According to a declassified US intelligence report, the Russian army has suffered 315,000 troops killed, wounded, missing, and captured since the war in Ukraine began. Meanwhile, a round of talks discussing Ukraine’s “peace formula” will begin next month in Davos, but without Russian participation.
In other news, a huge explosion in an industrial estate in South Wales has caused surrounding roads to be closed and left at least one person missing.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, DV, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Federal Reserve Keeps Rate Unchanged
In a press release on Wednesday, December 13th, the United States Federal Reserve announced that it is keeping its federal funds rate, the central bank’s main policy indicator, unchanged. According to the bank, its Federal Open Market Committee, FOMC, seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. In support of these goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 5-1/4 to 5-1.2 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pfizer Stock Plummets as People Turn Away From COVID Boosters
Pfizer’s shares are plunging downwards to their worst performance in over a decade after the pharmaceutical giant put out a stark warning about its projected revenue as hysteria over the Covid-19 outbreak continues to wane.
Recent financial results and projections alike have not fared well for Pfizer; shares dropped 8 percent on Thursday morning, and the company has lost $140 billion in market cap this year alone.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Stock Market News Today: Dow Surges to Record, Stocks Soar After Fed Previews Rate Cuts
US stocks ripped higher on Wednesday, hitting new 2023 highs, as investors dissected the Federal Reserve’s last interest rate decision of the year.
The benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI), and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) all rose about 1.3% in the wake of the decision. The Dow rose nearly 500 points, breaching 37,000 and hitting its highest close ever.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
10 Teens Arrested, Charged in Connection to DC Carjacking Rings
The Department of Justice announced on Monday that 10 teenagers have been charged in connection to carjacking rings in the District of Columbia.
Seven teens were charged as part of a 19-count indictment filed in the Superior Court in the District of Columbia, five of which were underage at the time of the crimes, and three were charged as part of a 33-page superseding indictment filed in US District Court.
Jaelen Jordan, 18, and Warren Montgomery, 19, both of Washington D.C., and Byron Gillum, 18, Isaiah Flowers, 18, Jahkai Goff, 19, Taj Giles, 18, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey, 18, all of Prince Geroge’s County, Maryland, have been charged in the Superior Court as part of a conspiracy to commit a series of armed carjackings across the district between February and May 2023.
The indictment lists over 90 acts, including armed carjackings and robberies in Maryland and D.C. Jordan, Montgomery, Gillum, Flowers, Goff, Giles, and Ellis-Bey were also charged with the armed carjackings committed in D.C., as well as trafficking stolen property.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
20% of Voters Admit to Mail-in Ballot Fraud in 2020 Election, Poll Shows
An eye-opening new poll has found roughly 20 percent of voters admit that they committed mail-in ballot fraud during the 2020 elections.
The recent poll was conducted by The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports.
The survey “found one in five voters who cast mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election admit to participating in at least one kind of voter fraud.”
During the 2020 election, 43% of voters cast their ballots by mail.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
68% of Portlanders Say Portland is Declining, 56% Would Consider Moving if They Could
A new poll conducted by DHM Research on behalf of the Portland Police Association has found that a majority of those currently living in Oregon’s largest city would leave if they had the chance.
The results come amid rising crime and years of social unrest spurred on largely by far-left groups and clashes with their far-right counterparts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Baltimore Thug Makes Fatal Mistake, Breaks Into Home of Armed Citizen
A thug swiftly reached the end of the road after trying to break into the home of an armed citizen who was ready and willing to exercise his Second Amendment right to defend himself.
When the intruder tried to illegally enter the home in Baltimore County, Maryland, he was taught a fatal lesson by the homeowner who immediately shot him dead.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Agency Quietly Leaned on Soros and Other Billionaire-Backed Groups for Key Policy Roles
A Biden administration agency has quietly leaned on a web of technology and antitrust advocacy groups funded by George Soros and other progressive billionaires for critical policy and enforcement roles, Fox News Digital has learned.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), tasked with protecting consumers, has previously faced criticism over its “revolving door” with regulated industries. Now, it has not only relied on a handful of groups for their expertise but has pulled individuals from a network funded by the same small collection of affluent Democrat donors for crucial government positions.
It’s the latest illustration of how the Biden administration has counted on outside organizations that receive considerable funding from progressive benefactors. Soros’ Open Society Foundations, for instance, has also bankrolled an organization called Governing for Impact that works behind the scenes with the administration on policy and has boasted of implementing dozens of regulatory agenda items in its internal documents
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Ignores Reporter Questions After Son Hunter Defies Congressional Subpoena
President Biden ignored reporter questions on Wednesday shortly after his son, Hunter, defied a congressional subpoena regarding the family’s business dealings.
The president’s scheduled news conference before a meeting of his National Infrastructure Advisory Council was delayed for more than an hour Wednesday until Biden made an appearance, walking out to address members of the press gathered to hear the commander in chief speak from the White House.
Earlier in the day, Hunter Biden had arrived on Capitol Hill — not to comply with his subpoena and be deposed by the House Oversight Committee but instead to hold a press conference and again offer to testify publicly. He maintained that his father “was not financially involved” in his business, saying there is “no evidence because it did not happen.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boy, 13, Accused of Plotting Mass Shooting at Temple Israel in Ohio
CANTON ? A 13-year-old is accused of planning a mass shooting at Temple Israel, a synagogue in Ohio.
The teen faces juvenile counts of inducing panic and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors after the threat was discovered around Sept. 1, according to court records.
The suspect “did create a detailed plan to complete a mass shooting” at the Canton, Ohio, synagogue on Discord, an online platform for group chats, court filings said. The threat was reported to law enforcement, and multiple public agencies were notified, including the school system, causing “significant public alarm within those agencies,” documents said.
The boy’s trial is set for Dec. 20 in Stark County Family Court. The Stark County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Rabbi David Komerofsky of Temple Israel declined to comment because the incident involves a child.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
On Tuesday, citizen action group Let’s Go Washington turned in over 420,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office, hoping to qualify for an initiative to protect parental rights for the 2024 ballot.
According to the group, Initiative 2081 “…would allow parents and guardians of public-school children to review instructional materials and inspect student records, including health and disciplinary records, upon request. It would require public schools to provide parents and guardians with certain notifications, including about medical services given and when students are taken off campus; access to calendars and certain policies; and written notice and opportunities to opt students out of comprehensive sexual health education and answering certain surveys or assignments.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Disney’s Worst-Rated Theme Parks Revealed as Company Raises Ticket Prices Across US Locations
Disney’s 12 theme parks vow to be “Where Dreams Come True” — but their Yelp ratings, all of which fail to top 4.5 stars, say otherwise.
The Mouse House jacked up the price of admission to its parks in Florida and California by as much as 10% in October.
The move outraged guests, who also grumbled about overpriced food and long lines everywhere — not only for rides, but also for souvenir shops and even the bathroom.
Aside from Disney’s four Orlando, Fla.-based theme parks and two Anaheim, Calif., destinations, there’ are two Disney theme parks in Tokyo, Japan, as well as two in China — one in Hong Kong and one in Shanghai.
After analyzing the Yelp listings for 11 of the 12 theme parks (Yelp has yet to launch in Shanghai) — DailyMail compared how each of the locations stack up against each other, per customer ratings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Does Ukraine Aid Bolster US National Security? Biden Makes His Case.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President Joe Biden has argued that aiding Ukraine in its war with one of America’s chief adversaries is a bargain enhancing U.S. national security.
And for over a year, to the tune of about $75 billion in military and economic assistance, the national security argument worked — both in public opinion and in Congress.
But no more.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Calls for Disney CEO Bob Iger to be Fired Over Ad Buys After Company Pulls Money From X
X boss Elon Musk called on Disney to “immediately” fire CEO Bob Iger on Thursday for allowing Mouse House ads to run on rival social media platforms that allegedly allowed child predators to target underage users.
Musk’s escalated his feud with Iger — whom he told to “go f-ck yourself” last week after Disney pulled its advertising from X following a disputed report that its ads were running next to antisemitic content on the site formerly known as Twitter.
“Bob Eiger thinks it’s cool to advertise next to child exploitation material. Real stand up guy,” Musk posted, as he misspelled the longtime media mogul’s name.
Musk’s outburst referred to an explosive lawsuit filed this week by New Mexico’s attorney general that accused Mark Zuckerberg-owned Facebook and Instagram of failing to moderate abusive content that included propositioning kids to star in porn movies.
[Comment: Article dated December 7, 2023.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A group of far-left agitators have been sentenced after pleading guilty to a series of violent attacks targeting police vehicles and buildings in and around Little Rock, Arkansas in 2020. Only one pleaded guilty to arson, while the others admitted to possession of, or conspiracy to possess, an unregistered destructive device, a Molotov cocktail.
Four of the five defendants, 33-year-old Mujera Benjamin Lung’aho, 30-year-old Emily Nowlin, 27-year-old Aline Espinosa-Villegas, and 25-year-old Renea Goddard, were each given federal prison terms varying between 17 months and 66 months, and ordered to pay huge fines. A fifth, 34-year-old Brittany Dawn Jeffrey, was informed of her fate in 2022, and received the shortest sentence and lowest fine, at 17 months and $529.30, respectively.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rejected Starlink’s request for an $885 million subsidy, a decision that has sparked controversy, especially among its commissioners. Brendan Carr, an FCC Commissioner, has voiced a strong dissent, suggesting the decision is politically motivated and not based on objective legal, factual, or policy grounds.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod commented on a recent Wall Street Journal poll that puts President Biden’s approval figures at a record low, saying it is “very, very dark” for his re-election campaign.
Axelrod made the comments Saturday during the “Hacks on Tap” podcast alongside political consultant Mike Murphy and former Obama White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.
The Wall Street Journal poll Axelrod was discussing has former President Donald Trump leading Biden 47% to 43% in a hypothetical with two people on the ballot. Trump leads 37% to 31% in a hypothetical ballot with five independent candidates also listed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Facebook Diversity Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing $4 Million From Company
A former Facebook diversity program manager entered a guilty plea to defrauding the social media company of over $4 million through a criminal scheme in which she pretended to be conducting business in exchange for kickbacks.
Barbara Furlow-Smiles, who was the global diversity executive for Facebook, has been accused by the Department of Justice of defrauding the company to fund a lavish lifestyle spanning from Georgia to California, the New York Post reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google’s AI Program Lies About Robby Starbuck, Argues He Should be Killed for Offending People
Just one week after Google released Bard, their AI competitor to ChatGPT, conservatives are raising the alarm after the program is inventing fake articles, videos and quotes to paint right-leaning figures as “racist,” even going so far as to argue that death could be a viable option for those who “offend people.”
Robby Starbuck, a conservative political commentator and former Republican congressional candidate out of Tennessee, was the first to utilize the new program after sharing that users reached out with, “concerns about problems within Bard and how it treated people within the right-wing political sphere”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP Lawmaker Wants to Crack Down on Climate Change Activists Who Deface Historical Artwork
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, wants to raise the stakes for climate change activists who vandalize historical artworks or damage museum property by creating harsher penalties for the crime.
The Consequences for Climate Vandals Act, introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, would also apply to the grounds or property of the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian museums and the Kennedy Center, among others, and raise the maximum prison time from five years to 10.
The consequences would mirror the current maximum prison time in England, where climate activists have frequently glued themselves to artworks or thrown soup or other liquids on protective casings of museum pieces.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Votes to Authorize Biden Impeachment Inquiry
The House voted to formalize its impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Wednesday, taking a critical step that GOP leaders have argued is necessary to force the White House into complying with their investigation.
The measure passed 221 to 212, with every Republican voting in favor of it and all present Democrats voting against. Light cheering could be heard on the GOP side of the chamber after the measure passed, with pin drop silence on the Democratic side.
“We are now at a pivotal moment in our investigation. We will soon depose and interview several members of the Biden family and their associates about these influence-peddling schemes. But we are facing obstruction from the White House,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said on the House floor ahead of the vote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jewish Comedian Jerry Seinfeld Targeted by Pro-Hamas Protesters: ‘Complicit in Genocide’
Legendary Jewish-American comedian Jerry Seinfeld has been targeted by pro-Hamas protesters who accuse the TV sitcom star of being “complicit in genocide.”
The angry mob gathered outside the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York to protest Seinfeld’s stand-up show over his support for Israel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jim Jordan: Hunter’s Statement Indicates That Joe Biden Has ‘Been Involved’ in Business Dealings
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) has stated that Hunter Biden’s scripted speech from outside Congress may have implicated his Democrat president father for having “been involved” in his illegal business dealings.
Jordan noted that Hunter made a “huge change” to the narrative by saying President Biden was “not financially involved” in his business dealings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Pauses Jan. 6 Case Against Trump Amid Former President’s Appeal to Dismiss
The judge presiding over the case against former President Donald Trump and his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election acknowledged she does not have jurisdiction over the matter while it is pending before the Supreme Court, and put a pause on the case against the Republican 2024 frontrunner until the high court determines its involvement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DETROIT (TND) — A man has been arrested and charged in connection to the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue leader.
The Detroit Police Department said Wednesday that Michael Manual Jackson-Bolanos, 28, was charged with murder, home invasion and lying to police. Samantha Woll, the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was found dead outside of her Detroit home early in the morning of Oct. 21 after she was stabbed.
Police said the two did not know each other and that there is nothing that would indicate Woll’s death was a hate crime. The department confirmed Tuesday that a person of interest had been taken into custody but did not provide further details.
Woll’s body was discovered after a neighbor walking by the apartments noticed and called 911, according to the release from police. Officers responded to the scene and found her body in a pool of blood. They also noticed she had multiple stab wounds.
Police said the door to her home was open and unlocked, and there was a “significant” amount of blood inside. A medical examiner determined her cause of death was from “multiple sharp force wounds with a straight edge cutting instrument,” with the manner of death being homicide.
According to the release, Jackson-Bolanos was identified as the perpetrator after an investigation that included the reviewing of security footage, witness interviews, cell phone data and forensic evidence.
Police believe it started as a home invasion when Jackson-Bolanos entered Woll’s residence and stabbed her multiple times. The department also said he lied to police by making false and misleading statements related to the case.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Michigan Prosecutors Charge Man With Break-in, Murder of Prominent Detroit Jewish Leader
Prosecutors in Michigan have filed break-in and murder charges against a 28-year-old man in the October killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Michael Manuel Jackson-Bolanos is charged with murder and breaking and entering, prosecutor Kym Worthy announced during a Wednesday press conference.
Wednesday’s charges come after Detroit police detained a “person of interest” over the weekend. A different “person of interest” was arrested last month, but later released without being charged.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
No Whites Allowed at Boston Mayor’s Christmas Party for ‘Electeds of Color’ Only
Libs of TikTok posted a shocking email sent by the office of Mayor Michelle Wu to invite officials to the “Electeds of Color Holiday Party.” It was sent by Denise DosSantos, the Director of City Council Relations, on behalf of Mayor Wu, and the “email was mistakenly sent to all city councilmembers, including the white ones.”
The Boston Herald had the full report, saying that after the gaffe, there was “an apology and mixed reactions.” The party was set to take place on Thursday at the Parkman House on Beacon Street in Boston. The email was out for 15 minutes before DosSantos sent out a second email, apologizing for the first, saying that the invitation was only intended for those who were invited—namely, those six councilors “of color,” and not the seven white councilors.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The New York Times is facing backlash as critics accuse the paper of altering a key quote from Hunter Biden’s stunning presser while defying a congressional subpoena on Wednesday.
Biden, the scandal-plagued son of President Biden, offered a statement to reporters outside Capitol Hill publicly challenging “MAGA Republicans” over their demand for him to testify behind closed doors instead of an open hearing all while asserting his father was not “financially involved” in his business dealings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Takes Challenge to Jan. 6 Charge That Could Have Implications for Trump
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to weigh in on a Jan. 6 rioters’ case disputing an obstruction charge that could have implications for one of former President Donald Trump’s criminal cases.
The justices agreed to review a lower court’s ruling that revived a charge against three defendants accused of obstructing an official proceeding.
That charge refers to the disruption of Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A report from 404 Media, for the most part based on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, has put the pieces of a puzzle together to reveal that the US Navy was in business with an adtech company — that “just” happened to be owned by a major military contractor.
The company, nContext, is owned by Sierra Nevada Corporation, and what this triangle of surveillance was “keeping in the family” is the business of personal data changing hands, and reportedly, global (globally collected) data, at that.
404 Media writes that the public records it has seen show that the Navy was able to use a software tool (called, the Sierra Nevada nContext Vanir) that the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) uses for its surveillance operations around the world.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Jabs at Hunter Biden Skipping Congressional Deposition: ‘Went to the Wrong Place’
Former President Trump jabbed at President Biden’s son Hunter Biden for skipping his closed-door congressional deposition on Wednesday.
Trump took a shot at the younger Biden during his Iowa speech Wednesday night, joking that the presidential scion “went to the wrong place” on Capitol Hill.
The former president joked that Hunter went to the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol when he should have gone to the House side.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tucker Carlson Joins Free Speech Video Platform Rumble
In a significant move showing understanding of the shifting landscape of media and broadcasting, Tucker Carlson, a well-known political commentator, is going his own way after his abrupt departure from Fox News in April. Carlson has not only launched The Tucker Carlson Network (TCN), he has also joined the free speech video platform Rumble.
Based on the current uploads, the Rumble channel will feature clips from his independent streaming service that is set to offer a range of content including interviews, monologues, and other unique features.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two scientists who work at the University of Florida were arrested Friday after allegedly putting their kids in cages while they went to work.
Dustin Huff, 35, and Yurui Xie, 31, are accused by the Gainesville Police Department of leaving their children home in small cages while they were at work, according to FOX 35.
The couple allegedly showed police the homemade cages “as if it were all normal” when officers searched their property, officials said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Journalist, Who Pushed Vaccine Mandates and Concentration Camps, Dead at 33
A controversial Canadian corporate media journalist has died at just 33 years old, according to reports.
Ian Vandaelle has died after being hospitalized and “declared neurologically dead,” his family revealed.
Vandaelle was a business journalist who worked as a reporter and editor at the Financial Post.
He was also previously a producer at BNN Bloomberg for over a decade.
However, he was known to many on social media for his pro-Covid vaccine posts on Twitter/X.
Vandaelle advocated for vaccine passports and mandates and called for the firing of anyone who refused the injections.
He also suggested that unvaccinated people should be arrested and taken away to concentration camps.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll Finds Conservatives’ Lead Drops to 10 Points
The Conservatives’ lead over the Liberals has gone down to 10 points, dropping five points since November 30, according to a poll conducted by Abacus Data.
“It appears that the Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre have made themselves less acceptable to these past Liberal supporters over the past few weeks and may have even alienated a small portion of their own past supporters, pushing most back into the Liberal fold,” said Abacus Data CEO David Coletto in a Wednesday press release.
“While the Conservatives still hold a sizeable 10-point lead, the likelihood they win a majority government is now up in the air if voter intentions as we measure them today were to materialize on election day.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elections will be held in eastern Germany in 2024 and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is currently well ahead in the polls, which according to Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, is concerning for democracy and political stability.
“When I look at the current polls, I am particularly concerned about the state elections in September 2024 in three eastern German states,” the SPD politician told the AFP news agency. “It could actually be difficult to form stable governments there.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Antifa Member of Infamous ‘Hammer Gang’ Arrested in Germany, Tied to Brutal Attacks in Hungary
Another of the left-wing German extremists who violently attacked people with hammers in Budapest was arrested by the police in Berlin. The suspect, who is tied to the German left-wing terror convict Lina E., can now be extradited to Hungary.
The internationally wanted Simeon T., 22 years old, is accused of being involved in the brutal attacks against political opponents in Budapest. The left-wing thugs injured nine people in February, some of them seriously, with the Hungarian press reporting that many of those attacked were a case of mistaken identity and not actual right-wing extremists.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria: Von Der Leyen Acted Unilaterally on Ukraine Accession
Ursula von der Leyen has proposed opening talks for the Ukrainian accession to the European Union without consulting the heads of member states, according to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. With the European Commission President acting unilaterally, Nehammer stated that Austria was not willing to begin accession talks under current conditions.
The Austrian leader made his remarks at a parliamentary committee debate on Monday, December 11th, after receiving questions from members of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the populist Freedom Party (FPÖ).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Behind Closed Doors, Most EU Members Are Against Ukraine’s Accession, Claims Hungary’s FM Szijjartó
The loud voices in favor of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union are very much in the minority during discussions behind closed doors, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó has claimed.
On Tuesday, EU foreign ministers deferred the decision about Ukraine’s membership to the upcoming summit of the heads of state and government, and Szijjartó said that Hungary’s position on the matter remains that neither the EU nor Ukraine is ready for negotiations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Gates Calls for Cows to be Modified to Fight ‘Climate Change’
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is pushing plans to modify cows as part of a claimed effort to “fight climate change” by reducing the “methane emissions” from beef cattle.
Gates made the call while speaking at the third edition of the French finance ministry’s “Rendez-vous de Bercy” event in Paris.
The globalist event is held every two years to address different issues related to the French, European, and world economies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brussels Called Out for Hypocrisy Over Foreign Influence Law
Hungarian media have been quick to point out the hypocrisy surrounding the criticism of a recently passed Hungarian law, as it is in fact very similar to a proposal by the European Commission as well as the American Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The Hungarian parliament passed the so-called ‘Sovereignty Protection Law’ on Tuesday, December 12th, to defend the country against undue political interference by foreign persons or groups. The ruling conservative party, Fidesz, deemed it necessary to take such action after revelations surfaced last year that the Hungarian opposition’s 2022 election campaign was massively funded from overseas, mainly through a U.S. non-profit called Action for Democracy. Fidesz stated:
This amounts to political corruption, foreign interference in Hungarian elections, and an illegal attack on Hungary’s sovereignty.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The right-wing parties of the EU parliamentary group Identity and Democracy (ID) could be the big winners of the European elections scheduled for next June, latest polling has shown.
In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is running under this umbrella, as is Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National in France, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), Dutch election winner Geert Wilders’ PVV, and Matteo Salvini’s Lega in Italy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Coalition: No Alternative to Stable Rightist Cabinet
After the conservative Party for Freedom (PVV)’s stunning victory in the Dutch national election three weeks ago, Geert Wilders’ dream scenario—a right-wing government formed by his party, the center-right New Social Contract (NSC), the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the agrarian populist party Farmer—Citizen Movement (BBB)—just might be on the cards.
On Tuesday, December 12th, coalition scout Ronald Plasterk presented his report to parliament, in which he announced that he sees no other alternative for a viable government than the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB joining forces.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU and Hungary: Who’s Blackmailing Whom?
Budapest is sticking to its principles as EU leaders are gearing up for the year’s last EU Council Summit (EUCO) on December 14-15th, where Ukraine’s EU accession and a giant €50 billion aid package will be the main courses on the table. Hungary has been opposing both, but there is room for compromise on the money part—as long as the country also gets what it’s rightfully owed, PM Orban’s chief advisor told Bloomberg Tuesday evening. In a separate interview with Mandiner, the prime minister himself confirmed this, while also explaining the difference between financial and strategic questions.
“Hungary’s EU funding and Ukraine’s financing are two separate issues,” the prime minister’s political director Balazs Orban said in the interview. “But if the EU insists that Ukraine’s financing should come from an amended EU budget, then the two issues become linked.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Aid to Gaza Set to Resume and Triple
EU countries agreed that the regular financing of the Palestinian Authority must resume as the European Commission’s own internal review found “no breach of EU law,” Brussels’ foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said after Monday’s Council meeting with the bloc’s foreign affairs ministers. Meanwhile, the Commission will be preparing a sanctions proposal to punish ‘extremist’ Jewish settlers who allegedly take part in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Wagenknecht Under Scrutiny for Choice of Bank
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance for Reason and Justice (BSW), set to be formally established as a political party at the beginning of next year, has already come under fire from the German mainstream press for depositing donations, a miniscule percentage of which came from abroad, in a bank with alleged links to Russia.
Wagenknecht’s BSW association, since its founding was announced in late October following the departure of the anti-liberal Left wing firebrand, along with nine MPs, from Die Linke, has received some 1.1 million euros in donations, including some larger donations of 50,000 and 20,000 euros.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Traffic Light Coalition Hits Red as SPD-Green Party Congresses Unravel
Germany’s ‘traffic light’ coalition, or ‘car-crash coalition’ as some have recently called it, appears to be in the process of imploding, with recent party congresses revealing deep internal divisions—not only between coalition members but within the parties themselves—on the issue of migration.
A policy resolution on migration, adopted by the SPD at its federal congress, that will loosen Germany’s laws on migrant family reunification—and as a result further facilitate chain migration—has prompted sharp criticism from the liberal FDP, its junior coalition partner, and marks a clear departure from the tougher course of migration that Chancellor Scholz had previously spoken in favor of.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A German commentator residing in Poland has advised Poland’s new government to use the “police state” he claims was built by the outgoing conservative administration against them in order to “restore democracy.”
Klaus Bachmann, a political commentator for Berliner Zeitung, suggested Donald Tusk’s new left-liberal coalition could “simply pass all the most important reforms through executive orders, which would violate the then applicable regulations and constitution, but has the advantage that the president would not be able to block them.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Heightened Security Measures at Christmas Markets Across Europe
Across Europe, authorities are increasing security at Christmas markets. This follows the deadly terrorist attack in Paris on December 3rd and a spate of recent arrests in Germany of Islamic State sympathizers plotting to strike at seasonal festivities.
Following the Paris terror attack, Ylva Johansson—EU Commissioner for Home Affairs—indicated that the EU would free up €30 million (£26m) for additional security measures. She also expressed concern that the Israel-Hamas war could increase social polarization, triggering similar incidents.
Earlier in November, European security officials warned of the growing risk posed by Islamist militants, with the most likely threat from “lone wolfs,” attackers who are notoriously difficult to surveil.
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Hungarian Institute Lists 9 Reasons Why Ukraine is Not Ready for EU Membership
The Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs (MKI) has published a study listing nine reasons why it would be premature to discuss Ukraine’s accession at this week’s European Council.
Ukraine is not ready to join the EU, and the European Union has not provided a political or economic explanation of how Ukraine’s accession would work in practice, argues the MKI.
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Hungarian Prosecutors Charge 11 Church of Scientology Members With Tax Evasion
Eleven people in the Church of Scientology have been indicted in a tax fraud case in Hungary.
On Monday, the Budapest Prosecutor’s Office announced only that members of “a religious association with an international background” had been charged with 600 million forints (€1.56 million) in tax fraud without naming the actual association involved, however, news portal 24.hu reports named the Church of Scientology as prosecutors’ target.
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A major incident has been declared in South Wales after a ‘loud explosion’ was heard before a ‘large fire’ broke out on an industrial estate.
Pictures have shown a building consumed by flames, with a column of smoke visible from afar.
The fire is reported to have broken out in the early evening on Treforest Industrial Estate, Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Witnesses told WalesOnline that they heard a ‘massive bang’ which shook houses, with one saying: ‘My house was rattling, must have been a big explosion.’
The emergency departments of hospitals in the area are on ‘high alert’ due to the incident and have asked people not to attend A&E ‘unless absolutely necessary’.
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The female staff member at Jacques Cartier in Issou, west of Paris, was reportedly left fearing for her life after she showed the 17th century masterpiece ‘Diana and Actaeon’.
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Nuclear Victory: EU Parliament Endorses Modular Reactors
The European Parliament voted with a wide majority in favor of endorsing small-scale nuclear reactors on Tuesday, December 12th, bringing Europe one step closer to affordable and abundant energy.
The adopted resolution calls on the Commission to create and finance a specific industrial strategy for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development, while asking the Council to “demonstrate a firm commitment” to the technology’s successful deployment in the EU.
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Grzegorz Braun from the right-wing Confederation party was expelled from a session of parliament after using a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles that had been lit during a ceremony involving Polish-Jewish leaders and Israel’s ambassador.
After the incident, he defended his actions, stating: “In fact I am restoring normalcy and balance, putting an end to acts of Satanic, Talmudic and racist triumphalism.”
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Poland’s Gdansk Port Rises to Top 10 in EU
In 2022, the Baltic Port of Gdansk handled 40 percent more goods than the previous year, according to data from Eurostat. This surge was the highest among European seaports, elevating Gdansk into the top 10 largest ports in the European Union. While Gdansk’s port operations expanded, other major European ports experienced a decline.
Eurostat data states that the Port of Gdansk handled 63 million tons of cargo. However, the Port of Gdansk reported even better results, with 68.2 million tons, a 28 percent increase, or 15 million tons more than the previous year. Looking at the past decade, the port’s cargo throughput increased by 154 percent, making it the fastest-growing port in Europe.
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Poland: Tusk’s Reelection Delighting EU’s Globalist Elite
The leaders of the European Union’s institutions welcomed the return of Donald Tusk as Poland’s prime minister with visible glee and enthusiasm, signalling how a shift in Poland from a sovereigntist approach to a globalist one will make it easier for Brussels and Warsaw to cooperate.
Donald Tusk was elected as prime minister late on Monday, December 11th after winning a vote of confidence in parliament. His cabinet will get the nod of approval from parliament on Tuesday evening, and Tusk is to be sworn in by President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday.
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Poland’s Top Court Rules European Court of Justice Fines to be Unconstitutional
Poland’s Constitutional Court has found parts of EU treaties to be incompatible with the Polish constitution for the third time, this time with the judges ruling that the fines issued against the country by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) were contrary to the country’s constitution.
The latest ruling will deepen the standoff between Warsaw and Brussels over rule-of-law compliance even though the new Donald Tusk government in Warsaw is likely to be more accommodating to both the European court and the European Commission.
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Police Disperse Polish Truck Drivers’ Protest at Ukrainian Border
Polish authorities were dispatched by the mayor of Dorohusk on Monday afternoon to disperse one of the truck drivers’ protests at the border crossing with Ukraine that had been ongoing for weeks due to claims by Polish haulage associations of unfair competition due to relaxed EU regulations.
Police officers took action later that evening to clear the blockade after protesters twice refused to comply with dispersal requests.
Rafal Mekler, the Confederation party member and a transport company owner from the eastern Lublin region, shared videos of the action in Dorohusk on social media.
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Police are responding to a serious incident at a South Wales industrial estate after reports of an explosion.
A large fire has broken out at the estate on Severn Road in Treforest in Pontypridd, with firefighters sending a number of crews to the area.
Witnesses at the scene have reported hearing a large explosion.
One, Krishnaraj Nadarajah, the manager of a nearby petrol station, told the BBC: “It felt like it was an earthquake or something. We went outside and there was a fire starting to build up, it was a huge fire and smoke.”
Jonny Foxhall, 36, the owner of nearby music venue Green Rooms, added: “Our front door was flung open so we went out to see what had happened.
“We could see a smoke cloud and an orange glow from above the treeline quickly followed by flames.”
He added: “To feel the shockwave from the explosion is something I’ve never experienced before.”
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Portugal Election: Chega Challenges Establishment Parties
Portugal will go to the polls in a snap election on March 10th next year as the nation comes to terms with the dramatic chain of events which culminated in the arrest of multiple members of the Portuguese Cabinet on November 7th. The arrests were part of a corruption probe into the issuing of hydrogen and lithium mining contracts by the ruling Socialist Party.
The police raids resulted in the downfall of Prime Minister António Costa, a regular fixture on the European centre Left. He had been in office since 2015 and had his official residence raided as part of the criminal investigation.
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As global support for the Ukraine war plummets, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government may declare an “extraordinary emergency situation” if the war between Russia and Ukraine deteriorates.
Scholz made the ultimatum as part of a bid to garner more war funding for Ukraine.
To justify his alarmism, Scholz said the move is necessary for Europe’s border security.
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UK: Nigel Farage is Now Far More Popular Among Conservative Voters Than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Broadcaster and former frontline politician Nigel Farage is now more popular among Conservative voters than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, recent polling has revealed.
The ex-UKIP and Brexit Party leader has seen his popularity among the conservative grassroots surge after a three-week stint in the Australian jungle on the hit U.K. reality TV show “I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here,” storming ahead of the current Conservative leader who now has a net negative rating among voters for his own party.
The survey, conducted by the JL Partners polling agency, showed Farage’s popularity score had risen to +18 among voters who backed the Conservative Party in the last general election in 2019. A total of 46 percent viewed him positively, compared to 28 percent who held a negative view of the GB News presenter.
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UK: ULEZ: Man Sentenced for Spraying Paint on Camera in Bromley
A man has been sentenced for spraying paint on to an ultra low emission zone (Ulez) camera in south-east London.
Stephen Nunn pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
The 60-year-old was given a 12-month community order involving 100 hours’ unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay £349.78 in compensation to Transport for London, which operates Ulez.
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US Missile Defense Shield in Poland Will be Operational From Dec. 15
A U.S. anti-missile base in Redzikowo in northern Poland will become operational on Dec. 15, outgoing Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Polish lawmakers on Monday.
Morawiecki announced the news in a speech introducing his government’s program in the Sejm, before losing a vote of confidence that ended his term in office.
Later, Donald Tusk, who leads a four-party coalition that has a majority in parliament, won a parliamentary vote to become the new prime minister of Poland.
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Visegrad Farmers Call for Joint Action on Ukrainian Imports
Farmers in the Visegrad countries are calling on the European Union and their governments to find a joint solution to the problem of European markets being flooded with Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products due to a temporary lifting of import restrictions from Ukraine.
Farmers associations from Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, and Poland signed a joint communique following a meeting late last week. In their statement, representatives of the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic, the Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber, the Polish Regional Council of Agricultural Chambers, and the Hungarian National Chamber of Agriculture said it is necessary to support the Ukrainian economy due to the Russian invasion in 2022 but such support cannot come at the cost of undermining farmers in Central Europe.
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Israel Under Pressure From Allies as Gaza War Rages on
Gaza health ministry says run out of children’s vaccines
GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories — Israel was facing mounting international pressure on Wednesday over its war in Gaza, with even key backer the United States criticising the “indiscriminate” bombing.
The Israeli war has left Gaza in ruins, killing more than 18,600 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll from the health ministry, and causing “unparalleled” damage to its roads, schools and hospitals.
The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a non-binding resolution for a ceasefire on Tuesday.
But more air strikes hit Gaza and gun battles raged through the night, especially in Gaza City, the biggest urban centre, and Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south, AFP correspondents said.
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Iran: Swedish EU Diplomat Could Face Execution for Espionage
A Swedish diplomat could face the death penalty in Iran, where he is standing trial on accusations of spying for Israel.
As we previously reported, diplomat Johan Floderus has been in prison in the Iranian capital of Tehran for over 600 days without trial since his arrest in April of 2022 at Tehran International Airport as he was about to leave the country to return to Sweden.
On Saturday, December 9th, the trial for Floderus began, with the diplomat appearing in a Tehran court and being indicted for “widespread activities against national security [and] wide intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime,” France 24 reports.
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In shocking scenes, a Turkish lawmaker suffered a heart attack and collapsed suddenly during an anti-Israel speech.
Turkish parliamentarian Hasan Bitmez collapsed while giving an address before the nation’s General Assembly Hall in Ankara.
Ironically, Bitmez suffered a heart attack and collapsed within seconds of declaring that “Israel will suffer the wrath of Allah.”
Bitmez was calling on his fellow lawmakers to back the Islamic terrorist group Hamas when he collapsed, according to a report from the Yeshiva World.
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Davos to Host Ukraine ‘Peace Formula Talks’ Without Russia
The next round of talks discussing Kyiv’s so-called ‘Peace Formula’ will be held on January 14th in Davos, Switzerland, a day before the annual World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. The talks were announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X on Sunday, December 10th, and confirmed by the Swiss foreign ministry.
The meeting will build on earlier discussions during three previous rounds of talks organized this year, in Denmark (June), in Saudi Arabia (August), and in Malta (October). The latter was attended by the representatives of 66 states and international organizations, according to Kyiv.
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This is the World if Ukraine Loses
If the West doesn’t help Ukraine beat back Russia, your lives will not be the same.
by Victor Pinchuk
The White House has announced that by the end of the year funding for supporting Ukraine will run out. The EU has declared that it will miss by a large measure its announced goal of providing Ukraine with 1 million artillery shells by March 2024. These are sober words presaging what I believe will be a devastating failure for the West.
If Ukraine cannot push Russia back, there will not be a stable stalemate. Russia will throw all it has into “conquering” Ukraine. It will obliterate cities completely, as demonstrated by its conquest of Mariupol, where Russia is estimated to have killed 25,000 people and destroyed 90 percent of residential buildings. That is the Russian way of war. Russia’s army will imprison, torture or kill anyone who refuses to “belong” to Russia. Remember the Bucha massacre? Bucha had 37,000 inhabitants, compared to Ukraine’s 44 million. As Russia advances, 5, 10, 100 or more Buchas may occur.
Many more Ukrainians will flee if Russia is able to seize more Ukrainian territory. 6.3 million have fled the country as of now. Many work hard in their new place of residence, but European countries incur costs of hundreds of Euro per month for each Ukrainian refugee. Russia’s strategy includes making Ukraine uninhabitable, driving refugees into Europe. If for example 5 million more Ukrainians flee as Russia advances, it would cost Europe billions of Euro more per month additionally, dozens of billions of Euro per year…
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Ukraine-Russia War: Putin’s Army Has Suffered 315,000 Casualties, Report Says
At least 315,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured so far in the war in Ukraine, amounting to nearly 90% of its personnel when the conflict started, a report says.
The statistic was highlighted in a declassified U.S. intelligence report that assessed Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with 360,000 troops, a source familiar with the document told Reuters.
“The scale of losses has forced Russia to take extraordinary measures to sustain its ability to fight. Russia declared a partial mobilization of 300,000 personnel in late 2022 and has relaxed standards to allow recruitment of convicts and older civilians,” the source quoted the intelligence report as saying.
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Nothing says, “a great democracy” quite like an extremely controversial free speech-affecting legislative effort by a country’s government, does it?
Unfortunately for Australians, and judging by reports, their current cabinet is now trying to convince the world that it is the caretaker of that kind of democracy — and, yet, at the same time, push through a bill of, well, that other kind.
The “magic word” rears its ugly head again here — misinformation. That’s the centerpiece of Australia’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland’s plan for what could end up as her democracy and free speech takeover.
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Kerem Aydin, 22, and his partner Jacinta Davila, 27, had been leaving the Torrensville Plaza in Adelaide’s inner-west, at about 7.30pm on Tuesday when they were suddenly arrested.
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Dr Michael Yung , 61, died after allegedly being stabbed at his $2million Gilberton home, in Adelaide ‘s inner-northeast, early on Monday.
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The black-tie event, which is usually held on January 26 each year in London, was estimated to cost $55,000 this year if it were to go ahead.
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Mick Cronin, the chief executive of cash truck delivery giant Linfox Armaguard, has admitted he could not guarantee cash would continue to be delivered to banks and ATMs beyond 2026.
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80% of French Support Ban on More Immigration, Two-Thirds Back Referendum
An overwhelming majority of French citizens do not think their government should welcome any more migrants to France and two-thirds of the country backs a referendum on immigration, recent polling has shown.
According to the survey conducted by the CSA Institute for CNEWS published on Tuesday, 80 percent of people in France want a ban on immigration, compared with just 19 percent in favor of further new arrivals.
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The Albanese government has been slammed over its crime and migration policies, with a seventh detainee out of 149 non-citizens released in recent weeks expected to be rearrested.
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Australia Seeks to Halve Net Migration
The Australian government is overhauling its immigration strategy. In a Monday, December 11th announcement, it released what it called its “new vision” for its migration system. The so-called ‘Australian model’ of immigration, which bases its admissions on whether new arrivals have something to offer in the labor market, has long been viewed as worthy of emulation by conservative politicians in the West.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil hailed the new strategy as “the biggest reforms to migration in a generation.” Its main aim is the halving of net migration over the next two years, bringing immigration figures back to pre-COVID levels.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers is now accusing a critic of excessive population growth of ‘playing politics’ with new data showing a record 518,100 migrants moved to Australia in the last financial year.
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A company awarded a no-bid contract to care for and feed New York City’s migrants trashed as many as 70,000 uneaten meals worth $776,000 in just one month, per a new report.
DocGo, a medical services company, was given the $432 million deal to care for about 4,000 migrants in the city’s care upstate — but has been accused of wasting taxpayer money as mayor Eric Adams was forced to slash billions from city services to address the crisis.
From October 22 to November 10, the company threw out over 70,000 meals, marking them as ‘wasted’ in internal documents reviewed by The New York Times
The trashed food cost taxpayers about $776,000. As The Times notes, at this rate wasted food would cost the city $1 million a month.
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France: Left and Right Unite to Reject Immigration Bill
The French draft law on immigration reform was temporarily withdrawn on Monday, December 11th, after a Green Party motion to reject the bill was adopted by a majority of MPs.
The immigration law has attracted widespread opposition from both Left and Right. As a result of the vote, disavowed Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tendered his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who rejected it.
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France: Pro-Migrant Activist Raped by Homeless Migrant is ‘Shocked’ to See Her Rapist on the Street
A pro-migrant student activist who was raped by a homeless migrant says she is shocked to have encountered the man on the street before his trial began.
The man’s trial is set to start tomorrow, Dec. 14, after police arrested him in 2021 for allegedly raping 23-year-old Océane Decan at knifepoint in a Bordeaux parking lot, which means the trial is only beginning for a case that happened two years ago. The 58-year-old suspect, Yero Ba, was released from pre-trial detention in September of this year, which allowed him to roam the streets until his trial began.
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Germany: Tunisian Migrant Stabs Asylum Center Worker in the Neck
A 23-year-old Tunisian has been arrested for stabbing a 20-year-old employee at an asylum center in the eastern German port city of Rostock.
The migrant allegedly attacked his victim after the resident was found using drugs once again inside the building despite repeated warnings
According to the police report, when authorities attempted to temporarily expel him from the property, “there was a sudden attack with a knife.”
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A mass brawl at a high school in Germany, of which 81 percent of students come from a migrant background, left 49 staff members and fellow pupils injured, state police revealed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. on Monday at the Campus Efeuweg Community School in the Neukölln district of Berlin.
According to German media, an argument broke out among a handful of boys around 14 years of age over a soccer match. One of those involved pulled out a can of pepper spray but injured himself in the process, causing another individual to grab the can and use it on other students sparking mayhem.
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Growing Number of Ukrainians Seek Temporary Protection in Poland
An increasing number of Ukrainian citizens are utilizing temporary protection in Poland, according to the most recent data from Eurostat. Although there was a slight decline in numbers since March, a resurgence in arrivals has been observed again in September.
Eurostat’s latest data reveals that by the end of October 2023, over 957,000 Ukrainians were benefiting from temporary protection in Poland. This marks an increase of approximately 2,000 compared to September of the same year. This figure does not include those who are in Poland under different types of residency permits. In March 2023, the number of Ukrainians in Poland under temporary protection was at 995,000 and had been gradually decreasing.
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Police have detained a 12-year-old schoolgirl from a family of Mongolian refugees living in France after she took a knife to school and threatened to kill her teacher.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. on Wednesday during an English lesson at the Hautes-Ourmes College in Rennes.
The fifth-grade student shocked her classmates when she pulled a knife and lunged at her teacher who ran from the room. The girl was restrained by school staff and handed over to the police.
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Mexico Suspends Deportations, Allowing Even More Invaders to Reach US
The Biden Border Rush continues, an ongoing invasion aided, abetted and encouraged by our own government.
Now Mexico has suspended deportations, so we can expect even more illegal migrants to make it to our southern border.
The country of Mexico serves as a sort of massive highway through which illegal invaders from around the world can arrive to Joe Biden’s Big Rock Candy Mountain.
Could it get worse? Oh certainly. It could always get worse.
Mexico’s immigration bureaucracy, the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) (“National Institute of Migration” for all you gringo readers), has announced they are just not going to deport anybody for a while. Deportations, or “assisted returns” as they call them, are suspended.
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Muslims Beat Up Santa in Germany, Tell Him it is ‘Their Country’
German state police are searching for a group of youths who are suspected of committing actual bodily harm against a middle-aged man dressed up as Santa Claus on his way to perform at an event in Hesse.
The 54-year-old victim was due to perform at the Königsalm on Königsplatz in the city of Kassel on Dec. 6 when he was approached by a gang of youths who crossed the street and confronted him.
According to the victim, Rainer B., the gang comprised several teenagers of a migrant background around 15 years of age. He told police they insulted him, calling him a “son of a bitch” and a “fat man” and ordered him to remove his Santa Claus costume.
They said they were Muslim and that Germany was “their country,” the victim said, as reported by the Hessische Allgemeine newspaper.
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More than 130 migrant children who have disappeared from UK hotels since the summer are still missing six months later, a minister admitted today.
Immigration delivery minister Tom Pursglove admitted that just 22 of 154 under 18s who absconded in the past six months have been recovered, as he faced MPs today.
In a testy exchange with the Home Affairs Committee he said that of the 132 still at large 88 per cent were Albanian, and suggested they had been picked off by organised crime gangs.
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Just one per cent of small boat migrants who have reached Britain since 2020 have been removed by the Home Office, figures reveal.
New data disclosed to MPs showed only 1,182 out of 111,800 arrivals from across the Channel have been kicked out of the country in three and a half years.
A letter to the Commons’ home affairs committee from Home Office permanent secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft showed 762 of those removed were Albanians — equivalent to 0.7 per cent of the total arrivals.
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Spanish Parliament Opens Debate on Amnesty Law
The Spanish parliament started its debate on the controversial amnesty law on Tuesday, a discussion which should prove to be one of the most acrimonious moments in the country’s recent parliamentary history.
The bill is aimed at canceling the “criminal, administrative and accounting responsibility” of all those who committed crimes related to the demand for the secession of Catalonia from Spain over more than a decade, from January 1, 2012, to November 13, 2023. The crimes include not only organizing the illegal referendum in Catalonia in 2017 but also those stemming from riots and street violence that took place in relation to the referendum—though only if the accused acted in favor of Catalonia’s secession.
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UK Tories at Odds Over Rwanda Migration Plan
The Conservative Party’s squabbling over the ‘Rwanda Plan’ to send illegal migrations for processing in the African nation will come to a head Tuesday in an afternoon vote that some say could bring down Rishi Sunak’s government.
MPs will vote on a bill which Sunak’s government has designed to address the Supreme Court’s ruling that the scheme is unlawful. One group of Tories—the so-called ‘hardliners’—say the legislation does not go far enough. But another—from the ‘more’ liberal side—says it will only support the bill in its current form and will pull its support if the prime minister moves to woo the ‘Right.’
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Fights at a centre for Asylum seekers break out almost every night between migrants of different nationalities, a migrant has told.
Video footage reportedly shows fights erupting between men at the Wethersfield asylum centre in north Essex — with chairs thrown and one man suffering a bloodied face.
An anonymous asylum seeker said the centre on the former military base ‘has many, many problems’, adding that ‘no one on the camp is feeling safe’.
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Disney Blasted Over ‘Structural Rot’ as Woke Film Studios Sees Millions in Investment Pulled
Disney has been blasted for allegedly having a “structural rot” as the film studios is dealt a major blow with millions of investment pulled.
South Carolina state treasurer Curtis Loftis slammed Disney by taking aim at returning CEO Bob Iger.
The Palmetto State is so frustrated with the film studios that it has decided to divest funds over the company’s management supposedly abandoning their fiduciary responsibilities.
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Kylie Small had been competing in men’s races until earlier this year — and last week, she won the Women’s Singlespeed national title at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championship.
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Supreme Court Agrees to Decide on Abortion Pill Access, Approval Process
The Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to hear a case on access to the abortion pill and its approval process, which has been defended by the Biden administration.
The nation’s highest court agreed to consider appeals from the Biden administration and drug manufacturer Danco defending several moves by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration intended to make it easier to access and use the mifepristone pill in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.
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A trans-identified male cyclist emerged as the winner and took first place in Women’s Singlespeed at the 2023 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships.
Kylie Small, who previously called himself Kyle Small, was previously participating in men’s races earlier in 2023, even as recently as April, Reduxx reports.
Small took 44th place in the CX Male Senior 18-22 category last cycling season, and has generally not done very well when performing in male races, according to the outlet.
This all changed on Dec. 8, when Small signed up as a “woman” to take part in the USA Cyclocross National Championships in Louisville, where he managed to take the gold award in the Women’s Single Speed, ending at 38 minutes and 19 seconds.
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Meanwhile, a round of talks discussing Ukraine’s “peace formula” will begin next month in Davos, but without Russian participation.
Always democracies come up with such bright ideas that do not work . Sorry that work.
Just look at the occupation of the Naïve Continent and they are barking day and night about freedom for Hamas.
Muslims : we pretend we don’t want you. But you are clever to see our laws and attitudes encourage you to colonized us and subjugate us.
As you did in spain and want to do to Israelis/
Muslims . . . we want you to take over Europe as you did to India, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, India, Afghanistan. Today the wise class in europe blame Christianity to prevent muslim colonization of Europe.
Just look how white girls are sobbing when they take the shahada. Immediately that night they are visited by the stallion Mo the true prophet. True because allah is his stooge.
The west still don’t understand Russia. Russia is winning in Ukraine, they couldn’t care less about how many xxx are lost.