France was forced to allow illegal migrants to land in Marseille after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held firm in a refusal to take them in during her phone call with President Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, an illegal Tunisian migrant who had been banned from entering Europe and was on a French terrorist watch list was arrested in a culturally enriched suburb of Paris.
In other news, a man was gang-raped at a playground in Skåne in southern Sweden.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, JF, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Update (155ET): The Wall Street Journal reports that Sam Bankman-Fried told investors today that FTX has a shortfall of $8 billion, was seeking emergency liquidity, and that without more capital, bankruptcy is likely.
Some have suggested the hole in the FTX balance sheet is even larger given the assets sloshing around within Alameda…
Given that, it is no surprise that Binance has confirmed in a statement on Twitter that it will walk away from the FTX rescue deal. The decision comes after the initial due diligence…
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gas Crisis Wipes $100 Billion Off German Economy
The ongoing gas crisis has resulted in the German economy losing over $100 billion, a report from a major economics institute has claimed.
A paper published by the Ifo Institute for Economic Research, one of Germany’s largest financial think tanks, has claimed that the country has ultimately lost over $100 billion as a result of the ongoing energy crisis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘More Than Half’ of England’s Schools Planning ‘Catastrophic’ Staff Redundancies
Educators are facing a ‘perfect storm of costs’ as they try to balance budgets amid soaring energy bills and underfunding, a survey found.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Sam Bankman “Fried” Nearly All of His $16 Billion Fortune
Binance’s Changpeng Zhao appears to have cast the death blow on competitor FTX and its “billionaire” founder/CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried’s fall from grace has been one of the more stunning losses of net worth in recent history. Despite there likely being issues under the surface prior to Tuesday, a massive $6 billion in withdrawals forced the company into a liquidity crisis. Its FTT token then crashed before SBF reached out to nemisis Zhao at Binance for a bailout.
The situation culminated in all of crypto crashing on Tuesday — including pulling down the entire stock market at points — and Bankman Fried losing a substantial portion of his net worth, according to Bloomberg. In fact, reports say he has lost 94% of his $16 billion fortune.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: One in Four Londoners Don’t Have Savings
As many as one in four Londoners did not own savings of at least £1,500 right before the full effects of the cost-of-living crisis began to set in, according to data from the 2022 Survey of Londoners.
This means the situations of Londoners have likely worsened since this data was collected — especially given the recent reports that 80 percent of UK customers have under £500 of savings in their accounts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Chinese Influence Operation Promoted an Anti-Trump PAC for the Midterms
by Daniel Greenfield
In May 2022, Mary Trump tweeted, “Hundreds of voter subversion laws are only a governor’s signature away from going into effect. Please join the Democracy Defense Fund in supporting these gubernatorial candidates who are committed to protecting our #VotingRights.”
Mary Trump, the former president’s niece, has become an anti-Trump figure specializing in deranged rhetoric like calling him “mass murderer criminal Donald Trump”. DDF is a PAC that is intervening in races across the country, including in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Ohio.
The Democracy Defense Fund, a nationwide PAC, was supposedly created by Mary Trump, who has no apparent background or ability to create or manage such an organization. After an extensive search, I was unable to locate any other employees or personnel involved with it.
Who’s really behind DDF which claims to have a nationwide reach for the midterms?
Aside from Mary’s name out front, the DDF PAC has been a black box. The site only mentions her name and no other employees, advisers or board members. And yet DDF has sent out fundraising emails urging donations to Stacey Abrams, Beto O’Rourke and Raphael Warnock. It bombarded mailboxes with a plea from Mandela Barnes, running against Senator Ron Johnson: something that the Democrat Senate candidate and DDF could do because it’s a hybrid PAC…
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
David Denton said he expects the Covid virus to be ‘somewhat like a flu… but more deadly’ — meaning therapeutics will still have a massive role in controlling the epidemic in the US.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-CRT, Pro-Parental Rights Candidates Win Seats on Hamilton County School Boards
Candidates who campaigned on a platform of parental rights, opposition to critical race theory and claims that schools are indoctrinating students in liberal ideologies won seats in multiple Hamilton County school board races, according to unofficial election results.
School boards in Indiana are made up of non-partisan officials, but campaigns in Hamilton County featured national political talking points and endorsements from high profile politicians.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Biden on Wednesday said that Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and his technical relationships with other countries should be looked at, though he would not say the social media platform’s CEO was doing anything wrong.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Woke Portland City Council Commissioner Admits Defeat
On Wednesday, soon-to-be former Portland City Council commissioner Jo An Hardesty conceded the race to her competitor, Rene Gonzalez.
Hardesty, who held the position since 2019, was infamous for defending the “defund the police” movement, and going after a city worker for daring to display a “thin blue line” sticker on his truck.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Democrat Josh Shapiro Wins Pennsylvania Governorship
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro won in his gubernatorial race against Republican nominee Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano.
The Democratic candidate running for governor of Pennsylvania carried about 56 percent of the vote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Tudor Dixon Concedes to Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan Governor’s Race
Tudor Dixon, the Republican candidate looking to unseat Michigan’s incumbent Governor Gretchen Whitmer, officially conceded the election on Wednesday morning, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
The race for Michigan Governor was called early in the morning for Democratic incumbent Whitmer, securing a second term. As of Wednesday afternoon, Politico reported that Whitmer had garnered 54.1 percent of the state’s vote, with nearly 90 percent of the vote being counted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Joe Biden Demonizes MAGA Republicans, Says He Intends to Run in 2024
Speaking in regards to the midterm elections on Wednesday evening, President Joe Biden once again set his sights on MAGA Republicans and former President Donald Trump.
In response to a question regarding whether the midterms would mark a “shift in terms of people being willing to show more decency” and a break in the “fever” across the nation, Biden said that “I don’t think we’re gonna break the fever for the super mega MAGA Republicans.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Citadel’s Ken Griffin Touts Florida as “Great Environment and Streets Are Safe and Clean”
Before we dive into the latest comments of Citadel’s billionaire founder, Ken Griffin, praising Florida for all its beauty after he moved his firm from the hellhole of Chicago. We want to remind readers about the events that led to Griffin’s decision.
In May, Griffin was becoming increasingly frustrated with the eruption in violent crime across Chicago and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s inability to solve those issues.
At the time, he said, “We’re getting to the point that if things don’t change, we’re gone. Things aren’t changing.”
By June, Griffin sent a letter to Citadel employees that he had moved to Florida and that his market-making business, Citadel Securities, would also migrate to Miami. He noted in the letter that he views Florida as a better corporate environment, and though he didn’t specifically cite crime as a factor, company officials said it was a consideration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democratic Lt. Pennsylvania Gov. John Fetterman Beats Dr. Oz in Senate Race
Democratic Lt. Pennsylvania Gov. John Fetterman won his senate bid Tuesday against Republican challenger Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Fetterman won 50.2% or a total of 2,587,382 votes, while Oz won 47.4%, or 2,441,145 votes, according to The New York Times, which has 94% of reporting in.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DeSantis Roars “We Will Never Surrender to Woke Mob”
After Ron DeSantis won a landslide victory, the Florida Governor declared, “We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob.”
DeSantis described his victory as a “win for the ages,” before channeling Winston Churchill in a fiery speech.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Declining water tables in the area of Wenden and Salome, suggest that water levels have dropped from 100 feet in the 1950s to 540 feet in 2022, as the area suffers its worst drought in 1,200 years.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Florida’s Cory Mills and Virginia’s Jen Kiggans Flip Jan 6 Committee Members House Seats
Two Democratic seats of members of the January 6 committee lost flipped to Republican challengers in Tuesday night’s midterm election in Florida and Virginia.
Cory Mills, an Army veteran-turned-defense contractor defeated Democrat Karen Green in Florida’s 7th Congressional District with 58.54 percent of the vote at the time the race was called. Mills will fill a seat vacated by Democrat Stephanie Murphy who served on the committee and announced her retirement from Congress after three terms this year rather than run in a redrawn district that heavily favored the Republican candidate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock Head to Runoff in Georgia Senate Race
Republican Herschel Walker and Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock are heading to a runoff after neither candidate reached 50% of the vote in the initial election, according to CNN.
Walker received 48.7% of the vote and Warnock received 49.2% of the vote, with 96% reporting, according to CNN. The candidates will face off on Dec. 6 in a runoff election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pennsylvania Reelects Dead Democrat
A Pennsylvania state representative who died in October was reelected during yesterday’s midterm elections, according to the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Photos: Deer Smashes Through Window Into Wisconsin School
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WFRV) — A deer caused quite a commotion at a school in central Wisconsin on Tuesday.
In a Facebook post, Pacelli Catholic Schools shared photos of the incident, seen below. A school official told Nexstar’s WFRV that a deer crashed through a window and into an office where two employees were working at the time.
The deer, which was described as a six to eight-point buck, knocked one of the employees out of her chair. It reportedly sounded ‘like an explosion.’
The school official said she kept thinking: “This isn’t real, there’s a deer in my office! I’ve got to get out of here!”
The two employees then made a break for it when the deer tried to go out through a different window. The deer ended up leaving the office and reportedly went out the main door.
The school said no one was harmed, including the deer.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson Defeats Democratic Challenger in Wisconsin, Winning Crucial Seat for GOP
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin staved off Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to secure a third term as U.S. senator in the key swing state, according to multiple forecasters Wednesday morning, winning the GOP a crucial Senate seat in the hotly-contested midterms.
The incumbent Republican won the razor-thin race with 50.5% of the vote compared to his challengers’ share of 49.3%, with 94% of expected votes counted, according to NBC News. The same margin was reported by CNN.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rumble Says it Had a Record Number of Users and Live Stream Viewers on Election Day
Free speech video sharing platform Rumble says that record numbers of users visited the site, consumed content, and watched live streams on Tuesday — the day that the US midterm elections took place.
“Rumble has smashed records on our livestreaming, with well over 500,000 concurrent watchers on many different creator livestreams tonight,” Rumble tweeted on Tuesday.
One screenshot showed conservative commentator and comedian Steven Crowder hitting one million total viewers during his election night live stream.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Republicans Against ‘Critical Race Theory’ Win Seats on the State Board of Education
Several Republican State Board of Education candidates who ran in opposition of so-called critical race theory in public schools won their races Tuesday night, giving Republicans one more seat on the board, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Most notably, Republicans successfully flipped District 2, which covers part of the Gulf Coast.
All 15 seats on the State Board of Education were open this election season because of redistricting that took place last year. The board is responsible for dictating what Texas’ 5.5 million students are required to learn in the state’s public schools. There will be 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats on the board starting in January.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brexit leader Nigel Farage predicted that a “titanic clash” is brewing between Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the two leading contenders for the Republican nomination for President in 2024.
Speaking from the mid-term battleground state of Arizona on Wednesday morning, Nigel Farage said that while Republican gains in Congress will limit President Biden’s ability to govern, the failure of a so-called ‘Red Wave’ to materialise will likely elevate Ron DeSantis in the eyes of conservative voters as it will not provide the “huge springboard” Donald Trump had hoped for before his expected announcement of his intention to run for president again.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two Men Face Hate Crime Charges for Beating White Man in Hawaii
The attorneys of two Native Hawaiian men who brutally beat a white man who bought a home in their village don’t deny the assault took place, but are arguing against hate crime charges despite one man allegedly saying the victim had the “wrong” skin color during the attack.
The trial for Kaulana Alo-Kaonohi and Levi Aki Jr., who are each being charged with one federal count of a hate crime, began on Tuesday, according to an Associated Press report.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vindman Witness Intimidation Case Against Trumpworld Tossed
A federal judge on Tuesday tossed out a lawsuit by retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a star impeachment witness against former President Donald Trump for asking Ukraine to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by the Biden family.
In his lawsuit, Vindman had accused Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani and several other individuals of witness intimidation and retaliation connected to his testimony against the former president.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The key takeaways from last night’s results.
Is it time to move on from Trump, or does DeSantis’s sphere of influence begin and end in Florida?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White House to Partner With Social Media Monitoring Tool
The Biden administration is about to sign a contract with Dataminr — a licensing deal for the company’s product that is used in the monitoring of social media.
This is revealed in documents published by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) which will buy 30 licenses to deploy Dataminr’s First Alert V2, designed for the public sector and the scouring of 200,000 online sources and data mining, then compiling real-time news alerts for the White House, and other clients.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alberta Health Minister Accepts Court Ruling Denying Unvaccinated Woman Organ Transplant
The Alberta Health Minister is accepting the Alberta Court of Appeal’s ruling to deny an unvaccinated woman an organ transplant, which doctors told her she will die without.
On Tuesday, three appeal court judges unanimously affirmed a lower court ruling that clinical judgements are not subject to Charter scrutiny, ending Annette Lewis’ bid to return to the top of the organ transplant list.
Since taking office, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said unvaccinated Canadians have faced the most discrimination in Canada that she’s witnesses in her lifetime. She also promised to amend the Alberta Human Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate based on vaccination status.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
China is Infiltrating, Exploiting Canada, Says Former MP Allegedly Targeted by CCP
Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu is slamming the Trudeau government over its lack of action in defending Canada’s national security against foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The CCP, says Chiu, “are infiltrating and exploiting our country’s weaknesses.” And more needs to be done.
Chiu lost his British Columbia riding of Steveston — Richmond East in the 2021 general election. He asserts that this was the result of being targeted by a CCP disinformation campaign that portrayed him as anti-Asian. (Chiu was born and raised in Hong Kong, and moved to Canada in the 1980s.)
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Coutts Blockade Made Up of “Neighbours”, Supported by Residents, Says Mayor
Day 20 Recap of Emergencies Act Hearings
On Day 20 of the Emergencies Act hearings, the mayor of the Alberta town Coutts Jim Willet testified that 70% of the town supported the Coutts border blockade and that emergency services were never impacted by the border protest.
In seeking to verify comments Willet made to CTV reporters at the time of the protest, Convoy lawyer Brendan Miller asked Willet if it was true that he had described the protesters as “neighbours.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Despite $5B in Social Spending, Life in Vancouver is “Bleaker Than Ever”: Report
A new study by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) shows that despite the city receiving $5 billion a year in social safety spending, communities continue to face a growing crime and drug crisis.
The 14-month draft audit by HelpSeeker Technologies titled Vancouver’s Social Safety Net: Rebuilding the Broken was released by the VPD on Tuesday after it was leaked to the media prior to its official release.
“It’s clear that the system needs to be fixed,” said VPD chief Adam Palmer.
“Despite more talk than ever, and more money than ever, life is now bleaker than ever for a growing number of people in places like the Downtown Eastside.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nearly 3 Million Canadians on Waitlist to Access Healthcare
Almost three million Canadians are on a waitlist for surgeries, scans or specialist appointments, as revealed by a new report from SecondStreet.org.
The Calgary-based think tank used access to information responses from provincial and territorial governments to calculate that 2.9 million people across the country were not receiving timely healthcare.
Waits for healthcare have gotten so bad in Canada that some have even died while having treatments delayed due to shortages and understaffing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ontario Man Says Hospital Pressuring Him Into Assisted Suicide
A man in Ontario claims that he is being pushed by hospital staff to end his life rather than continue receiving treatment.
Roger Foley suffers from cerebellar ataxia, a disease that attacks the brain and muscles, and has been bedridden for six years. The 47-year-old requires continual help in order to eat, wash and sit up.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poilievre Reiterates Support for “Peaceful and Law-Abiding” Freedom Convoy Protesters
During a stop in Vancouver, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated his support for peaceful Freedom Convoy protestors as the inquiry into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act continues to unfold.
While at a Vancouver Greek supermarket on Wednesday, Poilievre held one of his first press conferences since being elected leader of the party in September.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
These Doctors Say a Return to Mask Mandates Isn’t Needed
While the University of Waterloo rushed to reinstate a mask mandate on Wednesday, doctors who work at Toronto-area hospitals tell True North that a broader return of such mandates just isn’t needed.
“It’s a little bit of theatre in my mind,” says Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases physician, reflecting on the recent talk of renewed mask mandates. “We’re 2.5 years into this. The vast majority of us have immunity, whether from infection, vaccines or both.”
Dr. Chakrabarti says he supports an individual choosing to wear a mask for personal reasons, but has concerns with the direction the broader discussion has headed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech PM: EU Determined to Meet Climate Goals Despite War in Ukraine
Despite the war in Ukraine, the European Union remains committed to fighting climate change, even though the conflict has temporarily caused more fossil fuel consumption and negatively affected efforts to reduce emissions. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said his during a speech at the UN climate conference (COP27) in Egypt on Tuesday.
According to Fiala, the outcome of the energy crisis caused by the war can also be positive, as it will reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas and fossil fuels in general.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Die Welt: Macron’s Waning Domestic Powers Show a French Presidency in Decline
Since June, Emmanuel Macron has been regarded as a French version of the American “lame duck.” It is his second and, at least now it seems, last term in office because he will not be allowed to run again in the 2027 elections. When he entered the big league on the political stage six years ago, he was a young, brash man with bold ambitions for France and Europe.
During his first term, the yellow vest crisis and then the pandemic threw a wrench in the works. The second term is proving even more difficult. Not only has he lost his majority in parliament, he has also had to face the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, the energy crisis, and spiraling inflation; these challenges make the first term seem like a harmless warm-up for the currrent domestic and foreign policy triathlon. Many are already asking what political legacy the once-ambitious president will leave behind.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finnish Court Hears Illegal Halal Slaughter Case Involving 2,500 Sheep
A court in Finland began hearing a case of alleged illegal Halal slaughter of up to 2,500 sheep this week, with prosecutors claiming the animals were slaughtered without being stunned beforehand in accordance with the law.
The animal welfare trial began this week in the District Court of Ostrobothnia in Western Finland and involves the main defendant accused of a felony animal welfare offence and then others accused of lesser charges.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France Increases Military Budget by Over 20%
The French government has increased the country’s military budget by more than 20% and will continue modernizing the army, French government spokesman Olivier Veran said on Wednesday.
“We have increased the military budget by over 20%, and we are doing everything to modernize our army,” Veran told French media.
The spokesman also said that the French authorities would soon review and adopt a law on military programming, providing for a further budget increase.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German MP Added to Kiev’s ‘Terrorist List’ Because He Called for a Ceasefire
The head of the SPD parliamentary group, Rolf Mützenich said the Ukrainian government put him on a “terrorist list” because he had called for a cease-fire in Ukraine. He added that he had also “received threats”.
he criteria according to which Kiev differentiates its friends from its enemies has irked the president of the group SPD in the Bundestag, Mützenich. German politicians are particularly indignant that their names are now on the list of people who “promote narrative people in accordance with Russian propaganda”.
This document is published on the website of the Center for Combating Disinformation to the National Defense and Security Council of Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
by Wolfgang Streeck
(See link for news story)
| — Hat tip: JF | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarians Reject Funding Ukraine or Supporting the Country’s War Effort With Training and Weapons
The majority of Hungarians don’t want to finance either the costs of Ukraine’s running as a country or the reconstruction once the war is over, a poll by domestic think-tank Szazadvég revealed.
A recent article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz outlined a new 21st century Marshall Plan to finance the rebuilding of Ukraine.
The European Council, at its extraordinary meeting on May 30-31, stated that consideration should be given to the creation of a platform for the reconstruction of Ukraine, involving, among others, the Ukrainian government, the European Union and its member states, and the European Investment Bank.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A French teacher who says he is receiving death threats from a parent is asking to be transferred out of the school, saying he fears being killed just like French history teacher Samuel Paty, who was beheaded by a young Chechen migrant Islamist last year.
The teacher, employed at Val-de-Seine high school in Grand-Quevilly, near Rouen, said a parent threatened to kill him. The teacher has since filed a complaint with police and the threat is being taken seriously. Teachers suspended all classes Nov. 7 following a crisis meeting.
The incident actually took place on Oct. 20, right before school holidays, but the school was shut down only after students returned.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Gang-Raped at Playground in Sweden
An adult male was hospitalized after suffering a group sex attack in Sweden this week, according to reports.
The disturbing incident unfolded at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday in Åhus, a coastal town in Skåne County.
Authorities were alerted about the alleged assault at around 4 a.m. that morning.
“Police are investigating a suspected rape in Åhus,” Police Sweden explained in a press release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Police Arrest 12 Extinction Rebellion Activists at Anti-Zwarte Piet Protest in Emmen
A group of Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists disrupted the Emmen city council meeting on Monday to demand that the municipality bans blackface at its Sinterklaas party on Saturday, November 12. The police arrested twelve people, seven of whom were still in custody on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Parents of Murdered 12-Year-Old French Girl Lola to Attend March in Her Honor
The murder and rape of 12-year-old French girl Lola in October by an Algerian illegal migrant has shaken France and sparked a number of memorials and marches, as well as demonstrations against French President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-immigration policies. Now, the parents of the young victim have announced they plan to march in a demonstration in her honor, which will take place in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.
The exact date and venue should be provided by the end of this week, according to French news outlet BFMTV.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain Prosecutes and Sentences Its First Case Under Online “Fake News” Law
A man in Spain has been fined and given a suspended prison sentence for spreading fake news on Twitter. He posted a video of a man assaulting a woman and falsely claimed that the assault took place in a town in the state of Catalonia and that the attacker was a migrant. The assault actually took place in China.
The video was recorded in China and published by authorities to help catch the perpetrator in June 2019.
The man, identified as JM, is a member of Spain’s Guardia Civil police. He admitted his crimes and was given a suspended prison sentence and a €1620 fine ($1,629.) He is the first person in Spain to be convicted for spreading fake news.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Just Stop Oil Protests: Police Officer Hurt Amid M25 Disruption
A police officer has been injured on the M25 amid climate protests which closed parts of the motorway in Kent, Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire.
The police motorcyclist was hurt in a collision which also involved two lorries at a rolling roadblock.
The Just Stop Oil group, which is protesting for a third day, said about 10 activists had climbed on overhead gantries “in multiple locations”.
The home secretary told police to be firmer against protesters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Man Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Serving Mince Pies During Lockdown
A 72-year-old man has been jailed in England for serving mince pies during Covid lockdown and then later attempting to destroy the evidence.
According to the BBC, Maurice Snelling served mince pies and alcohol at Cloudside Shooting Grounds in Staffordshire in December 2020 when the county was in tier three lockdown, which only permitted venues to operate as drive-throughs or takeaway.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Protester Reportedly Arrested for Throwing Eggs at King Charles and Camilla
Police reportedly arrested a male protester Wednesday after he was caught on camera throwing eggs and King Charles and Camilla.
King Charles and Camilla were carrying out their duties at a ceremonial engagement in Northern England when eggs began to fly right past them, breaking and causing a mess right at their feet. Video footage shows the smashed eggs on the ground, and a man can be heard yelling slogans at them from the crowd. Police rushed in and immediately took the protester into custody.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Several groups have demanded the release of imprisoned Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who has been on hunger strike for about 7 months. He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2021 for spreading fake news.
He escalated his protests by telling his family he would stop drinking water. The dry fasting conceded with the arrival of world leaders to Egypt for the COP27 climate conference. His family said they have not heard from him since he said he would begin dry fasting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
COP27 Hypocrisy: Globalists Munch Down on Meat as They Push Bug Diet for the ‘Proles’
Globalist elites will be dining on a gourmet selection of meats, fish, and dairy at the United Nations COP27 climate change conference in Egypt, as they push supposedly more sustainable foods like bugs.
Beef medallion with mushrooms sauce, chicken breast with orange gravy, and salmon with creamy sauce and chives are some of the menu options that world leaders, diplomats, bureaucrats, and industry bigwigs will be chomping down on at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt this week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How Iran Has Been Attempting to Suppress the Great Hijab Rebellion
Iran’s security forces have skillfully been trying to prevent the latest series of anti-regime protests from spinning out of control. After decades of suppressing challenges to regime stability, the regime’s militias and law enforcement agencies are doubtless hoping to have perfected their strategy and tactics against opposition movements.
After the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, opposition demonstrations exploded across Iran. The “Morals Police” had ostensibly arrested Amini for failing to cover her hair adequately — or “bad hijab.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian hackers have renewed their demands for a ransom from Medibank, threatening to release more private information of millions of Australian customers unless the health insurer pays up.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Won’t Attend G20 Summit, Says Official
[…]
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a gathering of leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) nations in Bali next week, an Indonesian government official told Reuters on Thursday.
Putin will be represented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Jodi Mahardi, a spokesperson for the Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs, said.
The Russian president is due to join one of the meetings virtually, he said.
As G20 host, Indonesia has resisted pressure from Western countries and Ukraine to withdraw its invitation to Putin from the leaders summit and expel Russia from the group over the war in Ukraine, saying it does not have the authority to do so without consensus among members…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Authorities Transfer WNBA Star Brittney Griner to Penal Colony
Professional women’s basketball player Brittney Griner has been transferred to a Russian penal colony, according to a statement issued by her legal team Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, Griner’s team does “not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” as she was transferred from a detention center in Moscow on Nov. 4, according to Reuters.
The U.S. Embassy will be informed when she reaches her final destination. The process of transportation is reportedly very time consuming, as groups of prisoners have to be assembled and moved to various locations across the country.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Accepts Actor Sean Penn’s Oscar as War Rages on
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently accepted fellow actor Sean Penn’s Oscar while war rages on in his country. The left-wing Hollywood star, who has a history of cozying up to dictators, including Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, was seen giving one of his Oscar awards to Zelensky.
“This is for you,” Penn said to Zelensky while handing over his Oscar, according to a report by Daily Mail. “I feel terrible. It’s just a symbolic, silly thing, but if I know this is here with you, then I’ll feel better and stronger for the fight.”
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US and Russian Delegations Set for Talks on Nuclear Weapons
Russia and the United States are to discuss resuming nuclear arms reduction talks in the coming weeks in their first face-to-face meeting since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, the business daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday, citing three unnamed sources.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) talks could be held in an unnamed Middle Eastern country in late November or early December instead of the traditional venue in Geneva, the Russian newspaper claimed.
The report comes after weeks of concern about a possible Russian nuclear escalation in Ukraine following thinly veiled threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow later toned down its rhetoric after reports of talks with U.S. officials.
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Communist China Polluted More in 8 Years Than Britain Since Start of Industrial Revolution: Report
Communist China has emitted more carbon dioxide over the past eight years than the United Kingdom has since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, a report from Oxford University’s Our World in Data project has found.
According to researchers at the University of Oxford, the United Kingdom has emitted 78 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide between 1750 and 2020, however, this pales in comparison to the recent output from Communist China, which has emitted some 80 billion tonnes since just 2013.
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Viewers of The Project said they were ‘disgusted’ with host Waleed Aly’s response to a western Sydney mayor worried about former ISIS members living near Syrian refugees.
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Mosman Council, in Sydney’s Lower North Shore, has demanded owners of electric cars stop running power cords across public footpaths as it is ‘potentially unsafe’ for pedestrians.
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Russian hackers have begun leaking the private data of Medibank customers — with Australians battling drug and alcohol addictions and mental health problems first on their list.
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An Australian man has dedicated the past three months of his life to one of his great goals — to help out in America’s mid-term elections by supporting MAGA Republicans.
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Year 6 students across NSW are preparing food, serving classmates, and cleaning, which schools claimed taught them ‘leadership skills’. Critics argue it’s nothing more than child labour.
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Ramon Abbas, 40, who called himself Ray Hushpuppi online and regularly posed in front of supercars, private jets and in designer clothing, has been jailed for 11 years.
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Brazil: YouTube Blocks Channel of Political Commentator Monark After Court Order
YouTube has blocked the channel of popular Brazilian commentator Bruno Aiub, aka Monark.
The free speech supporter announced the censorship on Twitter and blamed it on the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
“I was censored by the STF. We don’t live in a democracy. Follow me on Rumble/monark! How many days until the police come to my house?” he wrote, before adding that Alexandre de Moraes acts “like a dictator.”
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Migrants landing in Kent have been seen disappearing into cars and minivans after alerting smugglers of their whereabouts by dropping digital ‘pins’ on their phones, it emerged today.
Only a minority of dinghies make it to the English coastline, with the rest intercepted by Border Force or the RNLI in the Channel.
While some asylum seekers who land on beaches wait for officers to pick them up, others run away to avoid being captured and taken to Manston, a nearby processing centre.
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FBI Arrests 2 Illegal Immigrants for Assaulting Border Patrol Agent
The FBI announced on Tuesday the arrest of two illegal Venezuelan migrants for allegedly dragging, pushing, and punching a US Border Patrol agent in Texas.
Kevin Escalona Gonzalez, 35, and Yuleixy Mata Fuentes, 27, were arrested for the assault of the unnamed federal officer on Oct. 31, according to a press release from FBI El Paso Special Agent Jeanette Harper.
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An NGO humanitarian vessel carrying hundreds of migrants picked up in the Mediterranean has been granted permission to dock in the French port of Marseille after the newly elected Italian government repeatedly refused it permission to offload passengers in Sicily.
A call took place on Tuesday between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron where the former emphasized the Italian government’s hard-line approach to immigration in no uncertain terms; this prompted the French president to authorize the docking of the Ocean Viking, operated by the SOS Méditerranée NGO, in France.
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France: Migrant Banned From Europe and on Terror Watchlist Arrested in Paris No-Go Suburb
A Tunisian migrant banned from entering Europe and on a French terrorist watchlist was arrested in the no-go Paris suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Tunisian migrant named Omar J. was arrested last Sunday in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis and placed into custody at the police station of La Courneuve after officers discovered that he was in possession of fake Italian identity documents.
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Germany: Berlin Prepares Huge Tent City for Migrants as Crisis Accelerates
Housing accommodations are running out across Germany due to a massive influx of migrants, but the pressure is perhaps nowhere greater than in the capital city of Berlin. As a result, the city is planning to construct a massive tent city for up to 4,000 migrants, according to a paper from Social Senator Katja Kipping of the Left Party within the Berlin Senate.
Kipping wrote in a new paper that in a “very short time a large number” of emergency shelters “for up to 4,000 people” would have to be found in order to temporarily defuse the situation and “avert acute homelessness among refugees.” The State Office for Refugees (LAF) is “not able to absorb the extraordinarily sharp increase” in asylum seekers, the paper explains.
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Police are hunting a human trafficker who masterminded an organised crime group which tried to smuggle more than a hundred migrants into Britain.
Barzan Kamal Majeed, 36, nicknamed ‘Scorpion’, is on the run.
He received a 10-year jail sentence for people smuggling in his absence at a court in Bruges last month.
Majeed, originally from Nottingham, was also handed a 968,000 Euro (£849,000) fine.
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Majority of Germans Have ‘Big Worry’ About Huge Migrant Influx
A new poll shows that despite Germany’s left-wing government pushing for more migrants, a majority of the public either rejects or strongly rejects higher levels of immigration.
The Nov. 3 poll from Germany’s public news outlet Tagesschau asked respondents if they were worried “that too many people were immigrating to Germany,” with 53 percent saying they have a “very big” worry or a “big” worry, while 44 percent are either a little worried or have no worries at all.
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‘Refugees Welcome — But Only From the West!’
Another controversial message from Viktor Orban: the Hungarian Prime Minister has now expressed concern about developments in Germany in an interview with the German-language Budapester Zeitung — and in this context expressly invited German citizens to emigrate to Hungary.
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Syrian Refugee Gets 17 Years for Plotting to Bomb Church to Avenge ISIS
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday sentenced a Syrian refugee living in Pennsylvania to 17 years in prison for conspiring to bomb a church, an act the man characterized as an act of revenge for the Islamic State.
Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 24, pleaded guilty in 2021 to one count of conspiring to materially support to the terrorist organization through his plot to blow up a Nigerian church in Pittsburgh, according to a DOJ statement, released Wednesday. Alowemer stated he targeted the “Nigerian Christian” church to “take revenge for our [ISIS] brothers in Nigeria,” knowing that multiple people could be killed in the thwarted explosion.
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Private companies that provide accommodation for asylum seekers have seen their profits increase as much as six-fold on last year as record numbers of migrants enter the UK.
Total profits made by the three contractors who provide the service have doubled from £110.5million in the last year that accounts are available up from £50.4million the year before.
Tory MPs criticised the use of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money as the number of asylum seekers arriving in the UK on small boats this year reached 38,000.
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Police have arrested two men suspected of being ‘significant’ figures in a Channel people trafficking ring.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police held the men in a pre-dawn raid in the London area on Wednesday at the request of Belgian authorities.
The pair, aged 29 and 42, were arrested on suspicion of assisting unlawful immigration.
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In a 17-page document the Archdiocese of Denver, run by Archbishop Samuel Aquila, directed catholic schools not to enroll trans students, and not to not to re-enroll any currently attending.
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Facebook Launches New Tools to “Combat Climate Misinformation”
The world’s largest social network, Facebook, has announced plans to increase its elevation of “authoritative climate information” and expand its “fact checking” of content that it deems to be climate misinformation.
Facebook will expand its fact-checking tools by increasing the availability of its “Climate Science Center” (a page that contains “factual resources from the world’s leading climate organizations and actionable steps people can take in their everyday lives to combat climate change”) to 165 countries and expanding its “Climate Inform Labels” (labels that are added to Facebook posts and link to posts from the Climate Science Center).
The tech giant has also launched a “Climate Science Literacy Initiative” that will “pre-bunk climate misinformation” by running ads that “feature five of the most common techniques used to misrepresent climate change.”
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People who don’t identify as the gender they were assigned at birth are able to withhold their previous name and their biological sex when applying for jobs in settings like schools, nurseries and hospitals.
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Mini gas chambers designed for euthanasia make even assisted-suicide supporters uneasy
There’s an eeriness about ‘do-it-yourself death pods’ that are supposed to make killing yourself ‘peaceful, even euphoric.’
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/mini-gas-chambers-designed-for-euthanasia-make-even-assisted-suicide-supporters-uneasy/
Maybe Zelensky can throw that Oscar at Putin.
Penn said that when Zelensky visits him after the “war” in Hollywood he wants his Oscar back ?So it is on lone I guess, will Putin put the Oscar up Zelensky [nether orifice] at future peace talks with Russia after the west gets fed up bankrolling this failed cokehead actor leader ?