The United States has closed its consulate in Turkey due to a fear of riots. Meanwhile, American military bases in Iraq and Syria have been targeted in drone attacks.
In other news, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Dora, LP, McN, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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.
Home Sales Drop to Slowest Pace in 13 Years as Bidenflation Rate Hikes Crush Market
The Fed’s fight against Bidenflation is pushing up home prices even while the volume of home sales declines.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
On Wednesday, an Obama-appointed federal judge sentenced a man named Douglass Mackey to seven months in jail for posting a meme in 2016 that directed people to vote for then-candidate Hillary Clinton via text message.
In March, a Brooklyn jury found Mackey guilty on charges alleging that he conspired to deprive individuals of their right to vote when he posted this meme under the alias “@TheRickyVaughn,” which had more than 58,000 followers at the time.
Mackey will miss the birth of his first child for the same exact thing this woman did…
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
1,000 Days Without a Trial: Jan. 6 Prisoner Shares His Story of ‘Endurance, Perseverance, and Hope’
Authored by Patricia Tolson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
On Oct. 12, Jake Lang passed a milestone: 1,000 days in jail without a trial. To mark the anniversary, he wanted to share with the American people “the horrific conditions of confinement,” which he says he and many of his fellow Jan. 6 prisoners have had to endure.
“During this time, I’ve done 20 months of solitary confinement,” Mr. Lang told The Epoch Times. “For 15 months of that, I wasn’t allowed to have a haircut or a shave.”
This was intentional, he said, to make Jan. 6 prisoners look like “homeless vagrants” or “deranged terrorists” during video court appearances.
Jan. 6 prisoners are frequently denied family visitation, Mr. Lang said. They spend months with no sunlight. Lights in their cells remain on at night, depriving them of sleep.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
About That Time SBF Accidentally Gave Beto O’Rourke $1 Million in Stolen Customer Funds…
On Monday, former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh testified that FTX had used stolen customer money from Alameda Research to make political donations, even after learning it owed $13 billion to customers. In short, Sam Bankman-Fried was using customer funds to make political donations to Democrats, according to Singh’s testimony.
One of those Democrats was failed Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, who in November of last year reported returning a $1 million donation from SBF just four days before the November election because he was ‘uncomfortable receiving such a large, unsolicited donation.’
In truth, the adderall-addicted SBF (or one of his employees) fat-fingered what was supposed to be a $100,000 donation, and instead ended up being $1 million.
In January, the Washington Free Beacon reported that O’Rourke kept the $100,000.
As journalist Molly White (@molly0xFFF), who has provided amazing SBF trial coverage, noted on Tuesday via “X,” they FTX was able to get $900,000 back “through the application of social, political, and legal pressure,” according to SBF adviser Keenan Lantz, a top executive at “Guarding Against Pandemics” who helped handle paperwork for political donations and other operational matters.
“They’ll hang onto it until 11/4 — at which point the refund won’t be reported until January,” Lantz added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After Pedestrian Crashes, the Feds Want to Take a Closer Look at Cruise’s Self-Driving Cars
The firm behind some of Austin’s ever-present autonomous vehicles is under investigation by federal officials after pedestrians were hit by self-driving cars in San Francisco.
The Associated Press reports the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is looking into two incidents involving Cruise cars, which rolled out in Austin this spring. The GM-backed firm says it’s cooperating with the investigation.
In one incident, a pedestrian was struck by a Cruise vehicle after being hit by a human-driven vehicle in an adjacent lane. Cruise said its vehicle “braked aggressively” to dampen the impact. The pedestrian was run over and stuck under the Cruise vehicle. Another incident involving a pedestrian didn’t result in serious injury, the firm said.
In a statement to KUT, Cruise said it “has consistently cooperated with each of NHTSA’s requests for information,” whether cases warrant an investigation or not, and that it would continue to do so. Cruise added that the two incidents account for a sliver of the more than 5 million miles traveled by its driverless vehicles.
As Cruise’s fleet has expanded in Austin, formal and informal complaints — along with viral videos of cars stalling out or veering into lanes — have followed suit.
As of Wednesday, the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department had received 42 complaints about Cruise vehicles since July. That’s nearly double the amount ATD reported last month. None of those incidents have resulted in injury, the department said.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Andy Ngo Reports: Seventh So Cal Antifa Member Convicted in Violent Conspiracy and Rioting Case
This is part of a series reporting on the So Cal Antifa cell.
A So Cal Antifa member pleaded guilty to being part of a violent, organized Antifa riot almost three years ago at Pacific Beach, San Diego.;
Faraz Martin Talab, now 29 years old, of Atwater Village, Los Angeles, was captured on evidence video on Jan. 9, 2021 at a riot where roving mobs of black-clad Antifa members attacked supporters of Donald Trump and people walking on the beach boardwalk. He is now the seventh person to plead guilty in the ongoing felony conspiracy case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Another UPenn Donor Cuts Off Funding as the School Engages in Damage Control
Another major donor to the University of Pennsylvania is halting donations to the school until it changes course in rooting out antisemitism on campus and supporting freedom of expression.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Caught Lying in Israel: ‘My Son Beau Was Killed in Iraq’
Democrat President Joe Biden has been caught lying yet again during his trip to Israel this week.
Biden repeated the same lie he has told numerous times about his son’s death.
It’s a known fact that Beau Biden died of glioblastoma in 2015 at the age of 46.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brave Homeowner Fires at Armed Burglars Pretending to be Seattle Police: Video
A Washington homeowner fired multiple shots and scared off a group of three armed burglars attempting to kick down the front door while pretending to be Seattle officers, police said.
Shocking surveillance video from Thursday morning shows three masked men arriving at a home on 117 PL SE, in Auburn.
The suspects could be seen using their jackets and gloves to avoid touching the screen door directly as one of them yells, “Seattle Police.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: “Saint” Benitez Declares California “Assault Weapons” Ban Unconstitutional
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez delivered another scathing rebuke to the state of California on Thursday, just weeks after declaring the state’s ban on “large capacity” magazines unconstitutional. This time around it was the state’s ban on “assault weapons” that was before the judge, in a case known as Miller v. Bonta. Benitez was unsparing in his criticism of the law, which he says bars ordinary Californians from possessing commonly-owned arms that are protected by the language of the Second Amendment.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Singer Cher claims she will leave the U.S. if former President Donald Trump defeats President Biden in next year’s election.
“I almost got an ulcer the last time,” she told The Guardian in an interview published this week. “If he gets in, who knows? This time I will leave [the United States].”
The “Believe” singer has long been outspoken against the former president and current Republican front-runner, including with a June 2015 tweet when she jokingly vowed to leave Earth if Trump were to win a first term.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Company Forced to Sell Arkansas Farmland Due to New Ban on Foreign Entities
Arkansas’ newly enforced ban on foreign entities buying up land in the state has forced a Chinese company to sell farmland.
A Chinese-owned seed producer has been given a deadline of two years to sell its 160 acres of Arkansas farmland.
The law that will likely see the land returned to American ownership is part of the state’s Act 636, which recently went into effect.
Under the bill, signed into law by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, bans prohibited foreign parties from holding land in the state.
China is considered a prohibited party.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Citibank has fired one of its staffers after she posted “revolting” commentary on Instagram that endorsed the mass murder of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
“No wonder why Hitler wanted to get rid of all of them,” Nozima Husainova wrote with a smiley face emoji in an Instagram story, which has since been deleted along with the 25-year-old’s Instagram and other social media accounts.
The post was a screenshot shared to X, formerly Twitter, by non-profit watchdog StopAntisemitism late Wednesday, which also posted a photo of her Instagram profile that boasted over 4,500 followers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A spokesman for Citi branded 25-year-old Nozima Husainova’s comments as ‘revolting’ and said hate speech would not be tolerated in their bank after after she defended Hitler.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Conservative White Professor Falsely Accused of Harassing Black Student in Viral Video
By Micaiah Bilger, Assistant Editor of The College Fix
A black University of Dallas student’s viral video claiming a white professor “harassed” her for listening to a recorded lecture too loudly outside her office is unfounded, a campus spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Clare Venegas, vice president of marketing and communications, told The College Fix officials investigated the student’s claims against history Professor Susan Hanssen in the video, which has amassed more than 7 million views on TikTok in the past week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
COVID Shots Linked to Seizures in Toddlers, FDA Study Finds
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed that a safety signal has been detected that suggests Covid mRNA shots may be linked to a spike in seizures among toddlers following vaccination.
Researchers with the FDA and three large healthcare companies revealed the findings in a new preprint study.
The study shows that seizures/convulsions “met the statistical threshold for a signal” in children aged 2 to 4 following receipt of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The same safety signal was also detected among children aged 2 to 5 following receipt of a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Slams EU Over NewsGuard Association: ‘What a Scam!’
X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk has slammed the European Union over its work with NewsGuard, an organization that is a significant component of the global internet censorship industry, calling the organization a “scam” that “ought to be disbanded.”
Musk turned his attention to NewsGuard following a post by former Trump administration official Mike Benz, exposing the European Commission’s relationship with NewsGuard, which helped revise the EU’s “code of practice on disinformation,” which calls on tech and advertising companies to financially throttle accused publishers of “disinformation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Trump Lawyer Sidney Powell Pleads Guilty in Georgia Election Interference Case
Former Trump attorney Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges in a Fulton County courthouse in Georgia on Thursday.
The six charges of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties carried a recommended sentence of 6 years’ probation in total, as well as a $6,000 fine and an additional $2,700 restitution payment to the state. As part of her sentence, she also agreed to provide a written letter of apology to the people of Georgia and give “truthful testimony” at any future hearings and trials relating to other defendants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hamas Wants to Trade CAIR Leader in Federal Prison for U.S. Hostages
by Daniel Greenfield
There are an estimated 14 American hostages being held in Gaza. (This number may rise or fall as Hamas continues to release videos of the hostages and Israel continues identifying bodies, some of which have been charred beyond recognition, by using DNA samples from family members.) As of this time, there are 20 Americans missing and bodies are being tested.
Biden spoke with some family members on a Zoom call. “It’s my personal commitment to do everything possible, everything possible to return every missing American to their families,” he said, “we’re working around the clock to secure the release of Americans held by Hamas.”
But the Biden administration has currently ruled out sending rescue forces, instead it is using Hamas allies, Qatar and Turkey, to conduct negotiations with the Islamic terrorist organization.
While Israel has refused to trade hostages for terrorists, Biden may be more willing to do so.
Senior Hamas leader Ali Baraka told Russia’s RT propaganda network, “There are also prisoners in the U.S. We want them. Of course. There are Hamas members sentenced for life in the U.S. We want them too. Of course. We demand that the U.S. free our sons from prisons. The U.S. conducts prisoner swaps. Only recently, it did one with Iran. Why wouldn’t it conduct a prisoner swap with us?”
Barakeh went into more specifics about which Hamas members he meant in another interview.
“There are Palestinians held in America. We will ask for their release. There are Palestinians who are detained by the United States on charges of supporting the resistance in Palestine. They were detained in America because they were accused of running charity organizations that support the people besieged in the Gaza.”
This almost certainly refers to the Holy Land Foundation case in which key figures in the largest Islamic charity in America were convicted of helping to send millions to Hamas.
Hamas would have a special interest in at least one of the terror convicts. Mufid Abdulqader, the half brother of Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, who is currently serving out his 20 years in prison sentence in a low security federal prison in Seagoville, Texas. Funding terrorists and a history of chanting terrorist threats apparently netted Abdulqader an easy ride at a low security prison.
Islamists in the United States had lobbied for his release during the pandemic by claiming that the 60-year-old is an “elderly” man facing imminent death at a “virus-ravaged prison”. Abdulqaderf was denied early release, he got COVID, survived it, and he’s set to be out in 2025.
Qatar, acting once again as an intermediary for Islamic terrorists, will be likely to argue that Mufid Abdulqader is only a few years away from being released anyway…
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
An asylum official with the Department of Homeland Security has been put on leave after it was revealed that she once served as a spokeswoman for the Palestine Liberation Organization — and recently wrote “F—k Israel” in numerous posts supporting Hamas, according to reports.
Nejwa Ali, an officer with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency of Homeland Security, worked as a public affairs officer for the PLO’s delegation to the US in 2016 and 2017, the Daily Wire reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Republican Push to Break Speaker Deadlock Fails in Angry Meeting
House Republicans were no closer to choosing a replacement speaker for the deposed Kevin McCarthy Thursday night, as a plan to give more power to Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-NC) ran into resistance from hardline members and at least one conference leader.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Republicans’ speaker designate, floated the proposal during a closed-door meeting at the Capitol — only to face backlash from supporters of his own speakership bid, including GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ilhan Omar Admits Pushing ‘Misinformation’ About Gaza Hospital, Refuses to Apologize
Radical Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has admitted to pushing false claims blaming Israel for the Gaza hospital explosion.
However, despite walking back the claims, Omar refused to apologize for promoting, what she called, “misinformation.”
Instead, Omar blames “information” on Twitter/X that is “often unreliable.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office for just the second time during his presidency.
The commander in chief’s remarks concerned the US response to the conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations,” Biden says of the budget request he will send to Congress Friday.
Destroying Hamas is Israel’s “first and last priority” Economy Minister Nir Barakat tells ABC News.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Just 0.1% of Sudden Deaths Are Unvaxxed, Data Shows
An alarming new data report has revealed that fewer than 0.1 percent of people who die suddenly are unvaccinated for Covid.
Statistics show that over 99.9 percent of sudden deaths are people who were vaccinated, despite only 75% of Americans having received Covid shots.
In recent years, reports of people dying suddenly have soared.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Major Trump Donor Dies in Mysterious Murder-Suicide Attempt
A major donor to President Donald Trump has allegedly shot himself dead in a mysterious attempted murder-suicide.
72-year-old Steve Alembik was a major Republican donor who also contributed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s gubernatorial campaign.
Alembik was pronounced dead after allegedly shooting himself and an unidentified woman in the parking lot of a BurgerFi outlet in Delray Beach, Florida on October 10.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man, 28, Randomly Stabbed on NYC Subway, Suspect Arrested, Cops Say
A 28-year-old man was stabbed on a Manhattan train Thursday — in another random attack on the transit system, police sources said.
The victim was on a downtown F train at the Lexington Av/53 St. station around 1:30 p.m. when a stranger knifed him in the torso, according to the sources and police.
Medics treated him at the station, and his injuries were not life-threatening, the NYPD said.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
New York Attorney General Letitia James Demands Censorship of Speech Regarding Israel-Hamas Conflict
New York’s state attorney general, Letitia James, has learned nothing after the state was sued for its “anti-hate” law that was an affront to free speech and the First Amendment.
James is demanding social media companies shed light and provide clarification on their actions regarding “hate speech” and calls for violence posted on their platforms.
James has dispatched letters to a host of tech giants including Google and Meta, along with others such as X, TikTok, Reddit, and neutral video platform Rumble. The letters contain probing questions on their handling of calls for violence that have become rampant across their platforms recently.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An American hacker was able to use a glitch on the CIA’s X account (formerly known as Twitter) to direct potential informants to his own Telegram channel.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The FDA Takes Aim at So-Called “Misinformation,” Funds “Pre-Bunking” Research
So — does anybody have a recommended “medicine” — maybe, a vaccine — against government institutions trying to convince you, like some carnival hypnotist might do for fun, that — “if I say it’s not true, it must not be true…”
Yes — independent media is one “remedy” but even there, one has to be careful.
And with this in mind, here’s the US Food and Drug (FDA) joining a litany of similar agencies now just frankly whining, about how their “war on information” somehow — even though the legacy/corporate media that transmit their messages on the daily, occupy pretty much every corner of mainstream sources of information for most people, all the time — still not getting enough traction?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Threads Ban on Search Terms Related to COVID-19 is ‘Temporary’: Instagram Chief
Authored by Stephen Katte via The Epoch Times,
Social media platform Threads’s ban on search terms related to COVID-19 is only temporary, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has revealed.
In an Oct. 17 post on Threads, Mr. Mosseri said he didn’t have a firm date on when the ban would be lifted, but he didn’t think it would be a permanent situation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Leads Biden 47-43 in Swing State Poll
A poll recently conducted by Bloomberg News and Morning Consult has found that voters in seven swing states favor Donald Trump over Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 matchup by 4 percent.
Among those surveyed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, the current president garnered just 43 percent support, while his predecessor saw 47 percent support.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UC Davis Professor Threatens Journalists and Their Kids With Cleaver, Ax
A UC Davis assistant professor tweeted a terrifying and specific threat targeting American journalists and their children. Asked by the Globe what the university intended to do about this, the university responded with a complete avoidance of the topic and PR speak so empty and anodyne it can only be read to be siding with the unhinged professor.
Jemma DeCristo, assistant professor of American Studies, tweeted on October 10:
“One group of people we have easy access to in the US is all these Zionist journalists who spread propaganda & misinformation.
They have houses with addresses, kids in school.
They can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.”
The tweet is accompanied by images of a cleaver, an ax, and three drops of blood.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Lawmakers Demand Biden Declassify Intelligence on Gaza Hospital Disaster
During his Tel Aviv visit on Wednesday, President Biden had been pressed by reporters as to what convinced him to side with Israel’s denial that it didn’t strike Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, killing up to 200-300 people, according to local health officials. Biden had said that data from his Defense Department showed the explosion was unlikely to have been an Israeli airstrike. But it’s not just journalists that want more, US lawmakers are also demanding clearer answers.
A group of Progressive Democrats in Congress are now pushing the Biden White House to publicly declassify the intelligence that the US has on the hospital bombing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Senator Michael Bennet has criticized tech behemoths such as Meta, X, Google, and TikTok, accusing them of having lax policies that seemingly sanction the spread of untruths.
The turbulent situation between Israel and Hamas was recently seized upon by Democratic Senator Michael Bennet as another pretext to launch an offensive against the digital landscape.
Bennet targeted X, Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet in a letter dated October 17, imploring them to “extinguish the proliferation of inaccurate and misleading content” related to the Middle East conflict.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
VCU Med School Sought to ‘Work Around’ Affirmative Action Ban: Documents
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine explored ways to “work around the [Supreme Court] ruling on affirmative action” during the creation of a scholarship program, according to public records documents obtained by Do No Harm.
“VCU and other medical schools are trying their utmost to circumvent the Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action,” Do No Harm Chairman Stanley Goldfarb told The College Fix via a media statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Trump Slates Biden for Handing $100 Million to Palestinians
After Joe Biden announced a $100 million handout will go to Gaza, Judea and Samaria, critics, and even Biden himself, pointed out that there’s a high likelihood that the aid will just end up in the hands of Hamas terrorists.
An exasperated Donald Trump summed up how most conservatives feel about the announcement, noting “I think right now it’s totally inappropriate. It’s so inappropriate — to be doing that right now? He’s over in Israel, and he’s giving money to the Palestinians.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White House Posts — Then Deletes — Photo Outing Special Operators Working to Free Hamas Hostages
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration admitted Thursday that it had accidentally outed the identities of several US special operators working to help Israel find and rescue hostages taken by Hamas terrorists.
In one of the more egregious examples of the old adage, “loose lips sink ships,” the White House posted a photo to its official Instagram account of President Biden shaking the hand of a member of the Army’s elite counter terrorism unit.
Along with the service member Biden was greeting, the faces of three other Delta Force fighters could be seen in the photo.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
X Charges New Users $1 to Combat Spam Bots, Making it “1000x Harder to Manipulate Platform”
Elon Musk is ramping up the fight against bots on X as a way to stop ‘manipulation on the free-speech platform.’ X will begin charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 per year to post or interact with other users on the platform, a move Musk says “will be 1000X harder to manipulate the platform.”
X account “Support” provided more details of the subscription called “Not A Bot” program.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada to Legalize Euthanasia for DRUG ADDICTS With No Other Illness in March
Canada’s law around medically assisted dying (MAID) changes in March 2024, mental health patients, including those with substance abuse issues, will be able to seek assisted suicide.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
After Germany Dumps 38,000 Tons of Trash in Poland, EU Commission Agrees Berlin Must Take it Back
The European Commission has agreed with Poland in its dispute with Germany over German waste illegally transported into the country, Polish climate and environment minister Anna Moskwa has informed.
“Germany must take away the waste illegally stored in Poland! The European Commission has admitted that Poland is right in the dispute with Germany,” Anna Moskwa wrote on her X account on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Woke Leftist Sahra Wagenknecht’s New Party Could Upend German Politics
Sahra Wagenknecht is a big name in politics and is preparing to announce the launch of her own party after leaving the Left Party, where she has been a divisive figure. The new party is expected to be announced as early as Monday next week, and it could have large repercussions on the German political scene.
Germany’s Der Spiegel reports that Wagenknecht will make her announcement at a federal press conference next week, where she will discuss the establishment of the association called “BSW — For Reason and Justice e.V.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgian Authorities Fiercely Criticized Over Terror Attack
The shock caused by last Monday’s brutal slaying of two Swedes in Brussels by the Tunisia-born Abdeslam Lassoued—for years an illegal migrant in Belgium and avowed ISIS supporter—continues to reverberate throughout Belgian politics.
While the immediate threat has been dealt with, questions have been raised about the government’s migration and deportation policy.
As revelations about Lassoued’s background continue to emerge, Belgian authorities’ inability to properly identify, keep track of, and indeed, deport, potential security threats has been laid bare for all to see.
To discuss last Monday’s (wholly preventable) attack and how to address it, on Wednesday, October 18th, a special House Committee was called.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Estonian PM’s Criticism of Orban is ‘Hypocrisy’, Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjartó Claims
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ statement that she was shocked by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s meeting with Vladimir Putin is nothing but hypocrisy, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjartó said on Wednesday evening.
“It was very, very unpleasant to see that,” Kallas, one of Ukraine’s staunchest defenders, told Reuters in an interview in Paris. “How can you shake a criminal’s hand, who has waged a war of aggression, especially coming from a country that has a history like Hungary has?” she added.
Kallas was referring to the 1956 Hungarian uprising, which was crushed by the Soviet armed forces.
In response, Szijjartó issued a staunch defense of the Hungarian prime minister’s activity on social media.
“With great respect, this Kaja Kallas is the same Kaja Kallas whose husband was recently found to have owned a company that supplied raw materials worth €30 million to a Russian factory even after the outbreak of the war, despite the fighting,” Szijjartó wrote. “Hypocrisy cubed,” he added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Europeanism’s Fascist Underside — Compactmag
In recent years, the struggle between populism and European unity has often been portrayed as a battle between the cosmopolitan values of the European Union and the resurgence of nationalist tendencies reminiscent of the troubled history of the 20th century on the continent. However, it is important to acknowledge a less frequently discussed aspect of Europeanism that has troubling connections with fascist ideology, as reported by Compactmag.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Police Responding to Reported Knife Attack in Rouen Oct. 19
FLASH: Police responding to reported knife attack at place Saint Sever in Rouen, France, Oct. 19. Avoid the area.
Police are responding to a stabbing at Place Saint-Sever in Rouen as of the evening Oct. 19. One individual is confirmed dead. Authorities have not given information on the motive for the attack; however, preliminary information suggests the incident is related to a brawl that took place. The suspect remains at large.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
During an appearance at the World Health Summit, an annual meeting where individuals from the public and private sectors discuss global health challenges, Germany’s Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, lamented the way social media allows the public to question decisions made by public health officials and claimed it creates an environment where “we now have…the info and then a pandemic against us.”
Lauterbach was speaking on a panel discussing the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) pandemic accord/agreement/treaty, an instrument that will give the unelected WHO increased surveillance powers and new powers to target content that it deems to be “misinformation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Jews: ‘Berlin Synagogues Are Burning Again’
Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, Germany has seen a large uptick in the number of recorded antisemitism incidents, including the attempted firebombing of a Berlin synagogue and an anti-Israel riot in the German capital that led to 20 police being injured.
The Federal Association of Research and Information Centres on Anti-Semitism (Rias), has recorded 202 antisemitic incidents since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7th. The newspaper Die Welt reported that the figure is a 240% increase compared to the same period last year.
The vast majority of the incidents are anti-Israel in nature—nine in ten of those reported. Rias claimed that Israel is largely being blamed for the massacres carried out by Hamas.
In fifteen cases, residences of Jews were marked with a Star of David, evoking scenes from the 1930s when the German Nazi party’s Stormtroopers, the Sturmabteilung, painted Stars of David on businesses that were later targeted for attacks and boycotts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Due to the ‘escalating nature’ of the attack, the Prosecutor General’s Office in Berlin is now conducting an investigation into an attempted arson attack on a Jewish community in Berlin. Unknown individuals threw Molotov cocktails, as reported by Spiegel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chaos erupted in Berlin, leaving dozens of police officers injured, as pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of the German capital in defiance of the local ban on such demonstrations over concerns of antisemitism.
On Wednesday evening, protests were held throughout Germany following the explosion at a hospital in Gaza, which international media initially blamed on Israel without evidence. In the Berlin borough of Neukölln, hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists gathered despite the city’s ban on anti-Israel protests. The demonstration devolved into violence and rioting, with local police reporting that the demonstrators attacked officers with stones, bottles, and makeshift pyrotechnic missiles.
According to the Berlin Police, 174 people were arrested at the banned protest and 65 police officers were injured during the rioting that lasted until the early hours of Thursday morning. The protest was organised by the “Youth against Racism” activist group, German broadcaster NTV reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary: Budapest Police Increase Street Presence After Banned Pro-Hamas Rally
Increased police patrols have been introduced throughout Budapest from Friday noon to Saturday morning after a third attempt by an individual to organize a rally linked to a call by the Hamas terrorist organization.
Most recently, the organizer announced the event for Friday in the second district of Budapest, which was banned by police. Although the increased police control does not yet mean a higher alert level due to a terrorist threat, police officers will be able to carry out more frequent checks in public areas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Salvini Calls for Climate Protestors to be Jailed
(ANSA) — ROME, OCT 19 — Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini on Thursday called for stiffer penalties, including jail, for protesters engaged in acts of civil disobedience to highlight the need to address the climate crisis.
The League leader made the call after members of the Ultima Generazione (UG — Last Generation) group blocked traffic in both directions on the Turin-Milan motorway on Thursday, causing major disruption.
“Eco-imbeciles!!!” Salvini said via X.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
MEPs Rush to Hammer Israel Over Hospital Bombing
Members of the European Parliament had their first dedicated debate about the Israel-Hamas war in the plenary on Wednesday, October 18th, with several leftist MEPs accusing Israel of “war crimes” against Gaza, especially concerning the hospital that was hit by a missile the night before. Conservatives, in turn, called them out for ignoring evidence that contradicts their pro-Palestinian bias.
The Strasbourg plenary is known for high-running emotions, but Wednesday’s debate—lasting over three hours—turned out more explosive than usual. Of course, nearly all speakers started out by condemning the terrorist acts carried out by Hamas and offering sympathy to the victims, but many leftist MEPs almost immediately pivoted to attacking Israel and its actions at length.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Moldova, the extension of the state of emergency has drawn significant backlash from the opposition, particularly from the “Sor” party. The party, led by Ilan Sor, has petitioned the Constitutional Court of Moldova, questioning the legality and constitutionality of the prolonged state of emergency.
According to a statement from the “Sor” party’s official website, lawmakers from the opposition party are challenging the parliament’s resolution and the directives issued by the Emergency Situations Commission (ESC). They argue that the directives unfairly restrict certain Moldovan citizens from participating in local, general and presidential elections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Coalition in Poland Likely to be Formed by 10 Parties
Five major committees have secured their places in the Polish Sejm, the lower house of the country’s parliament: PiS (Law and Justice), KO (Civic Coalition), Third Way, New Left, and Confederation. However, a more detailed analysis of the incoming parliament members reveals a broader spectrum of representation.
Radek Karbowski, a user on the social media platform X known for sharing political insights and statistics, highlighted that the new Sejm will include representatives from 17 parties. Moreover, 42 of these members will not belong to any specific party.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Prominent left-wing British actors, directors, and artists are demanding an Israeli ceasefire in Gaza, claiming governments around the world are “aiding and abetting” Israel’s “war crimes” in the region.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Poland’s PiS Seeks Coalition With Agrarian Center-Right
Sunday’s Polish election could yet throw up another surprise, with rumours circulating that the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party may offer a small agrarian party, currently part of the anti-PiS opposition, the office of prime minister and half the cabinet positions in order to form a coalition government.
Much to the delight of the European Commission, PiS lost its overall majority in the 460-person Polish Parliament (Sejm) on Sunday. A multifaceted coalition of centrists, leftists, and Christian Democrats led by former European Council President Donald Tusk looks set to form the next Polish government.
Now PiS is reportedly trying to poke holes in this prospective rainbow coalition. Party top brass are understood to be offering major incentives to one agrarian populist party, Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (PSL), to join them in government. They may even back PSL leader Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz for the Polish presidency in 2025.
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Poland’s Donald Tusk Set for Brussels Talks After Election Win
After securing a coalition majority in the recent elections, Poland’s opposition leader Donald Tusk is scheduled to engage in high-level discussions with European Union leaders and officials in Brussels next week.
The meetings signal growing anticipation that the upcoming Polish government will prioritize gaining access to the substantial EU aid that has been previously suspended.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Power Grab: EU Strengthens Grip on Electricity Market
The heads of the EU’s member states agreed to their negotiating position late Tuesday, October 17th, for the second part of reforms to the bloc’s electricity market. Hungary, the only country that did not support the final position, abstained.
In June, member states reached an agreement on reforms to the transparency rules for the wholesale electricity market, taking a stance that would allow a greater role for EU oversight of member states through the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).
However, significant issues regarding how subsidies could be used and the place of coal as a source of electricity production remained outstanding.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain Pushes for Schengen Inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria Amidst Opposition
Spain, presently at the helm of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, intends to call a new vote in early December regarding the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria. A unanimous endorsement by the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) is required for any new members to join the Schengen Area, a borderless zone.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s acting interior minister, emphasized on Thursday that the Schengen accession for Romania and Bulgaria is a priority. “We hope that during the last (JHA) Council of the Spanish presidency in December this will become a reality,” he remarked.
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UK Faces Impending Energy Crisis as Winter Approaches
As winter approaches, concerns are escalating over the UK’s potential energy bill crisis with many fearing the financial strain of keeping their homes warm, writes Euronews.
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has cautioned that the impending cold season could be especially challenging for many British households. “Winter is coming and millions will struggle more with their energy bills than they did last year,” said the coalition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Muslim Councillors Threaten to Quit Labour Over Israel Support
After working hard to present a unified approach to the Israel-Hamas war at last week’s conference, Labour officials are now battling resisting councillors.
Four Muslim councillors from across the country have already quit over the party’s pro-Israel stance. Reports suggest that dozens more could also be on their way out.
Labour is holding “crisis talks” with local leaders to prevent factions from causing major disruption, according to The Daily Telegraph. It added that talks have so far “gone badly, with participants warning that Sir Keir [Starmer] had days to change his approach or face more resignations.”
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Kosovo Asks for NATO Peacekeeper Force Buildup on Border With Serbia
Kosovo’s prime minister on Wednesday asked NATO-led peacekeepers to increase their presence on the northern border with Serbia.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Blame Game: What Happened at Al-Ahli Hospital?
Following an apparent missile strike at a packed Gaza hospital on Tuesday night, a great number of the most esteemed Western publications immediately jumped to conclusions and presented Hamas’ one-sided narrative as fact without any verification of the claims whatsoever and without any further thought about what harm it would cause in fueling the already bloody conflict. The picture is much more complete after a few days have passed, so let us see what really happened at Al-Ahli Hospital that night in light of all available evidence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hamas Militants Employed North Korean Weaponry in Their Assault on Israel — The Associated Press
This is in contrast to North Korea’s denial of arming the militant group. South Korean officials, in collaboration with two North Korean arms experts and an analysis conducted by the Associated Press based on weaponry recovered by Israel, all indicate the use of Pyongyang’s F-7 rocket-propelled grenade by Hamas. This shoulder-fired weapon is typically employed against armored vehicles and is part of the shadowy world of illicit arms trafficking North Korea utilizes to finance its conventional and nuclear arms programs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYT Prints Dishonest Photo With Fake Gaza Hospital Story: ‘Astonishing Disinformation’
The New York Times misrepresented a photo of a semi-demolished building to be the location of the Gaza Hospital, which the paper initially reported on Tuesday as hit by an “Israeli strike.”
According to its own wire service, the Times identified the location of the photo to be in Khan Younis, a locality in the south of the Gaza Strip, which is not in the northern area of Gaza City.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Hamas Leader Urges Worldwide ‘Mobilization’ on Friday
Ismail Haniyeh, Chairman of Hamas’s Political Bureau, called on Thursday for Arabs and Muslims to engage in “general mobilization” across the globe on Friday and urged for sympathizers of the terror organization in nearby countries to march toward the Jewish state’s borders, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Haniyeh’s call to action comes as Israel prepares to expand its military operations in Gaza against Hamas, which launched a shocking terror attack on the Jewish state on October 7 that has left more than 1,400 people dead and another 3,400 people wounded. Terrorists took 203 hostages into Gaza and over 100 people are still considered missing, with 30 captives believed to be children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Son of Hamas Leader Blows Whistle on Terrorist Group: ‘They Don’t Care’ About Palestinians
The son of a founding leader of Hamas has blown the whistle on the terrorist group and converted to Christianity after witnessing the horrors inflicted on the Palestinian people by the ruling Islamists.
Mosab Hassan Yousef has broken his silence on his decision to denounce Hamas and turn on his own family.
Yousef fled Gaza by spying in favor of the Israelis and seeking asylum in the U.S.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Vetoes UN Resolution for Gaza Ceasefire as Biden Visit Fails to Calm Fears of Wider War
Update(1535ET): The big controversy out of the UN Security Council on Wednesday is that the US vetoed a draft resolution calling for a humanitarian pause in Gaza, as Israeli airstrikes continue and ground forces are reportedly still staging for an invasion.
The draft resolution was proposed by Brazil and condemned “the terrorist attacks by Hamas,” urged the release of hostages, while calling for a “humanitarian pause” or ceasefire. 12 members approved the draft Wednesday, the UK and Russia abstained, but the United States shot it down.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
China and Russia Exploiting Divisions in Middle East
U.S. President Joe Biden was in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, October 18th, to reiterate his country’s support for Israel. However, shockingly, Jordan—a close American ally—cancelled the American president’s visit following the news of a bombing of a hospital in Gaza, without Jordanian authorities awaiting verification that the Palestinian version of events was accurate, reflecting the weakened U.S. position in the region.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
F80nYt5WIAA2En-Jignesh Bhatt | HENB | New Delhi | Oct 19, 2023:: An Indian-origin Hindu doctor working at a hospital in Bahrain was sacked after his alleged pro-Israel posts as on X criticizing Hamas terrorism generated from Palestine which triggered a backlash from users. The Royal Bahrain Hospital announced on Thursday (Oct 19) that they have decided to terminate Dr Sunil Rao with “immediate effect” for “ violation of our (Hospital) code of conduct” through posting “tweets on social media platforms that are offensive to our society”.
In a series of posts on X, Rao seemingly supported Israel amid its ongoing war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. However, his posts went viral on the microblogging platform after another user posted screenshots and tagged Bahraini officials along with his profile on the hospital’s website.
He may also face legal action since Bahrain’s interior ministry in a brief statement on X said, “Combating cybercrime: Arresting a person who posted tweets that insult religion and negatively affect the security and safety of society,” without giving any further details…
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Celebrates as U.N. Lifts Missile Sanctions on Iran
The lead Iranian negotiation on the JCPOA nuclear deal announces U.N. restrictions on Iran’s missile program have lapsed.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
US Ally Qatar Shielding Hamas Terrorists After Israel Attack: Expert
Authored by Andrew Thornebrooke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A key U.S. ally in the Middle East is also one of the top financial and political backers of the Hamas terrorist organization. That relationship could now undermine the U.S.-Israel alliance and peace in the Middle East more broadly, according to one expert.
Qatar provides financial and diplomatic support to numerous terrorist groups and state sponsors of terror, including Hamas and Iran.
Now, the authoritarian nation is assisting the Hamas terrorist organization to maintain its control over the Gaza Strip, according to Asher Fredman, director for Israel at the Abraham Accords Peace Institute think tank.
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US Closes Consulate in Turkey Over Fear of Riots
by RT
The United States has closed its consulate office in southern Türkiye indefinitely, predicting “several weeks” of heated protests linked to the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.
The US Embassy in Türkiye announced the move on Wednesday night, saying the consulate in the city of Adana would be closed to the public “until further notice” while urging American citizens to avoid traveling to the area.
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US Military Bases in Iraq, Syria Targeted in Drone Attack, Injuries Reported
The Department of Defense announced that multiple US military bases in the Middle East have been the target of drone attacks as a result of escalation in the Israel-Hamas war. The DoD did not reveal the damage done to the bases, but confirmed that US servicemembers sustained minor injuries from the strike attacks. So far, drone attacks have occurred on US Military bases in Iraq and Syria.
On Wednesday, the US military intercepted a series of UAVs headed towards two separate US Military bases in Syria; the US Al-Tanf base located in southern Syria near the border between Iraq and Jordan, and the US Conoco base located near the northern Deir al-Zor region.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Navy Intercepts Missiles Heading North From Yemen, ‘Potentially’ Toward Israel: Pentagon
A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted several missiles fired near the coast of Yemen on Thursday, though it is unclear what the missiles were targeting, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed Thursday that the crew of the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer operating in the Northern Red Sea, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed US policy towards North Korea as ‘dangerous’, while touting the ‘new, strategic level’ of relations between Moscow and the nuclear-armed state.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Foreign Minister Thanks North Korea for ‘Unwavering’ Support in Ukraine War
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has hailed deepening relations between Russia and North Korea during his two-day diplomatic trip to Pyongyang in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday, flying from Beijing where he had been participating in the Belt and Road Initiative forum alongside President Vladimir Putin and other heads of state from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
Footage from Russian state television showed crowds greeting Lavrov in the rain upon his arrival in Pyongyang, alongside a welcoming party waving pompoms.
Speaking at a formal reception hosted by the government of North Korea, Lavrov thanked North Korea for its “unwavering and principled support for Russia’s actions in the context of the special military operation in Ukraine.”
“We are fully aware that many countries worldwide share similar viewpoints and assessments, but only a select few, such as the DPRK, explicitly declare their solidarity with Russia and can express it openly,” said Lavrov. “This ability is a hallmark of nations and governments that are truly independent, prioritise their national interests, and not fall for the tricks played by our Western counterparts.”
Lavrov announced the Russian federation likewise extends its “complete support and solidarity” to North Korea’s aspirations, hailing their “mutual solidarity and shared commitment.”
“Here’s to our friendship!” said Lavrov.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Ambassador ‘Profited From Advising Russian Oligarch’
Controversial American ambassador to Hungary David Pressman is under fire today after the Hungarian press revealed that the U.S. diplomat financially benefited from giving legal advice to a confidant of a prominent Russian oligarch who has successfully avoided Western sanctions despite protests from the Ukrainian government.
The revelations came about through an asset declaration made by Pressman when he commenced his diplomatic post in May last year, with the legal services provided in the lead-up to the outbreak of war in Ukraine between 2020 and 2022.
Pressman is alleged to have made just under $2 million while working as a lawyer for the legal firm Jenner & Block, as he advised Ellen Pinchuk, the primary American consultant to the Russian mineral oligarch and politician Mikhail Prokhorov, known to be a close Kremlin ally.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainian Lawmakers Vote to Ban Country’s Largest Orthodox Church Body
An ultra-controversial ban on Ukraine’s main religious body, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), has just passed a first-round vote of lawmakers, due to the church maintaining links with the Russian Orthodox Church centered in Moscow.
It comes after Ukrainian security services have conducted several raids against Orthodox monasteries and churches, including the famous Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery.
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Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic spoke about the crisis in Gaza on Thursday, saying some Australians might find his comments ‘uncomfortable’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
GJ Gardner Homes Franchise in Queensland Collapses
Harris Constructions Pty Ltd, which traded under the name GJ Gardner Homes Springfield/Ripley in Greater Brisbane, has officially closed up shop leaving suppliers and tradies in the lurch.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Leaders in the public sector this week received an email telling them they could grant workers special leave as well as sick leave.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Corporate manager Mario Campbell, 41, was just slowing down at traffic lights in a township near Cape Town when an armed teenager calmly walked out into the dual carriageway
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil’s Parliamentary Commission Approves Report Accusing Bolsonaro of Coup Attempt
The Brazilian Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) has approved in a 20-to-11 vote a report on the January coup attempt in the country, presented by CPI Rapporteur Eliziane Gama and calling for the indictment of former President Jair Bolsonaro on four crimes, including organizing the coup.
“Lawmakers, with 20 votes in favor, 11 votes against and no abstentions, supported the report of Senator Eliziane Gama calling for the indictment of 61 people, including former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Brazil’s Federal Senate said in a statement on the website.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chile: The Legacy of Jaime Guzman Errazuriz: An Interview With José Manuel Castro
José Manuel Castro is a researcher at the Institute of History / CEUSS Universidad San Sebastian and a Ph.D. candidate in history at University College London, UK. He is the author of Jaime Guzman. Ideas y Politica 1946-1973 and co-author of Historia de Chile, 1960-2010.
You are a Chilean academic finishing your Ph.D. in the UK. One of your first academic contributions is a book we have long admired: Jaime Guzman. Ideas y Politica 1946-1973: Corporativismo, Gremialismo y Anticomunismo (Jaime Guzman. Ideas and Politics 1946-1973: Corporatism, Gremialism and Anti-Communism), published in 2016. Tell us how you became interested in Guzman—and why is he so important to Chile—and to students of politics around the world?
Jaime Guzman was a Chilean politician and one of the protagonists of the great ideological struggle in Chile and Latin America that took place in the 30 years between 1960 and 1990. These were crucial decades in the history of the Cold War—a time when Latin America was regarded, by both sides in that ideological standoff, as a vital square on the global chessboard.
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DHS Mayorkas Builds Migration Escalator for Ecuador
President Joe Biden’s border chief will spend taxpayer funds to help migrants from Ecuador evade Congress’ caps on chain migration into America.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Sets Up Border Patrol Checkpoint From Prague to Dresden to Search for Migrants
As Germany’s immigration crisis continues to grow, new German border checks with the Czech Republic have led to a large backup of traffic, including at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, where a convoy of trucks stretched about 2 kilometers into the Czech interior.
“Immer noch Schengen?” a Czech van driver asks in broken German, questioning if they’re still within the Schengen zone, which allows for free travel between EU nations. A few kilometers past the Czech border, he, along with other delivery vehicles and buses, is halted by a police roadblock. He’s not permitted to proceed further, according to the Czech newspaper Mlada Fronta DNES (MFD).
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Migrant Curfew Ordered in Italian Border Town After Deadly Brawl Leaves Residents Feeling Unsafe
Local residents of an Italian border town with France are growing increasingly concerned about their security amid rising crime rates that made headlines on Saturday after a brawl between two migrants resulted in the death of a Nigerian national.
Ventimiglia, located in northern Italy just 7 kilometers from the French border, has become a hotspot for migrants traveling from Italy’s southern coast to northwest Europe, and frustration is mounting among the locals at the rising migrant population.
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Southern Border Hit New Record for Illegal Crossings in September
Illegal border crossings soared to a new monthly record in September, new Border Patrol data shows.
In September, Border Patrol recorded 218,777 encounters will illegal aliens who had crossed the Southern Border from Mexico.
According to the official data, the number is the highest on record for the month going back to at least the year 2000.
September also marks the end of fiscal year 2023.
For the fiscal year, Border Patrol apprehensions surpassed 2 million.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Following the recent terrorist incident in Brussels, the right-wing Vox party in Spain has intensified its stance on immigration. The party has formally proposed a suspension on the provision of Spanish citizenship and residency to individuals from countries with a predominant ‘Islamic culture’.
The proposal, championed by the party’s leader Santiago Abascal, calls for a halt on “procedures for acquiring Spanish nationality and residence” and further seeks to “restrict the entry of immigrants from nations with an Islamic culture unless their peaceful and proper integration can be ascertained.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
— as they appeal to the public to help find hooded man seen getting on and off vehicle
Just Stop Oil has accused the driver of a coach carrying migrants to the Bibby Stockholm barge of ‘trying to kill’ them during a protest on Thursday.
Members of the eco activist collective had tried to block the vehicle as it took asylum seekers back to the barge for the first time since it was evacuated following the discovery of Legionella.
However, the bus forced its way through 23 demonstrators who had walked into the road and tried to sit down in front of it while holding a large orange banner.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Smuggler in Jail After Helping Thousands Cross the Channel
A notorious people smuggler who helped up to 10,000 people enter Britain illegally has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Hewa Rahimpur led a criminal gang that reportedly charged £6,000 per person, making profits of up to £200,000 per crossing. The 30-year-old was granted asylum after he illegally entered the UK in 2016. It is understood that he used a food retail shop as a front for his smuggling activities.
Rahimpur’s efforts were foiled last year after the National Crime Agency (NCA) intercepted phone messages as part of a Europe-wide operation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Parliament Chooses Abortion Activists as Finalists for Human Rights Award
The European Parliament (EP) has chosen among its finalists for the prestigious Sakharov Prize three women “fighting for a free, safe and legal abortion,” including Planned Parenthood abortionist Colleen McNicholas.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Rising Requests for Gender Change in Czech Republic: Castration Requirement Faces Criticism
In the Czech Republic, the number of people requesting gender change has seen a consistent rise year-on-year. Last year, there was a record 208 requests, marking a 6% increase from the previous year, as stated by the Ministry of Health and reports CT24.
Since 2012, when the Czech Republic first permitted gender reassignment surgeries, a total of 1,349 people have sought the transition, with the vast majority receiving approval from the health ministry’s commission.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Victoria’s Secret chose to prioritize ‘body positivity’ over objective beauty standards and is now going broke.
Wow, who could have foreseen such an outcome?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A former Australian football coach and biological male was included in a list of Australia’s top 100 “fine and fierce femmes” for 2023.
Maxim magazine is known as a men’s magazine that features images of beautiful women, but a recent list published by Maxim Australia has commentators outraged. Maxim Australia made headlines for listing at least one known transgender woman, former Australian football player and coach Danielle “Dani” (formerly Dean) Laidley. Laidley was ranked 92 among the list of Maxim Australia’s “Hot 100” that celebrates noteworthy Australian women every year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trans, Non-Binary Teachers Busted for Prostitution in Tennessee
Two Tennessee substitute elementary school teachers have been busted for moonlighting as prostitutes following an undercover operation undertaken by law enforcement.
Both 22-year-old Ezra Fry and 25-year-old David Acevedo, worked in the Hamilton County School District, which includes Chattanooga, as well as areas to the east and north.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: JK Rowling Says She Would ‘Happily’ Go to Jail for Using Someone’s Incorrect Pronouns
JK Rowling said she would “happily” spend time in jail if the government in the United Kingdom made it a hate crime to call someone by the wrong pronouns.
“I’ll happily do two years if the alternative is compelled speech and forced denial of the reality and importance of sex,” Rowling posted on X after one user told her that under the Labour Party, that could mean two years in jail. “Bring on the court case, I say. It’ll be more fun than I’ve ever had on a red carpet.”
The message was in response to a photo of lighted letters outside the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice that said: “Repeat After Us: Trans Women Are Women” to which Rowling responded “no” in an X post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WHO Director-General Complains “The Spread of Misinformation” Undermines “Faith in Our Institutions”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) — and one on whom the pandemic has not been kind, but not from the health, rather, from the diplomatic/political integrity point of view — is complaining again.
It’s by now the old song-and-dance that various global groups, official or otherwise, are constantly trying to push on the world’s nations. Their message: it’s not “institutions” that are crooked to begin with — it’s that “misinformation” just “made them” look like that.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Devil’ Comet Bigger Than Mount Everest Now Heading Toward Earth After Explosion
Scientists are reporting that a “horned” comet three times bigger than Mount Everest is hurtling toward Earth after encountering a large explosion.
The blast originated on October 5 from 12P/Pons-Brooks a cryovolcanic — or cold volcano — comet.
According to Live Science, the comet, nicknamed the “Devil” due to its apparent horns, measures a colossal 18.6 miles in diameter, or the size of a small city.
For reference, Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, is about 5.5 miles high.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
I didn’t know that it was legal–anywhere in the United States–to hold someone in jail for 1,000 days without a trial. How can this be happening? Under what law is he held without trial?
The swamp doesn’t obey laws.
“I didn’t know that it was legal–anywhere in the United States–to hold someone in jail for 1,000 days without a trial. How can this be happening? Under what law is he held without trial?”
There’s no law that can’t be broken, no lie that can’t be told by anti-American, Muslim-leaning Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers (aka ‘toddlers) in their blind pursuit of “social justice” (for personal gain).
Turkey, Syria and Iraq are turning on USA.
War in Israel vs. Hamas.
Death to moslem pigs.
Also continuing war Ukraine vs. Russia.
This is a good time for China to make a move on Taiwan.
Then we have WW3
“In the footsteps of rotten Sweden”
https://swebbtube.se/w/mFjXaAUtDZcMahWfmWSs3T
US keeps Turkey at arm’s length, sidelining the Erdogan government at major events