Russia launched a series of drone attacks on Ukraine in retaliation for yesterday’s attack on Belgorod. The strikes wounded 28 people in Kharkiv. A hotel, kindergarten, apartment buildings, shops and administrative buildings were among the targets damaged in the strikes.
In other news, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, who is 86 years old, announced that she plans to step down on January 14. The date will mark the 52nd anniversary of her ascension to the throne.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, 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.
14 Gaza Ceasefire Protesters Arrested After Travis AFB Entrance Blocked
FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Police Department announced 14 arrests related to a Gaza ceasefire protest that blocked the entrance of Travis Air Force Base early Thursday morning.
The protesters, numbering about 150, began their rally around 6 a.m., at which time the Fairfield Police Department and representatives of the Travis Air Force Base said they met with the organizers to allow them their constitutional right to protest while also ensuring service members were able to get on base.
“Unfortunately, almost immediately after that meeting, some of the protestors moved into the street and blocked both the North and South gates,” a release from the police department said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
3 Arrested After Protest Shuts Down Portion of Lafayette Road on Indy’s Near West Side
INDIANAPOLIS — A portion of Lafayette Road was briefly shut down during a protest Saturday evening.
According to social media posts from IMPD, around 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 30, police were responded to a disturbance in the 1700 block of Lafayette Road. Officers asked the public to avoid the area temporarily so police could investigate.
Around 6:30 p.m., IMPD posted an update on social media along with pictures showing what appeared to be a sizable group of protesters shutting down Lafayette Road from 16th Street to Cold Springs Road.
IMPD public information officer Lt. Shane Foley told 13News that the protest stemmed from a situation in the African country of Eritrea.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A New Way to Characterize Habitable Planets
For decades, science fiction authors have imagined scenarios in which life thrives on the harsh surfaces of Mars or our moon, or in the oceans below the icy surfaces of Saturn’s moon Enceladus and Jupiter’s moon Europa. But the study of habitability—the conditions required to support and sustain life—is not just confined to the pages of fiction. As more planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond are investigated for their potential to host conditions favorable to life, researchers are debating how to characterize habitability.
While many studies have focused on the information obtained by orbiting spacecraft or telescopes that provide snapshot views of ocean worlds and exoplanets, a new paper emphasizes the importance of investigating complex geophysical factors that can be used to predict the long-term maintenance of life. These factors include how energy and nutrients flow throughout the planet.
“Time is a crucial factor in characterizing habitability,” says Mark Simons, John W. and Herberta M. Miles Professor of Geophysics at Caltech. “You need time for evolution to happen. To be habitable for a millisecond or a year is not enough. But if habitable conditions are sustained for a million years, or a billion…? Understanding a planet’s habitability takes a nuanced perspective that requires astrobiologists and geophysicists to talk to each other.”
This perspective paper, which appears in the journal Nature Astronomy on December 29, is a collaboration between Caltech scientists on the Pasadena campus and at JPL, which Caltech manages for NASA, along with colleagues representing a variety of fields.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Al-Qaeda Threatens Western and Jewish Targets Ahead of New Year’s Bash
Al-Qaeda reportedly threatened an “open-source Jihad” against Western and Jewish targets, including airlines, in a video released within the last week.
Several federal authorities, including the TSA, and law enforcement agencies told Fox News Digital that they’re aware of the video and monitoring the situation.
The TSA said Sunday morning that they’re “not aware of any credible threats resulting from this video to date,” but are on high alert with tens of thousands to over a million people expected to flock to major cities to ring in the New Year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Reveals His New Year’s Resolution: ‘To Come Back Next Year’
With 2024 just around the corner, President Biden revealed his New Year’s resolution.
“Mr. President, what’s your New Year’s resolution, sir?” a reporter asked Biden late Saturday as he departed the Too Chez Restaurant and Bar in St. Croix, where he and first lady Jill Biden had dinner with their granddaughter Natalie.
“To come back next year,” the president quipped, before adding, “that’s the biggest one right now.”
Biden has been vacationing in St. Croix, which is nestled in the US Virgin Islands, since last week, and is due back in Washington, DC on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An LA-based company, Channel 1, claims it will become the first news network to utilize AI-generated news anchors starting next year.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Staffer Who Was Fired for Having Sex in Capitol Lusts After Homeless People in Baltimore
In a recently revealed video, the former staffer who was fired for filming himself having sex in a US Senate hearing room discussed how “sexy” the homeless population in Baltimore, Maryland, is.
The video from the now deleted “aidansanto” Instagram account, shared to X, shows former Democrat staffer Aidan Maese-Czeropski talking about how attractive the homeless people in Baltimore are, compared to Washington DC, and San Fransisco.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sam Brinton, the embattled nonbinary former Biden administration official, ended 2023 free despite facing multiple charges related to alleged airport baggage thefts in multiple states.
Brinton made headlines in mid-2022 after being appointed to lead nuclear waste policy at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy as a nonbinary gender-fluid person.
Brinton avoided jail in two criminal cases, while a third criminal case and a related lawsuit remain ongoing.
In December 2022, the DOE announced Brinton had departed the agency but declined to comment on the reason.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Israel activists have announced plans to disrupt Seattle’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration at the Space Needle.
On Friday, The Palestine Solidarity Committee’s Seattle branch posted an event on social media to “Shut it down for Palestine” with the iconic landmark’s address and encouraged activists to bring keffiyehs, flags, and banners.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Disables Libs of TikTok Account
On Saturday, popular account Libs of TikTok announced its suspension from Facebook.
According to an email posted on X, in a statement, Facebook informed: “The Page Libs of TikTok has been disabled for going against our Community Standards. You cannot visit the Page and you won’t be able to add new people to the Page.” This was posted along with a link to the Community Standards page.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Rejects Request to Delay Democrat Sen Menendez’s Bribery Trial
A federal judge in New Jersey shot down a request from embattled Democrat Senator Bob Menendez to delay his trial for bribery and corruption charges.
Menendez was charged in September with taking illegal bribes from Egyptian lobbyists and acting as a foreign agent, as Slay News reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Arkansas Gov Mike Huckabee Shreds AOC’s ‘Christmas’ Message
Republican former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has shredded Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over the congresswoman’s un-American “Christmas” message.
Huckabee, the father of current Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, fired back after Ocasio-Cortez posted a divisive message on social media that was loaded with leftist anti-Semitic propaganda.
AOC posted the message on Christmas Eve, sparking a widespread backlash.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A member of Harvard’s student Honor Council called for the resignation of university president Claudine Gay over her ongoing plagiarism scandal — accusing the school’s governing body of having one standard for the embattled administrator and another for the student body.
“Gay’s getting off easy,” the student, who sits on the council tasked with deciding sanctions for classmates caught plagiarizing, wrote in a letter published anonymously in the Harvard Crimson Sunday.
“Let’s compare the treatment of Harvard undergraduates suspected of plagiarism with that of their president,” they wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hunter Biden Laptop Repairman John Paul Mac Isaac’s Home ‘Swatted’
The Delaware computer repairman who went public with the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop says his home was “swatted” Friday night.
“My home was swatted tonight, I was not home but the outstanding men and women of the Wilmington PD responded quickly and professionally,” John Paul Mac Isaac posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Dec. 29. “All that was achieved was the wasted time of the Wilmington PD. NOTHING, let me repeat that, NOTHING will take me out of this fight! Cheers!”
Swatting is the act of making a false report to emergency services to prompt a response at a particular address.
The goal is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to show up.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Missouri Court Claims Mark McCloskey Still Guilty of Gun Charge, Despite Pardon
A Missouri court just ruled that Mark McCloskey is still guilty of the gun charges that the state’s Republican governor issued an official pardon for.
McCloskey is the attorney who was infamously caught on camera — alongside his wife — brandishing a firearm amid a Black Lives Matter protest that took place outside of his home during the summer of 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Officer Shot and Killed After Witnessing a Crime at Sheetz Gas Station
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) — An officer was shot and killed after witnessing a crime at a Sheetz gas station in North Carolina, police say.
The Greensboro Police Department identified the officer as Sergeant Philip Dale Nix. He was on the force for 23 years and was “a loving husband, father and son.”
The shooting happened Saturday around 4 p.m. at the Sheetz gas station at 3200 Sandy Ridge Road in Greensboro, North Carolina, police say.
The Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson said that Nix was off-duty when he “witnessed a crime occur” and attempted “to approach the suspects” before being shot.
Thompson said two off-duty first responders were at the scene and provided treatment to Nix before crews rushed him to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Jamere Justice Foster, 18, Z’quriah Le’Pearce Blackwell, 18, and John Walter Morrison, 28, are in custody in connection with Nix’s death.
Foster is charged with first-degree murder, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and is held with no bond.
Blackwell is charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and is held with a $500,000 bond.
Morrison is charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and is held without bond.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Phoenix Man Accused of Stabbing Woman on Hiking Trail Could Face Death Penalty: Report
The man accused of stabbing a woman to death on a Phoenix hiking trail earlier this year will face the death penalty if convicted.
On Friday, the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty for Zion Teasley, 22, of Scottsdale, Arizona, according to the New York Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland Poop Crisis Triggers Bacteria Outbreak Normally Found in Third World
Woke Democrats have caused an absurd amount of problems for law-abiding residents in Portland, including a surge in violent crime, out-of-control open-air drug markets, and widespread homelessness. Parts of the metro area have been transformed into a third-world-like state because of disastrous progressive policies. Now, the combination of failed policies has sparked what appears to be a public health crisis.
A highly contagious bacteria called “shigella” is spreading across Portland. This bacteria is common in countries found in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia regions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Potential Pro-Palestinian Mob Threatens to “Flood” JFK Airport on New Year’s Day
Days after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded the World Trade Center in New York City and screamed “Allahu akbar,” a flyer circulating social media platform X shows a possible rally at John F. Kennedy International Airport on New Year’s Day.
Joel Mowbray, a former columnist for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a non-partisan institution focusing on national security and foreign policy, pointed out the protest flyer is full of hate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestine Protest Marches Through Downtown Chicago, Shuts Down I-90/I-94
CHICAGO — Hundreds gathered Sunday afternoon to take part in a pro-Palestine protest in downtown Chicago, calling for justice and a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Chants of “What do we want?” “Justice!” and “When do we want it?” “Now” echoed down Michigan Avenue as the protesters waved Palestine flags in the air.
This protest was led by the group “US Palestinian Community Network” and is one of several they have conducted in the Chicago area over the last few weeks.
The group also shut down I-90 and I-94 temporarily on Sunday as protesters continued to make their voices heard.
The USPCN held a similar protest on Dec. 23 when a nearly 100-car caravan temporarily shut down both sides of I-190 while calling for a ceasefire.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco Boasted They Would Hire Thousands of Sacked Twitter Employees — It Didn’t Happen
One of the biggest shock events in the history of digital communications took place in April of 2022 when Elon Musk followed through on his promise to purchase Twitter (now known as X). The buyout took place amid the chaos of covid hype and in the middle of a full spectrum mass censorship campaign organized by Big Tech companies and multiple government agencies and officials.
In early 2022, it was nearly impossible to make statements regarding certain hot button issues; any information contrary to the establishment narrative about covid vaccines, gender ideology, Hunter Biden’s laptop, the war in Ukraine, or the events of January 6th were treated as radioactive. Tens of thousands of people lost their social media accounts merely for reprinting the facts.
Musk reactivated many of these accounts (including Zero Hedge’s account) after taking control of the company, and then targeted the root of the censorship regime: The far-left management as well as the incredible number of activist moderators employed by the website to monitor and silence dissent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spartanburg Starbucks One of Many Vandalized Nationwide Amid Protests
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) — A Starbucks store in the Upstate was reportedly vandalized amid nationwide protests and boycotts over the company’s position on the Israel-Hamas war.
The Spartanburg Police Department was called to a Starbucks on W. Blackstock Road on Saturday after workers said they found the front door and ordering board plastered with pictures and stickers about support for Palestine.
Employees had already cleaned up the vandalism when police arrived, but the manager said the company was reviewing surveillance footage and requested officers keep check on the property.
The vandalism comes two weeks after Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan sent a letter to employees and customers addressing escalating protests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Super Bowl Champ Calls for Racially Segregated Games: ‘Sick’ of ‘White Guys Commenting on Football’
Former Super Bowl champion Rashard Mendenhall is calling for football games to be racially segregated because he’s “sick” of “white guys commenting” on the sport.
Instead of the annual Pro Bowl, Mendenhall is proposing an “All-Black vs. All-White Bowl.”
In a post on X before Christmas, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back blasted “white” NFL analysts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tech Giants Including Meta, Google Slash DEI Programs by Up to 90%
Meta and Google have slashed their funding of diversity programs as the tech sector faces a tightening budget under the Biden economy.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Third-Party Bid for President Gaining Steam, Ex-Sen. Joe Lieberman Says: ‘Give Us Another Choice!’
A push for a third choice for president is gaining momentum because Americans are disgusted with the prospect of a likely rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, ex-Sen. Joe Lieberman said Sunday.
Lieberman, 81, the first Jew to run on a national ticket for vice president in 2000, said, “I’ve never seen this much anger at the two major parties and this high disappointment that we may be left with a choice of President Trump and Biden once again.
“Sixty to 70% of the American people say, ‘Please! Give us another choice!,’“ Lieberman told host John Catsimatidis on the Cats Roundtable WABC 770 AM radio.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Opposes New Building for FBI After Congress Approves $300 Million for Relocation to Maryland
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share his disapproval of Congress authorizing the Department of Justice to spend $300 million to build the FBI a new Headquarters building in Maryland.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “The FBI Headquarters should not be moved to a far away location, but should stay right where it is, in a new and spectacular building, in the best location in our now crime ridden and filthy dirty, graffiti scarred, Capital.”
“They should be involved in bringing back D.C., not running away from it, especially the violent crime,” He continued. “An important part of my platform for President is to bring back, restore, and rebuild Washington, D.C., into the “crown jewel” of our Nation. We will make it crime free and GREAT AGAIN.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Duane “Keefe D” Davis, the Crip member who has been charged with orchestrating the 1996 murder of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur, is being accused of attempting to orchestrate murder yet again, this time from behind bars while he awaits his June trial. According to court documents filed by the prosecutor’s office in Las Vegas on Thursday, Davis was discussing plans to potentially organize the assassination of witnesses who could testify against him during his trial next year.
Prosecutors said they sent the public defender’s office a list of names as part of their pre-trial preparations, which included known gang members and witnesses who were cooperating with the DA’s office. Because criminal defendants have the right to cross-examine witnesses who testify against them, that kind of revelation is common.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vivek Slams CNN for ‘Egregious Interference’ After Town Hall Answers Go Viral
2024 GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy slammed CNN for what he characterized as ‘egregious interference’ with the Iowa GOP caucus for allegedly cutting his Town Hall short and then threatening his campaign with a cease-and-desist for posting it to YouTube (while allowing Nikki Haley to do the same).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fed Gov’t Spent $8.9 Million on Trudeau’s Gun Grab, Without Buying a Gun
Records show the cabinet budgeted $37.4 million for Trudeau’s gun grab program but spent a quarter of that amount without actually buying any firearms.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, newly revealed figures in an internal report from the Department of Public Safety cautioned the gun grab was susceptible to “wasted time, energy and funds.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After 12 Years of Negotiations, Romania and Bulgaria Are Entering the Schengen Area
In March 2024, Romania and Bulgaria are slated for a partial integration into the Schengen area of free movement, as declared by the European Council on Saturday, reports Barron’s.
Having been EU members since 2007, both countries faced rejection from the expansive Schengen zone at the close of 2022. Initially hindered by Austria, which cited hosting an excessive number of undocumented immigrants due to inadequately protected external Schengen borders, the two nations’ air and sea borders will now see the lifting of controls starting March 31, following unanimous agreement by the 27 EU member states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Gates’ Lab-Grown Meat Exposed: ‘Really Gruesome’
An international investigation has exposed the gruesome reality being the globalist push to flood the food supply with biotech products such as Bill Gates’ lab-grown “meats.”
Dutch investigative journalist Elze van Hamelen has published a new report to raise the alarm about the “tsunami of fake foods” being rolled out by the biotech industry.
Despite claims from the green agenda elite, fake meats are not about your health or the environment.
Van Hamelen warns that these products are a tool to phase out farmers and ranchers so the agriculture industry can be replaced with ultra-processed food products that can be controlled by patents.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brussels Emergency Services Opt for Aged Vehicles to Avoid Becoming a ‘Preferred Target’
New Year’s Eve traditionally poses a challenge for emergency services, often becoming a night marked by incidents involving projectiles and fireworks directed at intervention teams.
Due to concerns about vandalism and violence, the Brussels fire service has opted to utilize aging vehicles for their operations, reports The Brussels Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dangerous Fireworks From Czech Stores Flooded Austria
Austrian authorities have seized approximately 25,000 units of banned fireworks purchased from Czech stores during border checks. The Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, expressed his intention to discuss this matter with his Czech counterpart, Vit Rakusan, according to the Austrian public broadcaster.
The difference in the supervision of fireworks sales between Austria and the Czech Republic, highlighting that in Austria, the police handle this responsibility rather than the trade inspection. Karner emphasized the need to “urgently tighten” oversight from the Czech side and stated his intention to address the issue with his Czech counterpart.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II Announces She’s Stepping Down From Throne: ‘Now is the Right Time’
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced that she is abdicating her position in the new year after nearly 52 years on the throne.
During her New Year’s Eve speech, Margrethe II, 86, said that she plans to step down on Jan. 14. The date marks the anniversary of her own ascension to the throne in 1972, following the death of her father, King Frederik IX.
“I have decided that now is the right time,” she said in her speech, explaining that back surgery she had earlier this year led to “thoughts about the future.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The child-woman image of Brigitte Bardot, capering on a beach, set the world on fire in the post-war period.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: the Berlin Police Have Prohibited a Pro-Palestinian New Year’s Eve Rally
The Berlin police have prohibited a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the Neukölln area, scheduled for New Year’s Eve, reports DW.
Nevertheless, there has been no report of the cancellation of a second pro-Palestinian demonstration, where, according to police information, the participation of 1000 people is expected. In the evening, a demonstration in support of Israel is also set to take place, with the participation of around 500 people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In the Netherlands, a Car Caught Fire With Almost 75 Kilograms of Fireworks
The car owner told, that he had purchased fireworks in Germany and was smoking on his way home, tossing the cigarette out of the window. However, the wind blew it back into the car, where the fireworks were stored.
“The inside of the car turned black from all the smoke. We thought: we need to get out of the car,” the driver said. “When we got out of the car, we only saw that it was on fire. All the fireworks, worth hundreds of euros, exploded.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In a landmark decision, the European Parliament and Council have jointly sanctioned a pioneering regulation establishing a baseline requirement of two bicycle parking spaces per apartment in newly erected and significantly renovated structures.
Effective immediately, this new regulation encompasses all residential constructions and major renovations involving more than three parking spaces. To ensure convenient access for residents, the mandate specifies a minimum of two dedicated bicycle parking spaces per building.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro Wrestler Kurtis ‘Mad Kurt’ Chapman Drops Dead at 26, Cause ‘Unknown’
Pro wrestler Kurtis ‘Mad Kurt’ Chapman has died suddenly at just 26 years old, his promoters have confirmed.
Revolution Pro Wrestling announced on Instagram that the British wrestling star had unexpectedly passed away.
The wrestling community is “heartbroken” over the news, the post noted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Expenditure on New Year Fireworks by the Dutch Amounted to €105 Million
The Dutch spent €105 million on New Year fireworks, a slight decrease from last year’s record of €110 million, as disclosed by the Dutch News.
It’s worth noting that the actual total expenditure might be higher, considering an estimated €10 million worth of fireworks were purchased across the border in Germany. With around 900 licensed outlets in the Netherlands for a three-day window, fireworks sales are widespread.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
This video captures the dramatic moment a controlled explosion took place in Halifax last night.
The explosion was carried out by the bomb squad after a suspicious object was discovered while police were searching a house on Keighley Road in Illingworth.
Residents have reported hearing two controlled explosions taking place, with one saying their house was shaken by the force of the first detonation.
The police search on Keighley Road was being carried out after a raid was carried out on Natty Lane, also in Illingworth, on Thursday and the arrest of two people from two addresses on suspicion of firearms offences.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Israeli Minister Reiterates Calls for Palestinians to Leave Gaza
Israel’s far-right finance minister says Israelis who would replace Palestinians would ‘make the desert bloom’.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged enclave, making way for the Israelis who could “make the desert bloom”.
Smotrich, who has been excluded from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet and discussions of day-after arrangements in Gaza, made the comments while speaking to Israeli Army Radio on Sunday.
Sara Khairat, reporting for Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv, said Smotrich’s comments “tie into a narrative that many are starting to believe that Israel wants to re-occupy Gaza”.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Palestinian Terrorists Ring in New Year 2024 With Rocket Barrage at Israeli Cities
Palestinian terrorists rang in the New Year on Sunday evening by firing a large barrage of rockets at Israeli cities at midnight, in a statement of defiance against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) advance deep into the Gaza Strip.
According to the Cumta Telegram channel, which tracks Israel’s Red Alert system, the barrage targeted the cities along the corridor from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, just seconds after 12:00 a.m.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Global Shipping Giant Maersk Halts Ships’ Passage Via Red Sea for 48 Hours
Ongoing tumult across the Red Sea driven by Houthi terrorist attacks spurred global shipping giant Maersk on Sunday to announce it was suspending the passage of vessels through the area for 48 hours.
The pause came after the Yemeni rebels attacked one of the Danish company’s merchant ships.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Who Are the Houthi Rebels Wreaking Havoc in the Red Sea? US Sinks 3 Ships From Radical Muslim Sect
The rebels attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea during the Mideast war are Houthis — members of a radical Muslim religious sect based in the Arab world’s poorest nation, Yemen.
The Houthis have been showing solidarity with the Palestinians against Israel by firing on foreign ships in the region.
Their antics prompted the US military to sink three of their vessels Sunday.
The rebels, officially named Ansar Allah, or “Supporters of God,” are backed by Iran, sharing a common enemy, Saudi Arabia, which features a different religious sect.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In 2023, WWI-Style Trench Warfare Came Back to Europe in Ukraine
The year started with optimism about the Ukraine “Spring Counteroffensive” but has ended with broad acknowledgement that the conflict has devolved into the static attrition of trench warfare last seen a century ago, which, short of a technological or tactical leap, seems ready to dominate the conflict in 2024.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Escalation, Russian Drones Strike Ukrainian Hotel, Kindergarten, Shops
Kyiv: Russia launched a fresh drone assault on Ukraine after promising that strikes on the Russian border city of Belgorod that killed 24 people Saturday “would not go unpunished”.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Sunday that it had shot down 21 of 49 drones launched by Russian forces overnight.
The retaliatory Russian attack wounded 28 people in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. A hotel, kindergarten, apartment buildings, shops and administrative buildings sustained damage, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had targeted “decision-making centres and military facilities” in Kharkiv. The ministry said the hit on the Kharkiv Palace Hotel had “destroyed representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate and Ukrainian Armed Forces” involved in the “terrorist attack” in Belgorod.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said a British journalist was among the wounded, while public German broadcaster ZDF said Sunday that one of its television crews had been in the hotel.
A Ukrainian translator was hit by debris and seriously wounded, and one of the team’s security guards also was injured, ZDF said in a statement.
“This is another attack by Russia on the free press,” ZDF Editor-in-Chief Bettina Schausten said.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
NATO Forced to Scramble Fighter Jets to Intercept Russian Military Aircraft Over 300 Times in 2023
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was forced to scramble its air forces more than 300 times in response to Russian military aircraft over the course of 2023, the international organization said Friday.
“NATO has standing air-policing missions that calls for Allied jets to scramble when there are signs of Russian military planes approaching Allied airspace in unpredictable ways,” NATO said in a statement.
The hundreds of incidents happened as Russia continues to utilize land, air and sea forces to score strategic advantages in its war with Ukraine. Russia first invaded its smaller, western neighbor in February 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Launches Fresh Drone Strikes on Ukraine After Vowing Retaliation for Belgorod Attack
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a fresh drone assault on Ukraine on Saturday night, after promising that strikes on the Russian border city of Belgorod earlier in the day “would not go unpunished”.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Sunday that it had shot down 21 of 49 drones launched by Russian forces overnight.
Twenty-eight people were wounded in an attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday. A central hotel, apartment buildings, kindergarten, shops and administrative buildings sustained damage, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vladimir Putin Vows Russia ‘Will Never Back Down’ in New Year’s Address
Vladimir Putin vowed that Russia “will never back down” in his New Year’s address, as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is approaching its two-year anniversary and casualties continue to mount on both sides of the conflict.
In an attempt to reassure a war-weary nation, strongman Vladimir Putin put on a brave face as he addressed his people on New Year’s Eve, promising that Russia will overcome the issues that face it, presumably including the stagnating war in Ukraine and the economic challenges posed by Western sanctions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
American Researchers’ Collusion With Wuhan Lab Exposed as Deeper Than Previously Known
New evidence has emerged that shows American researchers have been deceiving the public about their level of collusion with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
American researchers have, for years, been at the center of the COVID-19 origins debate.
However, it has now been revealed that they have misled the U.S. government about their research partnership with the Wuhan lab.
The University of North Carolina’s Ralph Baric and EcoHealth Alliance co-founder Peter Daszak drafted a grant proposal a year before the outbreak of COVID-19.
The proposal disguised the risky nature of their work to the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
DARPA ultimately opted not to fund the project.
However, newly unearthed communications between Baric and Daszak reveal that the two scientists knew U.S. researchers and government officials would “freak out” if they knew exactly what research the pair was seeking to do, and perhaps more critically, where they wanted to do it.
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North Korea to Launch New Satellites, Build Drones as it Warns War Inevitable
North Korea vowed to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones, and boost its nuclear arsenal in 2024 as leader Kim Jong Un said US policy is making war inevitable, state media reported on Sunday.
Kim lashed out at Washington in lengthy remarks wrapping up five days of ruling party meetings that set economic, military and foreign policy goals for the coming year.
“Because of reckless moves by the enemies to invade us, it is a fait accompli that a war can break out at any time on the Korean peninsula,” he said, according to state news agency KCNA.
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Xi Jinping Promises the ‘Complete Reunification’ of China and Taiwan in Year-End Address
Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised the reunification of Taiwan with mainland China during his year-end address on Sunday.
Tensions between China and Taiwan remain high, and Taiwanese voters are set to participate in the island’s elections on Jan. 13. Xi has repeatedly affirmed China’s stance that Taiwan is a part of China and that it must be reunified, by force if necessary.
“All Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Xi said in Sunday’s address.
The speech was the second time in a matter of days that Xi addressed the Taiwan issue. Xi also vowed to reunify Taiwan on Tuesday during a symposium in Beijing commemorating the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mao Zedong, the founding father of Communist China.
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The ABC has been slammed over its coverage the family friendly 9pm New Year’s Eve fireworks, with fed-up Aussies venting their frustrations at the ‘woke’ display.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
As many ordinary Aussies struggle to pay for the basics the Prime Minister, top public servants and judges go into 2024 with huge salary increases, with one mandarin on almost a $1million a year.
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Major Backflip by Anthony Albanese’s Government on Electric Vehicles Outrages Environmentalists
The Albanese has failed to unveil mandatory pollution caps on vehicles sold in Australia that they promised would by introduced ‘by the end of the year’.
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Archbishop: Catholics Are Rebelling Against Church’s Pro-Migration Policies
Catholics are rebelling against their religious leaders’ pro-migration policies, and the Catholic leadership must set them straight, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York said in an interview on December 21 with the Catholic-run Center for Migration Studies (CMS).
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Brandon Johnson Lashes Out at Texas for Sending More Illegal Immigrants to Chicago
On Sunday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson claimed that Texas Governor Greg Abbott was sowing “seeds of chaos” by sending illegal immigrants from his state to the Windy City. Abbott has taken to removing illegal immigrants who cross the US-Mexico border into Texas under the lax border policies of the Biden administration and has been sending them to cities that have proclaimed themselves to be sanctuary cities.
These include New York City and Chicago. Abbott also recently signed a law making it illegal to cross the international border into Texas, facilitating the arrest of illegal immigrants.
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PALM BEACH, Florida — Former President Donald Trump ripped Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration for allowing what Trump calls an “invasion” at the U.S. border with Mexico, something the former president likened to a “migration of civilization into our country.”
Trump’s comments, which came during a two-hour-long exclusive interview at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Thursday evening, come as Biden’s administration has been involved in talks with Mexico to try to stem the tide of migrants flowing into the country. They also come as lawmakers in Washington seek an elusive deal that would fund more aid to Ukraine—a Biden administration priority—in exchange for border reforms that Republicans in the Senate want.
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A new border farce may have mistakenly allowed thousands of foreign nationals to live in Britain, the Mail can reveal.
In a startling Home Office bungle, an unknown number of immigrants have been given a passport stamp that appears to grant them the right to live here indefinitely.
One of the Home Office’s own legal representatives has described the stamp as being ‘shrouded in mystery’.
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Illegal Immigrants Using Fake Passports to Pose as Minors When Crossing US-Mexico Border
Border Agents in the Tucson, Arizona sector are seeing an influx of immigrants from Guinea using fake passports to claim they are minors when entering the United States illegally, according to an internal alert obtained by Fox News.
The illegal immigrants are changing their ages and pretending to be unaccompanied minors so they’ll have a better chance of getting into the U.S.
The Border Patrol notice advises agents on what to look out for, and provides examples of real and fake Guinean passports. It warns that passports issued in the municipality of Conakry, Guinea’s capital, after June 2023 are “most likely fraudulent or altered.”
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Italy: Open Arms Lands 54 Migrants at Civitavechia
Spanish migrant rescue ship Open Arms on Sunday landed 54 migrants it recently rescued in the central Mediterranean at the port of Civitavecchia northwest of Rome.
The port was assigned by Italian authorities Saturday in light of bad sea conditions.
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Sweden Democrat Leader Jimmie Åkesson’s New Year’s Wish: Fewer Migrants
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson delivered his New Year’s address and expressed his deep desire to see the globalist Social Democrats’ destructive migration policy finally brought to an end.
“The year when the destructive social democratic immigration policy becomes a thing of the past also in reality with fewer migrants and reduced costs. More of the Swedes’ money for our common welfare.”
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Two men were arrested earlier this month and charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud for allegedly staging eight fake armed robberies to help their “victims” get a special U visa to stay in the country.
According to court documents, Ramhai Patel and Balwinder Singh committed eight staged robberies, four in Massachusetts, two in Pennsylvania, and one in Kentucky and Tennessee, per local news.
In a statement, Acting US Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy described how the alleged scheme worked. “In the course of the alleged staged robberies, the ‘robber’ would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video.”
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The number of migrants arriving in 2023 on small boats was down almost 36 per cent on the previous year in a boost for Rishi Sunak.
There have been no crossings since December 16, official figures, which are pending final confirmation from the Home Office, show.
Some 29,437 migrants reached Britain from the start of last year up to Saturday. Arrivals were unlikely yesterday due to high winds.
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‘Brother’ and ‘sister’ could be banned from official documents and other public communication and be replaced by the term ‘siblings’, under one state’s updated anti-discrimination laws.
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Detransitioner Chloe Cole had some tough words to offer Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine days after he shot down a bill that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors in his state, lambasting his decision for allegedly being “complicit” in the “sterilization and mutilation” of children.
“Parents don’t have a right to abuse their children. This is no different from any form of abuse,” Cole said Sunday on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“This is the sterilization and mutilation of thousands of children happening within a state that is being entirely complicit in the choice to continue this.”
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A German cardinal in the Catholic Church remarked that Pope Benedict would never have approved Pope Francis’ recent edict allowing priests to bless people in same-sex relationships.
Cardinal Gerhard Mueller made the comment to Reuters while attending an event marking the one-year anniversary of Pope Benedict’s death on Sunday.
“It never would have happened [under Benedict] because it was so ambiguous,” Mueller told the outlet of Francis’ decision. Mueller had served as the Church’s doctrinal chief under Benedict, a post he lost upon Francis’ ascension.
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As AI continues to seamlessly integrate into daily life, the emergence of AI-driven virtual girlfriends presents a new challenge in the realm of social interaction and psychological health. One professor is speaking out against the rising popularity of virtual girlfriends, saying these fake relationships are “very dangerous because it further isolates [young men] from real human connections.”
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
USA Boxing Faces Backlash After Allowing Post-Op Trans Women to Compete in Female Competition
USA Boxing will allow trans-identified biological males to compete against women starting in 2024, according to a new update on the league’s “transgender policy.”
A number of requirements must be fulfilled in order to compete in a gender category that differes from a competitor’s biological sex, such as the announcement of the new gender identity, undergoing sex change surgery, and submitting to routine hormone testing. This applies to competitors over the age of 18. Those under that age bracket must still compete in categories aligned with their birth sex, the Daily Mail reports.
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I never believed in Jesus thing before.
But I see so many people walking around who are obviously possessed by demons.
If demons are real, then God must also be.
Heil Jesus!
Loki, Get a KJV Bible, or perhaps an ESV translation, and read the first four chapters of the New Testament.
You will find that God’s Word is very comforting.
I hope you will follow through, It is the most important book ever written.
God’s blessing on you.
Happy New Year Baron. I’m sure you’ve something cooking regarding New Berliners ringing in the new year. As Mark Steyn recently mentioned, the police ranks are filling up with these new Europeans, which turn their heads from the mayhem of their own. Top commenters states “deport everyone from <25 years."
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/bedlam-berlin-immigrants-bring-new-year
It’s really a shame that not a single western nation has done anything to stop the mass invasion, by millions of fighting-age males.
….It’s an equal shame that Tony Fauci is still walking around free after funding the gain-of-function research that produced Covid19, and then flatly lied to congress, claiming he did no such thing.
….It’s an equal shame that wokie policies, DIE-versity and mandatory use of “preferred pronouns” are causing armed forces recruiting to crash.
….It’s an equal shame that Chitcongo is run by a communist.
But hey, why worry? biden’s got everything under control…literally.
The fact that in Indianapolis there are enough people to have a protest about Eritrea and enough to have a counter protest and fight tells me I don’t know what I don’t know. Never saw that one coming. On that last note, I have been wondering why all of these apartments have been getting constructed. My theory is it for all of the people moving out of the old apartments because of all of the immigrants that have moved in. Otherwise I have no idea why. It is beyond astonishment. They are putting up apartments in just about every square inch of available land. The second thought is investors are just putting money into hard income producing assets before the dollar becomes worthless.
“I have been wondering why all of these apartments have been getting constructed. My theory is it for all of the people moving out of the old apartments because of all of the immigrants that have moved in. Otherwise I have no idea why. It is beyond astonishment. They are putting up apartments in just about every square inch of available land. The second thought is investors are just putting money into hard income producing assets before the dollar becomes worthless.”
I reckon the reasoning is two-fold: it’s to house the ever-increasing hoards of ILLEGALS; and so our ‘toddler rulers can profit in the process. After all, like all Ponzi schemes, commie-toddlerism’s salient purpose is to enrich the CULT leadership.