Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/25/2023

The Bulgarian prime minister announced that his country will not be sending any fighter jets or tanks to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Finnish defense minister rejected a Ukrainian request for fighter jets.

In other news, inflation in the U.K. shot above 10% in February as food prices continued to rise.

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

Thanks to Dean, László, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Financial Crisis
» Deposits Shrink Significantly in Smaller Banks After the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse
» Deutsche Bank Shares Fall 13% as Fears of Contagion Rise
» Most Americans Don’t Believe Their Children Will be Better Off: Poll
» UK Inflation Spikes to Over 10 Per Cent Amid Rising Food Prices
 
USA
» Arizona Family Dollar Employee Charged With Murder After Firing 10 Shots at Shoplifter Who Punched Him
» Baylor University’s 72-Hour Christian Revival Leads to 20+ Baptisms
» Breaking: House GOP Reject Alvin Bragg’s Attempt to Dodge Inquiry Into Political Prosecution of Donald Trump
» Buying a House for the End of the World? These Are the ‘Best’ Locations in America to Invest in a Property Which Could Survive a Nuclear Apocalypse
» ‘Dear Jesus, Please Help Them’: Dramatic Moment Mississippi Meteorologist Calls on God as He Watches Major Tornado Head Straight for the Town of Amory
» Electric Vehicles Bleeding Red Ink: Ford is Losing Billions on EVs
» Elon Musk Tells Employees to Get Back in Office With 2:30 Am Memo
» Energy Secretary Attempts to Justify Regulating Gas Appliances, Despite Owning a Gas Stove
» Ex-Con Fatally Stabbed Man in Heart While Driving During Argument Over Which Direction They Were Headed: Police
» Gaslighting: ‘Crazy Conspiracy Theories’ Proven to be True This Year
» Gen. Mark Milley Calls Ukraine ‘An Important National Interest’
» Handyman Turns the Tables on Squatters Who Took Over His Mother’s House
» Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Michigan Rental Property Owner
» ‘No, of Course Not’: Moment Jeffrey Epstein’s Lawyer Alan Dershowitz Says Billionaire Pedophile Didn’t Kill Himself — Before Correcting Himself to Claim He Did it ‘With the Help of Guards’
» ‘Professional Squatter’ Racks Up $1,300 Water Bill as Chicago Woman Fights to Kick Him Off Property
» Shocking Video Shows Chocolate Factory Explosion in Pennsylvania
» Stanford Law School Suspends Diversity Dean After She Doubles-Down on Duncan Debacle
» ‘They Have Nothing!’ Trump Slams Manhattan DA’s Stormy Daniels Hush Money Probe at Waco 2024 Mega-Rally and Tells Cheering Crowd: ‘I Never Liked Horse Face.’
» UCF Professor Files Lawsuit Against Florida University; Defends His Controversial Tweets
» Utah State Wide Receiver Suffers Sudden Cardiac Arrest on Field, In ‘Fair’ Condition
» Waco Goes Wacko for Trump! Hundreds of MAGA Fans Get in Line Hours Before Controversial Rally in Texas Town During 30th Anniversary of Deadly Siege
» WSJ Poll: 78% Doubt Their Children Will be Better Off in Joe Biden’s America
 
Canada
» Artificial Intelligence ‘Godfather’ on AI Possibly Wiping Out Humanity: ‘It’s Not Inconceivable’
» Facebook to Block Access to News if ‘Online News Act’ is Adopted
» Many Canadians Say Its OK to Lie in Relationships
 
Europe and the EU
» ‘Escalation’ — NATO Hungary Warns UK Against Sending Depleted Uranium Ammunition to Ukraine
» Finland Defence Minister Rejects Ukraine Request for Fighter Jets
» Hungary: Here Are the New Rules for Foods Containing Insect Proteins
» Leader of NATO Bulgaria Says No Warplanes, Tanks for Ukraine
» Motorist Deliberately Drives a Van Into Several Pedestrians at German Airport, Causing Multiple Injuries
» Netherlands: Civil Servants in Eindhoven Are No Longer Allowed to Use TikTok at Work
» Netherlands: Scientist Rebellion Blocked Private Jet Area; 80 XR Climate Activists Arrested
» Netherlands: Extinction Rebellion Protesters Enter Grounds of Eindhoven Airport, Blocking Private Jet Area
» Netherlands: Big Brother: Local Govt to Deploy Drones to Monitor Property Zoning Compliance
» Populism Rising: Dutch Pro-Farmer Party Won Big Despite Being Outspent by Ten Other Parties
» Swedish Female Lawyer Disbarred for Romantic Relationship With Gang Leader
» UK: 99 Doctors Demand Truth on Vaccine Heart Injury ‘Cover-Up’
» UK: Just Stop Oil Arrests After Orange Paint Daubed on Barclays in Leeds
» UK: Local Govt Promises to Stop Placing Kids in Care of Paedophiles After Girl Abused by Convicted Molester
» UK: Meth-Smoking Satanist Vicar Convicted of Paedophilia, Zoophilia
» UK: Man Bludgeoned to Death With Horseshoe After Argument Over Boombox Music
» Vatican Tells Muslims: Ramadan is Important for Christians, Too
 
Russia
» Russian Bakhmut Offensive ‘Largely Stalled’ Amid ‘Extreme Attrition’ — UK Intel
» Soros: Russian Defeat ‘Inevitable’, Climate Change ‘Biggest Problem’ Facing World
» U.N. Accuses Both Russia and Ukraine of Potential War Crimes, Summary Execution, Torture of Prisoners of War
» Ukraine War Throws Wrench in Massive Russian Arms Deal After They Miss Delivery, India Says
» Watch: Ukrainians Release Vid of ‘Street Fight’ With Wagner in Bakhmut
» Will This Mysterious Object Reveal Who Blew Up Nord Stream Pipeline? Denmark Reveals 16-Inch Cylindrical Item Found on Seabed Which Could Provide Vital Clue
» World Bank Says Ukraine’s Reconstruction Will Cost $411 Billion & Rising
» WWIII Watch: Vladimir Putin Announces Russia Will Station Tactical Nukes in Belarus
 
Australia — Pacific
» Horror Night in Alice Springs as Cars Are Set Alight and Local Businesses Looted as Desperate Locals Issue an Emotional Plea to Anthony Albanese: ‘The Whole Place is a Crime Scene’
» Telling Map Shows How the Labor Party Now Runs the Entire Australian Mainland — as the Three Key Reasons Why NSW Voters Abandoned Dominic Perrottet Are Revealed
» Tense Moment Mark Latham Gets Into a Heated Exchange With Teal Independent ‘Puppet Master’ On Election Night
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Top General Admits Pentagon is Training Coup Leaders in Africa
 
Immigration
» Europe’s New Migrant Crisis: How Turmoil in Tunisia Could Lead to ‘1,000 Extra People a Day’ Landing in Italy This Summer… With Many Heading on to UK
» Exclusive — Asylum Seekers Say They Are Bored, The Food is Bad and it is ‘Like Living in Jail’ In Three and Four-Star Hotels Where Taxpayers Are Footing Their Bill — as Number of Hotels Filled With Migrants Nears 400 Across Britain
» UK: People Smuggling Gangs Are Now Using Boats That Can Carry Up to 100 Migrants on Brutal Channel Crossings, Sparking Mass Drowning Fears
 
Culture Wars
» Authoritarian States ‘Want to Control People’ By Censoring Internet: ICANN
» Minnesota Advances ‘Trans Refuge’ Bill Opponents Say Would Strip Custody From Non-Consenting Parents
» Named & Shamed: 51 Big Companies That Hate Conservatives
» National Geographic: TikTok is ‘Fueling Interest’ in Pagan Religions
» Nolte: Woke Disney Finally Shamed Into Raising Park Workers’ Wages
» Walt Disney World to Host World’s Largest LGBTQ+ Conference Amid Criticism From DeSantis
 

Deposits Shrink Significantly in Smaller Banks After the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

Bank deposits in smaller, local banks have dropped significantly after the Silicon Valley Bank collapse that happened earlier in March, according to Reuters.

Silicon Valley Bank collapsed after it couldn’t meet a massive run by depositors who took out tens of billions of dollars in just a matter of hours.

Part of the reason for the significant drop in deposits is the uncertainty over how many and which banks the FDIC will provide unlimited insurance for their depositors, even those in excess of the legal standard of $250,000 that is guaranteed for all depositors in U.S. regulated banks.

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

Deutsche Bank Shares Fall 13% as Fears of Contagion Rise

Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank shares nosedived more than 13 percent on the lender’s spiking cost of default cover, or credit default swaps, while peer Commerzbank tumbled by 10 percent. In Paris, Societe Generale shed nearly eight percent and BNP Paribas lost around seven percent in value. And in London, Barclays, NatWest, and Standard Chartered tumbled about six percent.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Most Americans Don’t Believe Their Children Will be Better Off: Poll

Over three-quarters of Americans expressed pessimism that the lives of their children and others in that generation will be better than theirs, a Wall Street Journal-NORC poll showed.

The poll found 78% of U.S. adults indicated they “do not feel confident” when asked whether they think the lives of the generation their children belong to will “be better than it has been.” Less than a quarter — 21% — voiced confidence.

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

UK Inflation Spikes to Over 10 Per Cent Amid Rising Food Prices

UK inflation rose again in February to over 10 per cent amid rising food prices, the country’s office for national statistics has confirmed.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Arizona Family Dollar Employee Charged With Murder After Firing 10 Shots at Shoplifter Who Punched Him

An employee of an Arizona Family Dollar store has been charged with murder after police say he shot a shoplifter that punched him in the face ten times.

Kevin Salas Madrid, 24, confronted the serial shoplifter and told him to leave the store at which point the shoplifter punched him in the face which knocked off Madrid’s eyeglasses, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.

Madrid then allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the shoplifter at least ten times, including several times when the shoplifter was on the ground.

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

Baylor University’s 72-Hour Christian Revival Leads to 20+ Baptisms

Baylor University has picked up the torch of Christian revival from Asbury University, hosting 72 hours of continuous prayer and worship this week which led to the baptisms of 20 people.

On the university’s website, Kate Nelson quotes Charles Ramsey explaining the purpose of the meeting, called FM72:

“The purpose of FM72 is to stir a passion for Jesus Christ in the Baylor community,” said Charles Ramsey, director of Baptist Student Ministries at Baylor. “It is a time to take inventory of one’s own journey, to linger in prayer, and to recalibrate towards what is most important: our shared faith in Jesus Christ.”

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

Breaking: House GOP Reject Alvin Bragg’s Attempt to Dodge Inquiry Into Political Prosecution of Donald Trump

On Saturday, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan, James Comer of the Oversight and Accountability Committee and Bryan Steil, chairman of the Committee on House Administration, slapped back at Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, saying that his response to their investigation into his politically motivated efforts to indict former President Donald Trump was simply not good enough.

In a letter obtained by The Post Millennial, the congressmen said that Bragg has not disputed their central allegations that “under political pressure from left-wing activists and former prosecutors” Bragg has been “reportedly planning to use an alleged federal campaign finance violation, previously declined by federal prosecutors, as a vehicle to extend the statute of limitations on an otherwise misdemeanor offense and indict for the first time in history a former President of the United States.”

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

Buying a House for the End of the World? These Are the ‘Best’ Locations in America to Invest in a Property Which Could Survive a Nuclear Apocalypse

Real estate experts have revealed the safest places in the US to buy a property to survive a nuclear war — as Russia continues to make nuke threats after waging its war in Ukraine.

A report by top U.S. spy officials this month concluded that Russia’s losses of ground forces have ‘increased its reliance on nuclear weapons’ and, in recent months, Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric has brought home the reality of how many strategic nuclear weapons remain, targeted at American cities.

Russia is believed to have 5,977 nuclear warheads, including 1,185 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 800 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and 580 air-launched from nuclear bombers, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

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

‘Dear Jesus, Please Help Them’: Dramatic Moment Mississippi Meteorologist Calls on God as He Watches Major Tornado Head Straight for the Town of Amory

This is the dramatic moment a Mississippi meteorologist began to pray as he watched a mile-wide tornado crash into a small town.

WTVA’s Matt Laubhan, of Tupelo, grew emotional as he was reporting on the tornado that was heading straight toward Amory — 100 miles West of Birmingham — shortly before 11pm on Friday.

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

Electric Vehicles Bleeding Red Ink: Ford is Losing Billions on EVs

Ford Motor Company says its electric vehicle (EV) unit, “Ford Model e,” is losing billions of dollars, and should be viewed as a startup company.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Elon Musk Tells Employees to Get Back in Office With 2:30 Am Memo

Twitter CEO Elon Musk reportedly sent a notice to staff early Wednesday morning to remind them that working from home is not acceptable.

According to Platformer managing editor Zoë Schiffer, Musk emailed employees at 2:30 in the morning, writing that “office is not optional.” In the email, he complained that half of the San Francisco headquarters was empty the day before.

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

Energy Secretary Attempts to Justify Regulating Gas Appliances, Despite Owning a Gas Stove

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm admitted to owning a gas stove shortly after the Energy Department released a memo in which it admitted to seeking to regulate gas appliances.

“This does not impact the majority, and it certainly does not say that anybody who has a gas stove would have their gas stove taken away,” Granholm told members of the House Appropriations Committee. “There’s no ban on gas stoves. I have a gas stove. It is just about making the existing electric and gas stoves, and all the other appliances, more efficient.”

A recent Energy Department study showed that 96% of gas stoves failed to meet the updated efficiency standards that the department proposed.

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

Ex-Con Fatally Stabbed Man in Heart While Driving During Argument Over Which Direction They Were Headed: Police

An ex-con was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder for stabbing a man in the heart during an argument over which direction they were driving while traveling on a highway in Illinois.

[…]

Dunning was driving Martin’s van late that night when the two got into an argument about the direction Dunning was going, authorities said.

Martin, in the front passenger seat, tried to remove the keys from the ignition when Dunning grabbed a knife and plunged the blade between Martin’s ribs and into his heart, prosecutors said.

Dunning parked in a driveway and called 911.

A sheriff’s captain arrived within moments, but it was too late. The damage was fatal. Martin died before paramedics arrived.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

Gaslighting: ‘Crazy Conspiracy Theories’ Proven to be True This Year

The Left frequently uses the term “conspiracy theorist” to smear and belittle anyone who questions the agenda of the Democrats or the narratives being pushed by the allies in the corporate media.

Over time, it’s become clear to many that a so-called “conspiracy theory” is simply information that conflicts with or disputes the Left’s agenda.

However, several “conspiracy theories” have been proven to be actual facts in 2023 already.

Here is a selection of stories that have now been proven to be true but were previously suppressed by the media and written off as “conspiracy theories.”

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

Gen. Mark Milley Calls Ukraine ‘An Important National Interest’

Milley called Ukraine “an important national interest,” contradicting the views of the top 2024 Republican presidential contenders.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Handyman Turns the Tables on Squatters Who Took Over His Mother’s House

A handyman turned the tables on suspected squatters who took over his mother’s Northern California home.

“If they could take a house, then I could take a house,” Flash Shelton of the United Handyman Association said in a YouTube video. “They’re the squatter, and they have rights. Well, then, if I become the squatter on the squatter, then I should have rights, right?”

Shelton’s video detailing his quest to reclaim the California home has garnered more than two million views on YouTube.

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

Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Michigan Rental Property Owner

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit under the Fair Housing Act against the owner and manager of rental properties in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that Mohamad Hussein, who owns or manages over two dozen rental properties in Dearborn Heights, has subjected actual and prospective female tenants to sexual harassment on multiple occasions since at least 2017. The complaint alleges that Hussein made unwelcome sexual comments and advances, and offered actual and prospective female tenants housing-related benefits in exchange for engaging in sex acts with him or sending him sexually explicit images. According to the complaint, many of these instances took place in the spring of 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was difficult to secure housing in Michigan. The complaint also alleges that Hussein sent sexually explicit images of himself to prospective female tenants.

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

‘No, of Course Not’: Moment Jeffrey Epstein’s Lawyer Alan Dershowitz Says Billionaire Pedophile Didn’t Kill Himself — Before Correcting Himself to Claim He Did it ‘With the Help of Guards’

Alan Dershowitz, the former attorney for Jeffrey Epstein, has said in an interview the pedophile took his own life but did so with some help from the guards in his prison.

Dershowitz, a lawyer, Harvard Law School Professor and author, appearing in an interview with Kim Iversen on Rumble, was asked point blank whether or not Epstein took his own life.

Just a week after Epstein’s death, Dershowitz confirmed that he believed the criminal killed himself. When Iversen asked him Friday, he initially said ‘no, of course not.’

He then clarified that Epstein may have conspired with his guards at the Manhattan Detention Center: ‘He didn’t kill himself without the help of some people. He did kill himself, but he killed himself with the help of guards.’

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

‘Professional Squatter’ Racks Up $1,300 Water Bill as Chicago Woman Fights to Kick Him Off Property

A Chicago woman’s property is being overtaken by squatters, she says she is not able to kick out.

Darthula Young received an alarming phone call from a neighbor that there was a shooting outside her home and when she rushed to the scene, she found her locks had been changed and a bullet had pierced the window.

The residence that she inherited from her late mother was being occupied by a well-known local ex-convict, Takito Murray, and there was nothing Young could do about it. Under Chicago eviction laws, it could take eight months to kick squatters out.

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

Shocking Video Shows Chocolate Factory Explosion in Pennsylvania

Update:

An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania on Friday resulted in the tragic loss of five lives, with six individuals still unaccounted for.

* * *

On Friday evening, a devastating explosion rocked a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania, tragically leaving two people dead, nine unaccounted for, and eight others injured.

West Reading Borough Police Department Chief Wayne Holben confirmed to Fox News the blast occurred at the R.M. Palmer Co. chocolate factory in West Reading, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, around 1700 ET.

Shocking footage of the explosion emerged on social media.

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

Stanford Law School Suspends Diversity Dean After She Doubles-Down on Duncan Debacle

Tirien Steinbach, the diversity administrator at Stanford Law School who stoked a disruptive protest of Fifth Circuit appellate judge Kyle Duncan, is “currently on leave,” according to a memo on the protest reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.

Jenny Martinez, the law school’s dean, said in a Wednesday morning memo to all law students that administrators “should not insert themselves into debate with their own criticism of the speaker’s views.” At future talks, the role of administrators will be to “ensure that university rules on disruption of events will be followed,” Martinez said.

Martinez gave no additional details on the terms of Steinbach’s leave, stating that the “university does not comment publicly on pending personnel matters.” She also ruled out disciplining any of the students who shouted down Duncan — in part, she said, because administrators sent “conflicting signals about whether what was happening was acceptable or not.”

Instead, the law school will require all students to attend a training on “freedom of speech and the norms of the legal profession,” which will discuss, among other things, how “vulgar personal insults” can harm students’ “professional reputations.”

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

‘They Have Nothing!’ Trump Slams Manhattan DA’s Stormy Daniels Hush Money Probe at Waco 2024 Mega-Rally and Tells Cheering Crowd: ‘I Never Liked Horse Face.’

Former President Donald Trump insists Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has ‘nothing’ on him, slammed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and insulted Stormy Daniels during the first mega-rally of his 2024 campaign.

Trump chose Waco, Texas — and flew in on ‘Trump Force One,’ which circled the thousands of MAGA faithful awaiting his arrival on the tarmac. He came onstage to his trademark ‘God Bless the U.S.A.,’ but played the January 6 prison choir ‘Justice For All,’ directly after.

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

UCF Professor Files Lawsuit Against Florida University; Defends His Controversial Tweets

ORLANDO, Fla. — A professor at the University of Central Florida who sent controversial tweets on race and ethnicity in 2020, has filed a lawsuit against UCF.

Dr. Charles Negy was fired by the University in 2021. UCF said he was fired after an investigation found repeated misconduct in his classroom, including imposing his views and about religion, sex and race on students. Negy was later reinstated.

He told FOX 35 in an interview on Tuesday that he filed the lawsuit not only to clear his name, but also to bring accountability to UCF leaders. He teaches a course on cross-cultural psychology, which combines psychology, sociology, and race/ethnicity studies, and asks students to critically examine issues within all races, cultures, and ethnic groups.

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

Utah State Wide Receiver Suffers Sudden Cardiac Arrest on Field, In ‘Fair’ Condition

Utah State football player Josh Davis is currently in the hospital recovering after what has been reported as a “non-traumatic sudden cardiac arrest” during a spring practice session on Thursday.

Fox News reported that Davis, a redshirt freshman from California, collapsed on the football field and was immediately taken to Logan Regional Hospital before being relocated to McKay-Dee Hospital.

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

Waco Goes Wacko for Trump! Hundreds of MAGA Fans Get in Line Hours Before Controversial Rally in Texas Town During 30th Anniversary of Deadly Siege

Hours before Donald Trump is set to speak in Waco, Texas, his diehard fans have been lining up to see their favorite presidential candidate.

The former president, 76, is to hold a rally in Waco this afternoon, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the FBI raid on Branch Davidians formerly led by David Koresh.

As Trump fans do best, hundreds came dressed in the Republican’s merchandise, from ‘Trump Girl’ shirts to Make America Great Again hats, as they lined up in droves as early as 7am.

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

WSJ Poll: 78% Doubt Their Children Will be Better Off in Joe Biden’s America

Seventy-eight percent of Americans doubt their children will be better off in President Joe Biden’s America.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Artificial Intelligence ‘Godfather’ on AI Possibly Wiping Out Humanity: ‘It’s Not Inconceivable’

Geoffrey Hinton, a computer scientist who has been called “the godfather of artificial intelligence”, says it is “not inconceivable” that AI may develop to the point where it poses a threat to humanity.

The computer scientist sat down with CBS News this week about his predictions for the advancement of AI. He compared the invention of AI to electricity or the wheel.

Hinton, who works at Google and the University of Toronto, said that the development of general purpose AI is progressing sooner than people may imagine. General purpose AI is artificial intelligence with several intended and unintended purposes, including speech recognition, answering questions and translation.

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

Facebook to Block Access to News if ‘Online News Act’ is Adopted

Facebook’s parent company Meta says it will block access to news content on its platforms if a recently proposed legislation passes in its current form.

Canada’s “Online News Act,” or House of Commons bill C-18, was introduced in April last year.

The bill lays out rules to force platforms like Meta and Alphabet Inc’s Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.

However, Meta has responded by threatening to stop Canadians from accessing news content on Facebook and Instagram if the legislation passes as it is.

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

Many Canadians Say Its OK to Lie in Relationships

Nearly half of Canadians say it’s OK to lie to protect a relationship, according to a new survey.

Research Co. surveyed 1000 Canadians, finding that 45% said it’s OK to protect a relationship with lies, such as by withholding information that may cause anger or anxiety.

“Practically half of men (49%) see no problem with fibbing in order to protect a relationship, compared to 40% among women,” the report said.

Not only do many Canadians believe it’s sometimes OK to lie, many wish they’d been lied to at certain times throughout their lives.

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

‘Escalation’ — NATO Hungary Warns UK Against Sending Depleted Uranium Ammunition to Ukraine

NATO member Hungary has said it does not support Britain sending depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine, warning it could cause unwanted “escalation”.

The British government under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was the first in the West to pledge Western tanks — namely the Challenger 2 — to Ukraine, but the depleted uranium rounds it comes with have provoked a sharp response from the Kremlin.

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

Finland Defence Minister Rejects Ukraine Request for Fighter Jets

Finland’s Defence Minister has indicated that Ukraine has approached Finland for fighter jets in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary: Here Are the New Rules for Foods Containing Insect Proteins

[Machine translation]

Stricter rules have been introduced, requiring foods containing insect proteins to carry the label “Warning! Food containing insect proteins” and must be displayed separately from other products, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy announced on his social media site.

The minister stressed that the government wants to protect Hungarian consumers from foods containing insect protein authorised by Brussels in the EU, through strict product labelling and segregation rules.

Hungary was the only member state not to support the EU’s intention to allow insects to be marketed as food and food ingredients in the EU.

The European Commission is putting our gastronomic traditions and eating habits at risk, he added. That is why the Ministry of Ariculture has amended the food-labelling regulation to provide accurate information to consumers.

Products containing insect proteins will be clearly distinguishable and segregated on store shelves. Non-compliant packaging and labels may continue to be used for three months and products with such packaging or labels may remain on the market for a maximum of three months. István Nagy also pointed out that no fines will be imposed for non-compliance with the amended Regulation for a period of 90 days.

He pointed out that representative surveys by the National Food Chain Safety Office clearly show that since 2016, the proportion of people in Hungary who will not eat insects has increased by 2.4 percent.

Those who prefer buying food of Hungarian origin do not want to eat insects. In addition, Hungarian farmers always provide the Hungarian population with high-quality foodstuff, fresh and good quality food, so there is no need to fear either food shortages or protein shortages, he underlined.

He also said that the regulation does not affect insect-derived additives which have been widely used by the food industry, but applies to insects as ingredients.

           — Hat tip: László [Return to headlines]
 

Leader of NATO Bulgaria Says No Warplanes, Tanks for Ukraine

The leader of Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member-state, says his country will not send its Soviet-era warplanes, missiles, and tanks to Ukraine.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Motorist Deliberately Drives a Van Into Several Pedestrians at German Airport, Causing Multiple Injuries

The man also drove into several cars, German news agency dpa reported. Police said there were indications that the man had mental health issues.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Netherlands: Civil Servants in Eindhoven Are No Longer Allowed to Use TikTok at Work

The municipality of Eindhoven is taking drastic steps to ensure data privacy in the workplace. Therefore, civil servants of the municipality of Eindhoven are no longer allowed to use the popular social media platform TikTok at work, according to Eindhovens Dagblad.

Since the end of November 2022, civil servants no longer have access to the Chinese video app at their workplaces, nor can they install it on their work phones.

In general, access to TikTok will no longer only be impossible on work phones, but will be made inaccessible for all devices used at the workplace in the future, according to the Eindhoven municipality spokesperson. Access to the TikTok website has also been blocked.

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

Netherlands: Scientist Rebellion Blocked Private Jet Area; 80 XR Climate Activists Arrested

About 20 scientists and academics from the climate group Scientist Rebellion (SR) temporarily blocked the entrance to Eindhoven Airport’s private jet terminal with bicycles on Saturday. The activists called on the airport to ban private jets and stop short flights.

“By actively accommodating private flights, Eindhoven Airport is contributing to increasing climate injustice,” said SR spokesman Harald Buijtendijk. “A private jet emits ten times more greenhouse gases than a normal commercial aircraft. Eindhoven Airport should therefore no longer allow private flights from now on.”

The group of scientists, along with several hundred climate activists from Extinction Rebellion, stood at a fence on the Luchthavenweg on Saturday afternoon to support the activists who had arrived at the airport site. XR had managed to cut down a fence and get through it to the area where the private jets are parked. Police stand between the two groups with dogs and horses.

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

Netherlands: Extinction Rebellion Protesters Enter Grounds of Eindhoven Airport, Blocking Private Jet Area

Several hundred climate activists from Extinction Rebellion entered the grounds of Eindhoven Airport on Saturday, where planes take off and land. The climate action group Extinction Rebellion (XR) says it has no intention of entering the runway of Eindhoven Airport. According to an XR spokesperson, the group is in the area where private jets are parked.

The activists cut a hole in a fence and climbed through it. The climate activist group was stopped by the Marechaussee and the police, reported an ANP reporter on the spot. The group was instructed by the XR organization to sit down and settle in.

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

Netherlands: Big Brother: Local Govt to Deploy Drones to Monitor Property Zoning Compliance

Drones will be deployed in a Dutch municipality to monitor whether people’s homes meet zoning regulations, monitor construction sites, and protected wildlife areas.

The Dutch municipality of Deventer has been accused of wanting to usher in an Orwellian society after it revealed plans to use drones to monitor compliance with local laws such as zoning regulations or even wildlife protection.

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

Populism Rising: Dutch Pro-Farmer Party Won Big Despite Being Outspent by Ten Other Parties

The Dutch insurgent populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) party dominated last week’s provincial elections to such a degree that it became the largest party in the country despite being outspent in media advertising by ten other parties.

According to research conducted by Nielsen, parties in the globalist coalition government were among the largest spenders on legacy media and social media advertising prior to last week’s provincial elections, with the coalition partners Democrats 66 (D66), the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the Christian Democratic Appeal (Appeal) leading the way by far in terms of money spent, the Volkskrant newspaper reports.

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Swedish Female Lawyer Disbarred for Romantic Relationship With Gang Leader

The Swedish Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the disbarring of a female lawyer who maintained a romantic relationship with a known gang leader she represented as a public defender.

The female lawyer, who is married, was initially disbarred by the Swedish Bar Association after being reported by the chief prosecutor in Gävle for being romantically involved with the gang leader.

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UK: 99 Doctors Demand Truth on Vaccine Heart Injury ‘Cover-Up’

A group of 99 doctors has joined forces to raise the alarm over the soaring number of heart injuries in the last couple of years.

In a letter from Doctors for Patients U.K., Health Advisory and Recovery Team (HART), and the U.K. Medical Freedom Alliance, experts and medical professionals are calling on governments around the world to release the real data related to the risk of heart injuries related to mRNA vaccines.

The letter, co-signed by 99 doctors, accuses world leaders and government health agencies of a “cover-up” regarding the dangers associated to the shots.

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UK: Just Stop Oil Arrests After Orange Paint Daubed on Barclays in Leeds

TWO people have been arrested after a branch of a bank was daubed in orange paint.

Supporters of Just Stop Oil staged a ‘go slow’ march in Leeds today and then travelled into the city centre.

A total of 30 Just Stop Oil supporters marched down Clay Pit Lane, holding banners and chanting “Just Stop Oil”.

Two Just Stop Oil supporters were arrested when, at the end of the march, they covered Barclays Bank in Albion Street in orange paint.

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UK: Local Govt Promises to Stop Placing Kids in Care of Paedophiles After Girl Abused by Convicted Molester

A left-run city council in Britain has vowed that it will never put a child in the care of a paedophile again after authorities were exposed for doing just that, leading to a young girl being sexually abused for years and ultimately impregnated.

Labour Party-controlled Leeds City Council has been forced to pledge that it will increase safeguards to prevent a repeat of the case of “Ruby”, a vulnerable local girl who was put into the care of a known paedophile by a family court on the advice of the local authority.

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UK: Meth-Smoking Satanist Vicar Convicted of Paedophilia, Zoophilia

An Anglican vicar who smoked crystal meth, boasted of corrupting young boys, abused animals, and discussed sacrificing babies to Satan with online paedophiles has been convicted in England.

Reverend David Renshaw, 63, was convicted of “three counts of possessing indecent images of children; three counts of making indecent images of children; possessing prohibited images of children; and possessing extreme pornographic images portraying acts of intercourse with animals, namely dogs and horses,” according to a Sussex Police statement.

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UK: Man Bludgeoned to Death With Horseshoe After Argument Over Boombox Music

A 24-year-old man was bludgeoned to death with a horseshoe after arguing with a group of people playing a boombox on an Elizabeth Line train from London.

Thomas Parker, his brother 27-year-old Craig Parker, and two friends got into an argument with 42-year-old Kirkpatrick Virgo and two others while taking the train from London, where they had been watching a football match, back home to Reading.

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Vatican Tells Muslims: Ramadan is Important for Christians, Too

The month of Ramadan is important not only for Muslims, but also for believers of other religions, “in particular Christians,” the Vatican asserted this week.

In a message of good wishes to Muslims around the world, the Vatican’s department of Interreligious Dialogue said that during the month of Ramadan, existing friendships are reinforced and others are built, “paving the way for more peaceful, harmonious and joyful coexistence.”

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Russian Bakhmut Offensive ‘Largely Stalled’ Amid ‘Extreme Attrition’ — UK Intel

Russia’s strenuous efforts to capture Bakhmut, in the Donetsk Oblast, has “largely stalled”, according to British intelligence, which cited the “extreme attrition” of the Kremlin’s forces in the fight for the shattered city.

“Russia’s assault on the Donbas town of Bakhmut has largely stalled,” asserted Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) in its Saturday update on the course of the war in Ukraine, adding that this was “likely primarily a result of extreme attrition of the Russian force.”

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Soros: Russian Defeat ‘Inevitable’, Climate Change ‘Biggest Problem’ Facing World

Billionaire plutocrat George Soros has declared that Russia’s defeat in Ukraine is “inevitable” and the world must prepare to move on to its “biggest problem” — climate change.

Taking to the pages of the Irish Examiner, the convicted insider trader penned an article titled ‘Russian defeat is inevitable, and will allow world to focus on our real problem — Climate change’.

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U.N. Accuses Both Russia and Ukraine of Potential War Crimes, Summary Execution, Torture of Prisoners of War

The Russian and Ukrainian armed forces have been accused of torturing and executing prisoners of war over the past year by the United Nations, which said that such actions could amount to war crimes.

A report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) claimed that both Russia and Ukraine have engaged in the summary execution of prisoners of war, which contravenes numerous international human rights laws and treaties on war.

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Ukraine War Throws Wrench in Massive Russian Arms Deal After They Miss Delivery, India Says

US Treasury says sanctions have crippled Russia’s production capabilities

Russia is unable to meet its commitments to deliver vital defense supplies to India, with Indian Air Force claiming that the war in Ukraine has depleted Moscow’s military supplies.

An IAF statement, which was presented before a parliamentary committee and posted on its website earlier this week, said that a planned “major delivery” of Russian equipment would not take place.

Officials blamed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine for the shortage — an excuse they used to scrap a planned procurement of Russian helicopters last year, instead turning to local production to try and fill the gap.

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Watch: Ukrainians Release Vid of ‘Street Fight’ With Wagner in Bakhmut

Ukrainian forces have released what they claim is video footage of a “street fight” with Wagner Group mercenaries in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Will This Mysterious Object Reveal Who Blew Up Nord Stream Pipeline? Denmark Reveals 16-Inch Cylindrical Item Found on Seabed Which Could Provide Vital Clue

Vladimir Putin, who revealed the discovery of the object earlier this month, said experts believe that it could be a signal antenna to activate an explosive in that part of the pipeline.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

World Bank Says Ukraine’s Reconstruction Will Cost $411 Billion & Rising

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com

The World Bank said in a new report that Ukraine’s reconstruction will cost at least $411 billion over the next ten years, a number that will rise as the war drags on.

The report said the $411 billion figure should be seen as a “minimum as needs will continue to rise as long as the war continues.”

World Bank Vice President Anna Bjerde previously estimated the reconstruction would cost between $525 billion-$630 billion, but the report issued Wednesday was more precise and was produced jointly with the US and Ukrainian governments.

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WWIII Watch: Vladimir Putin Announces Russia Will Station Tactical Nukes in Belarus

(AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbour and ally Belarus.

Putin has repeatedly issued thinly veiled threats he could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, reviving Cold War-era fears.

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Horror Night in Alice Springs as Cars Are Set Alight and Local Businesses Looted as Desperate Locals Issue an Emotional Plea to Anthony Albanese: ‘The Whole Place is a Crime Scene’

Shocking footage posted online shows a car burning brightly with flames soaring into the night sky in Alice Springs, while other footage shows police cars chasing after allegedly stolen vehicles.

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Telling Map Shows How the Labor Party Now Runs the Entire Australian Mainland — as the Three Key Reasons Why NSW Voters Abandoned Dominic Perrottet Are Revealed

The entire Australian mainland at state and federal level is now all governed by the Labor Party after Chris Minns stormed to victory in the NSW election.

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Tense Moment Mark Latham Gets Into a Heated Exchange With Teal Independent ‘Puppet Master’ On Election Night

During the heated stand-off Mr Latham called the Australian businessman ‘a complete and utter fraud’.

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Top General Admits Pentagon is Training Coup Leaders in Africa

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com

Gen. Michael Langley, the head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), was grilled by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Thursday about African soldiers who received US military training and went on to carry out coups.

Langley insisted only a “very small number” of Africans who receive US training later go on to be involved in coups against civilian governments and said the programs focus on “core values.”

When asked by Gaetz if the US shares “core values” with Guinea coup leader Col. Mamady Doumbouy, Langley replied, “Absolutely … In our curriculum, we do.” Doumboy and his forces carried out a coup in 2021 while US Green Berets were in the country training them, and he still leads Guinea to this day.

Gaetz also referenced a January 2022 coup in Burkina Faso, which was led by Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damib, who had a long history of participating in US training exercises. Later that year, in September 2022, Damib was ousted in another coup led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore. When asked by journalist Nick Turse if Traore also received US training, the Pentagon said it didn’t know.

Writing for Responsible Statecraft, Turse said since 2008, US-trained soldiers in Africa have “attempted at least nine coups (and succeeded in at least eight) across five West African countries, including Burkina Faso (three times), Guinea, Mali (three times), Mauritania, and the Gambia.”

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Europe’s New Migrant Crisis: How Turmoil in Tunisia Could Lead to ‘1,000 Extra People a Day’ Landing in Italy This Summer… With Many Heading on to UK

Violent scenes have broken out at migrant processing centres in Italy following an influx of refugees from Africa — sparking fears similar scenes could reach the UK.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has said her country faces ‘an invasion’ of migrants this summer as she called for help from other EU countries in tackling the issue.

Her comments were echoed by foreign minister Antonio Tajani, who warned ‘a thousand people a day will start arriving’ as he also raised the alarm over increasing numbers of migrants making illegal crossing from Tunisia and Libya.

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Exclusive — Asylum Seekers Say They Are Bored, The Food is Bad and it is ‘Like Living in Jail’ In Three and Four-Star Hotels Where Taxpayers Are Footing Their Bill — as Number of Hotels Filled With Migrants Nears 400 Across Britain

The number of hotels being used to house asylum seekers in the UK is about to reach 400 as migrants continue to cross the Channel in small boats, MailOnline can reveal.

The milestone figure for Home Office contractors taking over hotels is likely to be reached imminently as efforts to convert redundant military bases into alternative accommodation centres.

Currently 395 hotels in the UK are understood to be being used to accommodate more than 51,000 people at a reported cost of £6.8million a day — but the number is constantly increasing as the Government battles to start moving some asylum seekers to Rwanda while their applications to stay in the UK are processed.

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UK: People Smuggling Gangs Are Now Using Boats That Can Carry Up to 100 Migrants on Brutal Channel Crossings, Sparking Mass Drowning Fears

Callous people smugglers have started using longer, wider boats that can carry 100 migrants — prompting fears of mass drownings in the English Channel if the huge dinghies capsize.

The news comes as up to 80,000 migrants are expected to arrive in Britain by boat during 2023.

At least 45,755 landed here last year — a 62 per cent increase on the 2021 total of 28,426.

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Authoritarian States ‘Want to Control People’ By Censoring Internet: ICANN

Authoritarian governments across the world are looking to censor the Internet in order to “control people”, a senior official from ICANN has said.

David Huberman, a senior official within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has accused authoritarian governments across the globe of looking to fracture the Internet in the hopes of controlling people.

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Minnesota Advances ‘Trans Refuge’ Bill Opponents Say Would Strip Custody From Non-Consenting Parents

Minnesota lawmakers on Thursday advanced legislation that would establish the state as a “trans refuge” for children who are seeking transgender medical procedures but who may be denied “gender-affirming care” in other states.

In a party-line 68-62 vote, the Minnesota House passed HF 146, which had been introduced by Rep. Leigh Finke of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Finke is the state’s first transgender lawmaker.

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Named & Shamed: 51 Big Companies That Hate Conservatives

In recent years, corporate America has become increasingly “woke.”

It’s no secret that hundreds of large U.S. corporations have adopted woke policies.

These policies involve regularly injecting left-wing ideals into their products, services, and employment practices.

But some of these businesses have recently gone much further than merely promoting social justice causes, however.

This radical agenda had led to companies choosing to target conservative customers and employees.

Americans have been coerced or forced into abandoning their deeply held beliefs in order to receive important goods or services or even hold onto their jobs.

Although many conservatives have heard stories about corporate discrimination in recent years, they have often struggled to keep track of which businesses have been part of this movement.

Of course, large numbers of corporations have also largely stayed on the sidelines.

A new project launched by the nonprofit organization 1792 Exchange aims to shed light on this important problem.

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National Geographic: TikTok is ‘Fueling Interest’ in Pagan Religions

National Geographic reveals in its most recent issue that the Chinese-owned TikTok video-sharing app is on the front lines promoting pagan religions such as Wicca and druidism.

“Paganism is on the rise,” National Geographic notes approvingly, and TikTok “is fueling interest in this spiritual movement.”

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Nolte: Woke Disney Finally Shamed Into Raising Park Workers’ Wages

The shameless child groomers at Disney have finally been shamed into paying theme park employees a living wage.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Walt Disney World to Host World’s Largest LGBTQ+ Conference Amid Criticism From DeSantis

Walt Disney World will host the world’s “largest LGBTQ+” conference in September and again in 2024, a decision which was made in 2019, amid criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has taken aim at the company in recent months for its political standing.

Disney will host the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit, which is described as the “largest LGBTQ+ conference in the world” with more than 5,000 attendees, including executives and HR and DEI professionals and experts from the world’s largest companies, who are “all working for LGBTQ+ equality,” according to the organization’s website.

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5 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/25/2023

      • I wouldn’t go so far as to call them muslim terrorists. Undoubtedly quite a few of them are African orcs who wouldn’t know the Prophet from a pedophile.

        What they all have in common is that they are parasites more akin to a yersinia pestis infected flea killing its host than a terrorist, who does what it does for ideological reasons.

    • For the love of Pete K ! These 3 rd world sub human orcs are invaders. start bloody well calling them what they are, invaders!

  1. That Walt Disney World conference sounds like the perfect location for a meteorite strike.

    Get rid of Demon Mouse along with the most obnoxious HR nazis from across the land and untold scores of perverts of every flavor (which begs the question why would they be hosting a conference for perverts and kiddie diddlers at a location known to be full of kids) all in one fell swoop. What’s not to like?

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