The Russian military has reportedly located the downed U.S. drone in the Black Sea and is working to recover the tech and data from it. Meanwhile, an explosion ripped through an FSB (formerly KGB) building in Russia near the border with Ukraine, killing one person and injuring two others.
In other news, Japan has recorded the highest number of excess deaths since World War Two.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Apollon Zamp, Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, LP, PF, Reader from Chicago, 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.
The energy market operator has warned Australia’s eastern states are facing severe gas shortages with grim forecast adding to bad news that electricity bills are also set to soar.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Deutsche Bank and WEF Look Towards the End of Cash
Deutsche Bank Macro Strategist Marion Laboure has penned a write-up for the World Economic Forum (WEF) site, that focuses on some of the Switzerland-based informal group’s favorite talking (and policy) points: CBDCs, and the ultimate demise of cash.
Laboure singles out Sweden, Brazil, and China as those countries that have made particular strides in moving toward digitized versions of central bank-issued currencies (CBDCs) — a centralized model favored by government and economic elites — not to be confused with decentralized cryptocurrencies.
In fact, such is the enthusiasm that the Deutsche Bank official sees the future dominance of CBDCs, taking over at the expense of cash as something “inevitable.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Inflation in Poland Reaches Record High of 18% in February
Inflation in February reached 18.4 percent in Poland, after hitting 17.2 percent in January, but Poland’s central bank and most economists had forecasted it would rise even further in the month of February.
According to the GUS data, the highest price increases were recorded for food and non-alcoholic beverages, amounting to 24 percent year-over-year and 1.8 percent over the previous month. The rise in the price of transport was not far behind, amounting to 23.7 percent year-over-year and 1.1 percent over the month of January.
Minister of Finance Magdalena Rzeczkowska said on Wednesday that the forecasts by her ministry show that from March onwards, the rate of inflation should start coming down. She said she believes chances are high that by the end of the year Poland will return to single-digit inflation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Major Banks to Give $30 Billion in Bailout for First Republic Bank Amid Industry Turmoil
A group of major U.S. banks have reached an agreement to help First Republic Bank stave off collapse by making major deposits to keep them afloat amid industry turmoil.
A group of 11 banks, among them Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Bank of America, will deposit a total of $30 billion, according to Bloomberg.
First Republic appears to have narrowly averted a total collapse after its stock fell by roughly two-thirds in the wake of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Despite federal promises of intervention and support from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the industry remains tumultuous, with several foreign banks such as Credit Suisse finding themselves in dire financial straits.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen John Kennedy: Silicon Valley Bank Crisis Could Have Been Avoided
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has argued that the Silicon Vally Bank (SVB) collapse, and the resulting banking crisis, could have been avoided.
The senator stated during a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday that the bank’s executives and federal regulators should have done their job on risk management.
Kennedy emphasized that SVB Bank wasn’t broke but it had a liquidity problem.
“If the management of Silicon Valley Bank had known the difference between a banking textbook and an L.L. Bean catalog, Silicon Valley Bank would have never bought securities that are so sensitive to interest rate[s] without hedging that risk, and it’s a very easy thing to do,” Kennedy said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ted Cruz Slams Biden for Bailing Out ‘Corrupt’ Silicon Valley Bank: ‘Like Bonny & Clyde’
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has blasted Joe Biden over the Democrat president’s efforts to bail out the recently collapsed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).
Cruz slammed SVB as “corrupt” and warned that the Biden admin’s bailout of the bank sets a dangerous precedent that will “incentivize” future bad behavior from bankers.
The Texas senator commented on the banking crisis during his podcast “Verdict” on Wednesday.
Cruz was discussing with co-host Ben Ferguson the ripple effect that the collapse of the bank has had on the U.S.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Western Governments Are on the Verge of Introducing Expiring Money
The European Central Bank (ECB) is considering using negative interest rates, a tool that erodes the value of your money, as it introduces the digital euro — its central bank digital currency (CBDC).
This is according to Sarah Palurovic, the executive director of the Digital Euro Association (DEA) think tank.
During an appearance on the Poundcast podcast, Palurovic said that the ECB wants to “keep the possibility open for tiered remuneration” after it introduces the digital euro because the ECB wants to have “measures that incentivize or disincentivize people to hold more or less CBDCs.” She added that one of the measures the ECB is considering is negative interest rates.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is warning Australians will have to work an extra two hours a week and be paid 40 per cent less than they should be unless workplace productivity significantly improves.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
“I’m Telling You, He Did It”: Seymour Hersh Blames Biden for Nord Stream Attack
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh told the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. that Joe Biden made the decision to blow up Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines because he saw being a war president as giving him a better chance at re-election.
Last month, Hersh published a report asserting that the pipelines were destroyed by the US as part of a covert operation.
According to Hersh’s sources, the explosives were planted in June 2022 by US Navy divers under the guise of the BALTOPS 22 NATO exercise and were detonated three months later with a remote signal sent by a sonar buoy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Both Detroit-area men face mandatory prison terms of life without parole
Two suburban Detroit men have been convicted in the 2021 slayings of two women who were fatally shot while unloading groceries outside their apartment.
A jury convicted Dajuan Davenport, 22, of Warren, and Darrell S. Banks, 21, of Mount Clemens, on Wednesday of two counts each of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The Macomb County jurors deliberated about three hours before convicting Davenport and Banks in the January 2021 slayings of Dazhane Holloway, 19, and Dionna Davis, 18, The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens reported.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Americans See China as a Greater Threat Than Russia: Poll
A clear majority of Americans view China as the greatest foreign threat to the United States, a recent poll revealed.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 61%, selected the Asian superpower as the greatest foreign adversary to Washington in a recent Quinnipiac University survey. That figure nearly is nearly triple the 22% of respondents who picked Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BlackRock CEO Warns Corporate America: ‘Climate Change’ is a ‘Risk’ To Investments
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has issued a warning to corporate America about the alleged threat to investments that “climate change” poses.
Speaking to investors on Wednesday, Fink warned that his asset management company views climate change as a “risk” to portfolio companies.
Alongside rival asset management firms State Street and Vanguard, BlackRock maintains an average 20% stake in every Fortune 500 company.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Trump Slams Globalist Establishment for Supporting Endless Wars
Former President Donald Trump said in a new Agenda47 video released on Thursday that the world has never been closer to a major war, describing the potential outcome as a “nuclear Armageddon” thanks to the poor leadership currently being provided by President Joe Biden. In the video, Trump argued that the proxy war against Russia by NATO allies in Ukraine could lead to World War III.
Trump said that the primary issue that needs to be addressed is achieving peace without delay, which he said requires a commitment to dismantling the globalist neo-con establishment responsible for bringing the US into never-ending wars.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Charges Dropped Against Man Shot Several Times by Cherokee Indian Police SWAT Team
CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Charges have been dropped against a Cherokee County man who was shot by a SWAT team as he exited his home in December.
A surveillance camera inside Jason Kloepfer’s trailer shows him being shot several times by members of the Cherokee Indian Police Department SWAT Team. Cherokee County deputies had called them to provide assistance after a 911 call about a disturbance with several gunshots on Dec. 13.
Kloepfer survived the shooting and was charged with communicating threats and resisting a public officer.
The Clerk of Courts for Cherokee County confirmed those charges have been dropped.
| — Hat tip: Apollon Zamp | [Return to headlines] |
Comer: Biden Family Received Over $1M From Hunter Associate After 2017 China Wire
Republican House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) has revealed that new evidence has emerged to reveal that Joe Biden’s family received over $1 million from an associate of the Democrat president’s son Hunter.
Members of the Biden family received more than $1M in payments from accounts related to Hunter Biden’s business associate Rob Walker.
According to Comer, those payments were related to the Biden family’s Chinese business ventures in 2017.
The paper trail has been exposed in subpoenaed financial records obtained by the House Oversight Committee, Comer revealed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cringe: Biden Receives One Clap From Small Crowd When He Tries to Gee Them Up
Joe Biden bumbled his way through a speech at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Wednesday, where a tiny crowd could barely bring themselves to applaud when the President pathetically attempted to rile them up.
Biden was delivering a speech on a plan to lower prescription costs, but barely anyone showed up.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Senators Call on Payments Companies to Track Gun Sales
Democrat senators, led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bob Mendez, are calling on the departments of the Treasury and Justice to take action after credit card companies’ refusal to track gun purchases.
Last year, following pressure from gun control activists and progressive lawmakers, Visa announced that it would track gun purchases through a new merchant category code. Mastercard and other credit card companies also said they would track gun and ammo purchases.
Earlier this month, we reported that Discover would start tracking gun and ammo purchases through a new MCC beginning April. The report led to pushback from conservatives, gun rights activists, and privacy supporters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Drags Humiliating Skeleton From Biden’s Closet: ‘We Are With You, Jussie’
Elon Musk dragged an embarrassing skeleton from Democrat President Joe Biden’s closet last night on Twitter.
Musk mocked Biden for a social media post that the president made about disgraced actor Jussie Smollett.
The Twitter boss responded to a resurfaced post from Biden that said: “What happened today to Jussie Smollett must never be tolerated in this country.
“We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts.
“We are with you, Jussie.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Wisconsin Sheriff Says Biggest Threat to Police is Mass Exodus of Officers
Former Milwaukee, Wisconsin Sheriff David Clarke said that one of the biggest threats to police departments is the amount of officers leaving the field and retiring early.
“Cops are leaving early,” Clarke said on the Thursday edition of the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show. “Some are leaving even before their pension kicks in. It’s just not worth it anymore.”
Clarke blames the “war on cops,” which he says has been happening for almost a decade, for the growing trend.
“I predicted this in 2014,” he stated. “When the war on cops started after Ferguson, Missouri, I said this was going to have a long term detrimental effect on law enforcement agencies’ ability to attract, hire, and retain good officers.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Freight Train Carrying Hazardous Materials Derails in Arizona
A freight train carrying hazardous materials has derailed in Northwestern Arizona, according to reports.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said the train derailed at the Topock Bridge near Interstate 40 on Wednesday night.
Authorities confirmed that the train was carrying toxic chemicals but said there is no indication yet that the potentially dangerous materials were spilled.
No injuries or deaths relating to the derailment have been reported.
The crash happened just north of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, near the border of California.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Throws Book at Chicago Carjacker, Sentences Thug to 16 Years in Prison
Judge Lorraine Murphy has thrown the book at a violent Chicago felon who ran away to Nebraska after being released on electronic monitoring.
21-year-old carjacker Camron King pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular hijacking with a weapon and escaping from electronic monitoring.
Judge Murphy dropped the hammer on King and hit the thug with a 16-year prison sentence.
King received 14 years for carjacking a woman at gunpoint in a supermarket parking lot in an incident nearly four years ago.
He also received an additional two years in prison for escape.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Chicago reporter who filed a lawsuit against Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot for allegedly silencing him by pulling his city press credentials fired back at her yet again in a fierce exchange at a Wednesday city council meeting.
“You shut down our schools, you shut down the churches, you shut down the businesses. You did the one thing I thought could never happen: As somebody who was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, I never thought in my life that I would ever see the city of Chicago brought down so low,” reporter William Kelly slammed Lightfoot.
“I hope that, after today’s city council meeting, you will pack your suitcase and get the hell out of my city.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Loyola Professor Claims Organized Pantries Are Rooted in ‘Racist and Sexist’ Social Structures
The recent TikTok trend of showing off perfectly organized and styled home pantries is rooted in a history of classist, racist and sexist social structures, according to one Chicago professor.
Through her research at Loyola University, Associate Professor of Marketing Jenna Drenten noticed a recent uptick in what she calls “pantry porn,” a plethora of social media videos where women show off their fully stocked kitchen and methodically organized home supplies.
While minimalist designs used to represent an anti-consumption mindset of using less and buying less, the “new minimalism,” according to Drenten, means “more is more,” so long as it is not dirty or cluttered.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of GOP Opposed to Continued Funding for War in Ukraine: Poll
A new poll released on Thursday has revealed that the majority of Republican Americans do not support providing weapons and financial support to Ukraine, compared to their Democrat or independent counterparts.
The Axios/Ipsos Two Americas poll found that overall, 59 percent of Americans, or three in five, support providing weapons and financial support to the Eastern European nation. Most Democrats and independents agreed as well, at 79 and 60. percent, respectively.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta Claims New AI Will Help Pharmaceutical Companies Make New Drugs
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has created an AI-based computer program, ESMFold, that is capable of predicting how millions of proteins are structured, in a technological development that could be used in the development of pharmaceuticals.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta AI, the company’s research department, used ESMFold to generate a public database cataloging the predicted structure of 617 million proteins.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Newark Signed Diversity-Inspired Partnership With Fake Country Led by Indian Cult Leader
In January, officials from Newark, New Jersey sat down with “delegates” from Kailasa, which they were told was a Hindu nation off the coast of South America. It has since been revealed that Kailasa is a fake country invented by infamous Indian scam artist, cult leader, and alleged rapist Swami Nithyananda.
In their excitement over “partnering with people from diverse cultures,” Newark officials, including the mayor, failed to uncover the truth.
According to the New York Post, just six days after the January 12 ceremony, City Hall admitted that they’d been duped, announcing that the agreement between them and Kailasa had been rendered “baseless and void.” They ensured the public that no money changed hands and that the endeavor was motivated, on their part, solely by the desire to promote cultural and commercial ties via the sister city program.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oklahoma Man Gets Early Release, Commits Triple Homicide, Cuts Woman’s Heart Out
An Oklahoma man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing three people, including a woman whose heart was cut from her body, weeks after being released from prison as part of a mass commutation effort.
Lawrence Paul Anderson, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Grady County District Court to three counts of murder and single counts of maiming and assault and battery.
Anderson was sentenced to life without parole as part of a plea deal in which prosecutor Jason Hicks dropped plans to seek the death penalty at the request of the victims’ families.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police: Mother Charged After 8-Year-Old Boy Stabbed to Death
HARTSELLE, Ala. (WAFF/Gray News) — An Alabama woman was arrested Thursday after her 8-year-old son was stabbed and killed.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to the home around 5:30 a.m. for the report of a stabbing and took a woman into custody.
They said an 8-year-old boy was found dead at the home. A man also found at the home was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital to be treated for a stab wound.
Morgan County officials said 41-year-old Jennifer Long was charged with capital murder in the stabbing death of her son.
Additional charges may be pending in the investigation, according to officials.
Long was booked into the Morgan County Jail with no bond.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
A pro-Trump political action committee (PAC) has filed a lawsuit against Ron DeSantis, accusing the Republican Florida governor of running a “shadow presidential campaign.”
The PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., filed a 15-page ethics complaint against DeSantis in Florida.
The head of MAGA Inc., Taylor Budowich, sent a letter to Florida Commission on Ethics Glenton Gilzean, whom DeSantis appointed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco Latest Dem City to Crack Down on Gas Appliances
San Francisco regulators moved forward with regulations banning future sales of certain natural gas-powered appliances as part of the Democrat-led city’s climate agenda.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which oversees air pollution and emissions regulations for the nine counties surrounding San Francisco, greenlighted amendments to regulations Wednesday evening related to eliminating nitrogen oxide emissions from natural gas furnaces and water heaters in the region. The action requires all commercial and residential furnaces and water heaters to be electric by 2027.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A public school district in Wisconsin recently added a fantasy book series to its e-library about a group of students’ plot to assassinate their teacher, drawing criticism from a parent in the district.
Elmbrook Schools’ librarians included five books from the “Assassination Classroom” series in its e-library starting with the 2021-2022 school year. The science fiction “manga” series, which is a type of comic or graphic novel originating from Japan, documents the repeated attempts by a group of students to assassinate their alien teacher, and includes sexualized content and pictures of students bringing guns and knives into class.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Passes Bill to Charge Fentanyl Dealers With Murder
The Texas Senate drew a line in the sand and dared Mexican drug cartels to cross it by passing a “Combating Fentanyl” bill Wednesday.
The legislation would open the door for state prosecutors to charge fentanyl dealers with murder.
Senate Bill 645 by State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) brings to life one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s key legislative priorities.
While promoting the bill, Abbott warned that, once it is passed, prosecutors will be able to charge people who make, sell, and deliver fentanyl with murder.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Warns About Chinese Purchases of US Farmland, Military Base Access
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller warns about the multiple dangers from China’s purchasing U.S. farmland, including having access to America’s military bases.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Utah School Feeds Insects to Children, Teaches Them Cows Are Destroying the Planet
A Utah middle school has been found to be teaching children that cows are destroying the planet while feeding them bugs instead of meat.
Utah’s Nebo School District gave sixth-grade students “disgusting” insects to eat last week as part of an English assignment on “climate change.”
Teachers claimed that feeding the kids bugs would save the environment from cows which were “killing the world,” according to a mom who spoke with Fox News.
The Spring Canyon Middle school has defended the move, however, claiming that the children enjoyed the class.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EXCLUSIVE — A controversial Fairfax, Virginia, school board member, Abrar Omeish, who previously refused to vote on a motion that would commemorate Sept. 11 victims, shared plans to use $3 billion available in the district’s budget for a Palestinian agenda before she was elected, according to a video reviewed by Fox News Digital.
In addition to her elected duties, Omeish is currently getting her JD and master’s in public policy at Georgetown. An investigative journalist — Asra Q. Nomani — captured Omeish’s remarks at a September 2019 American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) fundraising event right before the future lawyer landed a seat on the school board.
During her AMP speech, Omeish described an intention to integrate a pro-Palestinian agenda into classroom books and curriculum, and seemed to suggest that was a motivation for the school board run. She went on to discuss the “big money” in the district’s budget and “Muslim power.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
by Daniel Greenfield
Last week the Senate Democrat majority was hospitalized with Senator John Fetterman dispatched to a psych ward and Senator Dianne Feinstein, who doesn’t seem to know where she is, hospitalized for shingles. Fetterman and Feinstein didn’t let being hospitalized slow them down and went right on co-sponsoring bills even though the former had to be hospitalized because he couldn’t take care of himself and the latter no longer recognized colleagues.
Even in the Senate, Fetterman couldn’t understand what was being said and Feinstein wasn’t aware that she had announced her retirement. Despite that there are press releases from their offices and they’re cosponsoring legislation as if they’re functional and able to make decisions.
Senator Feinstein just introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023 to mandate abortion nationwide while outlawing state restrictions on late-term abortion when babies can feel pain. Considering Feinstein’s own mental capacity may not be that much greater than an unborn child, she might want to reconsider the value of human life even when it can’t articulate its feelings. But Feinstein isn’t really introducing or sponsoring bills, her staffers, who announced her retirement without her knowing about it, are legislating in her name. That’s a coup.
Or what we used to call a coup before it happened and just became how things worked…
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Wisconsin Democrats Propose Near-Elimination of Cash Bail
Democratic lawmakers unveiled plans Thursday to largely eliminate the use of cash bail in Wisconsin, clashing with Republicans who proposed a constitutional amendment to make it harder for people to get out of jail before trial.
The Democratic proposal, which almost certainly will not pass the Republican-controlled Legislature, would rely on risk assessments to allow most defendants to be released from jail before trial.
Democrats presented the plan as an alternative to a proposed constitutional amendment Republicans placed on the April 4 ballot that would allow judges to consider the criminal histories of people accused of violent crimes when setting bail. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers cannot veto the amendment if it is ratified by a majority of voters next month. The measure’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard, said it will allow judges to set higher bail amounts for people they deem a risk to public safety.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Abundant Evidence” of Beijing Grooming Canadian Politicians: Former Ambassador
Canada’s former ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), David Mulroney, said on Thursday that there was “abundant evidence” to support the existence of Beijing’s long-term plan to influence Canadian politicians at all levels of government as new allegations of election interference come out.
Mulroney, who headed Canada’s diplomatic mission in China from 2009 to 2012, tweeted his views on the heels of intelligence leaks which show China attempted to groom candidates for Vancouver’s municipal election last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cases of Syphilis in Babies Up Over 1,200 Per Cent Since 2017
The number of cases of babies born with syphilis in Canada has increased by 1,271 per cent from 2017 to 2021, with the disease possibly leading to devastating complications, including stillbirths.
According to figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), just seven cases of children born with syphilis were recorded in 2017 but the number has surged to 96 cases in 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Ambassador Says Consulate’s Activities Were Business as Usual
China’s ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu alleged in an op-ed on Wednesday that the actions of Chinese consulates involved in election interference claims reported by intelligence sources were business as usual.
The guest article was published by the outlet Ottawa Life Magazine and served as an apologia of China’s meddling conduct.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CSIS Believes China Interfered in Vancouver Election
Canada’s spy agency believes China interfered in Vancouver’s 2022 municipal election, according to a news report.
The Globe and Mail reported on Thursday that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service believes Chinese diplomats aided an interference campaign in Vancouver’s recent election for mayor.
CSIS reports said China’s goal was to elect a specific Chinese Canadian candidate through “grooming” the individual and bringing Vancouver’s ethnically Chinese citizens out to the polls. The election ended with Chinese Canadian Ken Sim beating the incumbent mayor by 37,000 votes, despite the incumbent receiving roughly the same number of votes that elected him years earlier.
The report comes weeks after True North reported that Chinese police stations, one in Vancouver, are connected to interference networks used by Beijing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Four-in-Five Canadians Feel Sustainable Living is Much Easier for Wealthy People
A new survey reveals that four-in-five Canadians feel sustainable living is much easier for wealthy people.
Onyen Corporation, an Environmental Social Governance (ESG) reporting software company, asked investors and consumers several questions to determine their personal commitments on workforce diversity, ethical supply chains, and companies’ obligations to the communities in which they operate.
The survey found that young adults aged 18-34 are more likely to believe that sustainable living is much easier for wealthy people at 83% than adults aged 55-plus at 75%.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Hate Crimes Against Catholics Spike in Canada
Hate crimes against Catholics in Canada more than tripled in just one year according to a new study from a Christian think tank.
On Thursday, Cardus, a Canadian non-partisan Christian think tank, released its report titled “Toward a Hopeful Future: Facing Down Religious Hate,” which found that in 2021 the “largest spike” in religiously motivated hate crimes occurred against Catholics: from 43 in 2020 to 155 in 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian authorities made eight arrests in Naples ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League fixture between Eintracht Frankfurt and Napoli, as rival groups of fans clashed with each other, torched vehicles, and attacked riot police in the city center.
Fans of Eintracht Frankfurt had been told ahead of time not to attend the game, as they would be refused entry to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona due to security concerns; however, a large group of fans from the German club traveled to Naples anyway and marched through the city.
Footage circulating on social media shows the extent of the damage caused as riot police stepped in to disperse crowds and break up clashes between rival sets of fans.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Clashes Break Out in Greece as Thousands Protest Against Train Tragedy
Greek police fired tear gas and protesters hurled firebombs on Thursday as more than 40,000 people took to the streets to slam the government and voice outrage at last month’s train disaster that killed 57 people.
The protests were accompanied by a 24-hour strike — the biggest yet since the disaster — this time called by Greece’s leading private as well as public sector unions.
Clashes erupted at Syntagma Square near parliament in Athens, where police fired tear gas and stun grenades at demonstrators hurling firebombs and rocks.
As protesters retreated, they smashed traffic lights and shop windows and set rubbish bins on fire, AFP reporters said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Court Rejects Appeal of Disgraced German Green Politician Involved in Far-Right Hate Hoax
An appeal against the fine imposed on a German Green party politician who embarked on faking a long-running allegation of harassment against him by far-right extremists has been dismissed by a German court.
Manoj Subramaniam, a 33-year-old former local Green councilor in the German town of Erkelenz, alleged last July he had been subjected to sustained acts of harassment by anonymous right-wing extremists. He showed police evidence of the abuse he had received, which included a threatening letter with a razor blade inserted and a swastika drawn onto his vehicle in red paint.
The case made national headlines last year with several prominent politicians offering their solidarity with Subramaniam for the abuse he had received.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Farmers Storm to Victory in Regional Elections, Set to Become Largest Party in the Senate
Voters dealt a hammer blow to the Dutch establishment in Wednesday’s regional elections, propelling the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) to become the largest party in the Senate in just its first election.
Exit polls projected the movement will win 15 seats in the Dutch upper chamber as voters sent a clear message to Mark Rutte’s government over its planned nitrogen emissions laws campaigners say will devastate the country’s agricultural sector.
“The Dutch have clearly shown that they are fed up with the policy,” BBB leader Caroline van der Plas told De Telegraaf late on Wednesday. “I’m going to party.”
“The turnaround has started. The voters have spoken and have denounced support of this government,” she added in a tweet.
“She did very well,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte admitted, whose People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) saw its projected seats fall from the current 12 to 10.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU vs Soros? Foreign Agent Legislation Would Force NGOs, Charities to Disclose International Funding
The bribe money scandal-struck European Union is reportedly preparing legislation that has “spooked” leftist charities and NGOs as it would require them to disclose any international funding in a bid to reduce foreign influence.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, is said to be currently preparing draft legislation similar to the American Foreign Agents Registration Act 1938, which requires lobbyists to declare if they are working as an agent of a foreign government. However, the EU legislation is believed to only target organisations, not individuals, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charities, according to a report from the POLITICO website.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Woman Throws Cell Phone Thief Down Stairs in Paris Metro
A female victim turned the tables on a would-be phone thief when she fought back and threw him down a stairwell into the Paris metro this week, according to reports.
The harrowing incident unfolded just before 7 p.m. on Monday evening in the Porte de la Villette neighborhood of the French capital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The government of French President Emmanuel Macron was thrown into chaos on Thursday after it used a controversial constitutional loophole to pass his widely contested bill to raise the retirement age after it was doubtful that the legislation would secure a majority vote in the National Assembly.
Thousands of people immediately took to the streets and leftist leaders and union chiefs have already called for mass demonstrations over the weekend after French Prime Minster Elisabeth Borne took to the floor of the National Assembly — amid shouts of “resign” from opposition MPs — to invoke article 49.3 of the constitution, a mechanism often described as the “nuclear option” in French legislative politics, as it allows the government to pass bills without the need for a majority vote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Conservative AfD Overtakes Green Party for First Time in 4 Years
As the Green Party’s fortunes sink, the fortunes of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party rise, with the AfD now polling ahead of the Greens for the first time since 2018 in two separate surveys.
In a survey from YouGov, the AfD jumped to 17 percent, while the Greens were one point behind at 16 percent.
In a separate Insa survey commissioned by Bild newspaper, AfD is polling at 16 percent and the Green Party at 15.5 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Replaces Top General With Former COVID Response Coordinator
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has appointed Major General Karsten Breuer as the new inspector-general of the Bundeswehr, after sending his predecessor Eberhard Zorn into early retirement, national media reported on Monday.
Breuer, 59, previously headed the army’s national operations command. He coordinated the deployment of the military during the Covid-19 pandemic and headed the government’s pandemic task force from November 2021 through May 2022.
No official explanation was given for the retirement of Zorn, though the 63-year-old general had been skeptical of supplying Ukraine with German heavy equipment, noting that the Bundeswehr had little to spare.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Children Are the ‘Biggest Losers’ Post COVID Lockdown, Experts Say
Children are to suffer badly as a result of Germany’s lockdown policy, with a report describing them as the “biggest losers” in the country post-COVID.
A report into the medical situation in Germany done by health insurance agency Barmer has found that children in the country face substantial risks post-lockdown, with the authors of the document now expecting to see a surge in childhood illnesses in the wake of the pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
High Noon for Polish Justice Minister Who Carries an Actual Gun
Poland’s justice minister has been nicknamed “sheriff” before, and in his role, he’s often accused of shooting from the hip. The latest news about him is unlikely to change that perspective.
Zbigniew Ziobro, the minister of justice and leader of the Solidarity Poland faction of the ruling conservatives, has been spotted with a gun sticking out from under his suit while attending a function last weekend. A gust of wind revealed he was carrying a weapon under his jacket as he was laying a wreath at a commemoration event. At a press conference, on a totally different subject, he answered questions on the “revelation” that he is armed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Just 1% of Dutch Citizens Think the Country is Clearly Heading in the Right Direction
Just 1 percent of Dutch respondents to a recent survey believe the country is clearly heading in the right direction.
The Rabobank survey, conducted last year and published in accordance with a study on Tuesday, showed the vast majority of Dutch citizens are unhappy about the country’s trajectory.
Of the 10,000 Dutch respondents to the survey, a total of 39 percent believe the country is clearly heading in the wrong direction and 47 percent believe it to be heading more in the wrong direction than the right, making an overwhelming majority of 86 percent currently disillusioned with the country’s current path.
Some 12 percent believe the country to be heading more in the right direction than the wrong, while just 1 percent think the Netherlands is clearly heading in the right direction
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Preliminary Figures Show BBB Also Performs Well in Water Board Elections
The BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) is on a path towards winning a major victory in the water board elections, said the association of Dutch water boards. Voters in the Netherlands were able to cast a ballot for their local water boards on Wednesday along with their ballot for their provincial council. The right-wing BBB, which is backed by farming and agriculture interests, won a plurality of seats in at least eight of the 12 provincial councils, and was on pace to hold as many as 17 of the 75 seats in the national Senate as a result.
The association of water boards said on Thursday afternoon that it has received vote totals from 12 of the 21 water boards in the Netherlands. BBB “seems to be making major gains in the water board elections,” the organization said. They expect to receive data from the remaining boards on Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Opening Poland’s Market to Ukrainian Grain Was a Huge Mistake, Says Polish Agriculture Minister
As Central and Eastern Europe are flooded with cheap Ukrainian grain, farmers across Europe are raising alarm bells and facing increased financial stress. Poland has been especially hard hit.
According to Marek Sawicki, the former minister of agriculture for the center-right Polish People’s Party (PSL) the opening of the Polish market to Ukrainian grain was a big mistake. He added that it was right to help Ukraine, but mechanisms should have been put in place to ensure the grain actually left the EU and did not sit in EU countries, which has put severe pressure on farmers who cannot compete with the flood of Ukrainian imports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pavel Heads to Warsaw for Second Visit as Czech President
Czech President Petr Pavel landed in Warsaw on Thursday morning for his second foreign visit since assuming the role earlier this month; he will be received by his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.
The new Czech premier, who caused a stir with his lukewarm assessment of the Visegrad Group during his first trip abroad to the Slovak capital of Bratislava, arrives in Poland at a time of dwindling relations between the two countries. Pavel also has a reserved relationship with Poland’s current governing PiS party, reported Polish news outlet Onet.
He is expected to meet with Duda on Wednesday afternoon, as well as with several top constitutional officials, before visiting a Polish and U.S. logistics center at Rzeszów Airport on Friday, which facilitates Western aid headed to Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Leaving EU Climate Policy Would be Akin to Polexit, Warns Morawiecki
The EU’s climate policy has become a core principle of the bloc and any attempt by Poland to extricate itself from it would be tantamount to leaving the European Union, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said.
Speaking to Jakub Wiech’s “Elektryfikacja” on Wednesday, he acknowledged the country now has a problem with a shortage of coal, but insisted this is only because the country had been “forced to close coal mines” and said it was the current liberal opposition who had urged the government to dismantle its coal production more quickly.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As Poland’s population of Ukrainians balloons, there are some Ukrainians calling for political representation in the country’s parliament, including a controversial activist who has called Gdansk a German city and celebrated a Ukrainian nationalist militia that massacred Poles during the Second World War.
During a guest appearance on popular commercial radio RMF FM last week, Natalya Panchenko, a Ukrainian activist living in Poland, said the Ukrainian minority is well organized in Poland and it would be good if someone represented this growing bloc in Poland’s parliament.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Romania Hosts 13-Nation Black Sea Exercise With 3,400 Military Personnel
Approximately 3,400 military personnel will take part in the multinational exercise “Sea Shield 2023” to be held in Romania from March 20 to April 2, the Romanian Naval Force announced on its website on Wednesday, March 15.
The complex exercise is planned to take place in the southeastern part of Romania, including in Romanian rivers, on the open sea, in the Danube Delta, and along Romania’s coastal area. According to Romania’s Naval Forces, the exercise will involve soldiers and representatives of several institutions of the national defense system, as well as 12 other allied and partner countries — Albania, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Moldova, the United States and Turkey.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Spy Network Targeting Critical Infrastructure Broken Up in Poland
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has praised the work of Poland’s security agency (ABW) for having identified and broken up a spy network in the south of the country.
Polish commercial radio RMF FM reported on Wednesday that ABW had broken up a group of six individuals in the southeast of Poland who were preparing diversionary activities connected with Poland’s railway network. All those who have been detained are foreign nationals working for Russia’s intelligence services.
The activities were to target the transport of weapons into Ukraine. The spies are alleged to have planted surveillance cameras along rail tracks to collect data near Rzeszow’s airport.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Has Placed $15 Million Bounty on Our Defence Minister’s Head, Says Italy
Italian intelligence officials have claimed that the Russian government has placed a $15 million bounty on the head of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, targeting him for assassination.
Italian intelligence alerted the Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that Russia had placed a bounty on Minister Crosetto, who has been the subject of scorn from Russian officials this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
There is a plan for a great robbery of Poles. We are to be robbed of our statehood, property and spiritual heritage. According to Germany’s political allies, Poland is to become a pool of cheap labor for hire and Poles should be forced to migrate for better opportunities elsewhere. They should not be owners. That is why the economy should be in foreign hands, and Polish forests should be managed from Brussels. There also should be no need for welfare programs for the family or for pensioners. In Poland, these kinds of social programs for the common good are called “profligacy,” whereas in Germany it’s called “social policy.”
In order to assert control, first Poland’s legal, economic, monetary and political sovereignty must be removed. All that is needed is to get rid of the right of veto inside the EU. Once that happens, every important decision that affects Poland’s future can be made behind the nation’s back. Then, a new European treaty and the process of a new partition will become a reality.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Bans China’s TikTok From Government Mobile Phones ‘With Immediate Effect’
Citing a “specific risk”, the Chinese-developed video-sharing app TikTok has been banned from UK government devices “with immediate effect”.
The UK banned TikTok on “government corporate devices” on Thursday, it announced in a Parliamentary statement. While government spokesman Oliver Dowden said the ban did not extend to the general public or the private mobile phones of government ministers, he emphasised that individuals should think hard before downloading some social media apps.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Walid E. Accused of Raping and Robbing 96-Year-Old French Woman, Already Known to Police
Walid E. has been arrested for the rape and robbery of a 96-year-old French woman, an ordeal that lasted two hours inside her apartment in Clichy-la-Garenne (Hauts-de-Seine).
Although the incident happened on Feb. 13, the man’s name has only now been released. Police say Walid E. broke into the elderly woman’s apartment and stole her valuables, but before leaving, raped the woman.
Arrested on March 6, Walid E. was indicted for aggravated rape in the case. He now faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Person Killed, Two Injured in Fire at Russian FSB Compound Near Ukrainian Border
One person has been killed and two injured by a fire that broke out in the compound of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, which is located close to Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions where fierce fighting between invading Russian troops and Ukraine’s armed forces is taking place. According to local authorities, a short circuit caused the fire. Officials also said the blaze posed no danger to nearby high-rise residential buildings. Reports said earlier that an explosion was heard before the fire broke out.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Accuses Lindsey Graham of Trying to Start an “Apocalyptic Conflict”
Russia has accused Lindsey Graham of trying to start an “apocalyptic conflict” after the US Senator called for the Pentagon to fire on Russian military jets.
As we highlighted yesterday, Graham appeared on Fox News in response to a close encounter between Russian fighter jets and a US MQ-9 Reaper drone near Crimea which led to the drone falling into the Black Sea.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Now Confiscating Passports From Public Officials to Prevent Defections: British Intel
Russia is taking passports from state industry employees and “increasingly disaffected” public officials to prevent them from fleeing abroad, the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) has said.
Russian officials and state company workers are “increasingly disaffected” and are now considered a flight risk by the government which is subjecting them to “increasingly severe foreign travel restrictions”, the MOD had said in their frequent Ukraine war intelligence update.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Has Located U.S. Drone and Will Attempt to Receive Tech and Data, Kremlin Media Claims
Russian forces are on the verge of starting a recovery attempt on a downed U.S. Air Force drone that crashed into the Black Sea this week, pro-Kremlin publishers claim.
An MQ-8 ‘Reaper’ drone was a “total loss” this week, the Pentagon said this week after it was rammed by a Russian jet, damaging its propeller and causing it to lose power. Despite the U.S. releasing footage of Russian jets harassing the drone by spraying jet fuel on it, and even colliding with the drone to damage it, Russia is still maintaining its position that the drone fell out of the air spontaneously and they were not responsible.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Passes Law Banning Criticism of Voluntary Military Groups
The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, has passed an amendment that would extend the law banning the discrediting of the Russian military to include “volunteer” groups fighting in the military operation in Ukraine.
The amendment is positioned as an effort to protect fighters in the private mercenary company the Wagner Group, which is leading the war for control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video Shows Moment Russian Fighter Jet Downed U.S Reaper Drone
A new video has emerged that shows the moment a Russian fighter jet collided with a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone and downed the American aircraft in international waters.
The video was released by the U.S. military’s European Command on Thursday.
The footage has emerged amid a race to secure the downed American aircraft when it was downed in the Black Sea.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS Group in Afghanistan Could Conduct ‘External’ Attack Against US in 6 Months, US Commander Says
The ISIS group operating in Afghanistan will likely be capable of conducting “external operations” against the U.S. and Western allies within just six months, a U.S. commander testified Thursday.
Gen. Michael Kurilla, leader of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., pressed him on how soon he believed that ISIS-K, the branch of the Islamic State operating in Afghanistan, might be capable of carrying out attacks outside of Afghanistan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Biden administration has demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their stakes in the social media app or be banned in the US, according to Reuters.
US officials and lawmakers have raised concerns that TikTok’s user data could be given to China’s communist government.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Japan Records Highest Excess Deaths Since WWII, Officials Demand Truth
Officials in Japan are demanding that the government comes clean after the nation has just recorded a staggering 210,000 excess deaths — the highest number since World War II.
The Japanese government is coming under mounting pressure to tell the truth about the number of vaccine injuries and related deaths.
A growing number of experts believe the country’s vaccine mandates and the rollout of mRNA Covid shots are directly linked to the soaring excess deaths.
Japanese lawmaker Mr. Yanagase Hirofumi accused the Japanese government of covering up COVID-19 mRNA vaccine injuries and deaths.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Australian state has lost thousands of residents in recent months, with people seemingly preferring the warmer weather of other regions of Australia, new data suggests.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil Had a Secret Program to Track People’s Location Via Cell Phone
In the first three years of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, the country’s intelligence agency ABIN secretly operated a tool that could track the location and movements of citizens, according to a report by local news outlet Globo.
The tool, called FirstMile, allowed, without any justification, the intelligence agency to monitor the locations of up to 10,000 phones every 12 months. It was developed by Israeli firm Cognyte and purchased by ABIN for R$5.7 million (1,081,415.40 USD).
Aside from location tracking, the tool could provide “real-time alerts” of a target’s movement at different locations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil Outlines Law to Ban Online “Fake News” and “Hate Speech”
Brazil’s government plans to introduce legislation to regulate social media to prevent “fake news” and “hate speech,” according to Flavio Dino, Brazil’s Minister for Justice and Public Security.
Dino made the comments in a seminar organized by TV Globo, the Getulio Vargas Foundation, and the Brazilian Institute of Education. He said that the proposal was going to be presented to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva next week before being introduced to the National Congress for debate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Border Crossing Attempts Into Bulgaria From Turkey Are Up 30% This Year
Illegal border crossing attempts from Turkey into Bulgaria have increased by 30 percent so far this year, Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has revealed.
Speaking on Tuesday on an official visit to the city of Stara Zagora, the Bulgarian minister spoke of the “enormous” migratory pressure authorities are now dealing with, primarily on its southeastern border with Turkey.
Border authorities in Bulgaria detected approximately 190,000 illegal border crossings last year, and the rise in activity has shown no signs of letting up.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Border Patrol Chief Defies Biden, Testifies That Trump’s Wall Must be Finished
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raúl Ortiz has defied Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration by testifying that the Southern Border is in “crisis.”
The Biden admin continues to downplay the situation at the open U.S. border with Mexico.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has repeated the claim that the “border is secure.”
His claims continued despite the fact that 5 million illegal aliens flooded across the border during the first two years of the Biden administration.
On Wednesday, Ortiz defied DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and President Biden by saying the border is in “crisis” and the U.S. does not have control of its border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Europe’s external border must be protected to ensure people smugglers cannot profit from migrants tempted to undertake perilous journeys, and all migrants who enter Europe illegally must be sent home, claimed Hungarian MEP Balazs Hidvéghi.
Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Hidvéghi told the chamber that recently reported deaths in the Mediterranean are a direct result of pro-immigration lobbyists and NGO humanitarian vessels that continue to effectively be a taxi for migrants halfway across the stretch of water.
A completely new European migration policy is required that focuses on border protection and makes it clear that Europe will not accept illegal entry into its territory, Hidvéghi added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Won’t Bow to Powerful Elites in Favor of Open Borders, Insists Meloni
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told political opponents on Wednesday she will not bow to the political pressure exerted by powerful elites in favor of open borders.
Speaking during Question Time in the Chamber of Deputies, Meloni responded to questions related to her government’s handling of the ever-increasing migratory pressure in the Mediterranean following government data published this week that revealed more than 20,000 people have now reached the country so far this year.
“As long as there are departures on boats in bad condition, navigating in bad weather conditions, there will be loss of life,” she told parliamentary colleagues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The European Union is pushing for countries to deport more migrants who are deemed ineligible to stay in the bloc, with a top commissioner noting that only 21 percent of such migrants are actually sent home.
During a news conference on Tuesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, who is well known for her pro-migration views, urged more deportations.
“Last year we had a return rate of only 21 percent of those who are not eligible to stay, those who are not in need of international protection. And when we fail to return people, this hampers our system and erodes trust. To protect the right to apply for asylum, we have to show that we are appropriately dealing with those who do not qualify for international protection,” she said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Why Would I Want to Fight for People Who Hate Me?” U.S. Army Ad Panned on YouTube
The US Army released a new ad last week reviving their old “Be All You Can Be” slogan in a bid to attract the “deplorables” they alienated with woke garbage and vax mandates to enlist but they appear to be running into a wee bit of trouble.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Advances Six-Week Abortion Ban
Florida lawmakers on Thursday approved a proposal to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, with an exception to save the life of the mother and stricter exceptions for rape or incest.
A state House committee decisively backed the proposal, putting it one step closer to a vote in the lower chamber, where it will likely succeed in the Republican-dominated legislature, ABC News reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pew: Most Americans Have an Unfavorable View of Atheists
While Americans hold a favorable view of most religious groups, they have a negative view of atheists, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center.
In its poll released on March 15, Pew found that nearly a quarter (24 percent) of Americans hold a very or somewhat unfavorable view of atheists, while just one in five (20 percent) hold a very or somewhat favorable view of non-believers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UN Observes First International Day Against Islamophobia
The United Nations on Friday commemorated the first-ever International Day to Combat Islamophobia with a special event in the General Assembly Hall, where speakers upheld the need for concrete action in the face of rising hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims.
| — Hat tip: PF | [Return to headlines] |
The View co-host Sunny Hostin says she hasn’t been to a supermarket for 3 years and gets minimum wage slaves to do her grocery shopping for her because she can’t be bothered to carry kitchen towels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
.
.
A NATION OF SNITCHES
Google states the following:
https://gatesofvienna.net/2022/12/a-nation-of-snitches Webb17 Dec. 2022 – Åberg wants the woman to pay him SEK 15,000 in damages for sharing a Facebook post that Joakim Lamotte wrote about Tomas Åberg, in which Åberg is …
Now the animal abuser Tomas Åberg is at it again.
In Fria Tider we can read about his latest
treacherous feat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Published March 16, 2023
Jan Sjunnesson, a columnist at Bulletin and known for various projects within the SD-related environment, has been convicted of the opinion crime of incitement to public opinion.
The conviction stems from a comment on Twitter in which Sjunnesson described robbery of the elderly as “a Roma specialty”.
It was Tomas Åberg, a former project manager at Näthatsgranskaren, who reported the post to the police as incitement to racial hatred.
Jan Sjunnesson was sentenced by Varberg District Court to a suspended sentence and a fine of just over SEK 13,000 for the offense.
He said that he had read about the police group Circa, which specializes in identifying crimes against the elderly and their perpetrators, and that he based his comment on that information.
– “In the book ‘Romer i Sverige’ by Karl-Olov Arnstberg, the former head of the Circa group says that this is a type of crime that is almost always committed by Roma,” Sjunnesson told Bulletin.
He calls incitement against ethnic groups a “rubber stamp” that “prevents important conversations about, for example, criminal ethnic groups”.
The worst part of this is that Mr. Åberg is seeking damages for something he is clearly not involved in other than deliberately searching for such occasions, and hence cannot have suffered anything other than the pride of finding his next victim. And the courts play into his hands by actually granting this, they did so in multiple similar cases before! This way he has built himself a veritable business model entirely on extortion under collusion of the judicial system. This needs to be ended and when it does, more than one head is going to roll.
Oops, this was in reply to LN on March 17, 2023 at 12:18 am
.
.
The treasonous, left-wing extremist association Expo
attacks SwebbTV and its already ordered 350 participant’s congress at restaurant Solliden, Stockholm, which cowardly
backs out of its commitment and hides from its prospective client, while the anarcotyranic war escalates in society!
(Swedish)
https://swebbtube.se/w/wE6yxLt2stX9iLGwQ1AbUo
—
Anarcho-tyranny
is a synthesis of the two opposites of anarchy and tyranny.
The term anarcho-tyranny was coined by Samuel T. Francis in 1992.
The National Review summarized the term in 2011 as “‘anarcho-tyranny’ describes a dysfunctional state in which the state is anarchically hopeless at managing major issues but ruthlessly tyrannical in maintaining minor ones.”
Francis described it as “the failure of the state to enforce laws while criminalizing the law-abiding and the innocent.”
Lew Rockwell wrote in 2003, referring to the Iraq War, that such a state highlights “the primary focus of governance in any regime: to maintain and strengthen its monopoly over the state’s means of power, while displacing and eliminating possible competitors for power.”.
Chilton Williamson, Jr. wrote in 2005 that “anarcho-tyranny is about consolidating and expanding raw power, not realizing an ideological vision”, and in this respect compared it to American capitalism in its postmodern form.
He contrasted anarcho-tyranny with what he called libertinepuritanism (or Puritanlibertinism), which he saw exemplified in the dystopian novel Brave New World (1932), and for which power is secondary but that both anarcho-tyranny and libertinepuritanism seek to achieve tyranny and are therefore the same in terms of means.
Francis argued that “Anarcho-tyranny is entirely intentional, a calculated transformation of the function of the state from protecting its law-abiding citizens to a state that treats its law-abiding citizens as a social pathology at best, and an enemy at worst.” The aim is to create the illusion that the state is doing its job.
The term has also been used by, for example, Jerry Pournelle (2003), Kevin D. Williamson (2014 and 2017), Justin Raimondo (2017) and several other writers over the years.
.
.
“The communists have obviously succeeded once again”, says Swebbtv’s Mikael Willgert.
Expo stops Swebbtv’s conference at Skansen.
Published March 17, 2023 in Fria Tider
The prestigious restaurant Solliden at Skansen in Stockholm has stopped a conference with the web TV channel Swebbtv after pressure from the left-wing extremist group Expo.
Swebbtv’s conference was to be held at Solliden at the end of March and the tickets were sold out.
The organizers promised speakers and a closing banquet with an award ceremony and singing.
However, left-wing extremist Expo’s employee Hedwig Gordon contacted the restaurant’s owner Burgviks Group and stated that Swebbtv is a “right-wing extremist and conspiracy theory” channel.
Burgviks Group has now canceled the conference, citing the “values issue”.
– “We have a Swedish historical environment that is very beautiful in the right context, but which can be not beautiful in other contexts, so we are careful about it,” a “high-ranking representative” of the company, who asked to remain anonymous, told the left-wing extremist group Expo.
Swebbtv’s Mikael Willgert writes on the channel’s website today that he has tried to get in touch with those responsible for the cancellation, but that no one can be reached.
Burgsviks Group AB is obviously a company that acts “deceitfully, dishonestly and breaks agreements and then goes underground”, he notes.
“The communists in Sweden have long acted through EXPO to stop freedom of expression and they have obviously succeeded once again,” writes Mikael Willgert.
https://www.aureus-press.com/cinema-is-over/
Movie article.
Previously, in Russia it was not customary to eat in cinemas. I stopped going to the movies when they started selling popcorn. In one old cozy cinema in our city, an arthouse film festival was once held, which is a very rare occurrence.
I only went to one movie – next to me, jaws were moving annoyingly everywhere …
I did not go to other films. And now there is no point in going there at all.