Two men were arrested for allegedly stabbing a man to death early Saturday morning in Orange County, California. The case has an unusual Mohammed Coefficient of 150%.
In other news, the website for Charlie Hebdo was hacked after the magazine published caricatures that insulted Iran’s supreme leader.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, LP, 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.
Florida’s CFO Blazes Path of Fiscal Conservatism, Reuniting Citizens With Their Money
Florida’s top financial official is blazing a path for fiscal conservatism, from eliminating wasteful spending and woke investments to reuniting residents with their unclaimed money in forgotten accounts.
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis’ latest innovation is the creation of the Florida Treasure Hunt, where residents can reach out and be reunited with their unclaimed funds.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Inflation Falls Slightly to 9.6%, Preliminary Figures Show
The annual inflation rate fell marginally to 9.6% in December after reaching a peak of 14.5% in September, national statistics agency CBS said Friday. The figure is preliminary and will be revised later this month.
The figures cover inflation when calculated according to the Dutch method, which includes the impact of rental housing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland to Experience Big Economic Slump Central Bank Head Warns
Poland will experience a strong economic slump in 2023, the head of the country’s central bank said on Thursday.
Adam Glapinski told a press conference that the slowdown will bring both a decrease in economic growth and falling inflation.
He added that the current 6.75-percent interest rate level is “adequate for the situation,” and he added: “As soon as it is possible, interest rates will be cut. Will it be possible late this year? We’ll see.”
Steps taken to bring down inflation, which stood at 17.5 percent in November, in a controlled way will cause an economic cooling, said the banker, but he also stressed that it was “very important” for the cooling not be too drastic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
2022 Box Office Still 33% Shy of Pre-Pandemic Levels
Despite a 65 percent jump in box office earnings last year, the movie industry still has a long way to go in its recovery from the Covid-19 shock.
At an estimated total of $7.5 billion, Statista’s Felix Richter notes that the North American box office had the third worst year since 2000, still trailing 2019 box office earnings by 33 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
American Airlines Continues Pandemic Service Cuts by Dropping Flights to 3 More Cities
American Airlines is ending service to Columbus, Georgia; Del Rio, Texas; and Long Beach, California, bringing the total number of cities the airline has dropped since the start of the pandemic up to 19.
American said the cuts were due to an ongoing regional pilot shortage and “soft demand,” Business Insider reported Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ana Walshe: Massachusetts Police Conclude Ground Search for Missing Mom of Three
Police in Massachusetts have concluded a ground search for Ana Walshe, a mother of three children who was reported missing Jan. 4.
In a joint statement, the Cohasset Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police said the ground search for evidence relating to the mother’s disappearance has yielded “negative results for the second straight day.”
Police also said the fire at Walshe’s former home was “accidental.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arson Attack Destroys Historic Church in Portland, Oregon
A 117-year-old church in Portland, Oregon, was destroyed in an arson attack this week.
Cameron David Storer, a 27-year-old transgendered woman also known as “Nicolette Fait,” has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree arson, one count of second-degree arson, and two counts of second-degree burglary after confessing to the crime, journalist Andy Ngo reported for the New York Post.
According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Storer admitted to setting the Portland Korean Church on fire and stated that voices in their head had told them they would “mutilate” Storer if they did not burn the church down. Storer also reported a history of mental illness and said they had been taking oxycodone.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ashli Babbitt’s Mother Says She Was ‘Arrested Aggressively’ While Laying Flowers for Daughter
The mother of Ashli Babbitt said she was “arrested aggressively” when she tried to lay flowers at the U.S. Capitol on the two-year anniversary of her daughter’s death during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belmont Shooting Claims One Life by Iconic Charlottesville Sign That Speaks of Love
One person is dead, another is injured, and at least one person is in custody in a Sunday afternoon shooting outside a tire shop with an iconic sign in the Belmont neighborhood, according to police and a witness.
“We heard like bang, bang, bang— like three really close together and then like seven really close together,” said the witness, who did not want their name used. “So we knew it was gunshots.”
Daniel Guardado, who works at The Local, a nearby restaurant, said he heard “about eight shots” but did not see the shooting.
The site of the killing was the parking lot of Fitzgerald’s Tire Co., a pie-shaped property at the intersection of Hinton Avenue and Monticello Road. It’s home to an iconic sign that draws locals and tourists who enjoy being photographed with “I Love Charlottesville A Lot” with the exclamation’s “O”s spelled by tires.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Child Killed, Teen Injured in Tampa Shooting, Police Say
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department is investigating a shooting that killed a 12-year-old and injured a 14-year-old Sunday afternoon.
According to TPD, officers were called to a home on the 2600 block of E 111th Ave. shortly before 2 p.m. for a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, officers found the 12-year-old deceased inside with a gunshot wound to the upper body.
A 14-year-old was taken to an area hospital for a gunshot wound to the upper body.
“When the shots went off all the kids ran out. A whole bunch of kids ran out,” neighbor Rick Hamilton said.
Officers say the victims, who did not live at the house, were inside with other juveniles when the shooting occurred.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Chris Rufo Scorches the Washington Post for Its Latest CRT ‘Lies’, Paper Forced to Issue Correction
Chris Rufo scorched the Washington Post on Sunday in a lengthy Twitter thread that called out the news outlet for its “lies” about his work.
Rufo, who is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, called out Washington Post reporter Valerie Strauss for her article titled, “DeSantis moves to turn a progressive Fla. college into a conservative one.” He said Strauss made several “distortions” and “flat-out lies” about his work.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
College Soccer Player Wins $100K Settlement After Team Benched Her for Refusing to Kneel for BLM
A former Virginia Tech women’s soccer player has won a $100,000 settlement after she was benched by her team for refusing to kneel in protest for Black Lives Matter (BLM).
Kiersten Hening will reportedly receive at least $100,000 as part of an agreement to dismiss a federal lawsuit against her old team.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Concerns From the “Highest Levels” of the White House Were Used to Pressure Social Media Censorship
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked the deposition of former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and White House Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty in the ongoing lawsuit filed by Louisiana and Missouri’s Attorneys General, alleging that the Biden administration colluded with social media platforms to censor content.
While courts have said that there is little evidence that White House staffers directly pressured social media platforms to censor, newly revealed documents suggest otherwise.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Makes Cuts to Global Content Moderation Team
On Friday night, Twitter CEO Elon Musk made more cuts to the company’s Trust and Safety Team overseeing global content moderation, hate speech and harassment, along with cuts from the teams in global appeals and state media and from the misinformation division.
According to Bloomberg, Twitter’s head of trust and safety, Ella Irwinm, said to the outlet, “It made more sense to consolidate teams under one leader (instead of two) for example.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Limited Run Games Fires Employee After Complaints Over Who She Follows on Twitter
Games distributor Limited Run Games has terminated a community manager over what appears to be backlash over following certain people on Twitter.
Limited Run Games community manager Kara Lynne was allegedly fired for following Libs of TikTok and political commentator Ian Miles Cheong.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Attacks Asian With Umbrella, Slurs in New York City Subway, Suspect in Custody: Police
On December 3rd in New York City, a 35-year-old Asian man was attacked by a black male who struck him in the head with an umbrella, threatened his life, and called him racist epithets.
The New York Post reports that “an Asian man was randomly targeted by a hate-spewing racist who threatened to kill him and whacked him over the head with an umbrella.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Charged in West Side Highway Bike Path Terror Attack to Go on Trial Monday
LOWER MANHATTAN, Manhattan (WABC) — The man charged in the deadliest terror attack in New York since September 11 will go on trial on Monday.
Prosecutors say Sayfullo Saipov plowed a rented truck into pedestrians and cyclists along the West Side Highway on Halloween in 2017, killing eight people.
Saipov pleaded not guilty to charges that include murder in the aid of racketeering.
This is the first federal death penalty trial of the Biden Administration.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Man Found Stabbed to Death in Orange County
Two suspects were arrested after a man was found stabbed to death in Stanton on Saturday.
The victim is a man in his 40s. His identity has not been released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The suspects were identified as Mustafa Mohamedat Mohamed, 37, from Westminster and Amro Mahmoud Abdelfattah Shahin, 37, from Santa Ana, officials said.
Deputies responded to reports of an assault in the 7000 block of Katella Avenue around 12:45 a.m.
When authorities arrived, they found the victim suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead, officials said.
Investigators later discovered the two suspects were allegedly involved in the victim’s death. They were arrested on suspicion of murder and booked at the Orange County Jail.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 30,700 Mail-in Ballots in Illinois for November Election Were Rejected
About 30,700 mail-in ballots in Illinois were rejected statewide in last year’s November election, according to preliminary data from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Musk Says He Can’t Get Fair Trial in San Francisco Shareholder Lawsuit, Wants Venue Change to Texas
Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk asked a federal judge to move a shareholder lawsuit from the Northern District of California Court in San Francisco to Texas out of concerns about potential juror bias.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Old Dominion Basketball Player Clutches Chest and Collapses Mid-Game
Another day, yet another athlete collapsing in the midst of a game for unknown reasons.
Just days after Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin had to be administered CPR on the playing field after he collapsed following a play against the Cincinnati Bengals, another athlete has collapsed under what appears to be mysterious circumstances.
Old Dominion basketball player Imo Essien “had to be tended to by training staff from both ODU and Georgia Southern”, according to WAVY, after collapsing during the middle of a game this past weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
If you were on Twitter back when the COVID “fear mongering” was at its peak, you’ll likely remember the “Twitter doctors” who popped up, seemingly out of thin air, claiming they were losing hordes of patients to COVID every single day.
These so-called “doctors” whipped everyone into a fear frenzy. Their tweets would get tens of thousands of retweets and engagement daily.
The “doctors” posed as ER physicians and were part of the LGBTQ community in some way. They created this hellish/apocalyptic scenario that made it sound as if bodies were piling up in the streets.
Well, this probably won’t come as a huge surprise to you, but those popular “ER doctors” were fake.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., apologized to Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Sunday after appearing to lunge at him on the House floor during chaotic speaker votes on Friday evening.
“I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding,” Rogers tweeted on Sunday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Kevin McCarthy ‘Agreed to Cut Aid to Ukraine’ To Secure Speakership
Big, if true.
From The Telegraph, “Kevin McCarthy ‘agreed to cut aid to Ukraine’ to secure US speaker role”:
Kevin McCarthy reportedly agreed to spending caps that would limit future aid to Ukraine as part of the deal with ultraconservatives that enabled him to finally be elected as House speaker on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Return of the Prince? Harry’s U.S. Visa ‘At Risk’ Over Admission of California Drug Abuse
Woke royal Harry, Duke of Sussex, has put his U.S. visa “at risk” by admitting to drug abuse both in his home country and California, according to an immigration expert.
Prince Harry, the fifth in line to the British throne now most famous as the simpering spouse of American actress Meghan Markle — properly Meghan, Duchess of Sussex as a result of the courtesy title granted to her by the late Queen whose life’s work was trashed in the couple’s recent Netflix series — has admitted to abusing illegal drugs from the age of 17 in his ghostwritten memoir Spare.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Seattle public school district sued social media giants, including TikTok, Snap, Meta and YouTube, for allegedly wreaking a mental health crisis among its student body Friday.
The lawsuit said that the companies’ algorithms were recommending pro-eating disorder content.
The district was seeking punitive damages and for the tech companies to stop causing a public nuisance. Though the tech giants are not liable for what is published by its users, the lawsuit takes aim at the recommendations and the content promoted through the algorithm.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
USA Today Warns Heart Attacks ‘Can Happen to Children’
American corporate “news” outlet USA Today has issued a warning to parents that heart attacks can also “happen to children.”
USA Today is raising the alarm in response to 24-year-old Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin suffering a near-fatal cardiac arrest during last Monday night’s game.
Hamlin, who had no known health issues, narrowly avoided death when his heart suddenly stopped on the field.
After being resuscitated twice, the young athlete spent days in intensive care and is now pulling through.
In wake of the shocking tragedy, USA Today took the opportunity to warn “parents of kids in sports” that the same thing could happen to their child.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virginians Grooving on Glenn Youngkin, Approval Stays Above 50%
Virginia has a keeper governor.
In the latest Virginia Commonwealth University survey, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has sustained his positive approval rating as he moves to cut taxes and give parents a greater voice in education.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BC Resident Petitions Feds to Assess ‘Social Justice’ Implications of Purchasing F-35 Fighters
Vancouver resident Sarah Rohleder petitioned the House of Commons on Thursday to analyze the ‘social justice’ implications of purchasing F-35 fighter jets.
“The procurement of these fighter jets is antithetical to feminist foreign policy and diverts public funds away from necessary social programs like healthcare, education and housing,” said Rohleder. “The F-35s are fossil fuel-powered, will emit greenhouse gasses and will exacerbate the climate crisis.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Province Says No Way it’s Returning to Masks and Lockdowns Due to New COVID Variant
(LifeSiteNews) — The government of Alberta offered a definite no to the idea of locking down again over a new variant of the COVID virus now in the province, which rather dubiously has been nicknamed “Kraken” by scientists and others on Twitter.
Steve Buick, a spokesman for Alberta Health Services (AHS), said recently, as reported by the Western Standard, that yet another new variant of the COVID virus does not mean a hasty return to lockdowns and masks.
“We’re not returning to emergency measures,” Buick said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s New Democratic Party’s Jagmeet Singh Pushes Justin Trudeau for More Online Censorship
The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) Jagmeet Singh said that he will continue to push Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to crack down on online speech.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, on Wednesday, Singh said that Trudeau’s government “has not done the job of making sure platforms are following the rules around making sure hate and misinformation are not being spread.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Public sector executives received a ‘triggering’ lecture last month from the Department of National Defence as they learned their implicit racial biases and white supremacy “completely infected” Canada.
On December 13, social justice professor Rachel Zellars from Saint Mary’s University graced the attendees at an EX Town Hall event with her insight on the topic. Deputy Minister of National Defence Bill Matthews and Associate Deputy Minister Stefanie Beck joined her on stage in solidarity.
“White supremacy is a global problem that has completely infected our nation,” said Zellers. “It comes in all shapes and sizes and cleans up real good.”
According to the recap provided by National Defence, the controversial keynote speaker expressly referred to the Freedom Convoy in her remarks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hay Lakes Church Destroyed by Suspicious Fire
Another church in Canada has been set ablaze and destroyed.
On New Year’s Eve, St. Joseph Lutheran Church in Hay Lakes, Alb. was completely burned down.
The church was originally built in 1915.
First responders arrived on the scene at 11:30 pm and found the church “completely engulfed in flames.” Wetaskiwin RCMP say the fire was intentionally set.
“Despite efforts of the first responders, the church was completely burned,” an RCMP release stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Canadian doctor who’s personally euthanized more than 400 people said she helped kill a man who was previously deemed unsuitable for assisted suicide.
Ellen Wiebe, a doctor who works with Dying With Dignity Canada, boasted in a seminar for physicians working in assisted suicide about the time she treated a patient who did not qualify for the end of life service.
A Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID) assessor had rejected the unnamed man because he did not have a serious illness or ‘the capacity to make informed decisions about his own personal health.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In August, the Manitoba government announced the new agreement for hip and knee surgeries in Ohio, and only Kurylo has made the trip. She travelled to Cleveland, Ohio, in November for a procedure she’s been waiting for since 2019.
According to a SecondStreet.org policy brief on reducing patient suffering, replicating the EU’s cross-border directive could reduce patient suffering in Canada and ease pressure on domestic waiting lists. Though the brief argues it is unlikely that most patients would utilize this option.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Officers Warn of 56% Increase in Sextortion of Teens Across Canada
On Friday, British Columbian Mounties issued a press release to warn the public about a concerning uptick in online sextortion (sexual extortion) of minors. The release sourced data from CyberTip.ca, which operates Canada’s national tip line for child exploitation and found a “56% increase in youth sextortions between March and August of 2022.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Gov’t Boasts COVID Lockdowns Helped Canada Hit ‘Climate Change’ Targets
OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — The Canadian ministry responsible for the environment recently boasted that “real progress” was made in hitting its “climate” targets thanks to the COVID lockdowns harshly imposed on Canadians for well over a year by various levels of government.
Per Blacklock’s Reporter, Canada’s Department of Environment earlier this week claimed that a recent report showed 2020 emissions went down nine percent because of COVID lockdowns.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Unjabbed City of Windsor Employees Offered Their Jobs Back
104 employees were placed on unpaid leave last January for failing to provide proof of vaccination to the municipal administration. This was to comply with the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
After what the city calls a “grace period” wherein some employees placed on leave were coerced into complying with the vaccination policy, 84 did not.
According to a statement provided to CBC News by Dana Paladino, acting human resources manager for the city, she expects that bygones are bygones, and the medical discrimination can be just water under the Ambassador Bridge:
We welcome these individuals back — what’s past is past and there won’t be any tolerance for any sort of harassment from any party going forward.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Agreed to EU’s Censorship Laws, France’s Digital Minister Says
French digital transition minister Jean-Noel Barrot visited Twitter owner Elon Musk to discuss compliance with European censorship rules.
Barrot tweeted that he visited Musk after attending CES in Las Vegas on Saturday. The French minister claimed that Musk said Twitter would comply with EU laws.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland’s Pandemic Mini Baby Boom Ends, Births Return to Record Lows
Finland experienced a mini baby boom at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but new statistics reveal that 2022 may have seen a record-low number of births in the EU country.
Finland saw a small baby boom in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of births increased by around ten per cent compared to the year prior to the outbreak in one Finnish region — but the trend appears to have ended in 2022 as the pandemic subsided.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland: Populist Right Polling Ahead of Millenial Girl-Power Government Parties
The populist Finns Party has overtaken Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats in polls as the parties that form the Finnish coalition government fall behind both populists and conservatives.
the populist Finns Party, formerly known as the True Finns, are polling at 19.3 per cent, ahead of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats at 18.8 per cent, according to a poll conducted by the firm Taloustutkimus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Saint Genevieve March Finally Authorised in Paris
Every year, the Paris-Fierté association organises a torchlight march in honour of Saint Genevieve, the patroness saint of Paris in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
Is French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin being overzealous? The minister had ordered the Paris police prefecture to ban the eighteenth edition of the march in honour of Saint Genevieve, scheduled for Saturday 7 January in Paris. This decision was motivated by the “high risk of public disorder”.
The minister feared the presence of several “ultra-right groups” such as “La Cocarde étudiante, Gud Paris, Division Martel, Luminis“ or members of dissolved movements: Génération identitaire and the Zouaves.
Moreover, the prefectoral decree, published on Thursday 5 January, also mentioned “the important mobilisation of the forces of order” that day in Paris.
There have been indeed calls for demonstrations by the Yellow Vests, enhanced security of sensitive institutional and governmental sites in a context of terrorist threat eight years after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, but also a demonstration by the Kurdish Democratic Council in France, on the Place de la République, two weeks after the assassination of three Kurds, on the Rue d’Enghien in Paris.
The police prefect said that he could not “guarantee that the two demonstrations would be watertight”, as they were only a few metro stations apart. The police also cited soccer violence as an excuse.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Charlie Hebdo Website Hacked After Cartoons Insulting Islamist Iranian Regime
The website for the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo was reportedly hacked in the wake of publishing lewd cartoons mocking the Islamist regime in Iran.
Almost exactly eight years to the day after the Islamist terror attack that claimed the lives of twelve Charlie Hebdo employees, the French magazine allegedly suffered a cyber attack after it released more cartoons mocking Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamist regime in Tehran’s treatment of women.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Police Detain Iranians Accused of Plotting ‘Islamist-Motivated Attack’ After US Tip
Two Iranian men were detained by German police on Saturday evening after receiving a tip from U.S. security officials that they were plotting an attack, according to Munster police and German press reports.
Munster police officials said that the two men were suspected of preparing “a serious act of violence” involving cyanide and ricin to “commit an Islamist-motivated attack.”
The two men, ages 25 and 32, were taken into custody in Castrop-Rauxel, a town in Western Germany just outside of Dortmund.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Great Reset Redux: WEF Prepares Robust Globalist Agenda for Davos 2023
Banking, finance, cryptocurrencies, climate, racism, artificial intelligence, workplace robotics, global governance, and cybercrime. Are there any issues the unelected, private club that is the World Economic Forum (WEF) can’t tackle on behalf of the serfs?
Clearly not.
When the preening elites fly in to Davos, Switzerland, a week tomorrow expect to see — and hear — about all those topics and more as the WEF seeks to “address the state of the world and discuss priorities for the year ahead.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland Considering Turning Churches Into Schools for Ukrainian Children
The government in Ireland is examining the possibility of repurposing churches for the purpose of educating Ukrainian children.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Islamist Hate Cleric Calls for Attacks on British Soldiers Over Prince Harry’s Kill Claims: Report
A notorious Islamist hate preacher reportedly called for Muslims to target British troops in response to Prince Harry’s claims that he killed 25 people during the Afghanistan War.
Anjem Choudary, an infamous convicted hate cleric in the United Kingdom, previously imprisoned for supporting the Islamic State, has allegedly called upon the Muslims of the world to enact revenge upon the British military in response to claims from Prince Harry that he killed 25 people in Afghanistan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: 1,000 Farmers Come Forward for Talks on Closure or Moving Location
Some 1,000 farmers have come forward so far for preliminary talks on giving up or moving their businesses, under the government’s new buy-out scheme, the NRC reported Thursday.
In November, the cabinet said it hoped between 2,000 to 3,000 farmers would sign up for the deal, as part of plans to slash nitrogen-based emissions by the agricultural sector.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Three Dutchmen Arrested After ATM Explosion in Germany
Three men from the Netherlands tried to blow up an ATM in Germany on Thursday night. However, the planned robbery failed, and eventually police managed to arrest them after a long chase. German police said Friday evening that the suspects were between 20 and 32 years old.
The three Dutchmen detonated explosive devices at an ATM near a campsite in the municipality of Wietzendorf, between Hamburg and Hanover. However, the ATM remained undamaged despite the explosion, so the perpetrators had to flee empty-handed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Alleged Satanic Child Sex Ring Accused of Rape, Attempted Murder, Blood Sacrifices
An alleged Satanic child sex ring has been accused of attempted murder and the rape of children in Scotland in a trial for offences stretching over a decade.
On Friday, 11 people appeared before the High Court in Glasgow, accused of operating a Satanic cult which abused two young girls and a boy, who were allegedly forced to engage in witchcraft rituals and subjected to sexual and violent abuse by members of the group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Disturbing Lockdown Drawings Show Effect on Children’s Mental Health
Researchers at Staffordshire University asked children to capture their thoughts and feelings about the lockdown in drawings, and the results are heartbreaking.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
What About Food? English Farmers Offered More Money to Adopt Green Agenda
Farmers are to be offered even more money by the government to adopt green agenda policies, the British government’s food department has announced.
Britain’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced that it will soon be increasing the amount of money they are paying farmers in England who are willing to adopt its green agenda policies, such as hedgerow creation and habitat management.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Both victims, aged 11 and 21, were taken to hospital following the incident on Friday, police said, adding that their injuries were not life threatening.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Erdogan Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for Russia-Ukraine Intervention
The Pakistani Senate nominated Islamist Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the Nobel Peace Prize this week.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
European Journalist Org Concerned by Ukraine Media Censorship Law
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has expressed concern over a new Ukrainian law that could arbitrarily censor media.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Moscow to Mobilize 500,000 New Conscripts, Kyiv Military Intelligence Says
KYIV — Ukrainian intelligence officials are warning that the Kremlin plans a new mobilization wave for up to 500,000 men to fight in Ukraine starting in mid-January.
The new conscription drive, which would be larger than last autumn’s Russian draft of 300,000, would include a push in big cities, including some strategic industrial centers in Russia, Andriy Cherniak, an official with the Main Military Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, told POLITICO on Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in December said a suggested new conscription wave would be pointless as currently only 150,000 previously mobilized soldiers have been deployed in the invasion of Ukraine. The rest are still training or serving in the Russian rear.
Russia announced the end of the earlier “partial” mobilization of 300,000 men on October 31. But Cherniak claimed that Moscow has continued secret conscription all along.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Russians, Ukrainians Fight Close Up in Forest Over Orthodox Christmas
Russian and Ukrainian forces battled at close range in forest over Orthodox Christmas, according to British intelligence.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky to McCarthy: Ukraine is Counting on ‘Further U.S. Assistance’
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Kevin McCarthy on becoming Speaker, telling him Ukraine is counting on more U.S. aid.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Film on Forced Conversions of Hindus and Christians in Pakistan Bags Cannes Award
Jawad Sharif’s “The Losing Side — Where Daughters and faith are at Risk” gets the Best Human Rights Film award
P K Balachandran
The Losing Side, a Pakistani film documenting the issue of forced religious conversion in the Sindh province of Pakistan has won an award at the Cannes World Film Festival. It has won in the Best Human Rights Category for the month of November 2022. Made by Jawad Sharif, it is based on real events involving four victims of forced conversion.
The problem of organised forced conversion of very young and low caste Hindus and Christian girls to Islam has been in existence for long. Typically, poor and underage Hindu/Christian girls are kidnapped, forcefully converted to Islam and married off to middle-aged or even older Muslim men, with the police, the judiciary and the entire State turning a blind eye to it or even conniving at it.
This problem has been highlighted in the Pakistani print media and condemned by both Pakistani and international human rights organisations for long, but to little or no effect. In its annual report for 2021, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had said that at least 27 forced conversion cases were reported from Sindh every year, with a majority of victims belonging to “low-caste or scheduled-caste Hindus and Christians.
But it was left to Jawad Sharif to make a film on it and get it recognised by world cinema. Passionately interested in Pakistan’s diverse cultures, Sharif is on a project to make films on how these cultures are preserved, often under great challenges.
Sharif is an alumnus of the Swedish Institute and the Institut Fur Auslandsbeziehunge, Germany. He is Festival Director of Asia Peace Film Festival and jury member of the Jaipur Library Academy Awards, India. Jawad’s first documentary K-2 and The Invisible Footmen, as Cinematographer & Editor, had bowled over audiences with its breath-taking shots of Sherpas at the hardest mountain in the world.
He became the first Pakistani high-altitude filmmaker to film the mountain K-2. Four years later, his film Indus Blues created waves in both local and international media for initiating the much-needed debate on the radicalization of Pakistan.
The Losing Side documents the accounts of four Hindu girls of Sindh, Vahitoo, Simran, Keeran and Reena, who were victims of forced conversion and forced marriage. They belonged to the Dalit Meghwar castes living in rural Sindh.
In the film, activists, politicians and legal experts involved in these stories explain why such an obnoxious practice occurs regularly. The documentary sheds light on the legal, social and religious aspects of forced conversion in rural Sindh.
There are at least four million Hindus in Sindh now. With the wealthy and middle class Hindus fleeing Pakistan after it was carved out of India in 1947, Sindh was left with poor low caste Hindus ad Christians who eked out a living doing menial jobs that other communities considered unclean.
Even today, the Meghwars are the most marginalised community in Pakistan. The women of this community are at particular risk of being kidnapped by men from the majority Muslim community, converted and eventually married off to Muslims.
Writing in the London School of Economics Religion and Global Society blog, Qamar Rafiq, a Pakistani human rights advocate, states that on 26th November 2021, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Pakistani Minorities published a report after an inquiry into abductions, forced conversions and marriages in Pakistan. The inquiry found that around 1,000 girls between the ages of 12 to 25 from the minorities were being forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year and married to their abductors. The APPG described the situation as a “human-rights catastrophe.”
The APPG report had pointed out that the government had not been implementing the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 and the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, which had raised the legal minimum age of marriage 18 in Sindh.
Rafiq notes that the phenomenon of forcible conversion has gone hand in hand with the rise in religious fanaticism and hate speech in Pakistan. Shockingly, a Pakistani Parliamentary Standing Committee rejected an Anti-Forced Conversion bill saying the “environment is unfavorable” for the enactment of such a law, Rafiq points out.
The police often refuse to record First Information Reports (FIRs) on abduction for forcible conversion. “Victims are largely left in the custody of their kidnappers throughout the trial process, where they are subject to rape and forced to claim that the conversion or marriage was consensual,” Rafiq says.
Giving an example, Rafiq cites the case of Arzoo Raja. “Arzoo was 13 when she disappeared and after two days, police reported back that she has embraced Islam to get married with a 40-year-old Muslim man. Arzoo Raja’s marriage certificate said she was 18 at the time of her marriage to certify that the marriage was lawful.”
Importantly, Islamic clerics believe that converting someone is a pious act that will bring rewards, no matter what methods are employed to secure it. They ignore the view of Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, a religious cleric and Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, who is propagating the view that forced conversion and marriages have no place in Islam.
The Pakistani justice system is generally discriminatory towards women from religious minorities. This means that the victims and their families are scared of going to court. In any case, they are too poor to employ a competent lawyer or any lawyer for that matter. “At any rate, in most cases, the production of a conversion and marriage certificate is enough evidence to pardon the abductors”, Rafiq points out.
However, sometimes the court stands by the victim. Shaikh Abdul Rasheed, an academic, cites the case of abducted girl Mahek Kumari in this regard. Mehek Kumari was 15 years old according to the evidence and documents submitted in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge-II Jacobabad. The court took cognizance of this and nullified her marriage using the Act.
The Hindu Marriage Act 2017 was passed to regulate Hindu marriages, but it did not include in its purview, the phenomenon of forced marriages and conversions. This is a major lacuna in the context of the situation in rural Sindh.
There is the economic hardship angle also, which needs to be stressed. Families which had lost their daughters to abduction and conversion not only undergo personal trauma but economic loss because these girls had been working in farms and had brought in an income as laborers in other places.
In conclusion, Rafiq says: “If you want the truth about how forced conversions operate in Pakistan, ditch the Constitutional guarantees and parliamentary inquiries and head to the victims of forced conversion. You will find mourning parents suffering in silence with intense loneliness, mental health problems, and sleepless nights which sometimes include hospitalisation and emotional numbness. You will find victims’ families bearing the pain of covering huge legal costs, and socio-religious hostility.”
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Breaking: China Launches Massive Sea, Air Combat Exercise, Scrambles Jets Around Taiwan
On Sunday, the People’s Republic of China’s military force, the People’s Liberation Army, began combat drills in the “waters” and “aerial areas” around Taiwan, claiming the move was “countering collusion between external forces and TW (Taiwan) secessionists.”
Chinese state-owned media Global Times posted on Twitter, “BREAKING: PLA Eastern Theater Command held cross-service joint alert patrol & combat drills in waters, aerial areas around Taiwan island on Sunday focusing on land attack, sea assault, in a move countering collusion between external forces and TW secessionists: spokesperson.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Zealand to Water Down Extreme Hate Speech Reforms
The New Zealand government is set to water down its proposed hate speech reforms, according to reports at Newsroom.
The independent news site reported this week that the Ardern government was reconsidering the scope of hate speech laws with a view to modest changes rather than the wholesale reforms originally proposed.
The government had promised to reform laws in response to the Royal Commission report that followed the 2019 attack on two Christchurch mosques.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kambala in Rosebay, Sydney, is the most expensive school in the country demanding parents pay $46,300 for their children studying Year 12.
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Victoria Police Facing Exodus Due to Draconian COVID Rules
The Victoria Police Department in Australia is facing a crisis, with almost one in nine officers leaving the force since 2019.
This comes at a time when the department is already struggling to recruit new members, it has been reported.
In the three and a half years leading up to July, 1912 sworn members out of the 16,700-strong workforce retired or resigned. While the overall number of officers has increased over this period, the departures and recruitment issues are a major challenge for the department.
Many of those who left did so as a result of enforcing Covid-19 rules, such as prohibiting children from playing on playgrounds.
This has resulted in the loss of thousands of years of experience, with 530 of the departing officers being of the rank of sergeant or higher.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Update (1633ET): President Lula has declared a ‘federal intervention’ until January 31 in response to the protest, while police could be seen arresting dozens of people.
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RIO DE JANEIRO — Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who refuse to accept his election defeat stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace in the capital on Sunday, a week after the inauguration of his leftist rival, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Thousands of demonstrators bypassed security barricades, climbed on roofs, smashed windows and invaded all three buildings, which were believed to be largely vacant and sit on Brasilia’s vast Three Powers Square.
Some of them called for a military intervention to either restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power, or oust Lula from the presidency.
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Abbott Hand-Delivers Biden a Letter on El Paso Tarmac Denouncing His Border ‘Failure’
EL PASO, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott made a surprise visit to El Paso to deliver a note to President Joe Biden as he stepped off Air Force One for his brief visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Abbott made the appearance on the tarmac as the plane taxied in from the runway and was the first person to greet Biden and three Democratic members of Congress as they deplaned Sunday afternoon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Lands in El Paso, Critics Slam Border Visit as ‘Too Late, ‘ ‘Propaganda’
President Joe Biden on Sunday landed in the border town of El Paso, Texas, and his visit is being criticized as “too late” and a “propaganda event,” as record numbers of illegal migrants have entered the United States since he entered office.
“Biden’s promise to secure the border is too little, and two years late. Irreversible damage has been done,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted. “Over 313,000 illegal aliens flooded the border last month. 5.3M illegal aliens since Biden took office.”
Ahead of the president’s visit, the city of El Paso partnered with Border Patrol agents to dismantle the city’s expansive downtown migrant camps, moving the homeless migrants out of view.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democratic Colorado Governor Says State Will No Longer Bus Immigrants to Cities
Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced he was reversing course on immigrant busing to other Democratic-led cities after conversations with the cities’ mayors.
The Democratic governor announced on Tuesday the plan to bus immigrants to Chicago and New York City, saying that most of the immigrants that were dropped off in Colorado did not plan for the state to be their final destination. On Saturday, however, he announced that he would discontinue the practice following discussions with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Mayor Eric Adams.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Refuses to Intervene as Migrant ‘Taxi’ Ship NGOs Rail Against Italian Border Control Decree
NGOs operating migrant “taxi” ships have complained to the European Union about new Italian border controls, but the bloc has claimed it will not get involved.
Several NGOs operating migrant “taxi” ships in the Mediterranean Sea have released a joint statement against the new regulations, which threaten major fines and ship seizures if they violate the new rules.
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Artist is Banned From Reddit’s r/Art Community, Falsely Accused of Using AI
An artist was banned from Reddit’s largest art subreddit r/Art because moderators thought the account posted AI-generated art. Following the backlash, the subreddit, with 22 million users, was put on lockdown.
Digital artist Ben Moran took to Twitter to announce a ban for violating the rule against using AI-generated art. Moran posted a digital illustration titled “a muse in warzone.”
Moran also tweeted screenshots of messages with a moderator of the subreddit.
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British Performing Group Sparks Controversy With Use of Adults With Down Syndrome in Drag
A dance company called Culture Device is being blasted online after forming a dance troupe featuring adults with Down syndrome performing in drag shows.
The company, which focuses on experimental performance and works with Down Syndrome adults, operates “Drag Syndrome,” a troupe they describe as “The Drag Troupe for Kings and Queens with Learning Disabilities.” The artistic director of Culture Device, Daniel Vais, was enthusiastic about the opportunity to involve Down syndrome adults in drag performances.
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State Department Announces $1.5m in Funding to ‘Empower’ LGBTQI Movements and Communities
The Golden Horseshoe is a weekly designation from Just The News intended to highlight egregious examples of wasteful taxpayer spending by the government. The award is named for the horseshoe-shaped toilet seats for military airplanes that cost the Pentagon a whopping $640 each back in the 1980s.
The State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor announced the availability of $1.5 million in grant funding through the Global Equity Fund (GEF) for LGBTQI+ communities to advance goals that include empowering “local movements” and addressing “critical issues of justice” according to a funding opportunity notice posted at the end of December.
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RING OUT THE OLD,
RING IN THE NEW
https://www.bitchute.com/video/9503cnNvYe1q/
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https://swebbtube.se/w/5rK4bumb4zhSgzQvgrZqZx
Hello Baron,
I’m a HS dropout and need a bit of math tutoring. Please show your work re: MC of 150%.
A Happy New Year
The Mohammed Coefficient is calculated by dividing the number of instances of “Mohammed” (or variants thereof) by the number of people involved. In this case we have two people, Mustafa Mohamedat Mohamed and Amro Mahmoud Abdelfattah Shahin, and three “Mohammeds”. So that’s 3/2 = 1.5 = 150%.