Two teenaged girl tourists from South America were stabbed on Christmas Day in a café at Grand Central Station in New York City. The allegedly mentally ill alleged perpetrator allegedly shouted, “I want all the white people dead.” His two victims are recovering in the hospital.
In other news, a Brazilian woman hacked off her husband’s penis after he allegedly slept with her 15-year-old niece. She took a photo of the dismembered member, and then flushed it down the toilet. Allegedly.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Dora, DV, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, 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.
Belgian Startup Investments Plunge 50% in 2023 Amid Global Economic Challenges
Belgium’s startup landscape is facing a significant setback, with investments hitting their lowest point since 2019, as reported by The Brussels Time, the decline is attributed to a combination of rising interest rates and a global economic downturn, causing investors to adopt a more risk-averse stance.
Data from L’Echo reveals that Belgian startups secured a total of €770 million in funding in 2023, marking a stark contrast to the previous year’s record of €1.52 billion. The drop mirrors a similar trend across the European Union, where startup investments plummeted from €82 billion to €41 billion during the same timeframe.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Putin: Western Globalists Are Destroying the Global Economic System
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Western countries are destroying the existing framework of global economic relations that they helped to build in the first place.
In a statement, Putin added that many countries are opposed to this agenda.
Russia’s leader made the comments while speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Pushing ‘Wealth Redistribution’ to ‘Fight Climate Change’
When the United Nations climate summit drew to its close in mid-December, globalist governments around the world were pledging billions of dollars in taxpayer money to fight the so-called “climate crisis.”
Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration joined other Western governments in pledging billions for climate “reparations” and a “Green Climate Fund.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Close to Setting Record for Efforts to Expand Bureaucratic State
Democrat President Joe Biden is now edging closer to setting a record for his efforts to expand America’s bureaucratic state.
The total number of government employees in the U.S. is now close to a new record, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Biden’s historic expansion is only being outdone by one other month in the country’s history.
The U.S. added 49,000 government jobs in November.
32,000 of those jobs were local and 17,000 of those were federal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Multiple Pizza Hut franchises in California are planning to lay off delivery drivers as the restaurant chain braces for an increase in the minimum wage for fast food workers next year.
Several Pizza Hut operators filed notices to comply with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act saying they were discontinuing their delivery services.
“PacPizza, LLC, operating as Pizza Hut, has made a business decision to eliminate first-party delivery services and, as a result, the elimination of all delivery driver positions,” a federal WARN Act notice filed by the fast-food operator with the state’s Employment Development Department said, Business Insider reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An offshoot of the conservative Heritage Foundation is suing the Central Intelligence Agency, accusing it of withholding records detailing payoffs to analysts to bury findings that a lab leak was the most likely explanation for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The think tank’s Oversight Project filed a federal lawsuit against the CIA Dec. 22, alleging the agency did not comply with its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request about analysts who allegedly “received monetary incentives to change their position on the origins of the virus,” according to a copy of the complaint first reported Tuesday by the Daily Caller.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DC’s Crime Leads to More Restaurants Closing in 2023 Than the Previous Year
Dozens of beloved Washington restaurants closed this year, more than in 2022, according to the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
Last year, 48 D.C. restaurants shut down while in 2023, 52 restaurants went out of business.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrats Are Switching Parties in Pennsylvania Twice as Fast as Republicans
More Democratic voters in Pennsylvania are switching to the GOP than Republican voters are switching to the Democratic Party, a problematic trend for President Joe Biden in his quest to win the Keystone State in 2024.
In 2023, 35,589 Democrats switched to the Republican Party in the swing state, while only 15,622 Republicans flipped over to the Democratic Party, according to the state’s voter registration data as of Dec. 18.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harvard University president Claudine Gay, who has come under fire over accusations of plagiarism and antisemitism, is now seeing her work further scrutinized after it was revealed two professors questioned a data method she used in a 2001 Stanford paper that often resulted in “logical inconsistencies” — and she refused to share her research with them.
The 2001 study, titled “The Effect of Black Congressional Representation on Political Participation,” was one of four peer-reviewed articles that helped land Gay tenure at Stanford University, but its merit could not be properly reviewed by everyone, according to a post on the Dossier by Christopher Brunet.
In 2002, Michael C. Herron, the Remsen 1943 professor of quantitative social science at Dartmouth, and Kenneth W. Shotts, the David S. and Ann M. Barlow professor of political economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business, claimed to debunk the very foundation of Gay’s research.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hamas Supporters Declare War on Christmas
“Joy is canceled,” read the signs wielded by Hamas supporters protesting a Christmas tree lighting at Columbia University. While a student group tried to sing, the terror backers shrieked, “there’s no room for celebration.” And no room for anything except terrorism and hate.
Supporters of the Islamic terrorist group took a special pleasure in attacking Christianity.
Carolers singing “Gloria in excelsis deo” or “Glory to God in the highest” at the Washington Square Park Christmas tree near New York University were shouted down by Muslim and leftist allies shrieking, “Shut it down! Shut it down!”
People have been killed for merely drawing cartoons of Mohammed, but Muslims feel empowered to shout down Christian hymns before Christmas a few miles from Ground Zero.
On the Boston Common, Hamas supporters defaced a nativity scene to read, “Jesus was Palestinian.”
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Kanye West Suddenly Apologies to “Jewish Community” for “Unintended Outburst”
Rapper “Ye,” formerly Kanye West, unexpectedly apologized to “the Jewish community” in an Instagram post on Tuesday morning.
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any ‘unintended outburst.’ It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” Ye (or maybe his PR agent) wrote in a post in Hebrew.
Ye continued: “I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mortality Among Younger People Has Skyrocketed; FDA Chief Calls it Catastrophic
The United States has witnessed a significant decline in life expectancy, with the average now standing at only 76 years, down from last year’s 78 years. This downturn, described as “catastrophic” by FDA Chairman Robert M. Cadliff, has seen men’s life expectancy averaging at just 73 years.
Disturbingly, the first nine months of 2023 witnessed 158,000 more American deaths compared to 2019, surpassing the cumulative deaths in all wars after Vietnam. Notably, the excess mortality is more pronounced among citizens under 50, with a surge in cancer diagnoses being particularly noteworthy. Contrary to expectations, mortality among those over 65 decreased by six percent compared to the same period in 2019.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
mRNA Vaccine Inventor Raises Alarm About DNA in Food Supply
Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of the mRNA technology used in Covid vaccines, has issued a warning to the public over traces of DNA that have been found in the food supply.
Malone raised the alarm during a recent interview with Brooke Miller, the former immediate past President of the United States Cattlemen’s Association.
He discussed the topic of mRNA vaccines contaminating the food supply with fragments of DNA.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NASA Launches Mission to Intercept ‘God of Chaos’ Asteroid as it Nears Earth’s Orbit
A NASA spacecraft that recently returned from deep space has been relaunched for a mission to study the “God of Chaos” asteroid as it begins to near Earth’s orbit.
The agency’s spacecraft OSIRIS-REx — now named the OSIRIS-APEX — has been sent off to study the asteroid Apophis’ extremely close flyby of Earth in 2029, the likes of which “hasn’t happened since the dawn of recorded history,” NASA announced.
The spacecraft returned to Earth in September after spending seven years collecting samples from the space rock Bennu.
Apophis, also known as the “God of Chaos,” is expected to fly by Earth on April 13, 2029 from about only 20,000 miles away — closer than some manmade satellites and could even be visible in the Eastern Hemisphere.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oregon Lawmakers Sue to Halt “Misinformation” Contracts Against Election-Related Speech
A legal battle is currently unfolding in the state of Oregon as local legislators along with other parties, such as radio show hosts and Republican party representatives are suing government officials in an attempt to prevent them from intervening in what is referred to as false election information.
The lawsuit, which represents a bold stand against censorship, was launched against Democratic Governor Tina Kotek, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, and Elections Director Molly Woon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll Reveals Nearly 3/4ths of Republicans Think White People’s Rights Are Under Attack
In a recent poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, it was found that 47% of American voters perceive an attack on the rights of white people in the United States. Conversely, only 18% disagree with this perspective.
Breaking down the data further, 72% of Republican voters align with the belief that white people’s rights are under attack, while a mere 18% hold an opposing view. On the Democratic side, only 27% of voters share this perception, with 45% of independent voters expressing agreement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Ohio state representative was the latest conservative politician to be “swatted” when authorities showed up to his house Tuesday in response to a fake report of a shooting, authorities said.
Republican Kevin D. Miller, who represents part of the Buckeye State in the state House, said Sheriff deputies from Licking County arrived at his home shortly after 3 p.m. on a false report of a shooting.
“This ‘swatting incident’ put several lives at risk and was a huge waste of resources,” Miller said in social media posts.
“Special thanks for Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp and his team for their expeditious and professional response.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Search for Suspects Continues in Christmas Eve Colorado Mall Shooting That Left 1 Dead, 3 Hurt
The search for suspects in a Christmas Eve shooting at The Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs, Colorado, continued Tuesday, with police saying the preliminary investigation indicates the gunfire that left one man dead and two seriously injured was from a “targeted” attack.
The incident occurred around 4:34 p.m. local time on Sunday and allegedly began with a disagreement between two groups that ended in a shooting, according to police.
“We believe this was a targeted shooting, and the two groups of individuals fighting were known to one another,” a spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department told ABC News on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Heard Arguments on Disputed Tax Provision Predicted to ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Taxes
A challenge against the constitutionality of a provision of President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax reform law recently reached the Supreme Court for oral arguments.
The provision is the one-time repatriation tax on American taxpayers’ investments in foreign corporations.
Opponents of the lawsuit have warned that the Supreme Court ruling against the particular tax would “wreak havoc” more broadly on the tax code.
Potentially, it could cost the U.S. government trillions of dollars in potential tax revenue, according to NPR.
However, the challengers against the repatriation tax have argued that it violates the U.S. Constitution’s 16th Amendment in that it imposes a tax on purported “income” that may or may not have actually been realized or received by a taxpayer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Survey: Fewer Young Men Are Attending College
The decline in college enrollment among U.S. young adults in the past decades is being driven in part by fewer young men pursuing higher education, according to data analyses by Pew Research Center.
Roughly 1 million fewer young men are in college compared to 0.2 million fewer young women in the past decade, Pew senior researcher Richard Fry wrote, citing new data from the U.S. Census Bureau pertaining to 18-to-24-year-olds’ college enrollment data.
“As a result, men make up 44 percent of young college students today, down from 47 percent in 2011…” he wrote. “This shift is driven entirely by the falling share of men who are students at four-year colleges. Today, men represent only 42 percent of students ages 18 to 24 at four-year schools, down from 47 percent in 2011.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A troubled vagrant randomly stabbed two teenage girls enjoying a Christmas morning meal with their parents at a Grand Central Terminal restaurant — after ranting that he wanted “all white people dead,” authorities said.
The girls, 14— and 16-year-olds visiting from South America, were attacked at Tartinery in the Grand Central Dining Concourse around 11:25 a.m. Monday and suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds, police and sources said.
“I want all the white people dead,” the suspect, Steven Hutcherson, 36, allegedly yelled, according to police sources. “I want to sit next to the crackers.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two teenage girls on vacation from South America have been stabbed while eating at Grand Central Terminal’s dining concourse by a suspect saying ‘I want all the white people dead.’
The girls, aged 14 and 16, were touring the city with their parents when they were suddenly attacked.
The stabbing happened around 11:25am on Christmas when the family had stopped for an early lunch.
The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Steven Hutcherson of the Bronx, allegedly told the girls, ‘I want all the white people dead.’
Hutcherson is believed to have gotten into an argument with staff at Tartinery who told him he could not sit in the restaurant’s seating area. That argument led to the attack on the innocent girls.
When Hutcherson complained that the two victims were being allowed to sit in the restaurant, he allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed them both.
Hutcherson was arrested in under a minute as MTA police swooped in from their nearby posts.
One of the girls was stabbed in the thigh while the other was stabbed in the back, nicking her lung.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Tesla Robot Attacked an Engineer and Left a Trail of Blood: Report
One of Tesla’s manufacturing robots attacked an engineer at the Texas Gigafactory in an incident that left behind a trail of blood, according to a new report.
One of the manufacturing arms at the electric car manufacturer pinned an engineer who was programming software into two nearby robots in 2021, according to legal documents reviewed by the Daily Mail.
The claw dug into the worker’s back and arm, leaving a trail of blood on the floor. The incident left the victim with an open wound on his left hand.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Leads Biden by 4 Points Nationwide: Daily Mail/Jl Partners Poll
A new poll has found that 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden nationwide by four points, with the former president winning over independent voters.
The Dailymail.com/JL Partners poll found that American likely voters preferred Trump over all other candidates, at 40 percent. Biden came in second with 36 percent support, Robert F Kennedy Jr at 4 percent, and Cornell West at 1 percent. 18 percent of voters were still undecided.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch — ‘Embarrassing!’: Colorado’s Democrat Governor Blasted for Awkward ‘Feliz Navidad’ Rendition
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) is getting criticism for his less-than-dignified Christmas message to Spanish speakers in his state.
His rendition of the popular song “Feliz Navidad” comes as Colorado is grappling with an immigration crisis, the New York Post reported Tuesday, noting 16 buses recently arrived in Denver carrying groups of migrants.
In his video posted Sunday, Polis danced as he sang “Feliz Navidad” while standing in front of the American flag and the Colorado state flag.
The video appeared to be posted to his Spanish Twitter account.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Ecosexual’ Woman Claims She is in an ‘Erotic’ Relationship With a Tree
A woman who describes herself as “ecosexual” believes she is in the midst of a love affair with an oak tree.
The woman, Sonja Semyonova, 45, claims she connected with the tree during her lonely, solo walks in the summer of 2021. Those walks began in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. It was the same year that she moved to Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
“I was walking a path near the tree five days a week for the whole winter. I noticed a connection with the tree,” she said, explaining that she had been “craving that rush of erotic energy that comes when you meet a new partner, and that is not sustainable.”
“The presence I feel with the tree is what I’m looking for, but that’s a fantasy with a person,” she said, further describing her experience with the tree.
“The feeling of being tiny and supported by something so solid. The feeling of not being able to fall,” she said, further describing her “erotic” experiences with this tree, although she said she does not have physical relations with the oak.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Child Mask Mandates Only Cause Harm, Peer-Reviewed Study Finds
A new peer-reviewed study has found that child masking efforts have had no positive effects and only caused harm to children.
A new systematic review has been published in the peer-reviewed Archives of Disease in Childhood, one of the journals of the world-renowned British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The study was conducted by Sandlund et al. and titled “Child mask mandates for COVID-19: a systematic review.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Towns Rally Behind Nationwide Ban on New Year Fireworks
An increasing number of towns and cities in the Netherlands are supporting a nationwide prohibition on New Year fireworks with approximately 50 local authorities endorsing the ban, according to the ANP news agency.
A survey of 200 councils revealed that in mid-December, 30 out of 150 councils expressed support for a national ban on consumer fireworks. However, only 16 out of 342 local authorities have actually implemented such bans. The remaining respondents claimed neutrality on the matter, deferring the decision to the national government.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The European Union (EU) might at this point in time be floundering for a new way to get attention, regarding many of the key points that brought about its existence in the first place.
But continuing to advance free-speech-and-privacy-undermining policies, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be one of the quandaries the bloc finds itself in.
In fact, the EU seems to show a rare display of clarity — and purpose — when dealing with these issues. Unfortunately, that does not benefit rights and freedoms, at least not as we knew them until these last few years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Mother and 4 Children Found Dead in House Near Paris: Father Arrested
The lifeless bodies of five people were found on Monday evening in an apartment in the French city of Meaux: a 35-year-old woman and her four young children, aged between 9 months and 10 years. The police arrested the children’s father, Noé Bafania-Efete, 33, in Sevran, who was untraceable for several hours, and made it known that “the apartment showed no signs of forced entry” and “the crime scene” was very violent”: so many knife wounds were found on the woman and her two eldest daughters “that they couldn’t count them”, explained the prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier. No injuries on the bodies of the younger children, who may have been suffocated or drowned. The prosecutor of the municipality of the Ile-de-France region announced that an investigation into voluntary homicide has been opened. According to reports Le Monde which quotes the public prosecutor, the man — who is now in a psychiatric hospital — has not yet been interrogated but, the officers who stopped him reported, said he “knew why he is in police custody, citing personal distress and depression”.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Pathologist Arne Burkhardt Reveals the Grave Dangers of mRNA Vaccines
Journalist Taylor Hudak interviewed pathologist Prof. Arne Burkhardt in his laboratory in Reutlingen, Germany, shortly before his death in May 2023.
Prof. Burkhardt came out of retirement in 2021 to examine the autopsy and biopsy materials of COVID vaccinated patients, and what he found was stunning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In an interview with NTV on Tuesday, the Minister of Finance of Germany, Christian Lindner, emphasized that there are currently no grounds for increasing the volume of assistance to Ukraine from Germany.
Lindner noted that Germany is already the second-largest donor in the world and funds a significant portion of aid in Europe.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Germany, a Record Amount of Cocaine Was Seized This Year
In 2023, Germany confiscated a record amount of cocaine, according to the preliminary forecast from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), with the seized quantity expected to reach 35 tons, as reported by Spiegel. Approximately 20 tons were intercepted last year.
The previous record was set in 2021 with 23 tons. Before Christmas, North German Radio (NDR) reported that the total amount for 2023 could even reach 40 tons.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Prepares for Possible Terrorist Attacks on New Year’s Eve
Italy is gearing up for the risk of terrorist attacks in its squares on the eve of New Year’s Day, according to a circular from the country’s Department of Public Security, as reported by ANSA.
Against the backdrop of the conflict in Gaza, the risk of jihadist attacks is increasing. While eco-activists may seize the opportunity to carry out stunts that attract media attention, the circular states.
The department also warned of the possibility of a recurrence of mass incidents involving sexual assaults, similar to those that occurred in Piazza del Duomo in Milan two years ago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Resurrection Biology’ Scientists Work to Bring Back Extinct Dodo, Study Ancient ‘Zombie Viruses’
Scientists around the world are working to revive ancient ice-capsulated cells to find new sources of life-saving medicine and possibly bring back a long-extinct species, like the dodo bird.
The science, called resurrection biology, has made immense progress over the past year as researchers in the field turn to the past for solutions for the future, CNN reported.
While the scientists aren’t looking to bring back the dinosaurs à la Jurassic Park — although some have goals to resurrect lost plant and animal species — they hope studying the prehistoric cells can reveal new sources for drugs as well as ways to thwart dangerous long-dormant pathogens.
The research also offers a look into human history and how our ancestors lived and died thousands of years ago, according to CNN.
Jean-Michel Claverie, a professor emeritus of medicine and genomics at the Aix-Marseille University School of Medicine in Marseille, France, has been identifying possible “zombie viruses” lurking in the permafrost of Siberia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: TV Consumption Sinks to Historic Low in 2023
In 2023, the average daily television consumption per person in Spain dropped to 181 minutes, equivalent to three hours and one minute. This represents a 4.7% decrease compared to 2022, a year in which the average was nine minutes higher.
The latest data, derived from the Analysis of the Television-Audiovisual Industry 2023 report by Barlovento Comunicación, marks 2023 as the year with the lowest historical television consumption since measurements began in 1992, as of December 13. In terms of delayed consumption, the average daily duration in 2023 is eight minutes, constituting 4% of the total television consumption. Among these eight minutes, approximately five to six come from linear and free-to-air television, accounting for 2% of its consumption, while two minutes are attributed to content from Pay channels, representing 10% of this section’s consumption time, Spanish media reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Police to Use Driving License Database for Facial Recognition
The British government is discreetly advancing new legislation that would give police power to utilize facial recognition technology on the UK’s national database of 50 million driving license images, despite the use of this technology not being on the cards when images were collected.
If this change is enacted, anonymity on CCTV footage could become obsolete for the nation’s drivers who could potentially be designated a match for any image collected from CCTV footage or even social media platforms.
The Guardian reports the legislation for this significant move is a clause embedded in the impending criminal justice bill, a fact which has alarmed privacy defenders by the prospect of a continuous police lineup involving all of the country’s drivers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Blow for Khan as European Drivers Challenge ULEZ Fines
Sadiq Khan’s Transport for London (TfL) may have to pay back millions of pounds in Ulez fines after a legal challenge by European drivers.
Penalties worth up to £6.5 million were issued unlawfully, according to lawyers acting for Dutch lorry firms who have launched a legal review against TfL in the High Court.
It is the first legal challenge against TfL and Euro Parking Collection (EPC), its debt collection agency, over fines to foreign drivers. If successful, it could potentially open the door to further cases in the courts.
The Ulez zone, launched in April 2019, requires drivers of vehicles deemed non-compliant with certain emissions standards to pay a daily £12.50 charge, or a fine of up to £180 for non-payment.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Police Threaten to Investigate People Angry Over Child Rapist
After a police force in the UK announced that they had caught a child rapist, they proceeded to threaten anyone who made “racist” comments about it on X.
South Yorkshire Police posted an image of a 41-year-old man called Ziad Taibi, who “raped a vulnerable child after spotting them wandering the streets alone at night.”
The culprit was jailed for 15 years.
However, after people began to respond angrily to the actions of the child rapist, the spotlight was turned on them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sadiq Khan has hired a goon squad of thugs with face tattoos wearing skeleton balaclavas to protect his hated Ulez cameras, it has been alleged.
Homeowners in suburban London said the gang of ‘masked heavies’ would often dress in black and hang around schools and homes while recording passersby on body cameras.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have slammed Khan’s antics as ‘intimidation’ and promised they will scrap the Ulez expansion if they win the mayoral election in May.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dozens Arrested in Serbia During Protests Over Alleged Election Fraud
Mass protests in Serbia have led to the detention of numerous individuals, with allegations surfacing that the recent elections were manipulated in favor of the ruling party. In Belgrade, thousands congregated outside a police station, demanding the release of approximately 38 demonstrators reportedly arrested.
The situation escalated when authorities used tear gas to disperse a crowd attempting to storm the city hall. The opposition has urged Western nations to investigate the electoral process, according to media reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Explosions Off Egypt’s South Sinai Coast: Reports
Explosions were heard off the coast of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Tuesday, state-linked media said, with witnesses reporting that they saw something fall into the Gulf of Aqaba.
Al Qahera News television, which has links to state intelligence, said the blasts occurred about two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Egyptian seaside town of Dahab.
“We heard a loud explosion coming from the direction of the sea, and then we saw a strange object falling into the water,” an eyewitness told AFP.
No casualties have been reported.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
For Palestinians in Gaza, the ‘Day After’ Means Investigating Israeli War Crimes
Since Israel launched its assault on Gaza almost three months ago, the US, and some Israeli officials and media commentators have been talking about the day-after scenario, meaning what happens when the guns fall silent and the fog of war is dispelled. Most scenarios have assumed that Israel would be able to achieve its two declared objectives — uprooting Hamas from Gaza and freeing Israeli captives being held there.
But now, after more than 80 days of Israeli bombing and shelling, which even CNN admits is “indiscriminate,” and with more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip’s buildings destroyed, Israel is far from achieving either goal.
The bombing of Gaza has been described as the most vicious since the Vietnam War. More than 20,000 Gazans have been killed, 70 percent of them women and children. More than 50,000 have been injured. Aid convoys passing through the Rafah crossing every day are insufficient, according to the UN, which also says that Palestinians in Gaza now face disease and famine. Many thousands will die because of the cold, and lack of medicine, food, and clean water.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country’s military operation against the Hamas terror group will not be completed until the Gaza Strip and Palestinian society as a whole are “deradicalized” — citing the example of defeated Germany and Japan after the Second World War.
“Gaza will have to be deradicalized,” Netanyahu wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Tuesday. “Schools must teach children to cherish life rather than death, and imams must cease to preach for the murder of Jews. Palestinian civil society needs to be transformed so that its people support fighting terrorism rather than funding it.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Another Container Ship Attacked in Red Sea as Houthis Act With Impunity
Another day, another tanker attack in the Red Sea, and Yemen’s Houthis are positively boasting about it as the Biden White House continues attempts to cobble together its much touted multi-national naval coalition, which is clearly taking some time getting off the ground.
“The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against the commercial ship, ‘MSC UNITED’ with appropriate naval missiles,” according to a Houthi statement.
The vessel was reportedly en route to Pakistan when it came under missile attack, however, there were no reported injuries to crew members, as damage is being assessed. The Houthis said the ship rejected three warning calls before it was fired upon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Explosions Reported in Red Sea Shipping Lane Off Yemen Coast: British Maritime Authority
DUBAI: Explosions in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen were reported on Tuesday (Dec 26) after sightings of unmanned aircraft and missiles in two separate incidents, a British maritime authority said.
Two unmanned aircraft were observed before two explosions occurred about 5km from a vessel located nearly 93km nautical miles west of Hodeidah on Yemen’s west coast, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations authority said in an advisory.
In an apparent separate incident, explosions were heard and missiles were seen some 7km from a vessel roughly 130 from Hodeidah, the authority said.
It was not immediately clear if the incidents involved the same vessel, which the authority did not identify. Cargo details or an indication of where the vessel or vessels were sailing to or had sailed from were also not disclosed.
In both incidents, the vessel and crew were reported to be safe.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
India Deploys Three Warships to Waters Near Iran After Tanker Attack
Via The Cradle
The Indian Navy has deployed three guided missile destroyers to the Arabian Sea in response to an alleged drone attack on an Israeli-linked chemical tanker last week. New Delhi also uses long-range maritime patrol aircraft for “domain awareness,” the defense ministry reported Monday night.
On Saturday, the Liberian-flagged MV Chem Pluto, a Japanese-owned tanker traveling 370km off the coast of India, was reportedly hit by a kamikaze drone, according to the Pentagon.
The Israeli-linked tanker had been on its way from Saudi Arabia to India, according to maritime security firm Ambrey. The Indian Navy says they are examining the specifics of the attack on the MV Chem Puto, which managed to anchor in Mumbai on Tuesday.
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Sweden Moves Closer to NATO Membership Following Vote in Turkish Parliament
On Tuesday, the foreign affairs commission of the Turkish parliament gave the green light to Sweden’s NATO membership application, marking a significant progression in the efforts to expand the Western bloc, as reported by Reuters.
This development comes after a 19-month delay during which Ankara insisted on concessions related to counterterrorism from Stockholm.
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Turkey: News Anchor Fired After Appearing in Broadcast With Starbucks Cup Amid Boycotts Over Israel
An award-winning news broadcaster for Turkey’s TGRT Haber was immediately fired after appearing on camera with a Starbucks coffee cup, the news channel announced on Sunday.
TGRT Haber revealed Meltem Günay and her show’s director were let go after she presented the news with a Starbucks cup in front of her during a live broadcast on Christmas Eve.
In a statement posted to X and shared by the Messenger News, TGRT Haber said Günay had violated strict advertising restrictions.
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Biden was “immediately” briefed on the attack and told the Pentagon to “prepare options against those responsible,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.
After mulling his options, Biden called Austin and ordered the air strike.
Additional details on the operation were not immediately available.
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Kremlin Confirms Russian Warship Hit by Ukrainian Strike
MOSCOW — The Kremlin on Tuesday acknowledged a Ukrainian attack had damaged a warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia in what Ukraine and its Western allies called a major setback for the Russian navy.
Ukraine said its air force destroyed the Novocherkassk landing ship, with President Volodymyr Zelensky joking on social media that the vessel had now joined “the Russian underwater Black Sea fleet”.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed “about the damage to our large landing ship” to President Vladimir Putin in “a very detailed report”, the president’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
Russia’s defence ministry said that the ship was damaged by guided aerial missiles.
Ukraine’s military said its air force destroyed the Russian naval ship in a missile attack on the eastern Crimean port.
The Ukrainian defence ministry wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the “Novocherkassk landing ship was destroyed in Feodosia tonight”.
It published an unattributed photo showing flames and smoke in a port at night.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Warship Damaged in Ukrainian Strike on Crimea
by RT
Ukrainian forces have damaged the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk at its home base in Feodosia with an overnight missile strike, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Tuesday morning.
The engagement also resulted in the downing by Russian anti-aircraft weaponry of two Ukrainian Su-24 jets near the city of Nikolaev by Russian anti-aircraft weaponry, the military said.
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Explosion Near Israel’s Embassy in Delhi, Letter of ‘Abusive’ Nature Found in Vicinity: Reports
No one was injured in the incident, the Press Trust of India reported.
New Delhi: Officials said a blast occurred near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday (December 26) but that Israeli embassy spokesperson Guy Nir confirmed that a blast occurred.
“We can confirm that around 5:48 there was a blast at close proximity to the embassy. The Delhi police and the security team are still investigating the situation,” he said according to PTI, though Reuters cited him as saying the blast took place “around 5:20 pm”.
Police sources told PTI that a one-page English letter of “abusive” nature addressed to the Israeli ambassador was found near the explosion site.
“It is suspected to be related to some organisation,” the news agency quoted a police source as saying.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Xi Jinping Says China’s ‘Complete Reunification’ With Taiwan Will ‘Surely’ Happen
Chinese President Xi Jinping renewed his longstanding vow to bring Taiwan under Beijing’s thumb in a speech marking the late Communist leader Mao Zedong’s 130th birthday.
“The complete reunification of our motherland is an overall trend, a righteous cause, and the common aspiration of the people,” the 70-year-old proclaimed Tuesday, according to the South China Morning Post. “Our motherland must be reunified, and it will surely be reunified.”
Taiwan has operated as a self-governing island since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, with its own government, currency and military.
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Argentina’s New President Implements Drastic Economic Reforms, Axes 5,000 Government Jobs
Argentina’s recently inaugurated President, Javier Milei, has initiated a series of sweeping economic changes, including the termination of contracts for over 5,000 government employees hired in 2023 before his tenure began.
The move is part of a broader strategy aimed at overhauling Argentina’s struggling economy, marked by cutbacks and devaluations.
President Milei, a right-wing libertarian who assumed office on December 10, announced that contracts for other government employees, hired before 2023, will also undergo review. This measure, with the 2023 cutoff, is seen as targeting the practice of outgoing presidents inflating payrolls in their final year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brazilian Woman Hacks Off Husband’s Penis for Allegedly Sleeping With 15-Year-Old Niece: Report
A Brazilian woman has been charged with attempted murder for hacking off her husband’s penis after he allegedly slept with her 15-year-old niece.
The unidentified woman allegedly lured her husband, 39, into bed, where she bound his wrists and ankles before pulling out a razor and dismembering him, according to Daily Mail.
After severing the appendage, she allegedly took a photo of it and then flushed it down the toilet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Deploys Warship to Guyana in Show of Support Against Venezuela Territorial Claim
While the recent panic over the risk of a Venezuela invasion of its neighbor Guyana may have come and gone, some (former) global superpowers are not taking any chances, and according to the FT, the UK will deploy a naval patrol ship off the coast of the tiny but rich Latin American nation in a show of support for the former British colony as it faces a territorial claim from its more powerful if insolvent communist neighbor.
The deployment follows moves by Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s socialist president, to claim the vast, mineral-rich Essequibo region, which borders his country but has been part of Guyana — a member of the British Commonwealth and the only English-speaking nation in South America — for more than a century.
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173 More Migrants Land on Lampedusa
Some 173 more migrants landed on Lampedusa on Tuesday following 278 on Christmas Day.
The latest arrivals on the stepping stone island between Italy and Africa came in five separate landings.
They came from Tunisia, Guinea, Mali, Sudan and Cote d’Ivoire.
The island’s hotspot now houses 173 migrants after the transfer out of 184 on Monday.
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‘Chaos’ and ‘Fury’ in NYC as Officials Lose Faith in Mayor Eric Adams Over Migrant Crisis: Report
Some critics are calling New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ management of the migrant crisis chaotic and are casting doubt over his leadership, according to a New York Times feature.
In a Tuesday article headlined, “Chaos, fury, mistakes: 600 days inside New York’s migrant crisis,” The Times interviewed human rights advocates and local officials on New York City’s handling of the migrant crisis.
Adams announced back in May that the city has received over 70,000 migrants into the city. For months, the mayor of one of America’s most recognizable cities has told New Yorkers the migrant crisis will worsen a budget shortfall and cause suffering for both constituents and migrants. Adams said that New York City has already spent more than $1 billion in addressing the migrant crisis and is projected to need more than $4 billion in funding.
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Finland: Helsinki Expects Population Surge, Projecting 700,000 Residents by 2027
Helsinki anticipates a population exceeding 700,000 by 2027, according to the latest population forecast released by “the City”. As reported by The Helsinki Times, the forecast indicates a substantial growth from 664,028 residents at the close of 2022 to an estimated 722,000 by 2040, with a further projection of 906,000 by 2060.
The city is expected to welcome 8,200 new residents in 2024 and sustain an annual growth of nearly 7,000 from 2025 onward. Preliminary data from January to October suggests a population increase of over 10,000 in the current year.
Overseas migration is identified as the primary driver of growth throughout the forecast period, compounded by an aging population and a higher rate of deaths compared to births in the years ahead.
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Germany: Former SPD Leader Calls for a Stricter Migration Policy
Former SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel is advocating for a shift in German migration policy, emphasizing the need for an informed and non-politicized discussion on the matter.
Gabriel acknowledges shortcomings in the integration of migrants and points to evidence such as the recent Pisa education study, which revealed subpar performance among 15— and 16-year-olds in Germany, German media reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illinois Provides Hotel Rooms to House Nearly 200 Immigrants Flooding Chicago
Illinois is providing temporary housing for immigrants arriving in the state at hotels, opening up space for nearly 200 asylum-seekers as several Chicago suburbs continue to turn immigrants away.
Thirty hotel rooms were made available Saturday night, and rooms for up to 200 people will be available on Sunday. The decision came at the request of Chicago officials, as the city is bearing the brunt of the influx of immigrants being bused to Democratic-led cities by Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Lithuania, Calls for Tightening Laws Regarding Foreigners
The head of Lithuania’s Migration Department, Evelina Gudzinskaite, has stated that Vilnius should be stricter in regulation of the legal status of foreigners in the country, according to Delfi.
The head of the Migration Department noted that almost 20-30% of workers who obtain temporary residency for employment use the document as a cover. Therefore, considering the geopolitical context and to ensure national security, she believes Lithuania should tighten the entry and residence procedures for foreigners in the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Memoriam: 14 Americans, Legal Immigrants Among Those Allegedly Killed by Illegal Aliens in 2023
Every year, an estimated 2,000 Americans are killed by illegal aliens. In 2023, Breitbart News reported on several cases in which illegal aliens are accused of killing American citizens, as well as legal immigrants — many including young children.
Below, Breitbart News details the cases of 14 Americans and legal immigrants who were allegedly killed by illegal aliens this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iraqi Migrant Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering His Swedish Wife
A court in Sweden has sentenced Hamid Fatlawi, a 55-year-old migrant from Iraq, to life in prison for murdering his Swedish wife.
Shortly before midnight on August 14, police responding to emergency number 112 received a call from Fatlawi. Shockingly, he confessed to having just murdered his wife, Maria, a year older than him and a Swedish national. Consequently, Hamid has been sentenced to life imprisonment, Swedish media reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrants are being offered “complete packages” to the US border with Mexico by “pseudo-legitimate” travel agencies sprouting up in Senegal, according to a US Customs and Border Protection official.
The travel agencies are run out of Senegal’s capital city of Dakar and tout visa-free travel to Europe, and then to Mexico. Once in North America, customers are connected to a smuggling organization that will help them cross the southern US border illegally, according to the US official.
“They sell complete packages to connect them to a smuggling organization that will then facilitate their movement up to the border,” the official said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas may be getting the last laugh in a show-down with Chicago officials over transporting migrants away from beleaguered border towns to the Windy City after flying asylum-seekers from El Paso to Chicago last week.
Despite strict ordinances penalizing charter buses loaded with migrants heading into Illinois, buses and planes with migrants are bound for Chicago as we speak, El Paso officials confirmed to DailyMail.com.
El Paso has sent 139 buses to Chicago in recent months with the help of state officials, according to the City of El Paso’s migrant dashboard.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: “Just You Lads is it”? Gervais Netflix Special Skewers Migrant Crisis Propaganda
Comedian Ricky Gervais’ new Netflix special which dropped on Christmas Day features an amusing joke about how the vast majority of illegal boat migrants arriving in England are young men.
Gervais faced down the usual backlash of people being offended over jokes days before the special was even made available to watch by the streaming platform.
Much of the show centered around Gervais trying to define what ‘woke’ meant now and how the meanings of words are constantly changing, with others being censored just to please terminally offended idiots.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Professor Rips University’s ‘Whistleblower Hotline’ He Fears Woke Students Will Abuse
A Canadian college professor is slamming a university for hiring a firm to operate a controversial anonymous whistleblower hotline he fears will be abused by students complaining about things they disagree with, according to a report.
Saint Mary’s University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, announced earlier this year that it was establishing an “anonymous whistleblower hotline” for members of the school community to report suspected improper activity, such as breaching university policies, Canadian outlet True North reported.
Philosophy professor Mark Mercer said he’s concerned about the hotline impacting “the culture of the institution” and worries students will liberally define “unacceptable” behavior as anything they disagree with.
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Fat Pride Activists Die From Obesity
A new investigation points out that four prominent ‘fat pride activists’ all died prematurely from health issues related to obesity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Moves to Make Performing Child Sex-Change Surgeries a Felony
Lawmakers in Florida have passed new legislation that would make it a felony for doctors to perform life-altering sex-change surgery on children.
The move comes after Florida’s ban on gender transition procedures for minors has already been passed.
However, Republican lawmakers in the state are now pushing for further restrictions and stricter penalties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Free Tampons and Menstrual Pads Now Required in Canadian Government-Controlled Men’s Restrooms
All federally regulated employers in Canada are now required to stock free feminine hygiene products such as tampons and menstrual pads in all restrooms, including men’s.
The new regulations, which went into effect earlier this month under Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s left-wing administration, specify that menstrual products must be in “all toilet rooms, regardless of their marked genders,” according to Canada’s Employment and Social Development website.
“This means that every female-identified, male-identified and all-gender toilet rooms will need to have menstrual products,” the website says, noting that the availability of these items “better protects menstruating employees and makes sure that they feel safe to use the toilet room that best reflects their gender.”
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The same people who call western food “bland” will gush effusively over a plate of diarrhea because it’s authentically “ethnic”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Satan Club’ Approved at Kansas High School
A high school in Kansas is embroiled in controversy after a “Satan Club” was approved despite a petition being brought against it.
Olathe Northwest High School, a school in a suburb of Kansas City, has been given the green light to establish a Satan worship/Satan Templist Club, according to Fox 4 Kansas City.
An Olathe Public Schools spokesperson stated, “the club application met the criteria to establish a student-initiated club and is now recognized as a student-initiated club at Olathe Northwest High School.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In other news, a Brazilian woman hacked off her husband’s penis after he allegedly slept with her 15-year-old niece.
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Poetic justice.
I always had my head on a swivel in Grand Central Station. It’s a place to pass through quickly and not hang out.
“California Pizza Hut franchises announce layoffs of delivery drivers before new $20 minimum wage” —Fox Business (26 Dec 2023)
“$20 an hour sounds great until you learn that you’ve been replaced by a kiosk’.” —California Globe (31 Oct 2023)
https://californiaglobe.com/fr/fast-food-ceos-warn-of-dire-consequences-coming-over-new-20-fast-food-minimum-wage/
Gosh, who could’a seen that coming?! Oh, wait..
“Here’s a simple investment tip. As “Fight for $15″ minimum wage campaigns emerge throughout the country, buy shares in companies that make fast food KIOSKS….” —posted to fb (11 Apr 2017)
“White supremacy is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland.” —Prince Aricept (13 May 2023)
“‘Toddlers LIE and LIE and LIE and, then, they LIE about their LIES. Then, they point their collectivist fingers at their opponents and accuse them of lying, which is a LIE..
Remember: There’s no law that can’t be broken, no lie that can’t be told by Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers in their blind pursuit of “social justice” (for personal gain).” —posted to fb (12 Nov 2021)
Just sayin’..