Israel carried out a wave of pre-emptive strikes across southern Lebanon to thwart a large-scale rocket and drone attack by Hezbollah. Hezbollah, however, said it still managed to fire 320 rockets and drones at Israel.
In other news, police arrested four people — three men and a woman — following a stabbing in the British city of Birmingham.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Insubria, JW, McN, 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: EI Recipients Up More Than 10 Percent in Past Year
Nearly 474,000 individuals are currently receiving regular employment insurance in Canada, according to the most recent data—a 10 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
A recent Statistics Canada report reveals that the number of people on EI has grown for the second consecutive month, with an increase of approximately 6,000 recipients. The report, which includes data up to June 2024, also indicates that 519,000 people are unemployed due to layoffs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In an attempt to allay the fears of potential supporters in the grocery industry who see economic disaster in Vice President Kamala Harris’ food price control plan, surrogates are suggesting it’s a moot point and will never be approved by Congress.
After Harris released her plans for price controls across economic sectors, “Kamunism” trended on X. The fiscal policy has also been referred to by former President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as “communist.” However, Republicans are not the only ones who see scarcity on the shelves with Harris’s plans. The grocery store industry and even some economists usually sympathetic to Democrats are also alarmed, Politico reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala’s Tie-Breaking Senate Votes as VP Led to Drastic Increases in Costs of Food, Rent, Gas
Despite her sudden and apparent concern for the effect of inflation on ordinary Americans, Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking Senate votes contributed to the current inflationary crisis.
In his late-night speech at the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden thanked Harris for her work in passing the misnomered Inflation Reduction Act. “Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President soon-to-be President Kamala Harris, and now it’s the law of the land,” Biden said, referring to the $739 billion spending spree that the Senate passed by 51-50 because Harris cast the tie-breaking vote in August 2022. But the legacy of Harris’ role in passing the legislation has changed as the effects of inflation have become evident, from the price of homes to the cost of groceries.
Inflation has not been this bad since the 1970s and the era of President Jimmy Carter, Fox News noted. Rent, for example, has increased by 13 percent and new mortgages by 36 percent. The cost of baby food has shot up by 13 percent, while frozen vegetables increased by 14 percent, according to Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), who noted that food staples like butter, bread, flour, and breakfast cereals have all jumped in price since Harris helped push the Inflation Reduction Act into law.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alaska Supreme Court Allows for Potential Popular Repeal of Controversial Election System
Alaska’s Supreme Court issued a decision Thursday that will allow a question regarding repeal of the state’s controversial ranked choice voting system to appear on the November ballot.
The state’s high court upheld a lower court ruling that would allow the ballot measure to come to a popular vote.
“Having considered the record, the parties’ briefs, and the parties’ arguments, we affirm the superior court’s summary judgment order,” the judges said in their ruling.
“An opinion explaining this decision will be issued at a later date.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Secret Service will no longer provide security for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as of Sunday after the independent candidate announced he was suspending his presidential campaign and throwing his support to former President Donald Trump, the New York Post reported. The two officially joined forces Friday during a campaign rally with Turning Point Action in Arizona.
“Law-enforcement sources told The Post on Sunday that his Secret Service protection was ending after his bow-out, and the agency later confirmed it,” the Post said. A rep for the agency told the outlet “That’s correct. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is no longer receiving US Secret Service protection.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boeing employees are “humiliated” after NASA announced that two astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station by the company’s troubled Starliner space capsule will have to be rescued by Elon Musk’s upstart rival SpaceX, one worker told The Post.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — who went up the ISS in June for what was supposed to be an 8-day mission — will have to wait another six months until a SpaceX Crew Dragon space craft can carry them safely home because their original ride is leaking helium and has problems with its thrusters.
The Florida-based staffer with Boeing’s space program said the decision was the latest blow for the aerospace giant, which is already suffering backlash from a slew of commercial flight incidents earlier this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cigarette Smoking Plummets to All-Time Low: Just 11% of US Adults Say They’ve Lit Up Recently
Cigarette smoking among Americans has plummeted to an all-time low, with only 11 percent of U.S. adults saying they have smoked cigarettes in the past week, according to a new Gallup poll.
It’s even less popular with Gen Z — with just 6% of people under 30 saying that they light up.
Gallup’s most recent poll, conducted July 1 to 21, shows a sharp decline in rates of cigarette smoking among American adults compared to their first poll of its kind in 1944 — when 41 percent of adults said they smoked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cornel West Must Appear on Michigan Ballot, Judge Says
Presidential candidate Cornel West must appear on voting ballots in Michigan, a state judge ruled on Saturday.
Judge James Robert Redford issued the ruling days after West and his running mate, activist Melina Abdullah, were kicked off the ballot earlier this month due to technical issues.
The Michigan Bureau of Elections had notified West’s campaign of the discrepancies in an August 16 letter. The campaign responded by arguing that the Michigan Democratic Party was weaponizing technicalities in an effort to remove West from the ballot.
“We are confident that these accusations will be seen for what they are—frivolous and unfounded attempts to stifle opposition and debate,” campaign spokesman Edwin DeJesus told the Michigan Public Radio Network.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maybe there was a surprise guest at the Democratic National Convention after all.
Multiple attendees at the convention in Chicago last week subsequently tested positive for the COVID-19 respiratory illness, as health officials worry about infections spiking across the country.
“When you spend five days in Chicago for the DNC and come home with COVID-19. Womp womp,” Christopher Wiggins, a reporter at The Advocate, an LGBTQ magazine, posted on X.
Several others also shared their diagnosis on social media.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PALM BEACH, Florida — Former President Donald Trump told Breitbart News exclusively that when he was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, in mid-July he knew instantly it was a bullet that had hit him.
“A lot of times, and I was thinking about this, it would seem like a surreal moment—like you don’t realize almost where you are,” Trump said when asked to describe what went through his mind in that moment. “I never felt that. I knew immediately I got hit by a bullet.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FBI, Secret Service ‘Dragging Their Feet’ on Trump Assassination Probe: Ron Johnson
Sen. Ron Johnson accused the FBI and Secret Service of stonewalling a Senate probe of last month’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
Johnson (R-Wis.), who is part of a bipartisan Senate investigation into the attempt on Trump’s life, argued that the bureau and Secret Service have complicated the probe by giving them redacted documents, often on the day of key interviews.
“All I can really tell you is the Secret Service, FBI are basically dragging their feet. They’re stonewalling us,” Johnson vented on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Jack Smith Stops Pushing for Expedited Hearings in Trump’s Election Interference Case
Special Counsel Jack Smith has opted to stop pushing the courts for expedited hearings in his election interference case against President Donald Trump.
Smith has now decided to start adapting to a recent Supreme Court ruling, according to Breitbart.
The shift in prosecutorial approach from Smith, appointed to “investigate” election interference allegations, is a significant development.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Harris’ Niece Meena Fundraises for ‘Urgent Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza’ Via Instagram
Meena Harris, the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris, is actively fundraising for “Gaza relief” on her Instagram page, which has over 712,000 followers. A link displayed on her account is for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), which aims to address the “urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” emphasizing that “the wounds of this war will take years to heal.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta Admits ‘Error’ in Taking Down Conservative College’s Facebook Page
Facebook shut down Hillsdale College’s online courses page the same day the school launched a course critical of Communism and Marxism.
“The @hillsdaleonline Facebook page has been down since Monday night, just as we launched a new course on Marxism, socialism, and communism,” the school stated on X. “Facebook is denying people access to our course on repressive ideologies. Such issues are usually resolved within 24 hours, @Meta told us.”
Meta told Fox News Digital in a statement: “This page was taken down in error and was restored before we received this inquiry.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Renowned Cardiologist: COVID Shots Caused 112,000% Spike in Brain Clots
One of the world’s leading cardiologists is raising the alarm over a major study that identified a bone-chilling spike in brain clots among the Covid-vaccinated.
American cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough uncovered bombshell data showing that Covid mRNA shots have caused a staggering 112,000% increase in brain clots.
A newly-published study by a team of experts, led by McCullough, analyzed all reports of cerebral thromboembolism over the past 34 years.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, cerebral thromboembolism occurs when a blood clot forms in the brain’s venous sinuses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RFK Jr Defends ‘MAGA,’ Teases More to Join Trump ‘Unity Government’
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the “MAGA” movement and teased more additions to the “unity government” he looks to join under former President Trump on Sunday.
Kennedy offered his own definition of MAGA in a post on X, arguing Democrats have misinterpreted the movement as regressive. The former presidential candidate dropped out and endorsed Trump on Friday in a major shake-up to the race.
“‘Make America Great Again’ recalls a nation brimming with vitality, with a can-do spirit, with hope and a belief in itself. It was an America that was beginning to confront its darker shadows, could acknowledge the injustice in its past and present, yet at the same time could celebrate its successes,” Kennedy wrote.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RFK Jr. Says President Trump Will Announce Many Other Democrats Who Are Joining His Campaign Soon
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared on Fox News on Sunday, saying he thinks former President Donald Trump will soon be making “a series of announcements of other Democrats who are joining his campaign.” Kennedy also confirmed that he will be “campaigning actively” for Trump after officially endorsing him on Friday.
Kennedy has been outspoken in supporting the former president after his formal endorsement at the end of last week. On Sunday morning, Kennedy took to X where he shared his thoughts on the term “MAGA” and offered a different perspective that contrasts with many liberals’ views of the slogan.
Kennedy explained that while some see “Make America Great Again” as a call for a return to a time before civil rights, gay rights, and women’s rights, he interprets it differently. He described MAGA as a vision of an America full of vitality, optimism, and a belief in its potential.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RFK Jr. Denies Landing Trump Administration Position in Exchange for Endorsement
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims he was not guaranteed a gig in a potential Trump administration in exchange for his endorsement of The Donald and that the pair only made a “general commitment to work together.’’
Kennedy, 70, said Sunday there was no ironclad promise of him getting a key post, despite weeks of reported behind-the-scenes negotiations where that was floated.
“No. There’s been no commitments. I met with President Trump, with his family, which his closer advisers, and we just made a general commitment that we were going to work together,” Kennedy explained on “Fox News Sunday.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rutgers Prof Who Said She Hoped Trump Shooting Would “Inspire Others” Will Teach This Fall
By Adam Sabes of Campus Reform
The Rutgers University professor who was under an internal review after posts she made on Facebook following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, writing “Let’s hope today’s events inspire others” will teach this coming fall.
A source provided Campus Reform with screenshots of the Facebook posts, which were made by Rutgers University Writing Program Assistant Teaching Professor Tracy Budd in the hours after someone tried to assassinate Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Let’s hope today’s events inspire others,” Budd said in one post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
National Convention, with Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Democratic Party winning praise for hosting an event without serious disruptions. But even though the roughly 50,000 attendees enjoyed raucous nights at the United Center, parties on Navy Pier and perfect sunny days, many downtown business owners said it was a tough week.
“We lost around 60 to 70% of our lunchtime business,” said Brad Alaoui, chief operating officer of Roanoke Hospitality and operator of The Roanoke restaurant at 135 W. Madison St. “The Loop was a real ghost town. It was scary how slow it was.”
City officials said the convention would raise Chicago’s profile and boost downtown businesses, but many employers, worried about congestion and possible disorder stemming from protests, advised workers to stay home during the four-day convention, robbing restaurants and stores of their regular customers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“What can be, unburdened by what has been,” Vice President Kamala Harris recites looking into the cameras, into her teleprompter and into the glare of the afternoon sunshine in a swing state.
Unburdened by the laws of her economics, her past track record or reality, anything is possible.
The much mocked phrase has become to her brand what “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for” was to Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. The twin statements of faith, their awkward construction of both deliberately echoing the cadence of old school preachers and new school gurus, are transformative in very different ways. Where Obama appeared to be offering his followers the opportunity to participate in a new revolution, Kamala offers her supporters the rebirth of forgetting that the old ever existed.
It is easy to see why “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for” spoke to a man so convinced of his chosenness that he he was planning to be president even before he came to America. The only con in the phrase was the “we”. “What can be, unburdened by what has been,” is equally compelling to Kamala who constantly remakes herself to the needs of the moment. ‘Kamala for the People’, her 2020 presidential campaign, was launched using her credentials as a prosecutor only to have her endorse police defunding and freeing all the criminals once she saw which way the winds were blowing.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Former President Trump pushed back against criticism that he rambled during a phone call with Fox News after Vice President Harris’s Democratic convention speech last week, claiming the network asked him to do what ultimately was a brief interview.
“Bret Baier of FoxNews called me, I didn’t call him, just prior to the Kamala Convention speech, and asked me if I would like to critique her after she is finished. I agreed to do so!” Trump wrote early Sunday on Truth Social.
Trump dialed into Fox News to speak with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum last Thursday immediately after Harris concluded her nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eugene Vindman, the former Trump whistleblower who is now running for Congress as a Democrat in Virginia, is facing allegations of violating federal election law.
The Functional Government Initiative filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Wednesday, urging an investigation into Vindman and his political action committee, VoteVets. The complaint alleged that VoteVets, a “hybrid PAC,” made an “excessive and impermissible” contribution to Vindman’s campaign.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, VoteVets is legally permitted to contribute up to $10,000 directly to a candidate. However, it reached this limit in May. The PAC’s continued communications support for Vindman’s campaign is being classified as an “in-kind contribution,” which would push its total contributions above the legal threshold.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alaska’s GOP Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced Friday that she is dropping out of the U.S. House of Representatives race to consolidate support behind fellow Republican Nick Begich.
Dahlstrom had received the backing of President Donald Trump, the Washington Examiner reported.
Incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) flipped the state’s single House seat in 2022.
The ranked-choice voting system caused in-fighting between GOP candidates that helped Peltola get elected.
Dahlstrom is determined to not let that happen again.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
By Brendan McDonald of CampusReform
The University of Tampa’s resident advisor (RA) training featured a hypothetical scenario in which a student complained about feeling “unsafe” because a roommate hung a “Make America Great Again” flag and was a member of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF).
Affiliated with the Young America’s Foundation, YAF chapters organize conservative speakers and trainings for students on campuses around the country. A picture of the University of Tampa slide was obtained and shared by the group on Friday, Aug. 16.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is facing another accusation of misrepresenting his background after a Nebraska Chamber of Commerce letter from 2006 resurfaced amid Walz’s campaign for vice president.
When Walz first ran for Congress in Minnesota, he touted on his campaign website that he received an award from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce in 1993 for his work with the business community, according to a 2006 article from the Post Bulletin.
He never received such an award, however, which was outlined to him in a blistering letter from the then-president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, Barry L. Kennedy.
“We researched this matter and can confirm that you have not been the recipient of any award from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce,” the letter addressed to Walz on Nov. 1, 2006, reads.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Yale Epidemiologist Warns Public: COVID Shots Are ‘Toxic’
A revered Yale University epidemiologist is speaking out to warn the public that Covid mRNA “vaccines” are a “toxic shot.”
Dr. Harvey Risch is professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health.
Risch has been a prominent voice challenging the mainstream narrative surrounding the pandemic response.
In particular, he has been raising the alarm about Covid mRNA injections.
Risch has just published a new book to highlight the issues, titled: “Toxic Shot: Facing the Dangers of the COVID ‘Vaccines.’“
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Almost 1,000 Days Later, Meet Brian: “The Trucker Who Never Left” (Ottawa, That Is…)
Back in February 2022, the freedom convoy was forced to leave Ottawa. Yet, even though that occurred some two-and-a-half years ago, not every demonstrator went back home. Case in point: Brian, who now goes by the nickname, “The Trucker Who Never Left”. Brian continues to demonstrate in downtown Ottawa, sans truck, noting that “this [protest] is far from finished.”
We happened upon Brian and about a dozen of his allies last Friday on Elgin Street. They were directly situated across the road from the courthouse where Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were on trial earlier that day for those various mischief charges. (Incredibly, it was Day 44 of the proceedings, for those keeping score at home…)
Yet, why is Brian still in Ottawa, in the summer of 2024? He explains that during the days of the freedom convoy, the three most resounding messages he heard from supporters were: thank you very much; you’ve given us hope; please don’t leave. And to honour the wishes of those supporters, Brian never did.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Monday’s live stream, Sheila Gunn Reid and David Menzies discussed anti-Israel protesters demonstrating in a threatening manner outside of a pro-Israel event being held at a church in Toronto.
The event, called “Israel Rejoicing Celebration,” on Sunday, August 18, saw dozens of anti-Israel demonstrators come out to protest the gathering, requiring a significant police presence to keep them at bay.
Police were forced to form a wall blocking the angry demonstrators from the entrance to the Friends of Jesus Christ Church in Scarborough.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arsonist Out on Bail After Setting Fire to BC Church
A Vernon, British Columbia man who was arrested on Monday after allegedly setting fires outside a Catholic Church is out on bail.
Dillon Alexander Leon, 32, is facing one count each of mischief over $5,000 and possession of incendiary material. Leon was arrested on Monday evening and granted bail after a hearing Tuesday afternoon.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hard to imagine a mischief trial lasting four hours let alone 44 days. After all, mischief is typically a small potatoes crime — think of a teenager spray painting something on the side of a building. But when it comes to the “unacceptable views” of the “fringe minority,” there is obviously a different standard at play.
And so millions of taxpayer dollars have been squandered in putting Barber and Lich on trial. It is a farce that seems less about the pursuit of justice and more about a political vendetta. As the saying goes, win, lose, or draw, the process is the penalty.
Star lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, acting for Lich, put on a legalistic tour de force in court Friday. He argued that Lich committed no crime at any point. Nor did she do or say anything that remotely resembled a call for violence. Furthermore, he emphasized that police arranged the route for the truckers to take into Ottawa and directed them where to park. And that the phrase “hold the line,” contrary to what the Crown might think, is not “a call to arms.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eco-Criminal’s Appeal Alleging Judge Engaged in ‘Residential School Denialism’ Dismissed
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has dismissed a case arguing that a judge’s sentence should be overturned due to bias for correctly referring to the 215 unmarked grave claim at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School as a “potential” discovery.
In 2020, Miranda Dick — a so-called “land defender” who, along with seven others, was arrested for obstructing the Trans Mountain pipeline development. Dick was later sentenced in 2023 by Judge Shelley Fitzpatrick to imprisonment for her crime, along with her father, a Secwépemc hereditary chief, and four others.
Although Dick served her 28-day sentence, she attempted to appeal the sentence on allegations that Judge Fitzpatrick was biased and a residential school denier for correcting her counsel, Benjamin Isitt, during the sentencing hearing after he incorrectly stated that Indigenous children’s bodies had been “unearthed” at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ontario Food Bank Forced to Turn Clients Away Due to High Demand
A food bank in southern Ontario was forced to turn away clients approximately two weeks ago after it ran out of food.
The Salvation Army Food Bank in Brant County was forced to temporarily shut down for a day after its Paris, Ontario location ran out of donations.
It’s something that Capt. Joshua Cain says has not happened before and is a sign of the hard economic times that they’re in.
“This isn’t something that’s going to go away any time soon,” he told Global News. “The affordability crisis is a complex issue and there’s no one simple solution.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Peaceful Freedom Convoy Protester Has All Charges Dropped After Judge Rules Charter Rights Violated
On last night’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, Monick Grenier from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) joined the show to discuss their success in having all charges dropped for a 2022 Freedom Convoy protester.
As noted in the JCCF’s press release, “Mr. Spicer was arrested in Ottawa on February 19, 2022, and charged with mischief, obstructing justice, and weapons charges.”
Grenier explained that the judge agreed with all of their Charter breaches that they advanced, noting that he was unlawfully arrested and denied the adequate right to instruct and retain counsel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tamara Lich is Bringing Her Message of Hope, Unity and Patriotism to Rebel News Live! Calgary
Rebel News LIVE! Calgary is back again for 2024, and tickets are on sale now! Our one-day freedom conference, where you’ll hear from incredible speakers and meet your favourite Rebel personalities, returns to Calgary on October 5.
One of those guest speakers I’m so excited to tell you will be participating is my friend, the spiritual leader of the Freedom Convoy, Tamara Lich.
Tamara led the single largest human rights demonstration in modern Canadian history. Her peaceful act of patriotism has seen her attacked by the media, treated like a terrorist and dragged through the courts for the last two years in the longest mischief trial in Canadian history.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Musk Should be Nervous” — Deep State Lackey Admits Real Target Following Telegram Founder’s Arrest
Russia is demanding answers following the arrest Pavel Durov, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram. He was detained by French authorities at the Bourget airport outside of Paris Saturday evening after arriving in his private jet.
The Russian embassy in Paris has demanded that the French government explain itself, and has so far said that French authorities are being uncooperative. The latest reports say Durov is expected to appear before a judge Sunday evening.
The embassy said of the 39-year-old Russian-born billionaire that “as soon as the news of Durov’s arrest broke, we immediately addressed the French authorities for clarification on the reasons for it and demanded that they ensure the protection of his rights and provide consular access to him.”
He not only has Russian citizenship by virtue of his birth there, but also holds dual citizenship in France and the UAE.
Russian diplomats say there has been no reply from Paris: “The French side has so far been avoiding cooperation on this issue,” a statement said. Russian lawmakers have gone so far as to say he is now a “political prisoner”.
Russian member of parliament Maria Butina said on Sunday, “Pavel Durov is a political prisoner — a victim of a witch-hunt by the West.
“The arrest of Pavel Durov means there is no freedom of speech — it means that freedom of speech in Europe is dead,” she continued. “Now basically they have a hostage and they will try to blackmail Russia, they will try to blackmail all the users of Telegram and not only try to get control but also try to block the network here in Russia.”
Additionally, deputy speaker of Russian parliament, Vladislav Davankov, described that the tech entrepreneur’s arrest “could be politically motivated and used to gain access to the personal information of Telegram users.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Synagogue ‘Terror’ Attack Suspect Wears Palestinian Flag Around Waist
An armed man with a Palestinian flag wrapped around his waist set fire to a synagogue in France in what Emmanuel Macron branded a “terrorist attack”.
CCTV footage showed the suspect leaving the Beth Yaacov synagogue in the seaside resort of La Grande-Motte before an explosion rocked the building on Saturday morning.
Flames can be seen licking the side of the synagogue in the image, which shows the man wearing a keffiyeh with a gun stuffed in his trousers.
He was carrying two plastic bottles of clear liquid in the still, which was obtained by the Le Parisien newspaper.
Police on Saturday night arrested the suspect during an operation in which officers were fired upon and the suspect was wounded in the face.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Meloni Blasts the ‘Violent Ways’ of the Left
They are trying to defend the status quo says premier
Premier Giorgia Meloni accused the opposition of adopting “violent” methods and defended her government’s reforms, including the recently approved law bringing in ‘differentiated autonomy’.
A brawl broke out in the Lower House before the controversial measure, which will enable regions to request more power over how the tax revenues collected in their areas are spent, won final approval last week.
“We are patriots who know which way to fly the flag,” Meloni said on Facebook in a possible reference to opposition MPs holding up Italian flags during protests against the reforms.
“We are working for all citizens to have the same rights.
“One M5S (5-Star Movement) MP called for Loreto for me,” she said, referring to the Milan square where Benito Mussolini was hung upside down after being killed by Partisans at the end of World War II.
“And the Left makes blacklists lists.
I think the violent ways of the Left are a desperate defence of the status quo, a defence of privilege that has protected the few, at the expense of the majority of Italians.
“We have promised to change things.
We will go ahead without being intimidated, always in the interest of the nation’“.
Opposition parties say differentiated autonomy will worsen Italy’s north-south divide, by favouring wealthier regions in the north.
It is one of several reforms that the opposition are fiercely contesting.
Another, the government’s move to introduce the direct election of the premier by the Italian people, completed its first passage through the Senate a week ago, having already gone through the House.
Meloni says it will boost democracy and stability, but opposition parties say it could lead to an authoritarian drift.
Most of the Italian opposition parties staged a rally in Rome last Tuesday to “defend national unity” in the face of these reforms and also to protest against alleged “violence and intimidation” by the ruling coalition after an M5S MP needed medical attention following the above-mentioned brawl.
Eleven MPs were suspended over the ugly scenes, with League MP Igor Iezzi getting the longest ban, 15 days, for allegedly trying to land punches.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Calenda Says ‘Zionist’ List Verges on Political Violence
Mideast complex issues reduced to stadium-like fandom
Centrist Azione leader Carlo Calenda on Sunday said his inclusion on a list of alleged ‘Zionists’ by the new Italian Communist Party (PCI) “verges on political violence”.
Amid cross-party sympathy, the former industry minister said “the proscription lists of ‘Zionists’ are clearly an invitation to violence.
“But the problem has become a more general one.
The violence, for now verbal, ignites on social media every time Israel is discussed.
“In the last few days a former 5-Star Movement (M5S) MP, whose only profession today is to be a paid guest on the media circus, used a video of me on Israel artfully cut, punctuated by photos of Palestinian victims, to urge his follower base to attack me.
“Hence, hundreds of messages of an unheard of violence with personal threats and threats against my family, including my children.
“In 10 years of political activity I had never experienced such a level of violence.
My ‘fault’ is having condemned those who take part in demonstrations in which they shout slogans in Arabic of the tenor ‘death to Jews’ and having denied Israel’s genocidal purpose towards the Palestinian people.
“I consider the Netanyahu government’s action unacceptable, immoral and criminal in so far as it does not respect the rules of modern warfare as far as civilian victims are concerned.
“The calls of far right Israeli politicians are no different in gravity from those of the Hamas commanders.
“My position is therefore certainly not tender with Israel, but (I recognise) its right to defend itself within the framework of a perimeter which it is not respecting and to eliminate in a targeted way the authors of the October 7 attacks who are guests of renegade States.
But any well-thought-out position obviously does not satisfy the opposing tribes of fans and generates a proscription which has dangerous consequences.
“The simplification of complex affairs into soccer stadium fandom is now an acquired fact of democracies in the time of social media.
“But instigation to violence cannot be tolerated, representing a further step towards the political and cultural abyss that is destroying democracies”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: New PCI Pro-Israel List Threatens Safety — La Russa
Unacceptable attack on freedom of thought — Senate Speaker
An alleged ‘proscription’ list issued by the new Italian Communist Party (PCI) of politicians, journalists and businessmen, ‘guilty’ of supporting Israel is an unacceptable threat to their safety, Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa, a co-founder of Premier Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, said Friday.
“I find it very serious that the New Communist Party has published on its website, names and surnames of politicians, journalists and businessmen, ‘guilty’ of supporting Israel,” he said.
“This is a serious and unacceptable attack on freedom of thought and a worrying threat to the safety of those involved.
“In addressing my sincere sympathy to all those included in this shameful proscription list, I hope for firm and unanimous condemnation,” said La Russa on social media.
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Lawless Britain: Four Arrested After Stabbing in Multicultural Birmingham
Police arrested four people, three men and a woman, following a stabbing in front of a row of shops in the multicultural British city of Birmingham.
At around 1:25 in the morning on Saturday, a 34-year-old man was attacked at the junction of Dudley Road and Bellefield Road in Birmingham. The man sustained a slashing knife injury and was brought to hospital, where he remains in stable condition.
Footage purporting to have captured the attack was widely shared on social media.
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Macron Calls Attack on French Synagogue a ‘Terrorist Act’
French President Emmanual Macron called the Saturday attack on a synagogue in the south of France “a terrorist act” that a unified France would fight.
“The fight against anti-Semitism is an ongoing battle, the fight of a united nation,” Macron wrote on X. He added that everything would be done to find those responsible.
Following the explosion outside a synagogue in La Grande-Motte, a Mediterranean coastal city near Montpellier, the anti-terrorism public prosecutor’s office said it is taking over the investigation and will look into attempted homicide with a terrorism connection and destruction with dangerous means, as well as terrorist association.
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Netherlands: Disney Cruise Ship Sails Past Amsterdam Due to Extinction Rebellion Blockade
The cruise ship Disney Dream, which was supposed to arrive in Amsterdam on September 6, is sailing past the capital. A booking website reported this on social media platform X. The shipping company fears that it will not be able to dock in Amsterdam “due to problems with access to the port.” In recent weeks, Extinction Rebellion activists have blocked the lock at IJmuiden in protest against cruise ships.
A Facebook group shared an email from Disney Cruise Line informing travelers of the changed itinerary. In this email, the cruise line speaks of “problems beyond our control” without explaining them in more detail. As compensation, the shipping company is offering travelers a credit of 250 dollars (around 224 euros) to spend on board. The ship, which leaves Southampton next Sunday, will sail on to Zeebrugge, Belgium, via Hamburg, where it will now stay for two days instead of one.
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Not Happy: Pope Francis Decries ‘Wave of Populism’ in Europe
ROME — Europe is experiencing a crisis evidenced by a “wave of populism” that threatens European universality, Pope Francis warned Saturday.
In a message to participants in the European Alpbach Forum, an Austrian nonprofit foundation advocating a strong and democratic Europe, the pontiff said that Europe is “experiencing a time of crisis,” a time “in which various populist movements are enjoying great popularity.”
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Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski has announced that he has “safely departed” from Europe following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France and subsequent threats made against Rumble by French authorities.
Durov was previously detained at Le Bourget Airport near Paris on Sunday after arriving from Azerbaijan on a private jet. The arrest, executed under a warrant for Durov who holds dual citizenship of both France and the United Arab Emirates, reportedly stems from allegations that Durov failed to moderate content on Telegram. He now faces a potential 20-year prison sentence on charges including terrorism, narcotics trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods.
In a statement, Pavlovski condemned the actions taken against Durov and vowed to fight for freedom of expression.
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This is the horrific moment two people drove their motorbike onto the pavement before hacking at a shop door with a machete-type knife.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The first day of London’s annual Notting Hill Carnival saw at least 38 arrests, multiple knives seized, and a man stabbed, prompting police to enact stop and search powers.
Notting Hill Carnival, the two-day multicultural Afro-Caribbean street party dating back to the 1960s, once again experienced an outbreak of violence as the festivities began on Sunday.
At the time of this reporting, London’s Metropolitan Police said that they made 38 arrests and recovered four knives. In a statement, the police force said that a man believed to be in his 20s was stabbed, though thankfully his injuries are said to not be life-threatening.
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Some 7,000 Met Police officers will be deployed at the festival which is a ‘fixture in London’s cultural calendar’ and attracts similar numbers each year.
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Security barriers were seen being erected around pubs and terrace homes, with two million revellers and performers are expected to descend on the parade route from Saturday.
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Hamas Says it Rejects New Israeli Conditions in Gaza Ceasefire Talks
CAIRO, Aug 25 (Reuters) — Hamas said on Sunday that it rejects new Israeli conditions put forward in Gaza ceasefire talks, casting further doubt on the chances of a breakthrough in the latest U.S.-backed effort to end the 10-month-old war.
Months of on-off talks have failed to produce an agreement to end Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza or free the remaining hostages seized by Hamas in the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
Key sticking points in ongoing talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar include an Israeli presence in the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow 14.5 km-long (nine-mile) stretch of land along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
Hamas said Israel has backtracked on a commitment to withdraw troops from the Corridor and put forward other new conditions, including the screening of displaced Palestinians as they return to the enclave’s more heavily populated north when the ceasefire begins.
“We will not accept discussions about retractions from what we agreed to on July 2 or new conditions,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan told the group’s Al-Aqsa TV on Sunday.
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Israel and Hezbollah Trade Their Most Intense Fire in Months and Then Pull Back
Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah traded heavy fire early on Sunday but backed off from sparking a widely feared all-out war, as both sides signalled their most intense exchange of fire in months was over.
The cross-border attack came as high-level talks resumed in Egypt aimed at a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the war in Gaza that also would ease regional tensions.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said his group hit an Israeli military intelligence site near Tel Aviv in a barrage of hundreds of rockets and drones, and Israel claimed its strikes had been pre-emptive to avert a larger attack. Neither offered evidence.
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Netanyahu Vows More ‘Surprising Blows’ After Preemptive Hezbollah Attack: “Not the End”
“What happened today is not the end of the story,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement posted on X. Early morning ‘preemptive’ strikes included over 100 Israeli fighter jets simultaneously attacking thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers and drone sites across southern Lebanon.
“We are hitting Hezbollah with surprising blows. Three weeks ago we eliminated their chief of staff and today we thwarted their attack,” Netanyahu said further.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later said Hezbollah had launched 210 rockets and some 20 drones on northern and central Israel.
In follow-up IDF Spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari announced that at least six Hezbollah operatives were killed in Sunday’s major preemptive operation. This brings the tally to 30 Hezbollah operatives killed in just the last week.
Hagari declared Sunday’s operation to be a success: “Contrary to Hezbollah’s claims, there were no impacts in IDF bases, not in the north and not in the center [of the country],” he said, rejecting claims made by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
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Israel Launched “Preemptive” Strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon ‘To Prevent Major Attack’
Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia in Lebanon, exchanged some of the heaviest fighting in months on Sunday as fears mount that a direct Iranian retaliatory strike on Israel could spark an all-out regional war.
Israel’s military launched preemptive strikes in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah’s high-value targets after allegedly detecting movement on the ground that militia forces were preparing to launch a barrage of missiles, rockets, and kamikaze drones into Israel.
Hezbollah announced in a statement that Israel’s claim that it launched a pre-emptive attack against Hezbollah’s forces to thwart a missile attack was “baseless,” further saying, “These are empty claims.” The militia said approximately 320 rockets and drone waves were launched into Israel. The IDF said the militia launched about 200 rockets. Hezbollah called the operation a “complete success.”
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Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Heavy Fire in Major Escalation
Israel has said it carried out a wave of pre-emptive strikes across southern Lebanon to thwart a large-scale rocket and drone attack by Hezbollah.
Jets destroyed thousands of the Iran-backed armed group’s rocket launchers on Sunday morning, Israel’s military said. Hezbollah and its Amal allies said three fighters had been killed.
Hezbollah said it had still managed to fire 320 rockets and drones at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of a senior commander. According to Israel’s military, one Israeli navy soldier was killed.
The US says it is working to avoid any further escalation after 10 months of hostilities that have raised fears of an all-out war.
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Five Killed in Russia’s Border Belgorod Region Amid Ukrainian Shelling
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Five people died in Ukrainian shelling in Russia’s border region of Belgorod, officials said Sunday, while Russian forces struck a hotel in eastern Ukraine, leaving one journalist missing and two others injured.
Twelve other people were wounded in the Russian village of Rakitone, 38 kilometers (23 miles) from the Ukrainian border, including a 16-year-old girl reported to be in critical condition, said regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Russian forces struck a hotel overnight in the city of Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region, injuring two people and leaving one trapped under the rubble, regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said. All three were reported to be journalists from Ukraine, the U.S., and the U.K.
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Pope Francis Condemns Ukraine’s Ban on Country’s Largest Orthodox Church
Pope Francis has condemned the Ukrainian government’s move to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) which maintains communion with the Moscow Patriarchate.
His Sunday remarks emphasized that “churches are not to be touched” and come the day after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed parliament’s newly passed bill into law identified as Bill 8371.
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Von Der Leyen: Ukraine ‘Moving at Incredible Speed’ to Join the EU
Ukraine is “moving at incredible speed towards joining the European Union,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video statement on Saturday.
In a short video posted to X to mark Ukraine’s independence day, von der Leyen said: “Europe will always be at Ukraine’s side because Ukraine is Europe. Your freedom is our freedom. Your security is our security.”
“And now you are moving at incredible speed towards joining the European Union. We have been standing with you since day one and we will continue to do so for as long as it takes. Slava Ukraini [glory to Ukraine].”
Ukraine became an official candidate for EU membership in June 2022, four months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country and its failed attempt to topple the government in Kiev.
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A young man found dead with stab wounds in a Melbourne park has been identified as a talented basketball player.
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Every state school in the country is now being officially urged to include Acknowledgements of Country in daily school life with preschoolers as young as three even encouraged to take part.
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EU: Maduro Has Not Shown ‘Necessary Public Evidence’ to Declare Victory in Venezuela Elections
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The European Union’s top diplomat on Saturday said that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has still “not provided the necessary public evidence” to prove he was the winner of July’s elections, days after the country’s Supreme Court backed the government’s disputed claims of victory.
The bloc joined a slate of other Latin American countries and the United States in rejecting the Venezuelan high court’s certification. Authorities repeated calls for Maduro to release the election’s official tally sheets, considered the one verifiable vote count in Venezuela as they are almost impossible to replicate.
“Only complete and independently verifiable results will be accepted and recognized,” Josep Borrell, the high representative of the EU, said in a statement.
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Germany Mass Stabbing Suspect Had Deportation Order But Was Not Removed: Report
The Syrian asylum seeker suspected of killing three and injuring several others at a “festival of diversity” in Germany on Friday reportedly had a deportation order last year, but authorities failed to remove him from the country.
According to information obtained by German paper of record Die Welt, 26-year-old Issa Al H., the Syrian asylum seeker who surrendered himself to police on Saturday after the mass stabbing in Solingen, was supposed to be deported in 2023.
The suspected terrorist had a removal date scheduled to have him sent to Bulgaria, the country where he first entered the European Union, and therefore, under the Dublin regulations, the country where he should have had his asylum claims processed.
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The suspect of the shocking terror attack in Germany that gripped the world on Friday night has been named and charged for the first time.
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Netherlands: Prime Minister Schoof Assures: “The Asylum Crisis Law is Coming”
Prime Minister Dick Schoof is confident that the Cabinet will introduce an asylum crisis law, as announced in the coalition agreement. “There will be an asylum crisis law. There must be no misunderstandings about that.” He admits that there are many concerns regarding the legal admissibility of such an intervention. That is why it is still unclear when the bill will be presented.
“I cannot give an exact date at the moment,” said the Prime Minister in his press conference after the Council of Ministers. The minister responsible, Marjolein Faber, initially said she wanted to present the relevant plans around Prinsjesdag. However, Schoof stated on the same day that this would probably not be the case after all.
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Enough is enough. I have just finished issuing a full statement with the Surrey RCMP regarding a threat made against my family and me by the infamous Jessica Simpson, formerly known as Jonathan Yaniv.
By now, many of you know that Rebel News recently defeated Simpson’s attempts to hide behind publication bans that were legally preventing us from further exposing Simpson.
This win for free press must have triggered Simpson’s rage once again, because days after the loss, concerned X users captured and brought to my attention, a since removed post from Simpson’s account which threatened me and the safety of my child.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada: Pastor Derek Reimer Found Guilty of Criminal Harassment and Breach of Bail
Pastor Derek Reimer made national and international headlines when he was arrested for protesting drag queen story hours, events dubbed “Reading with Royalty” in which men garishly disguised as women inexplicably feel the need to read to small children, at public libraries across Calgary.
For daring to oppose these events, the embattled pastor has faced a litany of charges, many of which are finally being addressed by the courts.
Pastor Derek has already secured victories on dropped charges of trespassing and causing a disturbance, stemming from praying in City Hall and reading the Bible publicly respectively.
He also secured a minor victory this week when he was acquitted of an additional causing a disturbance charge, but during the same proceedings he was found guilty on charges of criminal harassment and breach of bail extending from opposing drag queen story hour events at Saddletowne and Country Hills libraries in late March and early April.
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Death of Woke: Queer Activist Video Game Funded by the EU Can’t Find Players
If the new punk rock is to be politically correct, then it’s not punk rock. The woke activist invasion of popular media since 2015 continues to ignore the reality that they are not “rebels”, they are villains, and their delusions are becoming more embarrassing for them with each passing year.
Woke tropes have become poison for any brand seeking a wider audience or greater profits, to the point that activist media projects must now be funded by governments and NGOs through DEI initiatives just to pay developer salaries. The goal? To saturate the market with multicultural ideology and LGBT propaganda until the public was forced to accept it and consume it as “normal.” The agenda has failed.
Every new woke product seems to bomb harder than the last these days and that’s a good sign for the future. Video game players, a market which now dwarfs movies and TV streaming, are rejecting woke material en masse. Case in point: Dustborn.
The aggressively advertised game features a cast of queer activist “punk rock” characters that set out on a road trip across an America controlled by “conservative oppressors” that are really uncool. Set in North America in 2030, The American Republic is under the iron fist of “Justice” and The Puritans, a fascist police force presided over by President Samuel Ward. California has gained independence and is now Pacifica, a corporatocracy ruled by the wealthy few. Texas has seceded, rebranding itself as the libertarian Columbia.
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Tusk Says He Doesn’t Have the Votes in Parliament to Liberalize Poland’s Strict Abortion Law
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has acknowledged that he does not have the backing in parliament to change the country’s abortion law, which is among the most restrictive in all of Europe.
Tusk, a centrist, took power in December at the head of a coalition that spans a broad ideological divide, with lawmakers on the left who want to legalize abortion and conservatives strongly opposed. Changing the law to allow abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy was one of his campaign promises.
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