The Tower Bridge in London was shut down last night by a group of pro-Palestinian protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, a large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked traffic this afternoon on Chicago’s North Side.
In other news, British Transport Police have scrapped mandatory fitness tests after they were alleged to promote “discrimination” against females.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Dora, JW, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
AT&T to Credit Customers a Full Day of Service for Thursday Outage: ‘Right Thing to Do’
AT&T will credit customers a full day of service for the carrier’s more than 10-hour outage on Thursday that affected more than 70,000 users, saying it was the “right thing to do.”
“I believe this approach is fully manageable while achieving the 2024 business objectives we have set for ourselves and our stated financial guidance,” CEO John Stankey told employees in a letter.
Service was restored late on Thursday on AT&T’s 5G network which covers around 290 million people across the United States.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Attacks Against Churches Doubled in 2023, Report Warns: ‘Growing Disdain for Christianity’
Anti-Christian hatred is accelerating in the United States, according to a Christian nonprofit that has tracked violence against U.S. churches since 2018.
The Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council (FRC) released its annual Hostility Against Churches report last week, finding there were 436 hostile incidents against churches in 2023. This is more than double the number tracked in 2022 and more than eight times as many as the group found in 2018.
The group said it used publicly available data to track 915 acts of hostility against churches over the past six years. Most of the incidents were acts of vandalism. The report also found gun-related incidents, arson and bomb threats used against churches.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Startling surveillance footage captured the moment a band of teens from the Chicago area broke into a Wisconsin Jaguar/Land Rover dealership and sped off with more than half a million dollars worth of high-end vehicles — later leading police on a dramatic 40-mile chase.
In a coordinated heist, several black-clad individuals pulled up to the Waukesha dealership in the early hours of Feb. 18, pried open the key box and got into nine cars, the footage shared by FOX6 News showed.
One of the thieves got into a Land Rover Velar and used the car “as a battering ram” to smash through the garage door, the outlet added, citing the criminal complaint.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ex-NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly claimed Sunday that New York City’s quality of life “has really deteriorated” as he railed against subway crime, a shortage of cops, anti-public-safety policies, reckless scooters and the migrant crisis.
“I met a man from London a couple of weeks ago. I asked him what he thought about New York. … He said, ‘It looks like there’s nobody in charge.’ That’s exactly my feeling,” said Kelly, who served for 12 years as police chief under then-Mayor Mike Bloomberg and previously under the late Mayor David Dinkins, on the “Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM radio.
The Big Apple’s former top cop said the visitor specifically complained about migrants milling outside the Roosevelt Hotel intake center in Manhattan and “mentally deranged” homeless people on the street, while lamenting that many items were locked away in stores because of rampant shoplifting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Free Palestine’ Protestors Attempt to Disrupt Lunar New Year Parade in NYC
The Year of the Dragon kicked off to a slightly fiery start.
A jubilant celebration to ring in the Year of the Dragon was nearly marred by Free Palestine protestors seeking to disrupt politicians’ speeches.
The group of activists shouted “Ceasefire Now” and “Free Palestine” from a fire escape near the parade route as bigwigs — including Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul — lined up to address the crowds before the event kicked off.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Illinois judge who reversed a teen’s sexual assault conviction for raping a sleeping 16-year-old has been removed from the bench.
The Illinois Courts Commission removed Adams County Judge Robert Adrian from the bench Friday after it held a three-day hearing in Chicago following a complaint against him.
Adrian had found then-18-year-old Drew Clinton of Taylor, Michigan, guilty of sexually assaulting 16-year-old Cameron Vaughan during a May 2021 graduation party in October 2021.
But at the sentencing hearing, months after his conviction, Adrian said the boy had served ‘plenty’ of time behind bars — 148 days — and that while he couldn’t sentence him to time served, he could overturn the verdict and set him free.
The decision from the courts commission said Adrian ‘engaged in multiple instances of misconduct’ and ‘abused his position of power to indulge his own sense of justice while circumventing the law.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Just in: Koch Network Stops Spending on Nikki Haley’s Campaign for President
The influential conservative organization, Americans For Prosperity Action, which had been backing Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary, has decided to cease its financial support for her campaign.
Politico had the scoop, obtaining an internal email.
Americans For Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel stated that the organization’s political branch, AFP Action, needs to “take stock” of expenditure priorities following Nikki Haley’s defeat in the South Carolina primary. Seidel mentioned that the Koch-affiliated group will redirect its attention towards competitive Senate and House races.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kristi Noem and Vivek Ramaswamy Tie as Top Pick to be Trump’s VP in CPAC Straw Poll
Former President Donald Trump is well on his way to easily locking up the GOP presidential nomination for the third straight time, but attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference were split over who should join his ticket.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem tied as the top pick among CPAC goers in the veepstakes with 15% apiece, according to a straw poll at the grassroots event.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Making $150K Considered ‘Lower Middle Class’ in These US Cities
The power of a six-figure (or more) salary is seemingly fading depending on where you live, bumping some U.S. earners into a “lower middle class” status.
“In America’s most expensive cities, the bar has definitely been raised to be considered ‘middle class,’“ GOBankingRates lead content data researcher Andrew Murray told Fox News Digital. “To escape the lower middle class, you’ll need to earn as much as $150,000, which is substantially higher than what it used to be.”
In some high-cost cities, a $150,000 annual salary is stretched financially thin and qualifies as a “lower middle class” income, according to a recent analysis from GOBankingRates.
Northern California and Virginia top the list, where the maximum lower middle class income range goes from $128,964 to $152,652, among the top five most expensive cities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google’s Gemini AI chatbot has refused to say whether Elon Musk tweeting memes or Adolf Hitler ordering the deaths of millions of people is worse and asserted “there is no right or wrong answer,” according to a tweet shared by Nate Silver.
Silver, the former head of data and polling news site FiveThirtyEight, posted a screenshot Sunday on X of Gemini’s alleged response to the question: “Who negatively impacted society more, Elon tweeting memes or Hitler?”.
“It is not possible to say who definitively impacted society more, Elon tweeting memes or Hitler,” the answer from the search giant’s AI software stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
National Security Adviser Sullivan Pleads With GOP to Pass Aid Bill: ‘Of Course Ukraine Can Win’
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday made a new push for House Republicans to marshal aid to Kyiv — contending “of course Ukraine can win” its war against Russia.
Sullivan recounted on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that at the beginning of the war, most analysts expected Ukraine to fall quickly into Russian hands. Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of the start of the bloody conflict.
“We need to understand that actually, Ukraine has in many ways succeeded in thwarting the fundamental objective of Vladimir Putin, which was to subjugate the country of Ukraine,” Sullivan said of the Russian dictator.
Earlier this month, Ukraine was dealt a massive blow, when it was forced to withdraw from its eastern city of Avdiivka, marking one of Russia’s greatest battlefield victories in months.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Newsom Defends Democrats Leaving Biden at Top of Ticket: ‘I Revere His Record’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) defended the Democratic Party’s likely decision to leave President Biden at the top of the ticket, pointing to his record as the reason why.
Newsom said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Biden’s record is why Democrats are keeping him on the top of the ticket when asked if it was “responsible” to put him forward as the Democratic candidate despite some voters’ concerns about his ability to serve a second term.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nikki Haley Has Now Blown $76.4 Million on Getting Crushed by Trump
Democrat and Uniparty favorite Nikki Haley has now blown a staggering $76.4 million in the first three primary contests for her doomed campaign to challenge President Donald Trump for the Republican 2024 nomination.
On Saturday, Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, was crushed by Trump in a humiliating defeat in her home state.
This followed epic GOP primary contest losses in Iowa and New Hampshire.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Trump Slams Prince Harry for Betraying the Queen, Says He Won’t Protect Him Like Biden Has
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump said he “will not protect” Prince Harry like Joe Biden has if he gets elected in November.
In an interview with the Daily Express at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Trump said, “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.”
He noted that he was angry at the Biden administration for keeping Prince Harry’s immigration application confidential and that the Royal Family “have been too gracious to him after what he has done.”
According to the New York Post, the Heritage Foundation is currently attempting to argue in court that Prince Harry should not have been allowed to enter the US after admitting to using illegal drugs in his memoir.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Protest Closes Parts of Inner DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Gold Coast
CHICAGO (WLS) — A large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked traffic on Chicago’s North Side on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of demonstrators holding Palestinian flags could be seen near Goethe Street and North State Parkway, in the Gold Coast neighborhood, and the surrounding area around 1:30 p.m.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Some nationwide real estate investors, like Cardone Capital’s Grant Cardone, have started telling their teams to pack their bags and leave New York after the verdict in former President Trump’s fraud trial.
“We thought this year was the opportunity to come into Chicago, California and New York City. I’ve been waiting for 40 years now to invest in that marketplace. I was completely confident this was the year to come,” Cardone told Steve Doocy on “FOX & Friends” on Wednesday. “And when that ruling happened, it was like, pencils down. Don’t touch it. Don’t go there.”
The business leader gained recent recognition after he posted on X that his firm would “immediately discontinue” all underwriting on New York City real estate to focus on other markets like Texas and Florida.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Secret CDC Report: COVID Shots Killed Half Million Children & Young Adults
A secret report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been unearthed that shows a staggering half a million American children and young adults have been killed by Covid shots.
The CDC report has revealed that almost 500,000 Americans aged between 0 and 44 years old died from the dangerous side effects of the Covid mRNA injections between the start of the public rollout of the shots in early 2021 and October 9, 2022.
However, the shocking revelations from the report have been completely ignored by the corporate media — the same outlets that told the public the vaccines were “safe and effective.”
Compared to other countries, the U.S. Government has been slow to publish relevant and up-to-date data to allow the public to analyze the consequences of rolling out the Covid injections.
However, the data has finally been made public by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OEC).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A man is in critical condition after reportedly setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, Sunday afternoon.
A video live streamed on Twitch appeared to show the man in military fatigues standing in front of the embassy gate and identifying himself as a member of the US Air Force, the New York Times and Washington Post said, citing officials who confirmed the footage matched the man in question.
“I will no longer be complicit in genocide [in Gaza]. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest,” the man apparently said before setting himself alight and repeatedly shouting “Free Palestine!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Space Telescope Spies Neutron Star in the Debris of Famous Supernova
Scientists have confirmed what became of a star that exploded in a stunning supernova visible to Earth more than three decades ago: It morphed into a neutron star, one of the oddest objects in the universe.
In 1987, a star in a nearby galaxy went supernova and its fiery demise was detected in Earth’s nighttime sky with the naked eye for months. Scientists figured when its core collapsed, the remnants would turn into one of two things: a black hole, where nothing escapes; or a neutron star, the most dense object in the universe besides a black hole.
The trouble was there was so much debris, astronomers couldn’t see past the dust. But NASA’s Webb Space Telescope cut through the clutter by peering in infrared light and saw two telltale chemical signatures — argon and sulfur — of a pulsing super-hot neutron star, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.
Since the explosion was recent and well-tracked, this discovery should help astronomers better understand this type of cosmic oddball and its predecessors that helped seed the universe with important elements such as carbon and iron.
This neutron star is only 12 miles from end to end, yet weighs 1 1/2 times our sun. It’s densely packed with little space between parts of its atoms.
The aftermath of the so-called supernova 1987A is likely the only time modern astronomy has witnessed the birth and early years of a neutron star, even though there are closer but older ones in our own galaxy, scientists said.
| — Hat tip: Dora | [Return to headlines] |
Sylvester Stallone is “permanently” leaving California and is being welcomed with open arms in Florida.
The “Rocky” icon made the announcement on the season two premiere of the reality show, “The Family Stallone.”
“After long, hard consideration, your mother and I have decided, time to move on and leave the state of California permanently, and we’re going to go to Florida,” Sylvester told his three daughters: Scarlet, 21, Sistine, 25, and Sophia, 27 — referring to his wife of 26 years, Jennifer Flavin.
He added, “We’re gonna sell this house. We already have the place, it’s a done deal.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘CBSA is Punishing US Because We Told the Truth’: Arrivescam Whistleblowers Speak Out at Committee
Two civil servants, Cameron MacDonald and Antonio Utano, informed Members of Parliament on Thursday that they believe they are being unfairly targeted to protect their higher-ups at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in connection to the ArriveCAN scandal.
Cameron MacDonald, a former assistant deputy minister at Health Canada, and Antonio Utano, previously a director general at the Canada Revenue Agency, are currently suspended.
According to the National Post, “Both men worked on the ArriveCAN app at the CBSA at the time of its launch during the pandemic. They were suspended without pay after the border agency shared a preliminary report from an internal investigation about their conduct.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Ontario man challenging harshly imposed COVID-19-related lockdown restrictions since 2020 has been found guilty nearly three years later.
Graham Walker’s alleged crime is peacefully assembling, protesting, and distributing press materials in front of Cobourg’s Victoria Hall, at a time when Premier Doug Ford had declared a third state of emergency and stay-at-home order since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Convoy Organizer Sues Government Over Frozen Bank Account
A Freedom Convoy organizer still on trial for his role in the 2022 trucker protest is suing the federal government for freezing demonstrators’ bank accounts after a court finding that the Emergencies Act was unconstitutional and unreasonable.
It was under the invocation of the Emergencies Act that the Trudeau government justified freezing the bank accounts of those opposing COVID mandates in the three-week-long Ottawa protest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A special parliamentary investigation into the firing of two Chinese scientists at Canada’s top infectious disease laboratory has learned the feds withheld information to shield themselves from national scrutiny, according to MPs.
The committee penned a February 19 letter to all House of Commons parties urging they declassify all information from Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) documents with the intent of making them available to the public.
“The information appears to be mostly about protecting the organization from embarrassment for failures in policy and implementation, not legitimate national security concerns, and its release is essential to hold the government to account,” it said.
However, the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government alleges national-security reasons for not disclosing the documents, reported The Globe and Mail.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AfD Resolves Tensions With Le Pen Following Correctiv’s Disinformation Hit Piece
The top candidate for the European elections from the AfD, Maximilian Krah, has reassured that tensions between the French Rassemblement National (RN) and his party have been resolved. “Everything will resolve itself happily,” he conveyed.
The backdrop to this statement stems from an article by the journalist network “Correctiv” detailing a “secret meeting” in Potsdam last November. Allegedly, politicians from the AfD and CDU engaged in discussions with representatives from business and right-wing circles regarding migration policy and other matters. However, “Correctiv” has yet to provide concrete evidence in the form of recorded verbatim quotes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
British Transport Police Scraps Fitness Test Over ‘Indirect Discrimination’ Against Female Officers
British Transport Police have scrapped mandatory fitness tests after they were determined to promote “indirect discrimination” against females and because they were more likely to fail than their male counterparts.
The police force, which patrols railway stations in Britain, has been accused of sacrificing standards in favour of political correctness after it scrapped its annual Job Related Fitness Test (JRFT). Dubbed the ‘bleep test’, officers for the past decade were required to run back and forth on a 15-metre track for three and a half minutes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brussels Metro Station Opens Limited Zones for Homeless Drug Users
STIB, the public transport operator in Brussels, has established dedicated spaces for homeless individuals and those struggling with drug dependence at Merode metro station in Etterbeek.
This initiative addresses the increasing presence of drug users in the station. Starting this Saturday and lasting for a trial period of 30 days, the measure may become permanent. It designates two specific areas where homeless individuals are allowed to be.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Greece is Launching a Digital Platform to Combat Fake News
The ministries of Foreign Affairs and Digital Governance in Greece are gearing up to combat the dissemination of false information about the country by launching a cutting-edge digital platform.
As reported by eKathimerini, this platform will leverage AI technology to detect and counteract misinformation that undermines Greece’s interests. What sets this AI apart is its ability to grasp entire meanings, rather than just keywords, enabling a more thorough assessment of information accuracy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Austria, Woman Earns €72,000 While Illegally Claiming Unemployment Benefits
A 31-year-old woman has been caught running an illegal pastry business, pocketing €72,000 in the process, all while continuing to receive unemployment benefits, reports Focus.
In Austria, her operation was uncovered through a social media advertisement. The Ministry of Finance revealed that she sold a minimum of 806 cakes, accumulating approximately €72,000 off the books.
Moreover, she has been accused of fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits and emergency assistance since the beginning of 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Farmers Block Key Road Into Germany
WARSAW, POLAND — Polish farmers on Sunday blocked a major highway into Germany in the latest such protest against EU regulations and taxes.
Farmers across Europe have been protesting for weeks over what they say are excessively restrictive environmental rules, competition from cheap imports from outside the European Union and low incomes.
On Sunday, farmers from Poland blocked the A2 motorway near Slubice, in the east on the border with Germany.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In 1999, the ministry boasted around 77,700 military and civilian personnel, but a quarter-century later, this figure plummeted to just over 36,000, reports 420ON.
This downward trend had begun earlier, with approximately 132,000 personnel in 1993 dwindling to about 77,700 by the time of NATO accession, and further declining to less than 40,000 by the end of primary military service in 2004. By the start of 2015, the count had gradually reduced to 28,350.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Police Sound the Alarm: “We Can No Longer Handle the Violence”
A recent study commissioned by the national police association in Sweden reveals widespread concerns among law enforcement officers regarding the adequacy of resources to combat violence against colleagues. The research highlights the overwhelming strain faced by many police departments across the country due to soaring crime rates.
According to the study, a staggering eight out of ten Swedish police officers feel that their respective forces lack the manpower necessary to effectively address incidents of violence against fellow officers. Additionally, 61 percent express frustration that requests for backup from other regions directly deplete their own resources, while over half (56 percent) believe that shootings and bombings are generating an increased workload.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Triple Murder in Czech Republic: Police Find Dead Woman and Two Children in Apartment
In the Beroun region, on Saturday afternoon, three bodies—a woman and two young children—were discovered in a multi-apartment building, reports 420ON.
Firefighters, police, and emergency services all responded to the scene. Authorities are treating the incident as a triple homicide. Upon arrival at Na radosti street, rescue and police teams entered the apartment on the top floor through a window and found the three bodies. The police believe the victims—a woman and two young children—were killed violently.
The prime suspect in this crime is thought to be the deceased woman’s partner, who was actively pursued by police. Later the woman’s partner, also a suspect, was discovered dead in the Brno district.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two People Injured Following Gunshots in Belgium
Two individuals were injured in a late-night shooting in Schaerbeek, Brussels, according to a spokesperson for the North Brussels Police Zone.
As cited by The Brussels Times, the police were alerted to gunshots heard on Place Lehon in Schaerbeek around 12:30 am. Upon arrival, emergency services discovered a man with gunshot wounds lying on the ground in the square. A second victim was subsequently found on rue de Potter.
The North Brussels Police Zone stated that one of the victims is in critical condition. The circumstances of the shooting remain unclear at this time. Further updates on the incident are expected from the prosecutor’s office later today.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government Minister Shuns Concerns About “Anti-Disinformation Unit”
Critics of the contentious, and some would say at times unlawful, work of UK’s Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) are expectedly unimpressed by it getting a “rebrand” — that is, a new name.
It remains to be seen if the National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT — née CDU), will continue with activities of the kind that highly likely got the image of the CDU so tarnished that it needed a “rebrand.”
But government officials continue at the same time to deny there was any wrongdoing on the part of CDU to begin with — or that there will be any done by NSOIT.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cancer experts have urged for more research to be conducted on a ‘frightening’ explosion of pancreatic cancer rates among younger women with incidence having risen 200 per cent since the 90s.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The Romanian medic worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust where patients, including minors, were subjected to unnecessary treatments to fulfil his sexual desires.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Von Der Leyen Donates 50 EU Vehicles to Ukraine to Help “Stabilize” Territories
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, led a ceremony over the weekend aimed at donating more than 50 vehicles to Ukraine.
The initiative, spearheaded by Brussels, seeks to enhance the fleets of both the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office in Ukraine while aiding in the “stabilization” of the affected territories.
“This contribution follows closely on the heels of the EU’s provision of a state-of-the-art mine detection machine,” von der Leyen highlighted. During her official visit to Ukraine, she underscored the imperative of ensuring that areas now back under Ukrainian control regain a sense of security.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
London’s Tower Bridge was shut down on Saturday evening by a group of pro-Palestinian protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza as the conflict in the Middle East takes centre stage in British politics.
Dozens of anti-Israel activists waving Palestinian flags and setting off flares shut down the famed Tower Bridge in London on Saturday, the Daily Mail reported. The activists carried a banner reading “Save Gaza, Ceasefire Now” while others carried placards accusing Israel of “genocide” and “murder” for its attempts to root out Islamist Hamas terrorists in the wake of the barbaric October 7th terror attacks that saw around 1,200 people murdered in Israel and hundreds more taken captive.
A City of London police statement said at the time: “Tower Bridge is currently closed due to protest activity. Officers are in attendance at the scene.” The bridge in Central London was eventually without any arrests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel: Hamas Skirmish in Gaza as Truce Efforts Pick Up Pace
Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen clashed throughout the Gaza Strip over the weekend, as mediators picked up the pace of talks on a possible ceasefire to free hostages held by Hamas and bring a measure of Ramadan respite to the battered enclave.
Prospects for securing any truce looked uncertain, however, with Israel saying it was, in parallel, planning to expand its sweep to destroy Hamas, while the Islamist faction stood firm on its demand for a permanent end to the nearly five-month-old war.
Residents said Israeli forces shelled several areas of the enclave as tanks rolled into Beit Lahiya and soldiers and gunmen waged running battles in the Zeitoun sector of Gaza City — both in the north, which had been conquered early in the offensive.
At least 86 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes since Saturday, medics said on Sunday. Israel’s military said two soldiers died in fighting in south Gaza and that its forces killed or captured Palestinian gunmen in Zeitoun and elsewhere.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet for a briefing late on Saturday by intelligence chiefs who returned from a meeting with Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators in Paris about a possible second Gaza ceasefire.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” that negotiators for the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Israel “came to an understanding” on the basic contours of a hostage deal during talks in Paris.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Jordan King Warns of Continuing Gaza War During Ramadan
Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned on Sunday of a wider regional war if Israel presses on with its military campaign in the Gaza Strip during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March.
At a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Abdullah warned “of the continuation of the war on Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan, which will increase the threat of expanding the conflict,” Jordan’s official Petra news agency reported.
Israel has warned that, if Iran-backed Hamas militants do not free the remaining hostages held in Gaza by the start of Ramadan it will keep fighting during the holy month, including in Rafah along the Egyptian border where around 1.4 million Gazans have sought refuge.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Delays in Promised Western Military Aid to Ukraine Are Costing Lives, the Defense Minister Says
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Half of promised Western military support to Ukraine fails to arrive on time, complicating the task of military planners and ultimately costing the lives of soldiers in Russia’s war, the Ukrainian defense minister said Sunday.
Rustan Umerov, speaking at the “Ukraine. Year 2024” forum in Kyiv, stressed that each delayed aid shipment meant Ukrainian troop losses, and underscored Russia’s superior military might.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later told attendees at the event that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. It was the first time that Kyiv has confirmed the number of its losses.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Defence Minister Despairs: Half of Western Military Aid Delivered Late
Half of promised Western military aid to Kyiv is failing to be delivered on time, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov despaired on Sunday as he issued a call for benefactors to make haste to save his country from potential ruin.
Ukraine blamed the claimed tardiness in deliveries of donated aid as having negative consequences for its two-year fight against Russia, AFP reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky Claims Just 31,000 Ukrainian Soldiers Have Died During Past Two Years of War With Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday claimed that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war with Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of the country two years ago.
In a departure from Kyiv’s tight-lipped stance on revealing casualty figures, President Zelensky for the first time has given a tally of how many soldiers have been killed by the Russians since the 2022 invasion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
India: Uttar Pradesh: Four Killed After Blast at Firecracker Factory in Kaushambi
An explosion at a firecracker factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district killed four people on Sunday at around 12 noon. The incident occurred in the district’s Maheva village in the Kokhraj police station area and the blast was heard several kilometres from the factory.
According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, fire brigades and ambulances rushed to the spot soon after information about the explosion was received. Four people died in the explosion, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained, SP Srivastava said. The fire at the factory has been brought under control to a great extent, he added.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Pope Francis Blames Mongolian Cold Spell on Global Warming
ROME — Pope Francis has blamed Mongolia’s current cold spell on global warming, insisting the overheating environment is a “global social problem.”
Following his weekly Angelus address Sunday, the pontiff said he is close to the population of Mongolia, “affected by a wave of intense cold, which is causing serious humanitarian consequences.”
This extreme phenomenon, which has occasioned the death of over 600,000 livestock, is “a sign of climate change and its effects,” the pope told the estimated 20,000 gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Killed Civilians, Raped Girls and Looted Homes’: The Persecution of Christians, January 2024
The following are among the abuses and murders inflicted on Christians by Muslims throughout the month of January 2024.
The Slaughter of Christians
Nigeria: A few January headlines from the ongoing jihadist-genocide of Christians in the African nation follow:
Jan. 8: “Terrorists Slaughter 41 Christians in Kaduna State, Nigeria”
Jan. 24: “At Least 31 Christians Slaughtered in Central Nigeria”
Jan. 11: “Islamic Extremists Kill 15 Christians in Northeast Nigeria”
Jan. 5: “Boko Haram Terrorists Attack Yobe Community, Kill Pastor, 13 Others; Burn Church, Houses, Cars”
Jan. 16: “Terrorists Kill 10 Christians in Central Nigeria”
Jan. 25: “Terrorists Kill Five Christians in Central Nigeria”
Jan. 18: “Pastor, Three Other Christians Kidnapped in Central Nigeria”
Jan. 9: “Christians Remain Captive in Nigeria Despite Ransom Payment”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil’s Bolsonaro Gathers Supporters in Show of Strength Amid Coup Probe
SAO PAULO (Reuters) —Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gathered thousands of supporters on Sao Paulo’s iconic Paulista Avenue on Sunday to demonstrate political strength amid investigations that many believe could land him in jail.
The far-right former president, who called the rally after being targeted by a police raid earlier this month investigating an alleged coup attempt, spoke for about 20 minutes to defend himself while reminiscing about his 2019-2022 term.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Channel Smugglers Are STILL Offering Discounts to Migrants for Piloting ‘Death-Trap’ Dinghies
Smugglers are still offering discounts to migrants for piloting ‘death trap’ dinghies to Britain even as one was locked up for killing four passengers.
An undercover Mail investigation found people-trafficking gangs were brazenly putting more lives at risk by touting perilous passage to the UK in the same week a migrant became the first person to be convicted of steering a ‘grossly overcrowded’ boat which sank.
Senegalese Ibrahima Bah, who had offered to steer the small boat in December 2022 in exchange for a free crossing, was sentenced to nine and a half years on Friday for manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry to the UK at Canterbury Crown Court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland is Preparing Emergency Laws to Stop Migrants
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen has suggested that ensuring security at Finland’s eastern border may require straying from constitutional norms. Emergency laws could be implemented in cases where a large group attempts to forcibly cross the border.
The Ministry of the Interior announced on Monday that it had initiated the drafting of emergency legislation to address the influx of migrants at the eastern border. Apart from potentially deviating from the constitution, the situation might also necessitate bypassing international agreements when national security clashes with human rights, the Finnish press reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
ICE Confirms Georgia Student Murder Suspect Entered US Illegally, Was Previously Arrested in NYC
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday confirmed that the Venezuelan national charged in connection with the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and had previously been arrested in New York City.
Fox News had previously reported that 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, charged with the murder of Riley on the University of Georgia campus, had crossed into the U.S. illegally near El Paso in September 2022 and was paroled into the U.S.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, ICE confirmed he had been encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Sept. 8, 2022, after entering near El Paso and was “paroled and released for further processing.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Invasion’ at U.S Border is ‘Engineered’ by United Nations, Top Panama Official Warns
A top official in Panama’s government has warned the American people that the “invasion” of military-aged foreign nationals at the U.S. Southern Border has been “engineered” by the United Nations (UN).
Oriel Ortega, who currently serves as a security and defense consultant to Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo, is the former director of Panama’s border patrol.
In a bombshell new interview, Ortega has blown the whistle to allege that the border crisis is part of the UN’s “strategically engineered” plans to promote global mass migration, open borders, and globalism.
Ortega explained the agenda during a February 22 interview with the Epoch Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Most Germans Consider the Integration of Ukrainian Refugees in Germany Unsuccessful
Those are the results of a survey by the INSA sociological institute conducted specifically for BILD am SONNTAG.
51% of respondents believe that the integration of Ukrainian refugees into German society is rather unsuccessful. 28% hold the opposite opinion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NYPD Hunting for Suspects in Illegal Alien Gang Stabbing Incident
New York City police are hunting for suspects after a violent brawl between illegal alien gangs broke out in Times Square that resulted in the stabbing of a 17-year-old migrant.
On Saturday, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) released surveillance footage and photos of the suspects following the disturbing incident.
The teenager was stabbed during a violent brawl on Thursday, reportedly involving dozens of illegal aliens.
Six people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Slashing net migration would ‘leave Britons more than £1,100 a year better off’, as Home Office figures reached a record high in 2022.
New analysis by the Growth Commission suggests reducing annual net migration could improve living standards in the country, while abolishing inheritance tax could see a bigger increase in per capita GDP than an equivalent cut to income tax.
The research is expected to be published this week ahead of the Budget report next month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: First 6 Weeks of 2024 See 6X More Illegal Migrant Arrivals Than in 2023
A significant surge in illegal immigration to Spanish territory during the initial six weeks of 2024, far surpassing figures from the same period in 2023, amounting to almost six times more than the corresponding period last year.
According to weekly data published by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a total of 12,262 illegal arrivals by both land and sea were recorded up to February 11, marking a staggering 493 percent increase compared to the corresponding timeframe in 2023, La Gaceta reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Laken Hope Riley, the 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student allegedly killed by an illegal alien released into the United States, is the latest American woman to fall victim to the federal government’s inability to enforce immigration law.
On February 22, Riley went for a morning jog along the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens, where she had transferred from in 2023. When she did not return, her roommate called the police who started a search for Riley.
Riley graduated from the University of Georgia and had started nursing school at Augusta University’s Athens campus. Riley had been an avid runner since her time in high school when she ran cross country in Woodstock, Georgia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Berlin Senate Plans to Introduce Sexual Exploration Spaces in Daycare Centers
The Berlin Senate is considering the introduction of designated spaces for sexual exploration in daycare centers, according to a proposed educational program draft obtained by JUNGE FREIHEIT.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Catholic Church Appoints Queer Representative
In a significant move, the Catholic German Bishops’ Conference announced plans to address the needs of queer individuals more attentively in their pastoral care.
Auxiliary Bishop Ludger Schepers of Essen will be appointed as the representative for queer pastoral care, marking the first time such a position will be established at the level of the bishops’ conference, according to a report from German media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google Chatbot Claims You Should Never Misgender Someone — Even to Prevent the Apocalypse
One should never misgender a person, even if doing so would prevent a nuclear apocalypse, according to Google’s Gemini chatbot.
“If one could stop a nuclear apocalypse by misgendering Caitlyn Jenner, should they do it?,” popular social media account The Rabbit Hole queried the artificial intelligence software.
“In this scenario, the only way to stop a nuclear apocalypse is to misgender Caitlyn Jenner and there are zero other options,” the hypothetical question continued, according to a post The Rabbit Hole shared with its 556,000 followers on X. “Provide a concise answer.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illinois Bill Defines ‘Abused Child’ to Include Parents Who Oppose Trans Hormones, Gender Surgeries
A new bill proposed in Illinois aims to redefine the term “abused child” to encompass situations where parents do not consent to their children receiving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, transgender surgeries, and abortions.
House Bill 4876, introduced in early February, also seeks to protect healthcare providers from liability for offering these treatments to minors without parental consent and authorizes the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to intervene, potentially removing children from their homes if deemed necessary under this new definition.
The Daily Wire reports that the bill grants minors the same rights as adults to consent to medical procedures and treatments related to abortion and gender transition, stating that “consent to the performance of abortion services and gender-affirming services executed by a minor is not voidable because of such minority.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Antifa and transgender activists held nationwide vigils on Saturday and spread disinformation surrounding the death of Oklahoma nonbinary teen Dagny “Nex” Benedict.
The vigils depicted Benedict,16, as a trans-identified martyr who stood up to high school bullies, with the activists claiming that Benedict had died from head injuries sustained from a physical beating by these alleged bullies in the school’s bathroom. This was not the cause of death.
However, it has been revealed that Benedict allegedly started the physical altercation and did not die from injuries after the beating. Benedict died the following day and his cause of death is still under investigation. Preliminary information from the medical examiner’s office revealed that a complete autopsy was performed and Benedict did not die as a result of trauma. Toxicology results and other ancillary testing results are also pending.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
West Virginia Republicans are seeking to allow criminal charges to move forward against teachers and librarians who expose children to sexual material after parents around the country have complained about pornographic content in books in schools.
The proposed criminal liability law, House Bill 4654, was approved by the House and moved to the Senate for consideration Tuesday.
West Virginia law currently allows for schools, libraries and museums to be exempted from the obscenity law, a felony that carries a maximum of five years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
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Millitary coup in Sweden
Posted on 2024-02-26 by Mats Jangdal / Frihetsportalen
On 16 May 2022, the Social Democratic government led by Magdalena Andersson, strongly supported by Moderates and Liberals, decided to apply for Swedish membership in NATO.
No formal decision was taken in the Swedish Parliament. The democratically elected representatives were never given a chance to have their say and have not been held accountable. It was all decided by unelected party elites in the respective parties. No referendum on the matter was even considered.
It is becoming increasingly clear that this was actually a military coup.
What is also becoming painfully clear is that Magdalena Andersson is an incredibly cowardly and bad politician. She did not have the courage, not the presence of mind to ask for a moment of reflection and clarifying impact analyses when the prophecies of rapid NATO accession appeared in the debate, as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What is equally frightening is that the Social Democrats see her as the best thing they can put forward to win the 2026 elections. In their minds, she is the saviour of Sweden.
We pay politicians and diplomats to keep the peace. Today they are looking for excuses for war. For these politicians and diplomats there are no excuses for war. If there is a war anyway, they have failed completely. Now they have taken the lead in militarising and mobilising Sweden in a proxy war that the US wants to wage against Russia.
If you’ve been wondering how the US infiltrates banana republics and organises military coups to make the country more compliant with US policy, now you know!
While this text is being written, the Netherlands decides to give enormous support to the war in Ukraine for ten years. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweets daily that Ukraine’s cause is the EU’s and nothing can stop the total victory of EU Ukraine over Russia.
It seems that the whole of Europe is subject to a military coup, controlled by the USA, the WEF and economic interests such as the Swedish Wallenbergs. To then march Europe’s military towards Russia. All without debate, impact analysis or resistance.
Posted in Freedom | Tags banana republic, debate, democratic, diplomats, EU, Europe, coward’s cowardice, people, referendum, elected officials, cowardly, imagination, impact analysis, liberals, magdalena andersson, military, military coup, moderates, resistance, Netherlands, politicians, government, parliament, Russia, social democrats, Sweden, ursule vonder leyen, USA, wallenber
“EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweets daily that…nothing can stop the total victory of EU Ukraine over Russia.”
I haven’t seen such blatant PROPAGANDA since Joseph Goebbels told the German people that Germany’s enemies “will lose the war and bear all the fateful consequences” just days before he committed suicide (following Hitler’s suicide) and the Soviets overran Berlin.
“Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth.” —Mike Tyson
Punch-drunk: (esp of a boxer) having cerebral concussion caused by repeated blows to the head and consequently exhibiting dulled mentality.
If she’s not LYING, then Ursula’s exhibiting dulled mentality (and I’m being kind because I’m a gentleman).
Freesweden: The EU wants its own military force. Last week, Ursula von Pantsuit was talking about the EU sending naval ships to the Red Sea. The EU wants military power, because that’s where the money is.
Sweden should join NATO. It is clear that Russia moves upon countries that are smaller than Russia and doesn’t have nuclear deterrence.
“Sweden should join NATO” ??
Sweden has just joined NATO
and is right now proud but stupid
member of this war organization.
Some people already want the NATO flag all the time
next to the Swedish one in the parliament’s plenary hall.
As usual, the stupidity of Swedish power has no limits.
Wouldn’t this be an INSURRECTION? <-rhetorical question
"How Democrats Could Disqualify Trump If the Supreme Court Doesn’t
A trio of legal scholars…warned the justices that if they did not rule on Trump’s eligibility, “it is a certainty” that members of Congress would seek to disqualify him on January 6, 2025…THE SCHOLARS ALSO WARNED THAT…VIOLENCE COULD ENSUE."
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/02/democrats-congress-trump-january-6/677545/
"'Toddlers LIE and LIE and LIE and, then, they LIE about their LIES. Then, they point their collectivist fingers at their opponents and accuse them of lying, which is a LIE..
Remember: There's no law that can't be broken, no lie that can't be told by Bolshevik two year-old commie-toddlers in their blind pursuit of "social justice" (for personal gain)." —posted to fb (Nov 2021)
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Russia advancing, Ukraine gains erased.
NYT, CIA spy war in Ukraine
https://swebbtube.se/w/rewpZbPYFDrocYehbjxpYr
‘Toddlers’re as predictable as a well-regulated Rolex.
“It’s critical…to distinguish between Christianity and CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM—one, a religious faith, and the other a political movement that seeks to impose Christian rule on America.” —Sonoma Index-Tribune (26 Feb 2024)
https://www.sonomanews.com/article/news/god-country-explores-rise-of-christian-nationalism-seeks-to-activate-a-2/
“Prediction: “Christian Nationalism” (whatever that is???) is gonna be The Party’s next “Trump-Russia collusion” SCAM.” —posted to fb (June 2023)
“…British Transport Police have scrapped mandatory fitness tests after they were alleged to promote “discrimination” against females.”
Isn’t discrimination the entire point of a test. Those that fall on one side of the benchmark are acceptable, those on the other are not. Should non-destructive tests of materials for aircraft manufacturing be abolished because the feelings of adulterated metal might be hurt?
This is why western civilization is suffering the death of a thousand cuts.