The Israeli Defense Forces have confirmed that Israeli soldiers killed Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar in the southern Gaza Strip. Mr. Sinwar reportedly masterminded the surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In other news, the United States Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions against Chinese makers of drone parts that Russia has used to mount long-range attacks on Ukraine.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Fjordman, JW, LP, Reader from Chicago, TN, 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.
Disastrous Data: 17 Million Poles Live Below the Poverty Line
New data shows that 2.5 million Poles live in extreme poverty on a daily basis, but in total, 17 million people, almost half of all Poles, live below the povertly line, the so-called “social minimum.”
This dramatic data comes from the report “Poverty Watch 2024,” prepared by EAPN Polska, the Polish Committee of the European Anti-Poverty Network.
The latest findings, describing the state of the country’s poverty situation at the end of 2023, show the worst case is the issue of extreme poverty. Here, the number of Poles experiencing this nightmare increased from 1.7 to 2.5 million in just one year — between 2022 and 2023.
Of this group, as many as 500,000 are children, which makes the situation even more dramatic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Head of German Employers’ Association Warns ‘300,000 Industrial Jobs at Risk’
Stefan Wolf, the head of the German employers’ association Gesamtmetall, has said hundreds of thousands of jobs in the metals and electricals industry are at risk.
He was speaking in an interview with the Berliner Morgenpost, published on October 16,
Wolf blamed what he called misguided policies operated by the German progressive government and the European Union.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“The Case is More Serious”: NYT Hid Extent of Kamala Harris Plagiarism From Their Own Expert
Earlier this week journalist Chris Rufo revealed that Kamala Harris plagiarized giant sections of her book on crime, after famed Austrian “plagiarism hunter” Dr. Stefan Weber found that “Kamala Harris plagiarized at least a dozen sections of her criminal-justice book.”
In response, the New York Times bent over backwards (and forwards) to downplay their preferred candidate’s cut-n-pastery — first casting it as ‘conservative activist seizes on passages‘ from Harris’ book, then totally lying about Rufo’s reporting — which Rufo quickly debunked.
As part of their propaganda, the Times wheeled out plagiarism expert Jonathan Bailey, who said “his initial reaction to Mr. Rufo’s claims was that the errors were not serious, given the size of the document.”
Except, the Times concealed the extent of the claims from Bailey — who writes in his Plagiarism Today blog: “At the time, I was unaware of a full dossier with additional allegations, which led some to accuse the New York Times of withholding that information from me. However, the article clearly stated that it was my “initial reaction” to those allegations, not a complete analysis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As Election Day looms and Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris appears to be struggling, lame-duck President Joe Biden has just announced a new scheme to wipe billions in debts for college-educated voters using taxpayer money.
Biden made the announcement on Thursday, shortly after Harris’s car crash Wednesday interview with Fox News cast doubt on the Democrats’ hopes of election victory.
The newly canceled debt was for more than 60,000 public service workers, Biden revealed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden-Harris Admin Announces Plans to Send $425 Million More to Ukraine
The Biden-Harris administration announced Wednesday that it is sending another $425 million in military assistance to Ukraine after Presidents Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone about the need for more aid in the fight against Russia.
The money will be used to furnish additional air defense capabilities, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles, and other critical munitions, according to a readoutfrom the White House. The administration has now dispensed more than $59 billion of military aid since the war between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Gates Doubles Down on Global Digital ID Push as Critics Sound Alarm on Privacy Risks
Bill Gates has voiced strong support for what his foundation, along with the EU, the UN, and the World Economic Forum (WEF) refer to as digital public infrastructure (DPI), and its key parts — digital IDs and payments.
And Gates wants to see them implemented globally.
In a blog post, the Microsoft founder once again attempts to establish his reputation as a visionary on these matters and praises a number of developing countries where the concept of the DPI is currently in various ways, one could say, “trialed for the rest of the world” — India, Kenya, Brazil, Togo.
One of the major criticisms leveled at digital IDs and payments — and the rush to get there, given that the DPI is supposed to see large-scale adoption by 2030 — is that they will lead to “enhanced,” digital government surveillance, and subsequent disenfranchisement of people.
However, Gates does not share these concerns and claims that what he calls “a properly designed” DPI will in fact “enhance” privacy, thanks to “safeguards” he mentions in passing.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Joe Biden was seen complaining to Barack Obama that “she” is “not as strong” as he is, according to a lip-reading expert’s analysis in an apparent conversation about Kamala Harris’ chances going into the election as reported by the New York Post.
According to the Post, when the presidents spoke at Ethel Kennedy’s funeral in Washington, an expert lip reader was able to clearly pick up some of what they said in an off-mic conversation. “She’s not as strong as me,” Biden told Obama, apparently referring to Harris.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Touts $371 Million Impact From Democratic Convention
(Bloomberg) — The Democratic National Convention delivered a total economic impact of about $371 million for Chicago, according to the city’s marketing arm.
The third-largest US city hosted about 50,000 visitors for the convention from Aug. 19 to 22, when Vice President Kamala Harris was nominated as the Democratic party’s presidential candidate, said a report issued Thursday by Choose Chicago.
The direct spending, including dollars by visitors outside the main sites and the operational expenditures of the convention, reached about $221 million, according to the report that was prepared by research firm Tourism Economics. The total impact for the city also included nearly $150 million in indirect expenditures.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The so-called Dolton “Dictator” wants to stay in power.
Tiffany Henyard, the self-proclaimed “super mayor” of Dolton, Illinois announced her reelection bid Tuesday — despite facing countless controversies during her first term that have landed her under federal scrutiny.
“Attention, Attention, Attention, Attention,” she said on Facebook. “I am running for Reelection for Mayor of Dolton.”
But Henyard, who clinched her first term in office in 2021, hasn’t done much fundraising leading up to Tuesday’s announcement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Anonymous Letters Threatening Violence Mailed to Trump Supporters in Pennsylvania
The Post Millennial has learned that some voters in the Philadelphia said they have received threatening letters sent through the US Postal Service using a facsimile of a Trump campaign letterhead. The printed letters begin with the salutation “Dear Neighbor” before briefly mentioning reasons not to vote for Donald Trump and JD Vance but then dive headlong into outright threats. The writer claims, “We know where you live, you are in the data base,” “there is no knowing what may happen,” and “your family may be impacted, your cat may get shot.”
The letter initially claims to be “a quick note of thanks for being engaged in the election and for your participation in the process,” then claims to be “writing with a concern about the level of political violence in the country during this election year as well as the threats to our democracy and freedoms.” It asks the reader to “take a close look at the truth, facts and the future for a better America where we can all live in harmony together.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Federal Judge Orders Afghan Man Accused of Plotting Election Day Attack to Remain in Custody
A federal judge on Thursday ordered an Afghanistan national who has been accused of plotting an Election Day terrorist attack to remain in custody, after authorities testified he previously worked as a security guard at a American military installation in the Middle East.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested by the FBI earlier this month, and charged with multiple crimes including conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (ISIS). Tawhedi was let into the country immediately after President Joe Biden withdrew American troops from Afghanistan in 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Sues Biden Admin for Allegedly Not Helping State Remove Noncitizens From Voter Rolls
Florida is suing the Biden administration, alleging that it has not done its duty by verifying immigration records so the Sunshine State can get illegal migrants off the voter rolls.
In the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital, Florida alleges that the Department of Homeland Security isn’t following the law by not verifying immigration records.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gina Carano’s Wrongful Termination Suit Moves Forward as 9th Circuit Denies Disney’s Appeal
A judge in California has denied Disney’s motion to appeal a July decision regarding Gina Carano’s wrongful termination suit to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and have a pause placed on discovery while the appeal took place.
“After the Judge DENIED Disney’s request to DISMISS my case, Disney requested permission to immediately appeal that decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and delay all discovery while that appeal takes place,” Carano wrote on X. “Yesterday, October 16th, 2024, we learned that the Judge DENIED Disney’s unusual request.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google Says it Will Block Election Ads After Polls Close on November 5
Google on Thursday said it will keep with tradition and block all election related ads on Election Day, after the final polls close.
The company said that it will continue to run public information ads that have been created by state or federal government agencies, but will block all ads that refer to U.S. elections and their processes or outcomes. The block is expected to be temporary, and Google said it will notify advertisers when it is lifted.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Here’s the Awkward Moment Kamala Harris’ Aides Shut Down Fox News Interview With Bret Baier
Fox News anchor Bret Baier recounted the awkward moment that cut his interview with Kamala Harris short Wednesday night, when the vice president’s staff gave him a “hard wrap” despite her late arrival.
“Madam Vice President, they’re wrapping me very hard here,” Baier interjected a little more than 20 minutes into the tough questioning, adding that there still were “a lot of things that people want to learn about you and your policies.”
That included stances Harris has distanced herself from since her first presidential run in 2019 — in many cases without explanation.
Harris, 59, continued to talk over Baier, 54, and urged supporters to head to her campaign website before the two parted abruptly.
“Madam Vice President, they’re giving me a hard wrap here,” Baier repeated.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Denies Trump’s Request to Delay Publication of Evidence in January 6 Case Until After Election
United States District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Thursday denied former President Donald Trump’s request to delay the publication of evidence in his January 6 case, stating that the request did not meet the six factors for keeping the evidence sealed.
Chutkan agreed to lift the seal on the evidence last week, and previously released special prosecutor Jack Smith’s large briefing on the case, with some redactions. The new disclosure, which will go out on Friday, will include some of those redacted exhibits, which could include evidence like grand jury transcripts and other texts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maryland Man Arrested for Allegedly Attempting to Join ISIS
BALTIMORE, Md. — A Maryland man has been charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced Wednesday.
Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., 21, of Hanover, Maryland, was arrested on Oct. 14 at Baltimore Washington International Airport and has been detained since. He appeared before Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan following his arrest.
According to the criminal complaint, Teekaye had multiple conversations with an undercover officer between March and April 2023, expressing his desire to join ISIS and travel to Africa to fight for the terrorist organization.
He also told the officer that if his plan to travel didn’t work, he intended to carry out an attack in the U.S. against individuals who support Israel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta Defends Political Content Controls, Brushes Off Engineer’s Censorship Claims
A recent exposé by James O’Keefe of the O’Keefe Media Group has brought to light more accusations after a Meta engineer admitted the company suppresses certain political content on Facebook. The senior engineer was covertly filmed during a discussion where he acknowledged that Facebook potentially demotes posts criticizing Kamala Harris and engages in shadowbanning.
During the undercover recording, the engineer alleged that criticisms of Kamala Harris based on her personal life are likely downgraded automatically. He explained, “Say your uncle in Ohio said something about Kamala Harris is unfit to be a president because she doesn’t have a child, that kind of shit is automatically demoted.” Further, he noted that such actions occur without informing the user, effectively reducing the visibility and interaction with the posts—a tactic he equated with shadowbanning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Official Data Shows Kidney Failure Deaths Surging Among COVID-Vaxxed
Official government data has revealed that kidney failure-related deaths are surging among people who received Covid mRNA “vaccines.”
The alarming discovery was found in state-level data on excess deaths.
One of America’s leading data experts has issued a bone-chilling warning to the public after uncovering the bombshell evidence.
Renowned statistician John Beaudoin made the discovery after analyzing official state government mortality data.
Since the Covid mRNA “vaccines” were unleashed on the public in early 2021, Beaudoin calculated that there have been 155,000 excess deaths caused by acute kidney injury (AKI) in the United States alone.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Panel Finds ‘Deep Flaws’ in Secret Service, Warns ‘Another Butler Can and Will Happen Again’
The Secret Service is plagued by “deep flaws” and “systemic issues” with its security protocols — and needs “fundamental reform” or there will be more assassination attempts like the one against former President Donald Trump in July, an independent review panel warned in a scathing report made public Thursday.
“The Secret Service does not perform at the elite levels needed to discharge its critical mission,” the four-member panel wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that accompanied the report, describing the agency as “bureaucratic, complacent, and static even though risks have multiplied and technology has evolved.”
The group had been tasked by President Biden with examining the July 13 attempt on Trump’s life during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. The 52-page report was sent to Mayorkas Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: More Americans Lean Republican Than Democrat by 7-Point Margin
More Americans either identify as Republicans or align more with the GOP than Democrats, according to Gallup polling.
When asked whether they identify as Republicans, Democrats, or independents, 31 percent of respondents answered Republican, 28 percent said Democrat, and 41 percent chose independent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Speaker Johnson Puts Brakes on KOSA Over Fears of Big Tech Censorship
US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested that he may not put the Senate version of the KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) for a vote because of what he considers to be “very problematic details” that can have “unintended consequences.”
Observers now believe this means the proposed act has little chance of becoming law in its current form, as passed by the Senate in July, and said Johnson’s stance is unlikely to change.
The bill’s sponsors claim the legislation’s goal is to force large social platforms to include new features aimed at protecting children from possible harms.
It’s a principle Johnson said he “loves” — only to add, “but the details of that are very problematic.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Pizzeria Employees Beat Up Gun-Toting Would-be Thief, 19, in Violent Brawl: ‘Prison or Death’
You wanna pizza me?
Employees at a Texas pizzeria asked an alleged would-be thief if he preferred prison or death as they pummeled the gun-toting teen during a violent brawl after he demanded the restaurant’s cash.
The armed maniac entered a Marco’s Pizza in Austin around 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 and slipped an employee a note reading, “Don’t say s—t, empty the drawer,” according to an affidavit obtained by Fox 7.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“There is only one solution, intifada revolution,” mobs of college students chant at terror rallies.
What is there to ‘revolt’ against in New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago? The Hamas rallies like the BLM, environmentalist and other radical rallies take place in cities run by mayors and city councils who support their efforts and sometimes even show up to their events.
Even before New York City and other municipalities paid out millions in voluntary settlements to the BLM rioters who had assaulted police officers, the dirty secret of the radical mobs was that the authorities were on their side. And will continue to be on their side no matter what they do.
The revolution is also the thing that it’s revolting against.
Democrats secured control of the country’s major cities only to be faced with the timeless leftist challenge of making the intensification of their rule look like revolution rather than totalitarianism. The USSR and Cuba directed the ‘revolution’ outward by invading, conquering and intervening in other countries. Democrat cities nationalized their politics, building entire campaigns around Trump, abortion and (to their eventual regret) declaring themselves to be sanctuary cities.
As long as Republicans existed anywhere, urban Democrats could not sleep soundly at night.
Democrat control of cities and states didn’t end bipartisan politics, just turned it into a somewhat real and somewhat fake grudge match between the party’s really crazy and less crazy wings. Craziness was a variable like ‘X’ that was defined not by the common sense brakes of intellectual diversity, but by how far the really crazy wing could push the less crazy wing.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Fines Lufthansa €3.6 Million for Discriminating Against Jewish Passengers
The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined German airline Lufthansa $4 million (€3.6 million) for violating the civil rights of over a hundred Jewish passengers—the largest fine ever levied on an airline for such a violation.
In 2022, a total of 128 Jewish passengers were prevented from boarding a flight from Frankfurt to Budapest. The passengers were traveling from New York to Hungary for a memorial event for an Orthodox rabbi, a trip that included a stop in Frankfurt. According to the airline, some individuals had failed to follow instructions from crew members on the first leg of the trip.
The pilot of the first plane reported to Lufthansa security that some passengers, who had a connecting flight out of Frankfurt, were not following crew instructions. The alleged violations included refusal to wear face masks as well as gathering in galleys and by exit rows. The airline later could not identify which individual passengers had failed to abide by what the crew told them. Passengers also stated that they did not observe anybody failing to comply with crew member instructions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wisconsin Has 78 Ballot Drop Boxes in Use Compared to 500 in 2020
Wisconsin has 78 drop boxes currently in use throughout the state as opposed to 500 in the 2020 presidential election, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Those are the communities that have registered the drop boxes with the state, according to Wisconsin Administrator of Wisconsin Elections Commission Meagan Wolfe.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Young voters, particularly Democrats, are bringing politics into first dates, saying their feelings would negatively change if they found out their potential match supported former President Donald Trump for president.
Data shows 43 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 34 would have a negative view of a date who favored the 2024 GOP nominee, compared to 17 percent who said they would have a more positive view, while 40 percent of daters indicated there would be no change, according to a new Generation Lab Poll.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s Trudeau Slammed Over “Black Justice” Proposal That Would Decriminalize Drugs, Empty Jails
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being slammed by conservatives over recommendations he seeks to implement from a standing committee on “black justice” in Canada.
The proposal will make crime worse in Canada, conservatives led by MP Jamil Jivani have argued.
Jivani challenged Liberal Diversity Minister Kamal Khera at a heritage committee meeting over the recommendations in “A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada’s Black Justice Strategy”, according to True North.
Jivani criticized the proposals as “radical,” citing calls for a 30% reduction in incarceration over 10 years, decriminalizing a 30-day supply of hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, and meth, and cutting 25% of federal grants to police departments.
Jivani accused Khera of being the “DEI Minister” and asked if she supported such “radical criminal justice policies”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Climate Goals Face BC Election Backlash in Home of Greenpeace
(Bloomberg) — An unlikely political upstart in Canada’s third-largest province, expelled from his previous party for climate science skepticism, is within striking distance of winning power with promises to ditch environmental targets and unleash natural-resources development.
The surge in support for John Rustad’s Conservative Party of British Columbia ahead of the Oct. 19 election may have been helped by the popularity of the unaffiliated federal Conservatives. Victory would add to the roster of right-leaning premiers at odds with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government in Ottawa.
A Conservative government in BC might mark a bigger shift than anywhere else in the country. The province is famous for environmentalism — Vancouver is the birthplace of Greenpeace and home to Canada’s most famous climate activist, David Suzuki. David Eby, the current premier, unsuccessfully opposed the expansion of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, and back in 2008 the province brought in one of North America’s first carbon taxes.
Although polls favor Eby’s left-leaning New Democratic Party, it’s close, and a spread between pollsters suggests the result remains unpredictable.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brand New Fire Station That Had No Fire Alarms Destroyed by Fire in Germany
A brand-new fire station and nearly a dozen fire engines have been destroyed in a massive blaze in Germany, with local reports stating the facility didn’t have a fire alarm or sprinklers installed.
The fire station in Stadtallendorf, Hessen, central Germany burnt down in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A new building that was only officially opened less than a year ago, the destruction of the structure and the 10 fire engines inside is estimated to mount up to a loss of up to €24 million ($26m).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Delicious: Dutch Are Eating More Meat Despite Government Veggie Push
The Dutch public has increased their meat consumption despite a government attempt to impose a top-down “protein shift” towards no-meat meals.
New research by the Netherlands Meat Country trade association has found that there was a slight increase in meat-eating over the last two years, with consumption rising from 94 per cent in 2022 to 95 per cent in 2024.
Meanwhile, 69 per cent of Dutch people believed the Netherlands should keep the meat sector strong for the future. This number had increased from 61 per cent in 2022 and 67 per cent in 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Parliament ‘Dropping Gender-Balance Rules to Keep Hard-Right Out of Power’
The European Parliament is dropping rules on gender balance to prevent the hard-right from holding any position of power, three female MEPs have claimed.
The MEPs from the assembly’s hard-right Patriots for Europe group have been prevented from becoming committee vice-chairs by the committee majority despite being entitled to the roles, they told Brussels Signal over the past few days.
The three parliamentarians, Virginie Joron, Kinga Gal and Susanna Ceccardi, who are respectively French, Hungarian and Italian, said leaders had come up with a variety of ruses to prevent them becoming committee vice-chairs. In one case, a scheduled vote disappeared from the committee agenda; in another, an MEP was told that the appointment of a vice-chair “wasn’t strictly necessary”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Parliament’s Right-Wing Patriots Group Holds First Summit in Brussels
The European Parliament group Patriots for Europe have convened their first summit in Brussels, bringing together key political figures such as Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen, Viktor Orban, Jordan Bardella and Matteo Salvini.
The gathering took place on October 17 at Hungary House on the city’s Rue de la Loi.
The choice of date was strategic; the summit ran parallel to the European Council’s meeting in Brussels, aiming to challenge and disrupt the European Union’s official narrative.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU’s Vera Jourova Labels Elon Musk a “Promoter of Evil” for Permitting “Hate Speech” on X
Vera Jourova is not a psychologist but she decided to play one during an interview, by “diagnosing” X owner Elon Musk as a person unable to “recognize” good and evil.
But then, he apparently can, after all — because Jourova in the same breath accused him of being “a promoter of evil.”
Jourova is an EU bureaucrat on her way out, after serving as Vice President of the Commission for Values and Transparency for the past five years.
“Good riddance. If she wants to see evil, I suggest she use a mirror,” Musk shot back in a post on X, adding that Jourova is the “epitome of banal, bureaucratic evil.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Scholz: Al-Sinwar Responsible for the Worst Crimes
Following the killing of the leader of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, Yehya al-Sinwar, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pointed out that the extremist had committed the worst crimes.
For the “terrible, brutal, inhumane attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens, who were killed, raped, and degraded in the worst possible way,” al-Sinwar was responsible, Scholz said after a meeting with EU leaders in Brussels.
Regarding the question of whether the release of the Israeli hostages still in the hands of Hamas would now become easier or more difficult, Scholz declined to speculate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Foreign Minister Baerbock: ‘Al-Sinwar Was a Brutal Murderer’
After Israel declared the leader of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, Yehya al-Sinwar, to be dead, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on Hamas to release all hostages and lay down their arms.
“The suffering of the people in Gaza must finally end,” she said on Thursday evening.
“Al-Sinwar was a brutal murderer and terrorist who wanted to destroy Israel and its people,” she asserted. “As the mastermind of the terror on October 7, he brought death to thousands and immeasurable suffering to an entire region.”
The Israeli government declared the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip to be dead. “The arch-terrorist [Yehya al-]Sinwar, responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was eliminated today by IDF [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Scholz Again Emphasizes Readiness to Talk With Putin About Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz again emphasized his willingness to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a just peace in Ukraine.
Scholz, in remarks to German parliament on Wednesday, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for another peace conference with the participation of Putin.
“That is why it is also right that, if we are asked, we will also speak with the Russian president,” Scholz said.
Scholz contended that he is following clear principles in urging talks with Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Police Launch Raids in International Probe Into ATM Blasters
Investigators from across Germany as well as France and the Netherlands launched raids against suspected ATM-blasting thieves on Wednesday morning, according to authorities.
Police raids were carried out on businesses and homes in several parts of Germany, and three men were arrested in the Netherlands as part of the operation.
The suspects are said to have blown up numerous ATMs, causing several million dollars worth of damage, according to investigators.
Explosive robberies targeting cash machines have become a recurring problem in Germany and other parts of western Europe, with the thieves blowing apart the machines to make off with the cash inside.
In several cases, German police investigating the cases have focused on organized crime groups operating out of the Netherlands.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary’s EU Presidency Pushes for Expansion, Welcomes an Accelerated Process for Albania
After the second intergovernmental conference between the European Union and Albania, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó, who chaired the meeting, emphasized that the acceleration of EU enlargement with the countries of the Western Balkans is high on the agenda of the Hungarian EU presidency, according to Magyar Nemzet.
Much attention has been focused lately on the European Union losing its competitiveness and standing on the global stage, both in terms of politics and business, and Szijjartó stressed that expansion into the Western Balkans will give the Union much-needed new energy and impetus.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In the first major hurdle for the recently-installed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, the battle over the nation’s budget began on Wednesday, with both Marine Le Pen’s populist faction and the far-left New Popular Front rejecting the austerity measures.
With France facing economic calamity, with soaring debt levels and persistent budget deficits, Prime Minister Barnier submitted his proposals to the National Assembly parliament on Wednesday, which includes 60 billion euros in tax hikes and spending cuts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Patriots for Europe Hold First Summit Ahead of European Council Meeting
Patriots for Europe (PfE), founded at the end of June and quickly becoming the third-largest political group in the new European Parliament, held its first official summit in Brussels on Thursday morning. In addition to the three founders—Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; leader of the Austrian Freedom Party Herbert Kickl; and Andrej Babis, former Czech prime minister and Chairman of the ANO party—the meeting was attended by all the leaders of the PfE parties, including right-wing heavyweights such as Geert Wilders, Matteo Salvini, Jordan Bardella, and Santiago Abascal.
‘The peoples of Europe have had enough of illegal migration, failed economic policies, and the bureaucrats in Brussels. We will make sure their voices are heard!’ Viktor Orban wrote in a post on X after the meeting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Philippine’s Murder: Suspect Refuses Quick Extradition From Switzerland to France
Almost a month after the murder of 19-year-old Philippine in the Bois de Boulogne near Paris, the main suspect, a Moroccan living illegally in France, is still in Switzerland, where he has just refused extradition to France. The proceedings could drag on for many more months.
A few days after the death of the young woman, the suspect, Taha O., a 22-year-old Moroccan already convicted of rape and facing deportation at the time of the killing, was arrested in Switzerland at Geneva station, where he was on the run. He was to be extradited to stand trial in France.
France filed a simplified extradition request on October 9th, i.e., 15 days after the events; the maximum deadline being 18 days—a delay considered shocking by many, since it risked the early release of the suspect by the Swiss authorities.
On October 16th, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice informed the French judicial authorities that the suspect was refusing simplified extradition.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Now Has Lowest Fertility Rate in Europe
Poland’s ongoing demographic collapse continues, with the once conservative Catholic country featuring high birth rates, now a land increasingly of childless women and men
Only Spain is a match for Poland, according to data from Birth Gauge, a website that tracks demographic trends around the world. In fact, things have never been this bad in Poland.
The data was shared by Andrzej Kubisiak, deputy director of the Polish Economic Institute, in an X post.
“The total birth rate for Poland in 2024 may be the lowest in the whole of Europe (ex aequo with Spain) and amount to 1.12 This is the worst result in our modern history,” wrote Kubisiak.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report Finds Human Trafficking Occurs ‘Every Day’ in Germany
Victims of human trafficking often have problems asserting their rights in Germany, according to a report published in Berlin on Thursday.
The study, by the German Institute for Human Rights, is described as the first to summarize all available data on this topic, from both authorities and advice centres.
“Human trafficking takes place in Germany every day, for example in nursing, domestic work, prostitution, agriculture, the meat processing industry or in the construction industry,” said the director of the institute, Beate Rudolf. “They are labour-intensive and require neither special qualifications nor language skills.”
Many of those affected remain in hiding because they are ashamed, threatened or afraid of reprisals.
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Scholz Promises Israel Further Supplies of German-Made Weapons
In the past eight weeks, the German government has approved military equipment and munitions exports to Israel worth around €31 million ($33.7 million), more than twice as much as during the entire rest of the year.
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised Israel even further supplies of weapons and other armaments for the country’s ongoing military offensives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
“There are deliveries and there will always be further deliveries. Israel can rely on that,” Scholz said in remarks to Germany’s parliament.
Export licences for German-made armaments worth €45.74 million bound for Israel had been issued by October 13, according to a report from Germany’s Economy Ministry that was provided to a parliamentary committee and obtained by dpa.
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Spain’s Attorney General Charged With Leaking Confidential Information
In an unprecedented move, Spain’s Supreme Court has formally charged Álvaro Garcia Ortiz, the government’s chief legal advisor, with the crime of disclosing confidential information.
The case, which revolves around the leak of personal data concerning Alberto Gonzalez Amador—boyfriend of Madrid’s centre-right regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso—has sparked significant controversy. This marks the first time in Spanish democratic history that a sitting attorney general faces such charges.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Teenage Guns for Hire: Swedish Gangs Targeting Israeli Interests
The 13-year-old boy should have been in school last Thursday, instead of sitting in a police station in central Gothenburg. But police say he fired shots outside the offices of Israeli tech firm Elbit Systems.
“He was basically caught in the act,” said police spokesman August Brandt, who said the shots were being investigated as an “attempted murder and weapons offence”.
Kalleback on the outskirts of Gothenburg is a fairly sleepy residential neighbourhood with upmarket developments, a supermarket and a few offices.
But this was no isolated incident. In fact there have been several this year.
Earlier this month, Israel’s embassies were targeted both in Sweden and neighbouring Denmark.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
The Left is Self-Destructing on Both Sides of the Atlantic
Keir Starmer was hardly the man of the moment when he won the July general election, this shallow victory having much more to do with an almost nationwide hatred of the Tories than with a hunger for what Labour had to offer. But the speed with which this feeling for the previous Conservative administration passed over to Labour has been something to behold.
After his personal approval rating dropped an impressive 45 points to —26% in the space of just two months, Starmer’s Labour has also now started falling behind Nigel Farage’s Reform party. A poll this week suggested that 28% of voters have a “very” or “quite positive” view of Reform, compared to 27% who feel the same way about Labour.
This will, of course, have much to do with Starmer’s sleaze scandal, which showed the lie to his promise to govern differently than those who came before him. Additionally, it is likely due to his clear disinterest in strengthening Britain’s borders and his determination to undo Brexit—both issues that Reform has prominently highlighted.
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Turning Point for Reform UK as Nigel Farage Reveals Shock Poll Puts Them ‘Ahead of Labour’
Nigel Farage has warned that the party he leads, Reform UK, is now ahead of Labour according to a new poll.
The MP for Clacton shared this news on X, formerly Twitter last night. He posted: “A new poll today by right-leaning JL Partners says voters now have a more positive view of Reform UK than they do Labour.”
The polling company revealed that Reform currently has a net postivity rating of —13, while Labour has plunged to —19. Focussing solely on the two party leaders, Nigel Farage trumps Keir Starmer, with a net posivity rating of —17 compred to the PM’s —25. The Conservatives are down on —26.
It comes as Reform UK cut Labour’s lead by six per cent in another opinion poll, just as Labour marked its first 100 days in power. The number of MPs for Nigel Farage’s party would be likely to increase from five to 26 with most of the gains coming at the expense of Labour, if a General Election was held right now.
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UK: Report: Hundreds of Cars Seized by Green-Posturing London Mayor
Newly released figures reveal that almost 1,500 cars were snatched last year on the orders of the Mayor of London’s office, as part of its Ultra-low Emissions Zone (ULEZ), the largest in the world, incorporating all London boroughs.
Under Sadiq Khan, a total of 1,429 cars were removed from their owners in the 12-month period ending in July 2024. Around half (761) of the vehicles were subsequently auctioned, raising £710,000.
Transport for London (TfL), the branch of municipal government responsible, claims that £25.6 million (€30.62m) of debt was recouped over 12 months. Officially, this money is clearing drivers’ unpaid fines, but Mayor Khan promises to spend it on improvements to city bus routes and services.
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Reports: Al-Sinwar Killed in Accidental Encounter With Israeli Army
The Hamas leader in Gaza, Yehya al-Sinwar, was reportedly killed in what was a rather accidental encounter with Israeli soldiers.
Various Israeli media reported that the forces were carrying out an operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. They reported that a confrontation occurred with al-Sinwar and two other armed Palestinians. It was only after his death that the soldiers noticed the resemblance to the Hamas leader.
The deceased men were found carrying large amounts of cash and fake passports. Al-Sinwar was reportedly wearing a vest with hand grenades.
The Israeli army confirmed that soldiers from the 828th Brigade had killed three terrorists in the south of the Gaza Strip. They said they had intensified operations in the southern part of the coastal strip in recent weeks because intelligence information had suggested that senior Hamas members might be hiding there.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Who Was Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas Leader Israel Says it Killed?
BEIRUT (AP) — Yahya Sinwar masterminded an attack on Israel that shocked the world, unleashing a still-widening catastrophe with no end in sight.
In Gaza, no figure loomed larger in determining the war’s trajectory than the 61-year-old Hamas leader. Obsessive, disciplined and dictatorial, he was a rarely seen veteran militant who learned Hebrew over years spent in Israeli prisons and who carefully studied his enemy.
On Thursday, Israel said troops in Gaza had killed Sinwar. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas of his death.
The secretive figure feared on both sides of the battle lines engineered the surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel, along with the even more shadowy Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’ armed wing. Israel said that it killed Deif in a July airstrike in southern Gaza that killed more than 70 Palestinians.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
19 Ukrainians Arrested at Moldovan Border as Men Continue to Flee Conscription
Desertion is rampant in Ukraine, and attempts to escape military service continue to be a major issue for Ukraine’s armed forces, reports Do Rzeczy.
“Ukrainians who do not want to go to war are looking for various ways to avoid conscription. Border guards near the border with Moldova detained two groups of men who tried to escape from Ukraine. They received administrative notices of having committed a crime,” the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported.
Officers detained two groups, consisting of eight and 11 men. In order to flee the country, they had paid $3,000 to $5,000 for online instructions from an organizer via the Telegram channel, which had them split into two groups to be more mobile and less conspicuous.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Confirms it’s Going to Make it More Painful for Companies to Quit the Country
Russia has confirmed it will make it more expensive for foreign companies to quit the country.
On Thursday, Russia’s finance minister, Anton Siluanov, told reporters that the tax foreign companies must pay for selling their Russian assets would increase, Interfax reported.
The tax on the value of such a deal would rise from 15% to as much as 25%, “plus 5% one year and 5% in the next, so 35% in total,” he said, per the news agency.
Siluanov also said that the discount foreign companies must offer on the sale value of their assets would increase from 50% to 60%, Interfax added.
His words confirm a report last week by Russian state-controlled outlet RBC, which cited sources familiar with the discussions.
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The Petersburg Dialogue looks to be set to recommence this Oct. 20 in Baku, writes Gdrman news outlet Tagesschau.
The meeting is featured in a Russian program booklet bearing the official logo of the dialogue, launched in 2001 by German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the aim of rapprochement between German and Russian civil society. The booklet was analyzed by the weekly newspaper Die Zeit and the political magazine ARD.
Although some participants have called the meeting informal and private, the use of the official logo as well as the participation of high-ranking Russian state representatives has called such claims into question. There was also a public call for tenders issued by the St. Petersburg State University for service providers to organize the forum.
Germany officially stopped the meetings in 2021 after Russia put three German NGOs on a blacklist.
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Ukraine’s Government Alarmed by Rising Army Desertions
In the first eight months of 2024, 45,543 soldiers deserted from the Ukrainian army, according to data leaked by the Prosecutor General’s Office and subsequenly reported in the Ukrainian press.
This number represented over half of the 81,167 desertions recorded since 2022. However, military sources consulted by media outlets Hromadske and LB suggested the true figure was at least 100,000, or equivalent to approximately 10 per cent of all Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.
Alongside desertions, widespread corruption in the enlistment system also allowed some men to avoid enlistment by paying bribes of several thousand euros.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Sanctions Chinese Companies Accused of Making Russian Drone Parts
The United States Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions against Chinese makers of drone engines and parts that President Joe Biden’s administration says have directly helped Russia mount long-range attacks in the war in Ukraine.
The sanctions, issued on Thursday, target three entities and one individual for their involvement in the development and production of Russia’s “Garpiya series” long-range attack drones.
“The Garpiya has been deployed by Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine, destroying critical infrastructure and causing mass casualties,” the Treasury Department said in a statement announcing the measures.
“Designed and developed by People’s Republic of China (PRC)-based experts, the Garpiya is produced at PRC-based factories in collaboration with Russian defense firms before transferring the drones to Russia for use against Ukraine.”
Russia has recently used long-range drone attacks to penetrate Ukraine’s air defences, wreaking havoc across the country, including a missile strike in the city of Poltava that killed 55 people and wounded 328.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Zelensky Offers Western Allies Access to Ukraine’s Raw Materials
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is offering Western allies access to his country’s valuable raw materials as part of the much-touted victory plan he finally revealed on Wednesday.
In a speech to lawmakers in Kiev, Zelensky said Ukraine has valuable resources “worth trillions of US dollars,” including uranium, titanium, lithium and graphite.
The raw materials will either fall to Russia and its allies, or remain with Ukraine and the democratic world, the president argued.
He also promised that after the end of the war, Ukraine will use its military experience to ensure the security of Europe and NATO.
Its soldiers could even replace US troops in Europe, Zelensky added.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion with Western help for more than two years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Volodymyr Zelensky wants NATO to deploy a “comprehensive” deterrent on Ukrainian soil so powerful it would prevent Russia from being able to pursue the war any further.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky has unveiled his much-hyped Victory Plan, revealing it to be a condensed list of longstanding Ukrainian demands, including immediate NATO membership, permission to use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia. The wartime leader has been promoting this five-part plan around Western capitals for several weeks, including visits to the United States and the United Kingdom.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nigeria: CNG Vehicle That Exploded in Edo ‘Illegally Modified’ — Presidency
Three people were injured when the CNG-powered vehicle exploded at the NIPCO filling station in Edo on Thursday.
On Thursday, October 17, 2024, a video made the rounds on social media showing the vehicle in a state of ruin after the explosion, while terrified bystanders scampered for safety after the loud blast sent shockwaves of panic through the area.
The tragic incident occurred in the morning at the NIPCO filling station on Aduwawa along the Benin-Auchi Expressway.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the explosion occurred when the unapproved technician who did the installation and the car owner drove to the filling station to subject the contraption to a test run.
Three people, who reportedly sustained various injuries from the blast, were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ugbowo for medical attention.
| — Hat tip: TN | [Return to headlines] |
Venezuela Ousts Electoral Board Dissenter Ahead of 2025 Vote
(Bloomberg) — Venezuela lawmakers ousted a national electoral board member who declared irregularities around President Nicolas Maduro’s reelection in July and urged the Prosecutor’s Office to promptly initiate a criminal investigation into him.
The government-controlled National Assembly appointed Conrado Pérez to replace Juan Carlos Delpino, meaning four of the board’s five members will now be Maduro allies ahead of regional and parliamentary elections next year.
Delpino, 65, broke silence in late August after fleeing the country, denying a so-called hack that delayed results and denouncing a “lack of transparency” in the widely disputed elections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In a harrowing interview, a long-time teacher in a predominately migrant school describes a “hellish” experience that involved “knife violence, bullying, and sexism.” Her testimony is laying bare the lie that diversity is always a strength, and her experience may help explain Germany’s plummeting PISA test scores and worsening educational outcomes.
Birgit Ebel has taught for 15 years at a “problem school,” where she says everyday life was an “absolute hell,” in her interview with Focus Magazine,
Ebel, who has since moved to a new school district, warns: “The system is coming back to haunt us.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch PM Defends “Serious Idea” to Send Rejected Asylum Seekers to Uganda
A return hub for failed asylum seekers in Uganda “is a serious idea,” said Prime Minister Dick Schoof before the start of the EU summit with government leaders. According to Schoof, more Member States are considering ideas about centers outside the European Union where asylum seekers have to wait for their deportation. “But it really still requires a lot of elaboration. It won’t be arranged overnight.”
It is certainly not yet another wild idea from his Cabinet, Schoof said resolutely in response to questions from various media. “It is a serious idea, but of course, there are a lot of catches that need to be looked at carefully,” said Schoof.
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EU Council Summit: “Different Atmosphere” on Migration
EU leaders convened in Brussels for a two-day summit where, despite President Zelensky’s visit and presentation of his “victory plan,” the spotlight was stolen by migration again. Brussels is under heavy pressure to tackle the shortcomings of its recently adopted flagship policy package, the Migration Pact, which failed to address crucial questions such as how to prevent illegal entries and how to effectively deport failed asylum seekers.
In a matter of months since the Pact was aggressively pushed through right before the EU election, it seems the general approach to migration completely changed in Europe. In large part, this is due to conservative electoral victories throughout the bloc that have prompted even mainstream governments to correct course.
In his doorstep interview, Dutch PM Dick Schoof said there was now a “different atmosphere in Europe” regarding migration, but that’s probably an understatement.
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EU Nordic Members Back Polish-Belarus Border Shutdown
The heads of government from Denmark, Finland and Sweden told the press before a European Council summit meeting on Thursday (17 October), that they backed Polish plans to close access to asylum seekers in case of increased pressure on the border with Belarus
Polish Prime Minister announced on Saturday (12 October), a plan to temporarily ban access for asylum seekers in an effort to curb what the country sees as instrumentalisation of migrants on its borders with Belarus.
Since 2021, Poland has seen increased pressure of migrants from Africa and the Middle East attempting to cross its border with its eastern neighbour.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU to Give Members €25 Million to Boost Migrant Voluntary Returns
The European Commission announced it would support voluntary returns of non-EU nationals lacking a legal right to remain, with a €25 million grant for member states.
“These funds will help Member States whose return systems are under pressure, by increasing their capacity building and supporting voluntary returns. Member States participating in the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund AMIF are eligible and can apply until 15 November 2024”, the European Commission said on October 16.
Recently, the Commission has increasingly focused on reinforcing EU returnpolicies, reflecting a gradual shift throughout Europe towards more Right-leaning immigration stances.
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The family of Rachel Morin, who was allegedly raped and murdered by an illegal migrant, has slammed Kamala Harris after she admitted that the death ‘should not have occurred’.
The Vice President made the remarks during an interview with Fox News, where she was grilled about the impact of her administration’s immigration policies.
Journalist Bret Baier brought up the cases of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, 22-year-old Laken Riley, 22, and Morin, 37, who were all allegedly killed by illegal migrants.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Mayor Refuses to Accept Refugees
One mayor has rebelled in Bavaria by refusing to back down and accommodate refugees, but apparently his left-wing deputy mayor has already betrayed him.
In the town of Bad Griesbach, a mayor told the district administration he will not accept any refugees. The district wants him to take in 35 Ukrainian refugees into the small town, but the mayor, Jürgen Fundke, who belongs to the Non-Partisan Voters’ Association, refuses to register any of them.
Fundke has made the move despite threats from the supervisory authority. District Administrator Raimund Kneidinger, of the Christian Socialist Union (CSU), issued an official order to take them in by Wednesday. The order was delivered to him personally.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Police Prevent Mass Migrant Brawl as Migrants Bring Ethnic Tensions With Them From Back Home
The Trier police headquarters reported that a large contingent of officers had to prevent a planned confrontation “in the area of Trier-Nord” on Monday evening. Shortly after receiving a tip, a patrol found a group of up to 15 cars in the exhibition grounds parking lot, but they moved away when they saw the police car, reports Junge Freiheit.
The police reportedly managed to stop one of the group’s cars and confiscated “several cutting and stabbing weapons, from knives to an iron bar.” Investigations have been launched against the Syrian-born passengers in the vehicle; they have also been banned from staying in the city of Trier.
The responsible police director then declared a special operation and intensified the search for the other potential participants in the planned mass brawl. The Trier police were supported by the criminal investigation department, the surrounding police stations, and the federal police.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Scholz Sceptical About Migrant Camps Outside the EU
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed scepticism on Thursday about the efficiency of possible new reception centres outside the European Union for migrants without the right to stay.
“It’s clear that concepts that represent very few small drops when you look at the figures, are not really the solution for a country as large as Germany,” Scholz said, arriving at an EU summit in Brussels, where migration is set to be at the top of the agenda.
Leaders are expected to discuss involving countries outside the EU in processing and accommodating asylum seekers, and how to reduce irregular migration and increase deportations.
Italy announced this week that the first migrants were brought to new controversial asylum centres in Albania.
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Illegal EU Border Crossings Down 42 Per Cent in First Nine Months
There has been a sharp decline in illegal border crossings into the European Union, the border agency Frontex has reported.
According to the agency, there have been only 166,000 illegal crossings in the first nine months of this year, 42 per cent fewer than the same period in 2023.
It described most of the arrivals as originating from Syria, Mali, and Ukraine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Migrant Camp at Serbia-Hungary Border Cleared, Euronews Reports
Hungary has been seeing a lot of migration pressure at its Southern border for years. However, it seems that due to the hard work of Serbian and Hungarian border patrol agents, that pressure has been eased. At least that is the case according to the on-scene reporting by Euronews.com from the Serb side of the border.
A reporter from the Lyon, France-based news site visited the small town of Horgos (Horgos), Serbia, in the region of Vojvodina, an area heavily populated with ethnic Hungarians. Horgos lies just about 1.5 miles (2.33 kilometres) South of the Hungarian border.
Just outside of town, the abandoned Karasz farm used to be where illegal migrants, mostly coming from the Middle East and Africa, congregated by the hundreds for years. A year ago, however, Serbian law enforcement started to systematically visit the site and forcefully transfer any migrant with no authentic paperwork to two camps in Kikinda, a city near the Romanian, and Presevo, a city near the North Macedonian border.
Euronews have spoken to two local residents, Martha and Laszló.
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Migrant Deportations to Increase, Says EU Chief
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU could “draw lessons” from a contested Italian policy of processing migrants offshore in Albania, as leaders of the 27 member states hold an EU summit focusing on migration.
Ahead of the Brussels summit, she wrote to EU leaders to say the EU’s executive would present a new proposal for legislation to increase deportations of migrants.
Italy has begun sending some migrants to a processing centre in Albania earlier this week.
Sixteen men were transferred to the Albanian port of Shengjin on Wednesday, but hours after their arrival it emerged that two were minors and two more were medically vulnerable and would therefore be returned to Italy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One of the migrants who kicked a cop during the now-infamous Times Square brawl has been nabbed by federal immigration agents after serving a slap-on-the-wrist jail sentence for the assault.
Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel — part of a gang of unruly thugs involved in the beatdown of two NYPD officers cops on Jan. 27 — served only three-quarters of a one-year sentence.
But he found the feds waiting when he was released on Oct. 10, officials with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said this week.
ICE didn’t get a helping hand from city authorities, sources said — the feds tracked the case through media reports and social media posts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Tusk Now Claims ‘No One Was Talking About Suspending the Right to Asylum’
Prime Minister Donald Tusk made international headlines for claiming that Poland would suspend the right to asylum in a hardline speech on immigration this week. Now, in a speech yesterday in the Polish parliament, the Sejm, he assured Poles that “no one was talking about suspending the right to asylum.”
The problem is that such a claim was indeed uttered just a few days earlier and may be the latest evidence that Tusk’s claims about getting tough on migration was a political stunt.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland’s President Opposes Tusk’s Suspension of Migrant Asylum Applications
Polish President Andrzej Duda has criticised prime minister Donald Tusk’s move to suspend allowing asylum applications on Poland’s border with Belarus.
“The announcements of the prime minister in recent days will not serve to secure our border and limit migration,” Duda, an ally of the opposition PiS, told parliament on October 16.
Duda said Tusk’s decision could impact he rights of Belarusian opposition activists claiming asylum in Poland. He also said he does not believe that the suspension will stem the flow of illegal migration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tren De Aragua’s ‘Little Devil’ Migrant Teen Terror Busted Again for NYC Knifepoint Robbery: Sources
A 15-year-old Venezuelan migrant busted at least 10 times in the last few months — and believed to be part of a violent crew of young gang members — was arrested again this week for a knifepoint robbery, sources said Wednesday.
And this time he’s finally getting locked up.
The teen terror, who had been sprung without bail after each of his previous arrests, sobbed as the judge remanded him during his arraignment in Manhattan Family Court Wednesday on yet another first-degree robbery charge.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The situation at schools in Vienna is growing worse and worse due to mass immigration, which has resulted in an immense number of immigrant children, reports Austria’s Kronen Zeitung.
A recent survey conducted by the local teachers’ union at some of Vienna’s 100 compulsory schools reveals not only systematic issues like language barriers, but also extreme incidents, including assaults on teachers, situations where parents of schoolchildren asked a teacher to wear a burqa, and even the presence of mock executions.
One middle school headmistress spoke to the paper about the ongoing problems but said she had to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Doctors Express ‘Guilt’ Over Euthanizing Patients for Just Being Poor or Fat
Canadian doctors find it “morally distressing” that the country’s euthanasia program, titled Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), is now available to people who are not just terminally ill but simply unhappy with their life circumstances. Physicians have expressed guilt over the program’s expansion and their participation in it, the Daily Mail reported.
In 2021, Canada allowed more people to be “eligible: for MAiD, including those with incurable but not necessarily terminal illnesses, leading to 30 percent more people requesting physician-assisted suicide.”
But documents obtained by the Mail revealed that many doctors are not happy with the program’s continual escalation toward more death. An Ontario doctor shared how one of his patients had a severe lung disease but really requested euthanasia “mostly because he is homeless, in debt and cannot tolerate the idea of [long-term care] of any kind.”
Another doctor wondered if it was morally acceptable to offer MAiD to one woman who was fat and unhappy. Another woman was seeking assisted suicide because she was grieving the loss of her husband.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Extends Its Surrogacy Ban Abroad to Protect Women and Children
Giorgia Meloni has clamped down on the buying and selling of babies by making surrogacy a universal crime. The prime minister described an extension of the existing ban on surrogacy inside the country to those who seek it in countries where it is legal as a “common sense law against the commodification of the female body and children.”
But critics—whose collective voice has been bolstered by the international liberal press—have complained that the move primarily targets gay couples, for whom it makes parenthood effectively impossible. Same-sex couples are also barred from adopting children in Italy.
The Washington Post describes Italy’s as the “most restrictive” surrogacy legislation in the West, noting that while 90% of the Italian couples who use international surrogacy are heterosexual, “same-sex couples are the law’s most vulnerable targets.” The paper also quotes a Rainbow Families campaign group spokesman who says “this is about [targeting] gay fathers”—a claim the Italian government denies. Similar comments have been echoed by Britain’s national broadcaster, the BBC.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Transgender-Critical Authors Cancel Brussels Conference After Death Threats
French essayists Dora Moutot and Marguerite Stern, who denounced the evils of transgender ideology in their book Transmania, have been forced to cancel a conference scheduled for October 22nd in Brussels after being subjected to violent threats from the extreme Left. This is not the first time they have been intimidated into silence. On this occasion, they felt that the risk to their safety was too great.
The two women made headlines with the publication of their essay in April 2024, denouncing the assault on Western society by the transgender lobbies. Since then, they have held a series of conferences to alert the public to the risks posed by these activists to children and teenagers, as well as to freedom of expression and women’s rights. On several occasions, the venues where the events were to be held have suffered serious damage. On a personal level, they have received death threats and are now travelling under police protection.
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If Jean-Paul Sartre Was Black He’d Be Ta Nehisi Coates https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/if-jean-paul-sartre-was-black-hed
Maine Is Handing Out Free “Boofing” Kits to Help Fentanyl Addicts Squirt Drugs Up Their Butts
https://www.themainewire.com/2024/06/maine-is-handing-out-free-boofing-kits-to-help-fentanyl-addicts-squirt-drugs-up-their-butts/