Another explosion shook the Kerch Bridge in Crimea today, bringing down a span of the highway bridge and killing two people. Russians attempting to flee Crimea caused bridge traffic to back up for miles. The government of Ukraine later claimed responsibility for the attack.
In other news, a train carrying toxic materials derailed in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, prompting authorities to evacuate the surrounding area.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Diana West, Fjordman, MM, 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.
Brazil’s CBDC Allows Government to Freeze Funds, Developer Discovers
In a disquieting discovery, the Brazilian Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is reportedly designed with a feature enabling the government to freeze user funds and adjust balances. The revelation emerged after Pedro Magalhaes, a prominent blockchain developer and founder of Iora Labs, managed to decode the underlying technical details of the CBDC.
Magalhaes analyzed the Application Programming Interface (API), available on the monetary authority’s Github account. His finding spotlighted a potential, controversial control lever for the Brazilian government, yet there has been an ominous silence from officials in response to his discovery.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CEO of Worldcoin Says “Something Like World ID Will Eventually Exist… Whether You Like it or Not”
Right now, it’s about those who voluntarily surrender their biometric data and receive “small sums” in Worldcoin in return for signing up to the World ID scheme.
But if Open AI CEO Sam Altman has anything to say about how Worldcoin, a project within his company, develops — everyone who wants to use the internet will eventually be required to use World ID — or “something like it.”
And right now, it seems that people in several southern European countries, notably Spain and Portugal, are simply itching to give away their iris biometrics as proof of identity and right to a cryptocurrency transfer wallet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Air Quality Alerts Issued for Canadian Wildfire Smoke in Great Lakes, Midwest, High Plains
Air quality alerts were issued for much of Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana on Sunday because of lingering thick smoke from Canadian wildfires, the National Weather Service said.
The U.S. EPA’s AirNow air quality page rated the air in Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit and Des Moines as “unhealthy” as of early Sunday afternoon. In Omaha and Cincinnati, the air quality was rated as unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The smoke concentration is expected to wane by Monday across the Great Lakes, Midwest and northern High Plains, but there will still be enough smoke in the area for continued unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, weather officials warned.
There were nearly 900 active wildfires in Canada on Saturday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The fires are burning from coast to coast, according to a map updated daily by the center. To date, Canadian wildfires have burned around 10 million hectares this year, an area roughly the size of the state of Indiana
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Austin Suffers 3 Homicides in 24 Hours as City Council Blames Cop Union for Being Understaffed
As the Austin Police Department struggles to fill its ranks following the city council gutting its budget by one-third in 2020, three homicide investigations were opened in a 24-hour period Sunday.
Officers responded to a home in the 7500 block of South Glenn St. around 4:30 p.m. Sunday for a welfare check after a family member reported that he hadn’t heard from a family member for several days.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s NIH Director Nominee is ‘Bankrolled’ by ‘Big Pharma’, Watchdog Finds
Democrat President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the National Institute of Health (NIH) is “bankrolled” by the pharmaceutical industry, a nonprofit government watchdog has found.
NIH Biden-nominee Dr. Monica Bertagnolli allegedly received millions of dollars in research-related funds from Big Pharma companies while opposing Trump-era drug costs, according to the American Accountability Foundation.
The watchdog group published a new report which was highlighted by The New York Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
by Diana West
Woke up to another white-out morning in Vermont (no sun, white bank of fog) in this gruesome summer of 2023 and found the following item in the local listserv:
2. Airport Activity
From: Post Mills Airport
The US Army will be conducting brief training exercises at Post Mills Airport on Tuesday July 18 and Thursday July 20. They will be flying in and briefly landing 4 Blackhawk helicopters at the far end of the runway. This will occur around 11 AM on Tuesday and 11 PM on Thursday. Please do not be alarmed by the noise or the armed men (their weapons are NOT loaded) you might see at the doors of the aircraft. For the night landing they will be using night vision, so PLEASE no lights!
Any questions email …
Thanks!
Thanks? Do not be alarmed? The United States military has vast bases throughout the country and around the world in which to conduct training exercises. DOD does not need to practice landing in a tiny New England village ajacent to a lake ringed with summer camps, however briefly, for any kind of national security proficiency. Obviously. This “airport,” by the way, serves hot air balloons and gliders and is little more than a hay field ajacent to other fields, a little league diamond, a small church. So what is this about?
| — Hat tip: Diana West | [Return to headlines] |
Bloomberg ‘Sound of Freedom’ Hit Piece Written by Pro-Pedo Contributor
Following the release of the “Sound of Freedom,” Jim Caviezel’s anti-child-trafficking film, a chorus of mainstream hit-pieces came out denouncing it as a “QAnon” conspiracy flick.
But one author of a recent SoF hit-piece in Bloomberg isn’t just against the movie, he’s a pedo-defending freelancer who used to work for an organization working to normalize pedophilia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BofA and Others Share Records With FBI Without a Warrant “All the Time”, Director Wray Admits
Among the doublespeak and other bombshells disclosed by FBI Director Christopher Wray during testimony to the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, one particularly disturbing detail he released was that the FBI “regularly obtains innocent Americans’ personal data from companies with the intent of potentially charging them with crimes,” the Federalist reported last week.
At a time when many Americans are wondering why they should stick with Elon Musk at Twitter instead of joining Mark Zuckerberg over at the newly minted Threads, here’s one potential reason.
Wray told Congress that Bank of America provided them with a “huge list” of financial records for Americans who used B of A cards around the capitol on January 6th. That’s right: no warrants, no court hearings, just blindly turning over records when the FBI asks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cotton: Secret Service Didn’t Even Talk to Hunter Biden About White House Cocaine
Following the announcement that the Secret Service has shut down the investigation into the cocaine found inside the White House without finding a culprit, Senator Tom Cotton said Sunday that they didn’t even talk to Hunter Biden about the matter.
“We’ve got no answers,” Cotton said during an interview with Fox News, adding “That’s not surprising. The Secret Service is a troubled agency as it’s long had challenges. It probably needs new leadership.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Even Biden’s most loyal sycophants are starting to accept that he’s finished.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump Jr. brought down the house at the Turning Point Action Conference over the weekend with a funny joke about the Biden family.
Trump Jr. called out “Bidenomics” before answering a question shouted out by an audience member about the cocaine found at the White House.
“According to Twitter, it was mine,” President Donald Trump’s son said.
“You have the world’s most famous crackhead in residence.
“And somehow, it was mine, according to Twitter.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A newly-unredacted email from Dr. Anthony Fauci suggesting the COVID-19 pandemic may have been grounded in gain-of-function research essentially reveals his public statements from then on were an “aggressive attempt” to hide the truth, former CDC Director Robert Redfield said Monday.
Redfield, who served at the same time as Fauci during the Trump administration, said the news further backs up his longstanding belief the coronavirus originated from a laboratory and not a wet-market or zoonotic specimen.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Upholds Oregon Gun Control Law Described as ‘Nation’s Most Extreme’
A federal judge in Oregon upheld a state restriction on gun ownership that many have called the most stringent in the country.
The Friday ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut found that Oregon’s law is in line with the Second Amendment because it is in keeping with a U.S. tradition of “regulating uniquely dangerous features of weapons and firearms to protect public safety.”
Oregon’s Measure 114 bans large capacity magazines and requires residents to obtain a permit before purchasing firearms. While the law does not affect large-capacity magazines already owned by state residents, it does restrict those gun owners from taking those firearms outside their home for any reason other than gun range practice, shooting competitions, or hunting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
First Amendment Group Sues Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Over State’s TikTok Ban
A First Amendment group sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott and others on Thursday over the state’s TikTok ban on official devices, arguing the prohibition — which extends to public universities — is unconstitutional and impedes academic freedom.
The complaint was filed by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, a free speech group in New York that’s suing on behalf a coalition of academics and researchers who study technology’s impact on society.
The lawsuit said the state’s decision to restrict access to TikTok on official devices, as well as on personal devices used to conduct state business, is comprising teaching and research. And more specifically, it said it was “seriously impeding” faculty pursuing research into the app — including research that could illuminate or counter concerns about TikTok.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former FBI Agent Confirms Key Details of Hunter Biden Whistleblower’s Testimony, GOP Says
The former FBI agent who served as the supervisor of the federal investigation into Hunter Biden at the IRS confirmed key portions of the whistleblower testimony concerning alleged political interference by the Biden administration into the investigation, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee said Monday.
“Today, a former FBI supervisory special agent assigned to the FBI’s Wilmington office and the Biden criminal investigation confirmed key portions of the IRS whistleblower’s testimony,” Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A 26-year-old ISIS supporter who planned a mass shooting in Tampa, Florida, was sentenced this week to 18 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release in a plea deal, the Justice Department said.
Judge Thomas Barber on Thursday called Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari a “danger to the United States and its citizens. We must be protected from him for life.”
Al-Azhari, a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty in February to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The FBI began investigating him in 2018 after he was released from a Saudi prison and sent back to the U.S. He had been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for supporting terrorism in Syria.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The homeless crisis devastating Los Angeles appears to be only worsening as Mayor Karen Bass signed an updated emergency declaration giving her more extensive authority to tackle what she described as an “issue of life and death.”
Bass, a Democrat, last week signed an updated declaration of a state of emergency on homelessness, giving her additional powers to expedite the process of building more housing, call for the emergency service of city employees, and coordinate citywide planning to respond to the homeless crisis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leftists Demand Boycott as In-N-Out Bans Employees From Wearing Masks
Leftists have been imploding on social media after American fast food chain In-N-Out Burger issued a notice to employees that face masks have been banned for all staff members.
The enraged “woke” mob has been demanding boycotts of the company’s restaurants in response.
The backlash comes after conservatives engaged in a very successful boycott of Bud Light over the company’s blatant political agenda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Manchin on Potential Third-Party 2024 Presidential Run: ‘If I Get in the Race, I’M Going to Win’
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Moderate Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia disputes arguments from fellow Democrats that if he joins a potential third-party 2024 presidential ticket with the centrist group No Labels, he’ll serve as a spoiler.
“I’ve never been in any race I’ve ever spoiled. I’ve been in races to win. And if I get in the race, I’m going to win, “Manchin said on Monday as he headlined No Labels Common Sense” town hall, which was held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.
Manchin, who often clashes with his party’s progressive wing, Senate leadership and the White House, has yet to announce whether he will seek another six-year term in the Senate in 2024 in a state that’s turned dark red in recent years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The vast majority of major film critics are boycotting “Sound of Freedom,” with outlets including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Hollywood Reporter declining to run reviews of the recently released anti-child-trafficking drama starring Jim Caviezel.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Nolte: ‘Sound of Freedom’ Soars to $83 Million as ‘Dead Reckoning’ Slips
In its second weekend, Sound of Freedom grossed another $24.7 million, bringing its total to an astonishing $83 million.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Judge Orders Kari Lake’s Legal Team to Pay $122,200 in Sanctions to Maricopa County
A Barack Obama-appointed federal judge has ordered Republican 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election candidate Kari Lake’s legal team to pay $122,200 in sanctions to Maricopa County.
Lake’s attorneys were ordered to pay the legal fees for the Maricopa County officials’ defense team in the Republican’s election integrity lawsuit.
Among the lawyers hit with sanctions is Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, who responded by vowing to appeal the order to the Supreme Court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Philadelphia Woman Opens Fire on Team of Burglars Creeping Around Apartment: Police
Two suspects in Philadelphia who allegedly broke into a woman’s apartment before she pulled out a firearm and shot at them are still on the loose, according to police.
Police say an unidentified woman returned to her apartment in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday and discovered four men inside.
A struggle broke out between the woman and four suspected burglars, with the woman ultimately pulling out a firearm and shooting at the group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Roger Stone: Michelle Obama Will be the ‘Democrat Nominee for President’
Political strategist Roger Stone made a terrifying prediction about Michelle Obama and her future plans while President Joe Biden stumbles his way through his presidency.
The rumors are swirling in Democrat circles that Joe Biden will shock the world in the late fall of 2023 and announce that he will not run for reelection.
His age is a problem and the Democrats are terrified of Kamala Harris having any real power.
So the growing rumors are that Biden will step down with enough time for a preferred choice to step in and take the nomination from Harris should she even try to secure it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Sound of Freedom’ Projected to Hit $100 Million at Box Office This Week
The anti-child trafficking movie “Sound of Freedom” has been beating all expectations at the box office.
The film, starring actor Jim Caviezel as real-life hero Tim Ballard, opened at select theaters on the 4th of July across the United States.
Caviezel, who is most famous for his role as Jesus in “The Passion of Christ,” plays Ballard in the true story about saving children from international child sex trafficking.
The true story exposes the evil of child trafficking that is often ignored by the corporate media and has cast news attention on the issue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
St. Paul Schools Kicked Out Cops, Staff Are Too Terrified to Work
by Daniel Greenfield
“Divesting in police is investing in black lives,” St. Paul School Board Director Chauntyll Allen declared as the district voted not to renew its contract with the St. Paul Police Department.
It was 2020 and the heyday of the Black Lives Matter race riots over the drug overdose death of violent career criminal George Floyd. Police defunding fever was running high in the Twin Cities.
A Somali Muslim student with the last name Omar claimed that police officers had “brutalized multiple Muslim girls” and attacked their hijabs. After the vote, Omar claimed that removing police officers “means better safety and less trauma for black and brown kids”.
Another student named Muhammad promised that “removing police from schools is an important step toward true safety.”
Three years later true safety has been officially achieved.
A St. Paul Public Schools survey found that 55% of high school staff feel unsafe at work. 71% of staffers had seen physical violence in school and 40% were worried about weapons in schools.
The two most popular requests made by the terrified school staffers are to get serious about punishing violent students and to bring in police officers to restore safety and security…
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Texas 7-Eleven Clerk Turns Tables on Attempted Robber Holding Him at Gunpoint
An attempted robbery at a 7-Eleven in San Antonio turned into a shootout when the cashier pulled out his own firearm, according to police.
San Antonio police say an armed suspect walked into the convenience store on San Pedro Avenue just before 12:30 a.m Friday and pulled out a gun. The suspect reportedly held the cashier, who was identified as a 28-year-old male, at gunpoint and demanded money from the register.
The cashier, however, turned the tables on the suspect, pulling out his own firearm. The two exchanged gun fire in the store, which injured a 34-year-old male customer, KSAT reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Toxic Train Derails in Pennsylvania, Surrounding Area Evacuated
A train carrying toxic materials derailed in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, on Monday morning, prompting local authorities to evacuate the local area.
The 40-car CXS freight train derailment has prompted a Level 2 hazmat response.
As a precaution, homes and businesses in the surrounding area are being evacuated.
Sources told FOX 29 that 15 to 20 cars believed to be carrying hazardous materials derailed in the area.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump to Young Americans: ‘Choose Fascism or Freedom’
In a rousing Speech Saturday at the Turning Point Action conference in West Palm Beach, Donald Trump told young American voters that the upcoming election will be their opportunity to choose whether or not they continue to live in a free country.
“This election will decide whether your generation inherits a fascist country or a free country—whether you will have the rule of tyrants or the rule of law,” Trump told those gathered, adding “whether Marxist radicals burn our civilization to the ground, which they’re looking to do, or young patriots like you propel America to glorious new heights like never before.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson Overrules Fox News, Agrees to Landmark Seven-Figure Deal
Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson has agreed to a landmark seven-figure advertising deal for his new Twitter show.
The deal is with Public Square (PublicSq.), a shopping app for conservatives.
This is the first, or one of the first, deals like this on Twitter.
It shows how serious Carlson is about starting a new video company.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta Starts Blocking Canadian News Sites in Response to Liberal Government’s Shakedown
Recent regulatory changes in Canada have sparked a new digital warfront between tech giants and Canadian news outlets, with popular platforms like Instagram and Meta’s newly-launched app Threads increasingly restricting access to news content after a shakedown attempt from the Canadian government.
Instagram’s obstruction of Canadian news outlets came to light when social media managers in the country encountered a message stating, “People in Canada can’t see this content. In response to Canadian government legislation, news content can’t be viewed in Canada.”
The blockade is slowly rolling out and is yet to hit all news outlets in the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“We Will Bring You Down”: German MP Vows to Dismantle WHO’s Grip on Governments
German MP Christine Anderson last week shredded the World Health Organization, calling it a group of “globalitarian misanthropists” who she — and a group of seven other MPs, have vowed to dismantle in order to oppose the WHO supplanting democratically elected governments.
“An unelected body like who is controlled and run by multi-billionaires should never be allowed to act in place of a democratically elected government,” she said during the Citizen’s Initiative conference in Brussels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
13-Year-Old Girl in Germany Admitted to University: Knows 5 Languages and Studies Quantum Mechanics
Adela Poteri, a 13-year-old student from Hanover, Germany, is being called “the smartest girl in the country.” Recently, she was admitted to Leibniz University in Hanover, according to BILD publication.
Adela has become the youngest student by successfully enrolling in a preparatory course for gifted high school students. While her peers are just finishing the seventh grade, she has already started her studies at the prestigious university.
Not only her early admission to university draws attention, but also her unique skills. At a young age, Adela has already mastered English, Chinese, Korean, Montenegrin, and Bosnian languages. She is also a talented musician, proficient in playing the piano, saxophone, and guitar.
However, Adela’s primary focus lies in her academic interests. She studies quantum mechanics and builds models of elementary particles, atoms, and molecules. She also aspires to earn a doctoral degree in mathematics and physics, with her ultimate dream being to travel to space.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Al Qaeda and ISIS ‘Planning Attacks in the UK’
ISIS and Al Qaeda are plotting attacks in the UK, the government is expected to warn on Tuesday.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman will describe terrorism by Islamist extremists as “the predominant threat” facing British security in an update to Contest, the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy.
She will say states including Russia pose an increasing threat and are using terrorism to create division in UK society.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Defense Secretary Calls it Quits
After a four-year tenure as the UK’s Defense Secretary, Ben Wallace will be stepping down at the next Cabinet reshuffle, expected in September.
Wallace, 53, told The Sunday Times he would also not seek re-election as an MP at the next general election, but ruled out leaving “prematurely,” which would trigger an unwanted by-election for the Tories.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Church of England Schools Propagating Critical Race Theory
A bombshell report released earlier this month has revealed that anti-white critical race theory (CRT) curriculum is being taught to young students at Church of England schools, whose educators are teaching white kids that they “benefit from the systematic oppression of People of Colour through racist policies and practice.”
The revelation comes nearly three years after Kemi Baden, then the minister of women and equality, told other British MPs during a debate in the House of Commons that teachers who propagate the concept of white privilege as a fact to their students are breaking the law. In 2020, Kemi reminded the UK Parliament that the government is against “the teaching of contested political ideas as if they are accepted fact,” adding that educators should not be teaching their white pupils about “inherited racial guilt.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Climate Activists Escalate Actions: Cars Set Ablaze in Germany
Climate activists in Germany have significantly escalated their actions, going beyond traffic blockades and deciding to demolish cars. However, unlike before when they focused only on tires, this time they set new vehicles on fire.
According to the Bavarian public broadcaster Der Bayerische Rundfunk (BR), activists set fire to two new SUVs in Munich, not even hesitating when one of them had an electric motor under the hood. They threaten that this is just the beginning. They have more plans.
Climate activists in Germany have transitioned from sporadic traffic blockades to paralyzing major traffic arteries and entire cities during peak hours, including Berlin. They have also resorted to vandalism that not only affects automotive traffic but also cultural heritage. For example, neighboring countries were shaken by the damage to a painting by the Early Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, claimed by the Last Generation movement.
However, the extremists who identify themselves as climate activists have once again escalated their actions. Der Bayerische Rundfunk (BR) reports a new case of vandalism in which two brand-new BMW X5 vehicles were set on fire in Munich.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Criminals Have a ‘Licence to Shoplift’ as Police Give Up Enforcing Law, Laments UK Retail Chief
Criminals have been given a “licence to shoplift” in the UK as police resources are spent elsewhere, warned the head of a major retailer.
Dame Sharon White, the chairwoman of John Lewis & Partners, which operates department stores and the upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose in the UK has warned of increased criminality, including shoplifting and assaults on retail workers amid the cost of living crisis. She stated that assaults on employees at Waitrose had doubled since 2020.
Citing research from the British Retail Consortium, Dame Sharon noted that there are 850 incidents of abuse or violence at retail stores in Britain every day. In the year leading up to April, retailers throughout the country lost a record high £950 million to shoplifting and theft, up from £663 million during the previous year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Lacks a Single Combat-Ready Division — Reuters
Currently, Berlin does not have a single combat-ready division which typically consists of over 20,000 troops, according Reuters. However, Germany plans to have the first of three divisions operational by 2025, with the second following in 2027.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the evolving geopolitical landscape, Germany is making significant strides to bolster its military capabilities. Army Chief Alfons Mais has expressed confidence that Germany will possess the best equipped army division among its European NATO allies by 2025.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Scholz: AfD Will Not Perform Better in the Net Federal Election Than in the Last One
Days ago in a press conference, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) commented on the AfD’s sky-high popularity in the polls, which has been going on for weeks. “I am quite confident that the AfD will not do much differently in the next federal election than in the last one,” he said in Berlin on Friday. In September 2021, the party came to 10.3 percent, in current polls, it is between 17 and 21 percent — the second strongest political force in Germany behind the Union and ahead of the SPD.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Half of German Medium-Sized Businesses Want to Shut Down or Move Abroad as Confidence Crisis Grows
Almost one in two German medium-sized businesses are considering closure or moving abroad, citing too much red tape and higher taxes.
The damning indictment of Germany’s business climate was revealed in a survey conducted by the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW).
According to the poll, 26 percent of all medium-sized company directors across Europe’s powerhouse have considered shutting down their business, while 22 percent have expressed interest in moving their operations abroad.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A German national of Afghan origin was arrested on Saturday evening at Hamburg Central Station after a luggage check found the suspect in possession of a suitcase full of weapons including machetes, knives, and a hatchet.
Scissors and a retractable baton were also discovered in his belongings.
The man was detained following a routine inspection carried out at around 11:15 p.m., a police spokesman confirmed. Hamburg Central Station had been a location targeted by authorities for on-the-spot checks for weapons over the weekend with 120 on-duty police officers carrying out more than 650 checks on unassuming passengers.
A total of 14 individuals were found to have been in violation of the no-weapons policy.
The suspect was reportedly known to the authorities and is considered an Islamist threat, according to Germany’s Bild newspaper. The 20-year-old remains in custody as a wider investigation into the matter is conducted by the State Criminal Police Office.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New French Military Support for Ukraine? Irresponsible! Says Le Pen
A few days before the Bastille Day celebrations of July 14th, President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to step up France’s military support for Ukraine—by sending SCALP missiles. This decision prompted questions, and disapproval, from part of the French political class for its recklessness. Marine Le Pen, leader of the Rassemblement National MPs, described the decision as “irresponsible.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, while speaking on his usual Friday morning Kossuth Radio’s Good Morning slot, said: “After the NATO summit, it looks like the war will drag on. We hardly speak with the voice of peace. War and sanctions do not disappear from our lives.”
“The war will drag on,” he told the news outlet, adding that the West is very much interested in the fact that the Russian-Ukrainian war is far from over. They are not interested in peace, he said.
“At the NATO summit, we still did not receive an answer to the question as to why the US doesn’t want that,” the prime minister said.
He did breathe a single sigh of relief, saying that had the alliance “accepted Ukraine into NATO, it would have meant an immediate world war.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Extinction Rebellion Trash Super Yacht, Nightclub and Private Jet in the Balearics
A group of activists against climate crisis and members of the Futuro Vegetal movement, targeted a super yacht in Ibiza on Sunday.
The sprayed paint on the mega-yacht Kaos, owned by Nancy Walton Laurie, the billionaire heiress of the Walmart company.
At 9 a.m., two activists from the group used fire extinguishers to spray paint on the yacht moored in the port of Ibiza, an action which, according to Futuro Vegetal in a press release, is part of the campaign “Jets and Yachts, the party is over”, organised by Extinction Rebellion Ibiza, which is calling for a ban on private jets and an end to luxury emissions.
The yacht was built in 2017 and is valued at 300 million euros.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: El Autocrata: Documenting the Legacy of Prime Minister Sanchez
In the context of Spain’s fast-approaching elections on the 23rd of July, a recently released documentary titled The Autocrat has attracted some controversy.
It describes a few of the ways in which Spain’s incumbent Socialist PM, Pedro Sanchez, has concentrated power in his office and violated electoral promises.
After complaining that the ministry of culture was attempting to suppress the film and exerting undue influence on cinemas not to screen it, the documentary’s director, Carlos Hernando, has chosen to make it free to host, download, and reproduce.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The EU is “Rife” With Corruption — Fidesz MEP
During a plenary debate on a report concerning access to public documents from 2019 to 2021, Balazs Hidvéghi, a Fidesz MEP, criticized the European Union, claiming that it is plagued by corruption. Hidvéghi argued that those who consider themselves “champions of the rule of law” should first address the issues within their own ranks before lecturing member states, as reported by About Hungary.
Hidvéghi highlighted that corruption cases within the EU institutions in Brussels were abundant, and discussions regarding the adherence to the rule of law were infrequent. He pointed out that the state of the rule of law within the EU was rarely a topic of discussion. In contrast, he mentioned recent high-profile corruption cases, including the arrest of a Vice-President and a member of the European Parliament, emphasizing that other top officials in the European Commission had also been found to have misused their power. Hidvéghi deemed their acceptance of gifts and financial contributions as unacceptable and indefensible.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Head of the European Union Has Decided Not to Invite Zelensky to the EU Summit
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has decided not to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the European Union and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit. This information was reported by the Spanish newspaper Vanguardia on July 17.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Man Who Threatened to Burn Holy Books Outside the Israeli Embassy in Sweden Abandons the Plan
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The man who said he would burn the Torah and the Bible outside the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm gave up his plan and instead held a one-person demonstration on Saturday against the burning of holy books, the media reported.
At the scene, he said he was a Muslim and threw a lighter he held in his hand to the ground, saying he never intended to burn holy books.
The man, who is in his 30s and had been issued a permit for the protest by Stockholm police, said such an action would be against the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and that he “will not burn,” according to the Swedish news agency TT.
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The President of Bulgaria Has Accused Ukraine of Waging a War for Which “All of Europe is Paying”
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev accused Ukraine of “insisting” on waging a war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. This information was reported by “Radio Svobodna Evropa.”
“Ukraine insists on continuing this war, but Europe is paying the price,” said the President.
This is a new thesis from the head of state regarding the war. Until now, Radev had called on Bulgaria to maintain a position of “neutrality.”
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Radev has been defending positions close to those of the Kremlin. He often uses the word “conflict” instead of “war” and states that he opposes providing weapons for the defense of Kyiv. He also opposes economic sanctions against Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Turkish Nationalists Threaten Sweden’s NATO Bid
Despite being the strongest parliamentary ally to Erdogan’s ruling AKP in Ankara, the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) is unhappy with the president’s approval of Stockholm’s NATO membership, the Swedish daily Samnytt wrote on Sunday, July 16th. If the MHP were to vote against ratification in October, it could jeopardize Sweden’s entire accession process.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Police Websites Shared Data on Crime Victims With Meta
It has emerged that the UK’s largest police force, the Metropolitan Police, has been sharing sensitive data, about victims and witnesses reporting crimes via its website, with social media giant Meta for the purposes of targeted advertising. The information was gleaned using a tracking tool, Meta Pixel, which is freely offered by Facebook.
The data-sharing was discovered during an analysis of police websites across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland conducted by the Observer. This sophisticated tracking tool captured data from users accessing secure online forms to report criminal offenses such as sexual assaults and domestic abuse.
When users clicked on links to report such crimes, Facebook received details including the type of crime being reported, the user’s browsing time, and their Facebook account ID code.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Just Stop Oil Supported Disrupts Own Graduation Ceremony at University of Exeter
A Just Stop Oil supported disrupted his own graduation ceremony at the University of Exeter on Monday, 17 July. The group said they staged the action as a cll for students to “take action against the UK government’s plans to licence new oil and gas projects.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Plan to Build Mega-Mosque on London’s Iconic Piccadilly Square Back Again
Plans to build a major new mosque in the historic tourist centre of London thought defeated in 2020 have gained a new lease of life, with Westminster Council approving a variation of the plans — allegedly “on the quiet” — to see an iconic building kitted out for worship.
The London Trocadero, a central London property known from countless tourist photographs and once a major tourist attraction in its own right, is set to have a new mosque built inside. Owned, as previously reported, by Malawian-born, London-based billionaire developer Asif Aziz, the Trocadero is to get what is said to be three floors of worship space with capacity for 390.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Tyre Extinguishers to Target E-SUVs— ‘What Matters is How History Judges it’
The Tyre Extinguishers have suggested it will target hybrid and electric SUVs as its numbers grow.
Environmental Journalist John Gibbons told Newstalk Breakfast the Tyre Extinguishers do not discriminate in the SUVs whose tyres they deflate.
“The key point they’re trying to make is that SUVs are a really bad idea, and they have drawn attention to that fact,” he said.
“All the gains we’ve achieved in the electrification of cars have been wiped out by the fact that car manufacturers have flooded the market with SUVs.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Videos: Germans Have Had it With Eco Protesters Sitting in the Road
Everyday people in Germany are done with tolerating climate alarmists sitting in the road preventing them from going about their daily business. Several videos have emerged over the past few days showing drivers almost running over the ‘protesters’ and dragging them out of the way by their hair.
The eco loons have seized on the fact that its hot and sunny in Europe (during the height of Summer) to further spew their mantra that the world is about to end.
And they’re doing it, as usual, by sitting in the road, or even gluing themselves to the roads.
Germany has seen a spate of such protests recently, but people are having none of it anymore.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iran’s Morality Police Return After Protests in a New Campaign to Impose Islamic Dress on Women
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian authorities on Sunday announced a new campaign to force women to wear the Islamic headscarf and morality police returned to the streets 10 months after the death of a woman in their custody sparked nationwide protests.
The morality police had largely pulled back following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last September, as authorities struggled to contain mass protests calling for the overthrow of the theocracy that has ruled Iran for over four decades.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Evidence implicating Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in a mass kidnapping operation and forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers to Belarus has been passed to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), an organization created in Belarus back in 2020 to oversee the transfer of power from the Belarusian leader to a new president, announced it had submitted documentation regarding the “unlawful displacement of more than 2,100 children from 15 Ukrainian towns” to camps in Belarus for “ideological re-education” late last month.
It is now alleged that Lukashenko was involved in approving the financing of this operation, and evidence implicating the Belarusian president is now with the international court located in The Hague, Netherlands, according to reports from The Telegraph newspaper.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Crimea Kerch Bridge Again Bombed, Reports of Fatalities
Traffic on the key bridge connecting Crimea to Russia´s mainland was halted on Monday after reports of explosions.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Prigozhin’s Wagner Group Back in Action
According to the Telegram channel of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner group has already started training the Belarusian army and its reservists. The notorious mercenaries are camped in Osipovichi, not far from the Lithuanian border, to the obvious alarm of the nearby Baltic states.
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense has prepared a roadmap for cooperation with the Wagner PMC, the ministry’s press service announced at the weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia’s War Against Ukraine Will be Biden’s Afghanistan 2.0
As military and political leaders of 31 member nations are gathering in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the annual NATO summit to discuss strategic security threats facing the alliance, one crucial issue will not be on the agenda. There will be no discussion about how to end the bloody war in Ukraine, which crossed the 500-day mark on Saturday. Quite the opposite, it’s becoming obvious to any serious analyst that the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the biggest war in Europe since World War II, is turning into Biden’s — and Putin’s for that matter — Afghanistan 2.0. That is, there’s no end to it. At least for the foreseeable future.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Russia to Overtake Saudi Arabia as Top Oil Producer — Iea
Russia is about to surpass Saudi Arabia as the top OPEC+ crude producer, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly oil market report last week.
Saudi Arabia’s total crude output should drop to 9 million barrels a day (bpd) through July and August, after it decided to prolong its production cut in an effort to balance prices, according to IEA estimates.
This volume of output would be the lowest the kingdom has produced in two years and would make Russia the top oil producer in the OPEC+ group of crude exporters, the agency said.
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Russia Suspends Black Sea Grain Deal With Ukraine
July 17 (UPI) — Russia said Monday it had terminated an agreement allowing Ukraine to ship out grain from its ports in the Black Sea.
Announcing the cancelation hours before the latest in a series of extensions was due to expire, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov held out the prospect that the agreement could be revived, the official TASS news agency reported.
“The Black Sea agreements are no longer in effect. The deadline, as the Russian president said earlier, is July 17. Unfortunately, the part of the Black Sea agreement that concerns Russia has not yet been fulfilled. As a result, it has been terminated,” Peskov said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Economy Continues to Grow, Despite Euroatlantic Sanctions
This year, the Russian economy is set to grow roughly as much as the European one, and the extensive sanctions against the country are not working as the West had hoped.
The USA and the EU have on several occasions introduced comprehensive sanctions packages against Russia following the onset of the war in Ukraine in February last year.
However, several sectors have been left out, and the Russian economy is nowhere near as badly affected as Western leaders hoped for.
Despite the economic sanctions and an obviously costly war in Ukraine, last year Russia had a surplus on the current account with foreign countries of close to NOK 2,300 billion.
It was an increase of a whopping 86 percent from the previous year and the highest profit ever thanks to high prices for the country’s leading export product, oil and gas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russians Flee Crimea After Kerch Bridge Strike as Queues Stretch for Miles
Thousands are fleeing Crimea after an attack on the Kerch bridge that connects the annexed peninsula to Russia caused part of the structure to collapse on Monday morning.
A couple was killed and their daughter was injured in the attack on the Kerch Strait bridge which resulted in the collapse of a span of its roadway. It marked the second attack on the strategically vital bridge since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia blamed Ukraine for Monday’s attack, and an explosion on the bridge in October 2022. Kyiv hasn’t claimed responsibility for the incident, but Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda cited an unnamed source in Ukraine’s Security Service as saying that the attack was a special operation by the Security Service of Ukraine and naval forces.
Tourists and residents are leaving the Black Sea peninsula—which was illegally annexed by Putin in 2014—en masse, with traffic stretching for miles, the Russian-language service of The Moscow Times reported, noting that according to Google Maps, the size of a traffic jam at 2 p.m. Moscow time exceeded 9 kilometers (5.5 miles).
The attack halted road traffic on the Kerch bridge. Russian authorities have advised people seeking to leave Crimea quickly to take roads through Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, which would likely add hundreds of miles to the journey of travelers returning to Russia.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Cluster bombs, F-16s, and the Kerch Bridge attack all mean the war will continue to escalate.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Former deputy of the Supreme Council (parliament), leader of the local Communist Party and Union of Opposition Forces, Oleg Khorzhan, was killed in Transnistria. This information was reported today, July 17, on social media by Mark Tkachuk, the leader of the Civil Congress of Moldova, as well as by Gennady Zyuganov, the chairman of the Communist Party of Russia. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Transnistria confirmed this information.
“On Monday, July 17, at approximately 11:30 am, the police received a report that a body with signs of violent death had been found at the place of residence — in a private house in the village of Sukleya,” the ministry’s press service clarified. Currently, an investigative-operational group is working at the scene. The Investigative Committee of Transnistria has initiated a criminal case.
“A tragedy! Oleg Khorzhan was brutally killed tonight,” Tkachuk wrote on social media without providing any details. The Telegram channel of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation also reported on the death of the Transnistrian oppositionist and demanded that law enforcement agencies start investigating the incident. “Tonight, our leader of the Transnistrian Communist Party, Oleg Khorzhan, died… He was killed at home, and we demand an immediate investigation and clarification,” Zyuganov said during a press conference dedicated to the results of the spring session of the State Duma and the tasks of the party in the new political season.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two Killed in Apparent Attack on Crimean Bridge; Russia Vows to Retaliate
July 17 (UPI) — A mother and father from Russia’s Belgorod region were killed and their daughter was injured Monday morning on the strategically important Crimean Bridge, said Russian officials, who accused Ukraine of attacking the structure and vowed to retaliate.
The cause of the parents’ deaths and the halt in traffic on the Crimean Bridge that connects Russia with Ukraine’s Kremlin-occupied Crimean Peninsula was not immediately clear, but Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, blamed it on “the terrorist regime in Kyiv.”
“Our secretary of defense has promised strikes against criminal decision-making centers,” he said in a statement on Telegram.
Russia’s Ministry of Transportation reported the bridge was damaged and that vehicle traffic had come to a halt, but railway traffic was still able to function.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
During the first two weeks of the Ukrainian offensive, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 20 percent of their military equipment, including Western tanks and armored personnel carriers that were involved in combat, according to The New York Times, citing American and European officials.
The sources state that after the initial strike, which resulted in significant losses for the UAF, Ukrainian forces slowed down their offensive to assess the situation.
In the subsequent weeks, according to the newspaper’s sources, the Ukrainian command changed tactics, and the combat losses of Ukraine significantly decreased. This allowed the UAF to retain more troops and equipment for an upcoming major offensive.
Currently, as reported by the newspaper, the UAF is focused on wearing down the Russian army, including through missile and artillery strikes on their rear positions. However, the pace of the offensive has slowed, and in some directions, it has even come to a halt.
The New York Times emphasizes that it is still too early to draw conclusions about a counteroffensive. According to former NATO Assistant Secretary-General Camille Grand, the losses suffered by the UAF and the decrease in the pace of their advancement do not mean that the offensive is “doomed to fail.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attack on Crimean Bridge
Two people were killed and another injured on Monday, July 17th, in what Ukrainian security services, SBU, said was an attack carried out by its forces to disrupt the use of the Kerch Bridge, a strategic 19-kilometer bridge that connects the Crimean Peninsula to the mainland of the Russian Federation.
Russia’s Antiterrorism Committee asserted that Ukrainian special services—with the help of the U.S. and UK—carried out the attack last night, using unmanned drones on the water’s surface. The blasts appear to have caused considerable damage to one of the bridge sections, causing a partial collapse of a section of the roadway segment of the bridge, which trains travel on as well.
A source in the Ukrainian security services (SBU) confirmed to AFP on Monday that the attack was indeed carried out by the Ukrainian special services and naval forces using unmanned naval drones.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine’s counteroffensive is not going according to plan, and it has thus switched to attempting to wear the Russians down mostly in terms of material costs, as Russia is paying nearly $1 billion a day to wage this war, says Hungarian security policy expert Péter Tarjanyi while speaking to news portal Index.
“It has by now become obvious that the spring-summer counteroffensive is not proceeding as planned by the Western allies and Ukraine, and the Russian defense has proved that it is on solid footing,” said Tarjanyi while analyzing the current situation on the front line.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
China Set to Benefit as Global South Lobbies Against EU Carbon Tariffs
A new EU policy to impose carbon taxes on imported products is meeting resistance from the Global South as a new study shows that the new policy could cost the African economy $25 billion in lost annual revenue—roughly four times what the EU gives Africa in developmental aid.
The Carbon Border Adjusted Mechanism (CBAM) will come into effect in October and impose tariffs, over the next three years, on energy-intensive goods based on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in production.
The mechanism aims to encourage non-EU countries to adopt more ambitious climate policies and reduce their carbon emissions but has been blasted by many policy experts and non-European governments as representing a cheap form of climate protectionism that will disproportionately impact poorer regions of the world.
While not yet fully implemented, the CBAM has provoked warnings of a trade war from India. Indian trade representatives said that the policy of carbon tariffs would cripple the import of Indian building materials—including cement and steel—into Europe, and could violate World Trade Organization rules.
Now, multiple African countries, led by South Africa, are lobbying the European Commission at the last minute, describing how the CBAM transfers “the burden of climate action onto developing economies” and could have “unintended consequences” regarding the African continent as the EU attempts to make its green transition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Chinese Army is Developing Neuro-Weapons to Influence World Leaders — the Washington Times
The People’s Liberation Army of China is developing high-tech weapons designed to disrupt brain functions and influence the leaders of governments or entire populations, reported by The Washington Times, citing a report by three analysts.
“This weapon could be used for direct attacks or brain manipulation using microwave or other directed energy weapons, which can be incorporated into handheld pistols or larger weapons firing electromagnetic beams”, according to the publication.
The article emphasizes that the threat of Chinese weapons in conducting “brain warfare” before or during a conflict is no longer just theoretical.
The report also states that the Communist Party of China and the People’s Liberation Army view neuro-strikes and psychological warfare as key components of their strategy against the United States and its allies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
She is also concerned the once sacred Welcome To Country is ‘losing its cultural meaning’ because it is so ‘mainstreamed now’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The leader of an Aboriginal corporation who demanded $2.5 million to approve a two tree-planting events has been dismissed from his role.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland Tries to Justify New Censorship Law
Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is trying to push back against claims by Coalition MPs that the proposed upcoming legislation would lead to an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth.”
The newly proposed legislation aims to strengthen the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) abilities to manage digital platforms that are seen to propagate “misinformation and disinformation.” However, critics rightly know that the move will threaten the very essence of free speech.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Commonwealth Bank Scraps Cash Withdrawals and Deposits at Special Branches Across Australia
Teller cash transactions have been discontinued at some metropolitan locations including Commonwealth Bank Place in the centre of Sydney.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Daniel Andrews Cancels 2026 Commonwealth Games: ‘Biggest Setback for Victoria in Decades’
The cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to be held in regional Victoria by Premier Daniel Andrews has been slammed as a huge ‘setback for Victoria’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
A little girl who was born with drugs in her system and ingested methamphetamine at just four-months-old was allegedly sexually assaulted by a male relative in June.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
France: ‘Easy Prey’ — Guinean Migrant Pushes Elderly Woman to Her Death on Train Tracks in Paris
A Guinean migrant arrested by anti-crime officers for allegedly pushing an elderly woman to her death on train tracks in Paris on Friday was also accused of a similar crime 12 years ago.
The 40-year-old suspect, Mamadou B., is accused of pushing a 52-year-old Algerian woman onto the train tracks at the RER B Cité Universitaire station in the 14th arrondissement of the capital, with the woman dying shortly after being struck by a train.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Radical Migrant Taxi Ship Captain Put on the Left’s 2024 EU List
In what is a clear signal that the former anti-liberal, pro-workers party Die Linke has capitulatexd to globalist left-liberals, the party has nominated radical migrant taxi Sea Watch captain Carola Rackete for a place on the list for the 2024 EU elections.
Rackete demands more mass migration to Europe, categorically rejects border controls, and is now supposed to move into the EU Parliament for the Left Party. Carola Rackete is drawn to Brussels.
“We are very happy that, in Carola Rackete and Gerhard Trabert, we have succeeded in winning over two well-known and highly committed non-party candidates to run for the Left Party,” said Left Party chairwoman Janine Wissler on Monday at a press conference in Karl-Liebknecht house.
In addition to Rackete, the social medicine doctor Gerhard Trabert was also nominated for the EU elections, who had already run for the office of Federal President for the party in the past.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian FM: EU’s Migration Policy is the Hotbed of People Smugglers’ Success
Péter Szijjartó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the European Union’s migration policy is the hotbed of people smugglers’ success, which makes the infringement procedure launched against Hungary for expelling foreign people smugglers especially hypocritical.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland: Spike in Migrant Accommodation Prompts Tensions
Well over 20,000 migrants who have claimed asylum in Ireland are being housed by the authorities. This represents a growth of more than 14,000 since October 2021.
Figures released this month by the Irish integration department reveal that the vast majority (49%) of those accommodated are single males. Less than 20% are children and just 15% are single females.
The Irish Refugee Council late last year noted that this increase is in part due to the movement of asylum seekers from other EU countries, highlighting that a “generally positive perception of Ireland was also found to be a potential factor.” The government has extended a ban on visa-free travel in an attempt to clamp down on this intra-bloc shifting, citing “unprecedented pressures on our international protection system.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Police Battle Outraged Crowd After Migrants Molest Children at Swimming Pool
Riot police fought back a crowd of outraged locals after a group of male migrants allegedly molested children at a swimming pool in Poland over the weekend, according to reports.
The shocking incident unfolded at around 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon in Bytom, a city near Katowice.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poles Do Not Trust Donald Tusk to Defend the Country From Mass Migration
The leader of the Polish opposition, Donald Tusk, is facing an uphill battle in persuading the Polish electorate to trust him on immigration, recent polling has shown.
With the backdrop of the European Union’s proposed migration pact, the issue of immigration will be one of the main concerns of Polish voters in the election this autumn.
The Polish government has vehemently opposed the plans from Brussels. However, the leader of the Polish opposition, Donald Tusk, recently attempted to change the narrative, accusing the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party of granting work permits to 135,000 migrants “from Muslim countries” last year. However, government data published by the Internal Affairs Ministry debunked this claim, revealing the true figure was closer to 30,000, more than four times lower.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pre-Trial Detention for 6 Tourists With Migration Background Who Gang Raped 18-Year-Old in Spain
Six tourists from Germany, all of whom are said to have migration backgrounds, have been arrested by Spanish police “for gang-raping an 18-year-old woman” on the Spanish island of Mallorca.
A judge in Mallorca, Spain has ordered five holidaymakers from Germany to be held in custody on suspicion of gang rape. While the German media is emphasizing “young Germans,” the Spanish press has long been reporting on suspected perpetrators with a Turkish migration background.
The court in Palma de Mallorca refused to release him on bail, a judicial spokeswoman said on Saturday. A sixth vacationer from Germany was released. According to WDR, the alleged perpetrators reside in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Numerous German media, which otherwise like to omit the origin of suspects, report strikingly explicitly about “young Germans” in this case.
However, other Spanish media reported early on that all the alleged rapists have an immigrant background. The Spanish news outlet Ultima Hora, for example, writes about 21 to 23-year-olds of Turkish origin. BILD, however, wrote that “the six men in custody all have a migration background.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Swedish government on Thursday announced plans to tighten the requirements for family immigration in an attempt to make Sweden a less attractive destination for asylum seekers and reduce the number of new arrivals into the country.
The new proposals are also backed by the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats who keep the Moderate-led coalition in a majority through a confidence-and-supply agreement. One measure would raise the age for when the government can refuse a residence permit for a spouse or common-law partner from 18 to 21 to deter young migrant couples and prevent forced marriages.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The EU’s Population Continues to be Replaced, Official Statistic Reveal
The number of residents in the EU increased again last year. Mass immigration from the third world is the primary reason, according to figures from Eurostat.
At the beginning of 2023, the Eurostat calculated the entire population of the European Union to be 448.4 million people.
It is an increase compared to the year before and at the same time a break from trends witnessed in 2020 and 2021, when the number of inhabitants decreased.
According to Eurostat, the reason for the decrease then was the corona pandemic, which resulted in the fact that, due to various restrictions, it was not as easy to enter the Union illegally to seek asylum or work illegally.
At the same time, the number of Europeans is falling rapidly. In 2022, more people died than were born in the entire EU, which, like net immigration (immigration minus emigration) meant that the Europeans were partly replaced by individuals from various groups belonging to the third world.
Although the numbers speak for themselves, it is still controversial to talk about a population replacement, as the concept is not liked by those who wield power. Regardless of the popularity of the choice of words in circles in power, Eurostats figures make it clear that the Union is in the midst of a population change.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The U.K. Home Office has added several new occupations to a shortages list. This will make it easier for migrants willing to undertake these jobs to acquire a permit to work in Britain, despite the country already experiencing its highest level of immigration on record.
Foreign bricklayers, roofers, and plasterers are encouraged to apply to work in Britain due to a perceived shortage of British workers who are capable of carrying out these trades.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An article published by Forward suggests drugging the population with MDMA to make them less “hateful”.
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Activist Chris Elston says the attacks he’s faced in the past three years are worth the cost of protecting children from what he believes is “the worst child abuse scandal in modern medicine history.”
“A little bit of violence is not that big of a deal when you compare this to what’s going on with kids. So I’ll take it,” he told Fox News Digital.
More popularly known as “Billboard Chris,” Elston has traveled across his homeland of Canada, the United States and Europe having conversations while wearing billboards with messages protesting puberty blockers and gender surgeries for children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
American Tourist’s Challenge to Malta’s Abortion Law Fails
This past June, Malta achieved a double pro-life victory: it resisted the latest attempt to break down its legal protections for the unborn, and it vindicated pro-life medical practice—to the point of enshrining it in law.
Malta is the only country in the European Union where abortion is completely illegal. The latest challenge to the policy came last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Iowa judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state’s “fetal heartbeat ban” just days after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the measure into law.
Iowa’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law last week in a rare, all-day special session. The law prohibits almost all abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, which is usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jury Awards $13 Million to LAPD Officers Accused of Drawing Hitler Mustache on Arrestee
A jury awarded $13.1 million in damages Wednesday to two male Los Angeles police officers who sued the city for gender discrimination, alleging they were singled out in an internal investigation into whoever drew a Hitler-like mustache on an arrestee.
The case stems from a January 2017 incident in which officers Stephen Glick and Alfred Garcia and their two female police partners responded to a suspected drunk driving collision, according to their suit.
The officers arrested a motorist. After he was found passed out in his jail cell, he was taken to an area hospital, the suit says. Two days later, the man lodged a complaint with the police department, alleging that his eyebrows and mustache had been shaved off, and someone had drawn various objects on his body with a sharpie, including a Hitler-style mustache, eyebrows, male genitalia and spelled out a Spanish slur that roughly translates to “male prostitute.”
According to the suit, when the department launched an investigation into the incident, internal affairs detectives automatically cast suspicion on the pair rather than on their female partners.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas Wears ‘Antifa Super Soldier’ Shirt in Instagram Post
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male who identifies as a woman, made his political views clear in a post to Instagram this week.
In the Instagram post, Thomas wore the Antifa supporting shirt, black shorts, and a black BDSM harness.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Trans Activist Attempt at Cancelling Academic Paper Backfires
Pro-gender-theory activists have forced the retraction of an academic paper attributing the exponential increase in gender dysphoria among teenage girls to social contagion, but the opposition has only served to highlight the truth of the research.
Published in March in the prestigious Archives of Sexual Behaviour (Springer Nature), the paper—entitled “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases,”—examines the cases of adolescents and adults who present gender dysphoria as teenagers.
Cases of adolescent girls suddenly telling their parents they are transgender and demanding to start ‘transitioning,’ including taking hormone blockers and having irreversible surgeries, have skyrocketed in recent years. The UK’s National Health Service found that cases of adolescent girls with gender dysphoria have increased tenfold in the last decade.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Teachers Will Have to Notify Parents if ‘Children Want to Change Their Gender’
Parents “can be reassured” that the UK government is going to bring clarity to transgender in schools, with the equalities secretary Kemi Badenoch saying “ it is important that parents are aware of what’s going on with their children”.
Kemi Badenoch, the UK Minister for Women and Equalities who last year was a serious contender to become Prime Minister with support from the conservative right of the Conservative Party before the globalist-centrist wing of the party took back control, has trailered forthcoming changes to guidance for UK schools on transgender issues.
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US Ambassador to Hungary Re-Ignites Diplomatic Row After Budapest Pride Remarks
David Pressman, the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, has reignited the diplomatic row between Washington and Budapest under Joe Biden’s administration after attending the annual Budapest Pride march on Saturday.
In remarks offered to private television channel RTL Klub, Pressman praised a joint statement from 38 nations on the day of the march. The message offered support for the LGBTQ rights of those living in so-called offensive countries such as Hungary, where it claims new laws and political rhetoric creates a hostile environment for LGBTQ individuals.
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Young Woman Jailed for Three Years in Poland for Anti-LGBT Protest Granted Early Release
Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro has condemned a court decision taken by a circuit judge against a young woman who was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for stealing a rainbow-colored bag as a protest against LGBT ideology.
The woman in question was convicted of violent assault and theft, which carries a minimum of a three-year jail sentence. The value of the bag, which in the end was not stolen anyway, was just over €3.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The solution to ” boat people” is obvious.
Sink the boats.
That’s what I have been saying since 2014.
Sink a few boats, they will stop coming.
Sinking the boats is a step in the right direction.
That can’t happen unless the human rights lawyers and judges who prevent any measures to remove orcs already present and keep any more from arriving are first shot. And it goes without saying that the political puppets and their elite puppet masters also need to be given a kinetic farewell.
It will eventually happen. It is inevitable that there will eventually be another dictator or strongman/warlord who will come along ans put an end to this madeness when enough people have had it with the current system.
It but just takes one privateer to take out a few boats. All they have to do is film it and send it worldwide of the results and a warning to the 3rd world orcs that we will no longer tolerate this invasion. Sure you would have the tear streaked human rights brigades screeching about it, but the result is, more people would demand more boats being machine gunned to feed the sharks, the politicians who demand an investigation and arrest of said privateer would id the traitors amongst quicker. Then exploit those politicians and point out to the people what traitors they are and watch the fun begin.
I laughed my butt off when I say the boat people trying to board a cruise ship. They were desparatesly trying to climb but were caught in in the propeller wash and all of them went under the waves.
There is a dirtbag muslim living my highrise building and he was fired from Vanderbilt hospital for sexual attacks on women. He is a rabid Jew hating pos.
I do not like Muslims at all. I have no pity for them at all.
Concerning the proposed mosque at Piccadilly Circus:
“Mosque means the place of war, the place of fighting. Out of the mosques wars should proceed. The Prophet had sword to kill people.”
Ayatollah Khomeini
“Understanding Muhammad: A Psychobiography of Allah’s Prophet”,
By Ali Sina, p.51
Wow, AdElA Poteri speaks “Montenegrin and Bosnian” perfectly !!! Then she must be fluently perfect in “Croatian and Serbian”, too!
.
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Do we want that…?
By Ernst Wolff / APOLUT
Published on: July 17, 2023
Translated from German.
Imagine the world as a huge apartment block. It belongs to an ultra-rich family that lives in a penthouse on top of this block. This family affords itself a life of luxury from the rental income, but lets the block deteriorate so that the living conditions of the tenants become increasingly unbearable.
Finally, strong resentment arises. The first tenants organize and make demands, but the ultra-rich family turns a deaf ear. More and more tenants protest and join forces, and the situation becomes threatening for the family.
Afraid of losing control, the family comes up with a plan: instead of complying with their tenants’ demands, they install loudspeakers throughout the block, warning tenants from now on, day and night, of a contagious disease with terrible consequences. To increase the pressure, the family contacts two scientists living in the block and makes a deal with them: in exchange for proving the dangerous nature of the disease in an expert opinion, they will have their rent waived for six months.
The report actually unsettles the tenants and scares them. The family immediately takes advantage of this and asks them to avoid contact, to follow health rules, and above all: to report neighbors who do not follow the rules. When the family also grants a three-month rent reduction for each report, denunciation flourishes in the block, and the tenants’ cohesion disintegrates.
Over time, however, the narrative of the ultra-dangerous disease also crumbles. In order to be able to continue their life of luxury nonetheless, the family now relies on a different strategy. Under the pretext of wanting to educate its tenants to be more environmentally aware, it raises the rents for garage parking spaces and the ancillary costs. It also explains that no repair work can be carried out on the block for the time being because the workmen cause too much CO2.
In addition, the family has loudspeakers constantly warning of the dangers posed by rising global warming. After some time, each tenant is asked to carry an app to prove their own CO2 footprint. If this footprint is too high, a surcharge will be added to the rent. In addition, tenants will again be granted rent reductions for reporting neighbors who are conspicuous for their excessive energy consumption.
As a result of these measures, the tenants’ living conditions are becoming increasingly unbearable. In the meantime, however, the family has realized that there is even additional money to be made from climate protection: it invests in a start-up company, secures patents on laboratory meat and announces that the tenants will have to do without natural meat because of the high methane emissions from farm animals.
Soon, golden times are dawning for the family. They earn money not only through rental income, but also through their licenses from every piece of artificial meat that is served to their tenants.
When the tenants’ dissatisfaction increases again, the family turns to three teachers who live in the block and makes an agreement with them under the seal of secrecy: It waives their rent in exchange for the teachers launching a campaign to “save the planet,” explaining to the tenants that any resistance to the measures is life-threatening for the entirety of the tenants and that they will face immediate eviction proceedings if they do not comply….
Can it be that our world is currently on the same path as this apartment block? That, like the tenants in this story, we are all allowing ourselves to be bullied and led into disaster by a tiny minority and the hangers-on they have bought?
Shouldn’t we all remember in this situation that it is solely UP TO US to ostracize denunciators and collaborators? That it is OUR decision to unite and finally say no to those who constantly patronize, disenfranchise and gradually dispossess us?
The time for this is more than ripe.
+++
https://tube4.apolut.net/w/jahJbMiThZMw8HQt6pAzP6
Do we want that…?
Or just kill the masters living in the luxury penthouse suite.
The more I consider human nature and just how messed up the world is, the more I have come to believe that most of the problems humanity faces are caused by a lack of killing.
Overproduction of elites has led to this mess where there are far too many elites with far too much money and far too much free time which they fill with schemes that would make a Bond villain recoil in horror.
Welcome to my line of thinking.