What is it with Eritreans this weekend? While Eritreans in the Hague were fighting each other and stoning police, Eritreans in Charlotte, North Carolina, were engaged in similar activities. Charlotte police said that eight people were arrested on Saturday during an Eritrean “cultural event,” where youths fought with sticks, rocks and other items.
In other news, a Koran verse that explicitly calls for Muslims to kill Jews was reportedly recited last week inside the Belgian parliament building.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, 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.
Agitators Attack Journalist, Shut Down Seattle Roads to Protest Google, Amazon Contracts With Israel
Hundreds of agitators who oppose the Israel-Hamas war were permitted by officials to illegally block streets in downtown Seattle and no arrests were made.
On Saturday afternoon, the agitators blocked all lanes of 1st Avenue and various other intersections as they marched from Westlake Center passing the iconic Pike Place Market on their way to the Amazon Spheres.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A man who stole a semi-truck hauling over $1 million worth of new Corvettes from an Arizona truck stop told deputies he only took the truck because he needed a ride home after being released from prison, authorities said Thursday.
Isaiah Walker, 23, of Lawton, Oklahoma, assaulted and robbed a truck driver at the Loves Truck Stop in Willcox near Interstate 10, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said.
Walker was talking to the victim about his truckload and “lulled him into a sense of security” before grabbing the victim and throwing him from the cab, according to the sheriff’s office.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Blames Congress Aid Snafu for Fall of Ukrainian City, Warns More May Follow
President Biden is blaming US lawmakers’ “absurd’’ failure to approve emergency aid to Ukraine for the fall of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka to Russia over the weekend— and warns other towns may collapse, too.
“There’s so much on the line,” Biden, 81, told reporters Saturday, the same day Ukraine was forced to retreat from its eastern city after months of fighting to retain control — handing the Kremlin one of its most significant recent victories.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Friday, California Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D) introduced a bill that would require homeowner insurance companies to ask insurance applicants how many firearms they own and report it to the government.
The Residential property insurance firearms bill AB-3067 is an addition to Section 2086 of the Insurance Code, and would require insurers to “update the contents of their applications for homeowners’ or renters’ insurance to include the questions regarding the presence, storage, and number of firearms by January 1, 2026.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
North Carolina officers met with violence at African cultural event, protest
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department said eight people were arrested Saturday during a 10-hour “protest and standoff” that stemmed from an Eritrean “cultural event.”
Clashes erupted between rival groups of Eritreans, and police confirmed that officers trying to disperse the unlawful crowds were attacked by people wielding sticks, rocks and other items.
Crowds also set a tractor on fire in North Carolina’s largest city, and police seized a total of two firearms over the course of several hours.
Fox News Digital reached out to the department Sunday seeking the identities and more information about those eight arrested.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: FBI Arrests Oregon Independent Journalist David Medina on J6 Charges
On Friday, the FBI arrested an Oregon-based independent conservative journalist and content creator on charges related to the January 6 protest and riot at the US Capitol.
David Medina, 34, of Sherwood, Oregon is the latest to be targeted by Biden’s Department of Justice over alleged actions taken on January 6, 2021. He has been charged with felony obstruction of an official proceeding and several misdemeanors.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Food Truck Vendor Stabbed to Death in Phoenix
PHOENIX — An investigation is underway, after a late-night brawl in Phoenix turned deadly.
Police say a food truck vendor was stabbed to death in the area of 35th Avenue and Van Buren. Investigators say as the food truck was closing up on Feb. 17, a car pulled up. Afterwards, multiple men got out and started a fight with the food truck employees.
Detectives say the vendor, identified as Heriberto Acosta, was stabbed multiple times by one of the men during the fight. Acosta subsequently died, and detectives say the men in the car took off.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
How NASA Would Alert the Public About a Potentially Apocalyptic Asteroid Strike on Earth
A government agency that monitors extinction events explained how they would warn the planet’s eight billion people about impending doom if a devastating asteroid was hurtling toward Earth.
NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has been tasked with identifying an incoming threat decades in advance. Just last month, the agency said Earth was in the clear from a projected 1 in 10 million chance of a collision on March 3.
“We definitely want to find all those before they find us,” Lindley Johnson, Lead Program
Executive for the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, told Business Insider Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Equal Protection Project (EPP) (EqualProtect.org) of the Legal Insurrection Foundation has challenged numerous racially discriminatory programs done in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including race-based and racially exclusionary scholarships.
EPP has filed over 20 civil rights complaints with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education, and other actions, leading numerous institutions to alter or drop their discriminatory practices. We recently reported how Kansas State Univ “Scholarship has eliminated the preference based on race, color, or national origin” After Equal Protection Project Legal Challenge.
Our actions are having an impact far beyond the schools we name in complaints. This article at The Daily Iowan notes a decision to reevaluate all scholarships at U. Iowa and other Iowa Regents universities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has all but admitted that her attorney general Letitia James’ civil case against Donald Trump was a partisan affair. In an interview with local radio host John Catsimatidis, Hochul told other New York business owners that they have “nothing to worry about” and will not be targeted by her attorney general’s office.
Catsimatidis asked the governor if New York business owners should be worried after the Friday verdict in which Judge Arthur Engoron determined that Donald Trump must pay out $355 million in damages, years after Trump’s New York-based businesses took out bank loans and paid them back. Trump his back that businesses in the state should be worries that they, too, will be targeted for perfectly normal business operations.
“If they can do that to the former president,” Catsimatidis posited, “they can do that to anybody.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lindsey Graham: Time to Designate Russia a State Sponsor of Terrorism
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, it was time to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minnesota Police Officers, Paramedic Killed While Responding to Domestic Incident: Reports
Two Minnesota police officers and a paramedic were killed Sunday morning while responding to a domestic incident at a home, according to local reports.
The fatal shooting happened at a home in Burnsville, where law enforcement and emergency vehicles were seen staged near the 12600 block of 33rd Avenue South, FOX9 Minneapolis reported. Several children were reportedly inside the home.
Police officials did not immediately release any details about the reported shooting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rashida Tlaib Tells Michigan Dems to Vote ‘Uncommitted’ to Oppose Joe Biden
On Saturday, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) urged Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in the upcoming Michigan presidential primary in a show of protest against the Biden administration’s support for Israel against Hamas.
In a statement posted on X by the Listen to Michigan campaign, Tlaib said, “It is important as you all know, to not only march against the genocide. Not only making sure we are calling our members of congress, and local electeds, and passing resolutions all throughout our country. It is also important to create a voting bloc.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen Joe Manchin Confirms He Will Not Launch Independent Presidential Run
Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has finally put months of rumors and speculation to bed by confirming that he will not be launching an independent presidential run this year.
Fueled in large part by his actions and words, there has been speculation for months that the moderate retiring senator might launch an independent or third-party presidential bid.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two Burnsville Cops, Paramedic Shot and Killed; Gunman Dead
The first responder was trying to help one of the wounded officers when shot, police said. The shootings happened after an hourslong standoff following a domestic abuse call.
Two Burnsville police officers and a Fire Department paramedic were shot and killed at a home early Sunday morning after an hourslong standoff following a domestic abuse call.
The gunman, who barricaded himself inside the residence with a woman and seven children, died after turning his weapon on himself.
Officers were sent to the residence on the12600 block of 33rd Avenue S. just before 2 a.m. and attempted to communicate with those inside. Several hours later, gunfire erupted, striking three officers and the firefighter/paramedic as he tended to one of the wounded.
The dead were identified as officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27, and firefighter/paramedic, Adam Finseth, 40.
Police Sgt. Adam Medlicott was also hospitalized with gunshot wounds but was expected to survive, city officials said.
“This is a hard day. It’s a really hard day for our public safety family. We’re hurting; we’re hurting,” Burnsville Police Chief Tanya Schwartz said at an afternoon news conference. “Today three members of our team made the ultimate sacrifice for this community. They are heroes.”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) confirmed that the gunman died at the scene.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Two Teen Students Die Just Days Apart on NYU’s New York City Campus
Last week, two New York University students died just days apart from each other.
Police officials told the New York Post, that Jacqueline Beauzile, 19, was pronounced dead by EMS after she was found unresponsive at Lipton Hall on Thursday.
The body of Doreah Salti, 18, was discovered around 7:30 PM outside the Barney building on Stuyvesant Street. She was later pronounced dead at the Bellevue Hospital with trauma on her body that indicated that she had either jumped or fallen from the building.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Youth Represented Most in Labour Force Participation Decline
The decline in Canada’s labour force participation rate is particularly acute among the country’s youth, according to data from Statistics Canada.
Labour participants are those who are employed, or who are available and actively seeking a job when they are not.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadians to Pay $486M This Year Thanks to GST on Carbon Tax
The so-called “price on pollution” put forth by the Trudeau Liberals has been a point of contention in recent years, with Conservatives pointing to the carbon tax as one reason for increased food and fuel costs.
A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer has pegged the amount that Canadians will pay this year solely on GST on the carbon tax at $486M. Over the next eight years, Canadians will pay $6B according to the report’s findings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Aristotle Foundation released a damning new report authored by Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario associate professor David Haskell that examines existing research to determine whether diversity, equity, and inclusion training actually leads to better outcomes and less bigotry.
After an exhaustive review of DEI-related studies published by the world’s top social scientific journals, Haskell concluded that far from bringing benefit to those who partake, such instruction was actually “divisive, counter-productive, and unnecessary.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Guilbeault Says ‘No More’ Roads, and Danielle Smith Attacks His Credibility
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says taxpayers can expect no new funding for “large” road projects, earning the ire of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
“Our government has made the decision to stop investing in new road infrastructure,” Guilbeault told donors at a Montreal fundraiser luncheon. “The analysis we have done is that the network is perfectly adequate to respond to the needs we have,” he added.
The minister claims further road network expansions would encourage more car use, which means more congestion and air pollution.
On February 16, Smith renewed her attacks on Guilbeault, contending the environment minister is “increasingly erratic and bizarre.” She says “Every time he opens his mouth” he comes up with some new unattainable policy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Legacy Media Panicking as Government’s Local Journalism Fund Nears Expiry Date
One of the Liberal government’s key funds for ailing legacy media companies is set to expire at the end of March and news organizations are panicking over a lack of clarity on whether the fund will be renewed by Ottawa.
The Local Journalism Initiative was introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019 to offer up $50 million in funding over five years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Only 13% of Anglophone or Allophone Canadians Have Trust in the Media
Quebecers had the highest trust in media by region at 21%, while the prairie provinces had the lowest at 12%.
These findings about the plummeting trust in media are from a new StatsCan report titled, “Percentage of the population who reported a high level of trust in the media and high level of confidence in institutions, by language spoken most often at home, 2023.”
Over two-thirds (68%) of Canadians struggling to make ends meet had low levels of trust in the news or information they received from the media. Another 22% had neutral levels of trust, and 10% had high levels
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poilievre Pledges to Cut ‘Wasteful Foreign Aid’ to Fund Canadian Military, Meet NATO Spending Target
If elected prime minister, Pierre Poilievre told reporters he would cut “wasteful foreign aid” and prioritize Canada.
According to the Conservative Party leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s current national defence plan shows heightened dependency on the U.S. protecting its northernmost ally.
“His plan for national defence is to rely on Joe Biden or Donald Trump to protect Canada. That puts America in charge of Canada’s future — I don’t want that,” he said.
When asked for his position on NATO’s military spending targets, amid ongoing ministerial meetings in Brussels, Poilievre clarified a future Conservative government would “work towards meeting Canada’s NATO spending commitment” of 2% of its GDP.
Ottawa continues to fall well short of the target, reports The Canadian Press. In 2023, Canada’s defence spending sat just shy of 1.3% of its GDP.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Researchers Say COVID-19 School Closures Were Unnecessary, Three Years Too Late
Researchers at McMaster University have concluded, after a fulsome two-year review published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal on Thursday, that school and daycare settings had little impact on COVID-19 transmission.
“School settings do not substantially contribute to community incidence, hospitalizations, or mortality,” the findings indicated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Small-Town Ontario Rallies Behind Local Freedom Convoy Hero
Driver of ‘The Shed’ truck at the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest, Canadian patriot Jay Vanderwier, had a surprise convoy rally in support of his legal fight against mischief charges as he faces two years after the peaceful protest was forcefully ended.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau’s Justice Minister Tries to Dodge Accountability From Rebel News Lawsuit
I just got out of a four-hour court hearing. Rebel News is suing David Lametti, the former Trudeau justice minister. He resigned in disgrace shortly after the Federal Court ruled that the invocation of the Emergencies Act, which was done on his watch, was illegal and unconstitutional.
As he tried to sneak out the door, we discovered that he was deleting his public records (in particular, his official ministerial Twitter account). It’s obvious he was trying to destroy evidence that could be used against him when hundreds of victims of the Emergencies Act sue the government for compensation.
Recently we had the third court hearing in our case. And I was shocked to see that no-one less than the chief justice of the court himself was presiding — Justice Paul Crampton. I was blown away. That means the court is taking our lawsuit very seriously.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czechia: Prague Prepares for a Significant Farmer Demonstration on Monday
Tomorrow, Prague anticipates significant traffic disruptions as 600 to 1,000 tractors are poised to converge in the city center, protesting the government’s alignment with the EU’s Green Deal.
Demonstrators, led by trade unions and agricultural groups, intend to block highways and approach the city from six directions, with their primary target being the Ministry of Agriculture.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Additionally, farmers from Podkarpacie and Lublin Voivodeship are planning a general strike at the Polish-Ukrainian border next Tuesday. They’ve extended invitations to farmers from various EU nations to participate in this action.
As cited by RMF24, mass demonstrations are scheduled across Poland on Tuesday, with farmers ultimately deciding against a march to Warsaw on that day. The Tuesday protest aims to completely halt traffic at several border crossings with Ukraine, including Dorohusk, Hrebenne, and Medyka. Farmers from Belgium and France have also been urged to join this protest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Warehouse With 900 Tonnes of Lithium Batteries Bursts Into Flames
A massive fire broke out at a French industrial site used for recycling hybrid and electric lithium car batteries on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
France: Former EU Border Chief to Run as Candidate for Le Pen’s Party in European Elections
In a surprising move, Fabrice Leggeri, former director of Frontex, the EU’s border control agency, has announced his intention to join the RN for the upcoming European elections. He will occupy the third spot on Jordan Bardella’s list.
Leggeri emphasized RN’s commitment to addressing migration challenges, contrasting with what he perceives as the EU’s indifference to the issue, according to a report from the French media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
From the Libraries of Germany, Antique Russian Books Are Being Stolen En Masse
Since spring 2022, there has been organized theft of antique books by Russian writers from libraries across Europe. Initially, they began disappearing in the Baltic countries and Poland, then in Switzerland, France, and Belgium.
Now this wave has reached Germany. The State Library of Berlin reported in January the theft of five books. Among them were three volumes of Pushkin: “The Robbers” (1827), “Boris Godunov” (1831), and “The Prisoner of the Caucasus” (1828). In response to a request from BILD, they stated that their value on the antique market exceeds 100,000 euros. The Bavarian State Library informed that two books in Russian were stolen from there. A similar crime was committed in Saxony.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Non-Party AfD Candidate Resigns After Threats Against Family
In a surprising turn of events, Matthias Beerbaum, an independent candidate for district administrator in the Saale-Holzland district, has withdrawn his candidacy. Beerbaum, a well-known entrepreneur in the region, had initially intended to run for the AfD.
However, citing a “threat and danger situation” against his family, Beerbaum announced his decision to step down on Thursday evening. He expressed dismay that such incidents could occur in a democracy, the German press reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Former Intel Chief Official Forms the Values Union Party
The Values Union, initially formed as a grassroots movement in 2017, officially transitioned into a political party on Saturday. Comprising conservative members disenchanted with the CDU and CSU, the Values Union seeks to offer a centrist alternative, positioning itself between the CDU/CSU and the AfD.
Rejecting what it perceives as a departure from liberal and Christian values within the Union parties, the Values Union advocates for freedom of expression, the right to asylum for politically persecuted individuals, and a realistic, citizen-centered policy agenda, German media reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Radical Left Minister Claims Farmer Protests Are “Poisoning” Political Discourse
Germany’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, has called for an end to support for farmer protests, accusing the movement of “poisoning” political discourse and catering to “extremists.”
Faeser highlighted a recent farmers’ demonstration in Baden-Württemberg, which disrupted a Green party event, labeling the farmers’ actions as “violence” and “aggression” unrelated to “democratic disputes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Companies Shifting Their Production to Poland in Large Numbers
German companies are increasingly choosing to transfer their manufacturing production to Poland, such as Germany’s appliance giant Miele. However, most of the companies interested in doing so are medium-sized companies.
The German publication Focus lists the French automotive spare parts Valeo as transferring its plant from Germany to Poland by the middle of this year, along with hearing aid producer Bernafon, which plans to transfer from Berlin to Szczecin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dozens of rioters were filmed surrounding the Opera conference hall along Fruitweg in the Netherlands, as multiple police vans drove to the scene this evening.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Quran Recited at Belgian Parliament by Imam With Call for Killing, Kidnapping of Jews
A verse from the Quran that explicitly calls on Muslims to kill and take Jews captive was reportedly recited last week inside the walls of the Belgian parliament building.
The Jerusalem Post reports an imam was responsible for the recitation on Tuesday.
The outlet said the Quran excerpt is verse 33:26 from the Al-Ahzab Surah (chapter). It reportedly translates to:
And He brought down those from the People of the Book who supported the enemy alliance from their own strongholds, and cast horror into their hearts. You ‘believers’ killed some, and took others captive.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Hundreds of Protesters Descend on Biggin Hill for ‘Funeral for ULEZ’ March
A “funeral for Ulez” has been held in south-east London to protest against Sadiq Khan’s clean air zone.
Around 500 protesters, some dressed as skeletons and t-rexes declared “Ulez is dead” as they marched
through Biggin Hill on Saturday afternoon.
Flowers were thrown in front of a hearse while buskers and DJs performed at the Day of the Dead-themed event.
Biggin Hill resident Claire Dyer, who helped organise the event, has claimed there has not been a Ulez camera in the area since October as protesters keep blocking contractors when they arrive to put the enforcement cameras up. The claim has not been verified yet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Medical Staff Ordered to Euthanize ‘COVID’ Patients: Leaked Docs
Explosive leaked documents have emerged that show medical staff were ordered to euthanize patients who had been admitted to hospital and tested positive for COVID-19.
The official documents were leaked from the UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
— but aged just 22 she’s already been arrested for a string of disturbances
Phoebe Plummer is no stranger to Just Stop Oil’s relentless campaign of chaos.
At just 22 years old, the prolific protester has been arrested for a string of disturbances.
But the pink-haired eco-activist was raised a far cry from the world of civil disobedience, handcuffs, and prison cells.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel Vows to ‘Finish the Job’ in Gaza as War Cabinet Member Threatens a Ramadan Deadline for Rafah
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday brushed off growing calls to halt the military offensive in Gaza, vowing to “finish the job” as a member of his War Cabinet threatened to invade the southern city of Rafah if remaining Israeli hostages are not freed by the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Israel’s government has not publicly discussed a timeline for a ground offensive on Rafah, where more than half of the enclave’s 2.3 million Palestinians have sought refuge. Retired general Benny Gantz, part of Netanyahu’s three-member War Cabinet, represents an influential voice but not the final word on what might lie ahead.
“If by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue to the Rafah area,” Gantz told a conference of Jewish American leaders. Ramadan, expected to begin March 10, is historically a tense time in the region.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
‘A Matter of When, Not If’: W.H.O. Director Warns of ‘Disease X’ Pandemic at World Government Summit
The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) made yet another warning of an impending “Disease X” outbreak, with Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus telling world leaders it is “a matter of when, not if.”
At the World Government Summit, held in Dubai from February 12-14, Ghebreyesus told attendees his previous predictions came to fruition in the form of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Now, the W.H.O. director believes a new pandemic, for which the international community is ill-prepared, is on the horizon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine’s soldiers have been reduced to rationing ammo and checking daily for any updates from US lawmakers over whether Congress may cough up more aid, a Democratic senator claimed Sunday.
“Ukrainians on the front lines are rationing bullets! More people are dying, more territory is being taken by Putin, because Republicans are afraid of what they call ‘procedural violence’ — ‘a motion to vacate’ or a ‘discharge petition,’“ Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) posted on X, referring to the congressional chaos over proposed legislation that includes billions of dollars in additional funding for Ukraine.
“Suck it up and pass the bill,” he urged his Capitol Hill colleagues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukrainian Forces Don’t Have Enough Artillery to Battle Russia. a Key Withdrawal Saturday Shows That
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Dwindling ammunition threatens Ukraine’s hold on the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line under withering assault by Russian artillery. Defensive lines are in jeopardy.
Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region on Saturday after daily Russian onslaughts from three directions for the last four months.
Avdiivka was a stronghold for Ukrainian positions deeper inside the country, away from Russia. A frontline city ever since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, the fortified settlement with a maze of trenches and tunnels served to protect important — less strengthened — logistical hubs further west.
Its seizure boosts Russian morale and confirms that the Kremlin’s troops are now setting the pace in the fight, to the dismay of Ukrainian forces who have managed only incremental gains since their counteroffensive last year.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Taylor, who is touring Australia with her sold-out Eras Tour, took to the stage at the MCG on Saturday night to perform her second show in Melbourne in front of almost 100,000 fans.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The Australian Parliament voted overwhelmingly to call on the U.S. and U.K. Governments to end the prosecution of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, and a group of more than 35 U.S. lawyers wrote a letter urging the U.S. Justice Department to drop the charges against the Australian journalist.
This comes ahead of a hearing about Assange’s possible final legal appeal challenging his extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. to face charges for publishing classified U.S. military documents. The hearing will be held at the High Court in London on Tuesday and Wednesday.
If he is extradited to the U.S. after exhausting all his legal appeals, Assange, 52, would face trial in Alexandria, Virginia, and could be sentenced to up to 175 years in an American maximum-security prison.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arrest of Foreign National for Migrant Smuggling in Thessaloniki, Greece
In the early hours of Sunday, a 20-year-old foreign national was apprehended in Thessaloniki for allegedly engaging in migrant smuggling.
According to eKathimerini, the arrest occurred during routine police checks on the Thessaloniki National Road, where the suspect, behind the wheel of a vehicle, tried to evade inspection by speeding excessively and breaking through toll barriers at three booths. Despite attempts to flee, law enforcement officers from the Kozani Police Directorate intervened and successfully apprehended the individual.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The group of 39 men claiming to be from Pakistan , India and Bangladesh landed on remote coastline near Beagle and Pender Bays in Western Australia ‘s north on Friday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The New York City Police Department is facing opposition over its extracurricular dance crew, with critics demanding officers focus more on combatting crime and less on their dance moves.
Founded in 2022, the team was intended to serve as a place for officers to unwind after their shifts. The dancers practice two to three times a week, performing at city schools, galas and other events.
President Autumn-Rain Martinez described dance rehearsal as ‘a place to release mental stress’ during a recent appearance on PIX 11.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A report from the DGSI reveals that in 2023, 44 individuals associated with the jihadist movement, including some who were stateless, were expelled from France due to perceived threats, French media reported.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed the increase in expulsions of those deemed dangerous by the DGSI and linked to radical Islam, marking a 26% rise.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYC Dems Seek to Allow Illegal Immigrants to Stay in City Shelters Indefinitely
Critics are speaking out in New York City as Democrat City Council members are attempting to pass legislation to remove limitations on how long illegal immigrants can stay in government-owned shelters.
According to filings, Councilwoman Shahana Hanif plans to reintroduce legislation that would end the “length of shelter stay limitation” on Feb. 28. The item is scheduled to be brought up in a public hearing on Mar. 1.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A San Diego migrant center has been forced to close after services were stretched to breaking point with up to 1,500 people flooding in per day.
Non-profit SBCS will shut the facility for good Thursday — reflecting the bleak picture across the country as the numbers of asylum seekers coming to the US remain sky-high.
The US Border Patrol recorded 2,063,692 encounters with undocumented immigrants in the 2023 fiscal year, down just slightly from the record high reached in 2022.
Over Biden’s first three years in office, Border Patrol recorded a total of 5,940,511 encounters, a 277 percent increase from the same period during Trump’s term, from 2017 to 2019, according to US Customs and Border Patrol data.
SBCS, formerly known as South Bay Community Services, has announced the closure of its migrant center after just five months of operations because the number of people needing help in that time alone has increased dramatically.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco Appoints First Non-Citizen to Election Commission
Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times
San Francisco’s Elections Commission has, for what is believed to be a first time in history, appointed a non-U.S. citizen, who isn’t legally allowed to vote, to serve as an official.
The officer, Kelly Wong, was sworn in on Wednesday, according to local news outlet KQED. It reported that Ms. Wong, an immigrant rights advocate, is a native of Hong Kong who arrived in the United States in 2019 for graduate studies.
She was sworn in by Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin during a ceremony at San Francisco City Hall after winning unanimous support from the board.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Fight Against Islamization in Italy
As reported by The Guardian, the population of Monfalcone, Italy, has recently surpassed 30,000 residents, marking a demographic shift.
This growth is largely fueled by the expansive shipyard owned by the state-controlled giant Fincantieri. Over the past two decades, their outsourcing strategy has attracted a substantial number of skilled foreign workers, primarily from Bangladesh, to the city.
Despite this growth, political tensions simmer. Cisint, a politician backed by the “League” party and the “Brothers of Italy” party, secured re-election in 2022 with an anti-immigration stance. Under Mayor Anna Maria Sisint’s leadership, public prayers were banned, and last summer, Muslim women were prohibited from wearing burkinis on the beach. The most contentious move came in November when prayers were banned in the city’s second Muslim cultural center. Sisint argued that this violated urban planning regulations, as the space was designated for commercial, not religious, use.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eight migrants have been charged so far in the Jan. 27 mob attack on two NYPD cops in Times Square, with up to 14 suspects believed to have been involved in the assault, officials and law-enforcement sources said.
All of the asylum-seekers are Venezuelan natives, sources said — and at least two of them have been identified by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials as members of the notorious Venezuelan street gang known as “Tren de Aragua,” or Aragua Train, a former railroad labor union.
Here is a look at the suspects.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ Drag Queen Arrested Over Child Porn Allegations in Wisconsin
On Friday, a drag queen who dresses like a nun with the Brew City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was arrested in connection with child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child. While formal charges have not yet been filed, officials with the sheriff’s office have recommended charges of four counts of possession of child pornography and four counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Jail records show that drag queen and Outagamie County, Wisconsin, human resource director Adam Westbrook was taken into custody around 3:40 am on Friday. This came after the Neenah Police Department and the State Department of Justice executed a search warrant on his home as part of a much larger investigation, according to FOX 11.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Somali Muslim Parents Allowed to Opt Their Kids Out of LGBTQ Curriculum in Minnesota Public Schools
St. Louis Park Public Schools will allow parents and guardians to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ books after six Somali Muslim families threatened legal action against the district arguing religious freedom.
The Minnesota school district said that they do not agree with opt-outs but are required to comply due to state law. The parents are represented by the First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based law firm focused on religious freedom, which sent multiple demand letters to the district, according to the Sahan-Journal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
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19 Feb
About, among other things,
the giant US money laundering in Ukraine;
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explains.
1: https://swebbtube.se/w/wANWv8ZA2bdvBpMTGNrteX
2: https://swebbtube.se/w/nDAsU3wDJWTT2MXvvigyYe
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LESS BANG FOR MORE BUCKS
PICTURE
https://www.friatider.se/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/20161206_bezmah01_gotland_p4_00068.jpg?itok=hFd3lQfz
© Bezav Mahmod/Försvarsmakten
The Armed Forces cannot afford to replace what was donated to Ukraine
Published on February 19, 2024 in Fria Tider
Sweden’s war support to Ukraine appears to be costing more than expected. Sharp price increases in the defense industry have resulted in the extra funds previously allocated to the defense not being enough to replace the military equipment that has been donated.
– Suppose you have to feed a family. You want to be able to put four portions on the table. Now we’ve given away one of the four,” says Jonny Lindfors, head of the Swedish army, to SVT Nyheter.
Sweden has donated equipment for half a brigade to Ukraine – from the two brigades we had.
The army, which has contributed a significant amount of equipment, is now suffering from a lack of both material and personnel, as many employees are engaged in training missions for Ukrainian forces.
– We are going heavy.
We are happy to do that for the sake of it, but of course it has an impact,” says army chief Jonny Lindfors.
The government has stated that donated equipment will be quickly replaced with new equipment. But it is unclear when this will actually happen.
In addition to the long waiting times in the defense industry, prices have increased significantly. In some cases, they have doubled or more, according to information from the army staff.
At present, there is simply no money to replace the donated equipment.
– The financial compensation allocated to the Armed Forces is not enough to replace wagon by wagon, says Jonny Lindfors to SVT.
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The ability to defend Sweden is thus reduced, he says.
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– This is a risk that we – in dialog with politicians – believe we can take, at a time when Russia is tied up in Ukraine. But it is a capability that must be restored as soon as possible.
NO MORE DANISH BANG,
IT IS BLISSFUL TO GIVE !
Denmark will donate its entire stock of artillery ammunition to the war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced at the Munich Security Conference.
– If you ask the Ukrainians, they ask for ammunition now. Artillery now. From the Danish side, we have decided to donate all our artillery,” Mette Frederiksen said.
The Danish Prime Minister noted the availability of ammunition in European stocks and stressed that the issue is not only about production capacity.
– “This is not just a question of production because we have the weapons, we have the ammunition, we have anti-aircraft weapons that we don’t need to use ourselves right now, which we should deliver to Ukraine,” she said.
“What is it with Eritreans this weekend? While Eritreans in the Hague were fighting each other and stoning police, Eritreans in Charlotte, North Carolina, were engaged in similar activities.”
“Whilst Obamerica battles Bolshevik two year-olds, ILLEGALS and their fellow travelers, the “Resettlement Jihad” quietly metastasizes here and throughout Europe (except Hungary and Czech, which had the common-sense to ban the entry of Muslim migrants)…” —posted to fb (Aug 2018)
Letem riot, the more the merrier. Then we can finally roll up our sleeves and do what must be done.
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Mats Dagerlind is sentenced for “gross defamation” of Näthatsgranskaren (the Net hate Investigator)
Tomas Åberg.
Samnytt’s responsible publisher is sentenced to prison – for articles about Näthatsgranskaren.
Published February 19, 2024 in Fria Tider
Mats Dagerlind, publisher of the anti-immigration news site Samnytt, has been sentenced to one month in prison. The reason is that Samnytt is considered to have “slandered” the animal abuser and Näthatsgranskaren
Tomas Åberg.
Samnytt has in several articles written about the defunct association Näthatsgranskaren, which previously received government funding to report pensioners on Facebook for incitement to racial hatred.
Among other things, the site has written about how the ‘Net hate Investigator,’ Näthatsgranskaren, Tomas Åberg has been investigated for extensive animal cruelty. The animal cruelty case never led to a prosecution because Åberg systematically avoided being served.
Previously, the journalist Joakim Lamotte and a number of pensioners have been convicted of spreading the information about animal cruelty.
The online hate reviewer was allegedly referred to as a “disgusting person” on Samnytt.
The Stockholm District Court has now sentenced Samnytt’s publisher, Mats Dagerlind, for two cases of “freedom of expression” defamation and one case of gross defamation, as the left-wing extremist Expo was the first to report.
Dagerlind was sentenced to one month in prison and must pay damages of SEK 20,000 to Åberg, who had requested SEK 50,000.
In addition to the damages, Mats Dagerlind must pay SEK 1,000 to the crime victim fund and SEK 6,770 in legal costs.
‘For normal defamation, only a fine is provided for. The penalty for gross defamation is a fine or imprisonment for a maximum of two years. In view of the fact that this was a case of aggravated defamation that has been widely disseminated, the District Court considers that the penal value exceeds the level of a fine.
The total penal value of the crimes Mats Dagerlind is now to be sentenced for corresponds, according to the district court, to one month’s imprisonment”, the district court writes in its judgment.
Dagerlind denied the crime and referred to the fact that Åberg is a powerful person who must be able to be examined.
Fria Tider contacted Mats Dagerlind for a comment.
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More about the Net hate Investigator:
https://gatesofvienna.net/2020/01/asa-westerberg-convicted-and-sentenced/
Be a darned shame if ole Aberg had a very unfortunate accident, nobody likes a snitch.