Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/1/2022

Poland is experiencing an annual inflation rate of over 12%, but the inflation rate in Italy has decreased to 6.2%. Meanwhile, the Turkish central bank is predicting an inflation rate of 42.8% by the end of this year.

In other news, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid an official visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Dean, Insubria, Reader from Chicago, 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.

Financial Crisis
» A Brutal April Just Knocked the S&P 500 Into Its Second Stock-Market Correction of 2022
» Italy: Inflation Has Slowed to 6.2% Says ISTAT
» Poland Facing Double-Digit Inflation as Prices of Consumer Goods and Services Hit 12.3 Percent
» Turkish Central Bank Revises Inflation Outlook
 
USA
» Alec Baldwin Lashes Out at NRA, Calls for Gun Control After He Shot and Killed Woman on Set of “Rust”
» Antifa Allegedly Assaults Portland GOP Rallygoers, Understaffed Police Struggle to Respond
» Bill Gates Warns: ‘We’ve Not Seen the Worst of Covid’
» Breaking: Mike Lindell Banned From Twitter Again Just Hours After Account Reinstated
» Chicago Would-be Robbery Victim Flips Script on Suspect, Draws Firearm
» Dirtbag Mitt Romney Likes to Wear a Disguise to Hide Himself When He Goes Out in Public
» ‘Eminently Qualified and Neutral’: Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Praises Biden’s New Disinformation Czar — Despite Fact She Dismissed Hunter Laptop as ‘Trump Campaign Product’ And Praised British Spy Behind Debunked Russia Dossier
» Lawless Chicago: Drag Racers Surround Spectators With Ring of Fire — Then Run Donuts Around Them on Wacker Drive (Video)
» Man Arrested After Fatal Stabbing at Times Square Restaurant
» Maskless Fauci Attends White House Correspondents’ Dinner Pre-Party With Masked Servants
» ‘Ministry of Truth’ Czar Nina Jankowicz Has Privated Her TikTok
» Missouri’s Wentzville School District is Back in the News After CRT Racist Political Propaganda Was Reported Being Taught in the Classrooms
» Netflix Cuts Meghan Markle’s Children’s Show Amidst Plunging Subscribers
» North Carolina Parents Outraged Over School’s ‘Satan Club’
» Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate Vows to End Antifa Terror: ‘The Days of Antifa Ruling the Streets of Portland Are About to End’
» Report: Backlash Over Ads Featuring Anthem-Kneeler Megan Rapinoe Adds to Subway’s Woes
» Survey: Majority Support Anti-Groomer Laws Like Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Law
» Texas Homeowner Shoots, Kills Armed Intruder: Reports
» Tulsi Gabbard Calls Biden Obama’s ‘Front Man’ After Implementation of ‘Ministry of Truth’
» Twitter Loses Bid to Toss Alex Berenson Lawsuit
» Understaffed Portland Police Forced to Shutter Cold Case Unit, Deal ‘Devastating’ Blow for Families
» Wisconsin Pair Electrocuted to Death After Attempting TikTok Trend
» YouTube CEO Meets With Group Wanting Curbs on Spanish-Language “Misinformation”
 
Canada
» Canadian Intelligence Agency Slammed for Not Monitoring Extremism in Prisons Enough
» Pastor Artur Pawlowski Preaches Virtually to Big B.C. Crowd; Supporters React
 
Europe and the EU
» ‘90% of People Observe Ramadan Here’ — Prisoners in France Share Cooking Recipes for Muslim Holy Month of TikTok
» Elon Musk Twitter Takeover: ‘EU Does Not Want Free Speech’ Warns Euro MP
» ‘EU Empire’ — Euro Conference Approves ‘Joint Armed Forces’, More Centralised Power for Brussels
» France: Violence Erupts in Paris as Thousands of May Day Protesters Raise Pressure on Macron
» France: Macron Introduces Digital ID Scheme for Public and Private Sector Services
» French Presidential Election: Torn Ballot Papers and Rumors of Election Fraud
» Germany: Feminists and Squatters Kick Off Early May Day Protests in Berlin
» Germany: Eco-Terrorism: Climate Cult Sabotages Oil Pipelines
» Italy: Supermarket Director Asks Staff if They Are on Their Periods
» UK: Labour Party Tries to Rehabilitate Tony Blair With Video of Him Praising His Own Legacy
» UK: Liverpool Mayor Tries to Cancel Rev Franklin Graham’s ‘Hateful’ Christian Bus Ads
» UK: Rail Unions Are Planning ‘Extinction Rebellion-Style’ Strikes That Will Cause Summer Travel Chaos in Row Over Jobs and Pay — as Senior Figure Says Union is Preparing for ‘Civil Disobedience’
» Ukraine: Sending Arms is Weak Response Says Parolin
» United States Military Training Ukrainian Soldiers in Germany, Pentagon Admits
» Watch: Leftists Stage Annual Paris May Day Riots in Macron’s France
 
Middle East
» Lebanese Govt Says it Has No Funds to Issue Passports
» New Era Beginning, Erdogan Says on Visit to Saudi Arabia
 
Russia
» Latest News in the Russia-Ukraine War
 
South Asia
» Hindu Minority Leader Tied to a Tree and Beaten Severely in Islamic Bangladesh’s Chittagong
 
Far East
» ‘Chinese Twitter’ Weibo to Forcibly Display Users’ IP Addresses to Stop ‘Bad Behavior’
 
Australia — Pacific
» New Zealand: Climate Activists Protest Coal Mine Expansion
 
Latin America
» Hollywood Elitist Leonardo Dicaprio Clashes With Jair Bolsonaro Over Rainforest Ahead of Brazil’s Elections
 
Immigration
» UK: Up to 230 Migrants Cross the Channel in Seven Boats Today After Eleven Day Hiatus Following Claims Priti Patel’s Rwanda Asylum Scheme is Working
 
Culture Wars
» ‘Gender Affirming’ Surgeon Admits Children Who Undergo Transition Before Puberty Never Attain Sexual Satisfaction
» NGO Tells Transgenders to Call Cops if Asked to Leave Women’s Bathroom
» Portland Schools to Place Period Products, Instructions on Their Usage, In Both Girls and Boys Restrooms
 

A Brutal April Just Knocked the S&P 500 Into Its Second Stock-Market Correction of 2022

An ugly end to a cruel April on Friday saw the S&P 500 post its second correction — a drop of 10% from a recent peak — so far this year.

The large-cap benchmark SPX —3.63% ended a topsy-turvy week with a 3.6% fall on Friday, closing at 4,131.93, its lowest finish since May 19, 2021. That leaves it down 10.8% from its close at 4,631.60 set on March 29, which was the day it left a correction it had entered in late February.

A correction is commonly defined as a pullback of at least 10% — but not more than 20% — from a recent peak. A correction is exited after rise of at least 10% from a correction low.

The S&P 500 fell back into correction just 22 trading days after leaving the previous one, its fastest re-entry since November 2008, during the turmoil of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, when the index fell back into correction only 7 trading days after leaving one. It later fell into a bear market.

The S&P 500 previously suffered a correction on Feb. 22, when it closed at 4,304.76, down 10.25% from its early January record close. Stocks extended a slide in early March as investors reacted to Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which sent oil prices soaring to nearly 14-year highs and stoked geopolitical anxiety.

[Comment: Worst April for the stock market since 1970. But it might be a good time to buy. I’ll have to look into this.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Inflation Has Slowed to 6.2% Says ISTAT

First reduction in annual inflation rate in nine months

(ANSA) — ROME, APR 29 — Italy’s annual inflation rate for April is 6.2%, down from 6.5% in March, according to a preliminary estimate released by ISTAT on Friday.

If confirmed in the definitive figure, it will be the first fall in the annual inflation rate after nine months of rises.

“The slowdown on annual basis of all-item (consumer price) index was mainly due to the prices of energy (from +50.9% to +42.4%), specifically to those of both regulated (from +94.6% to +71.4%) and non-regulated energy products (from +36.4% to +31.7%),” the national statistics agency said.

ISTAT said its consumer price index was up by 0.2% in month-on-month terms.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Poland Facing Double-Digit Inflation as Prices of Consumer Goods and Services Hit 12.3 Percent

Poland is facing double-digit inflation, the president of the Polish Development Fund has said.

The warning comes as prices of consumer goods and services (Consumer Price Index, CPI) increased by 12.3 percent year on year and by 2.0 percent month on month in April 2022, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) reported in a flash estimate on Friday.

Economists polled by PAP Business estimated that April’s CPI would reach 11.5 percent year on year and by 1.3 percent month on month.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Turkish Central Bank Revises Inflation Outlook

Turkey’s Central Bank released its outlook on inflation today.

The Central Bank predicted that inflation will reach 42.8% by the end of 2022, 12.9% by the end of 2023 and 8.2% by the end of 2024. The bank identified the following factors as contributing to inflation:

  • rising energy costs due to the “ongoing armed conflict,” likely a reference to the war in Ukraine
  • increases in food and agricultural good prices
  • supply chain disruptions

Turkey gets much of its gas from Russia and wheat from both Russia and Ukraine. The Russian invasion has led to soaring commodity prices across the world.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Alec Baldwin Lashes Out at NRA, Calls for Gun Control After He Shot and Killed Woman on Set of “Rust”

Alec Baldwin fatally shot Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” more than 6 months ago and he still hasn’t been arrested.

Baldwin fatally shot 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured 48-year-old Joel Souza on the movie set in Santa Fe, Mexico in October 2021.

Now he’s lecturing Americans on gun control.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Antifa Allegedly Assaults Portland GOP Rallygoers, Understaffed Police Struggle to Respond

The resource-strapped Portland Police Bureau (PPB) reportedly took more than 20 minutes to respond when alleged antifa members assaulted a Saturday campaign event near police headquarters in downtown Portland.

By the time officers had “sufficient resources” to establish a crime scene near Southwest 3rd and Main Street, the black-clad demonstrators had already dispersed after hurling smoke grenades, paint-filled balloons and fireworks, according to police. Two were injured by “mortars,” police said.

The protesters’ violence cut short the event in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam, whose platform includes refunding the police.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Bill Gates Warns: ‘We’ve Not Seen the Worst of Covid’

What does this guy know?

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates says the world has not seen the worst of Covid yet.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: Mike Lindell Banned From Twitter Again Just Hours After Account Reinstated

Just hours after his Twitter account was reinstated on Sunday, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has once again been banned from the social-media platform.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Chicago Would-be Robbery Victim Flips Script on Suspect, Draws Firearm

A would-be robber in Chicago was fatally shot after two men he targeted turned the tables on him Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The 32-year-old suspect began talking with two other 32-year-old men who were walking back to their vehicle from a store on the 1500 block of East 95th Street around 3:45 p.m., Chicago police said.

As the victims entered their gray 2012 Volkswagen SUV, the suspect followed them, got into the backseat, pulled out a handgun and announced a robbery, according to authorities.

The suspect struck one of the victims with the handgun before one victim drew his own handgun and fired shots at the would-be robber, police said.

The 32-year-old suspect suffered a grazed gunshot wound to the forehead, left leg and chest, police said. He was taken to University of Chicago hospital in critical condition and later died.

Police said detectives were continuing to investigate the incident.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Dirtbag Mitt Romney Likes to Wear a Disguise to Hide Himself When He Goes Out in Public

It’s probably best.

Mitt Romney wears a disguise when he goes out in public in Palm Beach, Florida. That’s what he told authors Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns in their new book, “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘Eminently Qualified and Neutral’: Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Praises Biden’s New Disinformation Czar — Despite Fact She Dismissed Hunter Laptop as ‘Trump Campaign Product’ And Praised British Spy Behind Debunked Russia Dossier

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday praised President Joe Biden’s new disinformation czar as ‘qualified and neutral’ despite a slew of Republicans criticizing her as partisan.

Asked about that criticism on CNN’s State of the Union, Mayorkas called Nina Jankowicz ‘eminently qualified, a renowned expert in the field of disinformation.’

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Lawless Chicago: Drag Racers Surround Spectators With Ring of Fire — Then Run Donuts Around Them on Wacker Drive (Video)

Another weekend night in lawless Chicago.

A video released this morning shows a group of spectators surrounded by a ring of fire as drag racers prepare to drive donuts around them. The flames were so intense that several of the spectators bailed out before the dragsters started their show. This took place at 2 AM at Lower Wacker Drive and Columbus Drive on May 1, 2022.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Man Arrested After Fatal Stabbing at Times Square Restaurant

NEW YORK (AP) — Police charged a New York man on Sunday in the fatal stabbing of another man at a popular Times Square restaurant.

The incident occurred Saturday night at Dave and Buster’s, a restaurant in the heart of Times Square that also features a video game arcade.

According to police, 39-year-old Allen Stanford was stabbed in the chest after an argument with the other man and later died of his injuries at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital.

On Sunday morning, police charged 41-year-old Jesse Armstrong with murder. According to multiple reports, an employee of the restaurant followed Armstrong and helped police identify him at a nearby subway station…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Maskless Fauci Attends White House Correspondents’ Dinner Pre-Party With Masked Servants

DC elites, liberal reporters and Hollywood degenerates attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night at the Hilton Hotel in DC.

Joe Biden stayed up way past his bedtime last night and barely made it through his speech.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘Ministry of Truth’ Czar Nina Jankowicz Has Privated Her TikTok

Nina Jankowicz, head of the Biden administration’s new Disinformation Governance Board, has removed her TikTok account from public viewing.

Jankowicz in 2020 ironically claimed the process of verifying what’s “real” or “fake” online should not be the domain of the executive branch of the government.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Missouri’s Wentzville School District is Back in the News After CRT Racist Political Propaganda Was Reported Being Taught in the Classrooms

The School District in Wentzville, Missouri is in a crisis situation. If the school board members don’t recognize this, they should resign.

After reports of the Critical Race Theory’s (CRT) racist garbage being taught in the district’s classrooms last summer, and the rape of a teenage autistic girl last week, this week the district is under fire again for teaching CRT-related material to the students.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Netflix Cuts Meghan Markle’s Children’s Show Amidst Plunging Subscribers

Netflix has dropped several children’s shows that were until now on the drawing board, due to their sharp drop in revenue. One of these is “Pearl,” the animated miniseries by Meghan Markle.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

North Carolina Parents Outraged Over School’s ‘Satan Club’

Parents in North Carolina gathered outside a local school to host a prayer rally in response to an “After School Satan Club” that is attempting to establish a presence at schools in the area.

The parents gathered near Joyner Elementary School in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Friday to protest the establishment of a Satan club for students, according to Fox 8.

The organizer of the rally, Tempe Moore, said that the rally was intended to send a message.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate Vows to End Antifa Terror: ‘The Days of Antifa Ruling the Streets of Portland Are About to End’

Oregon governor hopeful and city of Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam has a plan to end Antifa’s terrorization of Portland, which includes tripling the size of the state’s police force.

“The days of Antifa ruling the streets of Portland are about to end,” Pulliam said in a statement.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Report: Backlash Over Ads Featuring Anthem-Kneeler Megan Rapinoe Adds to Subway’s Woes

The Subway fast-food chain has been struggling — even before the coronavirus — but many franchise owners also felt that hiring U.S. soccer star and national anthem protester Megan Rapinoe as a national spokesperson was no help at all.

According to a report in the New York Post, Subway lost 1,043 outlets in 2021, which was more than the new outlets they opened.

The loss only added to the 1,609 lost in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus hysteria and the 999 lost in 2019. The number of closed restaurants means that Subway’s national footprint has contracted 15 percent since 2019 and 22 percent overall since 2016.

In contrast, McDonald’s only contracted 3.4 percent over the last few years during the COVID mess.

So, what is going wrong? Well, some franchise owners feel that hiring Megan Rapinoe was just one of the contributing factors to Subway’s mounting woes.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Survey: Majority Support Anti-Groomer Laws Like Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Law

Most likely voters support anti-groomer laws such as Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, a survey from The Federalist/Susquehanna released this week revealed.

The survey, taken April 19-27, 2022, among 800 likely voters, presented respondents with the following: “Florida recently passed a law prohibiting public school teachers from introducing sexual topics to elementary school children without parental consent. Do you support or oppose proposals that protect young children from being exposed to sexual topics by school employees without parental consent or knowledge?”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Texas Homeowner Shoots, Kills Armed Intruder: Reports

A potential armed robbery at a home in Canton, Texas last week was cut short after its owner shot and killed the intruder, according to local reports.

Canton police officers responded to reports of a shooting at a home just after midnight on April 23, KLTV reported.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Tulsi Gabbard Calls Biden Obama’s ‘Front Man’ After Implementation of ‘Ministry of Truth’

President Joe Biden is just the “front man” for former President Barack Obama, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said on Sunday.

Gabbard pointed to Obama’s comments on April 21, in which he said social media censorship “doesn’t go far enough.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Twitter Loses Bid to Toss Alex Berenson Lawsuit

A federal judge on Friday gave the green light for an independent journalist’s lawsuit against Twitter to proceed — a blow to the social media giant, which had tried to get the case dismissed.

But U.S. District Judge William Alsup dismissed the free speech claims made by independent journalist Alex Berenson, citing Twitter’s federal protections under Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Understaffed Portland Police Forced to Shutter Cold Case Unit, Deal ‘Devastating’ Blow for Families

Portland police is shutting down its cold case division amid a soaring homicide rate, according to reports.

Fox 12 and The Oregonian reported that Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell is moving several detectives from other teams to the homicide division, including the supervisor of the cold case squad.

In a recent email to department employees, Lovell said the current number of 18 homicide detectives is not sustainable with the number of homicides the bureau is responding to in Oregon’s largest city.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Wisconsin Pair Electrocuted to Death After Attempting TikTok Trend

A man and a woman electrocuted themselves to death while attempting to re-create a viral TikTok trend.

Wisconsin police said they responded to a residential fire in Marathon County in early April and ultimately discovered two individuals dead at the scene. Tanya Rodriguez, 44, and James Carolfi, 52, were discovered in the garage, both having died by electrocution, police said.

The pair were reportedly attempting to recreate the “fractal burning” trend from TikTok. Fractal burning is a process professionals use to burn tree-like designs into wood, often used as ornaments or tables.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

YouTube CEO Meets With Group Wanting Curbs on Spanish-Language “Misinformation”

On Thursday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) met with YouTube’s CEO Susan Wojcicki to discuss Spanish-language “misinformation.”

In a press release, the CHC said addressing Spanish-language dis/misinformation was a priority as more Hispanics in the country are using social media to get information.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Canadian Intelligence Agency Slammed for Not Monitoring Extremism in Prisons Enough

An internal report has claimed that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is not doing enough to monitor extremism in Canadian prisons and prisons need to do more to share more information.

The internal report, conducted by two national security lawyers, was published this week and was done at the request of CSIS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Pastor Artur Pawlowski Preaches Virtually to Big B.C. Crowd; Supporters React

Multiple stints behind bars, including a recent 51-day detention, and being fined hundreds of times — plus currently still under house arrest in Calgary — didn’t stop Pastor Artur Pawlowski from preaching the gospel and a message of freedom to many in British Columbia.

Last Sunday, hundreds flocked to the Vancouver Revival Centre in Pitt Meadows to hear Pawlowski preach virtually.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘90% of People Observe Ramadan Here’ — Prisoners in France Share Cooking Recipes for Muslim Holy Month of TikTok

With thousands of Muslims behind bars in France, the month of Ramadan plays a special role — perhaps even a dominant one — in the country’s prison system.

Although prisoners are banned from using smartphones in the prison, not only do they get their hands on the devices through the prison black market, but they even upload videos to their own TikTok pages.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Elon Musk Twitter Takeover: ‘EU Does Not Want Free Speech’ Warns Euro MP

A Member of the European Parliament has warned the EU “does not want free speech” after a European Commission official threatened Elon Musk over his takeover of Twitter.

Tom Vandendriessche, an EU-level representative for the Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang party, has said that the European Union “does not want free speech”, accusing the supranational bloc of wanting to “outsource” censorship to Big Tech corporations.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘EU Empire’ — Euro Conference Approves ‘Joint Armed Forces’, More Centralised Power for Brussels

The Conference on the Future of Europe has approved measures calling for the establishment of a European Union army and centralising power in the hands of Brussels eurocrats on Saturday.

The Conference, which was established last year to supposedly add more democratic voices to the way the EU operates through the addition of supposed ‘citizens panels’, has been criticised for doing the exact opposite.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

France: Violence Erupts in Paris as Thousands of May Day Protesters Raise Pressure on Macron

Police fired tear gas to push back black-clad anarchists who ransacked business premises in Paris on Sunday during May Day protests against the policies of newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron.

Thousands of people joined May Day marches across France, calling for salary increases and for Macron to drop his plan to raise the retirement age.

Most were peaceful but violence broke out in the capital, where police arrested 54 people, including a woman who attacked a fireman trying to put out a fire, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter. Eight police were injured, he added.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

France: Macron Introduces Digital ID Scheme for Public and Private Sector Services

Days after French President Emmanuel Macron’s re-election, Prime Minister Jean Castex confirmed the formation of a digital ID system, dubbed the “Digital Identity Guarantee Service.”

France announced the new system will operate via a smartphone and will be called “Service de garantie de l’identité numérique” (SGIN) (“Digital Identity Guarantee Service”).

The app will be an extension of the electronic Carte Nationale d’Identité (CNIe) and will authenticate a person’s identity for granting access to both public and private sector services.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

French Presidential Election: Torn Ballot Papers and Rumors of Election Fraud

As with almost all recent elections, even in so-called “stable democracies”, allegations of irregularities appear on social networks after the results have been announced. An example is the presidential election in the US in 2020, or the Swedish election in 2018, where the electoral authority’s system crashed and SD’s figures had fallen sharply when the system started up again. There were also reports of missing or destroyed ballot papers. Now the same phenomenon seems to have occurred in France.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Feminists and Squatters Kick Off Early May Day Protests in Berlin

Thousands of people marched through the German capital to protest against violence against women ahead of May Day. The crowd dispersed following clashes with the police.

Following a couple of years of limited actions due to the coronavirus pandemic, Berliners took to the streets on Saturday to launch this year’s May Day protests and festivities.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Eco-Terrorism: Climate Cult Sabotages Oil Pipelines

The climate cult “Last Generation” is getting serious. It has now attempted to disrupt pipeline supplies as part of ongoing protest actions. The sabotage actions took place in at least two German states.

Photos circulated by the sect on social media showed an activist standing next to a valve on a pumping station near Ramersbach in Rhineland-Palatinate. The Koblenz police said two people had been stopped. Criminal proceedings are being initiated, they added.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Supermarket Director Asks Staff if They Are on Their Periods

CONAD strips name from store after row over tampon in toilet

(ANSA) — ROME, APR 29 — An Italian supermarket director asked staff if they were on their periods after finding a tampon lying on the toilet floor, unions said in protesting the incident at Pescara on Thursday.

The CONAD store owner-manager allegedly said “I want the name and surname of those who are on their menstrual cycle today, Ok? Otherwise I’ll pull down their panties myself”.

CONAD stripped its name from the store saying it was “unacceptable behaviour” on the woman’s part.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Labour Party Tries to Rehabilitate Tony Blair With Video of Him Praising His Own Legacy

Britain’s leftist opposition Labour Party has tried to rehabilitate Iraq War architect Sir Tony Blair by releasing a video of him praising his own legacy and endorsing current leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Sir Tony, who governed from 1997 to 2007, with Gordon Brown succeeding him until Labour’s ouster in 2010, tried to persuade British voters to give his party another chance by lauding himself for lifting children and pensioners out of “acute poverty” — not mentioning the fact that poverty rates for poorer working-age adults without dependent children increased, or that child poverty had begun to rise again as Labour was leaving office, increasing by 100,000 between its last election win in 2005 and 2008/9.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Liverpool Mayor Tries to Cancel Rev Franklin Graham’s ‘Hateful’ Christian Bus Ads

The mayor for the city region of Liverpool, England has claimed advertisements on buses promoting an appearance by American evangelist Reverend Franklin Graham constitute “hate speech” and should be removed.

Steve Rotherham, Labour’s left-wing Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has called on two British bus companies, Stagecoach and Arriva, to remove advertisements promoting an upcoming event involving Franklin Graham in the city in May.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Rail Unions Are Planning ‘Extinction Rebellion-Style’ Strikes That Will Cause Summer Travel Chaos in Row Over Jobs and Pay — as Senior Figure Says Union is Preparing for ‘Civil Disobedience’

RMT is planning ‘Extinction Rebellion style’ strike action that will cause summer travel chaos in a row over jobs and pay — as a senior figure says union is preparing for ‘civil disobedience’.

The rail union is balloting more than 40,000 of its members over considerations to bring 15 train services including Govia Thameslink Railway, Avanti West Coast, and West Midlands Trains to a grinding halt.

RMT has blamed Network Rail’s planned cut of at least 2,500 safety-critical maintenance jobs as part of a £2 billion of savings on the network — changes that bosses say will lead to ‘trains flying off the tracks’.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine: Sending Arms is Weak Response Says Parolin

Talks possible without preconditions says Vatican official

(ANSA) — ROME, APR 29 — Sending arms to Ukraine is a weak response to Russian aggression, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Friday.

“Restricting oneself to arms is a weak response,” said Parolin, urging a strong push towards a negotiated solution to the crisis.

Parolin added that negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, which have stalled, were “possible without preconditions”.

He said “I am pessimistic but we must insist”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

United States Military Training Ukrainian Soldiers in Germany, Pentagon Admits

American armed forces have begun training Ukrainian soldiers to use advanced weapons systems in Germany, the Pentagon revealed on Friday.

In a Washington press briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said that the United States had come to an agreement with Germany to begin training programmes for Ukrainian soldiers.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Watch: Leftists Stage Annual Paris May Day Riots in Macron’s France

Left-wing activists embarked on their now-annual May Day (Labour Day) riots in Paris, France, on Sunday, with the day’s violence tinged with anti-Emmanuel Macron sentiment in the wake of his recent re-election.

The annual protest, which featured placards reading ‘Macron, Get Out’ and banners emblazoned with the faces of Communist mass murderers including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong, once again included a violent element, with activists lighting fires, throwing missiles at police, and smashing up street-facing businesses.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Lebanese Govt Says it Has No Funds to Issue Passports

Cannot pay French company printing them

(ANSAmed) — BEIRUT, APRIL 29 — The authorities in Lebanon, a country on the verge of economic collapse and which declared bankruptcy two years ago, does not have any more money to issue new passports.

The announcement was made by the country’s General Security, the government agency that is tasked with issuing travel documents, and came a few hours after the release of a survey by Arab Barometer that had found that about half the Lebanese population “is trying to leave Lebanon in search of better opportunities abroad”.

According to Arab Barometer, some 48% of Lebanese interviewed said that they intended to leave the country, where — according to the UN — over half the population is under the poverty line.

General Security announced that it had suspended the issuing of appointments online for passports.

New passports cannot be got because the agency has used up all the funds allocated to pay a private French company tasked with producing the actual passport books.

Interviewed by local media, General Security director Abbas Ibrahim said that the appointments made through April will be held but that afterwards the passport stocks would be finished.

Lebanon’s economic collapse, which started in the autumn of 2019, has pushed many Lebanese families to leave the country and there has been an exponential rise in passport requests in the past two years.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

New Era Beginning, Erdogan Says on Visit to Saudi Arabia

Meetings in Jeddah with Saudi king and Mohammed bin Salman

(ANSAmed) — ISTANBUL, APRIL 29 — “We are working to increase relations at the political, military, and economic level and to begin a new era,” Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by Anadolu as saying during a visit to Jeddah.

During the visit he met with Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time since a crisis sprung up between Ankara and Riyadh in 2018 after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. “As brotherly countries, we share historic, cultural, and human links,” the Turkish president said.

Erdogan went to Saudi Arabia with a delegation that included Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Economy Minister Nureddin Nebati, Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Trade Minister Mehmet Mus, and secret services chief Hakan Fidan.

Erdogan spoke of a shared interest to increase cooperation with Saudi Arabia at the level of healthcare, energy, food security, agricultural technology, defense industry, and finance, noting that there was also potential for collaboration on renewable energy.

“We give importance to stability and security for our brothers in the Gulf region,” the Turkish president said, who planned to stay in the country on Friday to take part in Muslim ceremonies in Mecca.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Latest News in the Russia-Ukraine War

Ukraine: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation of U.S. lawmakers to visit President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday night, telling the Ukrainian leader, “Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done.”

Gasoline shortages were felt by thousands of Ukrainians traveling across the country to return to homes they left behind when the war began in February. Ukrainian officials pledged to resolve the crisis through new contracts from Western Europe.

Ukrainian troops raised the flag above the town of Ruska Lozova, north of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. Ukraine said Russian troops were continuing their efforts to gain full control of the Donbas region in the east of the country, where heavy fighting continued.

Russia: Moscow is recasting its fight with Ukraine as a broader war between Russia and the West, as Kremlin leaders and state propaganda outlets warn Russians that the conflict with its smaller neighbor could spill over into a global clash.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hindu Minority Leader Tied to a Tree and Beaten Severely in Islamic Bangladesh’s Chittagong

Minority leader of Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council seriously attacked by Hooligans in South Chittagong of Islamic Bangladesh.

Ujjala Sarkar | HENB | Dhaka | April 30, 2022:: A prominent leader of the Hindu minority community from Bangladesh’s South Chittagong area was tied to a tree and beaten by supporters of a local government official today over an invitation to an Iftar party.

Jitendra Kanti Guha alias Jiten Guha, vice-president of Chittagong South of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad (Unity Council), was tied to a tree and beaten at Haidgaon Union in Patia upazila of Chattogram. Guha is also the former president of local Awami League. Now he was severely assaulted and beaten up by the goons connected to the faction of ‘Awami League’, the ruling party in Islamic Bangladesh.

Guha was rushed to Patia Health Complex and later shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

The incident took place in front of the Gauchia Community Centre at Brahmanghata in Haidgaon on Friday afternoon.

It is learnt that the Iftar mahfil and discussion meeting was organized by the Haidgaon Union Awami League at Gauchia Community Centre. But the union parishad (UP) chairman BM Jasim was not invited to the Iftar mahfil. This is reportedly the cause of the incident.

Shahidul Islam Zulu, joint convener of Haidgaon Union Awami League, said the Union Awami League did not invite Jasim to the Iftar party as he was elected as the rebel candidate of ruling Awami League. He got angry and came to the venue with 30-40 people and started abusing different people including Mahmudul Haque Hafez, convener of Union Awami League.

At one point, someone from the perpetrators punched Jiten Guha. The rest of the people at that time dragged Jiten Guha out, tied him to a tree, beat him to bleeding. Asked for the reason for beating Guha, Haidgaon UP chairman BM Jasim alleged that Jiten Guha had embezzled money from various people by promising to give government houses, tubewells and jobs during his tenure as president. The men beat Guha and demanded that he return the money. “I was able to save Jiten by being present at the scene. The situation would have been worse had it not been for me,” Jasim claimed. But, Guha denied the allegations and told the press as the allegations were false to irate the public against him.

Patia Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Investigation Md. Rashedul Islam told the reporters that the incident was true. He said a case has not been filed yet, but the plaintiff is likely to file a case in this regard as apprehended.

Meanwhile, Rana Das Gupta, president of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, and Nimchandra Bhowmik, general secretary, in a joint statement demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and severe punishment under the law.

In another incident, on Friday afternoon a group of 30-40 people attacked the house of a minority family Omesh Sharma in Barbakundu village of Sitakundu in Chattogram. Equipped with different types of indigenous weapons, they carried out extensive vandalism and violence. The attackers also molested some Hindu women. Sumon Chandra Banik, OC of the concerned police station, told the media, “We have received the complaint. The incident is true”. The OC said an investigation was still going on.

As a matter of face, Bangladesh has been passing through a difficult time under the grab of Islamist power who are controlling political powers in the country causing a gross denial of minority rights there.

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

‘Chinese Twitter’ Weibo to Forcibly Display Users’ IP Addresses to Stop ‘Bad Behavior’

Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform, announced on Thursday plans to publish the IP addresses of all Weibo users both on their individual account pages and whenever they post comments, stating it was part of an effort to prevent “bad behavior” online, Reuters reported.

Administrators of Weibo, sometimes referred to as “Chinese Twitter,” announced the new measure in Mandarin via the company’s own Weibo account on April 28. Reuters relayed translated excerpts of the press release on Thursday, writing, “For users in China, the platform will display the province or municipality where they are posting from… For those using Weibo overseas, the country of users’ IP addresses will be displayed.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

New Zealand: Climate Activists Protest Coal Mine Expansion

Plans to open a new coal mine on council land are a betrayal, say protesters who have halted operations at another company mine in Southland.

Thirty climate activists are on site at Takitimu coal mine, owned by Bathurst Resources, near Nightcaps. Police are also at the mine.

The protest is aimed at Bathurst’s new project: the company is exploring for coal at a Southland District Council-owned forestry block at Ohai.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hollywood Elitist Leonardo Dicaprio Clashes With Jair Bolsonaro Over Rainforest Ahead of Brazil’s Elections

Jet-setting, mega-yacht renting, Hollywood elitist Leonardo DiCaprio injected himself into Brazil’s elections and clashed with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro over the Amazon rainforest this week.

DiCaprio has a history of lecturing the working class on global warming.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Up to 230 Migrants Cross the Channel in Seven Boats Today After Eleven Day Hiatus Following Claims Priti Patel’s Rwanda Asylum Scheme is Working

Up to 230 migrants have crossed the English Channel this morning after an eleven day hiatus in what was being claimed as an early victory for the Government’s new scheme for sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.

UK officials, including a Border Force vessel, escorted seven small boats of men, women and children into Dover Harbour, Kent, at around 12.30am.

The last migrants to arrive at Dover in Kent were a total of 263 across seven small boats on April 19 — and Ministry of Justice data revealed not a single adult or child made it across since.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘Gender Affirming’ Surgeon Admits Children Who Undergo Transition Before Puberty Never Attain Sexual Satisfaction

At a recent talk at Duke University on “Trans & Gender Diverse Policies, Care, Practices, & Wellbeing,” surgeon and “trans affirming” doctor Marci Bowers, who transitioned at the age of 38, admitted that children who undergo transition before puberty will never have adult sexual function or experience orgasm.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

NGO Tells Transgenders to Call Cops if Asked to Leave Women’s Bathroom

Males who identify as women should call the cops if they are asked to leave a women’s toilet, a transgender NGO has suggested.

Mermaids, a controversial NGO focused on transgenderism among young people, has suggested that individuals who identify as the opposite sex should call the police if they are asked to leave a single-sex location.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Portland Schools to Place Period Products, Instructions on Their Usage, In Both Girls and Boys Restrooms

Schools in Oregon will soon be required to place period products in both boys and girls restrooms.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed the Menstrual Dignity Act into law in 2021, requiring all schools — elementary, middle, and high schools — to place period products in all bathrooms with instructions on how to use them.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

18 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 5/1/2022

  1. India is experiencing a heat wave season that has been lasting since mid-April. In some places, the temperature reached (https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/149766/early-season-heat-waves-strike-india) up to 47 degrees. This is a record for the entire history of observations in the country, and it is associated with climate change. People are dying because of the heat, regions are experiencing problems -india/articleshow/91228361.cms) with electricity, classes are canceled in schools and universities.

    Heat wave has already prevented (https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy/story/heat-wave-reduces-indias-wheat-yields-snags-export-plans-331894-2022-04-30) harvest plans . Grain literally burns out – some farmers have lost up to a fifth of their crops or more. Because of this, the harvest is expected to be 25% less than last year.

    • I had no idea Moscow had Mosques and Muslims. Certainly I knew other parts of Russia did.
      I guess I figured that was mainly a feature of Western European cities and until the 21st century in the U.S., mainly cities in Michigan and a handful of other large cities.

      • The fact is that in the huge metropolis of Moscow there are only 4 (!) Mosques.
        Moreover, some historically are Tatar mosques. Once before the revolution, the Tatars were cleaning the streets. There are not many indigenous Muslims in Moscow, and these mosques would be enough for them. This crowd is visiting guest workers.
        And Umma, as always, is cunning. On Muslim holidays, Muslims from all over the Moscow region come to Moscow mosques to intimidate local residents with their numbers and try to get new mosques from the authorities.

        • Very interesting.

          I could tell it was not ordinary as so many were anxious to pull out their cell phones and film the spectacle.

      • Moscow has lots and lots of them… Maybe even the most in Europe.

    • I was gonna ask why Putin doesn’t do anything about it…

      But then I remember he said, that Islam is closest to Orthodox Christianity.

      • With an incomprehensible purpose, the EU is importing violent Arabs, Syrians and Afghans into Europe.
        Putin is bringing Central Asian obedient slaves to Russia.

        • Europe’s elites also thought that the middle-Eastern newcomers would be obedient slaves… First, to work (in the 1960s) and now, to vote so that leftists can rule forever.

          And maybe they don’t care so much about the violence, if their own are not affected.

      • I do not know what Putin says or how he feels but as a Greek Orthodox i do not agree that my orthodoxy is close to Islam.
        Unless the Rusdians feel otherwise.

        • Everything Putin or Lavrov say is for a reason… Why would he say about Orthodoxy and Islam?

          My guess – To please the followers of the Religion of Peace, who are increasingly important to him (and his army, especially)…

          And maybe similar logic to Lavrov’s Jews/antisemites talk recently. (USA is trying to get Arabs on their side RE Ukraine… Maybe Russia trying similar?)

    • I remember back about a little more than a few decades ago in college, a guy who I think was from Malaysia washing his junk in the sink in the public restroom, doing some kind of repetitious prayer.

  2. Inflation in Poland no problem. Government will just print more money!

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