Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accused the European Union of blackmail after a leaked report said the EU was preparing to suspend all funding to Hungary due to its opposition to further aid for Ukraine. Then, a little later, Mr. Orbán backed down and acceded to the approval of $54 billion in aid for Ukraine, causing celebrations in Kiev.
In other news, life expectancy for Ukrainian men has declined dramatically, from 66-67 years before the war to its current level of 57-58 years.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, Insubria, LP, Reader from Chicago, Roger, 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.
Over 500 Journalists Were Laid Off in January 2024 Alone
Over 500 journalists were laid off from news outlets in January, according to a new report released Thursday, as many organizations continue to struggle financially.
The layoffs reflect the grim state of the news business. In January alone, the industry — including print, broadcast and digital media — saw 538 announced layoffs, according to the report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
The job cuts come after an already bleak year. The news industry shed 3,087 digital, broadcast and print news jobs in 2023 — the highest annual total since 2020, when 16,060 cuts were recorded.
In the last month, dozens of layoffs were announced at outlets including NBC News, Time magazine, Business Insider and The Los Angeles Times — the last of which saw more than 100 employees cut. Pitchfork is also facing layoffs as it’s being folded into men’s magazine GQ, and Sports Illustrated is shedding a “significant reduction” of its 100-member workforce. Staffers at Condé Nast walked off the job over the company’s plan to lay off staff.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Jobless Claims Reach Two-Month High, Indicating Labor Market Slowdown
In a sign of potential moderation in the labor market, both initial and continuing claims for unemployment benefits in the United States surged to a two-month high, according to data from the Labor Department released on Thursday, Bloomberg writes.
Initial claims rose by 9,000 to 224,000 in the week ending January 27, as per the Labor Department’s report, missing the median forecast of 212,000 in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Meanwhile, continuing claims, serving as a proxy for individuals receiving unemployment benefits, climbed to 1.9 million in the week ending January 20.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russell Brand flew too close to the sun, it would seem. Just as the popular British comedian was gaining massive attention for confronting global authoritarianism, he was hit with an onslaught of sexual allegations by anonymous accusers, which were amplified throughout the mainstream media.
Brand, known for his left-leaning ideology, articulate critique of the war in Ukraine, and the history of NATO leading up to said war, was rewarded with a clandestine ‘shadow campaign’ against him, which according to Tucker Carlson, “began with governments, not private organizations, but governments, their Intel services and their policy makers.” Brand was even attacked “as a Chinese propagandist” for his views on Ukraine.
“I’ve never been to China. I don’t purport to understand China, certainly don’t advocate for Chinese policy,” Brand told Carlson, who suggested that the ‘Chinese propagandist’ allegations were nothing more than “the early seeds of a very deceptive plant that flowered more than a year later, in September, when you were accused of these crimes,” referring to the sexual assault allegations.
“You were making kind of a remarkable case against the Ukrainian people and certainly not in favor of Russia,” Carlson noted, to which Brand replied: “All we’ve essentially done is listen to brilliant academics talking about the history of NATO and the coup in 2014, in Ukraine, and Putin’s explicit declaration that he would prefer, let’s put it mildly, that Ukraine were not invited into NATO, the sum of the regional disputes, how they’re escalating tensions. This is information that, because of independent media, is available.”
Brand was also attacked after Moderna ‘tracked his content’ during the pandemic, and thinks that we’re at a major inflection point for independent voices.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
11-Year-Old Boy Shot After Being Chased in Atlanta; Police Search for 3 Suspects
Atlanta police are asking for the public’s help in identifying three male suspects who were captured on video chasing down and shooting an 11-year-old boy in January near a busy road.
The shooting was reported after 6 p.m. EST on Jan. 14 on Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., located on Atlanta’s southwest side. Police who responded to the scene found the boy injured with multiple gunshot wounds.
The victim was “alert, conscious, and breathing” before he was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said in a media release.
The mother of the victim, who was not named, told local news outlet WSBTV the boy was released from the hospital and his condition had improved.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Sexual Assault Accuser Tara Reade Sues FBI for $10 Million Alleging Violation of Civil Rights
Tara Reade, the woman has accused President Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the US Department of Justice seeking $10 million in damages for invasion of privacy, emotional distress, and a violation of state and federal constitutional rights.
The tort claim, filed by attorney Dr. Jonathon Levy, accuses the FBI of subjecting Reade to an ongoing FBI operation called “Operation Cassandra” which the plaintiff claims was created to eliminate her as a threat to Joe Biden by means of stalking, retaliation, discrediting, and intimidation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Trump J6 Case REMOVED From DC Court Docket
The J6 case against Donald Trump has been dropped from the court’s public calendar in Washington, DC. The case, brought by special counsel Jack Smith and presided over by Judge Tanya Chutkan, currently has motions pending that are on appeal.
“Former president Donald Trump’s March 4 trial date on charges of plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election has been dropped from the public calendar of the federal court in Washington, a sign of what has long been anticipated — that his claim of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution would delay his trial while it remains on appeal,” the Washington Post reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Legislature Introduces Slavery Reparations Bills
Authored by Eric Lundrum via American Greatness
On Wednesday, lawmakers in the state of California introduced a series of bills aimed at providing reparations for historical slavery, which would include giving out property and financial compensation for alleged descendants of slaves.
As Politico reports, the bills represent the first of their kind in the country, after a rising left-wing movement in favor of reparations first emerged shortly after the 2020 race riots. The California bills had been in the works for the last several years after Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) set up a reparations “task force” to make suggestions, which led to a 111-page report issued last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush Vote No on Bill Banning Hamas Terrorists From US
Only two House lawmakers on Wednesday voted against a measure seeking to ban Hamas terrorists involved in last October’s attack on Israel from ever entering the US — Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.).
The No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act, introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), would deem any members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Palestine Liberation Organization or other individuals who participated in or facilitated the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on the Jewish state ineligible to enter the US, even if seeking asylum.
The bill passed the lower chamber 422-2, with Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) voting present and six members not voting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denny’s Shutters Only Location in Oakland After More Than 54 Years Due to High Crime
America’s diner may always be open, but it’s permanently closing a location that’s fed generations.
Denny’s has closed its location in Oakland, California after 54 years due to high crime in the city.
The restaurant was located at 601 Hegenberg Road. In a company memo shared with local outlets, Denny’s said the decision was not one taken lightly.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Says Shareholders Will Vote on Reincorporating Tesla in Texas
Elon Musk is picking up and moving to Texas…again.
Having already moved Tesla’s manufacturing to the Lone Star state and in the wake of a Delaware Chancery Court ruling this week that saw Musk’s $55 billion pay plan voided, Musk is now seeking to reincorporate Tesla in Texas.
Musk held a poll on his X account this week asking his followers whether or not the company should reincorporate in Texas. The response was an overwhelming ‘yes’, prompting Musk to write: “The public vote is unequivocally in favor of Texas! Tesla will move immediately to hold a shareholder vote to transfer state of incorporation to Texas.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: J6 Prisoner Details Abusive Prison Conditions
Jail conditions for the Jan. 6 political prisoners are “outrageous” and “designed to break you down,” according to one prisoner who gave exclusive comments to PJ Media.
Trump supporter Jake Lang was caught up in the Jan. 6, 2021, protests and says he saved a fellow protester’s life from a similar fate to Rosanne Boyland — namely, being trampled under a stampede. Lang is accused of “Assaultin [sic], Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon” and other charges by the feds for confronting Capitol police with a bat, as I explained in my first piece in this series.
Lang previously told PJ Media that he found and picked up a bat in self-defense in the face of what he calls police brutality, which occurred repeatedly on Jan. 6. As Lang has yet to go to trial despite three years of incarceration, no court has ruled on his actions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minnesota in Play for 2024 as Biden Leads Trump by Only 3 Points: KSTP/SurveyUSA Poll
The state of Minnesota will be one to watch in the 2024 presidential election as a new poll reveals former President Donald Trump is only trailing Joe Biden by a few points.
With nine months left before the general election and Biden’s approval rate among voters slipping, anything could happen in the Gopher State that voted Democrat in 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York (CNN) — A New Jersey man has admitted committing a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey, according to a statement Thursday from the US Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey.
Dion Marsh, 29, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of violating the federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking, relating to a series of incidents from April 2022. Marsh also pleaded guilty to state charges last week, according to a New Jersey Superior Court spokesperson.
Marsh was charged with willfully causing bodily injury to five victims, and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of them because they were Jewish, the US Attorney said. All of the victims survived. US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said Marsh assaulted each of the victims because they were Orthodox Jews.
“This defendant violently attacked five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them, simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews,” Sellinger said in a statement.
“Today, he pleaded guilty to these hate crimes and a carjacking, and my office will ask the judge to impose a sentence that holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate filled rampage,” Sellinger said.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
New Videos Show Towers of Fire That Prompted Evacuations After Last Year’s Fiery Ohio Derailment
Residents of eastern Ohio can now get an up-close view in newly released videos of the twin toxic towers of fire that forced them from their homes last February when officials decided to blow open five tank cars filled with vinyl chloride they worried might explode days after a Norfolk Southern train derailed.
The National Transportation Safety Board released more than a half-dozen videos of the explosions, fire and huge plume of black smoke generated along with a number of documents unearthed in their investigation about what went into the decision to release and burn the vinyl chloride.
Those documents reinforce the questions raised last spring at the hearings the NTSB held in East Palestine, Ohio, about whether the vinyl chloride tank cars really would have exploded while they were surrounded by the fire from the derailment. The officials who made that decision have defended it, saying they made the best call they could with the information they had available that day.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Portland Declares Emergency Over Fentanyl Crisis Three Years After Decriminalizing Drug Possession
The idiots running Portland, Oregon have declared a 90-day state of emergency over an ongoing fentanyl crisis, just three years after decriminalizing possession of all drugs.
State, County and City officials declared the ‘tri-government’ fentanyl emergency following recommendations by the governor-established Portland Central City Task Force late last year. As part of the response, the city, state and county will work together to ‘tackle the crisis’ (sure!), which will include the establishment of a “command center” in the central city to coordinate efforts and “refocus existing resources.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authored by Daniel Idfresne via Campus Reform
Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber said certain critics of America’s universities use “public outrage about antisemitism” as an excuse to justify “other agendas.”
On Jan. 18, Eisgruber published his annual “State of the University Letter” that addresses “the state of the University, its progress toward strategic goals, and major issues relevant to our mission and higher education more broadly.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt Traffic Across DC
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters swarmed Washington, D.C., and disrupted traffic across the city on Thursday morning.
The demonstrators marched along the 400 block of North Capitol Street NW. Police stopped the protesters from marching in the direction of the Capitol. Protesters were also reported at Union Station.
The protesters could be heard on video chanting, “From Palestine to the Philippines! Stop the U.S. war machine! We will free Palestine!” U.S. Capitol police are seen blocking the street to the Capitol.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rep Massie Hints at Impeachment if Biden Starts a War With Iran
Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Wednesday appeared to threaten to pursue the impeachment of President Biden if he started a war with Iran. Massie posted a video from 2007 on X of then-Senator Biden threatening President George W. Bush with impeachment if he went to war with Iran without congressional approval.
“I made it clear to the president that if he takes this nation to war in Iran without congressional approval, I will make it my business to impeach him,” Biden said in the video.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Schumer Announces Text of Funding Bill for Ukraine, Border Will Get Senate Vote Next Week
The long-awaited text of a supplemental spending bill that would fund aid for Ukraine and Israel as well as border security will be released in the coming days and voted on next week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Thursday.
“We plan to post the full text of the national security supplemental as early as tomorrow, no later than Sunday,” Schumer said on the Senate Floor, adding that he would file cloture on the motion one day later with a vote by the full chamber no later than Wednesday.
“There’s no longer a no-vote day [next week],” Schumer emphasized. “While we’re respectful of members’ schedules and try to limit inconveniences, these challenges at the border and in Ukraine and the Middle East are just too great.”
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Posted on February 1, 2024 by John Hinderaker
I wasn’t entirely forthcoming in this post about why I haven’t written much the last few days. It is true that I have been in Washington, mostly to attend the Michael Mann v. Mark Steyn trial. I will write up my thoughts on the trial (or at least, those portions I have seen) when I have time.
But something else has been distracting me: leftists firebombed my office last Saturday night. At around 2 am, they broke into the building that houses Center of the American Experiment and two other conservative organizations with which we often collaborate, along with many other businesses. The arsonists set two fires: one was in the first floor corridor between American Experiment’s office and the space we sublease to Take Charge, Kendall and Sheila Qualls’ organization. A second fire was set on the third floor, immediately outside or perhaps actually inside the office of the Upper Midwest Law Center, on whose board I serve.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A top United Airlines executive suggested the loss of experienced personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for Boeing’s recent string of problems.
United Airlines Executive Vice President Finance Gerry Laderman made the observation at the Airline Economics conference in Dublin, Reuters reported.
“Experience counts, and they need to have a good experienced team righting the ship,” Laderman said.
“Part of the problem for lots of industrial companies is nobody realized the difficulties that we were all going to get hit with as we came out of COVID,” he continued.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s Fertility Rate Has Hit Its Lowest Level in Recorded History
The Canadian fertility rate has hit its lowest level since Statistics Canada began collecting data more than a century ago.
The agency released its most recent numbers Wednesday, showing the birth rate fell to 1.33 children per woman in 2022, well below the replacement level of around 2.1.
Canada’s birth rate dropped from 1.43 in 2021 and continues a “downward trend [that] began in 2009.”
This is a national trajectory with record lows in nearly every province and territories. Quebec and Nova Scotia were the exceptions, says Statistics Canada.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
College Drops Misconduct Allegations Against Ontario Physician Who Criticized COVID Response
Ontario’s medical regulator has dropped its misconduct prosecution of a doctor it previously claimed made “misleading, incorrect or inflammatory statements about vaccinations, treatments and public health measures for COVID-19.”
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has withdrawn its allegations against Dr. Jean Marc Benoit. He was accused of failing to meet the “standard of practice of the profession,” failing to respond in a timely manner to a written inquiry from the college, and engaging in an act or omission that “could reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Claims Canada Needs to Subsidize CBC to ‘Protect Our Democracy’
During Wednesday’s Question Period in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged continued financial support for the CBC because the state-run media is needed “to protect our democracy.”
Trudeau was responding to a question from Quebec Member of Parliament Martin Champoux (BQ-Drummond) who was demanding more money for the Quebec division of CBC, Radio Canada.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“This is Not the Europe We Want”: Farmers Bring the Fight to EU’s Front Door
Protesting farmers were met by riot police with fire hoses just metres from the European Parliament on Thursday, as they tried to grab the attention of the European Council by expressing their collective outrage at EU green policies threatening their livelihood.
In an unusually rowdy protest, even by Brussels standards, tyre fires and tractor blockades greeted European leaders as a transnational coalition of farming groups took to the streets. They are angered by EU green policies—including decrees forcing active farmland to go fallow, restricting the use of fertiliser, and limiting permitted amount of livestock—as well as national edicts such as reduced subsidies on diesel fuel—that are direct results of the EU’s Net Zero commitments.
In remarks to The European Conservative, French MEP Thierry Mariani (Rassemblement National-ID) blamed the uproar on the wishes of EU elites to pursue free trade deals while suffocating native European industry with “Soviet-style administration of agriculture,” as well as relentlessly pursuing Ukrainian integration into EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austrian Farmers Protest Against Ukrainian Grain Imports, Call for Tariffs
Farmers in Austria are protesting against the import of grain from Ukraine and are calling for the introduction of tariffs, as reported by Kurier. The Farmers’ Association of the People’s Party (ÖVP) argues that the EU should impose tariffs on agricultural products from Ukraine to stabilize markets in Europe.
The EU Commission has announced the possibility of reintroducing tariffs on poultry, eggs and sugar if the import quantity from Ukraine exceeds the average for the years 2022 and 2023. However, Austrian farmers find this insufficient. They emphasize the need for further measures, especially for crops, to reduce competition with Ukrainian grain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chaos Erupts in Brussels as Rubber Bullets Fired at Farmers Protesting Outside EU Parliament
Rubber bullets and water cannons were deployed against hundreds of European farmers protesting outside the EU Parliament building in Brussels on Thursday. The farmers threw eggs, set off fireworks, and started fires near the building while demanding that European leaders stop punishing them with more taxes and rising costs imposed to finance a so-called ‘green agenda.’
The protests coincide with a Thursday summit of EU leaders, with the farmers calling on them to scrap agricultural and environmental regulations implemented by leadership in Brussels.
According to reports, farmers have broken through the barricades outside of Parliament and also ignited smoke bombs.
“We want to stop these crazy laws that come every single day from the European Commission,” said Jose Maria Castilla, a farmer in Brussels representing the Spanish farmers’ union, Asaja.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Enraged Italian and Lithuanian Farmers Join Demonstrations
Italian and Lithuanian farmers are protesting against regulations that are endangering their livelihoods—joining Belgian, French, Spanish, Polish, and Romanian farmers in an EU-wide wave of anger.
“Europe imposes rules on us that make no sense. We can no longer make a living. We want to make more money and have our products valued for what they are,” Luisito Naldi, one of the organisers of protests in northern Italy told AFP.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Shifts Focus From Climate to Weapons
Resistance to climate change regulations is growing in the European Union, and the protracted war between Russia and Ukraine has been accompanied by a series of conflicts around the world. As a result, member states have started to turn their backs on “greening” the economy and are focusing instead on defense investment, Hungarian business news site Vilaggazdasag reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Will Fail to Deliver 1 Million Artillery Shells to Ukraine by March Deadline
The European Union will not meet its target of delivering 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine by March, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said in Brussels on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference following an informal meeting of EU defense ministers, Borrell recalled that last year member states agreed to supply Ukraine with 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition, but so far only 330,000 have been delivered to the war-torn country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eurofederalist Lobby Projects Propaganda Onto Commission HQ
On Tuesday night, January 30th, the European Movement (EMI) projected a propaganda video onto the Berlaymont, the European Commission’s headquarters in Brussels. While at first glance, the message seems only to be about Ukraine, the organization’s leader later stated that it was meant as an argument for sidelining Hungary and stripping member states of their veto rights.
The short video depicted the European capital being bombed by Russia, saying “If we tolerate [the invasion of Ukraine], then we will be next!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France’s 2 Key Farmers Unions Suspend Protests After the Government Offers New Measures
PARIS (AP) — France’s two major farmers unions announced they would lift country-wide blockades Thursday, shortly after the prime minister introduced new measures aimed at protecting their livelihoods that they described as “tangible progress.”
However, farmer activists who have snarled traffic along major highways around Paris said they would stay put at least another day to see the government commitments in writing, and both unions said they would closely monitor any government implementation.
“We don’t want to hear words of love. What we want is proof of love,” said Thierry Desforges, a farm union member at road blockade of the A6 highway in Chilly-Mazarin, south of Paris.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Globalists Place Former Intel Chief Under Investigation for Alleged ‘Right-Wing Extremism’
Hans-Georg Maaßen, the former chairman of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), finds himself officially under observation by the agency due to suspected involvement in right-wing extremism.
Maaßen, now a focal point of scrutiny, has gone public with serious accusations against Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), who holds oversight of the intelligence service, Junge Freiheit reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Attempt to Deport IS Leader Faces Mounting Challenges
Germany is grappling with challenges in the attempted deportation of Ahmad Abdulaziz A., one of Europe’s most dangerous Islamists and the head of the terrorist organization “Islamic State” (IS).
Abdulaziz, also known as “Abu Walaa,” is set to be released from prison soon, prompting the German authorities to pursue his deportation. However, legal obstacles and the absence of a deportation agreement with Iraq may hinder the process.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A far-left German extremist has been sentenced to three years in Hungarian prison almost a year after his involvement in a series of brutal beatings targeting alleged right-wing sympathizers in the capital city of Budapest.
The case, which garnered ample media attention in both Hungary and Germany, dates back to February of last year, when a group of Antifa extremists targeted nine people in Budapest — seriously injuring six. As Remix News reported at the time, video surveillance captured one of the attacks and showed the vicious assault in detail, including the suspects delivering hammer blows to the head of one of the individuals who was misidentified as a right-wing extremist. He was actually a tobacco store worker on his way to work.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
If Ukraine ceases to exist as a state, Hungary’s far-right Our Homeland (Mi Hazank) political movement would claim Transcarpathia, a region near the Hungarian border with a sizeable Hungarian majority, said Our Homeland President Laszló Toroczkai.
This comes fresh on the heels of a similar claim from Romania’s far-right AUR party, in which party President Claudia Tarziu said Romania should ditch its NATO membership and help Russia carve up Ukraine to return the country to its former glory and reunify its territories.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Irish Farmer Protests: ‘We’re in Solidarity With Our EU Counterparts’
Hundreds of farmers protested in counties across Ireland last night to show “solidarity with their EU counterparts”.
In recent days, farmers have brought their tractors to cities across Europe, blocking major roadways in protest at a range of issues including rising costs, increased regulations, and cheaper food imports.
The agricultural community in Ireland feels it is being “overregulated”, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), with common “issues” shared with farmers who are protesting in Germany, France, Belgium, and other EU member states.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: EU Was Wrong on Farmers, Now Must Change Says Meloni
Hopeful that ideological approach will end after EP poll says PM
The EU was wrong to force farmers to leave their fields fallow for a year to cut climate-impacting emissions, to allow cheap Ukrainian imports in and to enact another set of policies penalising the agricultural sector, and now the EU must change, Premier Giorgia Meloni said after an EU summit on Thursday.
“I was the political leader of a party (the rightwing Brothers of Italy, ed.) that voted against most of the issues now criticised by farmers in the EU,” she said.
“In Italy we have already done our best but European policy must be changed, I have asked for greater efforts but a change of line may come after the European elections, hoping that a different approach will prevail from the ideological one seen so far”, she said, referring to policies aimed at mitigating the climate disaster.
Representatives of the largest Belgian and European farmers’ associations will meet the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Brussels this afternoon., announced the Belgian EU presidency-in-office and Copa-Cogeca, the association of EU agricultural cooperatives.
The talks come after a day of high tension in Brussels, where more than a thousand tractors blocked the streets of the European Parliament quarter while the extraordinary EU leaders’ summit on the EU budget was in progress.
Farmers have also been halting traffic in Italy in a string of protests against EU policy.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Salis Found Guilty of Resisting Arrest Last July Says League
Is it normal for a teacher to be stopped with a bludgeon?
Ilaria Salis, a 39-year-old anti-fascist on trial in Budapest for allegedly attacking two neo-Nazis last February, was definitively convicted in July for resisting arrest, the rightwing League party said Thursday reiterating its criticism of her actions and asking whether it was OK for an elementary school teacher like her to be caught with a bludgeon.
Ina statement, the League said it “noted with curiosity Salis’s father’s decision to sue League leader Matteo Salvini for defamation”.
It voiced the hope that she would be found innocent, “unlike on July 3 2023 with a sentence conformed by the (supreme court of) Cassation for moral complicity in resisting an officer”.
It added: “Of course, there remains the question: is it normal for an elementary schoolteacher to be stopped in a European capital with a bludgeon”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Activists Spray Paint on Rome Fountain in Circus Animal Protest
Rome (AFP) — Two activists from Italian campaign group Animal Rebellion threw paint Thursday over the lion fountain in Rome’s iconic Piazza del Popolo, to protest against the presence of animals in circuses.
They used what they said was washable yellow and red paint, before putting up a banner saying: “End animals in circuses.”
Tourists in the historic city centre square took photos with their phones before cleaners arrived to wash off the paint, some of which dripped into the water.
In a statement, the group said the action marked the launch of the “Kimba campaign” to end the “violent and oppressive” exploitation of animals in circuses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy’s conservative government is complaining that an Italian citizen, Ilaria Salis, accused of participating in brutal far-left attacks in Budapest, is facing so-called harsh conditions in Hungary’s prison system.
Among the critics of the woman’s treatment, which included her being handcuffed and shackled when she appeared in court, is Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who told the Italian parliament that the 39-year-old Salis faced “degrading and humiliating” treatment from the Hungarians.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Labour Under Massive Pressure From British Muslims Over Gaza Stance
Polls indicate that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is losing the support of a large number of Muslim voters by refusing to call on Israel to cease fire permanently in its war against Hamas. The head of one West Midlands mosque said that congregants who were brought up to “blindly” support Labour are now “opening their eyes.”
Historically, polling suggests that close to three-quarters of Britain’s Muslim population feels electorally most closely aligned to Labour. This is changing; a flashpoint issue for some party members came when Starmer claimed in October that Israel “has the right” to withhold power and water from Gaza. There is increased scope—what party officials have described as “huge pressure” from Muslim constituents—for significant defections from Labour’s electoral base.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
OpenAI’s GPT-4: Impact on Bioweapon Development Raises Questions About AI Misuse
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, explored the potential misuse of its most advanced artificial intelligence to develop bioweapons. The study’s findings indicate that while the language model GPT-4 could marginally ease the development process, the statistical difference compared to someone relying solely on the internet is not significant, as reported by Spiegel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Orban Accuses Brussels of Waging Ideological War Against Hungary Following Damaging Leaked Report
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused the European Union of blackmail after a report was leaked which suggested the bloc was preparing to suspend all funding to Budapest if the Hungarian leader doesn’t budge on his opposition to using the EU budget to further fund Ukraine’s war effort.
In an interview with French weekly magazine, Le Point, the Hungarian leader doubled down on his government’s stance regarding the ongoing conflict and insisted he would not be coerced into departing from his principles.
“Nothing has changed. So the Hungarian position remains clear: As time goes on, we continue to believe that there is no military solution to the war in Ukraine,” Orban told the publication.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over 1,000 Swedish Artists Call for Israel to be Banned From Eurovision Song Contest
Over 1,000 Swedish artists, including many popular names in the country, are calling for the European Radio and Television Union (EBU) to ban Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest set to take place in Malmö, Sweden, this spring.
“Israel’s brutal warfare in Gaza has destroyed vital civilian infrastructure, caused inhumane living conditions and forced 85 percent of the residents to flee,” reads the open letter, as published in Aftonbladet.
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Overcrowding in Belgian Prisons Reaches Record High
The Belgian prison system, already infamous for being overcrowded, has reached a record high number of 12,012 inmates, while having room for only 10,500.
According to the Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang party, the explanation for the prisons’ excess population is clearly linked to immigration.
“40% of the prisoners do not even have our nationality,” chairman Tom Van Grieken tweeted this week. “30% [of those] are even here illegally. Let them serve their sentences in their own country. Only through repatriations can one truly solve our prisons’ problem. Full up=full up.”
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Statistics Poland (GUS) has released its latest demographic estimates for 2023, revealing a concerning 11 percent decrease in births and a natural decrease of 137,000 inhabitants, equivalent to the disappearance of an entire medium-sized city’s population in just one year.
The figures paint a grim picture of the nation’s demographic future.
According to the data, only 272,000 children were born in Poland last year, confirming previous estimates and signaling a significant demographic shift. This marks a historic low in fertility rates, dropping below 1.20 for the first time, positioning Poland among the countries with the lowest fertility rates worldwide.
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Polish Ex-PM Backs Fidesz Entry to Conservative Group in European Parliament
Poland’s recently unseated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki endorsed Hungarian Fidesz’s entry to the European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) group Wednesday, ahead of this week’s European Council meeting. He added that a recently leaked report on EU plans to sabotage the Hungarian economy marked a dangerous precedent for European democracy.
Morawiecki made the comments at a press conference alongside ECR’s co-chair Professor Ryszard Antoni Legutko, saying that he was “open to Fidesz joining the ECR group” after the 2024 European election— but that ultimately such a decision was the prerogative of Fidesz itself.
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Polish Culture Ministry Produces a Blacklist of Organizations and Media
The revelations of a black list being drawn up by the Polish Ministry of Culture under Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz has been called “a scandal and an attack on civil society” by Marcin Warchol, the former justice minister in the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) administration.
“It’s the destruction of social organizations and media institutions. It’s not just public media anymore, but also private associations and foundations that do not speak with Donald Tusk’s voice are to be attacked. It’s simply about closing the system,” Warchold told television wPolsce.pl.
The news outlet wPolityce.pl obtained the list from an exchange of correspondence between the ministry and one of its contacts, in which the ministry discusses cutting funding and contact with a number of media outlets and organizations.
The blacklisted bodies include the Christian charity Caritas Polska, the Catholic legal think tank Ordo Iuris, independent television TV Republika, conservative weeklies Do Rzeczy, Sieci, Fronda and Tygodnik Solidarnosc, as well as a large number of Catholic and conservative civil society groups.
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Spain: Defending What We Love: An Interview With Jorge Martin Frias
Jorge Martin Frias is the director of Fundación Disenso, the think-tank of the VOX Party in Spain. The co-author of the 2020 book, La hora de España: una afirmación liberal-conservadora (Spain’s Hour: a Liberal-Conservative Affirmation), he has worked as a political consultant and advisor to numerous organizations. He was previously the head of training at the FAES think-tank. He holds a degree in philosophy from the Complutense University in Madrid and a master’s degree in political and institutional communications from Ortega y Gasset University Institute.
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Spanish Parliament Rejects Amnesty Bill for Catalan Separatists
In the end, Catalan separatists struck down their own amnesty.
On Tuesday, the controversial—and likely unconstitutional—bill proposing legal immunity for a wide swath of crimes committed by Catalan separatists, spanning decades and two attempts to unilaterally declare the region’s independence from Spain, faced a vote in the country’s lower chamber of parliament. However, the very party that had insisted on its creation voted against it.
The bill was a crucial concession to the hard-core Catalan separatist party Junts per Cat by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his socialist party. Sanchez needed their support to form another coalition government and stay in power.
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Suspicions Grow About German Left-Wing Website’s Shady Reporting
A left-wing German publication that falsely accused the nationalist AfD party of planning to “deport millions of Germans with a migrant background,” has come under fire for altering its story—again.
As we previously reported, Correctiv, a partly Soros-funded investigative website, made explosive claims earlier this month of a top-level meeting between AfD officials and members of the European ‘ethnocultural transnational’ Identitarian Movement—joined by a small number of officials from the centre-right CDU—alleging the existence of a right-wing plot to deport millions of migrants, including those with German citizenship. The article resulted in hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets around Germany to protest against ‘far-right extremism.’
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‘The EU Threatens to Destroy Hungary’s Economy,’ Warns US Foreign Policy Expert
After the Financial Times published an explosive leak detailing a plan to sabotage Hungary’s economy if it vetoes €50 billion in aid to Ukraine, the criticism continues to roll in, including from U.S. foreign policy and national security expert Shea Bradley-Farrell.
“The EU threatens to destroy Hungary’s economy, tramples its sovereignty, and ignores the clear will of Hungarian citizens,” the expert wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“Sadly, this is nothing new: Hungary’s refusal to embrace a far-Left liberal social agenda has angered not only the EU, but also the Biden administration and their compliant media elite, none of which have allowed truth or common sense to shape their behavior toward an ally member state of the EU and NATO,” wrote the U.S. expert in her statement.
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The Czech Republic Discusses Strengthening Police Monitoring of Social Networks and Messengers
The Czech government is currently grappling with the question of adopting a set of measures to prevent a similar tragedy to the recent one in Prague (shooting at the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University), as reported by Seznam Zpravy.
Among other measures, there is a proposal to intensify monitoring of social networks since potential criminals often maintain online diaries before committing a crime.
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The Greens’ Alleged Russian Agent Prompts Spy Scare in EU Parliament
Three Latvian MEPs have warned about Russian intelligence assets working in the European Parliament after allegations surfaced against an independent MEP, formerly of the Greens/European Free Alliance.
A joint letter from the MEPs, dated Tuesday, January 30th, has prompted the Parliament to launch an official investigation, after The Insider claimed that MEP Tatjana Ždanoka —a Latvian member of the Green party until April 2022—had been working for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the direct successor of the Soviet-era KGB.
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The number of thefts in Poland is on the rise, with inflation cited as a primary cause, according to Rzeczpospolita. However, inflation is not the sole factor contributing to this uptick. Another significant reason is the adjustment of the legal threshold for theft to be classified as a criminal offense, which has been raised to 800 zlotys (€186). If a thief steals under that amount, it will not be treated as a criminal offense, which critics say incentivizes theft.
Statistics from the National Police Headquarters reveal a concerning trend: Over 40,000 thefts were recorded in stores in 2023, marking a 22.2 percent increase from 2022 and a staggering 60 percent rise from 2021 figures.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tractor-Driving Portuguese Farmers Block Roads to Spain as Protests Grow
CAIA, Portugal, Feb 1 (Reuters) — Portuguese farmers used tractors to block at least three roads linking Portugal to Spain on Thursday, joining Europe-wide protests over a range of grievances, from cheaper imports to insufficient state aid and bureaucracy.
The government on Wednesday announced emergency aid worth 500 million euros for farmers to try to avoid the kind of mass protests causing disruption in France and Brussels, but a small group of farmers, feeling under-represented in public discussion on the issue, contacted each other on social media and decided to take action.
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Two Former Ministers Jailed in Poland: Was it Justice or Political Revenge?
This article is republished courtesy of Sovereinty.pl
What exactly did Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have two former PiS ministers arrested for? Even after their release following President Duda’s second pardon, the case of former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski and former Deputy Minister Maciej Wasik is continuing to fuel a political debate in Poland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government Backtracks on Recognising Palestinian State
Britain’s foreign secretary has been forced to clarify that his position on Israel’s campaign against the Hamas terror group has not changed after his own party’s backbenchers hit out against comments on Wednesday.
Lord David Cameron of Chipping Norton, who, as many expected, has made a string of controversial foreign policy decisions since being appointed to government towards the end of last year, opened the door to the UK formally recognising a Palestinian state. He told a room of Arab ambassadors meeting in London that it was “most important” to give “the Palestinian people a political horizon,” which would involve a two-state solution and “crucially the establishment of a Palestinian state.” It is important to note that recognition, it is suggested, would be granted before, not after, the completion of a peace deal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authored by Paul D. Thacker via The Disinformation Chronicle
While America has chosen to ignore most COVID policy failures, unless they can be used to score partisan political points, the British government has been running a COVID Inquiry, examining mistakes the government made to better prepare for the next pandemic. The proceedings took an interesting turn in recent days, when top government advisor Mark Woolhouse at the University of Edinburgh lambasted the BBC for misrepresenting COVID risks to promote harmful lockdowns, while senior government advisor Devi Sridhar, also at the University of Edinburgh, kind of admitted that she maybe, perhaps gave poor advice—alerting several reporters who began calling her out on social media and documenting her blatant lies.
The statements by both academics underscore that lockdowns failed as a pandemic policy but were enforced with the help of media who, instead of challenging government policies, began promoting them.
“I find it extraordinary that no formal assessment of the expected impact of lockdown was implemented,” testified Woolhouse, who studies infectious disease epidemiology, and advises the Scottish government on pandemics. “This despite it being obvious that lockdown was likely to cause severe harms to the economy, education, mental health, health care access and societal well-being … exacerbating inequalities.”
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UK: Conservative Lawmaker Driven Out of Politics Due to Threats From Islamist Extremists
A U.K. Conservative lawmaker has revealed he will not contest the next general election and will leave politics due to a string of death threats, an arson attack on his constituency office, and ongoing intimidation from Islamist groups.
Mike Freer announced his decision to step back from frontline politics in a statement posted by his local Conservative association on Wednesday evening.
He has represented Finchley and Golders Green constituency in north London since 2010. As a parliamentary seat with a sizeable Jewish population, Freer has been a staunch supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself and has been outspoken on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Thousands of German Fine Notices Possibly Unlawful
German and other European drivers have received fines of up to five figures for violating London’s environmental zone rules, but these penalties may have been issued unlawfully. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), a company, acting on behalf of London’s Transport for London (TfL), has allegedly obtained data of German vehicle owners in an illicit manner, as reported by Spiegel.
This data was then used to pursue alleged violations of the rules for London’s environmental zones, ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone), and LEZ (Low Emission Zone), resulting in European vehicle owners facing substantial demands.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Celebrates EU Approval of $54BN Aid Package After Hungary’s Orban Caved
“We have a deal,” European Council President Charles Michel announced on X Thursday, declaring that all 27 European Union countries have finally agreed to the additional 50-billion-euro ($54bn) aid package for Ukraine, which was under threat of Hungarian veto.
The unanimous approval “locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine” and further demonstrates the “EU is taking leadership and responsibility in support for Ukraine; we know what is at stake,” Michel said.
Ukrainian President Zelensky too hailed the ‘victory’ — stressing that “It is very important that the decision was made by all 27 leaders, which once again proves strong EU unity.”
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Viktor Orban Meets Protesting Farmers in Brussels as EU Hit With Mass Protests in Multiple Countries
Upon his arrival in Brussels for Thursday’s EU summit, Prime Minister Viktor Orban met farmers demonstrating in the city center, with whom he discussed the need for European leaders to pay much more attention to the voice of the people, Bertalan Havasi, the Hungarian prime minister’s press chief, told national news agency MTI.
He added that Orban also held talks with former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Brussels on Wednesday evening.
“We need new leaders, a new elite in Europe, because at the moment — whether it is migration or the war in Ukraine — the voice of the man in the street is not taken seriously, and this is a democratic deficit,” Orban told Belgian journalists.
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Italy Working With France, Germany on Red Sea Mission — Tajani
Finalising proposal for Foreign Affairs Council on Monday
Italy is working with France and Germany to finalise a proposal for a European mission to protect Red Sea shipping from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani said Wednesday.
“We are working so that alongside the Atalanta operation there might be a European military mission in the Red Sea,” said Tajani at a press conference on Italy’s G7 duty presidency in Rome.
“The hypothesis is to expand the the existing mission to protect trade in (the Strait of) Hormuz,” he added, referring to the AGENOR operation in the Gulf.
Operation Atalanta is a EU naval mission against Somali pirates.
Tajani said the proposal, which also envisages the possible participation of non-EU countries, will be discussed by EU foreign ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday.
“With France and Germany we are formalising a proposal to present to the other EU partners, but I am optimistic,” continued the minister, adding that he hoped the political decision would be taken at the Monday meeting so that the mission “can be operational as soon as possible”.
“Ships in the Red Sea do not have rules of engagement to attack but they have the right to defend and protect merchant ships in the event of attack, including through the use of weapons,” said Tajani, adding that the government is ready to illustrate its action in relation to the security situation in the Red Sea to parliament.
On Italy’s seventh G7 presidency the foreign minister said it wants “to strengthen (the group) as an instrument of stability, in the face of two wars and a crisis in the Red Sea”.
“Our goal is to strengthen cohesion and stability,” he added, insisting that Italian foreign policy aims to make the country a global protagonist and promote peace.
“Our polar stars are the United States and the EU,” said Tajani.
“And we are working on growth: we are a great exporting power, we are strengthening our commitment to growth.
I am thinking of Vietnam, a market in which Italy can play a leading role,” he added.
Tajani also said “Italy, together with the EU, will continue to support Ukraine in (defending) its right to exist”.
“We want a peace that implies not that there is a winner and a loser, but that is in accordance with international law.
Ukraine is defending its freedom and that of Europe,” he added.
On the crisis in the Middle East sparked by the brutal and unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas Islamist militants on Israel that killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, Italy’s chief diplomat said he would be on mission to Lebanon, Israel and Palestine “in the coming days” to “convey another message of peace and dialogue”.
“We are doing everything to help Palestinian civilians. We are supporters of the solution of two peoples and two states,” he continued, insisting that a two-State solution is “the only road to peace in that tormented land”.
“October 7 saw a hunt for men, for women, for children, for Jews, with unprecedented violence: the desecration of the bodies was an act of cowardice,” said Tajani, adding that “what happened was a war crime about which too little is said”.
On migration, the foreign minister said it is “not only a matter of public order” and that “a strategic approach” is needed to manage it.
“If, as the pope reminded us, we want to defend the right not to emigrate, we must resolve problems such as wars, climate change, disease and poverty,” continued Tajani.
“The G7 will be an opportunity to address these issues.” In this respect, he said Italy’s Mattei Plan to create a new strategic partnership with African countries and address the root causes of illegal migration and beat smuggling gangs in the process “is a model for looking at Africa with an African and not a European lens”.
“I have always thought that it should be part of a new great Marshall Plan in order to work together with African countries,” he added.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
US Company Says Hostage-Taking by Gunmen at Its Factory in Turkey in Gaza Protest Has Been Resolved
ISTANBUL — Two gunmen took seven hostages at a factory owned by U.S. company Procter & Gamble in northwest Turkey on Thursday, according to media reports, apparently in protest of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Turkish media published an image of one of the purported suspects inside the factory, a man wearing what appeared to be a rudimentary explosives belt and holding a handgun.
Hours later, a P&G spokesperson said the situation at its plant in Gebze in the province of Kocaeli had been resolved and all personnel were safe and the assailant apprehended by law enforcement. The statement from the spokesperson referred to one assailant.
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Dismissal of Ukraine Army Chief a Matter of Time?
Reports of a deteriorating relationship between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and commander-in-chief General Valery Zaluzhnyi have resurfaced once again, with the former apparently intent on sacking the latter.
Various Ukrainian and British media sources have reported that Zelensky told Zaluzhny on Monday, January 29th, to resign from his post, threatening to dismiss him by presidential decree, but that the general refused to do so and potential replacements have declined to take on the role.
Ukrainian publication Dzerkalo Tyzhnia revealed that Zaluzhnyi has no intention of submitting a letter of resignation. The paper noted that, in order to remove someone from the post by presidential decree, the defence minister must also give a corresponding order. According to the Financial Times, the fate of Zaluzhnyi is already sealed—the question is when that will happen, and who will replace him. The Ministry of Defence has denied the reports, stating they are “not true.”
However, the Ukrainian publication New Voice begs to differ.
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Life Expectancy for Ukrainian Men Has Dropped to 57 Amid War
Startling statistics from Ukraine reveal a dramatic decline in life expectancy, particularly among men, just two years into the Russian war of aggression.
Before the conflict, experts estimated the life expectancy for men to be around 66-67 years, but it has now plummeted to 57-58 years, the Austrian press reported.
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Fake Uber Driver is Sent Back to Pakistan After Sexually Assaulting a Teenage Girl in Melbourne
Pakastani national Faizan Abdullah was posing as an Uber driver when he sexually assaulted a Melbourne teenager after she had ordered a car.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Federal Development Minister Svenja Schulze has refuted claims by opposition politicians her department has spent over €350 million on the construction of cycle paths in Peru to help fight climate change.
In an interview with Zeit Online, the Social Democrat (SPD) minister admitted that significant funding had been sent to Peru for these projects but claimed the figure was closer to €44 million and stressed the importance of Germany’s continued involvement in such initiatives.
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75% of House Democrats Voted Against Deporting Criminal Migrants Who Commit Social Security Fraud
Democrats talk a big game about ‘Republican attacks on Social Security,’ but 75% of House Dems just voted against deporting migrants who commit Social Security fraud.
Introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) in December, H.R. 6678 passed with 172 “yea” votes, and 155 “nay” votes — all Democrats, with 55 of them voting with the Republicans.
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Border Protest Convoy to Make Stops in Texas, Arizona, California
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (NewsNation) — A convoy of protestors calling themselves “God’s Army” was in Texas Thursday as the group made their way to California. It’s day four of a two-week-long protest to raise awareness about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Supporters have traveled from all areas of the country — from states like New Jersey, Missouri and Georgia — to be part of the “Take Our Border Back Convoy,” which began in Norfolk, Virginia.
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Florida is Deploying the National Guard to Texas to Strengthen the Border
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the deployment of approximately a thousand National Guard members to Texas to assist in fortifying the border. This decision comes in light of the escalating migration crisis along the US-Mexico border.
The Florida National Guard battalion will collaborate with volunteers from the state’s guard and will focus on border reinforcement and the construction of additional barriers. The governor emphasized that their goal is to halt the “invasion on the southern border once and for all.”
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Germany: Federal States Agree on Payment Cards for Asylum Seekers
In a significant shift, 14 out of 16 federal states in Germany have reached an agreement to transition part of the welfare state benefits for asylum seekers from cash to a payment card system.
Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are also on board but are opting for individualized implementations. Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) revealed the states’ decision to retain flexibility in determining the amount of cash to be disbursed alongside the new payment card, Junge Freiheit reports.
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The House passed a bill Thursday that will enable law enforcement to deport illegal migrants caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The measure passed with the support of 274 lawmakers, but a staggering 150 Democrats voted against it.
The Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that illegal migrants caught driving under the influence can be deported and not allowed back into the U.S.
‘In the United States, someone dies in a crash with an impaired driver every 45 minutes,’ Rep. Barry Moore, who introduced the bill, told Fox News.
‘I lost two of my young newlywed constituents to an illegal immigrant driving under the influence of alcohol.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
London Chemical Attacker is Ex-Asylum Seeker Say Sources as New CCTV Image Released by Police
The man behind the horrific chemical attack in London is an ex-asylum seeker, sources have told GB News.
It is understood that Abdul Shokoor Ezedi arrived into the UK in a lorry in 2016.
He failed twice in previous applications to be granted asylum in the UK, before being ultimately successful.
It has also been revealed that Ezedi was convicted of a sexual offence at Newcastle Crown Court in 2018, prior to being granted asylum.
Sources have told GB News, that he was handed a suspended sentence for “sexual assault/exposure” with an unpaid work order.
He was then discharged from probation supervision in 2020 when the work order was completed.
This comes as the Metropolitan Police released a new image of Ezedi, who is currently on the run.
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Majority of Germans Reject Left-Liberal Government’s Radical Immigration Law
A majority of Germans oppose the government’s radical immigration law, which will allow up to 2.5 million foreigners to obtain German citizenship in time for the federal election in 2025.
The poll, which was conducted by Insa on behalf of the Protestant News Agency, found that 51 percent of Germans are opposed to the new law, with only 32 percent supporting it. Not only is the law opposed by the majority of Germans, but they have a 19-point lead over supporters. Another 14 percent said they did not know how they felt about the law, and 3 percent had no answer for pollsters.
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Two More Migrants Are Arrested Over Times Square Attack on Cops…
— as Governor Kathy Hochul finally U-turns on her pledge to keep NY a sanctuary state and threatens to DEPORT them
Two more migrants have been arrested over a vicious attack on NYPD officers in Times Square — bringing the total arrests to seven — as Kathy Hochul threatens to deport them.
Yohenry Brito, 24, and Jandry Barros, 21, were arrested and charged with Robbery and Felony Assault on Wednesday, according to the New York Police Department.
The brutal attack happened on Saturday around 8:30 p.m. in Times Square when officers attempted to disperse a disorderly group in front of 220 West 42 Street.
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UK Population to Hit 70 Million Earlier Than Predicted Due to Record Immigration
Almost eight years after Britons voted to leave the European Union—in an explicit signal to politicians to “take back control” of national borders—immigration levels now mean that a major population milestone is likely to be reached a decade early.
Official figures show that net migration will drive up the UK population to over 70 million by 2026, 11 years earlier than predicted. If correct, this would be the strongest indicator yet that immigration to the UK has become out of control.
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The number of migrants landing in Dover after crossing the Channel on small boats is at the highest level since 2022’s record.
During the first 31 days of 2024, a total of 1,335 migrants successfully crossed the Channel, despite almost constant storms and poor weather conditions — a 13 per cent increase over the same period last year.
Last year there there were 1,180, compared with 1,339 in 2022.
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Culturally Specific Graduation Ceremonies Canceled at University of Texas After New Law Banning DEI
Several culturally specific graduation ceremonies scheduled to take place at the University of Texas at Austin this year have been canceled after the school’s Multicultural Engagement Center was forced to cease official operations in compliance with anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion legislation passed in the state legislature.
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The El Paso Police Department has introduced a set of new policies aimed at changing how “gender-diverse individuals” are treated by officers and other members of the force.
The move, which comes after months of consultation with LGBTQ community groups such as the Borderland Rainbow Center, will require police to ask about preferred pronouns and names, and prevent them from conducting searches to determine someone’s sex, among other things.
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The Czech Republic is one of several European countries where an official gender change is not possible without undergoing castration. In an open letter to Prime Minister Petr Fiala, around two dozen major non-governmental organizations and prominent figures have requested the government to stop putting transgender individuals at risk and to not violate international obligations, as reported by Novinky.cz.
There has been no response from the Prime Minister to the open letter. The lack of initiative and support from his side is blamed for the fact that this serious issue remains unresolved.
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Italy: Psychotherapy Not Used in All Cases of GD Treated at Careggi
According to preliminary results of health ministry inspection
In not all cases of pediatric gender dysphoria (GD) treated at the Careggi hospital in Florence has psychotherapy been used as recommended before the administration of the drug triptorelin, according to preliminary data collected by inspectors deployed by the health ministry last week, sources told ANSA on Wednesday.
GD is the mismatch between gender identity and the sex assigned at birth.
Triptorelin is sometimes used to delay puberty in patients with GD to give them time to gain awareness of their gender identity and prepare for the psychological, medical, developmental, social and legal issues that may lie ahead of them.
Last Wednesday the government sent inspectors to the Careggi to “check whether the regulations have been followed,” said Health Minister Orazio Schillaci.
“It is absolutely not a punitive gesture,” he added.
Mara Campitiello, the head of the minister’s technical secretariat, told ANSA at the time that Schillaci would receive the inspectors’ report within 15 days.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Portuguese President Vetoes ‘Gender Self-Determination’
Portuguese conservatives and opponents of the woke agenda won a major victory this week as President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa vetoed a last-minute legal package that would have allowed parents to choose ‘gender-neutral’ names for their children. The Left is in uproar.
Just as Portugal embarked on an unprecedented, three-way election campaign that might see the national-conservative Chega! party rise to second place, the Left was busy using its crumbling parliamentary majority to codify a number of ‘gender ideology’-inspired provisions. The new legislation, which was approved by parliament after it had been dissolved by President Rebelo de Sousa, would have allowed citizens to register ‘non-male and non-female names.’ Another bill known as the ‘gender identity self-determination law’ would open the way for ‘mixed’ bathrooms and locker rooms for school-age children. The proposals earned stiff opposition from civil society, with a petition against them drawing over 50,000 signatures in a few weeks.
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A pro-life activist could face over ten years in prison after a Tennessee court found him and five other activists guilty of violating federal law for protesting at an abortion clinic in 2021.
Paul Vaughn told Fox News that he and others were found guilty of felony conspiracy and violating the FACE Act by peacefully singing hymns at an abortion clinic.
“Well, apparently, Laura, I’m guilty of talking with police officers and not getting arrested the day of the event. That makes you a felon in Joe Biden’s Department of Justice,” he said on Wednesday’s “The Ingraham Angle.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Life Catastrophe: MPs Vote for Abortion in the French Constitution
Members of the French National Assembly, including conservatives such as Marine Le Pen, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of enshrining “the freedom to have an abortion” in the constitution of the Fifth Republic. Only a handful of conservative MPs and independents resisted and voiced their opposition. The bill must now be approved by the Senate, where the opposition is expected to be stronger.
A few months ago, President Emmanuel Macron said he was in favour of enshrining the right to abortion in the constitution, and a government-initiated bill was submitted to MPs. It follows previous bills, initially put forward by left-wing MPs, to provide a French response to the end of the Roe v. Wade ruling in the United States.
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Do the COVID-19 “Vaccines” Demonstrate the Collapse of Science?
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Pfizer’s own evidence that the Covid “vaccine” is the deadliest drug ever – authorities, doctors, journalists are lying
(peoplesvoice.locals.com)
https://rumble.com/v4aaktf-covid-vaccines-are-officially-deadliest-drug-in-history-and-nobody-is-allow.html
The Pfizer Covid-19 mRNA vaccine is now officially the most deadly drug in the history of Western medicine, killing and injuring hundreds of millions of people, with new cases emerging every single day as the fallout from the rollout continues to blow out exponentially.
But don’t take my word from it. The data that proves Covid vaccines are the deadliest drug in the long history of Western medicine is taken from Pfizer’s own documents.
That’s right – Pfizer have released documents admitting the unprecedented carnage caused by their product.
While previous deadly drugs caused a scandal in their day – think of Thalidomide, for instance – nobody is allowed to talk about the fact experimental mRNA vaccines have killed an extraordinary number of people.
The cover up is extraordinary and it continues to this day with Bill Gates recently boasting of a new range of mRNA vaccines for every conceivable ailment.
This evil plot against humanity has been in the works for years, and those who know the truth have a duty to expose it to as many people as possible.
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The result of this collapse is what could, at worst, turn out to be the biggest medical scandal in world history.
https://gatesofvienna.net/2024/01/do-the-covid-19-vaccines-demonstrate-the-collapse-of-science/
Sam Harris: 5 Myths about Israel and the War in Gaza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foy8VP0XtIk
Some important things to know about the current Russian leadership, why they arrived at their course of action and consequences for the future, based upon Putin’s admission of naivety about the West
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-envisages-building-new-veteran-led-russian-elite
“Some important things to know about the current Russian leadership, why they arrived at their course of action”
By “action”, I presume you’re referring to Russia’s “Special Military Operation” (in Ukraine). Here’s my take..
“U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s famous “not one inch eastward” assurance about NATO expansion in his meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990, was part of a cascade of assurances about Soviet security given by Western leaders to Gorbachev and other Soviet officials throughout the process of German unification in 1990 and on into 1991.” —National Security Archive (2017)
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early
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“Unlike The Prince & The Party, Putin’s been consistent in his visceral opposition to Ukraine—which the Russians, who can read a map, see as a [western] dagger to their throat—joining NATO. What vital strategic interest does the US have in Ukraine anyway? None! And what ‘toddler boob ever thought it was a good idea to offer NATO’s collective defense (Article Five) protection to every nation solely because they don’t wanna offend anyone?
A brief HISTORY lesson: The Bucharest Summit (2008)..
“The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today repeated his warning that Moscow would view any attempt to expand Nato to its borders as a “direct threat”.” —Guardian (4 Apr 2008)” —posted to fb (2022)
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“If at any time the Communist build-up in Cuba were to endanger or interfere with our security in any way….then this country will do whatever must be done to protect its own security and that of its allies.” —President John Kennedy (13 September 1962)
“One thing must be clear to everyone: the greater the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine, the more we will be forced to move the threat away from our borders.” —Vladimir Putin (21 February 2023)” —posted to fb (2023)
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A little [objective] history reveals alot.
Russia is no longer the communist threat it was (China is, but that’s another topic). In fact, if the Russians had it their way, they would very much be for cooperation. After all, they are family, kin, as a European/Caucasian people, as it happens even the largest one. They feel genuinely sad about the seeming impossibility to make this happen.
Of course, keeping up the narrative of enmity serves a purpose. That purpose is the prevention of a partnership between Germany and Russia, Europe’s two biggest countries, from ever getting a chance. The synergies are too obvious and the Anglosphere doesn’t want such a competition. This campaign has begun around the turn of the 20th century, at a time when it was the Kaiserreich and the Ottoman Empire working together to build a railway (“Bagdad-Bahn”) that would be able to cut out all ocean freight which was dominated by the English. The rest is history, as they say.
All of this could change today if only, yes if only the people would stop believing propaganda. But how do you educate sheep? It is what it is.
“how do you educate sheep?”
You drag their leaders into the basement of a non-descript government building, bend them over a trench and put a bullet in the back of their neck. Then, place new leaders into the herd. Easy-peasy.
You can’t educate sheep, but you can replace DEFECTIVE [infantile] leaders with EFFECTIVE [mature] leaders. After all, the commie-toddlers’ve been replacing [logical] adults with [pissy] ‘toddlers since the 19th Amendment was passed.
“Imams and politicians in the Michigan city side with Hamas against Israel and the Iran against the U.S.” —Wall Street Journal (2 Feb 2024)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/welcome-to-dearborn-americas-jihad-capital-pro-hamas-michigan-counterterrorism-a99dba38
“Resettlement Jihad: Phase II
An Observation (NOT a prediction).” —posted to fb (2018)
“The European Union will sabotage Hungary’s economy if Budapest blocks fresh aid to Ukraine at a summit this week, under a confidential plan drawn up by Brussels.” —Reuters
Memo to Mr. Orban: Apply for membership in BRICS; and announce Hungary’s termination of its EU membership. Win-win.