French President Emanuel Macron mentioned the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine if Ukrainian forces’ defensive lines collapse. Meanwhile, the Russian government said today that it saw no point in a peace conference being planned by Switzerland to discuss how to end the Ukraine conflict.
In other news, according to the New York Post, almost half of the pro-Palestinian protestors arrested at Columbia University and the City College of New York on Tuesday were not affiliated with either institution.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, JW, McN, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, 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.
Woolworths Chief Executive Brad Banducci Admits Customers Struggling to Make Ends Meet
Woolworths says the last quarter was tough for both sales and customers — and it expects the challenging trading conditions to last another 12 months due to sticky inflation and increased competition.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has called for an investigation into claims made by a CIA “senior intelligence officer with a top-secret” during an undercover encounter with a journalist working for James O’Keefe of O’Keefe Media Group.
The CIA contractor of more than a decade, Amjad Fseisi, revealed among other things, that:
US intelligence agencies withheld intelligence from President Donald Trump before and during his presidency, claiming “The executive staff. We’re talking about the director and his subordinates,” which include former CIA Directors “Gina Haspel…And I believe Mike Pompeo did the same thing too,” who “kept information from him [Trump] because we knew he’d ing disclose it.”
They may still be using FISA authorities to spy on Trump today, and that “we also have people that monitor his ex-wife.”
The CIA is “very reluctant” to share information with the “careless” NSA
What’s more, Fseisi — who O’Keefe said works (and now ‘worked’) on the CIA’s China Mission Center via agency contractor Deloitte, admits that US intelligence “steals” information, adding “We hack other countries just like that.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
134 of 282 Arrested at NYC College Gaza Camps Were Outside Agitators: Report
It has been revealed that nearly half of the pro-Palestinian protestors arrested for trespassing, criminal mischief, and burglary at Columbia University and the City College of New York on Tuesday were not affiliated in any way with either institution.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned earlier this week that outside agitators were to blame for much of the destruction caused by the recent encampments and occupations plaguing campuses.
According to the New York Post, of the 282 people who were taken into custody for their involvement in the violent demonstrations, only 148 were affiliated with schools. The remaining 134, police sources told the outlet, were not students.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
15 Portland Police Vehicles Torched in Suspected Arson Attack
Early Thursday morning, 15 police cars were set on fire in a suspected arson attack in Portland, coming after Antifa destroyed businesses downtown for May Day.
The Portland Police Department stated in a press release that units were dispatched to “assist Portland Fire & Rescue at the Portland Police Training Division, located in the 14900 block of Northeast Airport Way” at around 2 am on May 2. When they arrived, they found at least 15 vehicles in a fenced training area burning up. There were no injuries or damage to the building reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Even as unrest descended into violence then ugly anti-Semitism, with Jews excluded from campus in echoes of the early days of Nazi Germany, not a word emanated from the Oval Office.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
At Least 2,000 People Arrested at Pro-Palestinian Protests on US Campuses, AP Tally Shows
LOS ANGELES (AP) — At least 200 people were arrested at UCLA Thursday, bringing the nationwide total of arrests to more than 2,000 at dozens of college campuses since police cleared an encampment at Columbia University in mid-April, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
Demonstrations — and arrests — have occurred in almost every corner of the nation. But in the last 24 hours, they’ve drawn the most attention at the University of California, Los Angeles, where chaotic scenes played out early Thursday as officers in riot gear surged against a crowd of demonstrators.
Police removed barricades and began dismantling demonstrators’ fortified encampment at UCLA after hundreds of protesters defied orders to leave, some forming human chains as police fired flash-bangs to break up the crowds.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Satisfies No One With Lackluster Speech Decrying ‘Antisemitism & Islamophobia’
Summary: Last night, CNN spent its prime time segment decrying the Democratic president’s “radio silence” on the Gaza-related campus protests and chaos. MSM pundits have pointed to his lack of leadership as violence at times erupted from UCLA to Columbia to a number of elite schools.
As expected, Biden began by trying to chart a kind of middle course condemning “antisemitism” and “Islamophobia”… though many conservatives have pointed out it’s only the former they are seeing evidence of during these campus protests.
“Dissent is essential to democracy. But dissent must never lead to disorder or denying the rights of others… no place for hate speech in America,” Biden said. The line about “denying the rights of others” appears a very vague reference to students occupying buildings, and denying the ability of tuition-paying students to go to their classes, libraries, or to take exams.
“In moments like this, there are always those who rush in to score political points. But this isn’t a moment for politics. It’s a moment for clarity. So let me be clear…Violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is.”
“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation. None of this is a peaceful protest, threatening people, intimidating people,” Biden said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Advances Calling for California to Issue Formal Apology for Slavery
Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times
The California Assembly’s Appropriations Committee approved a bill May 1 which would require the state to issue an apology for its role in perpetuating harm related to slavery.
Assembly Bill 3089, introduced by Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer, would declare California recognizes and accepts responsibility for “atrocities” it and its representatives committed as well as any entities under its control who promoted, facilitated, enforced, and permitted the institution of chattel slavery.
The bill would also require the Legislature to draft and have signed by officials a document of recognition and apology to be stored in the state archives for the public to review at will, in addition to creating a memorial plaque to be hung in the Capitol.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Trump Delivers Pizza to NYC Firehouse After Full Day in Court for Alvin Bragg Trial
After leaving court for the day, Donald Trump was seen delivering pizza to a New York City Fire Department station on Thursday evening.
Trump was greeted with clapping and cheers of support from the firefighters as he walked through the firehouse’s doors with pizza in hand and more on a table nearby.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Columbia law students pleaded with the law school’s administration to cancel all final exams and pass all students for the work they did the past semester after they were “irrevocably shaken” by arrests at the Gaza Camp protest this week.
“As the Administrative Board of student editors of the Columbia Law Review, we urge the Law School to cancel exams and give all students passing grades for their work throughout the semester,” the student board said in a press release.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump Praises Police for Arresting ‘Radical Left Lunatics’ on College Campuses
Police officers behaved admirably by arresting many “radical left,” anti-Israel “lunatics” on the campuses of Columbia University and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), former President Donald Trump said Thursday.
Police arrested hundreds of protestors in recent days. Early Tuesday morning, Columbia University students seized a university building, smashing windows and lowering an “Intifada” banner. Police forcibly reclaimed the buildings later in the day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump at Rally: Wisconsin Families on Average Lost $20K-$30K Due to Bidenflation ‘Tax’
Former President Donald Trump is expected to lay out the horrible effects Bidenflation has had on Wisconsin families at a rally in Waukesha on Wednesday afternoon.
Prepared remarks that Breitbart News obtained before the 3:00 p.m. ET speech show Trump will speak of financial losses for many Wisconsin families under Bidenflation while calling the inflation itself a “tax” for the administration’s massive spending.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eric Adams Says Columbia Should Foot the Bill for Costly NYPD Raid of Gaza Camp
New York City Mayor Eric Adams wants Columbia University and other private colleges to foot the bill for NYPD having to conduct massive operations to dismantle Gaza Camps.
Mayor Adams said the costly police operations could have been prevented had the universities established a “zero tolerance” policy for such behavior.
He then commended Fordham University for taking swift action to remove an anti-Israel Gaza encampment that emerged on campus before allowing it to escalate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fifth Body Recovered From Site of Key Bridge Collapse, Victim Identified
BALTIMORE — A fifth body has been recovered from the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
Unified Command officials said crews recovered the body Wednesday. The victim was identified as Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49, of Glen Burnie.
Salvage teams notified Maryland State Police investigators and officers from the Maryland Transportation Authority police and the FBI when a red truck was found. The victim’s body was recovered inside.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
House Passes Antisemitism Bill Amid Free Speech Fears
In response to the ongoing tensions concerning Israel and Hamas, coupled with a wave of pro-Palestinian protests at colleges across the United States, the US House of Representatives, led by a New York Republican, voted in favor of a divisive antisemitism awareness bill. Despite engendering controversy, the bill was successful with 320 votes for and 91 against, manifesting some level of bipartisan support.
The legislation, fronted by Mike Lawler, aims to “provide for the consideration of a definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for the enforcement of federal anti-discrimination laws concerning education programs or activities, and for other purposes.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
J.D. Vance: Idea That Trump Endangered Lives on January 6 is ‘Absurd’
Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) said Wednesday on CNN’s “The Source” that it was “absurd” to claim former President Donald Trump endangered lives on January 6, 2021.
Host Kaitlan Collins asked, “Does it give you any pause to be his vice president given how he is treated, Mike Pence?”
Vance said, “Kaitlin, I’m extremely skeptical that Mike Pence’s life was ever in danger. I think politics and politics, people like to really exaggerate things from time to time.”
He added, “A lot of folks in the Democratic Party, Kaitlan, act as if January 6 was the scariest moment of their lives. I think look, January 6 was a bad day. It was a riot, but the idea that Donald Trump endangered anyone’s lives when he told them to protest peacefully, it’s just absurd.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Colin Czech, 29, is charged with murder after police found him covered in blood and kneeling above the man’s mutilated head, just off the Las Vegas strip.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Legal Experts: Michael Cohen TikTok Videos, Fundraising May Have ‘Torpedoed’ NY Trump Prosecution
Legal experts have been sounding the alarm that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s TikTok fundraising videos may have “torpedoed” New York’s prosecution of the former president.
This past Sunday, ABC News published an article about how Michael Cohen “cashing in on the Trump trial with TikTok livestreams could be a problem.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man With a Spear Stabbed by Bradenton 7-Eleven Clerk: Police
BRADENTON, Fla. — An argument behind a Bradenton 7-Eleven landed a clerk in jail and a man with a spear in the hospital.
According to the Bradenton Police Department, a man in his 60s, who is known to carry a spear, went up to 34-year-old Danny Waiters behind the 7-Eleven located on the 900 block of 14th St. W., on Tuesday.
Police say the two got into an argument, and though the victim did show a spear, he did not threaten Waiters with it.
Later, after the store manager told the victim to leave the property, police say Waiters and the victim fought again and when the victim turned his back on employees, Waiters stabbed him once with a pocketknife.
Police say Waiters told them he thought the victim was going to grab the spear.
The victim underwent surgery and is recovering.
Waiters turned himself in to police and has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Ninth Circuit Reprimands San Diego Federal Judge for Ordering Handcuffing of Teenage Girl
SAN DIEGO (CN) — A panel of Ninth Circuit judges this week unanimously found that U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez committed judicial misconduct and undermined public trust in the court system when last year he ordered a court marshal to handcuff the 13-year-old daughter of a defendant.
The George W. Bush appointee ordered a court marshal to handcuff her and lead her to the jury box, where he cautioned her against following the same path as her criminal-defendant father. Benitez said he was simply trying to scare the 13-year old away from drugs and legal trouble.
“[T]rying to help a thirteen year old girl … can’t be judicial misconduct,” Benitez wrote in response to a misconduct inquiry by the Ninth Circuit. He added that he wanted to change the behavior of both the teenage girl and her father.
The Ninth Circuit’s Judicial Council was unimpressed. They found that Benitez “engaged in abusive or harassing behavior” and “failed to maintain high stands of conduct as a federal judge,” harming public trust in the court system in the process.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ninth Circuit Dismisses Youth-Led Climate Case in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) — A landmark youth-led climate change lawsuit in Oregon came to a halt on Wednesday when a Ninth Circuit panel granted the federal government’s petition to dismiss the case without an opportunity to amend.
In their 2015 lawsuit, 21 young climate activists — initially between the ages of 8 and 19 — accuse the federal government of contributing to climate change through fossil fuel production, thus harming them and violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property while failing to protect public trust resources.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NPR CEO to Testify to Congress Over Allegations of Left-Wing Bias at Outlet
On Tuesday, NPR CEO Katherine Maher received an invitation from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, requesting her to respond to accusations of biased news reporting from the taxpayer-funded organization.
The committee will look into NPR and assess the outlet’s future under Maher, who took over in March. The hearing is scheduled for May 8, NBC News 15 reports.
Additionally, unearthed social media posts revealed that Maher has a bias against former President Donald Trump and is a staunch progressive, which added fuel to the fire.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Patriots Sing National Anthem, Chant ‘We Want Trump’ to Drown Out Gaza Protesters at Ole Miss
An Thursday, dozens of patriotic counter-protesters drowned out pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of Mississippi with an impromptu performance of the American national anthem.
Chants of “We want Trump” were also heard emanating from the crowd earlier in the day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Regain Full Control of UCLA as Marxist Protesters Pushed Off Campus
Update (1003ET):
Within hours of the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office starting to clear an encampment erected by anti-Israel protesters (Marxist) at UCLA, the news is spreading on X that police have gained complete control of the courtyard.
“A few hundred protestors have been pushed out of the last section of the encampment as CHP gains FULL CONTROL of the area,” independent journalist Anthony Cabass wrote on X.
He said, “The encampment is being completely disassembled and mass arrests made of those that chose to stay behind. The UCLA Encampment is no more.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Arrest 22 During Portland State University Library Raid and Ongoing Protest
Police cleared Portland State University’s Branford Price Millar library this morning, three days after students and other activists broke in and began occupying the building, and six days since demonstrators erected tents on the university’s park lawns.
The ongoing occupation-style protest at PSU’s library mirrored the scene at university campuses across the US in recent weeks, as students and allies urge a cease-fire in Gaza and push for their colleges to divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Beginning at 6 am, officers with the Portland Police Bureau announced via loudspeaker that they would soon begin removing those inside the perimeter of the South Park Blocks or Millar Library—by 7:50 am that changed to charging those inside with second degree trespass. So far, 22 people have been arrested, at least four of which were PSU students removed from the library.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Plurality Says Joe Biden is ‘Getting Worse’ as President
A plurality believes President Joe Biden is “getting worse” as president, April’s survey from Harvard-Harris found.
The survey asked respondents, “Do you think Joe Biden is improving as a president, getting worse, or staying the same?”
A plurality, 47 percent, says Biden is actually “getting worse” as president, while just 29 percent believe he is improving. About a quarter, 24 percent, believe he is “staying the same.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Say Donald Trump is Strong Leader, Joe Biden is Weak Leader
A majority of Americans see former President Donald Trump as a strong leader, while most see President Joe Biden as a weak leader, according to a poll.
The Economist/YouGov poll published on Wednesday asked respondents to classify Trump and Biden’s leadership qualities.
A majority of 58 percent of all adult respondents say Trump is a strong leader, including a plurality of 35 percent who see him as “very strong.” Trump is up one point in this department from a March Economist/YouGov poll that Breitbart News reported on.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ralph Baric Admits COVID-19 Lab Origin Possible
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A top scientist said in newly disclosed testimony that a lab origin for the virus that causes COVID-19 is possible, citing how Chinese scientists operated in less-than-ideal conditions.
“You can’t rule that out,” Ralph [‘humanized mice for testing bat Covid’] Baric, a University of North Carolina professor and member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, said in the testimony.
Mr. Baric pointed to how researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, located near where the first cases of COVID-19 were detected, conducted experiments on viruses under biosafety level two conditions, rather than the biosafety level three conditions typically employed elsewhere.
Mr. Baric has for years worked with Shi Zhengli and other Wuhan scientists, testing enhanced viruses in work they say helps prepare for outbreaks by making it easier to develop countermeasures such as vaccines.
Ms. Zhengli and other scientists in Wuhan were doing culturing work under biosafety level two conditions into 2020, “which I thought was irresponsible,” Mr. Baric said. That was “one of the main reasons why I felt that the potential laboratory escape hypothesis shouldn’t be, in essence, put under the rug.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Heavily fortified ‘safe spaces,’ some with electrified doorknobs, ballistic doors and facial-recognition locks, have become all the rage among Manhattan’s elite
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Staten Island Secession? A New IBO Report Studies the Age-Old Question
What would seceding from New York City mean for Staten Island? Copious litigation, yawning budget deficits and a scramble to make up for lost economies of scale — building up its own municipal workforce, possibly creating new health care, education and corrections facilities, for example.
That’s according to a new report from the city’s Independent Budget Office on the age-old topic of Staten Island potentially seceding from New York City. The bottom line, the report found, is that secession would be no simple task. “In short, secession is highly complex, would take many years to implement, and would either be more expensive for Staten Island residents, require an independent Staten Island to reduce benefits and services to residents, or both,” the report, which doesn’t take a position on secession, read.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump: London, Paris Have “Opened Their Doors to Jihad”
Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news
Speaking at a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday, Donald Trump urged that Europe has “opened its doors to jihad” and as a result, cities including London and Paris are sacrificing their own culture and tradition.
“We’ve seen what happened when Europe opened their doors to jihad,” Trump told the large crowd, adding “Look at Paris, look at London — they’re no longer recognisable.”
“I’m going get myself into a lot of trouble with the folks in Paris and the folks in London, but you know what, that’s the fact,” he continued.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UCLA Struggles to Recover After 200 Arrested, Pro-Palestinian Camp Torn Down
More than 200 people were arrested Thursday morning as police moved into the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA, dismantling tents and pushing out protesters in a clash that lasted hours.
The operation capped two days of upheaval on the Westwood campus that began when UCLA declared the encampment “unlawful” and continued when a group of pro-Israel counterprotesters attacked the camp Tuesday night, with police taking hours to stop the violence.
Early Thursday morning, officers wearing body armor, helmets and face shields methodically pulled apart the barricade as protesters tried to hold together the assemblage of plywood and metal fencing. Police launched flares that arced over the encampment, igniting with piercing blasts, and smoke filled the air from fire extinguishers that demonstrators sprayed at police. At least one officer is seen on video shooting rubber bullets into the crowd.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Lawmakers Grill Former Biden Admin Officials Who Pressured Social Media Companies to Censor
In a session of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Congressman Jim Jordan intensely questioned Rob Flaherty, former White House Director of Digital Strategy, on the Biden administration’s messaging on COVID-19 and its interactions with Big Tech platforms.
During the hearing, Jordan pressed Flaherty on several controversial statements made by the administration regarding the pandemic. Flaherty was specifically grilled about whether these statements constituted misinformation or disinformation, particularly in relation to claims that vaccinated individuals could not contract the virus, the effectiveness of masks, and the denial of natural immunity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: NY Anti-Trump Prosecutor Pleads the 5th as House GOP Probes Links to Biden DOJ
House GOP investigators are investigating several individuals related to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Trump, including one top prosecutor who was previously a senior DOJ official during the Biden administration, and a 2023 video of another prosecutor pleading the 5th (privilege against self-incrimination) when asked if he broke any laws while investigating President Trump.
When asked by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) if he knowingly broke any laws while investigating President Trump, ex-Bragg prosecutor Mark. F. Pomerantz invoked the right during a May 1, 2023 deposition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea and Chinese Communist Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Joe decided to accuse Papua of eating his uncle.
After a visit to Scranton Veterans Memorial Park, Joe Biden claimed that his uncle Ambrose J. Finnegan “flew single-engine planes, reconnaissance flights over New Guinea. He had volunteered because someone couldn’t make it. He got shot down in an area where there were a lot of cannibals in New Guinea at the time.”
Amazingly, even for a Joe Biden tall tale, almost no part of that story is true. Ambrose, a 2nd lieutenant, was a passenger on an administrative flight when the plane’s engines failed and it went down in the water. He wasn’t a heroic volunteer, he was a passenger, and he wasn’t shot down, but died in an accident, and he wasn’t eaten by anybody except maybe a shark.
While Biden has made up a lot of family tragedies and war stories, this is the first one to offend an entire nation and alienate it just in time for the People’s Republic of China to swoop in.
“President Biden’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such,” Prime Minister James Marape objected.
There was cannibalism, Michael Kabuni, a lecturer in political science at the University of Papua New Guinea, admitted, but “taking it out of context, and implying that your [uncle] jumps out of the plane and somehow we think it’s a good meal is unacceptable.”
“They wouldn’t just eat any white men that fell from the sky.”
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
A Finnish Hacker Abducted Patient Data From a Psychotherapy Center
A court in Finland sentenced a 26-year-old hacker to six years and three months in prison for hacking tens of thousands of records of patients from a private psychotherapy center and extorting ransom from some patients for these confidential data, the AP agency reported.
This case first became known in October 2020. A record number of people — about 24,000 — filed reports of the crime with the police. In February 2023, the French police arrested the well-known Finnish hacker Alexander Kivimäki, who was living under a false identity near Paris, and deported him to Finland. His trial concluded last month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A New Agreement on Combating Smuggling Has Come Into Force Between Germany and Switzerland
A new agreement between Germany and Switzerland to combat smuggling has come into effect, according to DPA. It aims to combat terrorism, violent extremism, human trafficking, and arms trading.
The agreement is designed to improve cross-border cooperation in combating smuggling and to strengthen efforts against drivers who evade fines for speeding in Switzerland, provided they have not re-entered the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Republic Boosts Security Measures Amid Sports Events
In response to upcoming sports events, including the Ice Hockey World Championship, the Czech Republic will enforce heightened security measures until September 30th, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister Vit Rakusan (STAN) following a government meeting.
While the terrorism threat level remains unchanged, adjustments will be made within the existing level based on recommendations from the Joint Intelligence Group. These measures are proactive and not prompted by specific security threats, clarified Rakusan.
Enhanced security protocols will involve increased police presence at designated sports, social, and public gatherings, as well as at select embassies and institutions. Police patrols equipped with ballistic protection and firearms will be deployed at sporting events, transportation hubs, and international airports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech State Employees Witness Salary Surge, Ministry of Finance Reports
According to the Ministry of Finance’s report on the state’s final account for last year, Czech state employees experienced a notable increase in their salaries, with the average monthly wage rising by 2,345 Czech crowns to reach 44,426 Czech crowns gross.
The total expenses on salaries and other personal costs for state employees surged by 18 billion Czech crowns, totaling 271.2 billion Czech crowns. This increase in expenses was fueled by various factors, including the addition of 6,950 new employees to the state’s payroll, bringing the total number to 484,128.
The rise in salary expenses is attributed to several elements, including drawing from reserve funds and off-budget sources, as well as utilizing saved funds from previous years. Additionally, the government’s decision to increase tariffs in the public sector by ten percent two years ago contributed to the surge in expenses. The impact of this decision was evident across various sectors, with notable increases observed in the salaries of state prosecutors, soldiers, members of security forces, and employees in offices.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Court Convicts Sisters Tied to Islamic State; 3.5 and 2.5 Year Prison Terms
The sisters Amina E. and Amal E. were convicted by the District Court of Rotterdam on allegations of preparing terrorist acts, and participating with Islamic State (IS). The younger of the two, 25-year-old Amina E., was ordered to serve three and a half years in prison. Amal E., who is now 38 years of age, was jailed for two and a half years.
The crimes detailed by investigators took place between August 2014 and November 2022. The women traveled to Syria via Turkey in 2014 when Amina was only 16 years old. The sisters are among the group of 12 women who were brought back from a detention camp in Syria at the end of 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Marks 20th Anniversary of ‘Big Bang’ Enlargement With Vibrant Celebrations
The European Union commemorated the 20th anniversary of its landmark “Big Bang” enlargement with a colorful tribute, illuminating key buildings across Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg in hues of blue and yellow, symbolizing unity and solidarity.
On May 1, 2004, the EU witnessed its most significant expansion as ten new countries, predominantly from Eastern Europe, joined the bloc, heralding a new chapter of cooperation and prosperity. The integration of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia propelled the EU’s membership from 15 to 25 states, instantly augmenting its population by nearly 75 million individuals, solidifying its position as one of the world’s largest single markets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Progresses in Probe of Chinese Electric Vehicles, Hints at Potential Tariffs
The European Commission’s investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles is making headway, according to trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis, who suggested that Brussels may impose tariffs “before the summer break.”
The probe, initiated in October amid concerns over alleged Chinese state subsidies distorting the market, could lead to provisional measures being implemented by July 4, the legal deadline for such actions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU ‘Throwing Out’ Rulebook for Ukraine Accession
The European Union is “throwing out” its own rulebook to enable the accession of Ukraine into the bloc, an influential policy expert in Hungary claimed.
Speaking to Brussels Signal, Gladden Pappin — the president of the state-owned Hungarian Institute of International Affairs — warned that Brussels had so far ignored its own rule-of-law principles to accelerate Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU.
He added that Ukrainian membership of the Union would also pose a myriad of other problems, especially within the European agricultural sector.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Urges Young Citizens to ‘Save Democracy’ at June Elections
The European Union has launched a video campaign ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections, aiming to galvanise voters, especially the young, with the aim of “saving democracy”.
The initiative, distributed across all official EU social media platforms, with alternate versions tailored for TV, cinema, radio, and social media in each Member State, seeks to inspire European citizens to exercise their voting rights.
On X, the EP cautioned against complacency, saying European citizens “should not take democracy for granted”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France Should Limit Children’s Use of Smartphones and Social Media
France should limit the use of smartphones and social media by children and teenagers. This was stated by a group of experts advising French President Emmanuel Macron, Reuters reports.
Children under 11 should not have a phone; those under 13 may face restrictions on internet access. Additionally, social media should be closed to children under 15, while teenagers aged 15 to 18 will have limited access only to ethical social networks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The German authorities have attempted to get Gab, a free speech software company, to release personal data identifying a user of its platform, for making comments about a politician’s weight that are considered offensive.
Gab founder and CEO Andrew Torba revealed this in a blog post, reassuring the user community that the request will not be complied with — the response was “a firm rejection,” he wrote. He also provided details of this fairly, even by today’s standards of government speech control and repression, an extraordinary case.
Namely, the user targeted by Berlin made a comment in 2022 that described the Greens politician, Ricarda Lang, as “fat.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Arson Attacks: Left Extremists Promise ‘Week of Action’ Against Teslas
A letter posted to an infamous left-extremist website claims responsibility for a mass-arson attack against Amazon delivery trucks this week, and promises an “exciting week of action against Tesla” for “the social revolution”.
16 Amazon vans were burnt in Berlin on Tuesday night, while around the city multiple left-wing protests progressed as part of the May 1st ‘May Day’ worldwide leftist day of action in remembrance of an 1889 meeting of the Marxist International Socialist Congress in Paris. As reported police suspected arson and “masked” individuals were witnessed nearby at the time, but now a prominent extreme-left website — often used in the past to call for extremist action or to claim responsibility for attacks — acknowledges the burning of the delivery vehicles was their doing.
It claimed: “we used 6 fire devices to slow down at least 16 Amazon vans… Our gasoline-containing barbecue is intended to incite the fight against the oppression of people and nature and to fuel the inevitable confrontation between the exploited and those in power.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Leftists Rage as EU Chief Ursula Von Der Leyen Courts Italy’s Meloni in Bid to Remain in Power
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing a leftist revolt after she suggested partnering with the conservatives such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a bid to bolster her chances of clinging onto her leadership position after the EU Parliament elections.
Amid the rising tide of populist sentiment and anger over the failures of the neo-liberal agenda imposed by Brussels, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen is on the hunt for new allies as she seeks a second 5-year term as the president of the European Commission.
In a leadership debate hosted by POLITICO on Monday evening in the Dutch city of Maastricht, the German politician opened the door to joining forces with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which are expected to see their ranks swell in the Strasbourg-based EU Parliament after the bloc-wide elections in June.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Macron Floats Sending Troops to Ukraine if Defensive Lines Collapse
French President Emanuel Macron has floated the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine if defensive lines collapse.
“If the Russians were to break through the front lines and if there was a request from the Ukrainians then we should legitimately look at the possibility [sending troops to Ukraine],” Macron said in an interview on April 29 with British weekly The Economist, which was published on May 2.
Given the military situation in Ukraine, Macron stated he believed it was time to change strategy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Macron Says No Nationalists But Meloni Has Pro-EU Stance
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday warned against the growth of “nationalists” at the June European elections but excepted Premier Giorgia Meloni form their ranks telling the Economist that she had a “European approach” and noting that she had “supported the asylum and migration pact”.
Of the other nationalist parties, Macron said “they’re all pro-Brexit in disguise” and were trying to “take Europe hostage with the same false discourse”.
Meloni is chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, which includes Spain’s Vox, Poland’s Law and Justice, Eric Zemmour’s French Reconquete (Reconquest), the Sweden Democrats, and the Finns Party, a group which is led by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and is soon set to see the arrival of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz too.
The ECR was founded by former British Prime Minister, now foreign minister, David Cameron in 2014.
The Tories left it after Brexit in 2016.
Meloni has followed a domestic nationalist agenda but has cleaved to pro-EU and pro-NATO lines, especially regarding the war in Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Police to Halt Fines as Protest for Early Retirement Reform
From May 7th in the Netherlands, the police will not issue fines for minor infractions as a protest against the lack of a new early retirement scheme, as reported by nu.nl. This decision stems from dissatisfaction among police unions regarding the lack of progress in negotiations.
The action aims to show employers and politicians that police work is demanding and that a good early retirement scheme is a sign of respect and appreciation. Examples of minor infractions include cycling without lights and public urination, but the decision to issue a fine remains at the discretion of the on-site officer.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Norway Wants to Increase Defense Budget and Reach 2% of GDP by Mid-Year
The Norwegian government has proposed increasing spending on the armed forces by 7 billion kroner, after which the country will reach defense spending at 2% of GDP in 2024, NRK reports.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the government proposes to increase spending on the armed forces in the revised budget by 7 billion Norwegian kroner.
“The investments we are making now are investments that we are obliged and able to make, and we should not delay… With what we are announcing today and announced earlier in April, Norway will reach the NATO target of 2% of GDP from mid-2024,” the prime minister noted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — A convicted sex offender is asking the Norwegian Supreme Court to declare that social media access is a human right.
The case before the court Thursday involves a man who molested a minor and used the Snapchat messaging app to connect with young boys.
The unidentified offender was sentenced last year to 13 months in prison and banned from using Snapchat for two years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Not One Italy Soldier to Die in Macron’s Name Says Salvini
Not one Italian soldier will ever die in the name of French President Emmanuel Macron, Deputy Premier, Transport Minister and rightwing League party leader Matteo Salvini said after the French leader told Friday’s Economist that Weestern ground troops in Ukraine cannot be ruled out if Moscow breaks through the front lines and Kyiv makes a formal request for NATO boots on the ground.
“Never one Italian soldier to die in Macron’s name, that’s what I think” Salvini said on social media about the Economist interview.
MEP Sandro Gozi, secretary general of the European Democratic Party and member of Macron’s Renaissance party’s Team Europe for the upcoming European elections, said that “the first immediate response to the French president’s words did not come from the official spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, but from the real Kremlin spokesman in Europe, Matteo Salvini.” Gozi, a former bigwig in the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said “it’s not actually a surprise, because Salvini has always been very clear on Putin and the Ukraine war.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: President Duda Proposes Defense Enhancements
President Andrzej Duda presented to the Sejm a draft law concerning the enhancement of the state’s resilience to potential threats in times of war, as reported by RMF24.
The project entails, among other things, the establishment of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces in response to new forms of threats from Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Donald Tusk Did Not Attend Meeting With Andrzej Duda on Nuclear Weapons
The head of the Polish government, Donald Tusk, did not attend a morning meeting on May 1 with President Andrzej Duda at his invitation regarding the topic of possible nuclear weapon placement in Poland. This was reported by the minister of the president’s chancellery, Wojciech Kolarski, as reported by TVN24.
The presidential minister added that Tusk’s position is “strange” to him, as the prime minister appeared publicly the day before, including delivering a speech on the occasion of Poland’s annual anniversary of joining the EU. However, he noted that despite this, the doors of the presidential palace are always open to the Prime Minister of Poland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portugal Sees Population Trends Improve: INE Report
Population trends show positive signs in Portugal, with the Greater Lisbon area leading the way, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), as reported by The Portugal News.
Last year, there were 85,699 births among residents, marking a 2.4% increase from the previous year. Over half of these births (59.5%) were to unmarried couples.
Simultaneously, deaths decreased by 4.8%, with 118,295 recorded fatalities in 2023. Infant mortality also saw a decline, with 210 deaths under the age of one, resulting in a decrease in the infant mortality rate to 2.5 per thousand live births.
These shifts contributed to an overall improvement in the natural population balance, which went from —40,640 in 2022 to —32,596 in 2023. Notably, the Greater Lisbon region achieved a positive natural balance of +461.
Additionally, there were 36,980 marriages in Portugal, a slight increase from the previous year. Interestingly, in 71.2% of cases, the couples were already cohabitating before tying the knot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spanish Authorities Have Detained Over 100 Individuals in Connection With a WhatsApp Fraud Case
As a result of a large-scale operation, Spanish law enforcement has apprehended more than 100 individuals allegedly involved in WhatsApp fraud, earning thousands of euros by deceitfully posing as distressed relatives, as reported by BBC.
According to reports from El Pais, the arrests, which occurred from February to April, targeted a syndicate accused of unlawfully siphoning nearly a million euros from unsuspecting victims through the fraudulent scheme.
Charges laid against the suspects include fraud, money laundering and participation in organized crime. This has dealt a decisive blow to the criminal network.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Stand by for the EU Fixed Lids Directive!
What some regard as overzealous European Union regulation risks casting a cloud over citizens’ summertime plans to relax with a refreshing drink or two.
From this July, major beverage companies are obliged by a directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment to introduce so-called tethered caps.
These lids are designed to remain attached to the bottle in a bid to cut environmental pollution, but some critics argued the move may prove counterproductive.
Asked by Brussels Signal about the directive, Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics with the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “This is an attempt to emulate the successful phasing out of ring-pulls on drink cans in the 1980s.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tom Van Grieken: An Interview With the Man Who Wants to Destroy Belgium
If Tom Van Grieken gets his way, Belgium — as we know it — will cease to exist. Flanders will become an independent republic, with Brussels as its capital. The Belgian experiment, he declares, is over. “Belgium is a failed state,” he says. “We think about everything differently. And the Flemish pay for everything. We get a left-wing communist socialist government because the south decides in this country.”
This might seem fanciful, even ludicrous. However, Van Grieken’s views are popular. He leads the hard-right, anti-immigration party Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest), which is currently the biggest political force in the country, with polls showing it has at least 25% of the Flemish vote. Belgian, regional and European elections are due on 9 June, and Van Grieken is hoping they will spark a Belgian divorce. His model would be the ‘velvet divorce’ of the Czech and Slovak republics in 1992-1993.
“Belgium is like a forced marriage: nobody asked for it,” the 37-year-old says over coffee at his party’s headquarters near the Madou metro station in Brussels. He sees the French-speakers in Wallonia as spongers who have nothing in common with industrious Flanders. “One goes to work every day and gives his money to the other. And in return, he gets no respect back and is treated badly,” he says.
If, as seems likely, Vlaams Belang emerges as the biggest Flemish party in the elections, he would seek a regional government coalition with the conservative N-VA party, that also wants Flemish independence. The Flemish parliament would then vote for a declaration of sovereignty, followed by negotiations with Belgium’s other politicians on how to separate. “It’s like a marriage. Who keeps the chairs?” he says. In this scenario, it leads to a separation agreement, followed by a declaration of independence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Jury Sworn in to Try 12-Year-Olds Accused of Machete Murder
Both defendants deny killing 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai, who was pronounced dead at Stowlawn playing fields in Wolverhampton last year.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
During a debate on LBC on April 23 Mr Khan was challenged by Conservative candidate Susan Hall who said there were ‘gangs running around with machetes’ in London.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Croatian President Defends Freedom of TikTok Use Amid EU Ban Talk
Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic has voiced opposition to the prospect of a European Union-wide ban on TikTok, asserting that individual member states should retain autonomy in deciding whether to restrict the app.
Milanovic emphasized the importance of preserving the freedom of choice, particularly for younger generations.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israel-Gaza War: Joe Biden Says ‘Order Must Prevail’ as Protests Roil US Campuses
US President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the right to protest but insisted that “order must prevail” as college campuses across the country face unrest over the war in Gaza.
“Dissent is essential for democracy,” he said at the White House. “But dissent must never lead to disorder.”
Tensions have been building for days as demonstrators refuse to remove campus encampments and administrators turn to police to clear them by force, leading to clashes that have seized attention from politicians and the media.
Biden said he did not support calls to send in the National Guard. He also said that the protests have not prompted him to reconsider his approach to the war. The Democratic president has occasionally criticised Israel’s conduct but continued to supply it with weapons.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
EU Unveils €1 Billion Aid Package to Tackle Lebanon’s Economic Crisis and Refugee Challenges
The European Union has announced a substantial aid package of €1 billion over three years to support Lebanon’s struggling economy and address the potential surge in refugee flows towards Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed the plan following discussions with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Beirut.
The aid, consisting entirely of grants and set to be disbursed by 2027, aims to bolster essential services like education, healthcare, and social protection, while also promoting economic reforms in Lebanon. Significantly, around €736 million will be specifically allocated to assist Lebanon in managing the challenges posed by hosting Syrian refugees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Has Suspended All Trade With Israel
According to information from Bloomberg agency, Turkey has decided to halt all trade operations with Israel. This includes both imports and exports of goods, starting from Thursday of this week. Two Turkish officials have confirmed this information.
While there has been no official statement from Turkish authorities yet, in April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had already spoken about reducing trade ties with Israel. This decision came as a retaliatory measure against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The United States and Saudi Arabia are nearing an agreement on a historic pact that would offer security guarantees to the kingdom and potentially pave the way for diplomatic relations with Israel if the Israeli government halts the conflict in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources.
The deal has faced numerous obstacles, but it represents a new version of agreements that stalled after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year. Negotiations between Washington and Riyadh have accelerated, and many officials are optimistic that a deal could be reached within weeks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Disturbing: Ukraine Soldiers Burn Trump Effigy, Call Him ‘Traitor’
Footage emerged this week purporting to show Ukrainian soldiers setting fire to a cardboard cutout of former President Donald Trump, reportedly protesting his opposition to providing weapons to Ukraine.
“We address Donald Trump,” a soldier in the video reportedly states. “Because of you, bastard, President Zelensky couldn’t get any weapons. You will never be president again. You are a traitor.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
JPMorgan Chase Says Its Russia Assets May be Seized After Lawsuits in Russia and US
JPMorgan Chase said its assets in Russia may be seized after lawsuits in Russian and US courts, the bank said in a filing on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Armoured vehicles from a dozen NATO countries, as well as drones, rocket launchers and American tanks, were displayed in the symbolic space in Moscow on May 1
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Russians Who Fled Abroad Return in Boost for Putin’s War Economy
As many as a million Russians fled abroad in the first year of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. Now thousands are returning home, delivering a propaganda victory to President Vladimir Putin and a boost to his war economy.
With the war still raging, and the man who started it about to assume another six-year term in power, many Russians are confronting a difficult choice. Facing rejections when renewing residence permits, difficulties with transferring work and money abroad, and limited destinations that still welcome them, they’re opting to end their self-exile.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Says it Sees No Point in Ukraine Peace Talks in Switzerland
ZURICH, May 2 (Reuters) — Russia said on Thursday it saw no point in a conference being planned by Switzerland in mid-June to discuss how to end the Ukraine conflict and to which Moscow is not currently invited.
The Swiss government said on Thursday that “at this stage” Russia is not among the dozens of countries invited, adding that while it was open to including Russia, Moscow had repeatedly underlined it had no interest.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Von Der Leyen Pressures Georgia as ‘Pro-EU’ Protest Violence Erupts
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has put pressure on the Georgian Government after pro-European Union protests in the country descended into violence.
In a statement published on May 1, von der Leyen said she was following the ongoing protests with “concern”, before adding that Georgian authorities should “heed” the protesters’ message.
“I am following the situation in Georgia with great concern and I condemn the violence in the streets of Tbilisi,” she said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pakistani Hindu leader and member of the Senate, Danesh Kumar Palyani on Tuesday raised concern over the grave human rights crisis in the Sindh province of the country and said that the girls of the Hindu community are being forcibly converted to Islam.
Ajeet Kumar | India TV Online | Islamabad | May 1, 2024:: A Pakistani Senator has exposed how forceful conversion of minority girls, especially Hindus, is in full swing despite multiple alarms being raised by international bodies. Speaking in the Assembly, Danesh Kumar Palyani, a Hindu MP and a human rights activist, openly criticised the government for forceful conversion of Hindu girls.
Emphasising the worrying situation in Pakistan’s Sindh province, Kumar asserted that the “daughters of Hindus are not a booty that someone should forcibly change their religion”.
He also stressed a two-year-old case of Priya Kumari who was allegedly abducted by “kachhe ke daku”- a phrase probably the Senator was using for those criminals whom the incumbent government has protected. According to Danesh Kumar, the six-year-old might be forcibly converted…
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
The Hindu Youth Arrested by Bangladesh Police for Posting ‘Lalon Fakir’s Song’ Released by Court
Swasti Das | HENB | Dhaka | May 1, 2024:: On April 28th, Bangladesh Police arrested Sanjay Rakshit (40), a resident of Mahishar Union of Vedarganj Upazila of Shariatpur, for sharing Lalan’s song on his Facebook story. Sanjay is a goldsmith by profession.
It is seen in the screenshot of the story, he wrote there in Bengali, ‘Sunnat e Khatna dile jodi hoye Musalman, tahole Nari jaatir ki hoy Bidhan’ (If circumcision is given to a Muslim, then what happens to women?). These two lines are from Lalan’s song ‘Sab Loke Koy Lalan Ki Jaat Sansare’ (People ask what is the religion of Lalon). Lalon Shah or Lalon Fakir, Shahji andwas a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer born in Jhenaidah, Bengal Subah in 18th Century who is also considered as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity in contemporary period. The Sab Loke Koy Lalan Ki Jaat Sansare is a popular number sung by many vocal artists including famous Muslim singer Farida Parveen.
When Sanjay was brought to court on the same day (Monday -April 29) around 1:30 p.m., Senior Judicial Magistrate Shakib Hossain of Shariatpur’s Vedarganj Amli Court granted him bail on a personal bond of Rupees (Bangladesh Taka) 50/- with a written declaration that he will not post anything in social media that may create any public resentment. Some fanatic Muslim people raised their voice earlier that Sanjay’s post was made to hurt the Muslim sentiment in a blasphemous intention. But, the secular conscience of Bangladesh hugely condemned the arrest of Sanjay Rakshit and the prevailing Hindu persecution in Islamic Bangladesh.
When contacted, the court police inspector Alamgir said, “For posting a Facebook story, Sanjay Rakshit was arrested by Vedarganj Thana Police on Sunday under section 54 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code. Later on Monday he signed a pledge of Rs 50 that in future he would not do anything that would cause social disorder”.
Vedarganj police station OC Mintu Mandal said, “ Around 10 pm on Sunday, a young man named Sanjay Rakshit was arrested for writing two lines in the Facebook story. Some local people claimed that the writing hurt the sentiments of Muslims. They made a verbal complaint of blasphemy on the matter. So to avoid social chaos, Sanjay was arrested and sent to Shariatpur District Jail”.
The songs and ideals of Lalon Fakir are popular enough for a majority of Hindu-Muslims citizens of Bangladesh. But, The Sharia people do not tolerate Laon Fakir as he blatantly condemned the Islamic fundamentalism. The rise of Sharia people in Bangladesh even demand to proscribe its National song , ‘Amar Sonar Bangla Ami Tomay Bhalobasi’ written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. The Sharia people say the song is themed upon Motherland Sonar Bangla which is contradictory to the Islamic doctrine that portraying a country as mother is prohibited in Islam.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
The 15-year-old, who cannot be named, was charged on Friday with conspiring to engage in an act in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act.
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Australian Authorities Push for Encryption Backdoors After Internet Censorship Attempt
In a relentless bid to give some of the most authoritarian regimes in the world a run for their money where internet censorship is concerned, Australia’s government continues to come up with one dubious initiative after another.
Recently, there was an attempt to censor content globally (related to two stabbing attacks in Australia), and shortly after, the country’s intelligence chief Mike Burgess, and Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw addressed the National Press Club, to launch yet another attack on encryption by urging compliance with encryption backdoors legislation.
Burgess chose to call this — “accountable encryption.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Botswana Butchery Owner Good Group Australia Collapses With More Than 200 Jobs at Risk
The parent company of several fine dining restaurants located in iconic Australian locations has collapsed with $23million of debt and 200 jobs at risk.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Gold Coast Raids: Two Chinese Nationals Arrested Over Online Phishing Scam Involving 1.7m Fake Texts
Police have raided a Gold Coast home and charged two Chinese nationals over an alleged online phishing scam where more than 1.7 million fake text messages had been sent.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Asylum Seeker Was Suspected ISIS Member Who Lived in the US for Two Years After Crossing Border
An asylum seeker with alleged ties to Isis had been living in the US for over two years, according to American officials.
Jovokhir Attoev, 33, from Uzbekistan, crossed the border into Arizona and was stopped by Border Patrol in February 2022.
Neither Customs and Border Protection nor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could find any information on Attoev so let him pass into the US on bond.
However, in May 2023, his home country put out an international notice that the 33-year-old was wanted for his alleged links to Isis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One of the Border Patrol agents who was falsely accused of whipping illegal immigrants at the US southern border in Texas has received an achievement award from Biden’s US Customs and Border Protection.
He was honored on Thursday for his intelligence work on human smuggling cases, as reported by the New York Post. The agent’s name has been withheld since the September 2021 incident to protect his identity.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive — Chad Wolf: Joe Biden’s Immigration Policy is Like the EU’s
President Joe Biden’s immigration policies are similar to the European Union’s (EU) policies, which have led to immigration crises across Western Europe, according to Former Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Chad Wolf.
“When you look at the [immigration] issue here in the EU, for some time, it’s been a very liberal policy, allowing more and more individuals into EU member states, and, of course, you see that now, under President Biden, with the Biden administration’s policy in the United States,” he said in recent remarks that Breitbart News exclusively obtained at CPAC Hungary.
“But, you know, just recently, I believe, the EU passed a migration pact of some sort. I see a lot of similarities between what they advocate in there and what President Biden’s administration is advocating for — this idea that you’re going to simply process more and more migrants instead of actually deterring them,” he said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Wednesday, an illegal immigrant in San Antonio, Texas was shot after allegedly threatening to kill his neighbor with a gun in response to a request from the man that he and his female partner calm down during an argument.
The 21-year-old illegal immigrant and a female bystander who was also struck were taken to hospital and are recovering. The neighbor, 49-year-old William Oliver, has not been charged.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland: Migrants Evicted From Dublin ‘Shanty Town’ Arrive at Tent Encampment
The migrants were brought to Dublin’s Citywest hotel and a site in Crooksling, where authorities had erected hardy makeshift accommodation with proper toilets and sanitation facilities.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Taoiseach Simon Harris insisted ‘of course there won’t be’ police checkpoints on the border after Rishi Sunak demanded ‘urgent clarification’.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Ireland Plans to Resume Asylum Seeker Returns to UK by End of May
The Irish government has announced intentions to reintroduce legislation by the end of May that would permit the return of asylum seekers arriving via the Northern Ireland border back to the United Kingdom.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee emphasized the necessity of expedited migrant processing under this emergency legislation, stating, “This has never been a panacea when we talk about returns, the most effective way that we can have an immigration system that’s firm but fair is a fast processing system and what this means is that people’s applications are turned around much more quickly.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrants and Refugees Feel They Are Copping the Brunt of Australia’s Housing Affordability Crisis
Migrants and refugees are finding it harder to put a roof over their heads, even as they are blamed for Australia’s housing crunch as rental vacancy rates plummet.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Government Approves Support Plan for Ukrainian Refugees
The government yesterday approved a plan for changes in support for people from Ukraine. The draft amendment to the law on assistance to Ukrainians includes several important steps.
One of them is linking the financial benefits awarded, such as “800 plus” and “Good Start,” to the school attendance obligation of children. The plan also extends the temporary protective status for refugees from Ukraine fleeing war until September 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, announced that the government had accepted the draft amendment to the law on assistance to Ukrainians. A key point of the project is linking the benefits granted with the involvement in the education of children. Individuals living with children in Poland will receive support only if their children attend kindergarten or school.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Republicans Seek to Prevent Joe Biden From Importing Palestinians to the U.S.
Reps. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), and Scott Perry (R-PA), as well as dozens of Senate Republicans, are moving to prevent President Joe Biden from resettling Palestinians in American communities.
In a letter to House Appropriators, Ogles, Tiffany, and Perry ask that a provision be included in the Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill that prohibits expenditures “of any funds to issue a visa or grant parole to any alien holding a passport issued by the Palestinian Authority.”
The House Republicans write:
Whatever fanciful leftist notion to the contrary, the United States of America cannot be expected to absorb the rest of the world’s problems. It would make much more sense for states in the region to take in those in need. If the administration is indeed working in concert with our allies in the region to pave the way for peace, that should come with the expectation that those allies are working in good faith to “do their part.” [Emphasis added]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rishi Sunak Warns Ireland Against Sending Police to Patrol the Border for Illegal Migrants
Mr Sunak said the Dublin government must avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland after it announced 100 officers would take on immigration enforcement duties.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The disorder in Peckham is only the latest example of anti-borders mobs organising on social media in order to stop the lawful removal of migrants.
Leftwing activists swarmed to south London to stop the transfer of migrants to the Bibby Stockholm at the behest of an array of groups including Black Lives Matter UK, ‘Right To Remain, ‘These Walls Must Fall, ‘SOAS Detainee Support’, and most notably, various chapters of the growing ‘anti raids’ movement.
In particular, the local ‘Southwark & Lambeth Anti Raids’ branch trumpeted the success of the protest in their neighbourhood, bragging on X: ‘Police and home officesecurity are saying the Peckham coach to Bibby Stockholm has been cancelled — but they won’t provide any proof/confirmation. People are holding the coach here until we get that confirmation.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Protesters Block Transportation of Asylum Seekers to Offshore Centre
UK protestors are attempting to halt the arrest of asylum seekers in Peckham, London by the UK Government, who wants to move them to the offshore detention centre Bibbi Stockholm.
Many of these asylum seekers are facing possible deportation to Rwanda. The UK Government announced on Wednesday that it had launched several nationwide operations this week to arrest an unspecified number of asylum seekers, with a view to deporting them to Rwanda in nine to 11 weeks’ time.
Controversial legislation passed on 23 April aims to deport thousands of asylum seekers to the East African country, where their asylum claims will be considered, with no option for them to return to the UK regardless of the outcome.
Around 30 people in London tried to block a bus they believed was going to transport asylum seekers from a hotel in the Peckham district to the Bibby Stockholm, an vessel based in the port of Portland, in Dorset and owned by the shipping and marine operations company Bibby Line.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A group of masked protesters have surrounded a Bibby Stockholm bound coach sent to collect a group of asylum seekers being housed in Peckham
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Migrant Male Charged Over London Sword Attack That Killed Boy, Seriously Injured Others
The Metropolitan Police have charged a man with murder after a sword attack in East London on Tuesday that killed a teenage boy and injured several others, including police officers.
Update 1200 — Monzo appears in court
The man charged over Tuesday’s attack has now appeared in court, The Guardian reports. 36-year-old Spanish-Brazilian dual national Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo spoke only to confirm his name at Westminster magistrates court. The magistrate remanded him in custody until his appearance at the Old Bailey, England’s Central Criminal Court.
The original story continues below
The Metropolitan Police have charged a man with murder after a sword attack in East London on Tuesday that killed a teenage boy and injured several others, including police officers.
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Some 711 people were detected crossing the English Channel on Wednesday, the highest number on a single day so far this year, according to provisional figures from the Home Office.
The cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2024 now stands at a provisional total of 8,278.
This is 34% higher than the total at the equivalent point last year, which was 6,192, and 19% higher than the total at this stage in 2022, which was 6,945.
[Comment: Article dated May 2, 2024.]
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The Home Office has forecast that three-quarters of detained migrants will bring successful legal challenges that block their removal to Rwanda, the Mail can disclose.
Leaked documents seen by this newspaper predicted 75 per cent of migrants will bring successful judicial reviews.
The development suggests the Home Office will have to make hundreds of detentions in anticipation of a high rate of drop-outs on legal grounds.
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Arizona Senate Votes to Repeal 1864 Near-Total Abortion Ban
Two Republicans voted with Democrats in the Arizona Senate on Wednesday to repeal the state’s 1864 near-total abortion restriction.
Republican State Sens. Shawnna Bolick and T.J. Shope joined Democrats to advance the repeal, which passed 16 to 14, CNN reported. The vote comes a week after three Republicans voted with all 29 Democrats in the state House to pass the repeal.
The bill heads to the desk of Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), who said on Wednesday that she is going to “quickly” sign the repeal into law.
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Pro-Abortion Group Wants 1 Million Signatures to Force EC to Take Action
A European pro-abortion activists’ petition entitled My Voice, My Choice: For Safe And Accessible Abortion has already reached nearly 100,000 signatures in little over ten days.
Organisers hope to gather one million signatories over the coming months in a bid to pressure the European Commission to back abortion rights across the EU.
According to official information, the intention is to offer “the people of Europe the chance to make women’s lives freer, safer, and better; wherever they live in our union, whatever conditions they may find themselves in”.
Doubts have been expressed about the supposed independence of those behind the initiative.
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The main reason behind Macron wanting to send troops to Ukraine lies in the fact that those French troops recently kicked out of west Africa, and replaced with Russians, were all from the French Foreign Legion and he doesnt want them back home for fear of losing control. And so he feels threatened and wants them out.
i do not trust macron being anti russian, if he sends troops there they will enforce ukraine cannot defend or sanotate from inside;, he will (or already is) side with them whenever he can because he is a man of the rothschilds and russia is controlled by the same tribe of oligarchs.
This freaking idiot Macron , He better clean up His own country! From this filth He created, !, Paris looks like 3th world filth on the streets of Paris ahead of Olimpics !, what a piece of [solid waste] He is ..
“Paris looks like 3th world”
As does San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, LA, DC, Detroit, et al, and a GROWING number of ‘toddler-controlled cities throughout the EU.
Four love (whatever that means??), your serve..
@fredthreethreethree
Re: “Paris looks like 3th world”
Well, if you won’t go to the third-world, then the third-world will be brought to you!
It bears asking now that the globalists have engaged in eugenics for the last many decades, whose countries merit the title “third-world” and whose do not? There’s been quite a reshuffling of the deck in recent years. That much is plain to see.
There are any number of possible reasons for this scheme, this Great Replacement, but at least one of them rests on the idea of what sociologists call “high-trust-high IQ societies” and their opposites, those with lower trust and IQ.
In general, societies with high homogeneity – people who are alike in as many ways as possible – and high IQ, tend then to form “high trust” societies, ones in which the people not only trust one another, but are knitted together in a variety of others ways, such as shared traditions, culture, religion, and so on.
So, it then follows that if one is attempting to crack open or break-apart such a society, for some unstated purpose, then one would force it to become heterogeneous and therefore less trusting. One potent means of doing this would be to introduce into its midst strangers, people from other places and cultures. And the more-different and alien the cultures and people, then the more potent the effect.
We can pause here to remark upon the falsity of one of the most-cherished totems of post-modern society ~ that people everywhere are alike and therefore interchangeable. One suspects that the globalists engineering this scheme know this full-well, which accounts for their actions and the outcomes they desire.
History tells us that heterogeneous societies, ones which are highly-Balkanized, tend to be less-stable and therefore prone to all sorts of friction, disorder, and disagreement. And in extremis, they tend to devolve into chaos, disorder and even violence.
One of the only ways of keeping such societies together and reasonably functional is that they require a strong, even authoritarian, central government, or in some cases, a dictator or strong-man figure.
This is clearly where the ruling class sees their opportunity; their endgame is to supply that strong-armed government once they have engineered enough chaos and disorder to make it necessary.
These ruling class types are clearly insane, for they are actually killing the goose which lays the proverbial golden eggs. The very civilization which has made their enormous wealth and position possible, is the one they are trying to throttle.
@Georgiab0y
Of note, the kinds of insanity of which you speak are known as narcissism and psychopathy. These are sometimes called characterological or personality disorders.
@Barbara
Re: “Of note, the kinds of insanity of which you speak are known as narcissism and psychopathy.”
You’re right, of course. I was speaking of “insanity” in colloquial terms, not clinical ones. But the basic point stands – that they are destroying or attempting to destroy the very thing that made their enormous wealth possible in the first place – namely, western civilization.
@Georgiaboy
I was speaking in clinical terms.
“Do commie-toddlers have any core values, are their values always “evolving” or have they just been LYING ALL ALONG (and hiding their true, Frankfurt School ideology)??
Schumer on immigration (2009): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlfOPvUABnw
The 11 Recommendations Of The Frankfurt School √
1. The creation of racism offences √
2. Continual change to create confusion √
3. The teaching of sex and homosexuality to children √
4. The undermining of schools’ and teachers’ authority √
5. Huge immigration to destroy identity √
6. The promotion of excessive drinking √
7. Emptying of churches √
8. An unreliable legal system with bias against victims of crime √
9. Dependency on the state or state benefits √
10. Control and dumbing down of media √
11. Encouraging the breakdown of the family √
‘The Revolution won’t happen with guns, rather it will happen incrementally, year by year, generation by generation. We will gradually infiltrate their educational institutions and their political offices, transforming them slowly into Marxist entities as we move towards universal egalitarianism.’ —Max Horkheimer, Co-founder Frankfurt School
Is your washroom breeding Bolsheviks?” —posted to fb (Aug 2018)