Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that revokes Russia’s participation in the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Mr. Putin indicated that the United States’ failure to ratify the treaty was one of the reasons for his action.
In other news, Tucker Carlson announced that he will be visiting Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, 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.
Estonia is Preparing to Introduce a Digital Euro Within the European Union
The Estonian government has approved the European Commission’s proposal to begin preparations for the introduction of a digital euro in European Union countries. This decision involves replacing physical cash with a new digital means of payment, as reported by Postimees.
Estonia’s Minister of Finance, Mart Võrklaev, emphasized that the digital euro will allow citizens and businesses to make payments anywhere in the eurozone at any time. This digital currency will be available in online environments, stores, retail outlets and other locations. Users will be able to access this service through a mobile application, even without an internet connection.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Unemployment Exceeds Expectations in October, Reflecting Economic Stagnation
In October, German unemployment figures surpassed expectations, as reported by the Labour Office, revealing some vulnerabilities in what has historically been a resilient labor market.
According to the Federal Labour Office, the seasonally adjusted number of unemployed individuals increased by 30,000 to reach 2.678 million. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had anticipated a more modest rise of 15,000.
Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Federal Employment Agency, remarked, “For a good year now, the German economy has more or less been treading water,” underscoring the impact this stagnation is having on the labor market. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate inched up to 5.8% from 5.7% in September.
During October, the Federal Labour Office reported 749,000 job openings, a decrease of 98,000 compared to the same period last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Inflation in Poland Fell to 6.5% in October
Polish inflation fell to 6.5 percent in October, down from 8.2 percent in September and slightly lower than experts predicted, according to Statistics Poland (GUS).
Preliminary data released by the stats agency indicated an inflation rate of 6.5 percent year-over-year. Analysts had forecasted a rate of 6.6 percent.
Food and alcoholic beverages are 7.9 percent more expensive than they were for the same month last year, while energy prices have risen by 8.3 percent. However, a noticeable decline of 14.4 percent was seen in gasoline prices.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Adam Kinzinger Says Family Sent ‘Certified Letter’ Disowning Him
Disgraced former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) has revealed that members of his own family have disowned him.
The lawmaker-turned-social media personality claims he received a “certified letter” from members of his family informing him that they were officially “disowning” him.
Kinzinger dropped the claim during a Monday interview with CNN.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Adams’ Chief Fundraiser Raided by FBI Over Alleged Kickback Scheme Involving Turkish Government
The home of a top fundraiser for New York City Mayor Eric Adams was raided by the feds early Thursday morning as part of an investigation over an alleged kickback scheme involving the Turkish government and a Brooklyn construction company.
Federal agents burst into the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, a campaign consultant and lobbyist — just as Adams abruptly bailed on a slate of White House immigration meetings to fly back to the Big Apple almost as soon as he had landed in Washington DC, The Post confirmed.
The raid was connected to a broader public corruption probe by the feds looking into whether money was illegally funneled to Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign via a Williamsburg-based construction company — and was purposely conducted while the mayor was out of town, law enforcement sources said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Skips Summit With Democrat Mayors Seeking $5B for Migrant Crisis
WASHINGTON — President Biden did not attend a White House meeting Thursday with big-city mayors seeking $5 billion to finance local services for migrants released at the US-Mexico border.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and senior adviser Tom Perez instead met with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, both Democrats.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bridgeport Election Overturned After City Official Pleads 5th to Ballot Harvesting
A Bridgeport, Connecticut judge ruled on Wednesday to overturn the city’s Democratic primary election after video emerged of a woman who appears to be the city’s vice chair of the Democratic Town Committee, Wanda Geter-Pataky, committing ballot fraud.
In a 37-page ruling, Judge William Clark ordered a new Democratic primary based on 180 pieces of evidence presented by legal council for mayoral candidate John Gomes — who posted the following video to Facebook on September 16, and was seen by the court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The city of Chicago and Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson is calling on city authorities to give black residents fewer parking tickets in an effort to push “racial equity.”
The city has established a “Racial Equity Office,” which pushes the idea that urgency is white supremacist, and has made its city police give fewer parking tickets to black residents.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Coal Plant Collapses in Kentucky, Gov Declares State of Emergency
A coal plant has reportedly collapsed in Kentucky, promoting Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear to declare a state of emergency.
One worker has died, and a second remains trapped.
The plant collapsed Wednesday while workers were inside.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cornell University canceled classes on Friday after student Patrick Dai was arrested for making violent antisemitic threats against his Jewish classmates.
The upstate New York Ivy League college said that Friday would be a “community day” where students and staff will be excused from work to relax and reflect following “the extraordinary stress of the past few weeks,” a university spokesperson told The Post.
Dai, an engineering student, was arrested by federal authorities on Tuesday after they connected him to a series of disturbing online posts threatening to kill and rape Jewish students and to “bring an assault rifle to campus.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DeSantis Asks if Trump Has the ‘Balls to Show Up’ to the Third GOP Debate
Ron DeSantis showed off his pair of … golf balls Thursday and questioned whether Donald Trump has “the balls” to join the third Republican presidential debate next week.
In a tongue-in-cheek merch drop, the DeSantis campaign began selling golf balls with the slogan, “Ron DeSantis has a pair — he shows up” in a direct taunt at the GOP frontrunner.
The Sunshine State governor also brushed aside recent hubbub about his boots and promised to wear one on his head if the former president “can summon the balls to show up to the debate.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk: Soros ‘Hijacked’ U.S Cities Without Changing Any Laws
Twitter/X boss Elon Musk has warned the public about leftist billionaire George Soros’ plot to control the American justice system.
Musk appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast Tuesday and gave a lengthy interview on a wide number of subjects that are impacting today’s society.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ex-Gang Leader Pleads Not Guilty in 1996 Tupac Shakur Killing in Las Vegas, Judge Appoints Lawyers
A former Southern California street gang leader pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder in the 1996 killing of rap music icon Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas — a charge prompted by his own descriptions in recent years about orchestrating the deadly drive-by shooting.
Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis, the only person still alive who was in the vehicle from which shots were fired and the only person ever charged with a crime in the case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Extinction Rebellion Activists Disrupt Gov. Healey at Climatetech Summit
The two Extinction Rebellion activists held a banner that read “Commonwealth failing to address climate crisis.” Both activists were quickly escorted off the stage, while other members held a poster against the window with the same message.
The activists also chanted “no new fossil fuel infrastructure” during the Climatetech Summit. Healey did not react to the protest, speaking louder while the activists were escorted away.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FDA Looks to Ban Controversial Food Additive: ‘No Longer Considered Safe’
The Food and Drug Administration may ban the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food, the agency announced in a statement on Thursday.
The organization “proposed to revoke the regulation authorizing” its use and declared that “the intended use of BVO in food is no longer considered safe,” citing studies conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which found potentially dangerous health effects.
The citrus-boosting additive was previously used in beverages including Gatorade, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other products and still remains in drinks including Sun Drop and numerous off-brand sodas.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) introduced a resolution Thursday that would revoke indicted Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) access to classified briefings and information.
Fetterman, who has already called on his embattled Senate colleague to resign, did not specifically name Menendez in his resolution, but referenced some of the crimes the New Jersey Democrat has been charged with and argued that any members facing such accusations should be barred from certain activities in the upper chamber.
The resolution would prohibit senators charged with acting as a foreign agent, compromising US national security and mishandling classified information from receiving classified information or briefings, serving on committees, submitting spending requests for appropriation bills, or using official funds for international travel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Passes $14.3 Billion in Solo Aid for Israel to Help Fight Hamas
The House of Representatives approved $14.3 billion in additional military aid for Israel as it wages war with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip Thursday, going against the will of President Biden and Senate leaders who favored a joint package with Ukraine.
The Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 passed 226-196, with 214 Republicans and 12 Democrats voting in support.
Twelve members were absent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hunter Biden Complains His Crack Addiction Has Been ‘Weaponized’ Against His Father
In an op-ed piece published on Thursday in USA Today, Hunter Biden revealed that his addiction consisted of “a bottle of vodka and as many hits on a crack pipe as possible,” and said that his addiction has been “weaponized” and turned into “a vile and sustained disinformation campaign” against his father, President Joe Biden.
“My struggles and my mistakes have been fodder for a vile and sustained disinformation campaign against him, and an all-out annihilation of my reputation through high-pitched but fruitless congressional investigations and, more recently, criminal charges for possessing an unloaded gun for 11 days five years ago — charges that appear to be the first-ever of their kind brought in the history of Delaware,” Biden lamented.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kilonova Space Explosion Could End Life on Earth for 1,000 Years
Kilonova? More like killer-nova.
Violent star collisions, called a kilonova, could devastate our planet due to a lethal spew of radiation — namely gamma rays, cosmic rays and x-rays — that are emitted from the celestial event, scientists have discovered.
“We found that if a neutron star merger were to occur within around 36 light-years of Earth, the resulting radiation could cause an extinction-level event,” University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researcher Haille Perkins told Space.com.
The powerful collision of ultra-dense neutron stars — a teaspoon of which would weigh approximately one billion tons — creates a particle blast that would decimate our planet’s ozone layer and make it vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation for the next 1,000 years: an extinction-level event.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leftists Turn on Fetterman Over Israel Support, Claim He’s ‘Silent on Genocide’
Far-left Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has outraged his leftist base by declaring his support for Israel following the recent Hamas terror attacks against the Jewish state.
Sen. Fetterman’s position has provoked a backlash from the progressive Left as many of his supporters pressumedly assumed the radical lawmaker would stand with the Hamas terrorist group.
According to NBC News, many of Fetterman’s supporters are accusing the controversial senator of betraying his base and being “silent on genocide.”
Fetterman has publicly stated that he supports Israel’s military retaliation against Hamas for the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed over 1,400 people in the Jewish state.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lisa Franchetti Becomes First Woman to Lead US Navy
The Senate has voted to approve Admiral Lisa Franchetti to lead the US Navy.
As Chief of Naval Operations she becomes the first woman to join the elite group of senior military officers who make up the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Her nomination was approved 95-1, as the Senate pushed to fill critical openings in military leadership.
One Republican senator has been trying to block military appointments in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy.
The 38-year Naval veteran is the former head of the US 6th Fleet and US naval forces in South Korea, and has also served as an aircraft carrier strike commander.
Her nomination by President Joe Biden marked the first time a woman has been put forward to head a Pentagon military service branch.
| — Hat tip: WRSA | [Return to headlines] |
MTG Slams ‘Vaping, Groping’ Boebert in Rant About Gopers Who Helped Tlaib Beat Back Censure
Firebrand GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene raged against “vaping, groping” Lauren Boebert during a diatribe against Republicans who voted against her resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Taylor Greene was berating Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tx.) — who defended his vote against the censure resolution — went she lashed out against Boebert (R-Col.), with whom she’s tangled in the past including a reported bathroom shouting match.
“You voted to kick me out of the freedom caucus, but keep CNN wannabe Ken Buck and vaping groping Lauren Boebert and you voted with the Democrats to protect Terrorist Tlaib,” Greene wrote on X.
“You hate Trump, certified Biden’s election, and could care less about J6 defendants being persecuted.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NASA’s Juno Spots Ingredients for Life on Jupiter’s Largest Moon
A mess of salt and organic chemicals splattered across the ice on Ganymede could be a hint that its hidden ocean contains the right stuff for life.
NASA’s Juno mission recently revealed that the surface of Jupiter’s largest moon is dotted with salts and organic chemicals (i.e. hydrogen and carbon — not always related to life but definitely a prerequisite). Planetary scientist Federico Tosi, of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, and his colleagues say those patches of minerals could be evidence of water mingling with rock on the seafloor and mixing all sorts of nutrients into the alien moon’s ocean. And that could be a very good sign for habitability.
Tosi and his colleagues published their findings in the journal Nature Astronomy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Kennedy Takes Almost a Quarter of Votes in 3-Way Matchup Against Biden and Trump
A new Quinnipac poll has found that in a hypothetical three way matchup between Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Joe Biden and Donald Trump the independent comes out with around a quarter of the votes.
The findings, one year out from the election, reveal that Kennedy gets 22% support among registered voters, Biden gets 39% and Trump gets 36%.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland to Pay Out $300,000 to Agitator Allegedly Assaulted by Police During 2020 Riot
Portland has approved a $300,000 settlement with a man who alleged that a police officer assaulted him during the Black Lives Matter riots that rocked the city in 2020.
According to KOIN, court documents revealed that Judge Judith Matarazzo dismissed the case in September “due to pending settlement or lack of prosecution.”
Portland City Council on Wednesday disclosed that the Risk Management Services had determined that the city may be liable in the incident, in which Michael Weisdorf alleged that he was at a nonviolent protest in July of 2020 when police arrived and ordered people to leave, declaring the event a riot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rand Paul: Biden “Bluffing” in Threat to Veto House Bill on Israel Aid
GOP Senator Rand Paul declared Wednesday that Joe Biden’s vow to veto a House bill to strip funding from the IRS and redirect it to Israel is a complete bluff.
While the GOP wants a standalone $14.3 billion package for Israel, the Democrats want to combine that funding into a mammoth spending bill tied to Ukraine aid and spending on the Southern border.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Recently released text messages have revealed that fellow Army Reserve members expressed concern over Robert Card and his mental state around six weeks before the fatal attack that resulted in the death of 18 people.
According to the Daily Mail, one set of text messages sent by a Sergeant Hodgson urged that the code to the gate be changed, and servicemembers be armed if Card showed up.
“Change the passcode to the unit gate and be armed if SFC Card does arrive,” the text message to his supervisor in September read.
“Please. I believe he’s messed up in the head. And threaten the unit other and other places. I love [him] to death but I do not know how to help him and he refuses to get help,” the message continued.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Now you can call him “Sam Bankman-Fraud.”
A Manhattan federal jury has convicted Sam Bankman-Fried of stealing $10 billion from users of his crypto exchange and lying to lenders and investors — capping a fall from grace for an ex-billionaire who was once viewed as one of the crypto world’s brightest stars.
The 31-year-old disgraced tech mogul was found guilty of all seven fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from a scheme to swipe money from users of his FTX exchange to pay off debts at his failing hedge fund Alameda Research and purchase lavish real estate.
Bankman-Fried, wearing a gray suit and purple tie, stood calmly with his hands folded across his lap as the verdict was read in a packed Manhattan federal courtroom Thursday night.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Second-Highest Ranking Democratic Senator, Dick Durbin, Calls for Israel-Hamas War Ceasefire
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war on Thursday, becoming the first senator to demand a halt in the Jewish state’s military operations against the Palestinian terror group.
Durbin (D-Ill.), the second-highest ranking member of the Senate, noted that his support for a ceasefire is contingent on the “immediate release” of hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“I think it is,” the Illinois Democrat said during an interview with CNN when asked whether it was time for a ceasefire. “At least in the context of both sides agreeing. For example, the release of those kidnapped should be part of this — immediate release.”
“That should be the beginning of it,” Durbin added. “An effort should be made to engage in conversation between the Israelis and Palestinians.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Senate Confirms Three More Military Picks After GOP Turns on Tuberville
The Senate confirmed three more nominees for high-ranking military posts Thursday, a day after Republicans railed against Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama over his hold on hundreds of Pentagon appointments.
The upper chamber voted 95-1 to confirm Adm. Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations, while Gen. David Allvin was confirmed by the same margin to be Air Force chief of staff, and Christopher Mahoney was affirmed as assistant Marine Corps commandant by 86-0.
With her confirmation, Franchetti becomes the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Speaker Johnson: Biden Impeachment Decision Coming ‘Very Soon’
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has suggested that Congress will soon make an announcement regarding the impeachment inquiry into Democrat President Joe Biden.
On Thursday, Johnson said that House Republicans are nearing a “point of decision” in Biden’s impeachment inquiry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Thirty students walked out of Hillary Clinton’s class at Columbia University to “shame” the Ivy League school for how they perceive it allowed its students who signed an anti-Israel statement to be publicly named and pictured.
The students joined nearly 300 others who peacefully sat in the lobby of the school’s International Affairs Building Wednesday.
Clinton was about halfway through her two-hour lecture on women’s involvement in peace processes when the students packed their bags and left, according to The New York Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Predicts Victory in 2024, Vows He’ll Win Texas Primary ‘In a Landslide’
Former President Donald Trump said Thursday night at a rally in Houston that he will win the Texas primary “in a landslide” and will defeat “crooked Joe Biden.”
Trump also reaffirmed his commitment to the Texas oil industry.
“With the help of everyone here today, four months from now we’re going to the Texas primary, we’re going to win it in a landslide,” said Trump. “And we’re then going to go on and beat crooked Joe Biden.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced his plan to reform higher education in the United States, citing the fact that, for far too long now, the woke left has been given free rein to infiltrate colleges and universities and indoctrinate students.
The former president vowed to use the money collected by taxing, fining, and suing “excessively large private university endowments” to create a new institution called the American Academy, which will provide world class, freedom-focused education to students across the country free of charge.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In the tumultuous dawn of 2020, as the world grappled with a pandemic that would shape public health policy, censorship, and reveal America’s involvement in deadly pathogen research, a quieter narrative was unfolding behind closed doors. A story that would not only bring truth to the narrative behind the origins of COVID-19 but also shed light on the dark corners of scientific research and the lengths to which some institutions would go to protect their interests.
To that end, former US Senate investigator Paul Thacker has done yet another a deep dive, weaving together key breadcrumbs surrounding Dr. Anthony Fauci, his circle of virologists, the NIH / NIAID’s coronavirus biodefense and research programs, and the subsequent censorship, coverup, and smearing of journalists in order to protect the narrative.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White House Announces ‘National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia’ as Antisemitism Soars
Authored by Mimi Nguyen Ly via The Epoch Times
The Biden administration is set to develop the “National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia,” the first of its kind, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Wednesday.
“The strategy will be a comprehensive and detailed plan to protect Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim from hate, bigotry, and violence,” Vice President Harris said in a video address.
“And to address the concern that some government policies may discriminate against Muslims.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the strategy will be led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council, and the White House will work with community leaders, advocates, members of Congress, and more, to develop the strategy.
“For too long, Muslims in America, and those perceived to be Muslim, such as Arabs and Sikhs, have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and other discriminatory incidents,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
“We all mourn the recent barbaric killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian American Muslim boy, and the brutal attack on his mother in their home outside Chicago,” she said, referring to the fatal stabbing that took place on Oct. 14.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A prosecution witness in the trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber suggested Tuesday that the Freedom Convoy protest was more spontaneous and not organized and rigidly led by Lich and Barber.
Ottawa Police Service Sgt. Jordan Blonde, appointed as a liaison officer between Barber and the police, described the Freedom Convoy protest as “unattached” and not “aligned with anybody” in his testimony.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Antisemitic Incidents and Attacks Surging Across Europe
Since the massacre of over a thousand Israeli civilians by Hamas on October 7th, the number of antisemitic incidents across Europe has increased drastically as arson attacks have been seen in Austria and Germany, along with Italy, where stones dedicated to victims of the Holocaust were set on fire in Rome.
The two stumbling stones, stones bearing a brass plaque with the names of victims of the Holocaust, dedicated to Michele Ezio Spizzichino and Amedeo Spagnoletto, were damaged earlier this week by unknown vandals who apparently tried to set them on fire, Il Giornale reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Behold Vienna’s Brand New, $1.9 Million Public Art Travesty
It’s bad enough that Western society is plunging into an abyss, but it’s all the more infuriating when our governments are accomplices to the deviants dragging us into it.
In a humiliating spectacle that victimizes taxpayers and enriches four perverted scam artists, the city of Vienna last week unveiled a new $1.9 million public fountain that looks like it was slapped together by a group of snickering fourth-graders playing with Play-Doh.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Vienna Jewish Cemetery Torched
by RT
The Jewish section of a major cemetery in the Austrian capital has been set ablaze and desecrated with swastikas, according to a religious leader in the city. The attack follows a surge in anti-Semitic incidents across Europe.
Oskar Deutsch, a leader of Vienna’s Jewish community, reported the vandalism and arson in a social media post on Wednesday, saying areas of the city’s central cemetery were severely damaged.
“During the night a fire was set on the Jewish part of the central cemetery,” he wrote. “The anteroom of the ceremonial hall [was] burned out. Swastikas were sprayed on exterior walls. No people were injured. The fire department and police are investigating.”
Deutsch shared photos of the aftermath, showing firefighters inspecting a heavily charred and smoke-filled ceremony hall. What appear to be crude swastikas were also seen scrawled in fluorescent paint on a wall outside.
A spokesperson for the local fire service, Gerald Schimpf, told the Austria Press Agency that the fire seemed to have broken out sometime on Tuesday night, but had mostly died out on its own by the time firefighters arrived the next morning.
The Vienna State Police later confirmed that the episode was being “intensively investigated” by Austria’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution. While the authorities have stated that that the exact circumstances of the fire “are not yet known,” local media reports said police suspected arson, noting that flames appeared to have ignited in more than one location.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also “strongly” condemned the incident in a statement, declaring that “anti-Semitism has no place in our society and will be fought with all political and legal means.” He went on to voice hopes that perpetrators of the cemetery attack would be “identified quickly.”
The incident in Vienna follows a string of similar reports across Europe in recent weeks, amid renewed fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. Fears of violent reprisals against Jews have prompted evacuations and closures at a number of religious institutions, with several Jewish schools in Paris reportedly forced to clear out following bomb threats earlier this week. Jewish organizations have also warned of a rise in anti-Semitism in the US, where the Anti-Defamation League has reported a nearly 400% spike in such incidents this month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
During the swearing-in ceremony in Vienna on the National Day soldiers collapsed in large numbers. The Viennese city magazine Falter revealed in a newsletter that out of the 950 candidates who participated in the so-called “swearing-in” ceremony, 98 of them collapsed or were evacuated due to circulatory problems, caused by the autumn temperatures of around twelve degrees Celsius.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
COP28: European Anti-Coal Crusade on Collision Course With China
The growing divide between the West, China and the Global South could be on show at this month’s UN Climate Conference COP28, where an alliance of EU nations will push for a global commitment to phase out new coal production despite it being the fuel of choice in much of Asia and the developing world.
The so-called “High Ambition Coalition” (HAC) is an informal 15-nation bloc within the UN primarily consisting of EU member states as well as the UK. The group is pushing for more aggressive climate goals and lobbying against the use of carbon capture technologies often by poorer nations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Republic Witnesses Surge in Ukrainian Entrepreneurs
The Czech Republic has witnessed a significant surge in the number of Ukrainian entrepreneurs with nearly one in ten new business owners hailing from Ukraine. In the first three quarters of this year, out of the 55,000 individuals who started businesses in the country, 4,904 were of Ukrainian nationality. This remarkable trend has been attributed to the influx of refugees from Ukraine.
Before the last year, Ukrainians represented approximately one to two percent of new entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic. However, with an estimated 360,000 more Ukrainians residing in the country than before the war, many have been motivated to venture into entrepreneurship, resulting in the notable rise in Ukrainian business owners.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Couple Accused of Drawing Stars of David in Paris Claim They Acted on Orders From Russia
A Moldovan couple arrested in Paris for allegedly scrawling Stars of David on a school building reportedly told investigators they were acting on orders from “an individual in Russia.”
The 33-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were apprehended last Friday after a witness reported seeing the pair tagging “a blue star” on a wall in a bohemian enclave of the French capital city, according to prosecutors.
When questioned by the police, the duo “declared they had committed this offense on the orders of a third party,” namely “an individual from Russia,” reported the French broadcaster Europe1, citing an unnamed source.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France Unveils New Anti-Riot Measures
Six months ago, France descended into chaos following the death of a young man killed by a police officer. Once the wave of rioting had subsided, the government promised exemplary measures to prevent a repeat of the violence. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne’s government has just unveiled a series of measures designed to combat endemic violence among minors.
The aim is to combat what has been perceived as “a crisis of authority”—the authority of the State, but also the authority of parents.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Police Prepare for Unrest After Samedoon Ban
German authorities have decided to ban the international pro-Palestinian organization Samedoon, which has put the German police on alert. According to the Berlin police press office, this action by the German government could trigger a wave of protests, as reported by Bild.
According to reports, protesters are gathering today on the central street in the Berlin district of Neukölln, known for its large population of people of Arab descent. Additionally, the police have prepared security measures to prevent potential incidents at an upcoming pro-Palestinian demonstration scheduled for Saturday, November 4.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Police and Prosecutors in Bavaria Conduct Raid on Individual for Anti-Semitic Threats
Thursday morning, a joint operation involving the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Munich and the local police was carried out in the Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm district of Bavaria, BILD reports. The target of the raid was a 24-year-old individual who had expressed hatred towards Jews.
The young man had made threats against former Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (62, CDU) on the internet, specifically in response to an Instagram post by Laschet on October 15 of this year. In his post, the former Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia condemned the Hamas’ call for the murder of Jews worldwide as inhumane, which sparked significant criticism. On the same day, the 24-year-old Isa D. left a comment on Laschet’s post, with several spelling errors, urging ‘all Palestinian brothers’ to take action against Laschet. This led to police and the Hate-Speech Commissioner of the Bavarian justice system visiting his residence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Sees Kazakhstan as Key Energy Source, Strengthening Energy Security
During the Hungarian-Kazakh summit, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjartó, announced that Kazakhstan is becoming a key source of energy security for Hungary. This statement follows the delivery of a record 630,000 tons of oil from Kazakhstan this year, as reported by The Daily News Hungary.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Moroccan Spy-Ring Scandal Rocks Dutch Intel Services
The revelation that a 64-year-old Arabic translator and senior counterterrorism official within the Dutch intelligence services has been potentially leaking sensitive information to Morocco is causing a political storm in the Netherlands in the latest espionage scandal involving the North African nation in Europe.
According to Dutch media reports, a counterterrorism operative known as “Abderrahim El M.” was arrested in Rotterdam this week alongside a 35-year-old policewoman and former intelligence official after long-running claims that they were supplying state secrets to Morocco.
Both suspects were involved with the Netherlands’ National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism and Security (NCTV), the country’s primary counterterrorism unit for dealing with Islamic extremism.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden Initiates Inquiry to Expand Nuclear Power Capacity to Meet Rising Energy Demand
In a bid to address its growing energy requirements, Sweden is launching a government inquiry to assess the expansion of its nuclear power capacity. The inquiry’s primary objectives will revolve around expediting permit assessments and examining potential adjustments to application fees. Additionally, it will scrutinize the management of nuclear waste and regulations related to emergency and planning zones.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The German Ministry of Interior Has Banned the Activities of the Hamas Movement Within the Country
The radical Islamic terrorist organization Hamas and the Palestinian network Samidoun have been banned in Germany. This action was announced by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. Additionally, Samidoun will be dissolved. The group also operates in Germany under the names “HIRAK — Palestinian Youth Mobilization Youth Movement (Germany)” and “Hirak e.V,” reported by Spiegel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In recent weeks, the Netherlands has witnessed a rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents, which is linked to the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas that began on October 7. This was reported by RTL Nieuws.
The National Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism, Eddo Verdoner and the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), an independent organization dedicated to combating anti-Semitism in the Netherlands. They have also confirmed an increase in anti-Semitic expressions and threats received from various Jewish organizations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Too Few’ German Muslims Have Condemned Hamas — Vice Chancellor
by RT
Germany’s Muslim community has not done enough to condemn the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which carried out a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said.
“The scale of the Islamist demonstrations in Berlin and other cities in Germany is unacceptable and needs a tough political response,” Habeck said in a video address published on Wednesday.
“This is also needed from the Muslim associations. Some have clearly distanced themselves from the actions of Hamas and from anti-Semitism, and have sought dialogue. But not all of them — some have been too hesitant to do so, and it’s been too few overall,” the vice chancellor added.
Habeck stressed that Muslims living in Germany must be protected from “right-wing extremist violence,” but, at the same time, “they must clearly distance themselves from anti-Semitism so as not to undermine their own right to tolerance.” He went on to denounce those who “downplayed” the Hamas attack, which claimed the lives of 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, as an “unfortunate incident.”
Germany has seen a surge in anti-Semitism in recent weeks, including an attempt to firebomb a synagogue in Berlin. On Tuesday, the country’s leading tabloid Bild published a 50-point manifesto titled “Germany, we have a problem!” The newspaper warned about the growing level of extremism in society, including hatred of Jews.
Israel responded to the attack by Hamas and allied militant groups with aristikes on the Gaza Strip and has launched a ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave. More than 9,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to local authorities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson Visiting Julian Assange in Prison
Tucker Carlson announced on Thursday that he is visiting journalist Julian Assange in prison.
“Visiting Julian Assange at Belmarsh Prison this morning,” the former Fox News host posted to X along with a photo.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government to Fund AI for All Teachers
Britain’s Conservative government wants every teacher to use artificial intelligence in order to “reduce workloads.”
Officials have already made it clear they believe AI has a “huge potential” to “transform” education. Thousands of teachers are already reported to have signed up to use technological tools for creating lesson plans. But ministers are pushing this to go much further.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
London police detained a man who splashed a building in central London with red paint and wrote a message on it calling for the release of the Gaza Strip, the department itself reported on Thursday.
“The man is in custody after the police arrested him on suspicion of causing damage after a protest on… Piccadilly,” the police statement on the X social network says.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Breaking: Family of Hockey Player Killed by Skate Blade of Opponent Demand ‘Justice for Adam’
The family of Adam Johnson, the hockey player killed in a hockey game in Britain over the weekend after player Matt Petgrave slashed Johnson’s neck with a skate blade, is speaking out, calling the opposing player’s actions “reckless.”
Kari Johnson, the aunt of Adam Johnson, said, “It was very reckless. I just want them [authorities investigating] to get it right. We are looking for justice for Adam,” according to Newsweek.
Kari said she watched the “horrific tragedy” while watching the game at home with Johnson’s parents, and after seeing the video hundreds of times, she has concluded that Petgrave’s action was “totally unnecessary.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A knifeman who stabbed his dentist to death following a row over wedding gifts for his daughter has been jailed for life.
Ahmad Alsino, 43, confronted his daughter’s father-in-law Mohammed Salem Ibrahim, 55, on his own doorstep before launching the frenzied attack with a Gino D’Acampo kitchen knife on March 13.
After stabbing the victim four times he also slashed his daughter’s husband, Mr Ibrahim’s son, Aram Ibrahim following an argument over gold jewellery given to the couple as wedding gifts.
Emergency services rushed to the scene on Cadbury Drive, in Castle Vale, Birmingham, but dad-of-five Mr Ibrahim could not be saved, while his son Aram later recovered following hospital treatment.
Alsino was previously found guilty of murder, attempted murder and possession of a knife following a three week trial at Birmingham Crown Court. He was today jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 26 years.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinians are threatening to disrupt Remembrance Day and the two minutes silence in London next weekend.
The consequences of ‘f*** and around and find out’ will be interesting here.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Western Europe Pushes to Abolish EU Veto Rights
Foreign ministers of mainly Western European countries met in Berlin in a joint effort to ramp up pressure on Brussels to initiate extensive EU reforms before the bloc’s next round of enlargement. They are seeking to limit member states’ sovereignty by removing veto rights in the Council, Politico reported on Thursday, November 2nd.
The meeting between 17 foreign ministers and 11 state secretaries—representing both member states (including Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal) and EU aspirants (such as Turkey and Ukraine)—is hosted by Germany’s Green foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Says Hamas Let 74 US Citizens Leave Gaza — But Hundreds Remain Trapped
WASHINGTON — President Biden said Thursday that dozens of US citizens had left the Gaza Strip that day — after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week that about 400 individuals and their family members were trapped in the Hamas-ruled war zone.
“Good news: We got out today 74 American folks, dual citizens,” Biden told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with the Dominican Republic’s president, Luis Abinader.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing that “so far 74 US citizens and family members arrived on the Egyptian side, that’s in addition to the five Americans who departed Gaza yesterday.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU, UN Accuse Israel of ‘Settler Terrorism’ in the West Bank
The European Union’s foreign affairs office called for “urgent measures” on behalf of Tel Aviv to protect Palestinian civilians from Israeli settlers in the West Bank, right as the UN updated its figures on alleged “extremist settler violence” on Wednesday, November 1st. However, there is a very different story on the ground, one that both organizations deliberately ignore, Israeli sources tell The European Conservative.
“The upsurge of settler terrorism in the West Bank has led to very high numbers of civilian casualties and Palestinian communities being forced out of their homes,” the EU’s statement reads, warning of possible escalation. “The situation could get out of control and is causing unspeakable suffering to local communities.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hamas Vows to Make Gaza Invasion ‘Curse’ for Israel
by RT
A continued Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip will have catastrophic consequences for West Jerusalem, Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said on Thursday, according to AFP.
“Gaza will be the curse of history for Israel,” a spokesman for the militant group, Abu Obeida, said in an audio address, the news agency reported. He also told Israel to expect heavy casualties among its forces, adding that more of the Israeli soldiers would “return in black bags.”
So far, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has confirmed the deaths of 17 of its soldiers in the ongoing operation. Earlier on Thursday, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari, said Israel’s forces had fully encircled Gaza city in the northern part of the enclave.
“Israeli soldiers have completed the encirclement of the city of Gaza, the center of the Hamas terror organization,” he told journalists. The Israeli military also ruled out an idea of a ceasefire in the near future. “The concept of a ceasefire is not currently on the table at all,” Hagari said when asked about the issue.
West Jerusalem has been facing growing pressure from the UN and humanitarian groups for a ceasefire amid the rising death toll of Gaza civilians and fears of the conflict spreading to the entire region of the Middle East.
Speaking on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden stopped short of calling for a complete cessation of hostilities, urging for a “humanitarian pause” instead.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken also claimed this week that Washington is “determined to deter any escalation” in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 8,800 people since October 7, including more than 3,600 children, the UN said on Thursday, citing local health authorities. Some 22,240 people in the Palestinian enclave have been injured, it added.
The international body also condemned a Wednesday Israeli strike targeting a densely populated Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, arguing that such actions “could amount to war crimes.” Israel insisted that it was targeting “terror infrastructure” built near civilian buildings and was acting “on precise intelligence.”
Hamas said that none of its leaders were present at the Jabalia camp at the time of the strike.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israeli Army Suffers More Casualties as Hamas Publishes Video Showing Tanks Blown Up
Update(1318ET): The Israeli death toll is rising, and Hamas has claimed to have ambushed and destroyed several tanks as they plunge deeper into Gaza City, also amid building to building searches for the hostages.
15 Israeli soldiers have now been killed in the Gaza operation, the IDF has announced Wednesday, which in total marks 320 total troops killed since the Oct. 7th massacre (and with over 1,100 more Israeli and foreign civilians).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White House Exploring Idea of Pauses in Israel-Hamas Conflict
WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) — The White House is exploring the idea of pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict to help civilians in Gaza and any such temporary pause will not stop Israel from defending itself, national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.
“What we’re trying to do is explore the idea of as many pauses as might be necessary to continue to get aid out and to continue to work to get people out safely, including hostages,” he told reporters at a briefing.
United Nations experts called on Thursday for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, saying time was running out for Palestinian people there who find themselves at “grave risk of genocide.”
Israel says it is aiming its attacks at Hamas, not civilians, and accuses the group of using them as human shields.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Will the Israeli-Hamas Conflict Spark a Wider Regional War, Pulling in the U.S.?
Much will depend on whether Iran’s well-armed Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, launches a full-scale assault on Israel from the north.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza has set off a chain reaction in the Middle East, and Western officials are increasingly concerned that it could trigger a wider war that draws in more nations.
Growing outrage in Middle Eastern capitals and much of the world over the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza is adding more fuel to an already volatile mixture that has seen violence spread to the West Bank, Israel’s northern border, the Red Sea and to Iraq and Syria, where U.S. forces have come under repeated drone and rocket fire from Iran’s proxies.
Photos and videoclips emerged Wednesday that appear to show soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces abusing and humiliating Palestinians in the West Bank, with some of the victims screaming in pain. NBC News could not independently verify where or when any of the footage was shot. The circumstances under which the videos were captured are also unknown, as are the events preceding and following them. The IDF vowed to investigate, but the footage threatened to aggravate a conflict that U.S., European and Arab governments are struggling to contain.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Signs Law Revoking Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Citing US Failure to Ratify
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed into effect a law which paves the way for potential Russian nuclear testing, which would mark a huge escalation given the context of the Ukraine war and the broader context of a ‘new Cold War’ standoff between Washington and Moscow.
The new law confirms Russia’s de-ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which is the 1996 landmark agreement which sought to ban all nuclear testing and explosions, in order to bring Russia and the United States in line on the issue.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia’s Wagner Group Prepares to Send Hezbollah Weapons Amid Clashes With Israel, US Says
Russia’s mercenary group is preparing to deliver an advanced air defense missile system to Hezbollah as the Lebanese militia group clashes with Israel, according to US intelligence.
American officials are currently monitoring discussions between the Wagner mercenary group and Lebanon’s Hamas-supporting militia over the possible delivery of the SA-22, a system that uses anti-aircraft missiles and guns to combat airstrikes, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The SA-22 system, also known as Pantsir-S1, is a truck-mounted surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapons system made in Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine’s Top General Admits Russia Has the Advantage
by RT
Ukraine will not make any progress in its fight against Russia unless some new technology emerges to give it a decisive advantage, the country’s top military commander, General Valery Zaluzny, told The Economist this week.
He conceded, without the appearance of a ‘wunderwaffe,’ that Moscow is in the better position, given its larger population and greater resources.
“Just like in the First World War, we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate,” he said of the ongoing conflict, as quoted by the British magazine on Wednesday.
Despite the hopes of Kiev supporters and Ukrainian officials, “there will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough,” he predicted. The conflict may “drag on for years” and “wear down” the country.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov disagreed with Zaluzhny on Thursday, stating that Russia was not in a stalemate and would keep pursuing its “special military operation” against Ukraine. Kiev should have long acknowledged that expecting a Russian defeat was “absurd,” he added.
The situational awareness that both sides have thanks to the use of drones makes surprise concentration of forces impossible, Zaluzhny believes. NATO textbooks and predictive models, which were used to plan the summer counteroffensive, have been proven wrong, the general claimed.
“Four months should have been enough time for us to have reached Crimea, to have fought in Crimea, to return from Crimea, and to have gone back in and out again,” he said, referring to optimistic forecasts.
The commander has found that an old Soviet military textbook on how to deal with entrenched enemy forces had offered a better explanation of why both sides are now “in stupor,” he said.
Zaluzhny’s office shared with The Economist a nine-page essay, in which he makes suggestions on how Ukraine could get into a better position against Russia and possibly avoid attrition warfare.
His proposed technological solutions include using drones with trap nets to catch Russian UAVs, ground GPS signal stations to counter Russian jamming, and robotic vehicles armed with plasma torches for demining.
The general, who is an outspoken advocate of drone warfare, was “enthused” by recent conversations with Eric Schmidt on the issue, the report said. The former CEO of Google has been advising the US government on how advanced digital technology could improve military capabilities.
This week, Time exposed a disconnect between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s push to keep fighting and the realities on the ground. Some frontline commanders have been defying orders to advance and “just want to sit in the trenches and hold the line,” a presidential aide told the magazine.
A report in The Times last Sunday suggested that Zaluzhny may share this sentiment. A rumor circulating among Ukrainian security sources claimed the general had called for the counteroffensive to be stopped, but Zelensky refused.
“[Zelensky] knows that Western patience is limited for his maximalist demands that Ukraine must recover all territory” that it has lost since 2014, the British newspaper claimed.
According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, Kiev’s troops have suffered over 90,000 casualties since June 4, the day the counteroffensive started. The Ukrainian Army has also lost some 600 tanks and nearly 1,900 armored vehicles over the same period, he said during a security conference in China on Monday.
Moscow sees the hostilities as part of a US proxy war against Russia, in which Ukrainian troops are being used as “cannon fodder.” It blames the West for derailing a negotiated resolution in the early months of the conflict, and instead choosing to push Kiev to fight “to the last Ukrainian.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainian Public’s Trust in Politicians Plummets, New Study Reveals
Trust in Ukrainian political leaders has sharply declined with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the government, and the Ukrainian parliament facing diminishing approval rates, a recent survey has revealed.
According to a study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, just 21 percent of the Ukrainian public now trust their lawmakers in parliament — a considerable drop from the 58 percent recorded back in May 2022.
Similarly, confidence in Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has been nearly cut in half, decreasing from 74 percent to 39 percent.
President Zelensky fared better in the survey, maintaining a relatively robust trust score of 76 percent, declining from 91 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky’s Inner Circle Shed Light on ‘Deluded’ Leadership
Volodymyr Zelensky’s closest aides have revealed the anger, division and corruption which is weighing his administration down.
Almost 22 months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, all eyes are now on Israel, which means they are not on Kyiv. Even before Hamas’ October 7th terrorist attacks, there were already signs that Western public support for backing Ukraine was waning.
So after a recent visit to Washington, which appears to have done more to highlight the West’s growing disinterest in the war than turn this around, a member of Zelensky’s inner circle said, without second-guessing, that the president was feeling “angry.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Court Says Tesla Wasn’t to Blame in Fatal Model Y Crash That Killed Two Pedestrians
Tesla was suing a Chinese social media influencer who claimed a fault with the Model Y caused the fatal crash
Just a day after a U.S. jury determined that Tesla was not at fault for a fatal crash involving a Tesla Model 3, a court in China has also ruled in favor of the car manufacturer in a 2022 crash that left two people dead and three others injured.
A Chinese social media influencer had alleged that a malfunction with the Model Y had caused the crash. Tesla quickly sued the influencer and a fierce legal battle ensued. A report cited in court documents revealed that a forensics investigations institute had ruled out the possibility of defects in the steering or braking systems of the Tesla as the cause of the crash.
The owner of the Model Y claimed that he couldn’t get the EV to stop after accelerating up to 164 km/h (102 mph). The car proceeded to travel at high speed for approximately 2.6 km, taking out a number of vehicles in the process and hitting four pedestrians. It only came to a stop after slamming into buildings on the side of the road, Bloomberg reports.
Footage of the shocking crash was published online late last year. The 55-year-old driver survived the crash and was quoted in local media as saying that the Model Y had a brake issue. However, data from the car’s recorder revealed that the accelerator was held at 100% in the five seconds before the crash and that the brakes were never applied.
The influencer sued by Tesla has been ordered to issue a public apology on their Douyin account and pay the car manufacturer 30,000 yuan ($4,100) in compensation for reputational damage.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Bondi Beach: Cops Swoop on Western Sydney Residents Who Stormed Bondi and Tore Down Israel Posters
Two men have been fined after being filmed destroying posters of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas terrorists on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
US Using Africans as ‘Free Clinical Resource’ — Moscow
by RT
The US is exploiting Africa as a testing ground and is relocating “unfinished“ biological weapons projects from Ukraine to the continent under the guise of public health programs, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, alleged on Tuesday that “illegal“ experiments are continuing in Nigeria, in addition to a host of African countries listed in a previous report.
The project is being led by America’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the State Department, he added.
Washington claims, according to Kirillov, that biological projects in Nigeria are aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. He cited recent figures showing that 60% of Nigerians suffering from the disease have received antivirus therapy using products from “Pentagon-affiliated“ biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, which Kirillov said had previously tested its drugs on Ukrainians.
“However, the effectiveness of this program raises serious concerns. Despite annual funding increases totaling about $100 million, the HIV incidence rate has remained virtually unchanged and corresponds with 2009 figures. The mortality among HIV-infected people also shows unfavorable progression,“ the Russian official stated.
This suggests that “American pharmaceuticals, even with the documented increase in consumption in Nigeria, do not have a tangible therapeutic impact, and Nigerian citizens are being exploited as a ‘free clinical resource,’“ Kirillov added.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that a three-year contract signed between DTRA and American non-profit RTI International in August 2022 to monitor infectious disease threats in Africa’s largest economy is part of the Pentagon’s broader “biological espionage“ schemes.
This includes “analyzing the epidemic situation along the borders of geopolitical adversaries and in the expected regions of military contingent deployment,” according to the ministry. Moscow also claims to have documents confirming that the Pentagon was spying on the biological situation in “Iraq and Afghanistan bordering China, Türkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.“
Earlier last month, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the US was transferring dual-purpose biological research activities to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa. The move came after Moscow repeatedly exposed the Pentagon’s illegal military-biological operations in Europe, including Ukraine, Kirillov said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California and New York Approve Over 60% of Asylum Cases — Far More Than Texas or Florida
A new report has revealed that asylum seekers are nearly three times more likely to have their claims approved in Democrat-led New York and California versus Texas and Florida, which are controlled by Republicans.
The results come as both blue states continue to deal with an unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants that has strained both the resources of sanctuary cities such as NYC and San Francisco, and the patience of residents who have to deal with the flood of people entering their neighborhoods.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Countries Look to Outsource Asylum Claims
The German government is looking into the possibility of outsourcing asylum applications to countries outside of the European Union according to a proposal from one of the parties in the ruling coalition, a trend which has been seen in several European countries this year.
The libertarian Free Democrats (FDP) have proposed sending asylum seekers to non-EU countries in order to process their claims, with the party’s parliamentary rapporteur on migration, Ann-Veruschka Jurisch, telling Euractiv that the issue was agreed upon in the coalition agreement the party signed with the Greens and the Social Democrats (SDP).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Foreigners Convicted of Nearly Half of All Rapes and Murders in Switzerland Last Year
Foreign nationals were convicted of almost half of all rapes and homicides reported in Switzerland last year as federal government data reveals the drastic overrepresentation of migrants from predominantly Muslim countries in the country’s crime statistics.
A total of 93,693 people were convicted of crimes in Switzerland last year according to data published last month by the Federal Statistics Bureau. This related to a total of 103,156 crimes — with some people sentenced for multiple offenses — which represents an increase of 3 percent compared with the previous year.
Of those convicted, just 39,798 were Swiss nationals, meaning 57.5 percent of all solved crimes were committed by foreign nationals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy to Set Up ‘Control Room’ for Mattei Plan
(ANSA) — ROME, NOV 2 — Te Italian government is to set up a special ‘control room’ or steering committee for its much anticipated Mattei Plan to curb migration from Africa and beat smuggling gangs, according to a draft of the four-year plan out Thursday.
The plan, name after late Eni founder Enrico Mattei, envisages strategic development partnerships with countries of origin and transit of migrants.
“To build a new partnership between Italy and the states of the African continent”, is the objective put in black and white in the circulating draft of the Plan, a seven-article decree-law that establishes, among other things, a special steering committee, chaired by the Prime Minister and composed of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (vice-president), the other ministers, the president of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, government bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and foreign investment agency Sace.
The plan, the draft says, lasts four years and can be updated even before its expiry date.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority Support for Muslim Migration Ban as 3 in 4 Germans Say Newcomers Hate Western Society
Nearly two-thirds of all German citizens want the country’s federal government to impose a ban on migration from predominantly Muslim nations, a damning survey has revealed.
Polling conducted by INSA on behalf of the Bild tabloid newspaper showed that 61 percent of respondents now advocate refusing any more migrants from Islamic countries with many explaining they no longer feel safe in their own country and believe an increasing number of new arrivals despise German society.
A majority of voters from every political party except for the German Green Party supported a ban on Muslim immigration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrants Are Behind Boom in NYC’s Red-Light District, Eric Adams Says
Mayor Eric Adams has blamed the rise in prostitution in a Queens neighborhood on an influx of female Venezuelan migrants who are struggling to find other work in the Big Apple.
Hizzoner said the surge in “illegal” activity taking place on street corners in Corona is just “one example” of how the nation’s ongoing migrant crisis is crippling the city.
It is unclear whether the Venezuelan migrants the mayor referenced are being sex-trafficked to perform these acts, or if they are soliciting sex of their own free will.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The “Migrant Manifesto” recently published by German newspaper Bild that warns new arrivals to respect Western culture is a “pack of lies” as, in reality, migrants have long appropriated Germany for their own and will soon be in the majority, Ralf Schuler, the tabloid’s former chief political correspondent, has claimed.
In an interview published by the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Hirlap, Schuler said the first migratory wave of 2015 changed Germany indefinitely, and yet members of the commentariat and political elite continue to bury their heads in the sand as to the consequences.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The US border is being inundated with Chinese nationals as migrant caravans from Latin American increasingly attract asylum seekers from around the world.
Over the 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September, US Customs and Border Protection reported 24,048 Chinese citizens were apprehended at the Mexico border.
That’s up more than 10 times from the 1,970 arrests recorded during the 2022 fiscal year, and just 323 the year before, when China was under strict pandemic travel bans and lockdowns.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“People With Cervices”: IU Med-School Doubles-Down on Gender Ideology
Authored by Gigi De La Torre via The College Fix
Indiana University School of Medicine has doubled down on its embrace of gender ideology in contradiction with biological reality, despite widespread media coverage of one of its courses.
Documents obtained by Do No Harm and provided exclusively to The College Fix show the public university continues to teach sex and gender are both “non-binary.”
“Genetic female” and “genetic male” are the “two most common chromosomal patterns,” the slides say, “but there are others.”
The “Sex and Gender Primer” slides also instruct aspiring doctors that what they learn today could become dated:
“Linguistic practices are open to change as LGBTQIA+ advocates refine their perspectives on language.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dozens of birds’ names that have been ‘clouded by racism and misogyny’ have been officially reclassified to avoid glorifying slave owners and Confederate generals.
The American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced Wednesday it will alter the names of certain flying animals after a ‘highly charged and publicized’ debate surrounding the now-controversial figures whom the birds are named after.
According to AOS President Colleen Handel, the group will change the bird names that prove to be ‘exclusionary and harmful today.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Transgender-Identified Male Cyclist Wins 10th Women’s Cycling Medal at Campton Cross 2023
A male cyclist who has consistently excelled in women’s cycling competitions in the United States achieved two first-place wins over the weekend, increasing his collection of gold medals in women’s events to 10 since December 2022, as reported by Reduxx.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government to Tell Schools How to Deal With Transgender Students
After promising since 2018 to release transgender guidelines for schools, the government has said it will release details by Christmas.
Even then, recommendations on how teachers should deal with an increasing number of students questioning their gender will not come into force for some months. The publication of these guidelines will be followed by what Education Secretary Gillian Keegan described as a “long consultation.”
Keegan said:
We will get it out before Christmas. And then we’ll have a long consultation because I don’t want teachers to spend their Christmas worrying about it as much as I’ve spent most of the year worried about it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Christmas Cringe Comes Early
While M&S metaphorically burned down Christmas, Lidl had the temerity to feature a white family with actual white children in their Christmas ad.
Wonders never cease.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMG) — a body set up by the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank — has released its annual report for 2023.
WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus offered his reaction to it, the key takeaway from both the report and his remarks being that work on the proposed pandemic accord/agreement/treaty is progressing too slowly.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WHO Publishes Latest Draft of Pandemic Treaty to Combat “Misinformation”
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new draft of its troubled pandemic agreement/accord/treaty — which the agency has complained is taking too long to finalize.
The latest draft of the negotiating text, released by the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) on Monday must be considered until the INB session scheduled for November 6-10, when it should be formalized.
Some of the commitments contained in this version of the document have to do with combating “false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation, including through effective international collaboration and cooperation” — which skeptics might easily dub, “cross-border censorship.”
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“Bondi Beach: Cops Swoop on Western Sydney Residents Who Stormed Bondi and Tore Down Israel Posters”
Probably the same cops who were arresting people during COVID.
I’m 100% an Israel supporter, but this vague charge of “offensive behaviour” doesn’t agree with me. Another day, they’ll stick someone with a fine for ripping down pro-Hamas posters. No thanks.
It’s entirely different if the posters are on private property, in which case there’s a property rights issue. But there isn’t a right to spread one’s stuff on public property and expect it to remain there (absent a few exceptions, like electoral posters, which have special legislation to protect them–at least where I live… in theory, because the signs of right-wing parties get vandalized with impunity anyway).