The Danish government is reportedly considering a ban on the burning of Korans and other religious texts. Meanwhile, SÄPO, the Swedish security police, warned that Sweden is now a priority target for Islamic terrorists.
In other news, yet another Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow prompted the city’s airport to shut down.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, JW, McN, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Steen, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
More censorship by influential tech platforms such as YouTube has sparked a new controversy, this time centering on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the 2024 Democratic presidential aspirant, and James O’Keefe, the founder of the O’Keefe Media Group.
“Violation of community guidelines” is the reason assigned by YouTube for the removal of their video.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bowe Bergdahl Desertion Conviction Vacated by Judge
On Tuesday, a federal judge vacated the desertion conviction handed down to Bowe Bergdahl by a military court in 2017, citing a potential conflict of interest involving the military judge.
The former United States Army soldier abandoned his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban, who tortured him for years. During the rescue attempt, many of his colleagues were injured. Upon returning to the US, he pleaded guilty and was court-martialed, but avoided jail time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Devon Archer, who is set to testify before Congress on Monday as to what he knows about the business relationship between Joe Biden and his son Hunter, is the subject of a letter from the Department of Justice to the Southern District of New York on Saturday.
Archer’s attorney said that Archer intends to report to Congress on Monday as planned. “We are aware of speculation that the Department of Justice’s weekend request to have Mr. Archer report to prison is an attempt by the Biden administration to intimidate him in advance of his meeting with the House Oversight Committee,” Archer’s attorney said in a statement, per Politico.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Mass Shooting: Woman Killed, 8 Others Wounded in North Lawndale
CHICAGO — A woman was killed and eight others were wounded in a mass shooting on Chicago’s West Side early Sunday morning.
Chicago police say a group of women was gathered in the North Lawndale neighborhood in the 1500 block of South Keeler Avenue around just before 1 a.m. when people got out of a black Jeep and began shooting.
A 21-year-old woman was shot in the face. She was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
A 28-year-old woman was shot eight times in her torso, according to police. She was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
Seven other women were wounded in the shooting. Each was listed in good condition at Mount Sinai and Stroger Hospitals, according to police.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive — Rep. Nancy Mace: I Believe ‘We Are Headed’ to a Biden Impeachment Inquiry
The Republican-led House is likely “headed” to a Biden impeachment inquiry, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said during an interview on Breitbart News Saturday.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has openly spoken about the possibility of conducting an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, and Mace appears to be on board, deeming the impeachment inquiry a “good tool in the toolbox to leverage, because the DOJ and IRS and FBI keep stonewalling us.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Law Banning Librarians From Exposing Minors to ‘Harmful’ Material
A federal judge has blocked the state of Arkansas from enforcing a law that would have subjected libraries and booksellers to criminal charges if they provided “harmful” materials to minors.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which was set to take effect Aug. 1.
Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the measure into law earlier this year. A coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System challenged the law, saying fear of prosecution under the measure could prompt libraries and booksellers to no longer carry titles that could be challenged.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ford’s Losses on Electronic Vehicles Are Now Projected to Hit $4.5 Billion This Year
The Ford Motor Company revealed in its second-quarter financial results on Thursday that a $4.5 billion loss has been projected for its line of electric vehicles (EVs). Almost twice as much as its $2.1 billion loss on its Model E division in 2022.
Despite the losses in EVs, Ford posted a $1.9 billion net income bringing in $45 billion in net revenue. Its commercial division, Ford Pro, earned $2.4 billion, and its gas and hybrid division, Ford Blue, earned $2.3 billion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former New York Democratic Lawmaker Joins Republican Party
A New York Jewish leader who served as a Democratic lawmaker for decades announced that he is switching to the Republican party stating that members of his former party have been “radicalized” and “turned their back” on the Jewish people.
Dov Hikind, who served 36 years in the New York State Assembly and founded Americans Against Antisemitism, tweeted “It’s official: My wife and I have switched our party affiliation from Democrat to Republican!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Musk Says X Won’t Leave San Francisco Despite City Facing ‘Doom Spiral’
Billionaire Elon Musk says Twitter — the social media company he is in the midst of rebranding as “X” — will keep its headquarters in San Francisco despite the “doom loop” the city is facing as big-name businesses head for the exits.
Musk, who led a group of investors in acquiring Twitter that took the company private in a $44 billion deal last year, tweeted Saturday the company’s headquarters will remain in San Francisco despite receiving offers aimed at enticing the company to relocate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NCLA Embraces Rumble After YouTube Censors Video of Lawyers Discussing the Missouri v. Biden Case
In an ironic turn of events, the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a key party in the lawsuit against President Biden’s social media censorship collusion, found their video removed from YouTube, citing “medical misinformation” as the cause. Responding to this development, the NCLA has decided to utilize Rumble, the emerging free speech platform, to share its content.
The NCLA, a nonprofit civil rights organization, has been at the forefront of battling governmental overreach and infringement on civil liberties. Its recent video that aimed to address social media censorship was taken down by YouTube, sparking another layer of controversy to the ongoing debate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Only 1 in 4 Americans Enjoy “Being Social”
International Friendship Day will be celebrated today July 30. To mark it, Statista’s Anna Fleck looks at data from a Statista Consumer Insights survey to see where “socializing” is most often considered a hobby in different countries around the world.
As the following chart shows, Germans, and to a slightly lesser extent the Danish and Spanish, are particularly likely to include spending time with others as one of their main personal pastimes.
By contrast, respondents in the United States and in urban India were far less likely to consider socializing as one of their top hobbies, with only around one in four picking the option.
In the U.S., just some of the hobbies which were selected by a higher share of people included cooking and baking (40 percent of respondents), reading (36 percent), pets (34 percent), video gaming (33 percent) and outdoor activities (31 percent).
In the U.S. at least, a slightly higher share of women said socializing was one of their hobbies (27 percent) versus men (23 percent).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Penn State Abington Student Indicted for Lying About Ties to ISIS Terrorists
Federal authorities have charged a sophomore at Pennsylvania State University’s Abington campus with lying about his contacts with ISIS sympathizers and assistance he gave to the plotters of an averted terrorist attack in Chicago last year.
Kamal Fataliev, 19, of Philadelphia, posted more than 200 bomb, poison, and weapons-making manuals to multiple terrorism-related chat groups while working part-time and attending business classes at the university, prosecutors said.
His involvement came to light after the FBI disrupted the Chicago plot and discovered more than 700 messages between him and one of the suspects last year. And yet, when agents confronted him about those contacts, Fataliev twice lied about his involvement, according to court papers filed in conjunction with his arrest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Photos Show Barack Obama Playing Golf With Bandaged Hand, Black Eye
Last week, Barack Obama’s private chef, Tafari Campbell, fell off his paddle board and sank below the surface of Edgartown Great Pond. His drowned body was recovered on Monday morning in the water off the former president’s Martha’s Vineyard estate. Currently, there’s no foul play suspected, and it’s worth noting that Campbell was not wearing a lifejacket.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has announced an “official criminal referral” to the Department of Justice with regard to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Paul pointed to an email from February 2020 in which Fauci detailed a call with British medical researcher Jeremy Farrar, who was director of the Wellcome Trust at the time. According to Fauci, those on the task-force call, including Francis Collins, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, and other “highly credible” scientists with expertise in evolutionary biology, expressed concern about the “fact upon viewing the sequences of several isolates of the nCoV, there were mutations in the virus that would be most unusual to have evolved naturally in the bats and that there was a suspicion that this mutation was intentionally inserted.”
“The suspicion was heightened by the fact that scientists in Wuhan University are known to have been working on gain-of-function experiments to determine the molecular mechanisms associated with bat viruses adapting to human infection, and the outbreak originated in Wuhan,” Fauci wrote, according to a screenshot of the newly unredacted email shared by RealClearPolitics White House reporter Philip Wegmann.
“This directly contradicts everything he said in committee hearing to me, denying absolutely that they funded any gain of function, and it’s absolutely a lie. That’s why I sent an official criminal referral to the DOJ,” Paul wrote on “X,” formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The NSA Wants Congress to Allow Mass Purchase of Warrantless Data
In a contentious move, the National Security Agency (NSA) is advocating for lawmakers to retain the option of collecting sensitive data from commercial brokers, rather than obtaining warrants specifically for this purpose.
This is in response to an amendment set forth by US representatives Warren Davidson and Sara Jacobs to prevent military agencies from acquiring data that would normally warrant a court order.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP frontrunner President Donald Trump took aim at the Biden administration’s rush to war during his speech in Erie, PA on Saturday.
“Congress should immediately vote to block Joe Biden’s recent call-up of reserve forces,” he said, noting the recent call-up of reserves by the Biden administration. Earlier in July, Biden called up military reserve units to deploy to active duty in Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The Pentagon later approved hazard pay for troops stationed in Ukraine, backdating that to April 2023. The amount is up to an additional $225 per month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Uber Driver Stabbed Couple Over Vomiting in Her Car, Lawsuit Says
A married couple is suing Uber Technologies Inc., alleging a driver for the ride-hailing company stabbed them after one of the plaintiffs vomited in her car in 2022.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed by Lilit Hakobyan and Khachatur Aspoyan alleges assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligent hiring, retention, supervision and training. The plaintiffs, parents of three children, seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
An Uber representative did not reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Friday.
According to the complaint, the couple were being driven home last Sept. 25 after a night out with friends when Hakobyan became nauseous during the trip and vomited in the vehicle’s back seat.
The plaintiffs apologized and offered to pay the Uber driver to clean the vehicle, but the driver instead “became extremely aggressive” and refused to take pair home, the suit states.
“Plaintiffs protested and begged the driver take them to their destination and ensured that the driver would be adequately compensated for her troubles,” according to the suit.
Rather than de-escalate the situation, the driver took out a knife and stabbed her passengers multiple times and both needed medical care, the suit states.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Come Meet Tamara Lich at Her Book Signing Tour in Toronto!
Have you heard a freedom fighter named Tamara? No, not me, but rather Tamara Lich. And she’s got a book tour happening now.
For a limited time, you have the opportunity to join Tamara and some of your favourite Rebels in person to mingle during her cross-country summer book tour. Head on over to TheConvoyBook.com to find an event near you and order your book and get it signed in person.
For the next few weeks, you can join Tamara Lich on various stops throughout her cross-Canada tour and support her new book, “Hold The Line: My story from the heart of the Freedom Convoy“.
One particular event will take place this coming Tuesday, August 1, at the beautiful Eglinton Grand in Toronto. At this event, you’ll have the opportunity to socialize with Rebel Commander Ezra Levant, Mission Specialist David Menzies and myself, Tamara Ugolini.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gone But Not Forgotten: Garnet Harper’s Preventable Death Will Not be in Vain
A needless and senseless death has occurred in Sudbury, Ontario because of the continued enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
35-year-old Garnet Harper, a happily married father of five, died following complications of prolonged dialysis after he was denied a referral for an organ transplant due to his unvaccinated status.
Garnet’s untimely death in May of this year, just a few weeks before his 36th birthday, was easily preventable if he had of been put on the organ transplant list, which both of his brothers bravely and readily volunteered to assist for.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Health Canada Finally Admits That COVID May Have Started From a ‘Lab Incident’
After three years of projection, Health Canada is willing to accept that COVID started in a Chinese lab, despite not knowing the precise cause.
Canada has long taken China for its word on the likely origin of the respiratory virus. Officials have consistently claimed it originated from human contact with infected mammals at Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.
The Origin Of The Covid-19 Pandemic briefing note from Health Canada deemed it “plausible” that either “a domestic animal, a wild animal or a domesticated wild animal” started COVID.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Liberals Blew Through Nearly $340m on COVID Jails
The tally for the forced quarantine incarcerations of returning international travellers in hotels allocated as the 38 designated quarantine facilities (DQFs) rests at $334 million over three years.
A report published in Blacklock’s Reporter notes the cost to taxpayers worked out to $17,500 per traveller for the often three-day stay in a DQF while travellers awaited the results of a clear COVID-19 test.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lorne Gunter on Trudeau’s Failed ‘Bail Reform’ Policies
On last night’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, Ezra spoke with Edmonton Sun columnist Lorne Gunter about how Trudeau’s failed ‘bail reform’ policies have led to a surge of violent attacks nationwide.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over three in five Canadians want a public inquiry into the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study suggests.
More than 60% of 1,000 adults surveyed by Research Co. said they would approve of such an inquiry, according to the Toronto Star.
A hypothetical federal inquiry was also the subject of a series of articles published earlier this week in the influential British Medical Journal. The authors of the series said the Canadian government was to blame for “major pandemic failures,” and said an independent inquiry should be commissioned in order to provide accountability and draw proper conclusions for future public health emergencies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Nuclear Armageddon’ and ‘Climate Change’ Declared Biggest Threats to Canadian Security: Reports
Though a Privy Council briefing note says Arctic security is “more important than ever,” Ottawa has only assigned 300 soldiers, sailors and aircrew to cover the vast region.
“Geopolitical competition, rapid technological changes and the changing Arctic landscape make defending this strategically important region, its people and our interests more important than ever,” said the April 26 note, Arctic Security.
In January, Ottawa committed upgrades to a northern military airstrip in Inuvik, Northwest Territories to bolster its presence amid escalating threats from China and Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Monday, Aylmer, Ontario Pastor Henry Hildebrandt posted a short two-minute video to Twitter of his thoughts on the recent tragic death of Garnet Harper. The Sudbury father of five young children died of treatable kidney disease because he was refused a transplant due to his vaccination status.
Hildebrandt, a pastor at The Church of God in Elgin County near London, Ontario, joins the growing call for Canadians to take action against what some people have called a “social murder” by the government on all levels. The pastor says Canadians should consider withholding their organ donations until everyone is considered equal, including those who declined to take the mRNA COVID vaccinations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Overhauls Cabinet Amidst Growing Tension and Scandals
In a significant and strategic move, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made substantial changes to his cabinet, dropping seven ministers and reshuffling almost three-quarters of his team. This major cabinet overhaul comes at a time when international tensions are on the rise, and domestic controversies are brewing within Canada.
The reshuffling has garnered widespread attention, especially as recent polls indicate the Liberal Party losing ground to the Conservative Party. Notably, four veteran ministers who were dropped from the cabinet had already announced their decision not to seek re-election. These developments have prompted discussions about political motives and electoral strategies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RCMP Receives $15 Million From Taxpayers to Study ‘Systemic Racism’
Canada’s RCMP is spending millions of dollars to study how policing is systemically racist towards minorities while ironically collecting “race-based data.”
A May 5 order paper question filed by Conservative MP John Brassard uncovered taxpayers would fund the RCMP $15.2 million to “address systemic racism” within the police force.
“This project will collect, analyze and communicate race-based data to address systemic racism and discrimination and to improve the cultural awareness of employees and the ability to provide culturally competent policing,” reads a federal government briefing note.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is putting parents first after mandating her education team explore ways for parents to “appropriately provide” input on school policies.
On Tuesday, Smith directed Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides to review how parent-school councils can work better with educators to formulate school policies and learning options.
“Alberta’s United Conservative government is committed to improving education in our province,” Nicolaides told reporters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
StatsCan: Violent Crime at Highest Level Since 2007
According to new data released by Statistics Canada, violent crime in Canada has reached its highest level in 15 years.
A July 27 report found a 4% uptick in police-reported crime in Canada last year. The Violent Crime Severity Index (CSI) also increased by 5% after a 6% increase in 2021.
Of the reported crimes, StatsCan found a higher number of reported robberies (15%), extortions (39%), homicides (8%), and sexual assaults (3%) committed over the same period.
In contrast, rates of other non-violent violations fell year-over-year, including drug offences (-17%), identity fraud (-11%), identity theft (-8%), impaired driving (-3%) and administration of justice violations (-2%).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Aaron Gunn’s New Documentary, ‘The End of Free Speech in Canada’
Canadian filmmaker Aaron Gunn has released another documentary, this time examining the rise of censorship in Canada. In this feature, Gunn asks viewers: is free speech in Canada coming to an end?
As part of his “Politics Explained” series, Gunn looks at prominent incidents like psychologist Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s battle with the College of Psychologists, a comedian charged for telling offensive jokes, and Justin Trudeau’s attempts to regulate the internet.
Rebel News boss Ezra Levant features in the film, telling Gunn the prime minister is “authoritarian,” and that “When he says I’m coming to regulate the internet, we should believe him.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AfD MP Petr Bystron at Party Congress: The Establishment Parties Are in Panic Mode
The following is a full transcript of Bavarian MP Petr Bystron’s speech at the AfD’s congress in the eastern German city in Magdeburg.
Dear friends, we have survived the poisoning here with these plastic things. And I am glad to stand before you today without the poisonous breath of Claudia Roth on my neck. I am also pleased to be here with the youngest and most successful party in Germany. Together, we have entered all state parliaments, the Bundestag, and the European Parliament.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Republic Government Scholarships Empower Foreign Students to Pursue Higher Education
The Czech Republic is offering scholarships to foreign nationals from developing countries as part of its Foreign Development Assistance program. These scholarships are aimed at supporting studies at public higher education institutions, commonly referred to as “universities,” within the Czech Republic. Applications for the academic year 2024/2025 must be submitted before the deadline of 30th September 2023.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark Considers Banning Protests Burning Quran and Other Religious Texts
Denmark is considering banning protests involving burning the Quran or other religious texts over security and diplomatic concerns.
The Danish foreign ministry said whilst protecting freedom of expression is crucial, such protests benefit extremists and pose a security threat.
Copenhagen is looking at legal means to intervene in some circumstances, including protests outside embassies.
Sweden’s prime minister also said work on a similar process has begun there.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elephant Spotted Outside Italian Supermarket After Escaping From Circus
In Italy, in the town of Amandea in the south of the country, an elephant escaped from a circus and freely roamed the streets.
As BBC reported, the elephant, which belonged to the Moira Orfei circus, had been in the town for several days before it escaped. It first strolled along the beach near the circus and then walked along the state road to Tonnara-di-Amandea, all the way to a local supermarket.
The circus owners found the elephant in the supermarket parking lot and safely returned it to its enclosure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Escalation in Chinese Espionage Sparks High Alert in Germany
The German counterintelligence agency recently alerted government officials and decision-makers to a concerning uptick in Chinese spy operations within their borders. This comes as another indication of mounting national security anxieties tied to the Asian giant.
The Chinese administration has notably bolstered its intelligence-gathering endeavors in recent times, establishing a global web of connections that it is ceaselessly aiming to broaden, according to a statement released over the weekend by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Copyright Lawyers Train Their Sights on Twitter After Rebrand
Elon Musk’s seemingly erratic behaviour emerged again with his unexpected rebranding of Twitter to X, a move which could open a new legal front against him in Europe. Politico reports that the American CEO and his company are likely to face problems with the EU’s Intellectual Property Office over the name change.
Musk was already at loggerheads with Eurocrats over his libertarian approach to content moderation on the platform. The soon-to-be-implemented Digital Services Act is specifically tailored to curb so-called hate speech on the internet by forcing corporations to regulate content more stringently.
On Monday, July 24th, Musk confirmed that Twitter would be renamed X. Many copyright experts have warned that the move placed the company on a collision course with already-existing brands with a similar name, such as Microsoft, Sony, and Panasonic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Pierre Chaillot Reveals Statistical Anomalies Related to the Pandemic!
Amidst the pandemic, experts and scientists have faced troubling constraints. Those who dared to offer dissenting opinions from the government’s stance were swiftly vilified and criticized in the public domain.
One such individual grappling with these challenges is Pierre Chaillot, a distinguished statistician based in France and who wrote the book called, Covid 19, which the official figures reveal (Covid 19, ce que révèlent les chiffres officiels: Mortalité, tests, vaccins, hôpitaux, la vérité émerge).
Since the onset of the COVID crisis, he has diligently collected and analyzed all available official data from reputable sources like EUROSTAT, INSEE, DREES, and various ministries.
With meticulous attention to detail, he shared his extensive research on his YouTube channel “Décoder l’éco” over the course of two years.
What has he uncovered? Astounding anomalies that question the prevailing narrative. Notably, the mortality rate in France, as well as in other European countries, for the year 2020 aligns with that of 2015, which marked the seventh least deadly year in French history.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German University Excludes Chinese Students for Fear of Spying
The University of Erlangen-Nuremberg will become the first university in Germany to deny admission to certain students from China, reports Süddeutsche Zeitung. The ban will apply to Ph.D. students who have received scholarships from the China Scholarship Council (CSC), citing fears that information from any joint research conducted involving Chinese students could eventually end up in the hands of the Chinese government.
The China Scholarship Council is the primary vehicle through which the Chinese government awards scholarships. An investigation conducted jointly by Deutsche Welle and the German platform CORRECTIV claims that Chinese students in Germany are placed under repressive rules by the Chinese state and that this is particularly true of young scientists and academics who come on scholarships from the CSC. Copies of several CSC contracts obtained by the investigative team state that the students “shall not engage in activities that harm the interests and security of the motherland.” They also have to report to the Chinese embassy or the nearest Chinese consulate within ten days of their arrival in Germany and maintain “frequent contact.” The students are required to provide reports, which can include obtaining information on third parties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: AfD Chooses MEP Maximilian Krah as Top Candidate for the EU Elections
The AfD has chosen MEP Maximilian Krah as its top candidate for the elections to the EU Parliament next year. The politician from Saxony received 65.7 percent in the first round of voting at the 14th AfD party conference in Magdeburg, beating his opponent Andreas Otti from Berlin, who received 25.2 percent.
Other and better-known potential opponents had previously refrained from competing against Krah, who was traded as a favorite.
In his speech at the party’s annual congress, Krah described the AfD as “the most exciting right-wing party in Europe” and called for the course set at the party conference in Riesa a year ago to be continued. The voters expected performance from them and not self-mutilation: “Germany should become a big Sonneberg!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: AfD Party Congress: EU Must Die So That Europe Can Live, Says Bjorne Hocke
Thuringian MP Björne Höcke, who is seen as one of the leaders of the right-wing of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, has said that the “EU must die so that Europe can live.”
Höcke, the chair of the Thuringian branch of the AfD, made his comments during AfD’s party congress this weekend in the eastern German city of Magdeburg. He called the European Union “a globalization agency” which aligns itself against “the diverse European culture”.
Höcke called for a new European alliance of states.
The party’s congress comes as popular support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has surged to record levels recently, climbing to 22 percent in a new opinion poll in Germany.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greek Wildfires Subside After Two Weeks of Devastation
After nearly two weeks of devastation, the Greek wildfires have finally subsided, offering some respite to the affected areas. However, emergency services are still on high alert, diligently working to prevent any potential resurgence of the fires in the central part of the country. The initial outbreak was worsened when people had to flee from massive explosions at an ammunition depot, according to Reuters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How US Globalists Are Corrupting EU Institutions
The interests of the financial elite as financiers come before the interests of the little people. And that is precisely why Brussels politics is moving away from the interests of European citizens.
— as Zoltan Kiszelly, Director of Political Analysis at the Szazadvég Foundation, says in an interview with the Hungarian portal Origó about the possible corruption involvement of the Belgian MEP Maria Arena.
Globalist elites infiltrate EU institutions
According to Kiszelly, the goal of the globalist elite is to make the EU Union more and more the economic backyard of the USA. Because then the Americans could compete better with the Chinese. After all, the annual GDP of the USA is $23 trillion, that of China is $17 trillion and that of the EU is roughly the same. Both European and US GDP combined would be competitive with China again. The US alone can no longer compete with China, despite being a global and nuclear power.
As a result, however, more and more globalist politicians are positioned to steer the institutions they control towards globalism.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Environmentalists Demand Stricter Punishment for Arsonists Amid Devasting Wildfires
Italian environmentalists are blaming arsonists for the devastating wildfires that have recently swept through several Mediterranean countries due to scorching weather and strong winds. A prominent environmental organization, Legambiente, has called on the government to take more effective measures in mitigating wildfire risks and imposing stricter punishments on arsonists.
The wildfires, worsened by the ongoing climate crisis, have caused widespread destruction in Sicily, leading to the evacuation of tourists and disruptions in airport services. Legambiente’s leader, Stefano Ciafani, described arson as a recurring problem that must be halted through preventive actions and targeted policies. Their proposed 10-point plan includes integrating urban planning with fire prevention and improving coordination among government agencies responsible for fire management.
In Italy, there have been numerous reports of arson, with a recent arrest of a man caught setting fire to a remote field using a drone. Greece has also faced similar complaints and investigations regarding arson, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on islands like Corfu and Rhodes.
[Comment: Stricter punishment for arsonists is a policy proposal I’m inclined to support.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Man-Made’ Climate Change: Majority of Greek Wildfires Result of Arson, Minister Admits
Amidst apocalyptic-themed news coverage about the wildfires in Europe from the mainstream media, Greece’s climate change minister has admitted that the majority of the fires that have ravaged his country were a result of arson.
Greek Climate Change Minister Vassilis Kikilias has revealed that the majority of the 667 fires that have erupted across the country in recent weeks were ignited by “were caused by human hand”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Other Politicians Can Only Dream of Having the Influence of Nigel Farage, Says Top German Paper
Nigel Farage has a unique ability to steer British politics that other political parties “could only dream of”, says a German newspaper giving an outsider’s perspective of the Brexit leader’s sudden and apparently effective attack on increasingly woke banking culture.
Be it the European Union, the migrant crisis, or now banking, Nigel Farage has repeatedly been able to make headline news out of topics establishment voices would rather want buried. Revealing last month he was being debanked by the British financial industry — his longstanding bank was cancelling his accounts for nakedly political reasons, and ten other UK banks he’d approached also refused to give him accounts — Mr Farage has led a rapid assault and appears to have got real results.
Now German broadsheet Die Welt gives its own view on the whirlwind month of claims, counter-claims, leaks, hostile briefings, and finally an emerging victory for the seasoned campaigner, reflecting that while Nigel Farage may be officially retired from frontline politics, nevertheless “he continues to dominate the debates. This was recently shown when he forced a powerful bank boss to resign.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Southern Europe Battles Massive Forest Fires: Regions Turn Into Infernos
Residents of Southern Europe are battling massive forest fires that are turning their regions into infernos. Along the Adriatic coast of Croatia, the fire has engulfed hundreds of hectares of forest around popular resorts like Split, Dubrovnik, and the island of Ciovo, with columns of smoke rising hundreds of meters into the air. Meanwhile, in Italy, flames have spread to several regions, and a temperature record was broken in the Sicilian city of Syracuse, where thermometers reached 47.6 degrees Celsius.
In addition to the scorching weather, the fires are exacerbated by arsonists, including gangs that repeatedly set forests ablaze in the region of Calabria. Local authorities are deeply concerned about this issue as the situation repeats itself year after year. Roberto Occhutto, the head of Calabria’s regional government, spoke about the presence of idiots committing such acts and reported the arrest of one arsonist.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden is Now a ‘Priority’ Target for Islamist Terrorists
Sweden has seen several protests involving the burning of the Quran over the last few years but recent burnings and desecrations of the Muslim holy book have fuelled increasing tension between Sweden and countries in the Muslim world.
The Swedish Security Police Säpo, which is responsible for counter-terrorism operations and other espionage operations, is now warning that Sweden has become a priority target for Islamic radicals looking to carry out acts of terror.
Security Service Chief Charlotte von Essen held a press conference Thursday, July 27th, along with Sweden’s Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer to discuss the country’s deteriorating security situation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The UK Government’s Stealth Support for Facial Recognition Tech in Stores
A damning exposé leaked to The Observer has revealed the clandestine ambitions of the UK Home Office: to pressure the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) into broadening the application of facial recognition technology throughout main-street businesses. This sinister proposal was born in a covert meeting among policing minister Chris Philp, high-ranking Home Office officials, and Facewatch — a private firm notorious for its facial recognition cameras, which have incited public outrage following their deployment in shops.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Rapper Turned Islamic State Jihadi Found Dead in Spanish Prison
A former British rapper turned Islamic State terrorist has been found dead in his prison cell in Madrid, Spain. The 32-year-old jihadi, Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, who was stripped of his UK citizenship for joining the ISIS in Iran and Syria, was being tried in a Spanish court for heading a terrorist cell after entering the country illegally in 2020.
“Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, 32, had been tried earlier this month at a court in Madrid on suspicion of heading an itinerant jihadist cell he allegedly formed after leaving Syria, and was awaiting the verdict,” the Daily Mail reported.
Abdel Bary gave up his gangsta rapper-lifestyle to join Al Qaida in 2013, and later switched to the Syrian-based Islamic State. It was there that the Egyptian-born Muslim found his true calling. Abdel Bary “was alleged to have posted an image of himself holding a severed head on Twitter. He was accused of posing for a photo with the head in the Syrian city of Raqqa with the caption ‘Chillin’ with my homie or what’s left of him’ in August 2014,” the UK daily added.
Abdel Bary has been following in the footsteps of his terrorist father, an Al Qaida operative now serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison for his role in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Africa that killed 224 people.
“Brit jihadist long believed to be one of the ISIS Beatles found dead in prison cell,” by Gerard Couzens and Douglas Patient, Mirror, July 27, 2023:…
| — Hat tip: Steen | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Brexit’s Nigel Farage Officially Launches Campaign to Take on Big Banks
Nigel Farage has officially launched a campaign to take on the big banks and represent members of the public who have unjustly had their accounts shut, following his own scandalous debanking over his political views.
After successfully leading the campaign to see the United Kingdom leave the globalist EU project, Brexit’s Nigel Farage has a new target in his sights; the increasingly woke and authoritarian banking industry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wagner Mercenary Forces Moving Closer to Polish Border, Says PM Morawiecki
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.
Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.
Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hezbollah Leader Calls on Muslims to “Punish” Those Allowing Quran Desecration
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah, declared on Saturday that if governments of Muslim-majority countries fail to take action against nations permitting the desecration of the Quran, it is upon Muslims to ‘punish’ those enabling such attacks on Islam’s sacred book.
Nasrallah’s remarks were delivered via a video message to a large crowd in Beirut’s southern suburbs, gathered to observe Ashoura, a Shiite holy day commemorating the 7th-century martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein. Nasrallah frequently uses religious events to convey political messages to his followers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Officials Say Saudi Arabia Will Host a Ukrainian-Organized Peace Summit Over Russia’s War in August
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia’s war on the country, officials said Sunday.
The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said one official, who spoke early Sunday on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Russia was not invited, the official added.
Hours later, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the talks would be held in Saudi Arabia, without naming Jeddah as the location.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
British Defence Ministry Accidentally Sent “State Secrets” to Putin Ally
In a further demonstration of the ineptitude of the British state, it was revealed today that the Ministry of Defence accidentally sent classified information to a country that is allied with Russia.
Officials working in the ministry had tried to send emails to the Pentagon, which uses the domain name “.mil,” but missed the letter “i,” thereby sending the messages to Mali, which uses the domain name “.ml,” according to The Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Need Every Rocket We Can Get’ — Ukraine Using North Korean-Made Missiles Against Russian Forces
The Ukrainian armed forces have been using missiles made in North Korea to fire against the Russians despite their notorious unreliability, a report from the Financial Times has claimed.
Ukrainian artillery crews are utilising missiles for the Soviet-era Grad multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) produced in the communist nation of North Korea, according to the Financial Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over 60 Extremists From Germany Join Ukraine Conflict — Welt Am Sonntag
More than 60 extremists from Germany have traveled to Ukraine to fight after the invasion of Russia, according to the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, citing information from the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
These individuals have connections with extremist groups or involvement in politically motivated crimes. It is known that 27 of them have joined the Russian side.
According to German laws, they are not subject to punishment if they are not engaged in mercenary activities. German citizens are allowed to serve in regular armies or volunteer units of other countries.
Currently, it is unclear whether the German prosecution is conducting an investigation into this matter.
As previously reported, the head of the German cyber security agency was dismissed due to his ties with Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Preps Ukrainian Elite Brigade for Rapid Strike Operation to Reclaim Crimea
In an ambitious move to regain control of Crimea from Russia, over 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers have reportedly been undergoing specialist training in the UK. The elite commando brigade is being trained by British forces to incapacitate Russian forces and reclaim Crimea, with plans to strike before Christmas.
Sources reveal that the Ukrainian soldiers, currently at an isolated location in Dartmoor, are being prepared to lead an invasion, with two other forces orchestrating simultaneous assaults. The operation is slated to involve air, land, and sea strikes, leveraging technology to debilitate and immobilize Russian troops.
Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov confirmed on Saturday night that forces are preparing to enter Crimea “soon.” The planned assault will be supported by armored units penetrating defenses, assisted by new stocks of long-range missiles supplied by the UK, US, and Germany.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Moscow Force Airport to Shut Down
(AP) — Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic of one of four airports around the Russian capital.
It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow’s vulnerability to attacks as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month.
The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Must Prepare to Lose the White House
Winning on the battlefield is one thing, but American resistance will soon prove to be the biggest challenge
Time is not on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces in their long-running counter-offensive. They are battling not just against the strongest Russian defences but also the clocks of eastern European weather and US electoral politics.
Despite frustration at the slow pace of Ukraine’s advance, no one can question the need for extensive “battlefield shaping”, in military language, before attempting to break through the heavily defended Surovikin line and striking deep into Russian controlled territory. After all, before attacking into Iraq in 1991, the US-led coalition conducted a shaping air campaign that lasted almost as long as the Ukrainian advance has so far.
Denied any comparable ability to soften up enemy defences with airpower, Ukraine’s preparation has had to rely on reconnaissance in force, missiles and artillery to write down front line positions and hit headquarters and supply lines while probing for weaknesses to exploit with ground forces. Now it looks like the Ukrainians have identified the most favourable axis of attack, from south of Zaporizhia towards Melitopol, and they seem to be committing elements of the Nato-equipped and trained 10th Operational Corps. Of the various options, that would be the most productive, potentially enabling Kyiv to break Russia’s land corridor from the east, isolating Crimea and cutting off forces in the west of the country.
But if and when Ukrainian troops succeed in smashing through the first line of defences — which they have not yet achieved — the road ahead will be very long and very bloody. They face mile after mile of obstacles including tank traps, barbed wire and minefields, plus dug-in infantry, pillboxes, machine guns, tanks, artillery fire, combat planes, attack helicopters, drones and missiles.
War is more unpredictable than any other human activity, and no one, not even those directing events in Kyiv or Moscow, can possibly know whether or to what extent Ukraine will succeed. But after spending two precious months trying to shape the battlefield, as the autumn mud approaches, there remains only a matter of weeks before any armoured advance will become bogged down. That means major offensive operations will have to pause at least until the onset of the winter freeze in November and possibly even until next spring.
This is well understood and will be built in to battle plans by both Ukraine and Russia. But there is an even bigger problem to contend with than the capricious General Winter, which can work for either side, and that is the American general election, which will almost certainly work against Kyiv.
Biden will be wishing for this war to end before the election season gets under way in earnest, because he knows that, among much of the US population, war is something to campaign against rather than campaign for. Continued fighting is more likely to lose votes than to win them, especially if things go wrong for Ukraine, for which Biden will be blamed at the ballot box.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky Signs Law Rejecting Orthodox Christmas Date to ‘Abandon’ Russian Heritage
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.
The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7. It cited Ukrainians’ “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays,” fueled by Russia’s 17-month-old aggression against the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
B Upendran | HENV | Aluva | July 30, 2023: Nearly 20 hours after a five-year-old girl, the daughter of migrant workers from Bihar, was kidnapped from near their house at Choornikkara in Aluva in broad daylight, the child was found murdered and sexually abused with several gruesome injuries at a dumping area at the Aluva market along the Periyar river on Saturday. The shocking crime once again highlighted Kerala’s questionable track record in dealing with crimes against children as well as the extreme vulnerability of families of migrant workers, euphemistically called ‘guest’ workers in the state.
Advocate Pratheesh Viswanath who is also the founder of Hindu Seva Kendram indicated, two Muslims named ‘Asfaq and Zakeer Hussain abducted Chandni, molested, killed & dumped her body!!!”
As per Pratheesh, Chandni was the little daughter of Ramdhar Tiwari, a migrant worker (in Kerala) from Bihar’s Bishambharpur.
Reports suggest that Asfaq and Zakeer Hussain are also migrant workers in Kerala from a remote place of Bihar.
The accused Asafaq Alam (29) from Bihar was taken into custody by the police on Friday night itself but the body was located only by Saturday noon after he confessed to the crime. After inspecting the crime scene, Kochi range DIG Dr Srinivas A said that there were visible injuries on the body.
“Three big stones were kept around the body, and it was covered with plastic and waste. The accused’s arrest for kidnapping which was registered on Friday was recorded at 11.30 am on Saturday,” said Srinivas.
The preliminary information in the post-mortem report of the incident where the five-year-old daughter of Bihar natives was sexually assaulted and killed in Aluva has been released. The police confirmed that the abducted child was tortured and killed. The report says that the girl was killed by strangulation.
According to the report, the child had injuries on his private parts and after being tortured, he was killed by strangulation and suffocation. It was also found that the child was hit on the head with a stone. After the postmortem, the body was shifted to Aluva Taluk Hospital. The cremation of the victim was held today at Kirmadu Crematorium. The cremation took place after the child was placed for public viewing at Thaikkattukara LP School, where she studied.
Police sources said that as per preliminary assessment, the accused strangled the child and inflicted injuries all over her body. There are blunt force injuries on her head too, police sources said. The accused was initially booked under Section 363 (abduction) of IPC and police said that other charges including 302 (murder) of the IPC and the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act would be invoked against him.
The accused had said that the girl was his daughter. According to local residents, the accused had come to stay at a room in Mokath Plaza, an apartment complex where migrant labourers stay in Choornikkara, three days ago. The child, a Class I student, was of friendly nature and he is suspected to take her away promising to buy her sweets.
An eyewitness who saw them near Aluva market had asked him about the child and he claimed that it was his daughter and was showing her the market. Police have not ruled out more persons being involved in the crime and at least one person was undergoing interrogation in custody. According to police, though the child had gone missing by 3pm on Friday, a formal complaint was lodged with Aluva police by the victim’s mother only around 7pm. An FIR for the abduction was registered about an hour later.
police officers say that the man was in an intoxicated state and was deliberately trying to mislead them. DIG Srinivas said that the man seemed to be a hardcore criminal and he tried to mislead police. The Rural SP was questioning him directly since he speaks Hindi. He said that by morning he started cooperating and he eventually confessed to the crime. He then agreed to point out the spot where he had dumped the body. Subsequently, he was taken here, and the body was found. A special investigation team under Aluva DSP would investigate the case.
Police completed the inquest proceedings and the post-mortem at the Government Medical College, Kalamassery, on Saturday. DIG Srinivas said that comments that the accused made about other persons — like one Sakeer to whom he claimed that he handed over the child to and others — need to be investigated. According to police, the first footage that the police found was from a chicken stall near the child’s house, recorded at 3.03pm.
In another footage from 5pm, the child is not with him. The suspicion is that the murder happened between 3pm and 5pm. Police said that they were rebuilding his acts chronologically. There are eyewitness accounts of him causing a ruckus at around 6pm, said police.
Kerala Police have contacted Bihar police to check his antecedents in his native place. The investigation is in preliminary stages.
“We need to find if he committed the crime alone or not. Prima facie our finding is that the accused had come to Ernakulam on July 22. We need to find his antecedents and why he came here,” said an officer.
Police are also probing whether the Hindu minor was a victim of gang rape by the Muslim culprits.
Kerala is known as God’s own country. But, the Muslim migrants in Kerala are turning it into a land of Devils. CM Pinarayi Vijayan must take this note very seriously.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
This is the shocking moment a huge suicide bomb exploded at a political rally for an Islamist party in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 40 people.
The blast occurred when a bomb ripped through a crowd of supporters of hard-line cleric and political leader Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, according to local officials.
More than 130 people, including children, have been reported injured in the incident on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the border with Afghanistan.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
While U.S. Diplomats Negotiated With China, China Hacked Them
by Daniel Greenfield
In June, America and China traded hacks.
Secretary of State Blinken traveled to Beijing in a visit that had been delayed for a few months after the public learned that China had been flying a spy balloon over America. After days of “high-level talks”, the Biden administration official claimed that the trip was a success.
“We have made progress and we are moving forward,” the State Department official declared.
Meanwhile, China had been hacking.the State Department. While Secretary of State Blinken and State Department officials prepped for the biggest Chinese diplomatic exchange of the administration, Chinese hackers pulled off an ingenious targeted attack aimed at accessing the emails of State Department and other government officials including Blinken’s own messages.
The Biden administration and China had different definitions of “moving forward”.
Secretary of State Blinken learned that China had tried to hack his emails a day before he was set to visit Beijing, and he chose to go ahead with the trip without making any public mention of it, not wanting to spoil the photo op. The previous scheduling of the trip had been bumped because of China’s spy balloon and Blinken chose to demonstrate to the enemy that no amount of abusive behavior was going to stop the Biden administration’s appeasement.
The Biden administration’s idea of diplomacy was talking to China, while the People’s Republic wanted to know what Blinken and other top officials were going to say before they got there. Besides targeting Blinken and State Department officials, Chinese hackers also came after Commerce Secretary Raimondo and members of her department. That won’t stop Raimondo from visiting China later this year. No Chinese attack or provocation will stop the appeasement.
Secretary of State Blinken turned to the cameras in Beijing and stated that an agreement had been reached that “sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to responsibly manage our differences” even while knowing that China’s idea of sustained communication was trying to get at his emails. China has its own idea of how to “establish better lines of communication” and it begins by hacking the hacks to read their communications.
And the Biden administration’s idea of better communications is to hide what happened…
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Australian State Bans Gas for New Homes
The Australian state of Victoria plans to impose a ban on connecting natural gas pipes to new homes starting next year, Minister for Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio announced on Friday.
The measure is a part of a state program aimed at cutting emissions and lowering energy bills. The gas sector reportedly accounts for 17% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“Reducing our reliance on gas is critical to meeting our ambitious emission reduction target of net zero by 2045 and getting more Victorians on more efficient electric appliances which will save them money on their bills,” D’Ambrosio said in a statement.
The new requirements will apply to all new public buildings yet to reach the design stage, including housing, schools and hospitals.
The southeast Australian state is expected to face gas shortages in the coming years, as production declines at offshore fields operated by Exxon Mobil, which have long provided fuel for the region.
The upcoming prohibition is not expected to resolve emission-reduction challenges, as new homes will depend on the coal-based power grid, according to a statement from the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, seen by Reuters.
In Victoria, which is heavily dependent on coal, electricity generation reportedly accounts for about half of the state’s carbon emissions.
“The Victorian Government is taking choice away from consumers for limited climate benefit while ignoring the fact that the best way to bring gas prices down is to invest in more gas supply,” Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said, as cited by the news agency.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A popular tourist attraction with links to pre-colonial Australia could potentially be shut down as its place in modern Australia is questioned.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Pledges to Help Australia Manufacture Guided Missiles by 2025
The United States will expand its military industrial base by helping Australia manufacture guided missiles and rockets for both countries.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
US Rejects Australian Plea to Drop Assange Case
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that Australia has raised the case of Julian Assange’s continued prosecution, but declared that Washington will not cease seeking the extradition of the former WikiLeaks boss and intends to try him for espionage.
Speaking alongside Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Brisbane on Saturday, Blinken said that while he understands “the concerns and views of Australians,” Assange’s alleged actions “risked very serious harm to our national security, to the benefit of our adversaries, and put named human sources at grave risk — grave risk — of physical harm, and grave risk of detention.”
Assange, he said, was “charged with very serious criminal conduct” and had allegedly taken part in “one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country.”
An Australian citizen, Julian Assange is currently being held in London’s Belmarsh Prison. He is fighting extradition to the US, where he faces 17 charges under the Espionage Act and potentially a 175-year prison sentence. Human-rights and press-freedom activists have demanded his release, citing his deteriorating mental and physical health, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in May that he was “working through diplomatic channels” to press the US into dropping the case.
The charges against Assange stem from his publication of classified material obtained by whistleblowers, including Pentagon documents detailing alleged US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more than 250,000 diplomatic cables exposing US efforts to — among other things — spy on its allies and influence foreign elections.
While Assange did not personally steal these documents, he is nevertheless being prosecuted for espionage. He and his supporters argue that WikiLeaks’ publication of this material is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
“We have made clear our view that Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for too long,” Foreign Minister Wong said on Saturday. “We’ve said that publicly and you would anticipate that that reflects also the position we articulate in private.”
The extradition of Assange from Britain to the US was approved in 2020 by then-UK Home Secretary Priti Patel. The publisher lodged his final appeal against the decision in June, after all eight grounds of a previous appeal were rejected by a British High Court judge.
Responding to Blinken’s comments on Saturday, Assange’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, said that it is now up to Prime Minister Albanese to make a public appeal for Assange’s freedom, during his upcoming visit to the US.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Embassy in Niger is Attacked as Protesters Waving Russian Flags March Through Capital
NIAMEY, Niger — Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing France, the country’s former colonial power, waving Russian flags, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
El Salvador, Gangland: Mass Trials Get the Green Light
El Salvador’s congress is allowing mass trials to be held against those affiliated with the infamous Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs.
Ever since last year’s declaration of a “state of emergency” by President Nayib Bukele in response to a wave of gang-related violence, some 71,976 people, or 1% of the country’s population, have been arrested.
Only last March, Bukele inaugurated a new jail, one of the biggest in the world, with cells each designed to hold 100 inmates.
Now those arrested are able to be sentenced more quickly, as El Salvador’s congress announced on Twitter (‘X’) following a Wednesday, July 26th vote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
10K Migrants Apprehended in One Week in Arizona Border Sector
The surge of migrant apprehensions in the Arizona desert continues as Tucson Sector agents arrested 10,000 migrants during the past week. During that period, agents also carried out 430 migrant rescues and interdicted 21 human smuggling attempts.
Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin tweeted a report indicating that agents in his sector apprehended approximately 10,000 migrants during the past week. This is up from 9,000 the week before.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Patriotic Anti-Globalists March at “Remigration” Demonstration in Vienna
Hundreds of patriots marched through Vienna’s city center under the title “Remigration Now”. The demonstration was organized by the Identitarians, but the FPÖ youth (RFJ) also took part.
Several hundred participants — including people from abroad — took part in the rally under the motto “Remigration”. Anti-fascist groups and counter-demonstrators gathered for the counter-protest. Around 200 police officers were on duty.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Police Had to Respond to 230 Calls at a Refugee Camp in Lower Saxony During the Last 3 Months
Over the course of three months, the police had to respond to 230 calls at a refugee camp in Lower Saxony.
As Bill reported, the federal state of Lower Saxony, located in northwest Germany, one of the many refugee camps is situated. Initially, it accommodated only refugees from Ukraine, mostly women and children. However, eventually, single men from Afghanistan, Syria, and other countries also started living there. From January to March 2023, the police were called to the camp over 230 times, averaging nearly three operations per day. The range of offenses is diverse and includes disorderly conduct, insults, threats, physical injuries, drug-related incidents, and theft.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
People With Two Dutch Parents Becoming a Minority in Amsterdam; Study
People without a migrant background are increasingly becoming a minority in many Amsterdam neighborhoods and are not integrating sufficiently, according to a study reported by Trouw on Thursday.
Maurice Crul, a professor of education and diversity at the VU, along with social worker Frans Lelie, conducted interviews with over 3,000 residents without an immigrant background in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Malmö, Hamburg, and Vienna. They discovered an increasing number of people residing in ethnically diverse neighborhoods where everyone, including those without migrant backgrounds, now belongs to a minority group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Administration of a District in Germany Spent €800,000 on Nonexistent Refugee Accommodation
The administration of a district in southern Germany spent 800,000 euros on nonexistent refugee accommodation.
As reported by Südkurier, during the refugee influx in 2015, the authorities of the Bodensee district signed a 9-year lease contract for the vacant hotel “Adler,” paying 6,400 euros per month plus utility bills. After the contract was signed, the authorities discovered that fire safety measures were not met in the building. Rectifying these issues would have cost an exorbitant half a million euros. Nevertheless, the hotel remained empty for the following eight years, while the district authorities continued to pay the rent.
In 2015, the owners had more leverage over the tenants, and there was no exit clause in the lease agreement, according to local authorities. Only in May 2021, the contract was “bought out” for 288,000 euros — the sum they would have had to pay the landlord until the end of the lease term. They managed to save only 58,000 euros on utility bills.
Südkurier notes that press inquiries about the expenses on refugees were blocked by the authorities until the newspaper took the matter to court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government to Provide Tents for Migrants
Tents will be set up on the southern coast of England to accommodate 2,000 migrants that arrive on small boats from France. According to The Daily Mail, the Home Office has purchased marquees and will set them up at disused military sites by the end of August.
Small boats carrying migrants most frequently land on Britain’s shores in August, September, and October. According to Migration Watch UK, a think tank campaigning for significant reductions in immigration, 45,755 people arrived on small boats in 2022 via the English Channel, which was a record high. 51% of these arrivals took place in August, September and October. This means that this year’s current number of 14,732 arrivals is expected to grow exponentially.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biggest U.S. Teachers’ Union Supports BLM, LGBTQ in Classrooms
The teachers’ union National Education Association (NEA), “the nation’s largest professional employee organization,” is encouraging teachers to include Black Lives Matter (BLM) and LGBTQ posters and flags in their classrooms. Forget reading, writing, and arithmetic — the only division these teachers’ students will learn is the political kind.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: BC Residents Protest Plastic Surgeon Who Removes the Breasts of Minors
On Wednesday, the office of a BC plastic surgeon became the site of a small protest of citizens calling for an end to the medical mutilation of children suffering from gender dysphoria.
Dr. Daniel Mckee holds a faculty position at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Surgery and has a practice in Burnaby that does consultations for some of the plastic and reconstructive surgeries he performs at Burnaby General Hospital and various surgery centres.
The special expertise of the surgeon is performing “top surgery” ( the severing off of breasts) of biological females, including minors, often for “gender-affirming” purposes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rainbow Washing: Poet Alfred Tennyson Branded as Gay Without Evidence by History Tour for Schools
A historical tour for schools has branded former poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson among “notable LGBT people”, despite the celebrated 19th Century writer having been married with children.
Alfred Tennyson, the author of famed narrative poems such as The Charge of the Light Brigade, has been included on an Isle of Wight tour of alleged LGBT historical figures whose sexuality was supposedly hidden by “cis/heteronormative narratives”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Transsexual Requests Euthanasia in Canada Over Pain From Sex Change Surgery
A post-operation transsexual Canadian has requested that the socialised healthcare system provide an assisted suicide lethal injection in order to end long-term suffering and pain from a surgery to manufacture a “neo-vagina”.
Lois Cardinal, a self-described “sterilized First Nations post-op transsexual”, has expressed immense regret over a 2009 surgery to create an imitation vagina out of an inverted penis, saying that euthanasia would be preferable to the constant pain from the novel operation. The aftermath of the surgery often leaves many in pain, with the resulting “neo-vagina” effectively being an open wound that needs to be dilated daily to prevent it from closing.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Cardinal said: “I’m in constant discomfort and pain… It’s taking this psychological burden on me. If I’m not able to access proper medical care, I don’t want to continue to do this.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Greek Wildfires Subside After Two Weeks of Devastation”
So far – this year – nothing in the media screams “public attention diversion” more than these “Greek Wildfires”
The Czech Media informed about the fires in such a way the whole mediterranean should be burned up by now with hundreds of millions of casualties…
But I know first hand from the people who went for a vacation that the fires were not so big after all, tourism goes on like it did before, wildfires burn – a bit more than before – but only because thanks to the Green Agenda dead wood is being left in the forrests to “save the planet” – only to burn with more ferocity once it catches fire.
Other than that – I believe that the wildfires have been used to silence interest in the Ukrainian Offensive TM, which turned out to be less of an offensive and more of a slaughter of Ukrainians…
It’s horrible. You know, I have broad views on communication, for a long time I have communicated with Ukrainians, too, who suddenly became our hostile side. Recently, I have noticed a change. They stopped blaming Russia for everything. One of my acquaintances, a Canadian “Banderite” until recently, an ardent Russophobe, suddenly started talking that everything indicates that the Ukrainians were sentenced at some very high level. And this is not the Kremlin.
Blasphemy laws reintroduced to protect muslim sentiments. Well done Denmark, it’s been nice knowing you.
Re: Uber stabbing in LA, are these two constant legal complainers? I found this –
Friday, February 21, 2020
37 4 pgs notice Notice (Other) Fri 02/21 3:57 PM
NOTICE NOTICE OF QUALIFIED NON-OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS LILT HAKOBYAN AND KHACHATUR ASPOYANS MOTION FOR $205,806.81 IN ATTORNEYS FEES AND COSTS filed by Defendant Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (Greco, Anthony)
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Shut down the mosques to defend Swedish freedom!
When 30 out of 31 mosques say they want to abolish Swedish freedom of expression in favor of Islam, the government must act. A democracy and freedom of expression without the will to defend itself will never survive.
Sweden has a far-reaching freedom of expression, even if the law on incitement against ethnic groups is a black mark on an otherwise well-designed part of the constitution. The problem in today’s multicultural Sweden is that the law was created by Swedes in a Swedish Sweden; a time before our borders were thrown wide open and our country was transformed from one of the world’s most ethnically homogenous to one of the most multi-ethnic.
An inherent problem in a multicultural state, which Sweden has been since 1975, is that it inherently means that different peoples with widely differing value systems, religions and views on rights and freedoms must try to live together. This rarely becomes a major problem as long as there is a large and clear majority and the ethnic minorities are relatively small, but as soon as the ethnic minorities grow to significant numbers, and the previously clear majority becomes less and less clear, an inevitable conflict will arise.
The clash of civilizations is here
In his book The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (1996), political scientist Samuel P. Huntington argues that future conflicts will be based on cultural and civilizational identities, rather than the economic or ideological blocs of the past.
Huntington emphasizes that these civilizations have different values, traditions and religious beliefs that underlie their way of looking at the world. He predicts that these cultural differences will lead to tensions and conflicts between civilizations in the future, leading to a ‘clash of civilizations’.
Modern Sweden does not have a common identity and culture that is primarily in conflict with those of other countries, but has instead built the clash of civilizations into our own country. This is particularly evident in the current debate on “Koran burning”.
30 of 31 mosques want to abolish freedom of speech
The Doku Foundation contacted mosques all over Sweden to find out their attitude towards restricting freedom of expression to make it more Islamic. The results are shocking to many, but should not really be a surprise to anyone with even a basic knowledge of Islam and the devastation that all countries are experiencing as Muslims become a larger proportion of the population.
One mosque refrained from answering the questions, one chose to stand up for Swedish freedom of expression and 30 (thirty!) responded that they not only want to ban Koran burning, but also “other acts that desecrate, provoke and insult the symbols and sacred values of Islam and Muslims”.
It can’t get any clearer than that; Islam is in direct conflict with the Western freedom that for the vast majority of Swedes is fundamental to our democracy and how we want to organize our societies.
Defend Swedish freedom or lose it
The government must therefore be proactive and protect Swedish democracy and freedom of expression by ensuring the closure of the mosques that de facto serve as bases for non-Swedes who want to dismantle it. A democracy and freedom of expression that is not viable and prepared to stand up for itself will never survive.
One could object and say that Muslims are just using their freedom of expression, and that a shutdown in itself would be a violation of that freedom. But here comes an important difference: We are the Swedish people’s interest group, and the society our ancestors created and built and the freedoms they fought for are for Swedes. We can never accept that other peoples come to our country and demand that we adapt to them, or change our laws to please a foreign religion.
Shutting down the anti-Swedish mosques would be self-defense and a commendable first step towards securing our freedom and future in the long term by dismantling multiculturalism and re-establishing a Swedish Sweden.
source:
detfriasverige.se