500 migrants were “rescued” from a sinking fishing vessel off the coast of Sicily. Meanwhile, the migrant-ferry vessel Ocean Viking offloaded 29 migrants in Bari, the capital of Apulia.
In other news, three French protesters may do prison time for giving the finger to President Emmanuel “Toy Boy” Macron.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, LP, 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.
Bed Bath & Beyond Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy After Last-Ditch Efforts Fail
Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Saturday, after last-minute attempts to keep the company afloat failed.
The company has warned since January that it may have to file for bankruptcy due to its shockingly poor sales during the 2022 holiday season. The home goods retail store’s last-ditch efforts to raise cash to cover costs failed this weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New figures for inflation — the key reason there is pressure on interest rates — will be released on Wednesday and the RBA board will meet the following Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Probability of US Recession Remains Elevated
The most recent recession probability estimates, based on our probability model, remain near 99 percent pointing to the likelihood of a recession in the US within the next 12 months. This is consistent with our view that economic weakness will intensify and spread more widely throughout the US economy over the coming months, leading to a recession starting in mid-2023. While US GDP growth defied expectations in late 2022 and early 2023 data has shown unexpected strength, we continue to forecast that GDP growth to contract for three consecutive quarters starting in Q2 2023. Despite better-than-expected consumer spending recently, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes and tightening monetary policy will lead to a recession in 2023.
[Comment: Article dated April 12, 2023.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Corporate Bankruptcy Filings Hit 12-Year High in First 2 Months of 2023
U.S. corporate bankruptcies are rising in 2023, with the first two months of the year registering the highest total for any comparable period since 2011, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
Companies filed 57 bankruptcy petitions in February, while 54 were filed in January. February’s total was the most in a single month since March 2021.
The high monthly bankruptcy counts in 2023 follow a historically slow year in 2022. Many bankers and analysts expect a downturn in the economy in 2023 that may prompt additional bankruptcy filings. S&P Global Ratings, meanwhile, expects an uptick in defaults for the lowest-rated corporate borrowers in 2023 due to added stress from contracting corporate earnings, higher unemployment and tighter monetary policy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
9 Teenagers Injured in a Texas Prom After-Party Shooting
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Nine teenagers were found shot in an east Texas residence early Sunday at a prom after-party attended by hundreds, local officials said a statement.
Just after midnight, deputies responded to shots fired at a private residence in Jasper County where the party was held and found nine victims with gunshot wounds, according to a statement by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. According to Jasper County officials, the injuries are expected to be non-life threatening.
About 250 people are estimated to have been present at the time of the shooting, according to a statement from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Eight victims were taken in personal vehicles to Jasper Memorial Hospital in Jasper, Texas, and “at least one” of those were transferred to Christus Southeast Texas-St. Elizabeth Hospital in nearby Beaumont, Texas for further treatment, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karli Cherry said. One person did not go to the hospital, she said.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Administration Invests $1.9M in “Disinformation” Education: Documents Reveal Details
The Biden administration is set to spend almost two million of taxpayer dollars on a media education program to train educators, media professionals, librarians, government employees, and information specialists in foreign countries on how to combat “disinformation,” according to grant documents seen by the Washington Examiner.
The $1.9 million grant is part of the American Spaces Digital Literacy and Training Program, which is under the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department. The purpose of the office is to “embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all aspects of its work,” as well as “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Big Banks, Corporations Getting 90 Percent of Biden’s Green Energy Credits: Congressional Study
Authored by Mark Tapscott via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Most of the green energy tax benefits provided by President Joe Biden’s $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 are going into the coffers of big banks and billion-dollar corporations, according to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.).
“While President Biden’s supercharged IRS is warming up to target working Americans, his administration is getting ready to spend those tax dollars to subsidize special interest green energy projects of billion-dollar companies,” Smith said in a statement based on a new congressional analysis issued by the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Maher Questions Why Chicago’s Crime Wave Isn’t Addressed: ‘Why Are You Killing Each Other?’
“Real Time” host Bill Maher called out the lack of attention to high Black-on-Black crime rates in cities such as Chicago during his show on Friday.
Hosting a panel with Brown University economist Glenn Loury and international relations scholar Daniel Bessner, Maher questioned the rise in crime in major cities and why it has not been addressed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago’s Lori Lightfoot Slammed Over Crime Pivot Following Ousting: ‘Too Little Too Late’
Chicago’s outgoing mayor Lori Lightfoot appeared to make a pivot on her ultra-progressive stance on violence, urging Democrats to “speak the truth” on surging crime across the country.
But critics say her shift was “too little, too late,” as her successor, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, is set to be sworn into office next month.
Retired Chicago police lieutenant John Garrido accused Lightfoot of refusing to take accountability for the Windy City’s surging crime under her leadership during “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Employees Fired for Not Getting COVID-19 Vaccine Must be Reinstated: Judge
Authored by Zachary Steiber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Workers in Chicago who were fired for not complying with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate must get their jobs back, a judge said in a new ruling.
City officials violated multiple parts of the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act by imposing the mandate without negotiating with unions representing the workers over the effects of the mandate, including consequences for not getting vaccinated, Administrative Law Judge Anna Hamburg-Gal said in a 78-page ruling dated April 19.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A retired Navy SEAL is sounding the alarm about a declining number of young men and women willing to serve in the U.S. military.
Mike Sarraille, now an author and entrepreneur, said weak leadership and “cultural rot” is playing a role in declining recruitment and retention.
A November 2022 survey from the Ronald Reagan Institute found trust and confidence in the U.S. military stands at 48%, down from 70% in November 2018. The primary reason for the more than 20-point decline was the “perceived politicization of the military,” according to a press release from the organization.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk, Stephen King Tussle on Twitter Over Blue Checks, Ukraine: ‘How Much Have You Donated?’
Twitter CEO Elon Musk hit back at Stephen King after the author challenged him to donate to Ukraine and complained about having a “blue check” on the platform despite not having purchased one.
“I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity,” King tweeted. “I recommend the Prytula Foundation, which provides lifesaving services in Ukraine. It’s only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a bit more.”
King’s tweet to Musk came after he claimed that he retained his blue check even without subscribing to the platform’s blue check service, which now costs $8 per month. “My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue,” King said. “I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.”
Musk replied to King’s Ukraine post directly, tweeting, “I’ve donated $100M to Ukraine, how much have you donated?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Calls for Dr Anthony Fauci to Face Trial
Twitter CEO Elon Musk sided with Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul and is calling for Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to stand trial.
Paul went on Fox News and demand that Fauci be held accountable: “Yeah, I think Fauci deserves culpability and history is going to judge him very poorly because he made the judgment to fund this research.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Former President Donald Trump told Breitbart News that he believes if just 5 percent of teachers in schools nationwide were armed that school shootings would be a thing of the past.
Asked during an exclusive interview with Breitbart News backstage after his speech to the annual National Rifle Association (NRA) gathering here earlier this month what is causing the mass shootings in the country, Trump said the nation’s mental health crisis — fueled by drugs that are flowing across the border — is the main culprit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
George Soros, Other Influential Donors Flocked to Hakeem Jeffries After He Became Top House Dem
Billionaire George Soros and other big money donors flocked to Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries after he became the party’s top leader in the lower chamber.
Jeffries took over from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi in January after the California Democrat announced she was retiring from leadership. Pelosi led Democratic fundraising efforts for decades, and her access to cash was a primary reason she remained in the position for so long.
Those efforts now fall on Jeffries, whose victory fund pulled in a whopping $9 million from January through the end of March, Federal Election Commission filings show. During that span, the fund received more than four times the cash it hauled in throughout the entire 2022 election cycle.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Homeowner Heist? Supreme Court to Decide Limits of Property Seizures to Satisfy Tax Debts
It sounds like a Big Brother nightmare: The home of a 94-year-old grandmother is seized by the state for unpaid taxes, and all the sale proceeds — far above what she actually owed — go to public coffers.
Now the U.S. Supreme Court will debate and decide a tricky property rights case involving a legal David vs. Goliath with nationwide implications for the power of the state to order homeowners to pay up or risk lose everything. Despite the seeming power imbalance, both sides have raised strong legal arguments that will not be easy to resolve on the merits.
Oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday, the last case for the high court to be publicly debated this term.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Manhattan DA Has No Authority ‘To Enforce Federal Campaign Finance Crimes’: Ex-FEC Commissioner
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Donald Trump is legally “dubious” and motivated by political ambition, alleges legal expert Hans von Spakovsky.
“It’s an extremely dubious prosecution, and I say that as a former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission,” he told Just The News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta’s Oversight Board Recommends Continuing COVID Censorship Until WHO Calls End to Pandemic
Meta’s Oversight Board has recommended the continued censorship of COVID-19 “misinformation.”
In a report published Thursday, the board said that Meta should have one global approach on COVID-19 misinformation, and that Meta should continue its current approach of censoring Covid misinformation until the World Health Organization (WHO) stops considering COVID-19 an international public health emergency.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nashville Official Says School Shooter’s Manifesto is ‘Astronomically Dangerous’
Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Federal officials are delaying the release of a manifesto written by Audrey Hale, who killed six people in a Nashville Christian school, according to local officials, with one calling it “astronomically dangerous.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York Professors Say Earth Day Should be a ‘Religious Holiday’ in Time Magazine Op-Ed
Let us pray. No less an authority than TIME magazine has seen fit to publish an opinion piece urging religious observance for the planet and its self-appointed watchkeepers under the headline: The Case For Making Earth Day a Religious Holiday.
The editorial work, co-authored by New York professors Paul Greenberg and Carl Safina, was timed to coincide with Earth Day on Saturday.
The self-declared environmentalists argued, “on this 53rd Earth Day we thought it useful to pose what a real Earth Day should represent and how it could form a central time for a new approach to worship.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The New York Post editorial board reacted forcefully to the news that then-Biden campaign staff allegedly helped cook up the 2020 letter signed by 51 intelligence “experts” which denounced the paper’s Hunter Biden laptop story as a Russian hoax.
The editorial provided a searing condemnation of the entire operation to stymie the paper’s reporting and save the 2020 election for Biden, involving the intel community, the Biden campaign, news outlets, and social media platforms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Open AI’s GPT-4 to be Unleashed on Medical Records
Microsoft and Epic Systems, the largest provider of healthcare software in the US, announced that OpenAI’s GPT-4 will be used in healthcare to generate responses from healthcare professionals and to look for trends in people’s medical records.
Epic Systems’ use of predictive algorithms have previously been criticized.
On Monday, Microsoft announced that Epic will use Azure OpenAI Service to develop 2 generative AI models. Epic will use GPT-4 to allow health care professionals to automatically draft responses to patients.
The press release quotes the chief information officer at UW Health in Wisconsin, Chero Goswami saying, “Integrating generative AI into some of our daily workflows will increase productivity for many of our providers, allowing them to focus on the clinical duties that truly require their attention.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Cop Shot at While Pumping Gas in Patrol Car
Friday night, a Seattle police officer was pumping gas and refilling his cruiser’s tank when gunshots rang out and one bullet connected with a sign directly over the officer’s head.
According to KOMO News, officials said that the incident happened at a station in the 700 block of S Charles Street directly before 9 pm and after additional officers arrived on the scene and did discover a shell casing near a gas pump on the ground. The officer who was shot at did not get a description of the shooter but Seattle homicide detectives have opened an investigation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wanted: Police Searching for Trans-Identified Con Artist That Allegedly Drugged, Robbed NYC Model
A New York City model claims to be the victim of a heinous crime after a trans-identified male allegedly scammed and robbed her at a high-end night club in the East Village with staff members accused of being in on the scheme.
Anna Tchorbadjiev, 25, filed a lawsuit against Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) for $1.5 million in a Manhattan Supreme Court over the alleged incident that occurred at Little Sister Lounge earlier this year, according to the New York Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Woman Shot While Running From Reckless Drivers at Stunt Show in New Haven: Police
A woman was shot in New Haven early Sunday morning while running from a stunt driving show when drivers started to hit pedestrians, according to police.
Police said they learned around 1:04 a.m. Sunday that a female suffering from a gunshot wound had gone to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
The victim had been with a large crowd watching a stunt driving show in the parking lot of Lowe’s at 115 Foxon Boulevard when reckless drivers started to strike pedestrians and she ran, police said.
As she was running from the scene, she heard a single gunshot and realized she had been struck, police said.
Friends brought her the hospital and medical crews told police that her wound was not life-threatening.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
“We Don’t See the Golden Years Anymore,” More Seniors Than Ever Relying on Food Banks in BC
More seniors than ever are now relying on food banks in British Columbia.
In March, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank had to help a staggering 2,700 seniors. “That’s an alarming increase of over 1,200 seniors in just a few short years,” according to Cynthia Boulter, the food bank’s chief operating officer.
Current economic conditions have left seniors with no choice but to turn to charities for basic necessities across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
The Salvation Army in Chilliwack also reported a significant surge in the number of elderly people seeking assistance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Town’s Mayor Pleads With Province to Lift Ban on Unvaccinated Healthcare Workers
MERRITT, British Columbia (LifeSiteNews) — Facing pressures of repeated emergency room closures at a local hospital, the mayor of the small Canadian city of Merritt, British Columbia has demanded his province hire back healthcare workers who were let go because they did not get the COVID shots.
Mayor Mike Goetz recently made a request to British Columbia’s Interior Health to get rid of a COVID jab mandate still in place for healthcare workers who were placed on leave or fired.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Charges Dropped Against Canadian Man Who Refused to Stay in a COVID Quarantine Hotel
TORONTO (Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms) — The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is pleased to announce that charges against Rachid Chadli for refusing to attend a quarantine hotel in 2021 have been dropped. The charges were withdrawn by the Crown Counsel after counsel for Chadli argued there was excessive delay, which breached Chadli’s right to be tried within a reasonable time, guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In February 2021, the federal government required all travelers returning to Canada to quarantine at designated hotels at their own expense for at least three nights. Chadli left Canada before the measures were implemented. Upon his return to Canada, border agents told him that he was required to comply.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elderly Saskatchewan Man Died Six Days After Getting Second Pfizer COVID Jab
An elderly Saskatchewan resident died six days after getting his second Pfizer jab for COVID. The Western Standard interviewed his daughter, Jody McPhee, who revealed her father had minor difficulties after getting the first Pfizer jab in April 2021.
“The mainstream media showed people on respirators. He was terrified of that,” she recalled. “He told my mom that. He was adamant about getting this shot.”
“He developed an infection in his arm. It happened in the arm that he received that shot, which transferred to his second arm.”
Jody said the health of her father, William “Bill” McPhee, 79, took a turn for the worse after his second shot on May 22, 2021. He died at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre on May 28, 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mother Resists Mandatory Vaccination for Her Children
A mother in Ontario is seeking financial support for a legal challenge that aims to prevent the court from interfering with her decision not to vaccinate her children. The father sought a court order for the children to be vaccinated against the mother’s wishes, and the Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled in his favour. Now, the mother wants to defend her family’s rights in the Supreme Court, but lacks the financial resources to do so. Lawyer Lia Milousis joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the ongoing case, and what you can do to help.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Book by Freedom Convoy Organizer Tamara Lich Tells the Truth About Canadian Truckers’ Protest
For Immediate Release
TORONTO, April 20, 2023 — Rebel News is proud to announce the publication of “Hold the Line: My Story from the Heart of the Freedom Convoy“, a new book by Tamara Lich, the organizer of the 2022 truckers’ Freedom Convoy protest. The book is available for purchase at TheConvoyBook.com.
In the winter of 2022, Canadian truckers organized a peaceful protest against vaccine mandates that gained international attention. The CBC called the truckers Russian agents, while Justin Trudeau called them extremists. Trudeau declared martial law to stop the peaceful protestors. The CBC, Trudeau, and the rest of the corporate media were all wrong, and now there’s proof.
Tamara Lich, the woman at the heart of the convoy, tells her side of the story in her new book, “Hold The Line: My Story from the Heart of the Freedom Convoy“. Lich is a proud Metis and Albertan, as well as a loving mother and grandmother. She is a passionate advocate for the rights and freedoms of all Canadians.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll Says Canadians Feel Less Safe Now Than Before COVID Pandemic
According to a new poll, Canadians feel less safe now than before the COVID pandemic, citing more crime and public safety concerns with the government failing to address the issue promptly.
Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies asked respondents how crime and violence impact communities today compared to early 2020. Nearly two-thirds said things are worse, with 32% saying crime and violence are “much worse.”
Another 32% said it is “a little worse.”
According to the survey, a quarter of respondents said the situation remains the same, whereas 8% did not know. A meagre 2% of respondents commented on the condition being “a little better.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau’s Public Health Agency Blames ‘Climate Change’ on ‘Capitalism’ and ‘Racism’
(LifeSiteNews) — A bizarre new report published by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Public Health Agency seeks to draw a link between “negative health outcomes” and “climate change,” a phenomenon it blames on “white supremacy, capitalism, colonialism and racism.”
The report, titled What We Heard: Perspectives On Climate Change And Public Health In Canada, was published Monday and was based on interviews with 30 academics and experts, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Systemic drivers of negative health outcomes and climate change overlap,” the report stated. “White supremacy, capitalism, colonialism and racism must be addressed.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Victory: Asthmatic Beats a $5000 Fine After Removing Mask on Air Canada Flight
Courtney Sailer, an asthmatic and anxiety sufferer, removed his mask after a medical emergency occurred in the seat behind him, which triggered his condition. Sailer did not replace his mask after Air Canada crew members told him to do so, which resulted in his arrest by police at the Calgary Airport.
Judge Lloyd Robertson noted that Sailer had previously complied with the masking requirement in his flight and only removed his mask when his medical conditions made wearing his mask impossible.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A.I. Could Replace Judges in UK Court Disputes, Senior Judge Claims
Artificial Intelligence could possibly replace judges in some UK court disputes in the future, a senior British judge has said.
Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls in England and Wales, has expressed the belief that A.I. could be used to replace human adjudicators in some UK court cases in the future.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Lawmakers Look to Rein in Harmful Effects of A.I.
With a growing unease over the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, European lawmakers are increasingly strategizing ways to way in these platforms.
Early last week, European lawmakers issued a joint statement urging U.S. President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to convene a summit to find ways to control the development of advanced A.I. systems such as ChatGPT they say are developing faster than anticipated.
The 12 MEPs contrasted their message with an open letter from Twitter CEO Elon Musk and other technology figures which called for a six-month pause on A.I. development and wanted that machines could “outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace” humans if left unchecked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Three Anti-Macron Protesters Face Prison for Giving President the Middle Finger
French authorities have confirmed that they will prosecute three anti-Macron protesters over allegations they gave the embattled president the middle finger.
Two men and one woman reportedly face the possibility of a criminal conviction at the hands of French prosecutors after giving President Emmanuel Macron the middle finger, reports in local media have claimed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Climate Change Protesters Briefly Delay Formula E Race, Leaving Fans Scratching Their Heads
Formula E is one of the greenest racing series in the world as the vehicles that the racers drive are fully electric, so it was curious when climate change protesters interrupted a race in Germany on Sunday.
Several activists in white shirts climbed the fences at the Tempelhof venue in Berlin and sat in front of cars that were already off of the starting grid. Letzte Generation (Last Generation) posted a video of the protesters disrupting the start of the race. The protesters were whisked away from the track by security guards.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Large parts parts of the Muslim world marked the end of the fasting month of Ramadan at sundown on Thursday and ushered in the holiday of Eid al-Fitr today.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
It is the latest twist in the probe into £600,000 of possible ‘missing’ SNP funds. SIM cards hold a record of texts and calls, and police believe they would help them build a picture for ‘missing’ funds.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Tories Could Lose More Than 1,000 Seats in Local Elections, Party Chairman Warns
Greg Hands was confronted with several issues s facing the UK on Sunday broadcast shows.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Teacher Arrested on Suspicion of Shooting Dead Boy, 11, Earlier This Month
Court extends remand of suspect in killing of Mohammed Abu Huwash from Bedouin city of Rahat; death came during clash between clans that began with traffic dispute
A local teacher was arrested on suspicion of shooting dead a boy, 11, earlier this month, in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat.
Though the suspect was arrested last week shortly after Mohammed Abu Huwash was killed, details of the case were under a gag order that was only lifted Sunday when the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court extended the suspect’s remand by eight days.
Ynet named the suspect as Tisir Amdin, 31, a resident of Rahat. He denies involvement in the killing and claims Huwash was hit by gunfire from his own family.
Mohammed Abu Huwash (Courtesy)
A local teacher was arrested on suspicion of shooting dead a boy, 11, earlier this month, in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat.
Though the suspect was arrested last week shortly after Mohammed Abu Huwash was killed, details of the case were under a gag order that was only lifted Sunday when the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court extended the suspect’s remand by eight days.
Ynet named the suspect as Tisir Amdin, 31, a resident of Rahat. He denies involvement in the killing and claims Huwash was hit by gunfire from his own family.
Haviv Rettig Gur and David Horovitz on the judicial overhaul — ToI Community webinar
Amdin is suspected of carrying out the April 15 killing along with another man, according to Hebrew media reports. It was not clear if the second suspect has been apprehended.
A police representative at the remand hearing declared, “There is no chance [Amdin] is innocent,” Ynet reported.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Russian civilians just across the border from Ukraine have been evacuated after the discovery of a bomb. Meanwhile, bloody fighting continues in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Official Demands Endless Streams of Western Military Aid
Several days after Republican lawmakers penned a letter to President Biden demanding that endless military aid to Ukraine be halted, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Melnik tweeted that Western nations need to do more.
“We are thankful to our allies for their military help. But: it is not enough,” Melnik tweeted Saturday.
He said, “Ukraine needs 10 times more to finish Russian aggression this year.” The official called on Western partners “to cross all artificial red lines & devote 1% of GDP for Ukraine weapons deliveries.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Latest: Son of Putin’s Spokesman Fought for Wagner
The son of President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has said in an interview with a Russian newspaper that he served as an artilleryman in the Wagner mercenary group.
Nikolai Peskov, son of Dmitry Peskov who has served as Mr Putin’s spokesman since 2008, said in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda that he considered it his “duty” to go to fight, in a rare public example of a son of a senior Russian official being deployed in the war.
He told the newspaper that he had changed his surname so that nobody knew his true identity, and had served for just under half a year. Mr Peskov received a medal for bravery during his service in Ukraine, the outlet said.
He said of his family’s reaction: “To be honest, they were of course worried. But they absolutely supported my decision”.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary force, said Dmitry Peskov had approached him and asked him to take his son on as an artilleryman.
“Of all my acquaintances, just one person, Dmitry Sergeyvich Peskov, who at one time was reputed to be an absolute liberal, sent his son. He came to me and said: ‘Take him on as a simple artilleryman’,” Mr Prigozhin said in a video posted on Telegram.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Kenya Starvation Cult: Dozens of Bodies Recovered on Cult Leader’s Land
Four other people died after they were found starving last week at his Good News International Church. Police also found 11 emaciated people on the compound after members of the public tipped them off about the cult.
Kenya is a highly religious country, with approximately 85.5% of Kenyans identifying as Christian and 11% as Muslim, according to the U.S. State Department.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sudan Fighting: Diplomats and Foreign Nationals Evacuated
Several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan’s capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum.
The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country.
France, Germany, Italy and Spain are among other countries also organising evacuations, starting on Sunday.
A vicious power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across the country.
US authorities said they had airlifted fewer than 100 people with three Chinook helicopters on Sunday morning in a “fast and clean” operation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
500 Migrants Disembark in Sicily Following Sea Rescue
(ANSA) — ROME, APR 22 — Around 500 migrants and refugees landed in Italy on Friday night after being rescued from a fishing boat in distress off the southeast coast of Sicily.
132 people were disembarked from a Frontex ship in Catania, while the others arrived on board Coast Guard vessels in Catania and Augusta.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After nearly six years, and at least six pre-trial delays, the Syrian refugee accused of killing a 13-year-old Canadian child in B.C. finally began trial on Wednesday April 5. Well, sort of.
Journalists, friends, and family of the victim were expecting to hear opening remarks from Crown prosecutor Daniel Port and defense attorney Kevin McCullogh at the start of the trial. In reality, it’s been two weeks after the proceedings began and such opening statements have yet to happen.
Aside from witnessing the accused, Ibrahim Ali’s, non-guilty plea coupled with his out of turn repeated statements in court claiming to have not killed the teen, and getting a caution from presiding Justice L. Bernard about racism and not to judge Ali based on “being a Muslim and descendant of the Middle East,” the jury has been dismissed early or not called in on multiple occasions.
Due to a publication ban, the reasons for the in-trial delays can’t be elaborated upon. Additionally, Justice Bernard has also ordered a mandatory publication ban which prevents media from publishing the victim’s image or name.
Ibrahim Ali was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in 2018, 14 months after the teen’s body was discovered in a park in BC’s lower mainland. After the arrest, many members of the public raised concerns about Ali’s background — but not because of his race or religion.
Instead, many wanted to know whether the influx of Syrian refugees that were entering Canada under the Trudeau government were being properly vetted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Migrant Pact Will Push ‘Forced Mass Migration’ — MEP
The migrant pact agreed by the European Parliament this week will only enable “forced mass migration” to take place in the bloc, an MEP has claimed.
Tom Vandendriessche, an MEP for the Flemish Vlaams Belang party, has heavily criticised the new migrant pact agreed upon by the European Parliament, saying that the measures will simply enable “forced mass migration” to occur within the continent.
Legacy media outlets have attempted to portray the measures as the EU tightening its approach towards illegal immigration, with the EU parliament being described as having a “gradual rightward shift” on the issue over the last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Two Migrants Rob Suitcases From Young Girl With Cancer Outside Oncology Ward
Two migrants, one from Libya and the other from Morocco, robbed two cars outside a cancer ward in the French city of Lyon. One of the cars belonged to a young girl scheduled to be hospitalized with cancer.
The two thieves, Hamza and Mohamed, stole bags belonging to the girl and her family from a parked car outside the Léon-Bérard hospital in the 8th arrondissement.
“We didn’t know what was in the cars, we made a mistake,” said Mohamed and Hamza, aged 32 and 34, respectively; they were arrested on Saturday last week outside the hospital, which specializes in oncology treatments for children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Ocean Viking Arrives With 29 Migrants in Bari
(ANSA) — ROME, APR 23 — The humanitarian rescue ship Ocean Viking operated by non-governmental organization SOS Méditerranée arrived in the Puglia port capital Bari on Sunday carrying 29 rescued migrants and refugees.
The group, from Sudan and Bangladesh and including two unaccompanied minors, was rescued in the Maltese search and rescue area on Thursday evening after five days at sea.
One of the minors required medical attention in hospital, but on the whole the condition of the arrivals was said to be good.
Earlier another group of around 90 people mostly from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria disembarked in the Calabrian port of Roccella Jonica after being rescued by the Italian Coast Guard.
The group included 24 women and 14 minors, some of whom were travelling alone.
They had been travelling on a 20-m sail boat that departed from Turkey.
The arrival took to around 2,000 the number of migrants and refugees who have arrived in Roccella Jonica in 12 separate landings since the start of 2023.
In 2022 the port registered 87 landings to a total of over 7,000 migrants and refugees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Syrian Migrant Arrested Over German Gym Stabbing Attack
BERLIN (AP) — A suspect has been arrested over last week’s stabbing attack at a gym in the western German city of Duisburg in which four people were seriously wounded, authorities said Sunday.
Prosecutor Jill Mc Culler said the man, a 26-year-old Syrian citizen, was arrested shortly after midnight, German news agency dpa reported. He was to be brought before a judge on Monday to determine whether he can be kept in custody pending possible charges.
Further details weren’t immediately available.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Channel migrants will have the right to claim legal aid to fund human rights challenges against deportation under measures introduced by Suella Braverman.
The Home Secretary has set out changes to the immigration Bill making clear that ‘irregular’ migrants will be entitled to legal aid if they claim their life will be at risk in their home nation, or they will face ‘torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’.
The change has been tabled in addition to a series of other moves demanded by up to 60 rebel Conservative backbenchers urging tougher action to deter Channel migrants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
World Meteorological Organization Warns Climate Eve of Destruction is Here
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issued a warning of almost Biblical proportions Sunday, noting a planet wracked by “climate change trends” that continued through 2022, driving food insecurity and mass migration along with a host of other maladies for mankind from droughts and floods to famine and heatwaves.
The WMO says climate change contributed to mass human displacement in 2022 and exacerbated conditions for the 95 million people throughout the world, its State of the Global Climate 2022 report lays out.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Creates New ‘Woke’ Federal Agency With Executive Order
Democrat President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to establish an entirely new “woke” federal agency.
The Office of Environmental Justice will use taxpayer funds to advance the Democrats’ radical green agenda.
The White House announced Friday morning that Biden’s executive order will dramatically increase the scope of the administration’s initiatives in that space.
According to a White House fact sheet, the new executive order directs federal agencies to consider the “disproportionate and adverse” impacts of climate change on certain communities, as opposed to “disproportionately high and adverse” impacts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
(LifeSiteNews) — People’s Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier spared no words in blasting the “transgender madness” targeting kids across Canada, while also taking the time to point out the Conservative Party of Canada’s silence on the topic.
In a newsletter sent to his followers on April 7, Bernier noted that in the past few months “it feels like things have been kicked into overdrive” when it comes to “transgender madness.”
“Across Canada, radical trans activists have been aggressively pushing their agenda to normalize transgenderism, particularly amongst children,” wrote Bernier.
“Not only have they not been opposed by governments, they are being actively protected by them!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Christian Prayer Warriors ‘Called’ Into Boston With Plan to Counter SatanCon
A group of Christians plans to attend SatanCon in Boston this week to pray for the attendees of what is being described as “the largest satanic gathering in history.”
“I initially went to prayer with a preconceived idea that God would want this to be prayed away,” Intercessors for America regional leader Suzie MacAskill told the Christian Post. “It was following this assumption that I was awakened through the night with a clear sense of ‘This is [God’s] harvest field.’“
SatanCon 2023, which is scheduled to take place April 28-30 in Boston, marks the 10-year anniversary of The Satanic Temple, according to its website. The theme of the gathering is “Hexennacht in Boston,” translated from German for “Witches’ Night,” which marks the ancient pagan holiday of May Eve.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gov. Ivey Replaces Alabama Education Director Over ‘Woke’ Training Book
Authored by Mimi Nguyen Ly via The Epoch Times
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday she replaced the state’s director of early childhood education, due to the use of a teacher training book that Ivey said teaches “woke concepts.”
“The education of Alabama’s children is my top priority as governor, and there is absolutely no room to distract or take away from this mission,” Ivey said in a statement.
“Let me be crystal clear: Woke concepts that have zero to do with a proper education and that are divisive at the core have no place in Alabama classrooms at any age level, let alone with our youngest learners.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leaked Training Videos Reveal Toronto Police Officers Are Being Indoctrinated in Gender Theory
On Friday’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, guest host David Menzies discussed the Toronto Police Service online training videos that were leaked to Rebel News, which include a component known as the ‘Gender Diversity Trans Inclusion Project.’
“The content is truly jaw-dropping,” David said. The videos explain to police officers how transgender civilians should be treated differently and how they are transphobes if they refuse to do so.
“At no point in this module is transphobia defined,” David noted. “And really, what is transphobia? Being misgendered? Calling your niece a ‘niece’ as opposed to a… ‘nibbling’?” Unfortunately, cops across Canada are now either being indoctrinated in gender theory or scared that they’ll be fired if they are seen as insensitive to trans people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pennsylvania School Board Closes All Locker Rooms Amid Controversy Over Trans Student
A Pennsylvania high school announced that they will be closing all school locker rooms after parents raised concerns about a trans-identified student using the boys changing room.
In an 8 to 1 vote on Monday, the Eastern Lebanon County School District board of directors decided to close the locker rooms for the duration of the school year, effective April 24, according to Lebanon Daily News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Senate Passes Bill to Ban Higher Education Institutions From Implementing DEI Policies
The Texas Senate passed a bill to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in public higher education institutions.
The bill passed along party lines by a vote of 19-12. All Republicans voted for it; all Democrats voted against it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
University of Minnesota academics with PhD’s were forced to retract an article they wrote about “structural racism” at the institution because its claims were “inaccurate, misleading, or false,” according to a note on the withdrawn article.
The article in question was written in the journal of Health Services Research by UM employees with PhD’s who are focused on racial equity: Stuart Grande, is a senior Lecturer, Janette Dill, is an associate professor, and Tongtan Chantarat, is a research scientist.
Retraction Watch, a blog that reports on retractions of scientific papers, first reported that the piece was withdrawn months after the original publishing date.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
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The Biden scandal is worse than Watergate
23/4-23
American voters went to the polls without knowing the depth of Biden’s corruption.
By Lars Hedegaard / snaphanen.dk
According to The Washington Examiner, President Richard Nixon was let go for breaking the law for political reasons, while Joe Biden – and his entire crime family – has had both political and financial motives. To put it bluntly, the Biden clan has enriched itself by selling out American interests to foreign and hostile powers.
The latest revelations, which have now been confirmed by the testimony of senior officials from the Internal Revenue Service and the CIA, are still not getting the attention in the dominant, left-wing American media, and probably not in the Danish media either, that they should, but they must give pause for thought in the Danish and other European governments. How safe is it to be allied with a great power led by a great criminal who wants to sell out Western interests?
During a hearing in the House of Representatives, former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell said that current Secretary of State Antony Blinken initiated the letter issued by 51 intelligence experts a few weeks before the November 2020 presidential election. The intent was to discredit the information on Hunter Biden’s computer – with the incriminating evidence that Joe’s son had received large sums of money from foreign powers and that Joe received 10% of the loot – as “Russian disinformation”. That was the story the media ran with. As a result, American voters went to the polls not knowing the depth of Biden’s corruption.
And then the Danish media claim that there was no election fraud. There are many ways to commit election fraud. One of them is to mobilize state agencies to cooperate with the media to suppress the truth.
Republican leaders in the House of Representatives announce that more whistleblowers will come forward. In this context, it should be noted that telling the truth about Joe Biden and his corrupt government comes at a great personal cost. If you do so, you can expect to face the harshest accusations in the mainstream media and have your life and career destroyed. So there are no benefits to telling the truth – other than facilitating collusion.
Among those who have already testified before the House of Representatives is a senior federal tax official (name withheld) who can testify that the Justice Department is interfering with the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, who has not paid taxes on his foreign income. Attorney General Merrick Garland has stated under oath that this was not the case.
It is illegal to lie to Congress, and Garland therefore faces prosecution. If the House of Representatives were to decide to prosecute Garland for lying under oath, it would be difficult for the mainstream media to keep it quiet.
There are many examples of how the 2020 Presidential election was manipulated to secure a Biden victory. At this point, I think there is no doubt but that the election was stolen:
https://www.frontpagemag.com/auditing-bidens-victory/
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godbye malmö
https://swebbtube.se/static/thumbnails/cda81ea7-4c62-4f08-b4de-e56a1d8a258e.jpg
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https://bildix.mmcloud.se/bildix/api/images/a2e88eef-6b64-48ae-8da7-3715a75a4728.jpeg?fit=crop&w=1620&h=911
https://konto.samnytt.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Malmo-polisen-ramadan-eid-2.jpg
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On Tvitter you read:
Magnus Söderman
@SvegotMagnus [svegot.se]
So, the Church of Sweden @svenskakyrkan
talked sex with pupils in grade six in week six
and called it “sexSEX6”.
In Höllviken parish, 20 km south of Malmö. .
This had completely passed me by.
Do I need to tell you about the number 666? That it is the “number of the beast” according to the Book of Revelation? I don’t think so. Obviously the number is used deliberately. Obviously they made sure they could use it.
And what did they do? In the Church magazine we read:
“We have invited midwife Katarina Svensson Flood who will meet the students and talk about the body, consent, masturbation, sexual debut, LGBTQ issues and pornography.”
The Church of Sweden has fallen.
The Church of Sweden engages in Satanism. And they are doing it against children. This is probably the most serious thing I have seen.
It would be better for those who deceive the little ones to be sunk in the depths of the sea with a millstone around their neck, so says Jesus Christ. The devil prowls around us, wants to devour us, and he has the help of the Church of Sweden, which associates activities against children with the number 666. There are no excuses.
The mockery of God and of believers is unprecedented.
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PICTURE
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FuQMkPDXgCAZz-6?format=jpg&name=small
During the Muslim Eid prayer in Malmö on Friday, the imam recited a chapter to thousands of Muslim men that subtly threatens Swedes.
The chapter tells how Allah has previously “destroyed mightier peoples”, and that there is no salvation for non-believers, writes Luai Ahmed.
24 Apr 2023
During the Eid prayer in Rosengård in Malmö on Friday, April 21, the imam recited the Koran in connection with the prayer, as is customary in Muslim communities.
SVT Nyheter was kind enough to translate in their small article what the words eid eftar mean.
But they were not kind enough to translate what the chapter that the imam recited during the prayer was about.
Last year about 15 000 people went to Rosengård to celebrate the end of Ramadan, this year it looked like there could have been even more. Some of the online reactions focused on the lack of women during the prayer. Most of those present were men.
But this is what happens in Muslim societies. Women take the back seat in exactly everything, not least the religious services. Patriarchy, as the left-wing feminists keep telling us, is still alive and well in the vast majority of Muslim societies.
Another thing that many people reacted to was the sheer number of Muslims, as if people still haven’t realized that at least ten percent of Swedish society now consists of Muslims. At least one million Muslims live in Sweden, every tenth person living in the country is a Muslim.
It is rather surprising that there were not more people present in Rosengård.
However, the choice of chapters from the Koran that the imam read to the faithful was astonishing.
Considering how violent the Koran is, it would have seemed reasonable if the imam had managed to find one of the few passages that can be considered to appeal to Swedish ideals such as equality, peace, dialog, and so on. But no.
The choice fell on the chapter Surah Qaf.
A chapter that, like the majority of the other chapters of the Koran, tells about the Day of Judgment, where Allah has a conversation with Hell, and where Allah asks Hell if it has become “full”, and Hell replies: “Are there more?”.
More unbelievers, so to speak. In Allah’s story, Hell never gets enough unbelievers.
I have translated part of the chapter, for those who want to read the whole thing there is an English translation here.
(use Google!)
This verse is relevant in a Swedish context because it relates to the conflict between non-Muslims and Muslims, something we experienced during last year’s Easter, to say the least.
50:36:
Imagine how many peoples We destroyed before them, who were much more powerful than them. Then when the plague came, they desperately sought refuge in the land. But was there any escape?
In this context, when Allah says that “he” has destroyed “many peoples mightier than them”, the word “them” refers to the unbelievers that Muslims are “warring against” at a current time.
In this context, the verse is actually understood like this:
Imagine how many peoples We destroyed before the Swedes, who were much more powerful than them.
Allah’s message, like many others in the Koran, here flexes its muscles around the fact that Allah is “most powerful” and “destroys everyone and everything that opposes Islam”. This is the fantasy on which the entire Koran and believing Muslims live – how utterly divine, powerful and invincible Allah is.
“Allah is the greatest!”, as they say.
Do you think that “racists”, Paludan, Islamophobes or the Sweden Democrats have a chance when Allah has “destroyed” more powerful people throughout history?
Just look at the entire Muslim region that once upon a time also stood against the Muslim message of the Koran.
They are all Muslim today. Hence the term “the Muslim region”.
In these Islamic vortexes, there is neither respect nor acceptance of Swedish ideals such as democracy, equality, freedom or dialog.
In these Islamic vortexes there is neither respect nor acceptance for minorities such as Jews, Christians or homosexuals.
There is only Islam and the Koran.
There is only responsiveness to Allah and his message about paradise and hell, and about non-believers whom Allah has destroyed or will destroy.
It is this message, and it is this book, for which hundreds of Muslims are ready to murder Swedish police officers and undermine democracy.
It’s this hidden cultural war that the mainstream media would rather not talk about or highlight.
Luai Ahmed (ex-Muslim)
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VIDEO: Muslims disrupt Christians in Gothenburg: “Allahu akbar”
https://samnytt.se/video-muslimer-forsoker-fa-bort-kristna-i-goteborg-allahu-akbar/
Published 2023-04-24
This weekend, a group of Christians tried to hold talks in central Gothenburg but instead they were exposed to a large gang chanting “Takbir – Allahu akbar”.
It was on Saturday that the Christian group handed out material and preached in Nordstan. A group of young people surrounded and then tried to disrupt the preachers.
– They have done this several times. There is probably a connection between their holiday and their actions, says one of the preachers to Samnytt.
Security guards expelled the gang from the site.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Christian preacher attacked – “I [have carnal knowledge of] your mother”
Author of the text
Simon Kristoffersson
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Lawyer Dr Reiner Fuellmich interviewed on BREAKING NEWS 2023-04-24
(all English)
https://swebbtube.se/w/n6AMQM78v53PurUaoNCvB6
You can see and read more about/from
https://icic.law/en/
https://video.icic-net.com/c/english/videos