The lead sharpshooter of the local Pennsylvania SWAT Team working alongside the U.S. Secret Service during the Butler rally said in an interview that his group had no communication with the Secret Service until after the shooting. Meanwhile, both men who were shot and wounded at the July 13 rally in Butler have now been released from the hospital.
In other news, French President Emmanuel Macron said the opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris had made France extremely proud.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, JW, LP, McN, One of the Quiet Ones, 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.
Canada’s “Worst Decline in 40 Years”
Authored by Peter St.Onge via The Brownstone Institute
Canada’s standard of living is on track for its worst decline in 40 years, according to a new study by Canada’s Fraser Institute.
The study compared the three worst periods of decline in Canada in the last 40 years — the 1989 recession, the 2008 global financial crisis, and this post-pandemic era.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris Directly Responsible for Crippling Inflation, Report Shows
A new report has just dealt a devastating blow to Kamala Harris by directly linking the Democrat vice president to a key issue that has been negatively impacting the lives of many voters.
Harris might have been excited to be expeditiously unofficially crowned as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
However, she is now feeling the heat.
While she rarely made headlines in the past, mostly because she was completely ineffective and extremely unpopular with voters, her record is now under an intense microscope.
As Harris tries to convince Americans that she is the best person to lead them, all sorts of negative tidbits are emerging.
According to JustTheNews, there’s a case to be made that Harris is directly responsible for the terrible inflation we’ve all experienced under President Joe Biden’s rule.
The outlet notes that Harris, as vice president, was the tie-breaking vote “in the Senate for the first COVID-19 stimulus package in 2021 which led to inflation.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
3 Killed Overnight in Minneapolis, Police Seek Other Agencies’ Help
After the three killings and seven other nonfatal shootings across the city in recent days, Minneapolis police were overwhelmed and have asked for help from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The agencies will help both with patrolling the city and investigating the recent spate of violence, Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news conference.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Demands $78 Trillion to Fund ‘Net Zero’
Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration is demanding a staggering $78 trillion to allegedly fight “climate change” by funding the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Net Zero” agenda.
The eye-watering price tag of the globalists’ green agenda was revealed by Biden’s Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a speech in Belem, Brazil, on Saturday.
Yellen announced that taxpayers will need to cough up $78,000,000,000,000 before 2050 to fund a “global transition” to a so-called “low-carbon economy.”
In order to comply with the WEF’s “Net Zero” goals, Yellen said there would need to be $3 trillion globally in annual financing for the agenda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign reportedly seeks to frame her as a law and order candidate, however, the deep-pocketed donors propelling her candidacy have a history of supporting efforts to reduce the power of law enforcement.
Harris’ close advisers have settled on a strategy of highlighting the vice president’s career as a district attorney and attorney general in California, according to CNN. Despite the Harris campaign’s plans, many of the donors backing her have opposed efforts to empower law enforcement and supported organizations that advocate for defunding the police.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CCP-Linked TikTok Collected Data of American Users’ Political Views, DOJ Says
The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged on Friday that TikTok and its Chinese parent company collected sensitive data from their American users, according to court filings.
The DOJ alleged in court filings that TikTok had been collecting Americans’ user data on their views regarding sensitive topics like abortion, gun control and religion, arguing that the app poses a “potential threat to U.S. national security.” The DOJ’s latest filings follow a federal lawsuit TikTok filed in May after President Joe Biden signed legislation that gave the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, until January of 2025 to formally divest itself of the platform or risk a total ban in the U.S.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
DOJ Urges Court to Reject TikTok Lawsuit Challenging Divest-or-Ban Law
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked an appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by TikTok seeking to block a new U.S. law that could lead to a nationwide ban on the video-sharing app.
President Joe Biden signed the new law in April, requiring either the sale of the app by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by next year or face its removal from app stores and web-hosting services.
TikTok filed a lawsuit in May challenging the constitutionality of the new law on the grounds that the U.S. government infringed the First Amendment rights of the company and its users in the United States.
In a brief filed to the federal appeals court on July 26, the DOJ raised concerns over the national security threat posed by TikTok, noting that the app collects “vast swaths” of sensitive data from its 170 million U.S. users.
“That collection includes data on users’ precise locations, viewing habits, and private messages—and it even includes data on users’ phone contacts who do not themselves use TikTok,” it stated.
The DOJ argued that the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China could potentially use its robust authority to gain access to U.S. consumer data and the algorithm owned by ByteDance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump Jumps to Defend Female Secret Service Agent Who ‘Shielded’ Him From Assassination
Former President Trump leaped to the defense of a female Secret Service agent who “shielded” him during an assassination attempt, after she faced blistering online criticism.
“I don’t know how they didn’t get hit,” Trump told thousands at a St. Cloud, Minnesota, rally on Saturday as he recalled how “bullets were flying” and the security detail had rushed to shield his body.
“Every one of them — there wasn’t one that was slow. A woman who was on my right, she was shielding me,” he said. “Beautiful person — she was shielding me, everything she could. And she got crushed. And she got criticized by the fake news because she wasn’t tall enough.”
Trump said that the unidentified female agent was “so brave” and “wanted to take a bullet” for the 45th president.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: New Trump Rally Video Scorches Kamala for Pushing Dangerous Minnesota Bail Fund
Former President Donald Trump will play a video at his rally Saturday in Minnesota scorching Vice President Kamala Harris for actively fundraising for the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), which bailed out serious criminals from jail and released them back onto the streets.
The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the video, which Trump will unveil at his rally in St. Cloud. The video specifically highlights a number of these criminals who were bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund and the media coverage detailing Harris’s support of the bail fund, which has continued to haunt her as Americans are deeply concerned about violent crime.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Global Suicide Report Reveals Where Rates Are Highest… as US Makes Shocking Entry
The United States has the sixth-highest suicide rate in the world, a grim ranking that comes amid a decades-long rise in suicides over the past three decades. South Korea ranked first.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Google faced backlash Sunday for the apparent censorship of the assassination attempt against 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump from the search engine’s “autocomplete” feature.
Typing the phrase “assassination attempt on Tru…” into Google’s search engine does not automatically recommend the relevant phrase “assassination attempt on Trump,” instead ranking “assassination attempt on Truman” as the highest result, video posted on X by Libs Of TikTok shows.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
J6er John Strand Freed From Detention After SCOTUS Ruling
John Strand, who was sentenced to 32 months in prison for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol incident, has been released following a Supreme Court ruling. Strand expressed his gratitude, saying he was “tremendously grateful to God” and described his year in prison as “hell on earth.”
Strand was convicted on four misdemeanors and a felony charge of “corruptly obstructing” an official proceeding by being at the Capitol on January 6. He was released on July 24 due to the Supreme Court’s decision last month that dismissed the obstruction charge for the January 6 participants. The Supreme Court ruling in Fischer v. United States favored a January 6 protester who was charged with obstructing an official proceeding.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The lead sharpshooter of the SWAT Team working alongside the U.S. Secret Service during the attempted assassination against former President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the group had “no communication” with the agency until after the shooting.
In an interview with ABC News reporter Aaron Katersky, the local SWAT team from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, appeared on the outlet to discuss security concerns from the day around the assassination attempt against Trump. On the day of the rally, the SWAT group was positioned within the second floor of the building that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks later used throughout the day to shoot from, with the lead sharp shooter noting that the SWAT team was supposed to receive a “face-to-face briefing” with the Secret Service agents when they had arrived on site; however, it never happened.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Moon Township Man Shot at Trump Rally Released From Hospital
Both men who were shot and injured at the July 13 rally for former President Donald Trump have now been released from the hospital.
James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, has been released from the hospital.
Allegheny Health Network says he was discharged on Friday.
Copenhaver and David Dutch survived the shooting at the Butler rally. They were both upgraded from “critical” to “serious condition” four days after the shooting.
Dutch was discharged on Wednesday.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle Business Owners Warn Violent Crime is Happening on a Near Hourly Basis: ‘This is Madness’
Seattle residents and business owners are voicing their concerns about crime “perpetrated on a nearly hourly basis” and say people who commit assaults reemerge after their arrests to cause further chaos.
Members of the downtown Seattle community that spoke with the Puget Sound Business Journal offered their own “horror stories” regarding crime and have called on the city to take swift action.
They said that their concerns stem from increased drug activity and other crime in the downtown area of the city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A new Substack out from Seymour Hersch indicates that former President Barack Obama and VP Kamala Harris, now presumptive Democrat nominee for president, threatened sitting President Joe Biden with the potential invocation of the 25th Amendment if he didn’t drop out the presidential race and cede that spot to the veep. This would mean that not only did they force Biden out of the race, but that the Democrats know full well that Biden isn’t fit to serve out the rest of his term, but are comfortable letting him continued as a figure head if it serves their efforts to retain power for the party.
Biden engaged in a debate with former President and GOP nominee for president Donald Trump on June 27. It was so bad that almost instantly Democrat leaders and pundits were looking for a way to get Biden off the ticket. They could see that there was very little chance that Biden, in his diminished state, coudl beat Trump at the ballot box. The party elite were aghast and worked hard both in public and private to oust Biden. While much of that played out in leaked rumor, speculation, it turns out, per Hersch, that what was going on behind the scenes was a kind of coup, complete with threats from the Obama Kamala team.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump’s Fiery Speech in Nashville: CBDCs Are a Threat to Liberty
President Donald Trump has been quite vocal about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) lately, and today was no exception. In his speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, he made his stance crystal clear. He said, “There will never be a CBDC while I am president.”
This statement echoes his previous comments on the matter, where he has consistently expressed strong opposition to the idea of a CBDC. He believes that such a currency would give the government too much control over people’s money and could potentially lead to financial tyranny.
Trump’s views on CBDCs seem to be part of a broader narrative that he’s building around protecting individual freedoms and liberties. It’s a message that resonates with many in the cryptocurrency community, who see digital currencies as a way to decentralize power and reduce government control.
Trump has previously called CBDCs a “dangerous threat to freedom.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump: Biden Was Ousted in a “Fascist Coup”
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news
During an address to the Turning Point Summit on Friday, President Trump asserted that Joe Biden was forced to quit the presidential race by “fascists” who carried out a “coup.”
Trump told the Florida crowd “As you know, five days ago, we officially defeated the worst president in the history of the United States, Crooked Joe Biden. You know, I thought a lot about it. We defeated him.”
Trump continued, “He was badly beaten. And, you know, everybody who was going to him said, ‘You can’t beat him. You’re not going to beat this guy. You can’t beat him. Get out. Get out. We want you out…We want you out of the race. You’re going to lose. We want to put somebody else in.’“
Trump compared the situation to “a prizefighter,” explaining “He’s losing badly, ready to be knocked out. And they say, well, wait, let’s stop the fight. Let’s put somebody else in.”
“It doesn’t work that way. And it’s not supposed to work that way. And this really was a coup by the Democrats. This was a coup. Nothing else,” Trump emphasised.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Assassination Attempt: Suspicious Persons Common, But Police Testimony Raises New Questions
After Pennsylvania police leaders revealed there were at least two other suspicious individuals besides would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks spotted at the July 13 Trump rally, experts tell Fox News Digital that reports of “suspicious” or “unusual” people at Secret Service events are common.
Pennsylvania’s State Police commissioner, Col. Christopher Paris, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee this week that at least two other suspicious individuals were identified at the rally before Crooks launched his attempt on the life of former President Trump.
Actual “threats” are rare, and the gunman is believed to have acted alone. But the state police commissioner’s testimony raised new questions about different aspects of the attempted assassination of Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wisconsin Republicans Ask Voters to Take Away Governor’s Power to Spend Federal Money
Wisconsin Republicans are asking voters to take away the governor’s power to unilaterally spend federal money, a reaction to the billions of dollars that flowed into the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers was free to spend most of that money as he pleased, directing most of it toward small businesses and economic development, angering Republicans who argued the Legislature should have oversight.
That’s what would happen under a pair of related constitutional amendments up for voter approval in the Aug. 13 primary election. The changes would apply to Evers and all future governors and cover any federal money to the state that comes without specific spending requirements, often in response to disasters or other emergencies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco’s controversial DA Brooke Jenkins has been accused of nepotism after hiring an old friend with no legal qualifications to run her office on an eye-watering salary.
Nursing professor Monifa Willis was given the $300,000 job in March, two years after Jenkins asked her to head the department’s Victim Services Division.
The pair were on same high school track-and-field team and have hung out together at restaurants, football games and waxing salons in the last three years according to their Venmo accounts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
BC Finally Drops Its Tyrannical COVID Jab Mandate for Healthcare Workers
It took four years but as of today, July 26, the British Columbia government has ended its declared public health emergency for COVID-19, including all remaining restrictions imposed under it. The province was the only remaining jurisdiction in Canada to have imposed such orders for so long.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada Revokes Jewish National Fund’s Charity Status for Funding Israeli Army
Via The Cradle
The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) notified the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on July 25th that it plans to revoke the group’s charitable status over its use of donations to build military infrastructure in Israel.
“Canadian charities are not allowed to fund foreign militaries,” Mark Blumberg, an attorney specializing in Canadian charity law, told the National Post. “Clearly, there were previously some compliance issues,” he added.
“Our position is that it is unjust for CRA to revoke a charity because a charitable object that it accepted almost 60 years ago is now no longer considered to be a valid charitable object,” the JNF said in a statement, adding that it will challenge the decision in the courts.
The Zionist organization also accused the CRA of “antisemitism.”
“As a Zionist-inspired organization, JNF Canada has many vociferous antisemitic detractors who we believe have influenced the decision-making process in this matter,” JNF Canada national president Nathan Disenhouse and CEO Lance Davis told media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jews Disproportionately Targeted in Hate Crimes: StatsCan
Jews were the target of the most police-reported hate crimes out of all groups, a report by Statistics Canada shows. Antisemitic incidents led all other hate crime categories, despite Jews making up only a tiny fraction of Canada’s population.
“Hate crimes target the integral and visible parts of a person’s identity and may affect not only the individual but also the wider community,” wrote Statistics Canada in its report. “The number of police-reported hate crimes increased from 3,612 incidents in 2022 to 4,777 in 2023, up 32 percent, even though some victims might not report a hate crime they experienced.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority of Canadians Consider Themselves Overtaxed — Especially in Quebec
A majority of Canadians say they are overtaxed and feel as though their funds are being spent unwisely.
A new poll by Ipsos-MEI published on Thursday shows that 63 percent of Canadians feel as though the federal government’s spending is either “too high” or “much too high,” marking a sharp increase from a similar poll by Ipsos last year. Respondents also said that the government is not transparent or accountable enough.
Seven-in-ten Canadians are dissatisfied with the accountability and transparency of the government’s spending practices, the study finds, with just four percent saying they are “very satisfied.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Montreal Crime Wave Noticed by Governments of Japan, France: ‘Caution is Advised’
‘The number of violent crimes such as robberies and sexual assaults in the Montreal metro system has increased sharply, with the number of crimes in 2023 almost doubling compared to 2022,’ read a notice from the Japanese Consulate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Premier Smith to Protect Albertans From Medical Coercion in Fall Legislation
Premier Danielle Smith confirmed Albertans can refuse a vaccine, and the province intends to protect that right in an upcoming bill of rights amendment.
“In the fall, we will be introducing legislation to amend Alberta’s Bill of Rights,” reads an emailed statement from the Premier’s Office (PO). “Several amendments are being considered to strengthen Albertans’ individual and property rights, including an amendment to guarantee Albertans the right to accept or refuse a medical treatment.”
Smith renewed the pledge during a July 19 Bonnyville town hall with United Conservative members. She discussed protecting the rights and freedoms of residents in front a few hundred supporters.
The move, popular among the Conservative grassroots, represents a campaign promise that helped elect the premier more than two years ago. UCP members also voted in near-unanimous fashion last November 2 to oppose medical coercion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ontario’s pandemic response spawned a secretive compliance bureaucracy known as Regional Regulatory Hubs (RRH) which are overseen by Regulatory Compliance Ontario (RCO).
Born from pandemic-related initiatives, this permanent regulatory compliance mechanism utilizes behavioural insights to achieve its goals and this happens with little (if any) public oversight.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Study: New Evidence Suggests Earth-Like Exoplanet May Hold Liquid Ocean
Researchers say new telescope observations suggest an Earth-like planet outside our solar system may hold a large liquid ocean.
The exoplanet is known as LHS 1140 b. Astronomers believe it sits about 48 light years away from Earth. A light year is the distance light travels in a year — about 9.5 trillion kilometers.
The research — led by astronomers at the University of Montreal in Canada — shows the possibility the exoplanet might hold the right conditions to support some form of life. A study explaining the findings recently appeared in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The study is based on observations collected in December 2023 by the James Webb Space Telescope. The American space agency NASA operates the orbiting observatory.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Liberals Driving Up Canada’s Debt With Bureaucrat Hiring Spree
Under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership, the size of Canada’s bureaucracy has grown by more than 43%, now employing nearly 370,000 people across the country — without adding in the military and RCMP.
On Tuesday night’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Franco Terrazzano joined guest host Sheila Gunn Reid to look at how this bureaucratic hiring spree is hurting Canadians.
Along with the size of the bureaucracy expanding, Terrazzano also pointed out how the costs associated with this hiring spree are exploding as well. “Since 2016, the cost of the federal bureaucracy has gone up 68%,” Terrazzano said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Analysis: Ezra Levant Explains Tommy Robinson’s Arrest Under UK’s Terrorism Act
Following Tommy Robinson’s arrest on Sunday under the United Kingdom’s Terrorism Act 2000, Rebel Commander Ezra Levant took to X to analyze Tommy’s detainment and its significance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A “technical anomaly” plunged major areas of Paris into darkness on Saturday evening as a blackout struck the City of Lights just one evening after the lewd LGBT-themed Olympic Opening Ceremony drew backlash from Christians around the world.
On Saturday evening, at around 11:40 Paris time, power was cut to tens of thousands of residents of the French capital. While there was initial speculation of potential sabotage, this has since been ruled out, with the local energy firm saying that it came as a result of a “technical anomaly.”
Energy provider Enedis told Le Parisien that “a network incident due to a technical anomaly has caused power cuts in… Paris, affecting nearly 85,000 customers.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Becomes First G-7 Country to Restore Ties With Assad
In a huge development, Italy has broken with its G-7 partners and become the first to restore full diplomatic relations with Syria.
President Bashar al-Assad and his government have long been under US and EU sanctions, having been accused of human rights abuses and war crimes by the West, which funded a decade-long jihadist insurgency in a failed attempt to topple the Syrian leader.
“Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country,” Associated Press reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy’s Meloni Vows to ‘Relaunch’ Cooperation With China
ROME/BEIJING (Reuters) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed on Sunday to “relaunch” cooperation with China, signing a three-year action plan during her first official visit to Beijing since taking office.
Meloni, who has led a right-wing government since 2022, made the announcement during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as Rome seeks to improve trade ties with Beijing after it exited President Xi Jinping’s flagship Belt and Road infrastructure investment scheme last year.
The Italian leader said her five-day trip was a “demonstration of the will to begin a new phase, to relaunch our bilateral cooperation”. The action plan aims to experiment with new forms of cooperation, she added.
Later in the day Meloni said that an industrial cooperation memorandum signed by Italy and China includes strategic industrial sectors such as electric mobility and renewables.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kemi Badenoch Enters Race to Lead UK Opposition Conservative Party
LONDON (Reuters) — Former British business minister Kemi Badenoch launched her bid to become leader of the opposition Conservative Party on Sunday, making her the sixth candidate seeking to replace the outgoing Rishi Sunak.
Sunak stepped down as leader following the party’s worst— ever election performance earlier this month, but said he would stay as acting leader until a successor was chosen.
Badenoch, in an article for Monday’s edition of The Times, said the Conservatives had “deserved to lose” the July 4 election and that in government the party had been too leftwing.
“We talked right yet governed left. The public felt manipulated,” she wrote. “Real leadership sets a principles-based vision about where to take the country and then inspires people to join that shared mission.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Macron Says Olympic Opening Ceremony Made France ‘Extremely Proud’
President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hailed the opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, saying the bold showpiece on the River Seine had made France extremely proud.
Macron, who had long defended the concept of the first ever summer Olympics opening ceremony outside a stadium, congratulated the French security forces for ensuring it could happen.
“Everyone told us seven years ago that this was impossible to do. I remember it very well,” he said at Paris police headquarters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Firebrand Muslim Cleric Eying Scottish Island for New ‘Homeland’
A firebrand cleric has raised more than £3 million to buy a Scottish island and turn it into a ‘homeland’ for his followers, according to reports.
Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, 45, and his supporters are in advanced talks to buy Torsa, off the west coast of Scotland, reports claimed.
The one-mile long island, which has not been inhabited for 85 years, sits in the Slate Isles and was marketed last year by Savills for £1.5m. The scholar wants to build a school, hospital and mosque on the island, where it intends to practise sharia law, it has been claimed.
The newspaper referred to reports on the cleric’s Fadak TV, which MPs have called to be shut down given its attacks on people of the Sunni faith.
Mr Al-Habib, who is originally from Kuwait but was granted asylum in Britain 20 years ago, claimed in one video, seen by the newspaper, that he will negotiate with the UK Government to secure visas to allow Muslims “from all over the world” to live in their new “homeland”.
Torsa has one farmhouse and a ruined castle and is accessible only by private boat from Luing — itself reached via a ferry from the island of Seil. Its name is of Norse origin, roughly translated as “Thor’s Island”.
| — Hat tip: One of the Quiet Ones | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Elon Musk Enters Row Over Tommy Robinson’s Alleged ‘Arrest Under Anti-Terror Laws’…
— as the activist’s supporters rally outside Downing Street while the Met Police say they have not detained him
Billionaire Elon Musk has waded into the row over Tommy Robinson’s alleged ‘arrest under anti-terror laws’ — as flag-waving demonstrators formed a protest in Londontoday.
The Tesla CEO used his X platform to question why Robinson had been arrested, tweeting: ‘What did he do that was considered terrorism?’
Robinson’s verified social media accounts this morning claimed that he had been detained by police under ‘anti-terror laws’. It added that the English Defence League (EDL) founder is to be ‘charged with terror offences’ tonight.
Although protesters gathered outside the Met Police’s Scotland Yard HQ, the force has insisted that it had no involvement in his arrest.
Bedfordshire Police, who have had dealings with Robinson in the past and cover the area where is believed to live, have also denied any involvement.
Around 70 protesters gathered outside Downing Street to voice their anger at Robinson’s alleged arrest. The rally also briefly moved to Scotland Yard, where the crows listened to speeches, but activists then returned to Whitehall.
Protesters shouted ‘release Tommy now’ and ‘we want Tommy out, we want Tommy out’, as tourists gathered around filming the men outside the Downing Street gates.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Priti Patel Becomes Fifth to Declare Tory Leadership Bid
Dame Priti Patel has said she will stand to be Tory party leader, making her the fifth Conservative MP to throw her hat in the ring.
She joins Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly and Robert Jenrick in the race to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader.
She wrote on Twitter: “I am standing to be the new Leader of the Conservative Party. We must unite to win!
“I can lead us in opposition and unite our party and get us match fit for the next election, with unity, experience and strength.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Robert Jenrick has told Tory members there will be no deal with Nigel Farage if he is elected leader of the party to replace Rishi Sunak.
The former home office minister, who resigned because he did not think Mr Sunak was strong enough on the Rwanda deportation flights, has emerged as the leading candidate of the right in the leadership race.
Speaking at an event in Upminster in Essex this week, Mr Jenrick told partymembers that he plans to win back Tory voters who defected to Farage’s Reform.
But unlike fellow right-winger Suella Braverman — who is leading in support among party members but struggling to get enough MPs to nominate her — Mr Jenrick said there would be no deal with Mr Farage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Suella Braverman Pulls Out of Tory Leader Contest With a Parting Shot
Suella Braverman has announced she will withdraw from the Conservative leadership contest because the party does not want to hear the truth about why it lost the election.
The former home secretary said she had the required 10 MPs backing her candidacy to get her above the threshold to enter the race.
But in an exclusive article for The Telegraph, she says there was no point “for good or ill” in someone like her “running to lead the Tory Party when most of the MPs disagree with my diagnosis and prescription”.
“The traumatised party does not want to hear these things said out loud,” she writes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rocket Strike Puts Israel-Hezbollah on Brink of All-Out War
At the University of Haifa, less than 50km (30 miles) from Israel’s border with Lebanon, they’re taking no chances.
The morning after a rocket fell on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, killing 12 children and teenagers, the university authorities announced that all staff based above the fifth floor in the 30-storey building should work from home. The fear is growing that they’re in the line of fire from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
“In the last war with Hezbollah in 2006, their weapons reached Haifa”, Esther Parpara, a member of staff from the university told me. “This is a dangerous moment. Parents are helping police and guards to patrol kindergartens. I’m avoiding crowded places. We don’t seek war — but Hezbollah want to destroy Israel and the Jewish people, so can we just let them do that without defending ourselves?”
Cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanon has grown steadily since 8 October, when Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at Israeli sites in solidarity with the Hamas attack on Israel a day earlier. Both groups call for the destruction of the Israeli state.
Frequent attacks by Hezbollah have struck northern Israel and the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 war and annexed in 1981. Israel has launched air strikes and missiles into southern Lebanon and beyond, including an overnight wave of attacks apparently in response to the rocket fire on Saturday.
The tit-for-tat strikes since October have killed more than 450 people in Lebanon — around 100 of them civilians — while Israel says 23 civilians and 17 soldiers have been killed. The skirmishes had been relatively contained, suggesting both sides were aiming to avoid a head-on confrontation.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Putin Says Planned US Deployment of Long-Range Missiles in Germany is ‘Reminiscent’ of Cold War
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the United States’ and Germany’s decision to deploy US long-range missiles in Germany from 2026 is “reminiscent of the events of the Cold War” and could see Russia station similar missiles in response.
“If the United States of America implements such plans, we will consider ourselves free from the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium and shorter-range strike weapons, including increasing the capabilities of the coastal forces of our Navy,” said Putin, speaking at Russia’s annual Navy Day in St. Petersburg.
Putin said that the US and Germany’s decision to begin “episodic deployments” of the long-range missile capabilities from its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany starting in 2026 would put Russian infrastructure within the reach of the to-be-deployed missiles.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Downs 21 Drones, Gains in Donetsk
Ukrainian drones hit a Russian military airfield in Dyagilevo, in Ryazan Oblast, just 160 km from the capital Moscow. The airbase is a training centre for Russia’s strategic bomber force and is the site of Tupolev Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3, and Tu-134UBL aircraft and an Ilyushin Il-78 tanker. Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said it struck an oil field in the Ryazan Oblast with kamikaze drones. Roughly two hours after the explosions in Dyagilevo, the HUR struck the Engels airbase in the Saratov Oblast which houses strategic bombers.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands in Ukraine Honor Soldiers Killed in Blast and Urge Government to Get Prisoners Freed
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainians urged their government to do more to get Russia to release prisoners of war, voicing their anger on Sunday at a ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of an explosion that killed more than 50.
Several thousand soldiers and civilians gathered at Kyiv’s Independence Square Sunday to commemorate the second anniversary of an explosion that killed more than 50 Ukrainians Russia held in the Olenivka prison barracks.
Speakers at the solemn ceremony urged the Ukrainian government to work harder to get the soldiers freed in a prisoner exchange.
The Olenivka explosion was one of the most painful pages in the war, according to many soldiers.
“I was there in Olenivka. I was rocked by the explosion,” said Sgt. Kyrylo Masalitin, who was later released. “Never before have I felt so helpless. And those still in captivity feel that helplessness every day. They must know that we have done everything we can do to get them released.”
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Claims Successful Strike on Oil Depot in Russian Mainland
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine on Sunday said it struck an oil depot in southern Russia that supplies the Kremlin’s troops as Russian strikes in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow claimed further gains, left five civilians dead and 15 others wounded.
Ukraine’s General Staff said in a statement Kyiv’s security services were responsible for a drone strike in Russia’s southern Kursk region that morning on an oil depot used to meet the needs of the Russian military, and contains 11 tanks with a total volume of 7,000 cubic meters (about 247,202 cubic feet), adding the attack prompted “powerful explosions and a fire… probably involving containers with oil products.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dozens of Wagner Fighters Killed and Russian Helicopter Destroyed in Mali Ambush
Dozens of Wagner mercenaries were killed and a Russian helicopter was destroyed in an ambush by al-Qaeda-allied rebels in Mali.
Nikita Fedyanin, the editor and owner of the Grey Zone Wagner Telegram channel and a leading Kremlin propagandist, was also killed in the attack in the Sahara Desert.
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Wagner convoy near the desert town of Tinzawatene on the border with Algeria.
In one video, an Arab man, who appears to be a commander, can be seen inspecting a captured vehicle as Tuareg fighters, wearing flowing robes, turbans and sunglasses, celebrate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nigeria Courts Convict 125 Boko Haram Islamist Insurgents in Mass Trial
ABUJA (Reuters) — Nigerian courts convicted 125 Boko Haram Islamist militants and financiers of a series of terrorism-related offences in a mass trial this week, the attorney-general’s office said.
A Boko Haram insurgency has killed thousands of people and displaced millions since it began in 2009, creating a humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria and putting pressure on the government to bring the conflict to an end.
Kamarudeen Ogundele, the spokesman of the Attorney-General’s office, said in a statement late on Friday that “they were convicted of charges bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, rendering material support, and cases relating to International Criminal Courts (ICC) criminality”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alberta Declines to Welcome More Asylum Seekers
Alberta, similar to Ontario and Quebec, faces a migration crisis where it cannot meet the demand for housing and essential services at current immigration rates. As of April 1, its population is 4,849,906—up from 4,645,229 people the previous year.
During the Council of Federation meetings in Halifax, Premier Danielle Smith complained Alberta was not privy to extra federal dollars to aid the resettlement of asylum seekers, while Ontario and Quebec have received considerable funding to offset the additional strain on services over the past year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Disappointing But Unsurprising’: The Campaign to End NYC’s Sanctuary Laws Hits Major Snag
New York City voters will have no say in whether a slate of laws protecting illegal immigrant criminals should remain on the books, almost ensuring that the Big Apple’s controversial sanctuary city laws will remain in place.
New York City’s Charter Revision Commission released a report this week, revealing what referendums will be placed on the November ballot for city voters. However, despite a campaign push from a city council’s moderate bloc and support from Mayor Eric Adams, the commission opted not to include a referendum on rolling back laws that severely limit federal immigration authorities’ ability to arrest criminal illegal migrants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called for creating a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants on Sunday, arguing Vice President Kamala Harris is the candidate to “get it done.”
Warren made the comments during a Sunday morning appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper. Tapper pressed her to defend the immigration policies of the Biden-Harris administration, which have been historically unpopular.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: 11-Year-Old Migrant Gang Leader Faces Relocation After Dozens of Burglaries
An 11-year-old Moroccan migrant, who allegedly led a youth gang responsible for over 70 burglaries, is set to be transferred to a secure facility outside Hamburg. The child, who arrived in Germany as an unaccompanied minor in November, has been linked to a string of break-ins across Hamburg and neighboring areas.
Authorities apprehended the youth last Thursday during a burglary attempt in Norderstedt, Schleswig-Holstein. However, due to his age, he cannot be held criminally liable, Bild newspaper reports.
The situation is complicated by Hamburg’s red-green Senate policy, which prohibits “secure” facilities within the state. Given the severity of his alleged crimes, officials deem it inappropriate to place him in standard youth migrant centers, necessitating his transfer to another federal state with more suitable facilities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illegal Migrant Shoots Texas Police Officer With Rifle After Domestic Violence Call, Sources Say
A migrant living in the United States illegally shot and wounded a Texas police officer in an early morning confrontation on Sunday, multiple law enforcement sources tell Fox News.
Venezuelan national Jorge Chacon-Gutierrez, 25, died during the shootout with San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officers. It is unclear if he was killed by officers or if he committed suicide.
The shooting began after the SAPD responded to a domestic violence call at around 3 a.m. Sources tell Fox News SAPD officers found the suspect lying in bed with a rifle.
The suspect began shooting at officers before they returned fire. A female police officer was wounded during the shooting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over 3000 Gazans Have Been Approved to Enter Canada
The federal government has so far approved over 3000 Gazans’ visas to enter Canada, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
A briefing note from the Department of Immigration noted that as of June 3, 2024, 283 Gaza residents have already arrived in Canada.
The briefing note also detailed that Cabinet “recognizes the situation in Gaza and we are being as flexible as possible to help as many extended family member of Canadians affected by the conflict.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Three Palestinian migrants who crossed into the United States illegally through the southern border were detained after they were found to have terrorist ties, according to media reports.
Federal law enforcement sources told the New York Post that one of the migrants had “salacious photos” on their phone, including an image of a masked man holding an AK-47 rifle.
In addition to the Palestinians, one migrant from Turkey is suspected of having ties to terror groups.
It’s unclear which terrorist organization the migrants were allegedly affiliated with.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sixty Percent of Canadians Say Immigration Levels Are Too High: Poll
Canadians are growing more and more weary of mass immigration, with three out of five people now saying that there are “too many” immigrants in the country.
The findings, in a poll conducted by Leger for the Association of Canadian Studies, mark the highest rate of dissatisfaction among Canadians with the country’s immigration policies in decades, the poll suggests.
Sixty percent of Canadian adults surveyed in July said Canada accepts too many newcomers. That marks a 10 percent increase since February.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Paris 2024 organiser Anne Descamps has apologised for any offence caused by religious depictions during the opening ceremony.
Friday’s showpiece has drawn some criticism for a banquet scene where an actor playing Greek god Dionysus took centre stage on a table with drag queens, which has been interpreted to resemble Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting.
Some religious groups condemned the ceremony, including the Catholic Church in France who said it included ‘scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity’.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
During campaign season, the secret service uses CMCA for radio communications. They’re typically young soldiers or airmen without much technical backgrounds, and don’t have any supervision from any competent civilian staff. They likely hadn’t a conops document drafted for the event that included a plan to share voice communications between the locals, detail and command post.
https://www.disa.mil/NewsandEvents/2021/DISADeliversUNMeeting
Macaroni, WEF Diktator for life, I’m sure the average French person is thrilled by this satanic filth… not.
This is not new, however, as a child of 4 I attended the first CND March to Aldermaston (U.K.). At age of 13 I was given Mao’s Little Red Book and a copy of IT magazine, a counter culture magazine from the US filled with pornography, drug taking etc all in pretty colours. By my dear mother.
“At age of 13 I was given Mao’s Little Red Book”
Still got mine..
Fake apology alert! Descamps never apologized.
“‘Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,’ she said. On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly did try to intend to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved, if people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry.’
This is the ol’ dodge: I am sorry you were offended (bigot)!
(Not sorry for what I did…)
Plus, she is lying. There was clear intent to show disrespect to vast numbers of people around the world.
So disgusting….
You cannot convice me that this guy didnt know that the christians were offended.
If his sentence would be true, he would also include some ahem “tolerance” regarding muslims, as France has a large population of muslims.
But he didnt.
Reason: Christians complain, muslims act.