The explosion of a gas tank at a service station in the Chechen capital, Grozny, killed at least four people, two of them children. The blast is thought to have been deliberate sabotage.
In other news, I-90 in Washington State was closed for a while today after a driver threw a suspected explosive device out his car’s window while being stopped by police. The bomb squad was called to the scene, and two people are in custody.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, JW, LP, McN, Reader from Chicago, Roger, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
High inflation during President Joe Biden’s term will result in voters paying significantly higher prices as they cast their ballots in the 2024 election.
Prices since November 2020 have increased by roughly 21%, with year-over-year inflation under Biden peaking at about 9% in June 2022 and decelerating to its current annual rateof 2.4% as of September, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Price hikes for a slew of products have well-exceeded the overall price rise, including household staples like eggs and butter, which rose by approximately 163% and 50% between November 2020 and September 2024, respectively.
Beef products have also been hit hard by Biden-era inflation, with prices for uncooked beef roasts rising over 31%, uncooked ground beef climbing nearly 27% and uncooked beef steaks increasing approximately 28%, according to BLS. Meanwhile, the price of bread is up over 23% and bakery products up almost 27%.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
60% of Baby Food Sold in America Doesn’t Meet Nutritional Standards
A disturbing new study has found that the vast majority of foods sold in the United States for infants and toddlers do not meet international nutritional standards.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
They looked at 651 infant and toddler foods for sale in the top eight American supermarket chains.
Around 60% of the food products studied did not meet nutritional guidelines, according to the new study.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
7-Eleven to Close More Than 400 Locations. Here’s What to Know.
7-Eleven, the iconic convenience-store brand, plans to close more than 400 “underperforming” locations across North America, its Japanese-based parent disclosed on Thursday.
A portion of the 13,000 7-Eleven locations across the U.S. and Canada are experiencing slowing sales, less foot traffic and inflationary pressures, Seven & I Holdings stated in a quarterly earnings report. The company plans to close 444 locations, or roughly 3%, of its North American stores.
It also operates more than 21,000 stores in Japan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Artist Behind Mysterious ‘Trump Crossing’ Signs in NYC Revealed
A controversial conservative artist was photographed in Manhattan hanging up one of the mysterious Donald Trump traffic signs that went viral last week, despite previously denying responsibility.
A now-deleted photo posted on Reddit Tuesday appeared to show Scott LoBaido and two accomplices installing one of the unauthorized street signs featuring a silhouette of Trump and his signature coif near Third Avenue in Manhattan.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Assaults on NYPD cops have skyrocketed to “unprecedented levels,” surging 41% so far this year compared to last and 60% since 2019, data obtained by The Post show.
So far this year, 1,975 officers have been assaulted while on the job in the city, compared to 1,763 at the same point in 2023.
The number of attacks on cops has risen for five straight years, and now dwarfs the number of assaults recorded in pre-pandemic 2019, when 1,253 were logged.
Cops believe the shocking trend reflects a growing disrespect for cops, and a building sentiment among criminals that fighting a cop will go unpunished.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
At Least 17 Dead After Hurricane Milton, 1.5 Million Customers in Florida Still Without Power
Hurricane Milton has claimed at least 17 lives in the state of Florida as 1.5 million customers in the Sunshine State are still without power.
Milton hit Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which ripped through Florida and killed about 20 people. First responders have reportedly rescued over a thousand people stranded by Milton.
As of 9 a.m. on Saturday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that 2.4 million customers have gotten power restored, according to CNN.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A top executive from a Chinese-linked electric vehicle (EV) firm donated tens of thousands to the Biden-Harris campaign after the EV company reportedly received a subsidy from the Biden-Harris administration a year prior.
Records reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon showed that BYD Americas received around $395,000 from the Clean School Bus program in October 2022. Ke Li is the president of BYD, and then made large donations to Joe Biden’s campaign for president on November 14, 2023. Those funds were then transferred to Kamala Harris for her campaign after she replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee.
Although the funding was designated to Li’s company in 2022, the cash was disbursed in May 2023, around six months prior to the donation from Li to the Biden-Harris campaign. The BYD president donated $25,000 to the Biden Victory Fund (which has since become the Harris Victory Fund) and $18,400 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC). However, Li earmarked $6,600 on the donation to the DNC as it was a max individual contribution to the Biden campaign.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boeing is Laying Off 10% of the Company — and Blaming the Machinists’ Strike
Boeing (BA) announced layoffs Friday, blaming the cuts on an ongoing strike by its union-represented machinists. The company is letting go of 10% of its workforce, which according to its most recent annual report, would be about 17,000 people out of a job.
“While our business is facing near-term challenges, we are making important strategic decisions for our future and have a clear view on the work we must do to restore our company,” CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a memo to the company’s staff that was made public. “These decisive actions, along with key structural changes to our business, are necessary to remain competitive over the long term.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Invoices and receipts from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration have raised new questions about extravagant spending as the city faces a nearly billion dollar budget shortfall.
Documents uncovered by local news station NBC 5 revealed that in the grip of fiscal crisis, the city spent more than $80,000 to redecorate and renovate an office in the Chicago Cultural Center for first lady Stacie Johnson.
“The invoices and receipts, obtained by NBC 5 Investigates through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, show that work order requests began in February and continued through August of this year to renovate and redecorate Room 306 in the Chicago Cultural Center,” the report said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Food Supply Contaminated With Thousands of Potentially Toxic Chemicals
A new study has found that the food supply is contaminated with over 3,600 potentially toxic chemicals.
The chemicals were found in packaging that ultimately contaminated the food, according to the study.
The researchers previously cataloged around 14,000 food-contact chemicals (FCCs).
All of the recorded FCCs are capable of migrating into food from packaging.
They are made from a wide variety of materials, including plastic, paper, glass, and metal.
During the study, researchers looked for these chemicals in existing biomonitoring databases around the world.
Those databases logged chemicals found in human samples.
The researchers expected to find hundreds of chemicals in the databases.
However, they found 3,601 chemicals, a full quarter of all known FCCs.
Previous studies establishing their toxicity have already determined that around 100 of these chemicals are of “high concern.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authored by Patrick McDonald via Campus Reform
Claudine Gay, the former president of Harvard University, was recently given a “Leadership and Courage” awarddespite her controversial response to anti-Semitism and the plagiarism allegations that surrounded her time in Harvard’s leadership.
The Harvard Black Alumni Society granted the award to the former Harvard president on Sept. 28 at a gathering of the school’s black alumni.
Harvard Black Alumni Society President Monica M. Clark praised Gay and said: “This reunion — all these people who were expressing all this support for her — they were all there. Celebrating her, and clapping for her, and cheering her on.”
One alumnus, Thomas G. Stewart, said: “She’s humble, she’s smart, she’s — fortunately — someone that still is affiliated with the University, and has pledged her support to it to her dying day.”
“She’s in good spirits, and folks should know that,” Stewart added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gretchen Whitmer Apologizes for Bizarre Dorito Chip Communion Video That Left Catholics Seething
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer offered an apology after participating in a bizarre video stunt in which she appeared to mock the Communion sacrament.
“Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith. I’ve used my platform to stand up for people’s right to hold and practice their personal religious beliefs,” Whitmer said in a statement toFox 2 Detroit.
“My team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference. What was supposed to be a video about the importance of the CHIPS Act to Michigan jobs, has been construed as something it was never intended to be, and I apologize for that.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
I-90 Reopened After Possible Explosive Device Investigation, 2 in Custody
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Washington State Patrol is investigating a possible bomb on I-90 after a driver threw it out their window while being stopped.
According to Trooper Rick Johnson, Bellevue police attempted to stop a vehicle that then entered WB I-90. WSP troopers were asked to assist.
Once the vehicle stopped, the driver threw what appeared to be an explosive device, according to WSP. The bomb squad is on the way to the scene to assist.
Two people are currently in Bellevue police custody.
Both sides of I-90 have reopened as of 2:53 p.m.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Iran Has Hit List of Former Trump Aides Involved in Soleimani Killing: Report
Iran is targeting a group of former aides to Donald Trump as the election nears closer. According to a new report, there are more than half a dozen aides that are being targeted by Iran for their involvement in the Trump administration and links to the killing of Qassem Soleimani.
“We’ve never had former senior national security officials, a Cabinet member, that have had this risk profile from a foreign adversary,” a former senior Trump administration official told Politico. Iran has been openly threatening Trump as well as those who were involved in the drone strike killing of Soleimani, the country’s most powerful military general at the time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Limited Healthcare Mask Mandates Return to California’s Bay Area
Limited mask mandates are returning to several counties in California’s Bay Area through spring of 2025.
In Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Napa counties, masks must be worn in skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and many other healthcare settings.
The new mandate was put into effect to limit the spread of the flu and other viruses during the late fall to early spring flu season, with some counties opting to end the requirement in March and others in April of 2025. The orders only apply to healthcare workers except for Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, which are also requiring visitors to wear masks; in Santa Clara, patients must also wear masks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Moms for Liberty Defeats School District That Birthed it, Speaking Rules Deemed Unconstitutional
The Florida school district that birthed Moms for Liberty as a repudiation of its COVID-19 mandates on their children is parenting the conservative group all wrong, so to speak, according to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Its Tuesday ruling smacked down Brevard Public Schools and four current and former school board members for unconstitutional restrictions on public comments at their meetings in a lawsuit by Moms for Liberty’s founding Brevard County chapter and its members, putting public schools on notice across the court’s jurisdiction of the Sunshine State, Alabama and Georgia.
The opinion by Judge Britt Grant, joined by fellow President Trump nominee Judge Barbara Lagoa, overturns the trial court’s summary judgment for the district, citing several incidents in 2021 that crossed the constitutional line for the Atlanta-based circuit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Dead, Multiple Injured in Shooting Near Tennessee State University
One person is dead and at least nine others have been injured after gunfire erupted near Tennessee State University in Nashville.
The incident occurred on Saturday night at one of the school’s homecoming events.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the bullets were fired near the intersection of Jefferson Street and 27th street just after 5 pm.
In a statement posted on X.com just after 6:30 pm, they said that ‘the scene is secure. All victims are at area hospitals.’
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Majority of Voters Say the Country is Headed in the Wrong Direction
A national poll found that most voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
Yet, this new data also showed that Democratic voters are now much more likely to say that the country is headed in the right direction when compared to a similar poll conducted in early July.
The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted from Oct. 2-4, found that 60% of voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, while 30% say it is headed in the right direction, and 9% are unsure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland Pushes Back on Progressive Policies by Resetting New City Council
Portland has restructured its entire city council in what’s being seen as a system overhaul of the city’s progressive policies.
The liberal Oregon city expanded its council from four at-large seats to 12 seats total, three for each district. Portland will also now use ranked choice voting to decide both the city council and mayoral elections.
Nineteen people are currently running for mayor, and 98 people are running for city council with most campaigning on either moderate or progressive platforms. While the field is large, a majority are hoping to combat the city’s drug epidemic, homelessness crisis and dwindling population.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland Police Prepare Crowd Control Team to Deal With Potential Election Night Violence
The Portland Police Bureau is preparing a Rapid Response Team to manage crowd control leading up to the election. The move comes amid growing concerns that Portland could face civil unrest similar to the riots seen during the 2020 and 2016 election cycles.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day reinstated the team last June, and over 50 officers have been training monthly in preparation, according to KATU. One officer who volunteered for the team, Sarah Kerwin, emphasized her willingness to do so because of her commitment to protecting both citizens and officers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Kamala Harris Spot Targeting ‘Real Men’ Ripped as ‘Cringiest Political Ad Ever’
How do you do, fellow dudes?
A 90-second video of “typical” men expressing their support for Kamala Harris was widely mocked online Friday — with critics trashing the awkward spot as the “cringiest political ad ever” and an “absurd piece of rubbish.”
The clip features a slew of apparent farmers, car enthusiasts and gym junkies boasting about their masculinity as they repeatedly insist, “I’m a man” and “I’m man enough.”
The script then takes a hard feminist turn as the presumed actors — most of whom were filmed doing outdoor activities or perched on trucks — start rattling off ways they aren’t afraid to support women.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A serial shoplifter who’s been arrested nearly 100 times was busted in Times Square after resorting to his old ways — on the same day was released from jail, authorities and sources said.
Christopher Dornfeld, 33, was let loose after his most recent arrest and expected to report for residential treatment, but when he didn’t show up, police caught the shoplifting recidivist allegedly stealing $267 worth of merchandise from an H&M in Times Square Wednesday night, according to cops and prosecutors.
Dornfeld was most recently busted for burglary in 2022 — but his rap sheet also includes 90 arrests dating back to 2006, police sources said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Shills for Harris: Kamala Townhall for “Undecided Latino Voters” Curated With Avowed Supporters
Indepedent journalist Michael Tracey, working with Glenn Greenwald, has uncovered a remarkable scandal at a recent Kamala Harris townhall hosted by Univision, one of the largest hispanic news organizations in the world. The event was ostensibly for “undecided latino voters” but Tracey quickly revealed that to be fradulent… The following is from his Substack.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Squatter Laws in California Allow Potential Tenancy Rights After 30 Days in a Property
Laws regarding squatters vary on a state-by-state basis. In California, ownership could be granted to a squatter who pays taxes on a property for five years through adverse possession and tenancy rights could be granted after 30 days.
One of the latest squatter stories out of California was reported by Fox News Digital in September, after two Hollywood Hills mansions were overtaken.
“I would like to apologize to the people of Los Angeles, and especially to my neighbors. What’s happened to the two properties I own is unacceptable, and no matter what caused it, I own the houses,” John Powers Middleton, film producer and son of Philadelphia Phillies owner John S. Middleton, previously said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Election Office Issues New Guidance After Outcry Over Allowing Non-Citizen Licenses as ID
Facing an election integrity outcry, Texas’ top election official issued new guidance Friday night to election officials who encounter voters who try to get a ballot by presenting drivers licenses issued to non-citizens.
Secretary of State Jane Nelson issued the new guidance after an earlier memo sent out Tuesday created an outcry from Congress to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Critics were concerned the new guidance might allow non-citizens to vote.
The new guidance said that if a voter presented a non-citizen drivers license, he or she must also provide proof of citizenship before they could cast their ballot.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trial on Hold for New Jersey Stabber Charged in Attack That Injured Author Salman Rushdie
The attempted murder trial of the man charged with severely injuring author Salman Rushdie in a 2022 knife attack was put on hold Friday while judges consider a request to move it to another county.
Jury selection had been scheduled to start on Tuesday.
Late Friday, an appellate judge in Rochester halted proceedings until the court rules on a motion by Hadi Matar’s attorney for a change of venue out of Chautauqua County, where the attack occurred.
The court could rule on the motion as early as Tuesday — the courts are closed Monday — but the trial has been taken off the calendar until further notice, District Attorney Jason Schmidt said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Requests High Level Military Security Due to Iranian Threats
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is requesting military level security, citing threats from Iran.
According to a report from The Associated Press, members of Trump’s campaign have requested military aircraft for security.
Multiple Iranians were recently indicted by a grand jury on charges that are related to former President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign being hacked.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UPenn Donor Redirects $5M to Israeli Universities After Cutting Ties With Alma Mater
After halting donations to his alma mater last year, a former University of Pennsylvania donor has redirected $5 million to Israeli universities instead, citing the Ivy League institution’s refusal to address antisemitism on campus.
David Magerman, a venture capitalist and philanthropist, has reallocated millions in donations to universities in Israel after witnessing the anti-Israel protests and antisemitism that has permeated U.S. college campuses in the months following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, he told Fox News Digital.
Magerman said he will give $1 million grants to five institutions of higher learning across Israel, including Tel Aviv University, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Bar-Ilan University and Jerusalem College of Technology.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Soldier Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for ISIS Ambush Plot — After Asking for Maximum Sentence
A US Army soldier has been sentenced to 14 years in prison having pleaded guilty to attempting to assist the Islamic State terror group on how to ambush his fellow soldiers in the Middle East during conversations in which he believed he was speaking with a terrorist.
Cole Bridges, 24, of Stow, Ohio, was handed down the sentence after a nearly five-hour Manhattan federal court proceeding in which he surprisingly requested he be given a maximum 40-year sentence.
Bridges pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in June 2023.
“Honestly, I do believe that I deserve the maximum sentence,” Bridges told Judge Lewis J. Liman. “I know what I did was wrong,” he said, adding he would carry “regret for as long as I live.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Liberal Discontents Look to Topple Trudeau, Canadian Reports Say
(Bloomberg) — A group of lawmakers within Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s governing Liberal Party is organizing to pressure him to step down, according to news reports.
Members of parliament held meetings in the capital, Ottawa, this week and have been asked to sign a document pledging to stand together in calling for a change in leadership, according to a report Friday from CBC News, which cited people who weren’t identified. “At least” 20 MPs have signed the document, according to CBC.
The alleged move comes as lawmakers return to parliament following damaging by-election losses for the Liberals in Montreal and Toronto, and while Trudeau, who has led Canada since 2015, and his chief of staff were out of the country for a summit in Asia.
An earlier article on Friday from the Toronto Star described an effort to publicly pressure Trudeau, 52, to step down, citing people who weren’t identified.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police in Toronto, Canada, are opening a hate crime investigation after shots were fired overnight into the window of a Jewish girls’ elementary school — the second time this year the school was targeted by gunfire, officials said.
The incident occurred around 4 a.m. Saturday at the Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the year in Judaism, Toronto Police Service Inspector Paul Krawczyk said at a news conference.
No arrests have been made and police are not releasing information about suspects at this time, Krawczyk said. The investigation into the incident will be led by the agency’s Gun and Gang Task Force with assistance from its hate crime unit, he added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Excess Child Deaths Surge 4,100% Since COVID Shot Rollout
Excess death rates among children have skyrocketed since Covid mRNA “vaccines” were rolled out for public use, official data shows.
Data for excess mortality rates shows the number of all-cause deaths that is above the expected level.
Excess deaths should only rise when something unusual has happened such as a war, pandemic, or major natural disaster.
Researchers can use this information to identify unusual patterns in mortality rates that won’t be reflected in data that is susceptible to manipulation, such as hospitals’ recorded “Covid deaths.”
When the data for Ukraine is excluded, excess deaths among children across Europe have been soaring since the European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted Emergency Use Authorization of the Covid “vaccines” for use in children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Expanding Censorship European Style — Arrests, Dire Warning ‘Face the Consequences’
It’s not just happening in the U.S. Europe is also seeing shocking battles over censorship of speech.
In August, the government of the United Kingdom issued an ominous “Think before you post” statement, saying social media posts that some consider hateful are harmful could get you arrested.
“Remind those close to you to share responsibly or face the consequences,” the government warned.
A new documentary titled “We Will Not Be Silenced” tells the true story of censorship of a UK-based podcast titled “London Real.” Brian Rose hosts the podcast and he tells me what happened when a widely-viewed episode was deleted and banned by YouTube.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Study Confirms COVID ‘Vaccines’ Cause Irregular Menstrual Bleeding
A team of scientists in France has just published the results of their new study confirming that Covid mRNA shots harm female fertility.
The study was conducted by scientists from EPI-PHARE a shared unit of the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) and the French National Health Insurance (Cnam).
Jérémie Botton, PhD, PharmD, MPH led the team of scientists.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Afghan National Detained Over Suspected ISIS-Linked Terror Plot
PARIS (AP) — French anti-terror prosecutors said Saturday that an Afghan national is being investigated on terrorism charges over a suspected attack plot.
The 22-year-old suspect was among three people who authorities revealed earlier this week were detained in the southern Toulouse region.
The two other people were released from custody.
Authorities said that an investigation that was opened on Sept. 27 subsequently revealed a suspected “plan for violent action targeting people in a football stadium or a shopping center” allegedly linked to the Afghan suspect.
They said they found “several elements” allegedly linking the person to “radicalization” and “adherence to the ideology of the Islamic State” group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Hundreds Protest Near Berlin as Far-Right AfD Picks Regional Leader
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the north-eastern German town of Jüterborg on Saturday as the Berlin branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) picked its leader for next year’s parliamentary election.
The anti-immigration party chose Beatrix von Storch to lead its list of candidates in the German capital for September’s elections to the Bundestag, the country’s lower house.
Von Storch, the party’s deputy parliamentary leader in the Bundestag, previously led the AfD’s campaign in Berlin in the 2017 and 2021 elections and received support from 87% of conference attendees to run again.
The AfD, founded in 2013 as a eurosceptic party that has since shifted its focus to immigration, currently seems well placed to garner its best result in national polls yet, after securing around 30% of the vote in recent elections to three state parliaments.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Needs a Larger Army, Says Parliament Defence Chief
Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, need up to 35,000 more soldiers to meet NATO’s new defence requirements, according to the head of the parliamentary defence committee.
Joining calls for a stronger army to face a growing threat from Russia, Marcus Faber, the chairman of the defence committee of the Bundestag, on Saturday backed plans to raise the number of German combat brigades in NATO from 82 to 131 from 2031.
Instead of three divisions with 65,000 soldiers, the German army would then need five divisions, which would correspond to a total of around 100,000 soldiers, Faber told German media group Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
MIT Climate Scientist: ‘Global Warming’ is Globalist ‘Propaganda’
A world-renowned climate scientist has warned that the official “global warming” narrative is nothing more than “propaganda” that is being peddled by power-hungry globalists.
Professor Richard Lindzen recently spoke in Brussels, at the invitation of the Hungarian political think tank MCC.
Lindzen is an American atmospheric physicist known for his work in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere, atmospheric tides, and ozone photochemistry.
He is the author of more than 200 scientific papers.
From 1972 to 1982, he served as the Gordon McKay Professor of Dynamic Meteorology at Harvard University.
In 1983, he was appointed as the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He remained at MIT until his retirement in 2013.
Lindzen has disputed the “settled science” on “climate change” and criticizes what he has called “climate alarmism.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Launches Major Effort to Promote Insect-Based ‘Foods’ and Lab-Grown ‘Meat’
A major new initiative has been launched in the UK that seeks to radically transform the food supply by replacing traditional meat and dairy products with “planet-friendly alternatives” such as insects.
A $50 million nationwide center has been established to research and develop insect-based “foods” and lab-grown “meats.”
The center is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Innovate UK, and three universities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Kills 19 Palestinian Medics Amid Escalating Tensions
Israeli military strikes on Gaza overnight killed at least 19 Palestinians, medics said on Saturday, while forces continued to push deeper into the Jabalia area, where international relief agencies say thousands of people are trapped.
Residents said Israeli forces continued to pound Jabalia, which is in the north of the enclave and is the largest of its historic refugee camps, from the air and ground.
The Israeli military published new evacuation orders on Saturday to two neighbourhoods on the northern edge of Gaza City, which also lies in the north of the enclave, saying the area was a “dangerous combat zone”.
In a statement, Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry urged residents not to relocate within northern areas of the enclave and also to avoid heading south “where the occupation is conducting continued bombing and killing every day in the areas it claims to be safe”.
The Israeli military said it had been operating against Hamas fighters who had been using civilian buildings and said clear evacuation instructions had been issued over recent days to areas including the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Med9 States Call for Middle East Ceasefire
Leaders from nine European countries around the Mediterranean Sea (Med9) on Friday (12 October) called at a summit in Cyprus for an end to fighting in Gaza and Lebanon.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned as “unacceptable” Israeli firing on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, a stance echoed by Spain’s prime minister.
The three countries together have around 2,000 troops in the UNIFIL mission, which said Israeli tank fire led to the injury of two of its peacekeepers on Thursday.
On Friday it said two more were hurt after “explosions” near an observation tower.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is now entering its third month, with scores of settlements still firmly under its control.
The operation marked the first time foreign troops entered Russian territory since World War II — embarrassing the Kremlin and proving to Kyiv’s backers and the rest of the world that Ukraine’s military was not perpetually on the back foot.
Some nine weeks later, Ukraine’s advance has stalled, and neither side has made major gains or counterattacks in recent days.
The endgame is unclear. Analysts believe Kyiv is trying to use its initial momentum for a morale boost and a potential bargaining chip, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to downplay the entire incursion and limit the resources Russia’s war machine devotes to countering it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Military Recruiters Raid Kyiv Nightlife Hotspots for Conscripts
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military recruitment officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, checking military registration documents and detaining men who were not in compliance, local media reported Saturday.
Officers reportedly descended on Kyiv’s Palace of Sports venue after a concert Friday night by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy. Video footage aired by local media outlets appears to show officers stationed outside the doors of the concert hall intercepting men as they exit. In the footage, officers appear to be forcibly detaining some men.
Checks were also conducted at Goodwine, an upscale shopping center, and Avalon, a popular restaurant.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine’s Vast Forests Devastated in Hellscape of War
QUETTA, Pakistan: Serhiy Tsapok surveyed the smouldering ruins of pine trees, blackened stumps as far as the eye can see that bear witness to a scorched nation.
“They’re dead now,” the weary ranger said of the trees he’d nursed for almost two decades. The 41-year-old’s daily route through the Ukrainian forests, once a joy, has become a nightmare.
“Now when I’m driving, it’s better to just stare at the road.”
The fire he fought, caused by a blast of undetermined cause, wiped out three hectares of octogenarian pine trees at the Sviati Hory national park in eastern Ukraine, according to officials there. Four-fifths of the park’s nearly 12,000 hectares have been damaged or destroyed by fires or ordnance, they said.
It’s a drop in the ocean of the damage caused by the war, which has brutalized the landscape of Ukraine and much of its 10 million hectares, or 100,000 sq km, of forest. Both Russian and Ukrainian armies blast thousands of shells at each other every day, shredding the earth in grinding combat that echoes the trench warfare of World War One.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky in Berlin Says He Hopes War With Russia Will End Next Year
(AFP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced hope Friday that the war with Russia will end next year, speaking during a visit to Berlin to ask for sustained military support.
As Ukraine faces a gruelling third winter at war, Zelensky has been seeking support on a two-day whirlwind tour of European capitals that took him to London, Paris and Rome.
Visiting Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelensky, dressed in his trademark military clothes, thanked Germany for its backing and said that “it is very important for us that this assistance does not decrease next year”.
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An Explosion and Fire at a Service Station in Russia’s Chechnya Kills 4
MOSCOW — An explosion at a gas station in Russia’s southern region of Chechnya killed at least four people, officials said Saturday.
The explosion of a gas tank triggered a fire at the service station in the regional capital, Grozny, said Russia’s Emergencies Ministry, adding that two children were among the dead. The fire was extinguished.
Grozny is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) south of Moscow.
Regional authorities said a criminal investigation was opened.
| — Hat tip: McN | [Return to headlines] |
Sabotage Suspected in Huge Deadly Blast in Russian Muslim-Majority Republic
A massive explosion which appears the result of sabotage or even a possible bombing rocked the Chechen capital of Grozny on Saturday.
Local authorities say a fuel tank exploded at a fuel station, resulting in a large blast and fire which left four bystanders dead, including two children, the Russian region’s emergency authority confirmed. The fuel station is reportedly located near a college.
Statements suggest that authorities believe it was either an attack or else severe neglect: “Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, said on Telegram that he had taken the situation under his personal control. He said that those responsible for the blast would be brought to justice, but did not give further details.”
There have been other recent ‘mystery’ blasts in the region, as Reuters details: “Explosions at fuel stations in the neighboring region of Dagestan in September 2024 and August 2023 killed 13 people and 35 people, respectively.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rupali Singha | HENB | Dhaka | Oct 12, 2024:: A veteran Hindu journalist was hacked to death in front of his house in Mymensingh Sadar Upazila. This incident took place in the Tanpara area of Majhipara of Shambhuganj upazila at around 11 o’clock on Saturday.
Deceased Swapan Kumar Bhadra (65) Vice President of Tarakanda Press Club. He was earlier the Tarakanda upazila representative of ‘Dainik Swajan’ newspaper published from Mymensingh. Currently he was not working in any media. However, he used to regularly write about various events and issues of the area on the social media Facebook. For the last couple of days Bhadra was engaged in raising voice for persecuted minorities and illegal drug peddling during Durga Puja festivals. Kumar Bhadra has two sons and a daughter. Younger son Roni Bhadra is serving in the army.
Family members of the deceased alleged that Swapan Kumar Bhadra was killed for his bold writings. He was also attacked a year ago. In view of their complaints, the police arrested a young man named Sagar Mia (18) this afternoon. Sagar Mia is son of Babul Mia of Majhipara village of the same Mymensingh Sadar Upazila.
Jewel Bhadra, the nephew of the deceased said, uncle (Swapan Bhadra) was sitting in front of his house around 11 o’clock today. At that time he was hit on the head. The left wrist was severed. Hearing the screams of his aunt (Sabita Dhar), local people came forward. He was rescued in bloody condition and taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
At around 2:30 today, a tangle of people was seen in front of the mortuary of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Kotwali Model Police Station SI Abul Kashem was taking care of Swapan Bhadra’s body. He told the media, there are six deep cuts on the neck. Left wrist is severed. Apart from this, there are more injuries on the body.
Manik Sarkar, nephew of the deceased Swapan Kumar Bhadra, said, “My uncle was killed due to posting on Facebook about drug peddling and minority rights. The assailant was angry because my uncle wrote. For this, the wrists were severed to kill him”.
Mymensingh Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Safiqul Islam Khan said that the detainee is known as a scoundrel and drug addict. He is also accused of stabbing people several times.
After the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Government, Hindus and other religious minorities are facing great trouble during the interim government led by its chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
Migrant gang activity in Aurora, Colorado, is making residents feel threatened and some are avoiding the town all together because of it, locals told DailyMail.com.
Speaking to a crowd of thousands on Friday in Aurora, Colorado, Donald Trumphammered Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s immigration policies, blaming them for local migrant gang activity.
Reports of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) operating in Aurora went viral in August after a video showed men with rifles and handguns threatening apartment residents before a 25-year-old man was shot and killed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Border Patrol agent who appeared in the film “Line in the Sand” that was directed by investigative journalist James O’Keefe reportedly had his government-issued firearm revoked the day after the film streamed on Tucker Carlson’s platform.
According to a post from O’Keefe, “Zachary Apotheker, border patrol agent whistleblower in the film, ‘Line in the Sand,’ just had his firearm revoked!” O’Keefe shared a post from Apotheker, who made the claim and shared what appeared to be a letter from the US Border Patrol Division Chief.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) appeared on MSNBC Saturday morning to argue that it is Trump supporters and white supremacists, rather than criminal illegal immigrants tied to gangs, who are overrunning cities like Springfield, Ohio.
During her appearance, Crockett responded to former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric surrounding illegal immigration and border security during his appearance in Aurora, Colorado.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance argued for mass deportation of those in the country illegally during a sit-down interview with the New York Timesthat was released on Saturday, saying that the deportation of illegal immigrants will pressure US businesses to hire Americans who are outside the labor force.
Vance had been arguing in favor of the deportation of those in the country illegally, when New York Times’ Lulu Garcia-Navarro pressed him, asking him how the deportation of illegal immigrants would impact the construction industry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Norway Imposes Temporary Border Checks as Terror Threat Level Raised
OSLO, Norway (AP) — Norway is introducing temporary border checks on its frontiers with other Western European nations after the domestic security agency raised the terror threat level, police said Saturday.
The checks will apply until Oct. 22, according to a police statement.
It cited “a challenging threat picture” and the Oct. 8 announcement by the security agency, PST, that it was increasing Norway’s threat level from “moderate” to “high,” the second-highest level on a five-tier scale.
PST pointed to an increased threat to Jewish and Israeli targets in particular.
Norway isn’t a member of the European Union, but the country is part of the European ID-check free travel zone known as the Schengen area. It has land borders with EU and Schengen members Sweden and Finland.
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Poland Will Tighten Asylum Rights to Cut Illegal Migration
(Bloomberg) — Poland plans to temporarily suspend asylum rights as part of a new policy that aims to reduce undocumented migration, said Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Saturday’s announcement comes weeks after Germany extended border checks with its neighbors, and after years of a migration crisis that Poland says has been stirred up Russia and Belarus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Colleges Forfeit Volleyball Games Against Team With Trans Player
The University of Wyoming, Southern Utah University, Boise State University, and Utah State University have all forfeited their women’s volleyball games against San José State University, refusing to have their female athletes play against a biological male opponent that is on the school’s team.
At six-foot-one, Blaire Fleming (formerly Brayden Fleming) is San José’s transgender-identifying volleyball player. The Californian team is 9-2 as of Oct. 11.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Soccer Player Punished for Not Signing Gay Pride Shirt: ‘I’m Not Signing That’
The German professional soccer club VfL Wolfsburg disciplined player Kevin Behrens after he refused to autograph a gay pride shirt and made comments considered homophobic toward a fan who requested it.
The player allegedly refused to sign a Wolfsburg shirt that featured a rainbow logo for the LGBTQ pride flag. Behrens also allegedly said “I won’t sign that gay [crap],” according to multiple reports.
Behrens has since apologized for the incident.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
King Arthur May Have Been LGBTQ+, Claims Woke Welsh Council
King Arthur may have been a member of the so-called LGBTQ+ community according to a council in Wales because he is said to have once worn women’s clothes.
The legendary figure, portrayed as a leader of Britons in their fight against the Anglo-Saxons following the collapse of Roman control, is the subject of numerous tales in Welsh mythology detailing his likely apocryphal exploits, including his search for the Holy Grail as well as his battles with both human and supernatural foes.
Despite questions over whether King Arthur even actually existed — or at the very least, doubts about the veracity of the fantastical tales of his life recorded hundreds of years after he supposedly reigned — the left-wing council in Denbighshire, Wales has included the mythological ruler in their LGBTQ+ history timeline, the Daily Telegraph reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UN Demands Extra $308 Billion Per Year to ‘Fight Climate Change’ in Third World
The United Nations (UN) is demanding that taxpayers in Western nations contribute an additional $308 billion per year to help the unelected globalist organization allegedly fight “climate change” in third-world countries.
The UN argues that the United States and other developed nations are responsible for the suffering in “climate-vulnerable countries.”
The organization detailed its demand in a new “Climate and Environment” report.
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