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
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Liverpool Suicide Bomber Had Been Refused Asylum in UK Six Years Before Botched Terrorist Attack
A suicide bomber who killed himself in a botched terrorist attack outside a hospital in Liverpool on Remembrance Sunday last year had been refused asylum more than six years before the attack but remained in Britain, newly obtained court documents reveal.
Emad Al Swealmeen died after his homemade bomb detonated in the back of a taxi outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital shortly before 11:00 a.m on Nov. 14. The terrorist attack — only botched due to the heroic efforts of the taxi driver who locked Al Swealman inside the taxi before he detonated — was planned to coincide with the day the U.K. remembers its war dead.
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Pope Francis to Journalists: Immigrants Are Not ‘Dangerous Invaders’
ROME — Pope Francis urged journalists Monday not to portray immigrants in a negative fashion but rather sympathetically as human-interest stories.
In his annual message for the World Day of Social Communications, the pope said that “the reality of forced migration is also a complex issue, and no one has a ready-made prescription for solving it.”
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Senate Panel Moves Ron DeSantis Priority Cracking Down on ‘Midnight’ Migrants
A federal judge struck down part of the sanctuary cities law in September, but Republicans are taking another shot at immigration.
Senators have given the first legislative OK to a Gov. Ron DeSantis priority to crack down further on illegal immigration.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-3 along party lines Monday to approve a bill (SB 1808) expanding on a 2019 law that banned “sanctuary cities.” DeSantis announced the proposal last month after criticizing President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, including bringing flights to Jacksonville to relocate people who have entered the country illegally.
The measure, carried by Fernandina Beach Republican Sen. Aaron Bean, would prevent transportation companies from doing business in Florida if they participate in programs transporting to the state people who have entered the country illegally.
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Swedish Police Search for 10,000 Migrants With Deportation Orders
The exact number of illegal immigrants who remain in Sweden despite deportation orders is unknown, but according to a report from public broadcaster Sveriges Television, there are at least 10,000 such people.
Last year, the Swedish Migration Agency ruled that more than 18,000 immigrants should be deported from the country, all who did not receive a residence permit. The police continue to search for more than half of them. It remains unclear whether these migrants stayed in Sweden or fled to another country.
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What Winter Slowdown? Nearly 100 More Illegal Migrants Cross Channel in Record Setting January
Nearly 100 more illegal boat migrants were brought ashore in England on Sunday as January is on pace to see a record 1,000 make the journey across the English Channel.
While it has been reported that the government will stop reporting daily crossing figures, a statement from the Home Office provided to Breitbart London confirmed that 87 migrants were “rescued or intercepted” by British authorities on Sunday in three separate instances.
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Amy Schneider, a biological male who identifies as transgender and uses female pronouns, has been called “the most successful woman on Jeopardy.” Schneider is set be the second-biggest winner on the show if Schneider comes out on top in the next contest.
“If Amy Schneider wins tomorrow’s game, she’ll break Matt Amodio’s 38-games record! See all the records Amy has broken as she faces her next challenge,” Jeopardy’s official account posted to Twitter.
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European Politician Facing Criminal Charges for Tweeting Bible Verse
Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen went on trial Monday for tweeting a bible verse in 2019 and challenging the Finnish Lutheran Church’s involvement in gay pride events.
Räsänen faces charges of “ethnic agitation” under the War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity section of the country’s criminal code, the Daily Wire reported. Finland’s hate speech laws criminalize the expression of opinions that “threaten, defame, or insult” others, with offenders facing up to two years in jail.
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Some lessons of the past, Did we forget the woes of WW1 and WW2
Pretense has several shapes and forms
America pretended that it was going on extra mile to reach an agreement with milosevic. a great country trying to find peace for a smaller country who does not know how to rule itself and treat Muslims the right way. milosevic was showed to be stubborn and a devil and does not listen to the peace-loving America
And because he did not listen to reason and logic America had to bomb Yugoslavia back to the stone ages. and always begging Milosevic to soften his position. and America always would say about the agenda discussed take it or leave it and and milosovic invariably would reject it
Then you wonder why until you go on the internet and read The Daytona diktat points of the negotiations. there were no negotiations. only diktats written by muslims and America forcing Milosevic to accept Muslim with our discussion at all just give us part of Yugoslavia and don’t say anything. the terms were designed to be rejected so that war would follow.
Did America go “one extra mile to achieve peace or it marched 10 miles to realize what Muslims dictated . How many all those miserable human beings living on Earth are aware of this horrible situation and horrible Daytona agreement do they care Justice what Justice?
The same scenario happened in Iraq Libya Syria
But mind you not in Iran. there they dare not
Two negotiations now are going on but with different pretense: with Iran they pretend they are strong and negotiating but we know in advance America Will agree to Iranian terms and dare change nothing that goes against Iran possessing nuclear weapons or from the beginning Iran wouldn’t have agreed at all
to negotiate. Iran has conditions. America must agree to them : take it or leave it.
Not all pretenses are born equal
with Iran negotiate eagerly to agree to Iranian terms. Russian negotiation pretense is different. America is eager to fight with non muslimafter declaring negotiation failure.
Nuclear weapons will pave the road for Mahdi to come
Blinken always says that negotiations with Iran will be fruitful of course they will no objection to Iran’s terms success follows
When negotiations with Iran conclude they will be declared excellent because America participated
Negotiations with Russia are designed to trick America’s people and European people into believing that America tried everything but Russia refused. America does not negotiate with Russia in good faith
Going on extra mile with non-muslims is just a pretense
With Afghanistan they went 20 miles and when Afghanis refused they joined them with billions of dollars to cover their [behinds] in the name of humanitarian help.
Money is lavished on Afghanis, While the voters are fast asleep. How many know how much jizya is going to muslims? They have no idea.
we will pour money on you please don’t hurt us
Afghan comments are true. America helped double the population in 20 years with a fully funded breeding program while back home in the US, working Americans cannot afford to have so many children any more.
“Estonians”. Are they real Estonians or muslim migrant Estonians. There is a big difference.
“Pope Francis to Journalists: Immigrants Are Not ‘Dangerous Invaders’” not to him, of course not, always surrounded by guards or not going out in public at all, but common people on the streets of many European cities might have a very different experience.
The EU is attacking Poland with sanctions. Poland’s sin is not allowing judges from imposing pro-LQT dictates on Catholic Poland. The EU is tyranny.
**”In the German town of Dormagen in North Rhine-Westphalia, an asylum seeker poured gasoline on city officials …”**
This guy should protect his wrist, which the German authorities are about to slap. Several years of imprisonment followed by (real) deportation? NEIN, no way, we can’t do that. That would offend his human rights or something.
THIS MINE WILL EXPLODED: MIGRANTS CREATE THEIR SCHOOLS IN RUSSIA WITHOUT RUSSIANS
https://tsargrad.tv/articles/jeta-mina-rvanjot-migranty-sozdajut-v-rossii-svoi-shkoly-bez-russkih_482645
A massive and sharp surge of Russophobia on the part of visitors. Threats of violence, terrorist attacks and the complete destruction of Russians are increasingly heard in public transport in large Russian cities. In provincial schools, the situation is no better: children of migrants dictate their own rules of linguistics, threaten to kill, come to class with knives. Why does the national question remain open in Russian cities, while social tension has reached its highest point?