A car bomb exploded in the street near FSB headquarters in the city of Melitopol, which is in the portion of southeastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia. An undetermined number of people were injured in the blast.
In other news, a Supreme Court judge in New York voided New York City’s vax mandate, and reinstated fired employees with back pay.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, JF, JW, McN, Reader from Chicago, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
New UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is a Vocal Supporter of Exploring CBDCs
Today, Rishi Sunak, who has been the most vocal member of the British government to voice support for CBDCs, took office as the new UK Prime Minister.
Earlier this year, while serving as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sunak announced a joint task force of the Treasury and Bank of England to explore a CBDC.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Progressive” Democrats Formally Retract Call for Diplomacy as Ukraine War Hawks Steamroll Dissent
Update(1318ET): That didn’t take long… the 30 Houses Progressive Democrats led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has early Tuesday afternoon issued a complete retraction of their letter sent to the Biden White House urging diplomacy on Ukraine, per an official statement [emphasis ours]:
“The Congressional Progressive Caucus hereby withdraws its recent letter to the White House regarding Ukraine.”
“The letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting. As Chair of the Caucus, I accept responsibility for this. Because of the timing, our message is being conflated by some as being equivalent to the recent statement by Republican Leader McCarthy threatening an end to aid to Ukraine if Republicans take over. The proximity of these statements created the unfortunate appearance that Democrats, who have strongly and unanimously supported and voted for every package of military, strategic, and economic assistance to the Ukrainian people, are somehow aligned with Republicans who seek to pull the plug on American support for President Zelensky and the Ukrainian forces.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Apple Further Restricts Developers to Boost Its Own Profits
Apple’s infamously restrictive App Store rules have just gotten a little more restrictive, it’s clear from the giant’s developer blog — and crypto, Apple, and Big Tech observers have noticed it.
Going forward, the updated App Store review guideline bans apps from using NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to skirt around Apple’s highly lucrative in-app purchase mechanism. This means that NTF sales have to go through in-app purchase, with Apple taking its 30% cut.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arizona Defies CDC, Will Not Require COVID-19 Vaccine for Public School Students
Arizona will not require students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend public schools in the state, the legislature announced in a statement.
The state’s Senate Majority Leadership Team, via an email press release, pointed to HB 2086, a now-signed law, that “clearly and explicitly states that COVID-19 vaccinations cannot be a requirement for school attendance in Arizona.”
Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the adult and childhood immunization schedules. The ACIP recommended the receipt of four shots in total, beginning at six-months-old.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The South Carolina Freedom Caucus on Tuesday released audio of a professional development specialist explaining how “tenets of critical race theory” seep into the state’s public school system.
“Think CRT isn’t being taught in your school? Think again,” reads text on the video, which was released Tuesday on Youtube.
The South Carolina Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of state legislators, said the recording was provided by a whistleblower, and allegedly shows Tarika Sullivan, a Professional Development Specialist for EL Education, explaining how she works “with school leadership teams to help improve schools and provide curriculum support.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As the closing arguments began in the case of Darrell Brooks, who is accused of driving his truck into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisc., killing 6 and injuring 62 others, it was discovered that someone claiming to be a juror was posting about the case on Reddit.
Brooks pled not guilty after he was charged with murder.
The judge said there would be a full investigation.
The judge also said that the claims made by the Reddit poster may not be credible.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cheney Says She’ll Do “Whatever it Takes”, Including Presidential Run, To Stop Trump in 2024
Authored by Lorenz Duscamps via The Epoch Times
Outgoing Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said on Sunday that she will do everything possible, including a potential 2024 presidential run, to prevent former President Donald Trump from entering the Oval Office again.
Cheney, who has become one of the most vocal voices in the Republican Party against Trump, made the comment in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” arguing the Republican Party “will shatter” if Trump becomes the GOP presidential nominee.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Darrell Brooks Trial: Jury Deliberating After Waukesha Parade Attack Suspect Breaks Down
WAUKESHA, Wis. (WLS) — Jury deliberations are underway in the Waukesha holiday parade attack trial.
Prosecutors wrapped up their closing arguments on Tuesday, explaining to jurors why they believe they’ve proven that Darrell Brooks is guilty of intentionally murdering six people and injuring dozens more during the parade last November.
Prosecutors ended closing arguments with a video that they said shows all the carnage he caused. The prosecutor apologized to the jury for the graphic nature of the video, but said they felt like it was important to show.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrats in Panic Mode as Midterm Momentum Favors GOP
With midterm elections weeks away, desperation among Democrats is palpable.
After horrendous polling which shows that Americans not only care most about inflation and the economy (‘Change the subject!’), and a mass exodus of independent voters, Democrats have even resorted to shuffling a clearly-impaired President Biden around to stump for candidates and reassure the base how wonderful things are.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Vows to Close Twitter Deal by Friday
On Monday, Elon Musk held a conference call with representatives from the banks helping facilitate his purchase of Twitter, informing them that he intended to close the deal by Friday.
In response, the banks announced that they would be taking the final steps necessary to complete the transaction.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google’s Denial of Political Search Bias Gets Pushback: ‘Just as Clear as Day’
Media Research Center founder and president Brent Bozell pushed back on criticisms of his organization’s report on alleged political bias by Google with its search engine.
The MRC is calling on Google to “stop its war on democracy” and “provide algorithmic transparency” after the media watchdog’s Free Speech America initiative analyzed the 12 critical Senate races identified by RealClearPolitics as important to watch.
The findings revealed that campaign websites for 10 Republicans among the 12 tight races were found significantly lower on results pages compared to their opponent’s sites among organic search results
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harvard Students Get $2,700 for Pro-Affirmative Action Rally at SCOTUS
Harvard University students who travel to the Supreme Court to rally in support of affirmative action and the institution’s racial quota system will get $2,700 in funds to do so.
The Harvard Undergraduate Association approved a request from the Affirmative Action Coalition on campus for $2,700 from its new “Social Life Fund,” the campus newspaper reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Katy Perry’s eye malfunction is driving the conspiracy theorists mad, but it was probably just part of the show.
Claiming everything is vaxx-related harms the credibility of legitimate issues with the vaccine and allows the media to dismiss it all as crazy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Joe Biden, 79, appeared confused as he tried to make his way back to the White House following a tree planting event for the groundskeeper on the South Lawn on Monday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
While other climate activists around the world have made their statements recently by damaging valuable art with food, demonstrators in Midtown on Tuesday took a more conventional approach: Blocking traffic to get their points across.
The end result of the Oct. 25 protest was the same as others, however, as the NYPD arrested 15 of the demonstrators for illegally occupying the intersection of Park Avenue and East 52nd Street.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Monday, Metropolitan Transit Authority chair Janno Lieber penned a letter to district attorneys in the New York City area calling on them to enforce an existing law that allows them to ban certain criminals from using public transportation.
Lieber also suggested that the law, which had passed in 2020 under then-governor Andrew Cuomo, was too narrow in its scope, and should be expanded to include more criminals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NY Judge Strikes Down NYC Vax Mandate, Slams Mayor; Orders Worker Reinstatement With Back-Pay
A New York Supreme Court judge on Monday struck down NYC’s vaccine mandate for all city workers, finding that the rule was unconstitutional, arbitrary, and capricious.
“So, we just defeated the vaccine mandate for every single city employee—not just sanitation,” said Attorney Chad LaVeglia, who announced the verdict outside the Richmond County courthouse, adding that the mandate was now “null and void.”
“For all the brave men and women who have been our first responders and have been brave through all this are now free, and you should be able to go back to work,” he added.
The ruling comes after more than 2,000 city employees were fired for refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine. It applies to all public workers, including the NY Fire Department, the police department and the Department of Corrections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rand Paul Slams CDC for ‘Conflicts of Interest’ Over Agency’s Cozy Relationship With Pfizer, Moderna
On Monday, Kentucky senator Rand Paul sent a letter to CDC director Rochelle Walensky asking for more transparency regarding its contracting of Weber Shandwick, the same public relations firm that represents Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, to conduct research for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Citing possible conflicts of interest, Paul requested that the CDC provide unredacted documentation of Weber Shandwick’s work with the NCIRD.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Records Reveal External Forces That Aided Soros-Funded Prosecutor in Toppling Missouri GOP Governor
A George Soros-bankrolled prosecutor in St. Louis was fed derogatory information in early 2018 from two opponents of Eric Greitens — a special interest group executive and an estranged husband — before she filed and later withdrew criminal charges that toppled the sitting Republican governor of Missouri, according to documents turned over to Just the News under a court order.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Richmond Man Arrested for Murder After Being Released on Three Prior Murder Charges
On October 19, a Bay Area man was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the killing of 26-year-old Emari Cook.
Bobby Dee Dozier, 37, was revealed to have been arrested three times in the past for murder, and was on parole after being convicted of manslaughter at the time he allegedly killed Cook.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. Rubio Calls for Investigation Into 2020 Protests if Republicans Regain Majorities
WASHINGTON (TND) — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is making his case for a congressional oversight committee to investigate the protests that rocked the country following the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020.
Some of the demonstrations — many of which started as peaceful protests — turned into looting and led to extensive damage to government buildings and businesses in several big cities.
“There has been no accountability about the summer of 2020, who was behind it, how much political rhetoric lent itself to it,” Rubio said on Fox News. “So there’s a whole host of things that we can hold government agencies accountable for.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A progressive member of the Seattle City Council who has been a vocal critic of law enforcement amid the “defund the police” movement is criticizing police for not sufficiently pursuing reports of multiple instances of feces being thrown into her yard.
Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, a self-described socialist, sent a letter to police in Seattle this week claiming they are “failing to investigate” what she says are six separate instances of a politically motivated person throwing feces into her yard,” KCPQ-TV reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UC Irvine Launches ‘Center for Liberation, Anti-Racism, And Belonging’
The University of California Irvine has launched a new “Center for Liberation, Anti-Racism and Belonging” to address “issues related to race, Indigeneity and migration.”
“We aim to create a space for folks who share this mission and are looking for a place to belong in the university,” Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, a history and Asian-American studies professor, stated in the university news release.
The center will help UC Irvine become a “research justice university,” according to Professor Wu.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Citizens Were Given Secret COVID “Decree Violation” Scores
Voter analytics firm PredictWise harvested location data from tens of millions of US cellphones during the initial Covid lockdown months and used this data to assign a “Covid-19 decree violation” score to the people associated with the phones.
These Covid-19 decree violation scores were calculated by analyzing nearly two billion global positioning system (GPS) pings to get “real-time, ultra-granular locations patterns.” People who were “on the go more often than their neighbors” were given a high Covid-19 decree violation score while those who mostly or always stayed at home were given a low Covid-19 decree violation score.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two time failed presidential candidate and Russian collusion conspiracy theorist Hillary Clinton has a new warning for Americans. “Right-wing extremists” are planning to steal the 2024 election.
Wonky wide-eyed Hillary made the assertion in a special video message to Indivisible’s Crush the Coup campaign.
“I know we’re all focused on the 2022 midterm elections, and they are incredibly important, but we also have to look ahead because, you know what, our opponents certainly are,” Clinton says in the video.
“Right-wing extremists already have a plan to literally steal the next presidential election, and they’re not making a secret of it,” she further claims.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: MSNBC Talking Head Compares GOP Candidates to Hitler, Republican Voters to Nazis
In another deranged broadcast, an MSNBC talking head compared GOP candidates to Adolf Hitler in 1930s Germany and Americans who vote Republican to Nazis.
Matthew J Dowd, currently a Democrat but previously the chief strategist for the re-election campaigns of both President George W. Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, appeared on perpetual race baiter Joy Reid’s show Monday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Trump Voters Shut Down MSNBC Host’s J6 Propaganda
MSNBC brought together a focus group of Pittsburg-area Trump voters to badger them about the supposed horrors of the January 6th “insurrection” only to have all their propaganda shut down in humiliating fashion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Who? Biden Congratulates ‘Rashee Sanuk’ For Becoming UK Prime Minister
U.S. President Joe Biden has raised eyebrows for congratulating “Rashee Sanuk” for becoming Britain’s new Prime Minister.
The British public could have been left wondering if there had been yet another Prime Minister ousted on Tuesday after U.S. President Joe Biden brought it upon himself to congratulate “Rashee Sanuk” for ascending to the top elected position in the UK.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
City Lawyer Nixed Jim Watson’s Plan to Seize and Sell Convoy Trucks
Days after Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson mused about seizing and selling trucks towed from the convoy protest, the City of Ottawa’s lawyer stepped in to say it wasn’t possible.
A Feb. 24 memo from city solicitor David White to Watson and Ottawa city councillors said the city has “no existing legal authority” to permanently seize people’s trucks, regardless of the reason.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Feds Had Plan to Meet Truckers Before Invoking Emergencies Act
On Day 9 of the Emergencies Act hearings, evidence was presented to the commission showing that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet had a plan for the federal government to meet with protesters the same day that he invoked the extraordinary powers to quash the protests.
On Tuesday, Marcel Beaudin, an inspector and lead negotiator with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) revealed that he was asked to assess a proposal that he had worked on with the RCMP to have a federal representative meet with convoy leaders before Trudeau’s invocation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lawyers Want CBC, Other Outlets, To Testify Over Freedom Convoy “Misinformation”
Lawyers representing Freedom Convoy protestors want legacy media outlets like the CBC to take the stand at the Public Order Emergency Commission for what they describe as fake and misleading reporting on the movement earlier this year.
As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms wants the CEO of CBC, Catherine Tait, to answer for the public broadcaster’s coverage of the convoy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lawyers Warned Military That COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Could be Illegal
Upon seeking legal and medical advice on implementing a Covid-19 mandate for the military, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) was told that a mandatory vaccination requirement was unnecessary and could be illegal.
Prior to introducing mandatory vaccination last year, Gen. Wayne Eyre was warned by advisers in a briefing note dated August of that year.
“We get lots of legal opinions out there, but we can’t allow one legal opinion from stopping us from doing the right thing,” Eyre told the Canadian Press.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ottawa Police Chief Says Freedom Protest Did Not Meet ‘The Criminal Code Definition of Violence’
The Ottawa Freedom Convoy protest that captured the world’s attention “felt” violent despite not being violent, Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said to the Public Order Emergency Commission yesterday.
Bell told the lawyer representing protestors that when he was talking about “violence” at the protests, he was not being literal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
England: Social Worker Fired Over Social Media Posts Wins Case
Social Work England dropped the case against Rachel Meade, a social worker and member of the Free Speech Union (FSU), who was suspended over posts on her personal Facebook page.
A complaint about the posts was filed by Sport England’s Diversity Champion Aedan Wolton. That single complaint resulted in the suspension of Meade from her social worker position at the Westminster City Council.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
by Patrick Lawrence
Despite the economically disastrous impact the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage will have on Europe, Western media still holds its tongue about it.
Absolutely remarkable, Western media’s determination to ignore the recent Baltic Sea detonations, which knocked out the Nord Stream I and II gas pipelines. A major piece of Europe’s energy infrastructure, the joint property of Germany and Russia, has been destroyed. Any chance that Russian gas transmissions westward will be resumed is off the table. The Continent is now sent on a desperate search for new sources of natural gas, inevitably at higher prices. I cannot think of many stories that are more significant.
The Western press and broadcasters have reported next to nothing about this momentous development since the September 26 explosions.And it is now clear that the media’s silence reflects a larger silence. On October 14, Reuters reported that Sweden has declined to participate in a joint investigation with Germany and Denmark. German television reported that the Danes also dropped out. Now we have a German minister stating his government knows who is responsible for the attack but cannot say who it is. In all three cases, the explanation is the same: This matter is too sensitive to pursue and doing so risks “national security.”
| — Hat tip: JF | [Return to headlines] |
The man who murdered 18-year-old Théo Perrelle with a shotgun in 2019 was sentenced Monday evening, Oct. 24, by the Assize Court of minors to 20 years imprisonment.
Théo Perrelle, 18, lost his life on the night of May 17, 2019, in the city of Caen, after being hit in the chest by a shotgun blast while surrounded by friends. Four young people had approached the victim, and one of them had opened fire, apparently following a “bad look” shared between Theo and the main defendant 23-year-old Sid Ahmed Hattabi. A witness to the shooting said that before Theo was shot, he asked, Hattabi, “You want to kill me over a look?” Hattabi then pulled the trigger.
Théo was transferred to Caen Univeristy Hospital but died the next day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Wants to Produce More Weapons Domestically, Reduce Reliance on Foreign Suppliers
The aim of the Polish government is to produce as many weapons as possible for the Polish military in order to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and ensure sovereignty, according to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiekci, who made the comments during a tour of the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask. However, he also stated that the modernization of the armed forces requires cooperation with allies.
“We do not ever want to have foreign, hostile forces in Poland. We want to cooperate only with close allies,” said Morawiecki. The prime minister added that the government wanted to build a strong Polish army and ensure adequate domestic weapons production so Poland “can defend its freedom to be the basis of welfare in the future.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Price of Birch Firewood Doubles in Finland Amin Energy Crunch
Due to explosive demand since late summer, the price of firewood has doubled across Finland, prompting massive delays in deliveries and even shutdowns of online stores unable to keep up with demand.
Birch has one of the highest heat contents and ranks among both Finland’s most common tree species and most popular types of firewood coveted by private homes and industry alike.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Romanian Defense Minister Resigns After Calling for Peace Talks With Russia
Romanian Defense Minister and prominent Social Democrat politician Vasile Dîncu (61) resigned on Monday over comments he made months ago in support of pursuing peace with Russia.
Dîncu has announced his resignation on social media, but the move came as a major surprise, as the scandal surrounding some of his earlier comments seemed to have died down. In early October, the minister made a number of comments about the war in Ukraine that went against Bucharest’s official position of unbridled support for Ukraine’s war efforts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: BBC Prepares Secret Scripts for Possible Use in Winter Blackouts
Exclusive: Scripts set out how corporation will reassure public in event of major power loss
The BBC has prepared secret scripts that could be read on air if energy shortages cause blackouts or the loss of gas supplies this winter.
The scripts, seen by the Guardian, set out how the corporation would reassure the public in the event that a “major loss of power” causes mobile phone networks, internet access, banking systems or traffic lights to fail across England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland would be unaffected because its electricity grid is shared with the Republic of Ireland.
The public would be advised to use car radios or battery-powered receivers to listen to emergency broadcasts on FM and long-wave frequencies usually reserved for Radio 2 and Radio 4.
One draft BBC script warns that a blackout could last for up to two days, with hospitals and police placed under “extreme pressure”.
Another says: “The government has said it’s hoped power will be restored in the next 36 to 48 hours. Different parts of Britain will start to receive intermittent supplies before then.”
It is understood they were written by BBC journalists as part of routine emergency planning to deal with hypothetical scenarios. They include local details for the different regions and nations of Britain.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Farage Warns ‘Eco-Terrorism’ Is Next as Climate Crazies Vandalise Think Tanks
Arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage has warned of the possibility of “eco-terrorism” after climate crazies vandalised a think tank building in London.
A failure to curtail protests by climate crazies will eventually result in “eco-terrorism”, Nigel Farage has claimed in the wake of protesters vandalising a building containing a number of think tanks — including those campaigning against high taxes and high levels of immigration — to protest oil and gas.
As of writing, the protest is the latest of an ever-increasing number of green agenda protests which have seen climate extremists vandalise paintings, statues and buildings in an attempt to push for the eradication of fossil fuels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Farage: Sunak Has ‘No Humanity’, Will Raise Taxes, Fail on Migrants, Lose Working Class
Brexit champion Nigel Farage believes Rishi Sunak offers no change from the managed decline of the last decade, and that the Conservatives are “doomed” in the next general election.
“In the last few months, we’ve had four Chancellors of the Exchequer, three Home Secretaries, two monarchs, and now our third Prime Minister,” Farage said on his YouTube channel, expressing the incredulity of much of the country at the situation as Rishi Sunak is imposed as premier by a handful of Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Photos Show XR Blocking Schlumberger With Giant Teapot
Earlier today (October 24) Extinction rebellion protestors blocked the entrance to the Schlumberger building with a giant teapot. Police attended the protest and the activists have now left the site.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Truss Era Ends After 50 Days With Speech Warning About High Tax and Low Growth
Outgoing UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has made her final speech in power before meeting the King to formally resign, in which she quoted stoic philosopher Seneca and laid the ground for a future ‘told you so’ moment on the dangers of high taxes and low growth.
Speaking from the steps of 10 Downing Street Tuesday morning Liz Truss, who has been the Prime Minister for just 50 days including today, gave a speech which briefly touched on her achievements in power — there aren’t many, after all — but spent more time laying out what needs to be done next.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israeli Man Wounded in Terror Stabbing in West Bank Village, IDF Says
55-year-old attacked in store in al-Funduq; military launches manhunt for alleged Palestinian stabber
A 55-year-old Israeli man was wounded in a stabbing attack Tuesday afternoon in a northeastern West Bank village, the military and medics say.
According to the Rescuers Without Borders emergency service, the man was stabbed after he exited a store in al-Funduq, a Palestinian village near the settlement of Kdumim.
The man, who was apparently shopping in the area, then reached his car and drove off to a nearby junction.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said its medics treated the man at the nearby junction. He was listed in moderate condition and taken to the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had launched a manhunt for the alleged Palestinian stabber, describing the incident as a terror attack.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Iran has reportedly turned to child soldiers in an attempt to crack down on the ongoing riots in the country, a tactic the Islamic Republic has used in the past and a potential violation of international law.
“The Iranian regime’s use of child soldiers is a sign of both its desperation and its abhorrent ideology,” Orde Kittrie, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
Kittrie’s comments come after an FDD report released Monday revealed that Iran was attempting to crush protests in the country by using minors, citing recent pictures that have emerged on social media showing children wearing Basij militia uniforms, which is a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protests Rock Iran Universities Before Nationwide Rallies Wednesday
Anti-government protests in Iran continued Tuesday with university students at the forefront of expressing anger at gender segregation and government brutality.
Students at a university in Qom, which is the Shiite religious center in Iran disrupted a speech by the government spokesman, who had been booed and silenced on Monday at another university in Tehran. They chanted “Student Dies but does not accept humiliation!” and did not let Ali Bahadori Jahromi to speak.
Qom University students also chanted slogans against Iran’s state broadcaster when its notorious correspondent Yusef Salami was trying to report from the venue of the government spokesman’s speech.
In the capital students of Tehran, Beheshti, Modarres, Khajeh Nasir, Sureh, Alzahra, Azad and Allameh universities chanted different anti-regime slogans including “Tehran has turned into detention center, Evin [prison] has turned into slaughterhouse” and “Death to Dictator!
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WSJ Report: Saudi Crown Prince Privately Mocks Biden’s Mental Decline
The Wall St Journal reports that sources inside the Saudi government have claimed that the country’s leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman privately mocks gaffes made by Joe Biden, and has questioned his mental fitness to be U.S. President.
The anonymous sources also suggested that MBS was less than impressed with Biden during his trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brittney Griner to Spend 9 Years in Russian Penal Colony After Court Rejects Appeal
WNBA star and American citizen Brittney Griner will continue to serve her nine-year sentence in a Russian jail after a court in Moscow denied her appeal over a drugs conviction, WSJ reported.
Griner’s lawyers told NYTimes before the appeal on Tuesday that she did “not expect any miracles to happen” but was optimistic that the appeals court’s three-judge panel would reduce her sentence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Explosion Occurs Near FSB Headquarters in Temporarily Occupied Melitopol
(MENAFN- UkrinForm) In the temporarily occupied city of Melitopol, a car has exploded near the building of Russia’s FSB headquarters.
The relevant statement was made by Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov on , an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“The Melitopol collaborators have had a bad smoke near the rashists’ FSB office, which is located in a building of Melitopol gauleiter Balitsky,” Fedorov wrote.
According to the preliminary data, the car exploded near the premises, where one of the Kremlin propagandist’s headquarters had been located and where the Russian propagandist news had been rebroadcast. The further details are yet to be checked.
A reminder that about seven explosions were heard in the Melitopol district last night. Reportedly, a railway bridge was blown up.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Force of Tuesday’s Explosion in Melitopol Was Equivalent to 15 Kg of TNT — Official
It is reported that a car was blown up near a television center in Melitopol on Tuesday
MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. The force of the explosion that took place near the building of a media company in Melitopol on Tuesday was equivalent to at least 15 kilograms of TNT, a representative of regional law enforcement agencies told TASS.
“Bomb experts estimated that the force of the explosion reached the equivalent of at least 15 kilograms of TNT. Damage was inflicted on the building of the media company, a next-door five-story residential building, and three privately-owned vehicles, two of which were parked in the courtyard,” the person said.
A car was blown up near a television center in Melitopol on Tuesday. Six people were injured including a child. The shock wave from the explosion shattered windows and doors in the building, also damaging adjacent buildings and a car that was passing by. Law enforcement agencies are tracking down the perpetrators.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine War: ‘Marshall Plan’ For Kyiv, Russian ‘Spies’ In Norway, US Mulls Sending New Air Defences
1. Zelenskyy demands billions as Scholz calls for Marshall Plan 2.0
Ukraine’s president asked the international community on Tuesday for more financial support to help plug a €38 billion budget deficit, caused by the Russian invasion.
Via video link, Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged politicians and experts gathered in Berlin for an international conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction to “take a decision” and fill the country’s 2023 budget deficit.
“It’s a very large sum of 38 billion dollars,” he said, adding this was for “the salaries of teachers, doctors, it’s social benefits, pensions.”
At the opening of the meeting, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said reconstruction should “start now”, believing “a new Marshall Plan for the 21st century” was needed.
The Marshall Plan was a massive, US-funded spending project that helped rebuild Europe after the devastation of World War Two.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
India: Assault Upon a Hindu Youth by Suspected Muslim Goons Created Tension in Shivamogga
Tension in Seegehatti in Shivamogga following assault upon a Hindu youth on Monday night, by Allah-ho-Akbar shouters.
B Upendran | HENB | Hassan | Oct 25, 2022:: Tension prevailed for a couple of hours at Bharamappa Layout in Shivamogga (Karnataka) on Monday night, when a Hindu person was attacked by three unknown people.
Prakash, 25, a resident of the layout, was attacked around 11.30 p.m. Three people, who came by bike, threw stones at him. They were heard shouting Islamic slogans including Allah-ho-Akbar and passing filthy comments against Hindus, as reported. The real motive of the attack is not clear yet.
Shivamogga SP G.K. Mithun Kumar informed the media that Prakash suffered head injuries. “According to doctors, he suffered minor head injuries and is safe. We are investigating the case”, he said. Mr. Prakash is undergoing treatment at McGann Hospital in the city.
Fortunately, Prakash escaped from a spate of fatality.
Senior police officers visited the spot and dispersed people gathered after learning about the incident. The district administration has deployed policemen at Seegehatti, Bharamappa Layout and neighbouring areas.
The city has witnessed a series of incidents since the murder of Harsha, a Hindutva activist, earlier this year.
Police are finding the cause of such attacks from various angles.
Police took strict measures not to escalate the law and order situation during the Diwali fest all around.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
Less Than 1 in 100 Million Chance That COVID-19 Has Natural Origin: New Study
Authored by Hans Mahncke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A new study on the origins of the pandemic, “Endonuclease fingerprint indicates a synthetic origin of SARS-CoV2,” published on the preprint server bioRxiv, concludes that it is highly likely that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 originated in a laboratory. The odds of a natural origin, according to the study, are placed at less than 1 in 100 million.
Unlike previous studies that analyzed qualitative aspects such as virus features, the new study for the first time assesses the likelihood of a laboratory origin on a quantitative basis. This breakthrough methodology allowed the authors to present objective findings that appear to exceed any previous studies.
Significantly, the new study does not rely on any of the known evidence pointing toward a lab origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For instance, it does not take into consideration the highly unusual Furin Cleavage Site that makes the virus particularly virulent and which it is widely thought to have been inserted into the virus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Nor does it factor in the huge coincidence that the pandemic started on the door steps of the world’s premier coronavirus laboratory
Instead, the authors—Valentin Bruttel, a molecular immunologist at the University of Würzburg in Germany; Alex Washburne, a mathematical biologist at Selva Science; and Antonius VanDongen, a pharmacologist at Duke University—took a novel approach that assesses the genesis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from an entirely new angle.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australia’s New South Wales Wants to Explore Biometrics for Digital ID
The government of Australia’s New South Wales state has requested a parliamentary inquiry into the use of AI-based technologies like biometrics for digital IDs and facial recognition.
The Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said that the inquiry, which will be conducted by the state’s parliamentary Committee of Law and Safety, will explore how the use of AI in public service delivery could be expanded throughout the whole state.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
West Coast Fever CEO Simone Hansen has declared netball players need to be better educated about the value of the sponsorship dollar after her team lost a $2million deal with Roy Hill.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The Qantas passenger who was kicked off a Sydney-bound flight for swearing at staff after claiming they were ‘rude’ to his wife last month has been identified as rugby player Zakir Slaimankhel.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Rugby Player Dies on the Field After Collapsing During Centennial Celebrations Match in New Zealand
The centenary celebrations for one of New Zealand’s smallest rugby clubs ended in tragedy as a player died on the field.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
‘Allahu Akbar’ Knifeman With Deportation Order Arrested by French Police
A man already subject to a deportation order from France was arrested over the weekend in the commune of Saint-Etienne after he publicly yelled “Allahu akbar” in the street while carrying a knife.
The man, aged 31, was arrested on Saturday evening at around 8:40 pm as he was walking down the street in Saint-Etienne while carrying a knife and shouting “Allahu akbar.” As police approached the man and made an attempt to take him into custody he is said to have attacked the officers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germans’ Mood on Asylum Policy is Changing, SPD Warns
Even while accusing “Russian propaganda” and “incitements from the right” for Germany’s souring mood on more migration, the Social Democrats are also acknowleding that the massive amount of migrants entering the country on the Balkan route is an “enormous challenge.”
Dirk Wiese, deputy chairman of the SPD in the Bundestag, said in an interview there are signs that Germans are growing weary of more immigration, as shown by the rise of Sahra Wagenknecht from the Left Party along with Christian Democratic Union (CDU) President Friedrich Merz’s “unspeakable” accusation against social tourism from Ukraine, all of which “are ingredients for a more tense mood among the population.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Sunak Surprises by Reinstating Mass Migration Sceptic Suella Braverman as Home Secretary
The “unapologetically” anti-open borders Suella Braverman has been reinstalled as Home Secretary just over a week after dramatically resigning from the post, in a potential signal from newly-installed Sunak government to Conservative voters that it may actually be looking to clamp down on mass migration.
While most of the selections for Rishi Sunak’s new cabinet have consisted of establishment picks from both the Johnson and Truss governments, one choice has raised eyebrows among Westminster watchers: the re-instatement of Suella Braverman at the Home Office, the government department tasked with setting and enforcing immigration policy for the nation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A teenage migrant ran into a woman’s home and demanded to use her phone after crossing the Channel and landing in Dover on a small boat.
Sue Doyle, 59, who lives in Aycliffe, a village near Dover, was asked for transport to either London or Manchester after the boy ran into her property through an open door on Sunday.
The incident happened after around 80 migrants in two dinghies landed on a Dover beach that morning, reaching British shores without being intercepted by UK authorities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Growing Anti-Woke Movement in Canada’s Schools
More Canadians are pushing back against woke ideology being taught in schools, and this was more apparent than ever during Monday’s municipal election as a number of anti-woke candidates put their names forward for school board trustee.
While many of these candidates were not successful, it’s clear that there is a growing anti-woke movement that is happening in Canada as many parents are fed up with extreme leftist ideologies being taught to their kids.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A critic alleged the European human rights court treats attacks against Christianity differently than those against Islam
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recently overturned the ruling of a French court that had fined and issued a jail sentence to a feminist who interrupted a Roman Catholic church service and “aborted” Jesus on the altar while topless.
Eloïse Bouton was bare-breasted and painted in pro-choice slogans all over her body when, in December 2013, she interrupted Christmas carols at Paris’ famous Madeleine church and protested the Catholic Church’s teachings against abortion by simulating an abortion of Jesus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Mayor of Stuttgart Installs Tampon Dispenser in Men’s Toilet
Gender toilets for those who do not know whether they are a man or a woman have long been considered good manners in “woke” circles, with authorities and institutions bending over backwards to accommodate every whim.
Stuttgart’s “conservative” CDU Mayor, Frank Nopper, has proven nonetheless that things can always be improved. He had a machine installed in his town hall that dispenses tampons and pads free of charge — in the men’s toilet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Trans Journalist: ‘Poland Brings Shame on All Europeans’
The chief of taxpayer-funded public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Georgine Kellermann, has angered Poland after claiming the country “brings shame on all Europeans” while discussing potential European sanctions.
The comment actually followed his views on the new Giorgia Meloni government in Italy, with the 65-year-old trans commentator noting that Ursula von der Leyen gave her congratulations to Meloni after she was sworn in as prime minister,
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Government’s ‘Rainbow Portal’ Advises Children to Take Puberty Blockers, Change Genders
The German government features a webpage that advises children struggling with their gender identity to take so-called puberty blockers to delay their natural physical development and offers information on “same-sex lifestyles and gender diversity.”
Known as the “rainbow portal,” the service, offered by the Federal German Ministry of Family Affairs, explains to children that there are hormone “therapies” available for those whose body “does not fit with their feelings.”
The website outlines how there are “far more” than just two genders and provides information about how to proceed with hormone blocking medication for those girls and boys looking to “transition” to a new sex.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leftists in Italy have expressed anger after new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that she wants to be referred to as Prime Minister in the traditional way, rather than opting for a gendered, feminine form of the term in the Italian language.
Prime Minister Meloni stated she wishes to be referred to as “il presidente del consiglio.” rather than the feminine form of the term “la presidenta”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Student Government VP Resigns Because First Amendment Doesn’t Ban ‘Hate Speech’
The vice president of the University of Illinois Student Government, or ISG, has tendered her resignation because the school will not “take a stand and prohibit hate speech.”
Vindhya Kalipi, a junior studying political science and statistics, made that point in a student government Instagram post put up on October 10.
Kalipi was not pleased about the appearance of Matt Walsh on his “What is a Woman?” tour at which he said challenging transgender ideology is “the hill he is ‘willing to die on’“ and that gender transitioning is “castrating” children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Linguists Slam Cambridge University for Teaching ‘Woke’ German
Fury as students are taught ‘gender-neutral’ version of the language that avoids using masculine forms that are not ‘inclusive’ to non-binary people
Linguists have slammed Cambridge University for teaching and encouraging students to speak a new form of gender-neutral German.
The university’s ‘inclusive language’ section of the £9,250-per-year German course aims ‘to use gender— and non-binary-inclusive language’ in both speech and writing.
The push for inclusive language likely stems from German’s use of the male form when referring to the plural form of words, which some argue is sexist and doesn’t account for non-binary people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UMich Health System Fired Christian Employee, Called Her ‘Evil’ And a ‘Liar’: Lawsuit
University of Michigan Health-West illegally fired a physician’s assistant and berated her over her faith after she objected to using pronouns and potentially participating in transgender drugs and surgeries for gender-dysphoric patients, according to a federal lawsuit.
Valerie Kloosterman worked at Metropolitan Hospital without any conflicts between her religious beliefs and medical services until University of Michigan-West merged with the organization in 2021.
But then hospital officials “attempted to compel Ms. Kloosterman to pledge, against her sincerely held religious convictions and her medical conscience, that she would speak biology-obscuring pronouns and make referrals for ‘gender transition’ drugs and procedures,” according to the lawsuit, filed by First Liberty Institute.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Student Protest Turns Ugly as Trans Activists, Christians Clash Over ‘What is a Woman’
MADISON, Wis. — Pro-transgender rights protesters and Christian demonstrators clashed Monday at the University of Wisconsin Madison ahead of controversial conservative Matt Walsh’s “What is a Woman” campus speech.
The documentary questions the validity of the transgender ideology, drawing outrage from some who vandalized the campus in the early Monday morning hours with vulgar graffiti.
At the height of Monday afternoon’s protest, a police officer blew his whistle to break up a shoving match amidst a crowd of protesters as people scattered before continuing to shout.
One student, Christian activist Nick Proell, told The College Fix he had his Bible ripped by protesters and was spat on.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iran – child soldiers sounds like propaganda to incite US public against the regime. I would think there were heaps of underemployed adult males available due to the sanctions in place. I work with an Iranian who has only been here about 8 years and going for holiday next year. She said Iranians are highly educated because schools are strict, not like here where kids can do what they want, but many adults are still unemployed because of the sanctions and lack of investment. I’m unhappy with Islam here, but if they stay in their own country I think they have the right to life.
Just media/US demonising them so they have excuse to bomb them all, including millions of civilians, to make them submit to US hegemony and the US rules based order.
“ I can see clearly now…”
In the charity shop where I work, we have a young Iranian woman volunteer who, along with her mother and younger brother, is a convert to Christianity. (The father, who remains a Muslim, is in Iran.) The three of them came as refugees, and frankly we, like them, can’t wait for the UK Home Office to grant them “permission to stay” so she can become a paid employee; she’s pleasant, bright, very quick to learn, and intends to pursue further education. If only all “refugees” were the same.
Concerning media silence over the Nordstream pipeline sabotage, most of the mainstream media diligently parrot the narrative approved by their owners.
See Tim Gielen’s revealing video, “Monopoly”:
https://www.timgielen.com/en/videos-en/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/11/30/irans-child-soldiers-syria
““How old are you?” the interviewer asks.
“Thirteen,” replies the boy, in uniform.
“Thirteen years – thirteen years old!” the interviewer repeats, proudly, as the camera pans upward to the grinning, bearded faces of uniformed men, apparently Iranian soldiers, who pat their young recruit on the back.”
Cannon fodder and good riddance.
.
.
Hear, hear,
now after the acute grief has subsided,
the truth
https://www.bitchute.com/video/6CV7erVawAIt/
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News Week Special #40 – Post election analysis with Rasmus Paludan
Published 1 hour ago – 113 views
Party leader Rasmus Paludan explains why Stram Kurs Sweden didn’t do so well in the parliamentary elections – almost no Swedes knew they were running. When he was out on the campaign trail, the MSM consistently described him as the party leader of the Danish …
https://swebbtube.se/w/7Ls6Zzvm82RvY11Dgqf4MD