Sahra Wagenknecht, a member of the Bundestag for Die Linke, has called for the EU to work on achieving peace in Ukraine rather than sending more weapons. Meanwhile, a British military source said that the UK has run out of weaponry to send Ukraine.
In other news, Texas has warned Illinois to expect up to 25 busloads of migrants every day, and Illinois has appealed to the federal government for help.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, Jože Bišcak, JW, McN, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, WRSA, 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.
Eyeball Scanning Global Digital ID System Worldcoin Suggests Using it for Social Welfare
Worldcoin, a controversial biometric cryptocurrency and digital ID project founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, works using biometric data contained in people’s irises and also operates something called World ID — a digital way to prove someone’s identity.
Now, the idea is — despite a rising number of questions and misgivings about the platform, specifically about the privacy protections (or alleged lack thereof) and whether some categories of people are taken advantage of in some situations — to extend the use of the global digital ID system to social welfare users.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
No Chance of Tax Cuts, UK Government Tells Squeezed Britons
The government won’t let British workers keep more of their own money because allowing people the opportunity to spend it how they see fit would drive inflation up, the British government is to tell the country today as the governing party meets for its annual conference.
The levels of money the government takes from families and businesses is at an all-time high and has seen the most rapid ever increase in a single peace-time Parliament, yet there is no end to this pain in sight, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) will say at his conference speech today.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nolte: Bidenflation — Netflix to Raise Prices Again
Netflix will increase the price of its ad-free streaming service once the actors’ strike ends, reports the Wall Street Journal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
11-Year-Old Arrested and Charged in Shooting of 2 Teens at Florida Football Practice
The young suspect is in custody following Monday night’s gunfire in Apopka, charged with second-degree attempted murder.
An 11-year-old boy allegedly shot two 13-year-olds after they had scuffled at a youth football practice in central Florida on Monday night, authorities said.
The alleged shooter was arrested and booked on a single charge of second-degree attempted murder following the incident at the Northwest Recreation Complex in Apopka, outside of Orlando, police said.
“That’s not good,” Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley told reporters. “We shouldn’t have 11-year-olds that have access to guns and think they can resolve a dispute with a firearm.”
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
12 L.A. County Cities File Lawsuit to Postpone Zero-Bail Policy Implementation
LOS ANGELES — Twelve Los Angeles County cities filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to postpone the controversial new zero-bail policy that allows some nonviolent defendants charged with felonies or misdemeanors to be cited and released after being arrested.
The cities of Whittier, Arcadia, Artesia, Covina, Downey, Glendora, Industry, Lakewood, La Verne, Palmdale, Santa Fe Springs and Vernon are seeking an injunction to postpone the implementation of the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s zero-bail schedule, which went into effect Sunday, according to a news release from the city of Glendora.
The new bail policy was imposed by court officials who argued that a defendant’s ability to pay bail should not be the key factor in determining whether they stay in jail after an arrest. The so-called zero-bail schedule has been a controversial issue around the country, with criminal justice reform advocates arguing that pretrial releases should be based on an individual’s criminal history not on an arbitrary dollar amount.
Under the new schedule, almost all defendants accused of nonviolent felonies or misdemeanors in L.A. County will either be cited and released or freed on certain terms and conditions after judicial review within 24 hours of arrest, according to L.A. County Presiding Judge Samantha Jessner.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Baltimore Tech CEO Opened Door, Rode Elevator With Convict Charged for Her Murder
Investigators have claimed that security footage reveals that Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere, 26, let the man who allegedly killed her inside her apartment complex lobby shortly before the gruesome event took place.
That man is said to be 32-year-old Jason Dean Billingsley, who according to investigators then joined LaPere in the elevator.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boopac Shakur, Known for Hunting Child Sex Predators, Shot Dead by Suspected Pedophile
Robert Wayne Lee, better known as Boopac Shakur, is being remembered for his fearless pursuits of alleged child sex predators after being gunned down during a confrontation with two teenagers on September 29 in Pontiac, Michigan.
The 40-year-old amassed a sizable following on social media thanks to his “To Catch a Predator” style tactics of posing as an underage girl online and exposing the grown men who unsuspectingly met up with him.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Wildfire Smoke Invades Florida, Choking Skies With Smoke and Unhealthy Air Quality
MIAMI — Many across Florida woke up to a thick haze in the air after wildfire smoke from Canada made its way to the Southeast, reaching as far as Miami and causing air quality concerns.
More than 300 wildfires continue burning out of control across Canada, with over 18.4 million hectares burned this year alone, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the smoke ended up in Florida due to the combination of a low-pressure system over Florida from this past weekend and a high-pressure system over the eastern U.S., causing the winds around those systems to carry it as far south as Miami.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Charlie Kirk Packs San Jose State Campus Event Despite Left-Wing Protest, Smashed Windows
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk attracted attention from fans and haters alike during his appearance on Monday at California’s San Jose State University as part of the LIVE FREE TOUR.
The conservative commentator saw a sizeable turnout of protestors who opposed him as well as an even larger contingent of Americans who came to listen to what he had to say.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chief of Staff of Pentagon Counterterrorism Office Served Iranian Government
by Daniel Greenfield
In 2016, Ariane Tabatabai co-wrote an article arguing that the United States should ally with Iran against ISIS. The Iranian immigrant suggested the United States Air Force could “provide air cover for Iranian-backed militia” and “the US and Iran can share intelligence on targets”. Finally she warned that “excluding Iran, the region’s major Shia state, from the international coalition built to fight ISIS worsens the regional sectarian conflict, ultimately playing into ISIS’ hands.”
Tabatabai’s bio now describes her as the Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. Up from a Senior Advisor last year. The ASD(SO/LIC) office advises the Secretary of Defense on counterterrorism and it’s hard to think of a better place for a woman accused of being an Iran regime apologist to find herself in.
Almost as good as her former role representing the United States in the Iran negotiations.
In 2021, when the State Department had brought in Tabatabai as a senior adviser to the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, a congressional letter urged that her security clearance be pulled. The letter stated that Tabatabai “has echoed Iranian regime talking points and has made excuses for Iran’s oppressive government.
“Why would we hire someone… who has access and security clearance to some of the most sensitive and important issues there [and] who obviously has had a relationship with the administration in Iran?” Rep. Van Drew asked.
Biden’s State Department Spokesman Ned Price claimed that she “was thoroughly vetted and investigated before being granted the position. Any suggestion of security-related concerns about Dr. Tabatabai are baseless and illegitimate.” He fumed that, “we will not sit idly by as our employees—dedicated public servants—face personal smears and slander.”
Now a Semafor article by former Wall Street Journal chief correspondent Jay Solomon based on materials gathered by Iran International’s dissident media channel has revealed emails showing Tabatabai’s participation in a secret Iranian government to influence the United States…
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
DC’s Pro-BLM Democrat Mayor Complained of Lack of Police Just Before Congressman’s Carjacking
Just days before Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was carjacked at gunpoint in the nation’s capital on Monday, Washington D.C.’s Democrat mayor complained about the lack of police in her city.
Mayor Muriel Bowser complained about D.C. losing about 400 police officers in the past several years.
Bowser had pleaded that the district needs more officers at a recent press conference.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Death Penalty for Pedophiles Comes Into Effect in Florida
Pedophiles now face the death penalty in Florida after new laws came into effect in the state this week.
New legislation to make child rapists face execution for their crimes passed the state’s House and Senate earlier this year, as Slay News reported.
In May, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into state law.
The new law came into effect this week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrats Ripped for ‘Cringe’ ‘Mean Girls’ Post Trying to Make Biden a ‘Cool President’
The official X account for the Democratic Party received a wave of mockery Tuesday after sharing an image it thought portrayed President Biden looking “cool.”
While attempting to make a pop culture reference, the Democratic Party posted a photo of Biden wearing his classic aviator’s sunglasses while standing in front of the White House.
Along with the image, the account shared a quote referencing a line from “Mean Girls,” the 2004 high school comedy film starring Lindsay Lohan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrats Sue Wisconsin to Block Absentee Voter Witness Requirements
Democrats are suing the state of Wisconsin to block witness requirements for absentee voter ballots.
The effort is being led by former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias.
Elias and national Democrats are pushing to strip rules and procedures from U.S. elections that protect voter integrity.
Under current Wisconsin law, a witness is required to sign and address an absentee ballot envelope.
This requirement reduces the chance of voter fraud.
Nevertheless, Democrats want this eliminated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Denver think tank president and radio host who went viral last week for transporting the human waste left on his building to City Hall is demanding politicians start seriously enforcing the laws against the homeless people and “vagrants” leaving waste around Colorado’s capital.
Jon Caldara, a local columnist and the head of libertarian think tank Independence Institute, told FOX News Digital he is frustrated and angry over Denver politicians not doing anything about the “biohazard” that homeless people and drug users have left in the city’s streets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Last Friday night, the vehicles of multiple Seattle firefighters were vandalized while they were at their station.
Documents obtained by The Post Millennial revealed that a total of 8 tires were slashed on 4 different vehicles.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fatal NYC Stabbing of Social-Justice Activist Caught on CCTV
For the second time in a week, a left-wing activist has been murdered in a major US city, where soft-on-crime Democrat policies have resulted in record crime.
On Monday, social justice advocate Ryan Carson was stabbed in the Crown Heights neighborhood of New York City.
According to police, Carson was walking with his girlfriend after a wedding when a suspect approached and asked “What are you looking at?” before stabbing Carson in the chest several times. The victim, 32, was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital.
Footage of the incident was obtained by the NY Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minneapolis’ progressive district attorney is under fire for her woke policies that allow accused rapists, pedophiles and killers to stay free — with even Minnesota’s George Soros-backed general attorney accusing her of taking it too far.
Hennepin County District Attorney Mary Moriarty, 59, took office in January promising to “deliver more safety and more justice” to the community.
Since then, however, she has horrified local families and officials by pushing for suspects in even the most serious crimes to get probation in an effort to keep them out of prison, according to the Star Tribune.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Here Are the 8 Republicans Who Sided With Dems to Oust Speaker McCarthy
Lawmakers voted Tuesday to oust embattled Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker of the House of Representatives.
Such a move is the first in time in U.S. history that the top member of the House has been removed from the job. Eight Republicans sided with every Democrat in a 216-210 vote.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a measure against McCarthy known as a motion to vacate on Monday night, accusing him of breaking promises he made to win the speaker’s gavel in January.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hit-and-Run Driver Strikes Pedestrian, Who is Then Run Over by Robotaxi in SF
A woman suffered major injuries after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in San Francisco, which launched her into the path of a self-driving car Monday night, police said Tuesday.
First responders received a 911 call around 9:35 p.m. reporting a woman trapped underneath an autonomous vehicle on Fifth Street just south of Market Street.
According to Captain Justin Schorr of the San Francisco Fire Department, rescuers found the woman pinned beneath the left rear axle of the vehicle, which was unoccupied.
The controllers of the car, Cruise autonomous vehicles, were reached and able to disable the car remotely, Schorr said.
Rescuers were then “able to get the car up off her” and used the jaws of life to free her, but she had multiple traumatic injuries and was taken to the hospital. Her current condition is not known, Schorr said at 10:30 p.m.
San Francisco Police said early Tuesday a preliminary investigation determined the woman was first hit by a hit-and-run driver into the path of the Cruise vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was being sought.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Gun Charges
Hunter Biden appeared in the District Court for the District of Delaware Tuesday morning where he pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges.
The charges were brought out of Special Counsel David Weiss’s years-long investigation.
Democrat President Joe Biden’s son appeared in person in court for his arraignment Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Documents from the US Treasury have revealed that agents suspected first son Hunter Biden was involved with an ‘Eastern European sex trafficking ring’ and even wrote fraudulent checks to pay for prostitutes.
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) reviewed by The Daily Mail revealed that investigators found payments from Hunter to the suspected prostitution ring and that his accounts were being monitored before the 2020 presidential election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
IRS Hits MyPillow With Five Audits: Mike Lindell
Last week we noted that MyPillow has been “crippled” by American Express, according to CEO Mike Lindell.
On Saturday, Lindell said that his company is now facing five IRS audits related to employees who worked remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The New York judge presiding over the Trump Organization trial imposed a partial gag order to prevent all parties from engaging in any verbal attacks against court staff after former President Trump criticized a member of the judge’s office on social media.
Judge Arthur Engoron on Tuesday afternoon issued an order that he said applies to both the defense and New York Attorney General Letitia James’ team. The gag order only applies to verbal attacks on staff.
Engoron said his order came after a defendant “posted to a social media account a disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Upholds Federal Bump Stock Ban
Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A federal judge has upheld the ATF’s ban on bump stocks, devices that boost firing speed.
U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish ruled on Sept. 29 (pdf) that the prohibition on bump stocks imposed administratively by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) several years ago was appropriate.
“This court concludes that the regulation is an appropriate exercise of the agency’s discretion to fill gaps implicitly left by Congress,” and so “it declines to declare the rule unlawful or enjoin its enforcement,” wrote Ms. Parrish, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kansas Police Chief Resigns After Raid on Local Newspaper Drew First Amendment Concerns
A Kansas police chief has resigned after he sparked First Amendment concerns following a raid against a local newspaper.
Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody led the Marion County Record raid on Aug. 11. Cody alleged that a reporter for the Record lied about her intentions and impersonated someone else when gathering driving records for local restaurant owner Kari Newell.
The raid included a search of the Record’s office as well as the home of its owners. Marion County Record co-owner Joan Meyer died a day after local police searched her home.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kevin McCarthy Voted OUT as Speaker
Republican becomes first House leader in American history to have his gavel taken away following stunning rebellion from critics led by Matt Gaetz
Kevin McCarthy has been sensationally ousted as Speaker of the House in a historic vote sparked by a tumultuous civil war in the Republican party.
A motion to vacate the speaker’s chair was adopted 216 to 210, with eight Republicans joining Democrats to boot the House leader.
McCarthy, R-Calif., became the first Speaker in the 234-year history of the United States Congress to be kicked out and have his gavel taken away by fellow lawmakers.
McCarthy ally Rep. Patrick McHenry, chair of the Financial Services Committee, has been named as the interim Speaker, but now the GOP will launch a marathon bid to pick a successor while in turmoil.
The House is now in recess while Republicans decide on their next move to elect a leader.
| — Hat tip: WRSA | [Return to headlines] |
Over 100 Victims Rescued in Major Human Trafficking Bust, 160 Suspects Arrested
Law enforcement officials in Ohio have announced the results of a major human trafficking operation.
The sweeping success of the weeklong statewide human trafficking operation, aptly named “Operation Buyer’s Remorse,” was announced by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
The operation sought to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking.
It also aimed to arrest traffickers and individuals attempting to purchase sex from trafficking rings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pentagon Reportedly Running Out of Funds to Replace Weapons Sent to Ukraine
by Sputnik
The Pentagon recently issued a dire warning to Congress, revealing it is rapidly running out of funds to replace its weapons stockpile that the US had earlier pulled from in order fulfill shipments to Ukraine.
The revelation came in a letter viewed by US media, and which urgently calls on congressional lawmakers to replenish funding in order to avert a potentially catastrophic weapons supply shortage for US militaries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: RFK Jr. Independent Bid Would Help Donald Trump, Hurt Joe Biden
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running as an independent 2024 presidential candidate would help former President Donald Trump and hurt President Joe Biden in the general election, a recent Echelon Insights survey found.
A preview of the survey shows Trump leading Biden in a head-to-head presidential matchup nationally, 46 percent to 43 percent — a three-point lead. In that scenario, 11 percent remain unsure for whom they would vote.
However, with Kennedy running as an independent candidate, Trump’s lead over Biden expands by one point, growing to four points — 40 percent to Biden’s 36 percent. Kennedy garners 14 percent support. In that scenario, ten percent remain unsure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After Kevin McCarthy made history by becoming the first Speaker of the House of Representatives to be removed from power, many thought he would try to run for the post again.
Congressman Troy E. Nehls just announced that McCarthy has thrown in the towel and will not run for Speaker again. Instead, Nehls officially nominated former President Donald Trump to the post.
The Speaker does not have to be an elected Representative so Trump, if he wanted to, could run for the job. Nehls said: “Kevin McCarthy will NOT be running again as Speaker. I nominate Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the House.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Suspect Identified in Homicide of Far-Left Philadelphia Journalist Josh Kruger
Philadelphia law enforcement has found a suspect in the killing of Josh Kruger, a leftist journalist and local activist who had a history of downplaying violent crime in the city.
While an arrest warrant has not yet been issued, Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore reported that authorities plan to bring the man into custody and ask him some questions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Campaign Asks RNC to Cancel All Future Debates
President Trump’s campaign team has asked the Republican National Committee to cancel all upcoming debates.
Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita issued a statement that reads “The Republican National Committee should immediately cancel the upcoming debate in Miami and end all future debates in order to refocus its manpower and money on preventing Democrats’ efforts to steal the 2024 election.”
“Anything less, along with other reasons not to cancel, are an admission to the grassroots that their concerns about voter integrity are not taken seriously and national Republicans are more concerned about helping Joe Biden than ensuring a safe and secure election,” the statement adds.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Press Secretary Refuses to Confirm Whether Biden Was Telling Truth About Ukraine ‘Deal’
In a remarkable exchange Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to confirm whether Joe Biden’s statement about making a deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy regarding aid for Ukraine was true or not.
On Saturday, Biden signed a short-term government funding bill into law, but complained about a lack of funding for Ukraine, asking Republicans to “keep their word” on the deal he made.
On Monday, Jean-Pierre repeatedly said she “will not go beyond what the President said,” when a CBS News reporter asked what this ‘deal’ entailed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Demands Grow for Canada to Declassify Nazi Reports After Justin Trudeau Celebrated Former SS Soldier
A growing chorus of voices led by Jewish human rights groups demands Canada release long-classified records on Nazi immigrants, a response to leftist Prime Minister Justin Trudeau honoring a 98-year-old former Waffen SS soldier in Parliament in September.
Trudeau joined lawmakers in giving a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian “veteran from the Second World War” in Parliament during a visit to the legislature by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost family in the Holocaust. Then-Parliament Speaker Anthony Rota introduced Hunka as “a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service,” prompting the ovation in which Zelensky participated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hermann Patrick Kelly is an Irish journalist and politician. In September 2018, he helped found the Irish Freedom Party, of which he is now chairman. Kelly works in the European Parliament and has been press officer for Nigel Farage and Romanian politician Cristian Terhes (ECR, the European Conservatives and Reformists group).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Britain Has Run Out of Weaponry it Could Provide to Ukraine
The United Kingdom has reportedly supplied Ukraine with all the weaponry it could offer. This information comes from a high-ranking military official familiar with the situation, as reported by The Telegraph.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Conservative Cardinals Challenge Pope Francis on Faith and Morals
ROME — Five prominent cardinals have challenged Pope Francis to clarify apparent ambiguities in his teaching regarding topics such as blessings for gay couples, the ordination of women, and the authority of the synod of bishops.
The cardinals originally presented their five “dubia“ (an ecclesiastical word for formal questions or doubts) in a July 10 letter to Pope Francis, which he immediately answered in a letter dated the following day.
The cardinals in question are German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences; American Cardinal Raymond Burke, former head of the Vatican’s highest court; Cardinal Joseph Zen, former bishop of Hong Kong; Cardinal Juan Sandoval, former archbishop of Guadalajara; and Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, former prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Universities See Surge in Ukrainian Students, Prague Tops Preferred Study Destinations
Czech news outlet Seznam Zpravy has unveiled insightful statistics about foreign student demographics in Czech universities for the year 2022.
Following Slovak students, who have consistently been a significant presence in Czech higher education institutions, students from Russia and Ukraine dominate the foreign student body. Notably, there has been a sharp rise in the number of Ukrainian students, witnessing an almost 50% increase in 2022 compared to the previous year.
When it comes to the most sought-after Czech cities for higher education among international students, Prague leads the pack. The capital city is closely followed by other prominent academic hubs like Brno, Olomouc and Ostrava.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Foreign Ministers Visit Kyiv Amid Waning Support in the West
Foreign ministers and other representatives from EU member states—with Hungary and Poland as notable absentees—met in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday, October 2nd.
In what was its first such meeting on Ukrainian territory since the Russo-Ukraine war started in 2022, the bloc intends to convey its unwavering solidarity with the nation—but its unity is starting to show some cracks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Rep Says Fighting “Disinformation” About Ukraine is “High Priority”
The European Union is aligning with Ukraine in a discourse centered around navigating the realms of information, as articulated by Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
This conversation emerges in the expansive domain of the digital sphere, moving beyond the traditional frameworks of conflict. While information dynamics have always been a part of global interactions, the digital age introduces new facets to this domain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU to Evaluate Risks of Weaponization of Critical Technologies Including Semiconductors and AI
An EU official announced that the European Commission is set to conduct assessments regarding the potential weaponization of critical technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). These evaluations aim to identify risks posed by countries not aligned with EU values and formulate measures to address them in the coming year, as reported by Reuters.
This move by the EU is a significant component of its economic security strategy, which was unveiled in June. It mirrors actions taken by other nations, such as the United States and Australia, who share concerns about China’s growing assertiveness in the tech sector.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU’s Media Freedom Law Targets Poland and Hungary
The European Parliament adopted the so-called Media Freedom Act (EMFA) on Tuesday, October 3rd, by 448 votes in favour, 102 against, and 75 abstentions. While the law is allegedly intended to protect the freedom of the media and democracy in the EU’s member states, critics say it is another attack on the conservative, sovereigntist governments of Hungary and Poland.
As we previously reported, the EMFA was proposed by the European Commission last year with the aim of promoting a more pluralistic, transparent, and fair media landscape in Europe. The left-liberal majority of the Parliament claims it wants to ban all forms of interference in the editorial decisions of media outlets and prevent external pressure being exerted on journalists, such as forcing them to disclose their sources or targeting them with spyware.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has expressed concern about Finland’s growing payments to the European Union as he prepares to participate in important EU meetings in an interview to Finland’s media. Orpo emphasized that the EU is facing significant changes that will impact financing, decision-making and structures, requiring careful consideration.
Orpo highlighted the need to improve the functioning of the internal market. The Prime Minister intends to present Finland’s model for transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources and promoting a green transition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Hooded Suspect Launches Explosives at High School as Students Scatter
A high school in France came under siege this week when a hooded suspect shot fireworks at the entrance as students and staff made their way inside, according to reports.
The shocking incident unfolded just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday in Mantes-la-Jolie, a commune in the department of Île-de-France.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock declared on Monday during a visit to Kyiv that the European Union will extend its borders into areas of Ukraine that are occupied by Russia, vowing that the EU will span from “Lisbon to Luhansk”.
Despite the much-touted Ukrainian Spring counteroffensive having failed to regain much ground this year before the winter sets in, German Foreign Minister Baerbock expressed certain confidence the coming years would absolutely see the Russian occupation comprehensively rolled back.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Oktoberfest 2023 Sets Attendance Records Yet Beer Consumption Declines
Oktoberfest 2023 concludes with record-breaking statistics. It recorded an all-time high number of visitors, an increase in the sale of non-alcoholic beverages and a notable rise in police interventions due to cocaine consumption compared to previous years, as reported by Der Spiegel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germans risk waiting even longer for an appointment with a general practitioner or specialist, the Virchowbund Doctors’ Association has warned.
President Dirk Heinrich, an ENT specialist from Hamburg, told the German press that “practices are now so stifled by a wide range of regulations, but especially by restrictions on billing, that they are forced to limit services because they can no longer finance them.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Politician Urges EU to Prioritize Peace in Ukraine Over Arms Supplies
Sahra Wagenknecht, a German politician and member of the Bundestag, has once again called on the European Union to focus its efforts on achieving peace in Ukraine instead of continuing to supply weapons to Kiev.
She made this statement on her Facebook.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Celebrates Its First Nobel Prize Winning Woman
Hungarian biochemist Katalin Karikó, co-inventor of the mRNA-based vaccination currently used in several variants of the Covid-19 vaccine, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with her fellow scientist, Drew Weissmann.
“I was asleep when the news came that we had won this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine. I thought the caller was joking,” Karikó told an online news conference broadcast by Pennsylvania University. Her husband answered the phone at their home in Philadelphia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Florence Halts New Short Term Rentals in Historical Centre Amidst Housing Crisis
In an effort to preserve housing for local residents, Florence has imposed a ban on new short-term residential rentals, such as those offered on Airbnb within its historical center. Recognized as one of Italy’s prime tourist hotspots, this move by the Tuscan city underscores a growing concern over housing availability for its native inhabitants.
The legislation, which was ratified late Monday, introduces a tax break spanning three years for landlords of existing short-term rental properties who convert to standard leases. Mayor Dario Nardella highlighted the city’s decision as a necessary local intervention, expressing dissatisfaction with the national government’s measures in regulating this domain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The financial police in Italy are conducting an investigation into a significant group of individuals suspected of systematic thefts of kerosene from a NATO strategic pipeline in Belgium with the intention of illegal resale, as reported by Spiegel.
This high-profile news has been confirmed by NATO. The incidents occurred “at the end of the last decade.” The perpetrators installed a device in one of the pipelines to extract fuel in an area near the border of Belgium and France. According to unofficial information from sources familiar with the investigation in Italy, the stolen fuel was transported to Italy, where it was blended with diesel or oil and sold “off the books” to drivers at gas stations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Left and Right Fail in Bids to Build New Spanish Government
MADRID (AP) — King Felipe VI on Monday began a new round of talks with Spanish political party leaders with a view to choosing the person in the best position to gather enough support in Parliament to form the country’s next government.
All signs indicate that king will call on acting Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to try to do so following the failure by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, head of the conservative opposition Popular Party, to win sufficient parliamentary support last week.
The meetings take place Monday and Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Populist-Left Slovakia Election Winners Deny ‘Pro-Russian’ Claims in Establishment Media
We’re not pro-Putin, we’re just anti-war, claims incoming Slovak government as left-wing-populist Robert Fico wins national elections on a promise to suspend deliveries of military aid to Ukraine.
Robert Fico, the anti-mass-migration, anti-coronavirus lockdown two-time Prime Minister of Slovakia won the national elections at the weekend at the head of his left-wing party and will soon attempt to form a coalition government, returning to power again on a populist platform vowing to disentangle the nation from the war in Ukraine, which borders Slovakia to the east. Media reports have called this a propaganda coup for Putin by the “pro-Russian” Fico.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Proposed EU Reforms Would Mean the End of Polish Independence, Warns Senior Polish MEP
Proposed reforms to the EU’s treaties, which will be voted on in the European Parliament next week, would create a European superstate, Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski has warned.
Saryusz-Wolski, an MEP from Poland’s ruling Conservatives (PiS), was a negotiator for the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the European Parliament’s working group on reforming EU treaties.
The ECR was a minority within the group, as the other five parties represented, namely the EPP, Renew Europe, Socialists, Greens, and the Left, all voted for the federalist document. The ECR includes ruling parties in Poland, Italy, Czechia, Sweden and Finland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Slovak Candidate Favoured as EU Green Chief Despite Russia Ties
A former Slovakian diplomat, known for his dissident opinions on immigration and LGBT issues, appears set to become the EU’s top green official. This is happening, ironically, with the support of socialist MEPs, while conservatives raised questions about his alleged pro-Kremlin sympathies during a parliamentary cross-examination in Strasbourg Tuesday, October 3rd.
Maros Šefcovic, who ran as a presidential candidate in 2019 for Smer, the anti-NATO populist party which triumphed in the Slovak elections over the weekend, faced tough questions from MEPs. He appears poised to fill the void in Berlaymont left by Frans Timmermans, the architect of the Green Deal, who left his position to fight domestic Dutch elections in July.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Muslim Groups Protest Novelist’s Views on Islam
A Catalan-based author of Moroccan origin is facing heat from both Muslim NGOs and the Spanish left for critical comments she made about the status of women in Islam after a speech given at the start of a Barcelona cultural fair.
Najat El Hachmi, a Moroccan-born novelist earned the ire of multiple Islamic organisations for remarks highlighting patriarchal attitudes within Spain’s 2,3 million strong Muslim community during a prestigious inaugural speech at Barcelona’s Festes de la Mercè late last month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Council for the Protection of Freedom of Speech Established in Slovenia
On Tuesday, 2 October, the national Council for the Protection of Freedom of Speech (Svet za svobodo govora) was established in Slovenia within the framework of the freedom-loving association Council for Republic (Zbor za Republiko). “As we believe that freedom of speech as a universal human right and liberty is under threat in Slovenia today, the Council for the Protection of Freedom of Speech is hereby established,” the Council said at the time of its establishment. Jože Bišcak, deputy editor of Demokracija magazine, became the Council’s chairman.
The Slovenian Council for the Protection of Freedom of Speech believes that the current government is increasingly restricting freedom of speech. The latest case, where the government’s Agency for Communications Networks and Services (AKOS) demanded the withdrawal of a programme on TV3 under threat of force and fines because a guest on the programme criticised the Speaker of the National Assembly, who is a member of the ruling coalition, shows that the centre-left government is not tolerant of dissenting opinions and criticism. That is why the main task of the Slovenian Council for the Protection of Freedom of Speech will be to work to protect freedom of speech — so that everyone can express their views publicly without suffering negative consequences, such as the threat of violence or imprisonment, for the things they say. The Council will respond to violations of freedom of speech as a fundamental human right and liberty.
The Slovenian Council for the Protection of Freedom of Speech will be an open group that expects its supporters and members to work for freedom of speech and never to restrict the freedom of speech of others because of their different views.
The President Jože Bišcak stated: “I never imagined that under the current left-wing government, times would be so bad for freedom of speech. The imprisonment for satire (glosses), the numerous denunciations and interrogations for what was said or written, the persecution and harassment of journalists and editors, the state ordering Nova24TV and TV3 to cut out a part of a TV report, the threats of Prime Minister Robert Golob to close down some media — all this is heading towards dictatorship. It does not bode well for freedom of speech in the future either. Although it is a constitutionally protected right, it needs to be further protected against abuses by the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. That is why the Council for the Protection of Freedom of Speech has been established.“
We publish the full statement of the Council for the Protection of the Freedom of Speech, which was adopted at the time of its establishment…
| — Hat tip: Jože Bišcak | [Return to headlines] |
Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, has announced a meeting of the National Security Council involving political parties to discuss how to respond to the increasing problems in the country due to the activities of organized criminal groups, as reported by SVT.
Kristersson has sent written invitations to leaders of all political parties both in government and opposition. The meeting is scheduled for October 12. The Prime Minister emphasized that the government aims to establish a “broad consensus” on this issue and subsequently launch a serious crackdown on criminal gangs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government Monitored the Social Media Activity of Education Critics
It has been brought to light that the UK’s Department for Education has been conducting social media surveillance on some of the nation’s foremost education specialists. The Guardian’s investigation has revealed that the DfE maintained records of social media activities for at least nine educators, with some documentation extending to 60 pages of scrutinised interactions.
Disturbingly, a person who wished to remain anonymous reported finding an Excel spreadsheet prepared by the authorities, outlining her social media connections and activity minutiae.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: ‘I Grew Up!’ Ex-Extinction Rebellion Activist Ditches Group
A former Extinction Rebellion activist has revealed why she quit the group, after a wave of leaked emails revealed that they planned to recruit 500 students during Freshers Week.
It is reported that they planned for the recruited students to take part in slow marches, where more than 3000 people aspired to be arrested in order to overwhelm the police. The group also called for students to attend “nonviolence training” prior to taking part in protests.
Speaking to GB News presenter Andrew Doyle on Free Speech Nation, writer and former student Charlie Bentley-Astor spoke of her personal experience as a student, and the pressure to join eco groups and their protests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Reading the headlines this morning, you’d be forgiven for believing the Conservative Party was not working to rally the troops at conference but that it had already lost the next election and was looking for a new leader. Rishi Sunak has not stepped down—or been kicked out—yet, but it appears his time is now up.
According to The Independent, the Tory leadership battle is already underway and was ramped up during a fringe event speech yesterday by Liz Truss. The shortest-serving former prime minister channeled Donald Trump when she urged the party to move away from Sunak’s “too big” state in order to “[make] Britain grow again.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-ULEZ activists dressed as a dinosaur and dog used a tipper truck to block one of Sadiq Khan’s mobile ‘spy’ vans used to enforce London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone.
The baffling footage is the latest protest against the vans, which use number plate recognition cameras to catch and fine non-compliant vehicles driving in the ULEZ.
Activists opposed to Mr Khan’s flagship policy — which last month expanded to cover the entire city — have already attacked hundreds of static cameras prompting the London Mayor to roll out a fleet of vehicles to catch those flouting the rules.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wardens policing Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emission zone are wearing balaclavas to hide their faces after weeks of clashes with Blade Runners activists who aim to sabotage the scheme.
Vans with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) have been rolled out by the London mayor, in an attempt to curb the rise in ULEZ-related crimes — after the Met Police revealed 595 cameras were damaged and 200 were stolen over the past six months.
But enforcement officers are now donning balaclavas, sunglasses, caps and dark clothing in a bid to conceal their identities as they face an increase in abuse from angry residents and protestors.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nigel Farage’s Influence on Next Conservative Leader Grows as Party Wakes Up to Classic Values
Brexit leader Nigel Farage believes he is impacting UK politics more effectively as a news anchor than as he did as one of the most impactful political campaigners in modern British history, as he makes a surprise appearance at the annual conference of the governing Conservative Party.
Nigel Farage, whose Brexit campaigning has been a major factor in the downfall of two Conservative Prime Ministers has attended that party’s annual conference for the first time in 30 years, causing a minor sensation and sparking discussion of what this means for the Tories. Farage has been banned from the annual meeting for 30 years by his own reckoning since he left the Conservatives to campaign for Brexit with UKIP, but returns now on a journalist’s badge with broadcaster GB News and was “mobbed” upon his arrival.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Taxes Take Center Stage at Tory Conference
Delegates at this year’s Tory conference have so far failed to show any interest in its main speakers. But there has, at least, been some life in one debate—on taxes.
While this Tory administration cannot stomach sounding genuinely conservative on a matter like immigration for any more than a couple of days, their battle over GDP continues.
Liz Truss, Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, who resigned after her ‘mini budget’ sparked political turmoil, attracted a big crowd earlier for her admonition over Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s economic plan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Vigilantes Employ New Tactics to Bring Down Sadiq Khan’s Hated ULEZ Policy
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has attempted to employ a number of measures to enforce the much hated ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) charge.
The zone expanded to cover the entire Greater London area in August, bringing in almost one million more drivers.
Soon, masked vigilantes known as the ‘ULEZ Bladerunners’ took to the city in the cover of darkness to destroy the newly installed cameras.
Express.co.uk recently spoke to the founder of the group who divulged its humble beginnings and membership which has quickly exploded.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The European Commission is considering plans to unblock billions of euros in funding due to Hungary in order to obtain support from Budapest for increased budget contributions from EU member states to fund further aid for Ukraine.
The Financial Times and Hungarian finance portal Portfolio.hu reported on Tuesday that around €13 billion in cohesion funds, which Brussels had withheld to force through judicial reforms by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s administration, could be released should Hungary approve the EU’s financial framework that would see around €50 billion provided to Kyiv over the next four years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WEF Digital Safety Partner Calls for Online Crackdown on “Harmful” Content
France-founded Teleperformance, a multinational digital service that is one of the World Economic Forum’s partners in the Global Coalition for Digital Safety (set up to tackle “harmful content and conduct online”) has come out with new recommendations to platforms seeking to censor a certain group of online creators.
These would be those who are flagged as causing harm, and what a write-up on the WEF website by two Teleperformance execs urges is that platforms should change their censorship policy frequently, as well as track and seek to demonetize those, so to speak, “demonized” creators.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Biden administration is concerned about corruption in Ukraine according to a leaked document discussing U.S. strategy in the war torn country.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Drones Flow to Training Centers Linked to Russian War in Ukraine
More than a year after DJI — the preeminent Chinese drone maker — first said it would stop doing business in Russia and Ukraine, its products continue to play a decisive role on the battlefield, with new research shared with RFE/RL showing that they are being sold to Russian companies and training centers with links to Moscow’s war effort.
The findings — compiled by Molfar, a Ukrainian business intelligence consultancy and corroborated by RFE/RL — show that DJI’s small, low-cost drones are being sold to Russian entities that are part of its sprawling military-industrial complex or to companies in the country that train government personnel or military units on how to use the unmanned aerial vehicles.
In some cases, the training centers state plainly and even boast on their websites and Telegram channels that they are training pilots and members of the Russian military on DJI drones for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Attacks ‘Failed’: Moscow Says Soldiers Fighting ‘Boldly and Decisively’
Kyiv’s attempts to penetrate Russian defences on frontlines in the east and south of the country have “failed”, Moscow said on Tuesday, four months into a closely-watched Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Kyiv launched the long-awaited counteroffensive in June but has acknowledged slow progress as its forces crash into sophisticated and kilometres-deep Russian defensive positions.
“The enemy’s attempts to break through our defences in the areas of Verbovoye and Rabotino on the Zaporizhzhia front have failed,” Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told senior Russian military officials.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Accused of Using Cluster Bombs on Russian Village Near Border
Russian officials have accused Ukraine forces of using cluster munitions against civilian targets. The governor of Russia’s Bryansk region on Tuesday said that a Russian village came under attack which lies near the border.
Gov. Alexander Bogomaz announced on Telegram that cluster bomblets were observed in a cross-border attack on the village of Klimovo, but no casualties have been reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainian Leopard Tanks Repaired in Poland Return to the Frontline
The Bumar-Labedy factory in the Polish city of Gliwice has announced the completion of repairs on the first batch of Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks and their handover to the Ukrainian army.
Since July, the Bumar-Labedy facilities in Gliwice have been undertaking repair work on Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 tanks that sustained significant damage at the Ukrainian front line. Reports from both the company itself and the Polish Armament Group revealed that after just two months, the first tanks had been repaired and are now returning to the battlefield.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
India Orders 41 Canadian Diplomats Expelled in Latest Escalation
India has again escalated the deepening rift with Canada after last month prime minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” that Indian intelligence agents were behind the assassination of the Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside Vancouver in June.
India has ordered a whopping 41 Canadian diplomats expelled from its embassy in Delhi. Canada has 62 diplomats in the country, per AP sources, which will reduce the number to 21.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Thailand Shooting: Teenage Suspect Arrested After Two Killed at Luxury Mall
BANGKOK, Oct 3 (Reuters) — Thai police arrested a teenage gunman suspected of killing two foreigners and wounding five people on Tuesday in a shooting spree at a luxury Bangkok mall, the latest high-profile gun violence to rock the country in recent years.
Hundreds of people, including children, were seen screaming and racing into the streets after gunshots rang out at the Siam Paragon mall, a major shopping and entertainment venue popular with tourists in Bangkok’s crowded commercial heart.
Police said two women had been killed, from China and Myanmar, and five others wounded.
National police chief Torsak Sukvimol said the suspected shooter was 14 years old and had been receiving psychiatric treatment, but had skipped his prescribed medicine on the day of the incident.
“We have spoken to his parents,” Torsak told reporters.
“The suspect said that someone was telling him to shoot others.”
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Independent Senator David Pocock Pushes Back Against Government’s “Misinformation” Law
The Australian government’s proposed misinformation laws, touted as a solution to the difficulties posed by an increasingly digital society, have come up against a significant obstacle in the form of staunch opposition from independent Senator David Pocock. Known for his independent thinking, Pocock outrightly refused to back the legislative piece in its current state. His objections come at a pivotal time as dissent against these potentially restrictive laws grows louder.
Belying the democratic nature of our society, these laws propose to arm the Australian Communications and Media Authority with undue powers, enabling it to penalize tech giants for their inability to weed out misinformation. However, the beacon of criticism lies in the unilateral exemption that government-authorized content enjoys under the purview of this law. Senator Pocock echoes concerns from the Australian Human Rights Commission and other legal experts, arguing that such an exemption sets a dangerous precedent and opens up avenues for potential misuse and abuse of power.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
25,000 Illegal Migrants Landed on British Shores This Year, as Sunak’s ‘Stop the Boats’ Pledge Sinks
More than 25,000 illegal boat migrants have landed on British shores since the start of the year as Rishi Sunak continues to fail to solve the crisis in the English Channel.
As leading Tory figures gathered for the party conference in Manchester to set their agenda going into next year’s general election, one of Sunak’s top pledges to the public remains unfulfilled. At the start of the year, Sunak, after being installed in Downing Street against the will of the Conservative party membership, promised to “stop the boats” and urged the public to hold him accountable if his government failed to deliver.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria Implements Border Control With Slovakia
Austria is following the lead of its neighbors and is also introducing additional border control on its border with Slovakia.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, starting from midnight on October 4, 2023, Austria will implement border control with Slovakia. This measure is seen as a response to similar actions taken by Poland and the Czech Republic, both of which have also introduced border control on their borders with Slovakia for a period of ten days.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Jailbreak: Migrant Teens Jailed Over Murder, Gunpoint Rape Cut Through Window Bars to Escape
A manhunt is underway in France after two migrant males, described as being an Algerian and a Palestinian, used a hacksaw to cut the bars on their cell window to escape the facility.
Two migrants, described as being 17-year-old males of Algerian and Palestinian origin escaped from their individual cells at the Quiévrechain juvenile facility in the early hours of Monday morning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: 87-Year-Old Woman Jailed for Anti-Migrant Social Media Posts
Authorities in Germany have apprehended an 87-year-old woman who had gone into hiding for months after being convicted and sentenced to prison for provocative posts published on social media against migrants and asylum seekers.
The pensioner was detained by police officers in Rothenburg on Monday and transferred to a correctional facility to serve her initial eight-month prison sentence.
The woman was convicted by a court in Verden last year for two Facebook posts that incited violence against newcomers to Germany, a ruling that was upheld on appeal by a second court in Rothenburg. The senior citizen was due to attend court but was a no-show and disappeared for several months.
She was eventually arrested this week at her home without resistance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How it’s Done: Polish Guards Repel Migrants From Trying to Violently Breach Belarusian Border
Polish border guards successfully repelled dozens of migrants as they attempted to violently break through from neighbouring Belarus in what may signal a return of the Lukashenko regime using illegals as a “hybrid warfare” vector against the West.
On Sunday a group of around 60 mostly young male migrants, reportedly predominantly comprised of Iranian and Iraqi nationals, clashed with Polish border guards as they tried to push their way into the country from Belarus at the border region of Dubicz Cerkiewne.
Footage posted by Poland’s Ministry of Defence showed migrants throwing stones and sticks at the border guards as they tried to breach through the wire fence separating the two countries with bolt cutters and wooden logs. In response, Poland’s border guards pushed back the migrants from the fence with pepper spray.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illinois Warned to Prepare for Up to 25 Buses of Migrants a Day as State Pleads for Federal Help
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was told to prepare for up to 25 buses full of migrants each day as Chicago struggles to shelter and keep up with an influx of migrants being sent from Texas.
The governor said the warning came from Texas, which has been busing migrants to Chicago, a designated sanctuary city, for several months. Beatriz Ponce de Leon, the deputy mayor of immigrant, migrant and refugee rights in Chicago, also reported similar guidance, noting that the buses could potentially bring in 1,250 migrants a day.
The 25 daily buses would mark a dramatic increase compared to the totals reported by Chicago so far, more than doubling the numbers arriving in a single day so far.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Lampedusa, the Left Blames Borders for Migrant Deaths
On October 3, 2013, one of the worst migrant boat shipwrecks took place off the coast of the southern Italian island of Lampedusa as people smugglers led an estimated 360 people or more to their deaths. This week, groups from across Europe came to the island to commemorate the tragedy.
Organised by the October 3 Committee, an Italian NGO formed after the 2013 massacre, a four-day event entitled “A Europe of Rights” was held on Lampedusa from September 30th to October 3rd, the anniversary of the shipwreck.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland, Austria and Czechia will all introduce random checks at the countries’ borders with Slovakia from midnight on Wednesday following an influx of illegal immigration.
Temporary checks will be conducted along the length of the border for an initial 10-day period until Oct. 13.
They will focus specifically on road and railway border crossings, although, pedestrians and cyclists may also be asked for documentation. Anyone within the vicinity of the border may be requested to identify themselves.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Demands That Relocation of Migrants Should be Purely Voluntary
Poland will continue to oppose the European Union’s proposed migration pact in its current form and insist that the bloc returns to the principle of voluntary relocation of migrants, the country’s ambassador to the EU, Andrzej Sados, has signaled.
Sados will reaffirm the Polish position at a summit in Granada, Spain, on Friday, and is expected to remind attendees that earlier EU summits in 2016, 2018, and 2019 all reached agreement on voluntary relocation and called for decisions on migration to be taken by consensus rather than qualified majority voting (QMV).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Senegal Launches Major Operation to Intercept Ships Carrying Hundreds of Migrants to Europe
The Senegalese navy announced Sunday it had intercepted four boats, filled with migrants, bound for Europe over the previous three days. The grand total of migrants captured since July 1 reached 1,995 with these latest interceptions.
“Two more boats carrying 262 would-be migrants, including 26 women and 13 minors, were boarded late Saturday. The navy also stopped a boat with 272 passengers on Friday and 71 a day earlier,” Deutsche Welle (DW) reported, citing representatives of the Senegalese navy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Offers ‘Solution’ for Schoolgirls Forced to Shower With Males: ‘Utterly Deranged’
An Arizona Democrat lawmaker has offered a “solution” to schoolgirls who are fearful after being forced to shower with male students.
Earlier this year, Arizona’s legislature passed bill SB 1040.
The legislation would require schools to provide a private bathroom for students of either sex who are unwilling or unable to use a group bathroom.
However, the bill was eventually vetoed by the state’s Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polemicist Faces Jail in Switzerland for Anti-LGBTQ+ Remarks
Swiss LGBTQ+ rights organizations celebrated a Lausanne court’s decision to sentence French-Swiss commentator Alain Bonnet, more widely known as Alain Soral, to 60 days in jail for his derogatory comments about a journalist.
Soral was found guilty of defamation, discrimination and inciting hatred. This lead him to face not only imprisonment but also fines and legal charges amounting to several thousand Swiss francs.
Soral had targeted Catherine Macherel, a correspondent for the Tribune de Geneve and 24 Heures, in a Facebook video broadcasted two years prior. He derided her using the terms “fat lesbian” and criticized her journalistic efforts, insinuating her advocacy in the LGBTQ+ community made her “unhinged,” as reported by the Swiss broadcaster RTS.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The British government will reportedly ban transgender individuals from female hospital wards and prevent convicted sex offenders from changing their gender as the struggling Conservative Party looks to throw some red meat to the base before the next general election.
The Tory Party conference in Manchester will reportedly see top members of Rishi Sunak’s government announce crackdowns on the excesses of the transgenderism movement, as the government continues to fail on the two main issues concerning the voter base, cutting the seven-decade-high tax rate and cutting both legal and illegal immigration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Women’s rights activist Meghan Murphy was slated to hold an event at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan, British Columbia on Wednesday. But after pressure from far-left trans activists, the venue cancelled the event, claiming the purpose of the talk was in “promoting discrimination, contempt, or hatred” against people who identify as transgender.
Murphy, whose event in Ladysmith on Sunday sold out, slammed the CCC over its decision, accusing administrators of discriminating against her and those who stand up for the rights of women in Canada. Murphy is an outspoken Canadian woman who stands up for the rights of women and girls to have sex-segregated spaces. She also speaks against the inclusion of males who claim to be women among natural born women. Her account was banned from Twitter in 2018 after she identified a trans-identified male who demanded that female aestheticians wax his testicles as “him.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
No Chance of Tax Cuts, The Multicultural, Perverted, Criminally Insane UK Government Tells its Ever Decreasing in Numbers, White Indigenous Slaves.
Multiculturalism, like Feminism, has a price after all…
Thailand Shooting: Teenage Suspect Arrested After Shooting Up Siam Paragon Mall.
Police said two foreign women had been killed, and five other women where wounded.
There are many conflicting stories with this Police report, as others whom where keeping a tally, have noted that at least 7-8 women are dead, as the young man decided to exclusively target females, with the hand gun he had obtained.
There is more to this story, a lot more in fact, that is not being said.
Probably the usual suspect, mudslime defective….
Sending busloads of illegal immigrants from Texas to northern states is seriously counterproductive. Texas is facilitating the movement of illegals who will disappear into other American states and be lost from tracking. Texas should be bussing illegals back to Mexico.
Vision of Father Klimuszko, a Polish priest known for his prophecies, in 1980:
“I saw soldiers crossing the sea on such small, round ships, but their faces showed that they were not Europeans. I saw houses falling down and Italian children crying. It looked like an attack by infidels on Europe.”
https://twitter.com/Vito82488734/status/1709626170205987005
https://plus.gazetakrakowska.pl/jasnowidz-o-klimuszko-gdybym-mial-wybor-gdzie-zyc-to-wybralbym-polske/ar/12162308
The governor of Texas is not much of a Republican and is borderline cuckold.
You’re correct that this is just the equivalent of kicking the can down the road, but it plays well to many republican voters who lack critical thinking skills and refuse to see the long term damage this is doing.
A real leader would activate the state guard, put them on the borders, and authorize them to shoot anyone crossing the Mexican border while rounding up and expelling illegals within the state back into Mexico.
Of course this will provoke a federal reaction which would likely include dispatching military forces to remove the governor and reopen the border. It is this reaction which could lead to widescale rebellion and civil unrest. And, depending on what would happen next could make it the modern-day Fort Sumter.