Gates of Vienna News Feed 12/3/2023

Four people were killed and dozens more were wounded when a bomb exploded during a Catholic mass at a university gymnasium in the city of Marawi on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Marawi is more than 99% Muslim, and the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

In other news, Qatar called for an international investigation into Israeli crimes in Gaza.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, LP, McN, 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.

USA
» “Two Words… Tucker Carlson”: Greg Gutfeld Gores Fox After Musk Blasts Activist Advertisers
» 4 Dead, Including Kids, After Relative Goes on Stabbing Spree at Queens Home: NYPD
» AOC Became a ‘Pariah’ Among Democrats in Congress, Clashed With Pelosi, New Book Reveals
» Arizona State GOP Submits Official Ethics Complaint Against WA Secretary of State Steve Hobbs for Alleged Misuse of Public Money in Monitoring and Suppressing Criticism
» Artemis 3 Moon Landing Likely Years Behind Schedule, Report Finds
» Big Blue Bear Vandalized During Protests Outside Global Conference for Israel in Colorado
» Democrat-Led City to Hand Out ‘Guaranteed Incomes’ to Transgenders, Illegal Immigrants
» DNA Company 23andMe Reports Unauthorized Access to Numerous User Ancestry Files
» Father of Palestinian American Boy Slain Outside Chicago Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
» Former US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Secretly Serving as Agent to Cuba: Report
» Fulton County Judge Gives $500 Fine, No Jail Time for Rioters Who Burned Down Atlanta Wendy’s During BLM Riots
» House Oversight Committee Chairman Reveals How China ‘Buys Politicians Off’
» How Much Do Americans Trust the Media?
» Hundreds of Illegal Chinese-Owned Marijuana Operations Taking Over Maine
» Judge Slams SEC for “Materially False” Deception in Crypto Case, Threatens to Sanction Agency
» Leftist Hatred of Kyle Rittenhouse is Boundless as He Announces New Book
» Next Gingrich Exposes John Kerry’s Agenda: ‘Climate Change’ is an ‘Elite Ripoff of Everyday Workers’
» Palestinian Ivy League Student Shot in Vermont is Paralyzed From Chest Down: Mom
» PlayStation to Remove Access to Hundreds of Shows — Even if Customers Already Paid for Them
» San Francisco ‘Poop Map’ Has Been Updated, and Things Are Sh**tier Than Ever
» TEXIT Progress: Secession Question Expected to Appear on 2024 Texas Primary Ballot
» US Intel Not Aware of Hamas’ Plan for Oct. 7 Attack on Israel, John Kirby Says
» Yale Awards 80 Percent of Grades in the A Range
 
Canada
» Canada Now Euthanizing Dozens of Citizens Every Day
» Christmas Holiday ‘Colonialist’ and ‘Discriminatory,’ Says Canadian Commission
» Exclusive: CAA Terminates Driver After He Uses Company Vehicle in Anti-Israel Protest
 
Europe and the EU
» A Dutch LGBT Politician is Resorting to Legal Action and Involving the Police to Silence Critics Who Accused Him of Sexually Abusing Minors
» EU Committees Vote in Favor of Mandatory Interconnected Digital Patient Health Records for All Citizens
» Former UK Police Officer Convicted for “Implication” in “Offensive” Social Media Message Raises Major Free Speech Concerns
» France: Paris Terrorist Had Contact With Multiple Islamist Killers Before Attack, Was on Extremism Watchlist
» Hungary May Receive Some (But Not All) of Its Blocked EU Funds This Month
» The Former Head of the German Foreign Ministry Called on Europe to Arm Itself With Its Own Nuclear Arsenal
» The Islamic State Renews Calls for Attacks on Europe in Wake of Gaza Conflict
» UK: Is This a Taliban-Run School in Kabul? No, One of Our Top Comprehensives…
» UK: Locals Step in After Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ Threatens to Scupper Santa Parade
» UK: London Council Backtracks After Cancelling Hanukkah Celebrations
» UK: Two Just Stop Oil Protesters Arrested Outside New Scotland Yard
» Widespread Flight Disruptions and Weather Warnings Amidst Snowfall in Europe
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» ‘Hell on Earth’: Israel Launches 10,000th Airstrike in Gaza, 700 People Reported Killed in Past 24 Hours
» Israel’s UN Ambassador Slams Soros for Donations to ‘Pro-Hamas Groups’ Seeking Destruction of Jewish State
» Macron Claims Eliminating Hamas Would Take Israel ‘Ten Years’, Calls for Ceasefire and Two-State Talks
» Qatar Calls for International Probe Into ‘Israeli Crimes’ in Gaza
» UK to Start Gaza Surveillance Flights to Help Find Hostages From Israel Held by Hamas
 
Middle East
» US Warship Attacked in Red Sea
 
Russia
» Investigation Opened Into Russian Troops Possibly Shooting Surrendering Ukrainians
 
Far East
» Bomb Blast Kills at Least 4 Worshippers During Catholic Mass in Philippines
» Islamic State Claims Bombing That Killed at Least 4 at Philippines Catholic Mass
» Japan: First-Ever ‘Self-Amplifying mRNA’ COVID Shot is Launched With No Safety Data
 
Australia — Pacific
» Wild Moment Melbourne Tram Passenger Erupts at Commuter for Not Tapping on Before Boarding
 
Immigration
» Greg Abbott to Make Illegal Border Crossings a State Crime in New Texas Bill
» The Migrant Delivery Driver Making a Mockery of Britain’s Asylum System: Sudanese National Who Posed for Photos by the Eiffel Tower Boasts About Illegally Earning Cash in the UK by Brazenly Spraying £10 and £20 Notes in Taxpayer-Paid Hotel Room
» Venezuelan Migrants Arrested in Latest String of Shoplifting From Chicago Macy’s
 
Culture Wars
» CDC Erases ‘Women’ From New Vaccine Guidance, Now Uses Gender-Neutral ‘Pregnant People’
» Conservative-Leaning Supreme Court May Soon Rule on Three New Abortion Cases
» ‘Disturbing Gibberish’: New Trans Textbook for Psychiatrists Could Harm Millions of Kids, Critics Say
» Russian Cops Target Gays After Court Declares LGBTQ Movement ‘Extremist’: Repercussions to be ‘Nothing Short of Catastrophic’
» Woman Lived as Transgender for Four Years Before ‘God’ Told Her to ‘Detransition’
 

“Two Words… Tucker Carlson”: Greg Gutfeld Gores Fox After Musk Blasts Activist Advertisers

Greg Gutfeld just took a major shot at his employer, Fox News, saying what we all knew: Tucker Carlson, the highest-rated on-air host in television history, was fired due to pressure from special interest groups.

While discussing Elon Musk’s “f*** you” moment over advertiser attempts to blackmail the billionaire, Gutfeld joked that it would be like “extorting Jerry Nadler with salad, or blackmailing sports fans by threatening to cancel PBS.”

He then said that Musk was the last man standing against “the censorship-industrial complex, which is made up of government, media and tech forces.”

Then, Gutfeld stated what we’ve all suspected since it happened…

“He [Musk] realizes that advertisers have no spine and can be easily cowed by special interest groups in cahoots with political allies — if you don’t believe me I got two words for ya — Tucker Carlson.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

4 Dead, Including Kids, After Relative Goes on Stabbing Spree at Queens Home: NYPD

Police said the 38-year-old suspected killer was a relative of the four people stabbed to death at the home on Beach 22nd Street early Sunday

Four family members were killed in a violent stabbing spree at a Queens residence early Sunday morning, police officials said, and the relative behind the attack went after two police officers before one shot him dead in the driveway.

The 38-year-old Bronx man allegedly behind the attack was confronted by two patrol officers responding to a 911 around 5 a.m. in the Far Rockaway neighborhood, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said at a press conference hours after the violent ordeal.

Courtney Gordon was leaving the residence on Beach 22nd Street with luggage when the responding officers stopped him, according to Maddrey. After the officers tried asking the man a couple of questions, he said Gordon drew a knife and used it to slash one cop in the neck and the other in the head.

One of those officers managed to pull his service weapon and fire a shot at the knife-wielding man, subduing him on the spot, Maddrey explained. All three were taken to a nearby hospital, where the suspect was pronounced dead, and the officers were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

AOC Became a ‘Pariah’ Among Democrats in Congress, Clashed With Pelosi, New Book Reveals

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez quickly emerged as a darling of progressive activists, but inside the halls of Congress she became a “pariah” among fellow Democrats, a new book claims.

Even before Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — widely known by her initials AOC — ascended to the House of Representatives in 2019, she rankled party leadership and progressive luminaries in the lower chamber, according to “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution,” out on Tuesday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Arizona State GOP Submits Official Ethics Complaint Against WA Secretary of State Steve Hobbs for Alleged Misuse of Public Money in Monitoring and Suppressing Criticism

Washington (State) Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is facing a formal legal challenge in the form of a complaint filed by local Republicans, alleging the use of public funds to launch spying and censorship against political opponents (but mostly, it would seem, those opposed to Hobbs himself.)

We obtained a copy of the complaint for you here.

The election period surveillance, introduced through what is known as a sole source contract, was awarded for at least $147,600 and the company was able to put its tools in motion even before the contract was approved.

The Washington State Republican Party (WSRP) on Thursday announced that it, in cooperation with a Long Law office attorney, had submitted its complaint to the Washington State Ethics Board.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Artemis 3 Moon Landing Likely Years Behind Schedule, Report Finds

As NASA and its contractors continue to push ahead with the Artemis program, a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office — an independent, nonpartisan “congressional watchdog” — found that the earliest humans are likely to return to the Moon is 2027 — two years after NASA’s stated goal.

The Artemis program was started in 2017 with the goal of sending astronauts back to the Moon and possibly Mars but has faced delays since its inception.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Big Blue Bear Vandalized During Protests Outside Global Conference for Israel in Colorado

The violence in the Middle East is making a mark in Colorado. There are protests outside the Global Conference for Israel at the Colorado Convention Center and that has resulted in some vandalism of a beloved sculpture.

Protesters surrounded the convention center on Thursday night and vandalized the Big Blue Bear.

There are hand prints in paint and scratches on the bear’s back right leg.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Democrat-Led City to Hand Out ‘Guaranteed Incomes’ to Transgenders, Illegal Immigrants

Democrat-controlled San Francisco is planning to hand out socialist “guaranteed incomes” to transgenders and illegal immigrants living in the California city.

The progressive city announced that the plan will favor black and “Latinx” recipients in particular.

The “Guaranteed Income for Trans People” (GIFT) program will also be open to illegal immigrants and incarcerated convicts.

Details of the plan are revealed in 1,719 pages of documents from the City of San Francisco, obtained by Judicial Watch.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

DNA Company 23andMe Reports Unauthorized Access to Numerous User Ancestry Files

In recent years, a growing number of people have been handing their DNA over to tech companies for the apparent benefits of finding out information about their ancestry and more about their health. However, as with digital IDs, when such entities get access to your most intimate data, it becomes the target of hackers and cyberattacks.

A considerable number of user ancestry files were exposed during a recent cyberattack on genetic testing giant, 23andMe. As per an official filing released on Friday, cybercriminals infiltrated around 14,000 user accounts — a figure that equates to approximately 0.1% of the company’s global customer base of over 14 million.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Father of Palestinian American Boy Slain Outside Chicago Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

CHICAGO — The father of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy fatally stabbed in what authorities allege was a hate crime has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Oday Al-Fayoume filed the lawsuit last month against the suburban Chicago landlord charged in the attack that left his child dead and the boy’s mother seriously wounded.

The attack — which has renewed fears of anti-Islamic discrimination in the Chicago area’s large Palestinian community — has drawn condemnation from the White House.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Former US Ambassador Arrested, Accused of Secretly Serving as Agent to Cuba: Report

A former American diplomat who served as a U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested and accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba’s government, according to The Associated Press.

Officials say Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday on a criminal complaint.

According to sources, more details about the case are expected to be made public at a court appearance Monday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Fulton County Judge Gives $500 Fine, No Jail Time for Rioters Who Burned Down Atlanta Wendy’s During BLM Riots

Two of the three suspects accused of setting fire to a Wendy’s in Atlanta, Georgia during an infamous Black Lives Matter riot in 2020 have accepted plea deals, according to Fox 5.

Chisom Kingston and Natalie White were both charged with conspiracy to commit arson in the first degree and two counts of first-degree arson. The pair pleaded guilty to their crimes in a plea deal, according to court records.

Kingston and White have both been sentenced to five years probation, ordered to pay a $500 fine and must complete 150 hours of community service, 11alive reports. Their trial is set for next week and it’s unclear how the plea deals will impact the outcome.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

House Oversight Committee Chairman Reveals How China ‘Buys Politicians Off’

House Oversight Chairman James Comer discussed the latest evidence revealed from the investigation into the Biden family business deals during “Sunday Morning Futures.”The Kentucky congressman revealed to host Maria Bartiromo a bank investigator’s concerns regarding loan payments made to Hunter Biden from China, saying the evidence “fits a pattern” with the Biden family.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

How Much Do Americans Trust the Media?

Media trust among Americans has reached its lowest point in six years.

Gallup began its survey on media trust in 1972, repeating it in 1974 and 1976. After a long period, the public opinion firm restarted the polls in 1997 and has asked Americans about their confidence level in the mass media — newspapers, TV, and radio — almost every year since then.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hundreds of Illegal Chinese-Owned Marijuana Operations Taking Over Maine

Authored by Jana J. Pruet via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)

Hundreds of illegal Chinese-owned marijuana growing operations have been popping up across Maine over the past three years.

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, local law enforcement shut down an illegal marijuana grow that was being operated in a building located behind a licensed marijuana cultivation facility in Franklin County.

Officers from the Wilton Police Department were assisting investigators from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) during a routine follow-up inspection of a licensed facility in Wilton when they raided the illegal operation, authorities said in a press release posted on social media.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Judge Slams SEC for “Materially False” Deception in Crypto Case, Threatens to Sanction Agency

Back in April 2021, when Joe Biden appointed former Goldman Sachs reject Gary Gensler as head of the SEC, some hoped that the former US commodities chief and MIT professor would usher in a golden age for the US crypto sector and enable the US to pull away from the rest of the world in this all-important sector which will be so very critical when (not if) the dollar loses its reserve currency status. Little did they know, that besides encouraging unprecedented cronyism that enabled such criminals as Sam Bankman-Fried to oversee the biggest financial fraud in Wall Street history, one which was only possible thanks to SBF’s generous donations to Democrats (and because of SBF’s father years of assistance and donations to Gary Gensler’s patron, Elizabeth Warren) which prompted them to ignore the historic crimes committed by SBF’s group of “effective altruists”, Gensler would be the arguably the worst thing that ever happened to crypto.

And yet, if Gensler’s relentless attempts to destroy the US crypto industry were the product of his ideology, however twisted and wrong it may be, they would have been perhaps excusable if not understandable. However, the fact that Gensler has — as the top US securities regulator — been abusing his power in order to facilitate what is clearly a crusade to crush crypto at the behest of a few powerful democrats (who clearly are unable to grasp how much more wealth would be unleashed — and taxed — if the US were to return to its position as the world’s most advanced crypto market) is not only inexcusable, it should be ground for immediate termination.

A federal judge rebuked the Securities and Exchange Commission, and its boss Gary Gensler, over its treatment of a crypto firm, expressing concern the agency had made “materially false and misleading representations” in order to freeze millions of dollars in assets belonging to the project, Fortune reported.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Leftist Hatred of Kyle Rittenhouse is Boundless as He Announces New Book

There is a long list of evils that are associated with the concept of “cancel culture,” but perhaps the worst is the reality that cancel culture mobs never admit they are wrong. They cannot be wrong, for if they admit that cancel culture makes mistakes then they must also admit that the mob is not qualified to arbitrate what is correct for society. Cancel culture is about power — the power to influence public perception, but also the power to influence politics and even legal outcomes. It’s the power to influence judges, lawyers and juries. It’s the power to destroy people, even if they are innocent.

The political left and the media lied incessantly about Kyle Rittenhouse and his encounter with violent rioters in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25, 2020. They called him a racist, a white supremacist, they claimed he broke federal and state gun laws and that he came to Kenosha with plans to murder people. They claimed that he attacked first and that he invoked a reaction from protesters. They lied about the criminal status of the people Rittenhouse shot, lied about them being unarmed and even lied about them being black.

They were wrong about everything, and yet, many activists to this day still believe all of the above is true. Either they are ignorant of the facts, or, they don’t want to hear the facts. Why do they hate Rittenhouse so much? Because for them, Rittenhouse became a symbol of conservative rebellion against the mob. He faced down the full might of cancel culture and he survived. The problem is, the pettiness of cancel culture never really dies.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Next Gingrich Exposes John Kerry’s Agenda: ‘Climate Change’ is an ‘Elite Ripoff of Everyday Workers’

Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has unloaded on Democrat President Joe Biden’s “Climate Czar” John Kerry.

Gingrich hammered U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry on Fox News’s “The Ingraham Angle.”

He blasted Kerry after the former secretary of state arrived for the latest climate conference in Dubai.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Palestinian Ivy League Student Shot in Vermont is Paralyzed From Chest Down: Mom

One of the three Palestinian college students shot while walking in Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend is now paralyzed from the chest down after one of the bullets became lodged in his spine, his family says.

Brown University math major Hisham Awartani, 20, is expected to be released from the hospital next week and enter rehabilitation, his mother, Elizabeth Price, told CNN.

“We believe that Hisham will meet this challenge with the same determination I’ve witnessed this week,” Price told the outlet, noting that the family has started a GoFundMe to help offset the Ivy League junior’s current medical expenses and new “adaptive needs.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

PlayStation to Remove Access to Hundreds of Shows — Even if Customers Already Paid for Them

An unexpected notification released by Sony has raised eyebrows and sparked debates over digital ownership rights. The tech giant disclosed plans to erase hundreds of TV shows from Discovery, purchased via the PlayStation Store, from all PlayStation platforms. The sudden move has left many anticipating the shape of an increasingly digital world.

Following licensing arrangements with content providers, Sony announced, “As of 31 December 2023, you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed from your video library.” Alongside this sudden proclamation, a comprehensive list of Discovery shows due for removal was also shared — a list that was notably long.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

San Francisco ‘Poop Map’ Has Been Updated, and Things Are Sh**tier Than Ever

During Thursday night’s debate between Gavin Newsom (D) and Ron DeSantis (R), the Florida governor busted out the San Francisco ‘poop map’ created by OpenTheBooks.

The map, created in 2019, plotted nearly 120,000 case reports of human feces on the streets of San Francisco between 2011 and 2019 using the city’s open records portal and 311 call information posted by city officials.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

TEXIT Progress: Secession Question Expected to Appear on 2024 Texas Primary Ballot

As the US government hurtles toward insolvency while political and cultural divisions intensify across the country, Texans are poised to take their long-simmering flirtation with secession to the next level, as a non-binding proposition is expected to appear on the statewide GOP primary ballot in March 2024.

On Friday, the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) announced that it had obtained the number of signatures required to compel the Republican Party of Texas to include this question on the primary ballot: “Should the State of Texas reassert its status as an independent nation?”

The party’s State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) is meeting this weekend to finalize the list of ballot propositions. According to TNM, the SREC’s wishes are not relevent, as the Texas Election Code empowers voters to place a proposition on a ballot by collecting the signatures of 97,709 Texans who want the question to appear. TNM says it has more than 102,000.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

US Intel Not Aware of Hamas’ Plan for Oct. 7 Attack on Israel, John Kirby Says

The US would do the “same thing’’ Israel did if it suffered an attack like the Oct. 7 assault, a top Biden administration official said Sunday — while admitting US intelligence was unaware of a battle plan from Hamas that Israel obtained over a year before the attack.

“[Israeli officials] have every right and responsibility to go after the terrorist group that perpetrated these attacks and planet and oh, by the way, has made clear they’re going to do it again and do more,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told “Fox News Sunday.”

“We would do the same thing — any nation would,” Kirby said.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Yale Awards 80 Percent of Grades in the A Range

Authored by Jonathan Turley via jonathanturley.org

We recently discussed the runaway grade inflation at Harvard where roughly 80 percent of grades were As. Now the Yale Daily News is reporting the same percentage of As. Indeed, the percentage is virtually identical. Harvard is handing out 79 percent agrees where Yale is apparently more rigorous at 78.9.The report is apparently an embarrassment to the university since the dean of Yale College said that professors are not adhering to guidelines for grading.Yet, this could hardly be a surprise to the dean since these grades are reported and issued by the records office.

Indeed, this average is reportedly down from the prior year where 81.97 percent of students were given As. So not getting an A at Yale meant that you were in the bottom 20 percent of the class.

That means that for virtually all of the students at Yale there was a three-grade system that runs from A+, A, and A-.

The percentage was higher in the African American Studies department at 82.21 percent. However, it was the Gender Students department that showed that 92.6 percent of grades were in the A range. So only 7 % of students did not receive an A in gender studies.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Canada Now Euthanizing Dozens of Citizens Every Day

Canada’s far-left government is now euthanizing a staggering average of 36 citizens every single day under the nation’s “assisted suicide” laws.

As Slay News has reported, Canada has some of the most liberal euthanasia laws in the world.

In recent years, the government has been increasingly relaxing the laws that were originally meant to give terminally ill people an option for dying.

However, the expansion of the laws means people can now be euthanized for far less severe issues such as depression, homelessness, or mental illness.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Christmas Holiday ‘Colonialist’ and ‘Discriminatory,’ Says Canadian Commission

Having a day off work for Christmas and Easter is evidence of Canada’s ‘colonialist’ history, a publicly funded human rights body has claimed.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission, which is funded by the federal government, said that the public celebration of major Christian festivals is rooted in religious intolerance.

“Discrimination against religious minorities in Canada is grounded in Canada’s history of colonialism,” the group said. “An obvious example is statutory holidays in Canada.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Exclusive: CAA Terminates Driver After He Uses Company Vehicle in Anti-Israel Protest

Anti-Israel protestors once again took to Toronto’s streets on Saturday to demand a ceasefire and condemn Israel for defending itself against the terrorist organization Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack.

The event was organized by Toronto 4 Palestine. The poster, seen on Instagram, declared that “PAUSE FIRE IS NOT CEASEFIRE.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

A Dutch LGBT Politician is Resorting to Legal Action and Involving the Police to Silence Critics Who Accused Him of Sexually Abusing Minors

A well-known LGBT activist and former Dutch Parliament member, Sidney Smeets, is pursuing multiple defamation claims against critics who accused him of sexually abusing young boys, reports Reduxx.

Despite resigning from his position amid the allegations, Smeets has taken legal action against individuals such as Jan B. Hommel, a medical professional, who referred to him as a “pedophile” on social media.

Hommel justified his use of the term, pointing to allegations of child sexual abuse made against Smeets in early 2021.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Committees Vote in Favor of Mandatory Interconnected Digital Patient Health Records for All Citizens

The EU’s next legislative goal post that opponents see as part of a big push to strip citizens of their privacy, has now reached medical histories and associated data.

Interconnecting — in effect, centralizing (and making remotely accessible) — that data is the key premise of what has now emerged as European Health Data Space (EHDS). The upcoming bill has been backed by the European Parliament (EP), its Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

EP member (MEP) and lawyer Patrick Breyer, a long-time critic of this type of policy, explains that EHDS — which he voted against — would “bring together information on all medical treatments received by citizens.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Former UK Police Officer Convicted for “Implication” in “Offensive” Social Media Message Raises Major Free Speech Concerns

In a judgment that raises serious concerns about free speech, a UK court ruling has extended the boundaries of hate speech laws, potentially criminalizing implied meanings in private communications.

This case, involving former London Police officer Michael Chadwell, illustrates the problematic nature of Britain’s stringent hate speech regulations.

Chadwell, who retired in 2015, was convicted for sharing a meme in a private WhatsApp group. The image featured multi-colored parrots and children of diverse ethnic backgrounds, accompanied by a caption questioning why diversity is celebrated in species but not in humanity.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

France: Paris Terrorist Had Contact With Multiple Islamist Killers Before Attack, Was on Extremism Watchlist

The radical Islamist who allegedly killed a German-Filipino tourist and injured two others near the Eiffel Tower in Paris was reportedly in contact with other infamous Muslim terrorists, was on the government’s extremism watchlist, and previously served time in prison for attempted murder.

Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, 26, the suspected ‘Allahu Akbar’ knifeman behind the latest terror attack in France on Saturday, has been linked to other Islamist terrorists, including Abdoullakh Anzorov, who beheaded schoolteacher Samuel Paty in 2020 over a class on blasphemy that featured a caricature of the Muslim prophet Muhammed.

The Center for the Analysis of Terrorism (CAT) think tank told the Le Figaro newspaper that they have information demonstrating contact between Rajabpour-Miyandoab and Paty’s assassin, as well as Adel Kermiche, the Islamist who had murdered 85-year-old priest Jacques Hamel in 2016 at in front of three nuns and other parishioners.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary May Receive Some (But Not All) of Its Blocked EU Funds This Month

The European Union is poised to finally unblock Hungary’s cohesion funds and post-COVID stimulus money, totaling billions of euros.

Euronews reports that though the decision is not final and must still be approved by other member states, the Hungarian government has satisfied the European Commission on a number of points and the final approval to release the funds could come in December.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The Former Head of the German Foreign Ministry Called on Europe to Arm Itself With Its Own Nuclear Arsenal

Former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Fischer has called on Europe to arm itself with nuclear weapons, as reported by WELT.

“The EU needs its own nuclear deterrence,” he stated.

The Green party, under Fischer’s leadership, has maintained close ties to the anti-nuclear weapons movement since its inception.

The 75-year-old individual expressed, “I hope for continued communication between America and Europe. However, what if Donald Trump gets re-elected? Even considering this possibility, Europe must seriously confront this question.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The Islamic State Renews Calls for Attacks on Europe in Wake of Gaza Conflict

Islamist propaganda is working to juice every possible advantage out of the Hamas terror attack against Israel, with calls for attacks against Jews, “crusaders”, and the West being issued.

Muslims who want to liberate Palestine should join the Islamic State, an Afghan IS propaganda newspaper claims, while others call for believers to use absolutely any means at their disposal to launch an attack, even if it’s just punching an unbeliever. The messages encouraging violence and murder are the latest wave of Islamist propaganda that has come since Hamas launched their October terrorist attack against Israel which was followed by a considerable uptick in antisemitism in Western states.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Is This a Taliban-Run School in Kabul? No, One of Our Top Comprehensives…

— Death threats to staff for stopping Muslim pupils praying, a girl forced to quit the choir because ‘her religion bars singing’ and another pressured to wear a hijab

Documents describe how a culture of coercion emerged among the Muslim pupils, led by a group of about 30 youngsters with strict ideas about their faith.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Locals Step in After Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ Threatens to Scupper Santa Parade

Locals in south London have rescued a Christmas tradition after Sadiq Khan’s Ulez scheme threatened to scupper a Santa parade.

Each December, the Rotary Club of Carshalton Park tows a Santa’s house around more than 150 streets to the delight of cheering children.

But the club was forced to plead for help this year after discovering that three regular volunteers who towed the float had scrapped their diesel Range Rovers to claim the £2,000 scrappage payment from Transport for London (TfL).

A month before the parade was due to take place, the club wrote on social media: “Because of Ulez, three of our regular tow vehicles have been scrapped. We want to bring Santa to visit again this year… Can anyone help by towing Santa’s house?”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: London Council Backtracks After Cancelling Hanukkah Celebrations

The East London Havering Council announced the cancellation of Hanukkah celebrations this year on Thursday, November 30th, including the display of a Jewish menorah, citing concerns over tensions relating to the ongoing conflict between the terrorist group Hamas and the state of Israel until a public outcry led to a reversal of the decision.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Two Just Stop Oil Protesters Arrested Outside New Scotland Yard

Just Stop Oil (JSO) protesters have held a demonstration outside the Metropolitan Police’s central London headquarters.

At least two climate activists, who gathered outside New Scotland Yard on Saturday afternoon, were carried into waiting police vans.

Uniformed officers watched as the protesters held speeches in which they said they would take their protest to other London sites, which they dubbed “centres of oppression”, such as the Supreme Court.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Widespread Flight Disruptions and Weather Warnings Amidst Snowfall in Europe

Snowfall in the Netherlands led to the cancellation of dozens of flights to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on Sunday, reports Reuters.

Around midday, Schiphol’s website reported nearly 150 canceled incoming and outgoing flights. KLM, the primary airline at the airport, disclosed to Dutch news agency ANP that it had canceled 65 European flights for the afternoon and evening.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘Hell on Earth’: Israel Launches 10,000th Airstrike in Gaza, 700 People Reported Killed in Past 24 Hours

Israel on Sunday unleashed its 10,000th airstrike on Gaza since the war began Oct. 7, with at least 700 Palestinians reportedly killed in the past 24 hours alone as the war heats up again post-cease-fire.

“Hell on Earth has returned to Gaza,” said Jens Laerke, a rep for the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Israel Defense Forces said that since Israel’s ground invasion into northern Gaza began in early October, it has launched 10,000 airstrikes at the Palestinian-controlled area, with the bombardments intensifying over the weekend after Israel and Hamas failed to reach a deal that would have seen all the female hostages kidnapped by the terrorist group freed.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Israel’s UN Ambassador Slams Soros for Donations to ‘Pro-Hamas Groups’ Seeking Destruction of Jewish State

Left-wing activist billionaire George Soros is facing intense criticism from Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. for pumping over $15 million into a network of nongovernmental organizations that allegedly support Hamas.

“George Soros’ donations to organizations that seek the destruction of the State of Israel as a Jewish state is shameful. However, I am not surprised,” Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan told Fox News Digital.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Macron Claims Eliminating Hamas Would Take Israel ‘Ten Years’, Calls for Ceasefire and Two-State Talks

French President Emmanuel Macron once again criticised Israel’s military efforts against the Islamist Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip and warned that it would take a decade to fully eradicate the terrorist organisation from the region.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations climate change conference in Dubai on Saturday, President Macron questioned Israel’s stated goal of whipping out the Hamas terrorists who have controlled Gaza since a bloody coup in 2007 and who were behind the barbaric October 7th attacks in Israel that saw over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, killed and 240 kidnapped.

In response to the attacks and the recent breaking of a seven-day truce by Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday to deliver a “total victory” over Hamas to eliminate the terror threat in Gaza. Questioning the strategy, Macron said: “If that’s [the objective], the war will last ten years”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Qatar Calls for International Probe Into ‘Israeli Crimes’ in Gaza

Qatar’s prime minister says the country will continue efforts towards facilitating another truce and reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Qatar’s prime minister has said his country is calling for an “immediate, comprehensive and impartial international investigation” into what he called Israeli crimes in Gaza.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also told Al Jazeera on Sunday that Qatar would continue its efforts towards facilitating another truce and reaching a permanent ceasefire in the besieged enclave.

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

UK to Start Gaza Surveillance Flights to Help Find Hostages From Israel Held by Hamas

Defense Ministry says surveillance aircraft will be unarmed and ‘tasked solely to locate hostages’; Palestinian terror group urges London to ‘reconsider’

LONDON, UK — The UK’s military will conduct surveillance flights over Gaza to help locate hostages held by terror group Hamas since its October 7 shock assault on Israel, Britain’s defense ministry confirmed this weekend.

London did not reveal when its military surveillance flights over the territory would start but stressed they would be unarmed and focused only on hostage recovery efforts.

“In support of the ongoing hostage rescue activity, the UK Ministry of Defense will conduct surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including operating in air space over Israel and Gaza,” the defense ministry said in a statement.

“Surveillance aircraft will be unarmed, do not have a combat role, and will be tasked solely to locate hostages,” the ministry added.

“Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authorities responsible for hostage rescue.”

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

US Warship Attacked in Red Sea

A US warship has come under attack in the Red Sea, the Pentagon announced on Saturday, in the most high-profile of a series of maritime attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

Among other vessels that were hit by rocket fire were commercial ones including a UK-owned ship thought to have ties to Israel.

“We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available,” the Pentagon said, without identifying where it believed the fire came from.

The British military earlier said there had been a suspected drone attack and explosions in the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandab strait.

An official at the US Department of Defence also said the navy ship USS Carney destroyed a Houthi drone travelling toward it in southern Red Sea.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Investigation Opened Into Russian Troops Possibly Shooting Surrendering Ukrainians

The unconfirmed video shows two servicemen walking out of a dugout at gunpoint and lying down on the ground before a group of Russian troops appears to open fire.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials on Sunday launched an investigation into allegations that Russian forces killed surrendering Ukrainian soldiers — a war crime if confirmed — after grainy footage on social media appeared to show two uniformed men being shot at close range after emerging from a dugout.

The video shows the servicemen, one of them with his hands up, walking out at gunpoint and lying down on the ground before a group of Russian troops appears to open fire. It was not immediately possible to verify the video’s authenticity or the circumstances in which it was filmed, and it was unclear when the incident took place.

The Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s office on Sunday launched a criminal investigation, hours after the Ukrainian military’s press office said in an online statement that the footage is genuine.

“The video shows a group in Russian uniforms shooting, at point-blank range, two unarmed servicemen in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who were surrendering,” the prosecutor’s office said in a Telegram update on Sunday.

The Russian defense ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. As of Sunday evening, there were no public statements from the Russian government or military on the video.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Bomb Blast Kills at Least 4 Worshippers During Catholic Mass in Philippines

A powerful explosion believed caused by a bomb ripped through a Catholic Mass and killed at least four people and wounded dozens of others Sunday in a predominantly Muslim city in the southern Philippines, officials said.

The morning Mass was underway in a gymnasium at the state-run Mindanao State University in Marawi City when the explosion happened, causing panic among dozens of students and teachers and leaving the victims bloodied and sprawled on the ground, said Taha Mandangan, the security chief of the state-run campus.

At least two of the wounded were fighting for their lives, Mandangan said.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Islamic State Claims Bombing That Killed at Least 4 at Philippines Catholic Mass

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a Catholic mass on Sunday in the southern Philippines, which police said killed at least four people.

“The soldiers of the caliphate detonated an explosive device on a large gathering of Christians … in the city of Marawi,” the group said in a statement on its Telegram channels.

The attack, which also wounded dozens, took place during a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern city of Marawi on the island of Mindanao.

           — Hat tip: McN [Return to headlines]
 

Japan: First-Ever ‘Self-Amplifying mRNA’ COVID Shot is Launched With No Safety Data

Japan has just approved the first-ever “self-amplifying mRNA” Covid shot, despite having no safety or efficiency data.

“A Japanese Health Ministry panel has said a coronavirus vaccine developed by Daiichi Sankyo can be used for inoculations in Japan,” according to NHK World.

“It would be the first Japanese-made Covid shot available for practical use.”

Unfortunately, the article doesn’t give any details of the effectiveness the experts apparently confirmed.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Wild Moment Melbourne Tram Passenger Erupts at Commuter for Not Tapping on Before Boarding

An angry commuter has blasted a young woman for not having a valid myki card while travelling on a tram in Melbourne, with video footage sparking mixed reactions on social media.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Greg Abbott to Make Illegal Border Crossings a State Crime in New Texas Bill

On Sunday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced that he would sign a bill into law that would make it a crime for illegal immigrants to be in the state of Texas. He said that the bill would grant police officers in every agency the authority to arrest migrants entering the state illegally.

The move comes as the U.S. southern border struggles to contain the historic mass influx of illegal immigrants at the hands of President Biden’s open border policies.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The Migrant Delivery Driver Making a Mockery of Britain’s Asylum System: Sudanese National Who Posed for Photos by the Eiffel Tower Boasts About Illegally Earning Cash in the UK by Brazenly Spraying £10 and £20 Notes in Taxpayer-Paid Hotel Room

A Sudanese national has boasted about illegally earning cash in the UK by brazenly spraying £10 and £20 notes in his taxpayer-paid hotel room.

Omer Muhammad, 34, was in France posing for photos by the Eiffel Tower just before he was seen crossing the English Channel in a small boat packed with migrants.

Footage posted on social media now shows Mr Muhammad grinning as he sprays a wad of cash in his free hotel in Derby.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Venezuelan Migrants Arrested in Latest String of Shoplifting From Chicago Macy’s

Two more Venezuelan migrants staying in Chicago were arrested Friday after allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from a suburban Macy’s that has been an ongoing target of retail theft by migrants this holiday season, authorities said.

Edys Alberto Herrera-Gotopo, 20, and Johan Gavidia-Rojas, 18, entered the store together in Oak Brook, Illinois, shortly after 7 p.m. and were each carrying empty bags, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said.

The two men worked together, with one grabbing items of clothing and stuffing them into a bag while the other acted as a lookout before the duo switched roles, according to prosecutors.

When the suspects allegedly left the store without paying, Oak Brook police intercepted the pair.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

CDC Erases ‘Women’ From New Vaccine Guidance, Now Uses Gender-Neutral ‘Pregnant People’

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has erased the term “women” from its recent health guidance and has replaced it with gender-exclusionary terminology.

This includes omitting gender-specific terms such as “she,” “her,” “women,” and “mother,” and replacing them with gender-neutral terms like “pregnant person” and “pregnant people.” The changes can be seen in recommended health guidance for respiratory virus vaccinations for pregnant women, the Daily Mail reports.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Conservative-Leaning Supreme Court May Soon Rule on Three New Abortion Cases

The United States Supreme Court may soon review and rule on three abortion-related cases.

Thanks in large part to the addition of three new conservative-leaning justices under President Donald Trump, the SCOTUS ruled last year to overturn the federal abortion rights precedent set by Roe v. Wade.

The move saw the regulation of the procedure return to the individual states.

Now a little more than a year since that monumental decision, the Supreme Court is poised to potentially take up and rule upon three significant abortion-related cases.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘Disturbing Gibberish’: New Trans Textbook for Psychiatrists Could Harm Millions of Kids, Critics Say

Authored by Darlene McCormick Sanchez via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)

A new “cutting-edge” textbook on transgenderism written with the help of activists will be used to train psychiatrists and could harm millions of children in the future, some experts have warned.

“Gender-Affirming Psychiatric Care,” just released on Amazon at $58, is a textbook printed by American Psychiatric Association (APA) Publishing.

The textbook signals early on that it’s more subjective than objective, quoting a feminist studies professor saying, “Scientific neutrality is a fallacy.”

The content has prompted some critics to question the textbook’s reliance on a mix of transgender-identifying professionals writing about their experiences, limited scientific studies, and neo-Marxist critical theories.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Russian Cops Target Gays After Court Declares LGBTQ Movement ‘Extremist’: Repercussions to be ‘Nothing Short of Catastrophic’

Russian police have launched a series of raids against gay bars and clubs in Moscow after the country’s supreme court banned the LGBTQ movement in Russia, calling it “extremist.”

Cops in the Russian capital targeted gay clubs, a nightclub, a male sauna and other venues Friday after the court’s decision, which effectively banned the LGBTQ community, NBC News reported on Sunday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Woman Lived as Transgender for Four Years Before ‘God’ Told Her to ‘Detransition’

A woman has revealed how she lived as a transgender “man” for four years before she “detransitioned” and returned to living as a woman after finding God.

25-year-old Maddy Edwards says God told her to “detransition.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

3 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 12/3/2023

  1. “Four people were killed and dozens more were wounded when a bomb exploded during a Catholic mass at a university gymnasium in the city of Marawi on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Marawi is more than 99% Muslim, and the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.”

    I didn’t see this on the BBC/CNN/FOX/CBC/…..etc….

    Can’t have happened then.

  2. Jihadist killing Christians is now the new normal in 2023 , like dog biting a man. When Christians fight back the MSM idiots cover it grand style like man bits dog news . The MSM always back or excuses the dog in the dog biting man stories. Maybe the dog was oppressed , or the dog was a different color ,or the dog was mental ill , the dog was a lone wolf ,the dog was a victim of colonization ,dog was from a misunderstood cultural ,the dog was very poor ,the dog lack an education ,the dog was not feed right ,the dog could not assimilate , the dog is a free dog but the dog ,s ancestors going over 165 years ago bitch grandmother was a slave , this could go on forever. If only the dogs keep to their own dog pound maybe the world would be safe from dog bites or the dog acted like a sane rational man ,or converted away from doggism .

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