A rejected asylum seeker from Libya has been arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in Berlin. Meanwhile, shortly after his release from prison for a stabbing attack, an Eritrean asylum seeker in Germany stabbed and seriously wounded another person.
In other news, the OnlyFans model who threw a McDonald’s milkshake at Nigel Farage has pled guilty to assault and criminal damage.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, 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.
Quarter of English Town Halls Likely to Need Bailout, Poll Finds
(Bloomberg) — A quarter of town halls in England are likely to need emergency bailouts from the UK’s central government to avoid bankruptcy in the coming years, according to a survey of council chief executives that lays bare the parlous state of local authority finances.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves should take action in her budget next week to prevent a fresh wave of councils going bust after many ran into difficulty in recent years, the Local Government Association, which conducted the survey, said Tuesday in a statement.
A funding deficit of more than £2 billion ($2.6 billion) next year will push a swath of local authorities to ask ministers for “exceptional financial support” next year, the LGA said. This is colloquially known in the sector as a bailout and allows councils to use asset sales and money raised through borrowing for capital projects to plug the hole in day-to-day spending.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
60 Minutes Defends ‘Deceitful’ Edit of Kamala Interview, Still Won’t Release Transcript
60 Minutes has released a defensive statement after being caught deceptively editing their interview with Vice President Kamala Harris in order to make her appear intelligent.
“Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala’s full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air?” said Trump national press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday, adding “The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript.”
Now, nearly two weeks later, 60 Minutes has denied ‘deceitful’ editing of the interview in a new statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AG Paxton: Texas Investigation Into ActBlue Uncovers Suspicious Donations
A nearly year-long investigation into ActBlue, a Democratic Party online donation platform, alleges a large number of suspicious donations have been made, resulting in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioning the Federal Election Commission to get involved.
On Monday, Paxton petitioned the FEC to consider implementing new regulations to prevent straw donations from being made on online political fundraising platforms.
Since launching the investigation, Paxton said it’s been publicly reported that potentially fraudulent transactions have occurred on political committee online platforms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Burlington, Vermont Residents Lament Surge of Drugs, Homelessness, Crime
Residents in “progressive” Burlington, Vermont are complaining about the worsening conditions in the state’s most populous city.
Though Democrats have slammed President Donald Trump for highlighting a rise in crime during the Biden-Harris administration, the recent experiences of the New England town are proving particularly instructive in countering the Left’s narrative.
As Fox News reports, conditions in Burlington have deteriorated significantly in recent years.
Locals attribute the shift to homelessness, drug addiction, and rising rates of crime that remain unaddressed by federal policies.
Residents of Burlington spoke with Fox News, detailing their frustrations with the homelessness and drug use that have both gripped their hometown.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
California Continues to See Negative Net Domestic Migration
Authored by Jane Yang via The Epoch Times
How many people in the United States are moving to the Golden State and how many are moving to other states? Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2023 provides a glimpse into these numbers.
The statistics released Oct. 17 showed that an estimated 422,000 people moved to California from other states and an estimated 690,000 moved to other states in 2023. This resulted in a net negative domestic migration of 268,000.
The top five destination states for Californians were Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, and Florida, with people moving to these states making up around 39 percent of the domestic migration out of California.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Court Denies Class Action Status for Lawsuit Against Twitter
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
A California court dismissed class action certification for a lawsuit filed by a former employee that accused Twitter of not paying laid off workers bonuses that were allegedly promised.
Mark Schobinger, the plaintiff, was Twitter’s senior director of compensation during 2022—23, a time when the company was in the process of being acquired by Elon Musk, according to an Oct. 16 order issued by the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.
At the time, Schobinger was a member of a group of employees eligible to receive annual bonuses in early 2023.However, the company was under no obligation to pay, a fact that is “undisputed” under the terms of the bonus, the order noted. Paying the bonus was “a matter of discretion” for the firm.
Schobinger alleged that the company promised employees in April, May, and August of 2022 that it would pay the bonus provided the workers stayed with the firm throughout the acquisition. The plaintiff claimed he did stay during this phase because of the promise. He filed the lawsuit after not getting paid, and sought class certification.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria denied Schobinger’s motion, noting he is unfit to act as a class representative.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk to Upgrade Security After Left-Wing Magazine Labels Him ‘Public Enemy No. 2’
Elon Musk said Sunday he planned to upgrade his security after a left-wing German magazine labeled him an enemy of the people.
Musk held a town hall discussion in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sunday in support of former President Donald Trump’s candidacy. While talking to the crowd, Musk commented on the heightened political atmosphere as the nation approached the November presidential election.
He noted he was recently on the cover of Der Spiegel, which labeled him “Public Enemy No. 2” — the first being Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Saturday, SpaceX founder and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk mocked the number of government regulations that were required for him to launch the company’s starship into space and said that the federal government forced the company to perform a study to see if in Starship’s return to earth if it would hit a shark or whale in the ocean.
“SpaceX had to do this study to see if Starship would hit a shark, and I’m like, ‘It’s a big ocean. There are a lot of sharks! It’s not impossible, but it’s very unlikely,’“ Musk said, recalling the situation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fani Willis Laid Groundwork for Prosecuting Trump Before Taking Office, Ex-Prosecutor Wade Reveals
House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan on Monday released the transcript of closed-door testimony from Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor hired by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to help manage her office’s Donald Trump election interference case before coming under scrutiny for his romantic-financial relationship with Willis.
Wade testified that Willis was planning to prosecute Trump and began discussing a search committee to find a special prosecutor to investigate the former president prior to assuming office in January 2021.
The former special prosecutor was also confronted with his own records showing that he met with White House officials, for eight hours on one occasion, though he told investigators he could not recall the details of the meetings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Handwriting Analysis Expert Catches Cassidy Hutchinson in Apparent False Testimony
A handwriting analysis of a tweet draft is the latest piece of evidence contradicting the testimony of star Jan. 6 witness Cassidy Hutchinson who has come under fire from House Republicans for her role in the investigation led by the Democrat-controlled Jan. 6 Select Committee.
In her public testimony before the special committee in June 2022, Hutchinson told Congress, under oath, that she wrote the note for a proposed tweet as her boss, President Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Eric Herschmann, a personal attorney to Trump, dictated it to her.
Immediately after her public testimony, Herschmann disputed Hutchinson’s claim, according to the House Republicans.
Now, the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight said it ordered a handwriting analysis from an expert who determined was consistent with Herschmann’s writing, not Hutchinson’s.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
House Explosion: Dog Rescue From Debris 5 Days Later
From Prince William fire and rescue:
The family dog has been rescued. Earlier this morning, units were dispatched back to the scene of last week’s horrific house explosion for a report of a barking dog in the debris. Crews arrived to hear the dog under a portion of the collapsed structure. Firefighters were able to free the animal after about 20 minutes of deploying structure collapse stabilization shoring techniques and some good old coaxing by the home’s owner. She appeared to be in good shape and showed her happiness of being freed by rapid tail wagging.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
House Committee Cites ‘Stunning Security Failures’ That Led to Trump Rally Shooting in Butler, PA
A bipartisan panel of House members cited “stunning failures” that led up to the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Bulter, Pennsylvania. The 53-page long interim report was released on Monday morning and details the communication and coordination failures that occurred that allowed Trump to become the target of a shooter on July 13.
According to the report, “Investigating the stunning failures on July 13, 2024 in Bulter, Pennsylvania,” lawmakers, led by Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and ranking member Jason Crow (D-CO) wrote, “Put simply, the evidence obtained by the Task Force to date shows the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should not have happened.” The US Secret Service (USSS) “did not effectively verify responsibilities were understood and being executed,” it added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Left McTriggered After Trump Does Fun Publicity Stunt
On Sunday, Donald Trump poked fun at Kamala Harris’ dubious claim that she ‘worked at McDonald’s and made fries,’ by going to a McDonald’s and making fries, plus working the drive-thru.
Ding, fries are done!
Memes have been made.
While most on the right thought it was a fun pre-election publicity stunt, it really triggered the left — which didn’t know what to do.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
McDonald’s said it couldn’t necessarily confirm Vice President Kamala Harris ever took a job at one of its burger joints — but added it was “proud to hear” she had “fond memories” of working there as a teen.
The fast-food giant on Sunday extended an invite to Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to visit one of its restaurants “in order to share how McDonald’s provides meaningful pathways to economic opportunity and feeds and fosters local communities.”
The invite came the same day former President Donald Trump manned the french fry cooker at one of the Golden Arches’ restaurants in battleground Pennsylvania over the weekend.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Organizers: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Arrested After Occupying U of M Building
Protest organizers say students have been arrested in connection with occupying a building on the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus on Monday evening.
The University of Minnesota’s Students for a Democratic Society chapter initially asked students to protest at 3 p.m. Monday, which is the first day of homecoming events at the U.
The organization said in a social media post soon after that students were occupying the building to demand the University of Minnesota divest from Israel and weapons manufacturers, among other asks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Seek Turnstile-Jumper Who Stabbed Commuter in Eye
BAY RIDGE — A MAN IS IN STABLE CONDITION AFTER BEING STABBED IN THE EYE on Oct. 17 while waiting for a train at the Bay Ridge Avenue R line subway station in the 68th Precinct. The NYPD released photos of the suspect they seek in connection with the 4:30 a.m. assault on Thursday, Oct. 17. According to police reports, the 30-year-old victim, identified as Nedal Kifayeh, was attacked around 4:30 a.m when an unidentified individual approached and stabbed him in the left eye. The assailant then fled aboard a 95th-St.bound “R” train. The victim was transported by EMS to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn in stable condition where he underwent emergency surgery.
News12 Brooklyn reported that the assailant jumped a turnstile.
| — Hat tip: TN | [Return to headlines] |
Daniel Penny, the former Marine charged with fatally choking homeless subway busker Jordan Neely on a crowded Manhattan train car, stood and waved Monday to the first batch of jurors that could decide his fate — as protestors jeered at him on his way into court.
“Murderer! Murderer!” one man shouted into a bullhorn as Penny, 25, walked into Manhattan Supreme Court for the first day of jury selection at his trial, where he’s charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
About 50 demonstrators — including some holding signs that read “Justice for Jordan Neely: End Racist Vigilantism Now!” — rallied outside the Centre Street courthouse before Penny arrived.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
San Francisco Ranks as Second ‘Rattiest’ City in Nation Behind New York
San Francisco has been ranked as America’s second most rat-infested city right behind New York City. Although the plague of the hated rodents has led to several McDonald’s closing in nearby Oakland due to safety and sanitary concerns, a lot of small businesses are taking abuse from the rats without getting much publicity over it.
Rich Neumann, who is the founder and CEO of a video tech company, knows all about the proliferation of rats in the California city and how they can wreck the engine of a car, according to a report in the Daily Mail. Rats have burrowed into more than 40,000 homes in San Fran, and on Neuman’s street alone, they have damaged cars to the tune of $15,000. “When I moved into this house, the garage which faces the [alley] and the crawl space under the house was infested with rats,” Neumann told the Mail, noting that “it’s not uncommon to see rats scurrying down the alley — especially at night.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SCOTUS Ends Michael Cohen’s Latest Attempt to Take Down Trump
This morning, the Supreme Court rejected former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s appeal to bring back his civil rights claim against the former president.
Cohen alleged former President Donald Trump, former Attorney General William Barr and other federal officials put him back in prison as retaliation for promoting a book critical of Trump.
“[A]s it stands, this case represents the principle that presidents and their subordinates can lock away critics of the executive without consequence,” Cohen’s petition states.
As Sam Dorman reports for The Epoch Times, Cohen had argued that two lower courts wrongly dismissed a claim that former President Donald Trump violated his rights by ending his prison furlough during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Cohen’s petition, he had objected to a federal form that probation officers asked him to sign, which prohibited him from engaging with the media, including posting on social media.
At the time, he was writing a book critical of the former president.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Second Amendment Advocates Face Facebook Censorship
Facebook’s pattern of censorship has again become evident during a crucial election period, as it repeatedly targets posts from the Buckeye Firearms Association, an advocate for Second Amendment rights. The organization, which educates the public about gun-related issues and promotes gun rights, has noted that none of its content breaches Facebook’s community standards. Yet, their posts are often removed without justification.
The Buckeye Firearms Association emphasizes that its posts are carefully crafted to inform rather than inundate followers with irrelevant content. Despite their intentionality and adherence to Facebook’s guidelines, their experience with the platform has deteriorated recently. Previously, when posts were erroneously removed, Facebook would restore them following a review and issue an apology. However, this process has stalled; now, the organization’s requests for review go unanswered.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Task Force on Trump Shooting Faults Secret Service Communication
A congressional task force investigating the near-assassination of Donald Trump on July 13 has concluded inadequate communications between the Secret Service and local law enforcement were key to security failures ahead of the shooting at a rally in Butler, Pa.
“Put simply, the evidence obtained by the Task Force to date shows the tragic events of July 13 in Butler were preventable,” Chairman Mike Kelly, a Republican who represents Butler, posted on social media.
The lack of coordination between federal agents and local officials is central to the findings of the interim report released Monday, which takes note of insufficient preparation ahead of the rally.
“For instance, USSS did not give clear guidance to the relevant state and local agencies about managing areas outside the secure event perimeter, and there was no joint meeting on the day of the rally between USSS and all state and local law enforcement agencies assisting USSS,” the report says.
Among the major findings: the nearby American Glass Research complex, from which the shooter took aim at Trump, was not properly secured; there was no unified command post to facilitate communications between Secret Service and local officials; and critical information about the shooter was communicated too slowly.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Considers No Taxes for Police Officers, Firefighters and Military
The race to shock and awe with the greatest number of tax cuts ahead of the November 5 election is nearing its climax.
Donald Trump said he’d consider exempting police officers, firefighters, active duty military and veterans from paying taxes, the Republican nominee’s latest campaign trail idea to deliver tax breaks to key groups of supporters.
“It’s something I would think about,” Trump said in response to a question about excluding first responders and military members from tax bills on an online show Maintaining with Tyrus that aired Friday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump made a surprise stop in Ashville, North Carolina Monday after the devastation of Hurricane Helene earlier in the month and among other things, announced that the GoFundMe he put together for the victims of the hurricane has raised $8 million.
“I want to thank everyone who supported the GoFundMe. We set it up right after the storm left, almost immediately, and I authorized a lot of people to help,” Trump said, adding that property and material goods could be replaced, but nothing will erase the effect that death has had in the community.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Launches Probe Into Leak of Israel’s Plans for Iran Attack
Highly classified American intelligence documents on Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, after it launched a barrage of missiles at Israeli cities on October 1st, were leaked over the weekend. An investigation is now underway.
The documents, marked top secret, circulated online after being posted on Telegram by an account—reportedly based in Tehran—called “Middle East Spectator.” They are attributed to the American National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, and state that Israel was still moving military assets in preparation for a military strike on Iran.
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the unauthorised release as “very concerning,” adding that “there’s some serious allegations being made there.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WARREN, Mich. — UFC fighters Justin Gaethje, Beneil Dariush and Henry Cejudo stepped into the political ring last week, urging a crowd of Arab-American voters in swing-state Michigan to cast their ballots for GOP heavyweight Donald Trump.
Their selling point to clinch support for Trump? He’ll fight for peace in the Middle East.
The newly minted Conservative Middle Eastern political-action committee, which seeks to register such voters Republican, sponsored the event in coordination with former Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, who’s been heavily involved in Trump world’s efforts to win over Michigan’s sizable Arab-American population.
The UFC trio became involved with campaign outreach via their manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who is a close friend of both Trump and Grenell.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s State-Funded Legacy Media Unite to Combat “Disinformation”
A large number of state-funded legacy public broadcasters from around the world have joined the Ottawa Declaration, which calls for combating “disinformation.”
Among the declaration’s points is the one that goes into what its authors — CBC/Radio-Canada — refer to as “accountability from social media platforms.” The document wants to have these platforms implement “safeguards and processes to address where disinformation is disseminated.”
We obtain a copy of the document for you here.
CBC was joined in this and a number of other demands by the world’s largest public legacy media organization, the Public Media Alliance, and its Global Task Force.
Members of that task force are the likes of ABC, BBC, France TV, Germany’s ZDF, and CBC/Radio-Canada, among others.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: ‘Cordon Sanitaire’ Broken for the First Time, Vlaams Belang in Power in Ranst
The political ‘cordon sanitaire‘ against the far-right was broken on Saturday when two locals lists formed a coalition with Vlaams Belang in Ranst, Antwerp.
Belgian political parties established the cordon sanitaire over 30 years ago in order to exclude far-right parties from any political majority.
The strategy has remained in place until now. In Ranst, local election list PIT led by former mayor Lode Hofmans (Open VLD) has formed an agreement with Vlaams Belang and the new local party Vrij Ranst following local elections last Sunday.
On 13 October, PIT secured a lead with 25 seats, surpassing the incumbent mayor Johan De Ryck’s N-VA, which obtained 10 seats. Groen, N-VA’s coalition partner during the last mandate, fell to three seats, the same number as Vlaams Belang and Vrij Ranst.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Conservatives From Both Sides of the Pond Sketch Out a Joint Future
How can future conservative governments in Europe and the U.S. build a strong collaboration and bridge the gap between American and European conservative policy? That question—centering on German, Hungarian, and American conservatism—was the topic of last week’s conference “The Transatlantic Partnership in a New Era,” held in Berlin.
Jointly arranged by Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), The German-Hungarian Institute for European Cooperation, The Danube Institute, and TheRepublic.de, the conference covered a lot of ground—including migration, antisemitism, economic policies, and appropriate responses to geopolitical changes.
The potential for conservative governments in Germany and the U.S.—a real possibility, given poll results ahead of upcoming elections—was posed as the initial take-off point by Bence Bauer, director of The German-Hungarian Institute for European Cooperation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech ANO on Track to Win Next Year’s Elections Without Need for Coalition
would dominate parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2025 with 35.5% of the vote, the latest polling data from Kantar CZ for the Czech Television reads.
This puts the party well ahead of the current ruling Civic Democratic Party (ECR), led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala, which is expected to win 14.5%. The centre-right STAN party (EPP) saw its support rise significantly to 13%, followed by the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party (ESN) at 6.5%.
The Pirate Party (Greens/EFA), which recently left the government, would barely pass the 5% threshold needed to enter the Czech parliament.
Speaking to CNN Prima NEWS on Sunday, Babis stressed the importance of a strong mandate in the next elections.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The future of Moldova hangs in the balance after Sunday’s presidential election proved inconclusive and a referendum that saw a late surge in reporting from overseas polling stations swung the dial in favor of enshrining in its constitution the desire to join the European Union.
President Maia Sandu received 41 percent of the vote in her bid to win reelection, falling short of the 50 percent required to succeed in the first round of voting.
That means a run-off is scheduled to take place on Nov. 3 against second-placed Alexandr Stoianoglo, a socialist politician and former prosecutor more sympathetic to the country’s cultural ties with Russia than his pro-EU competitor.
With a long list of presidential candidates on the ballot and the pro-Russian faction in the country unable to rally behind one candidate in the first round of voting, Sandu’s reelection is far from a foregone conclusion, with Stoianoglo expected to secure a majority of the votes from other left-wing candidates including Renato Usatîi and Irina Vlah who came third and fourth, respectively.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Commission President Congratulates Moldova on Pro-EU Vote
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has congratulated Moldova and Moldovan President Maia Sandu on the vote in favour of joining the European Union despite accusations of election interference by Russia.
“In the face of Russia’s hybrid tactics, Moldova shows that it is independent, it is strong and it wants a European future!” von der Leyen said on X.
The former Soviet republic has apparently voted by a wafer-thin majority to enshrine a pro-EU course into the constitution, although the result is not final.
The referendum is being closely watched in Brussels, but hopes have been dashed of a strong majority in favour of the EU, which pledged €1.8 billion ($1.9 billion) in economic aid for Moldova this month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Final Figure Disclosed, 3,000 Emails Hit by European Commission Outage
Around 3,000 emails were left undelivered earlier in October after a technical outage at the European Commission, Brussels Signal can report.The disclosure of this figure followed an exclusive recent report by Brussels Signal revealing a partial four-day EU email outage between October 10 and October 14.Officials within the EC had expressed confusion as to the exact extent of the outage , with some telling Brussels Signal that their workflow had been disrupted by the incident, while others said they did not notice any problems whatsoever.
The final figure was delivered to MEPs in official correspondence on October 18, in which European Union staff insisted that the source of the email chaos “is now permanently fixed”.”The investigation results showed that only messages sent from the Commission to the Parliament were concerned, resulting in about 3,000 emails not delivered to their EP recipients,” the official message seen by Brussels Signal read.”The Commission has taken the necessary measures to make sure the undelivered emails are resent by their senders.”We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused, and thank you for your understanding,” it added.Speaking to Brussels Signal, a commission spokesman said a “technical issue on one of the e-mail servers of the Commission” was at the heart of the four-day failure.”The incident lasted from the afternoon of October 10 until morning of October 14, when a workaround was applied. The issue was resolved completely on October 14, in the afternoon,” the spokesman said.”The senders of the e-mails were notified that their e-mails have not been sent and the commission is following up with the senders to ensure that all e-mails are delivered.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Expat Voters Push Moldovan EU Referendum to a Slim Yes Vote
Update:
With nearly all votes counted and only 4,500 diaspora votes remaining as of 4 PM on October 21, the “Yes” vote holds a 14,000-vote lead. Although the race is extremely close, it’s safe to say the pro-EU side has secured victory.
In a much-anticipated vote on October 20, Moldovans were split on the proposal to amend the constitution to prepare for joining the European Union, going against an anticipated easy victory for the “Yes” vote.
There was also a presidential election, in which pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu came out on top but failed to reach an absolute majority. This means a second round is required against Alexandr Stoianoglo, a pro-Kremlin Socialist, which will take place in two weeks.
Both the referendum and the presidential election centred on whether Moldova should be more pro-Western or pro-Russian.
With 99 per cent of the vote counted early on October 21, the result was too close to call.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Five Imams in Belgium Risk Eviction for Being ‘Paid by Turkey’
Five imams have seen their work permits being withdrawn after it was uncovered that the Turkish government was funding them. They risk being evicted if they are not employed by the end of this year.
The Flemish region’s Employment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) has withdrawn the work permits of five Turkish nationals, all imams who have worked in mosques in Ghent, Antwerp, Diest, Sint-Niklaas and Lommel for at least four years.
The decision comes after a screening by the Flemish Government revealed that the imams were being financed by a foreign state, namely the Government of Turkey. This marks the first time the government has acted so harshly.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Teenager Stabbed to Death in Rouen, Ex-Boyfriend Arrested While Catching a Flight to Algeria
A 17-year-old girl was found stabbed to death in her apartment in the Grand’Mare district of Rouen on Sunday, with police arresting her 22-year-old ex-boyfriend as he attempted to flee to Algeria.
The young woman’s lifeless body was discovered by her relatives who visited the apartment after being unable to get ahold of her.
“We were called following the discovery of the body of a young woman in an apartment located in Hauts de Rouen. Immediately, strong suspicion fell on her ex-boyfriend, who was on the run,” stated Sébastien Gallois, Rouen’s public prosecutor.
The police swiftly identified the suspect and tracked him down to Paris. He was arrested at Saint-Lazare station, shortly after stepping off a train.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Security Package Fails in Federal Council Because Too Weak Despite Fatal Stabbing Attack
Germany’s Federal Council, a key legislative chamber of Germany alongside the Parliament, has shot down essential parts of legislation aimed at strengthening security after a terrorist knife attack in Solingen last August.
With the “security package”, the traffic-light coalition of Social Democrat Party, Free Democrats and Greens had wanted to give more power to the security authorities. It was approved in the German parliament, the Bundestag, on October 18, but was refused a few hours later in the Federal Council, or Bundesrat, which is composed of representatives from the 16 federal states.
The Federal Council decided the security package did not go far enough, and critics said the hurdles that needed clearing to enable the use of biometric data were “completely alien to life”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Baerbock Relieved as Moldova Votes by a Whisker for EU Plan
Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has expressed her relief at Moldovans narrowly voting in favour of enshrining the government’s course towards the European Union in the constitution.
According to the Moldovan electoral authorities, 50.46% voted in favour of a pro-European course after all votes were counted. Moldova lies between EU state Romania and Ukraine and has long been torn between the West and Russia.
“Yes, it was very close. But it is a great relief for all of us and we offer our heartfelt congratulations,” she said at a joint appearance with counterparts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in Berlin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Opposition Slams Exclusion of Poland From Berlin Talks on Ukraine
Germany’s opposition has criticised the fact Poland was not been included in talks between European leaders and US President Joe Biden on peace in Ukraine, as the question of who should be included in talks on Europe’s post-war order comes to the fore.
Biden joined German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron for quadrilateral talks in Berlin on Friday. According to the German government, Ukraine’s ‘victory plan’ to force Russia to end its war of aggression was among the topics discussed.
However, Germany’s opposition said they did not include Poland, one of Ukraine’s closest allies and the EU’s biggest military spender, as a percentage of GDP.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Allegedly Blocked Polish Participation in Ukraine Summit
Germany has reportedly blocked Poland’s involvement in a key meeting on Ukraine.
Former Estonian president Thomas Ilves has gone on the record claiming that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz blocked Polish participation in a meeting in Berlin hosted by the Germans on the war.
The gathering on October 18 was also attended by US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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In a speech to the Bundestag, Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Tino Chrupalla called for an end to arms exports to both Israel and Ukraine, and said that Germany needs to put a stop to its “one-sided partisanship” when it comes to Israel. The move has caused a sharp split within the AfD itself.
Chrupalla said that “exclusive expressions of solidarity” with Israel should end and that there should be no more “blanket Islamophobia.”
“With your arms deliveries to Israel, you accept the dehumanization of all civilian deaths on both sides. You are not contributing to de-escalation, but are constantly pouring oil on the fire,” he said. It is “time to critically and objectively engage with the Israeli government.”
Chrupalla stated that Israel has a right to self-defense, but that it should not be with German-made weapons.
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American intelligence warned the Hungarian authorities about an armed action planned for October 23 about two weeks ago, Telex reported, also stating that there has been no official confirmation of this news.
We know that the American secret services provided the Hungarian authorities with information that indicated that certain persons may be preparing for armed action on the anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Over the weekend, Hungary’s Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK) detained half a dozen young people, both men and women, at a pub in Budapest’s 16th district.
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Ireland Announces EU-Wide Online Speech Controls
Ireland has announced a swathe of online speech controls that will be applicable across the European Union as a result of the bloc’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
Unveiled on October 21, the Online Safety Code — a document drawn up by the country’s Coimisiún na Mean media regulator — applies across the EU for platforms that have their bloc headquarters based in the country. That list includes X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit and several others.
Under the edict — which does not need to be voted upon by the country’s parliament — social media platforms will be legally required to restrict user-generated and commercial content considered to incite “hatred”, even in situations where such content is not illegal under Irish or EU law.
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Islamist Hate Preacher Set for Netherlands Seminar Appearance
Mohammed Khatib, a leading figure in the Islamist Samidoun group, has been announced as the main speaker at a seminar hosted by Radboud University Nijmegen (RU), scheduled for the end of October, reports the NieuwRechts website.
While the Islamist outfit presents itself as dedicated to Palestinian prisoners’ welfare, it is banned in Israel and Germany. Designation as a terror group in the United States and Canada came as recently as October 15th, when the slogan “death to Canada” was used at a rally in Vancouver arranged by the group.
In April this year, Belgian authorities attempted to expel Khatib and revoke his refugee status due to his role in celebrations of Hamas’s October 7th massacre, which his group called an “act of resistance.”
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Moldova Votes for EU Membership Amid Allegations of Russian Interference
Citizens of the former Soviet republic of Moldova have narrowly voted to insert a clause into the country’s constitution defining EU membership as a goal. However, President Maia Sandu accused Moscow of interfering in the referendum in what she called an “unprecedented assault on our country’s freedom and democracy.”
The vote, which was held on Sunday, October 20th, the same day as the first round of the presidential election, was seen as a test to determine whether the country was heading towards the path of EU integration or remaining in the orbit of Russia.
The pro-EU forces of Moldova, one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in Europe, have been hastily pursuing EU membership since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The country, which is wedged between Ukraine and EU-member Romania and has a population of around 2.5 million, was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, with the European Union opening accession talks in June of this year.
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Mosques in Britain Received Record Amount of Taxpayer Money for Security
Mosques in Britain received a record level of taxpayer money for security, even before the anti-mass migration protests and riots over the summer.
According to government figures obtained under freedom of information requests by the left-wing Guardian newspaper, mosques in the United Kingdom were given nearly three million pounds sterling to subsidise their security between April 2022 and April 2023.
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A recent war simulation reported by the German newspaper Bild has modeled the potential fallout from a Russian attack on NATO’s eastern flank, specifically targeting the Baltic states.
The simulation, which explores the implications of such a conflict, highlights a worst-case scenario where NATO’s response could be delayed, leaving Lithuania and its neighbors vulnerable to a Russian advance.
The computer-simulated wargame, developed with input from former U.S. Army Europe commander Ben Hodges and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Philip Breedlove, envisions an attack taking place in 2027, with Russian forces launching assaults from Belarus and the Kaliningrad region, swiftly moving to occupy parts of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
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Netherlands: Far-Right MP Given Conditional Fine for Doctored Pic of Ministers With Swastika Flag
The Hague District Court convicted FvD parliamentarian Pepijn van Houweling of simple insult for posting a doctored image showing then-Minister Ernst Kuipers raising a Nazi flag in the presence of then-Minister Karien van Gennip. The court gave the far-right MP a conditional fine of 450 euros for “inciting intolerance.” He only has to pay the fine if he commits another criminal offense in the next year.
On 23 September 2022, the Ministry of Public Health posted a photo on Twitter, now X, showing Kuipers raising a flag of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the presence of Van Gennip. Van Houweling posted his doctored image a day later. His post had the original photo on the left and the edit, in which the SDG flag was replaced with a Nazi flag, on the right. It also included the text: “The facade and the reality: #SDGs.”
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Netherlands Will Participate in Eurovision Next Year, Maybe With Joost Klein: Report
The Netherlands will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel next year and Joost Klein, who was disqualified this year, seems to be the favorite for a second chance, Parool reported. According to the newspaper’s sources, the wrinkles between the Dutch delegation and the organizer, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), have been largely ironed out after several consultations in recent months.
Klein was disqualified when he allegedly made a threatening movement toward a camerawoman after his semi-final performance during this year’s competition in Malmö, Sweden. This caused the woman to flinch and damage her camera. A few days earlier, the organization had already urged Klein to improve his behavior.
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Poland’s Morawiecki Confirms He Wants ECR Top Job After Meloni
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has confirmed his interest in taking over the presidency of the conservative ECR group, currently held by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Morawiecki, who served as head of the Polish government until his conservative PiS (ECR) party lost power last year to a pro-EU coalition led by current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, has not held a significant post since stepping down as prime minister in December 2023.
He was asked by Italian media at the ECR summit in Dubrovnik if he had ambitions to succeed Meloni as ECR president.
“I do, of course I do,” replied Morawiecki.
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Spain: Far-Left Podemos Urges Sanchez to Break Relations With Israel
Spain’s far-left Podemos will stop supporting the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez if his government does not sever diplomatic and trade relations with Israel, the party’s secretary general, Ione Belarra, has warned.
On Saturday, Belarra made her party’s support for the Sanchez (PSOE/S&D) government conditional on Madrid breaking diplomatic relations with Israel, taking steps to reduce very high rents, especially in large cities, and strengthening social policies.
“We say to the government, and I say it very clearly, that if they (the executive) want Podemos’ support, they are going to have to break off trade relations with Israel, and they are going to have to lower rents by law and (they will have to) put an end to housing speculation”, Belarra warned in her speech at Podemos’autumn university.
On the other hand, Belarra insisted that the current political tensions demand more effort from the left in the EU because “together we can change everything, even stop”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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UK to Sign Arms Deal With Germany, ‘First Steps’ to Brexit-Busting EU Defence Pact
The “first steps” towards the UK being drawn into a major defence pact with the European Union will be signed this week, it is reported, in a new defence agreement between Britain and Germany.
The United Kingdom will sign a major defence agreement with Germany this week, it is claimed, the latest in a series of such moves by the government to bring the country closer to Europe.
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UK: Nigel Farage Milkshake Attacker Pleads Guilty to Assault and Criminal Damage
A leftist OnlyFans model has pled guilty to assaulting Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as he was campaigning for his seat in Clacton in June.
Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, threw a McDonald’s milkshake at Mr Farage on June 4th after he addressed supporters in a general election campaign rally in Clacton-on-Sea.
Appearing before the Westminster magistrates’ court on Monday, she pled guilty to assault by beating and admitted to criminal damage of £17.50 against the suit owned by Mr Farage’s bodyguard, The Telegraph reports.
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UK: Starmer Releasing Drug Dealers and Con Men From Prison Early
Another 1,100 criminals are being freed from prison this week after serving just 40% of their sentences rather than the typical—and already too lenient—50%.
Around 2,000 inmates—including serious sexual offenders—were released in just one day in September as part of Labour prime minister Keir Starmer’s drive to free up prison spaces. Many were photographed grinning, or even popping champagne, as they walked out the gates long before they should have.
Drug dealers and fraudsters will be among this second batch to be released on Tuesday, according to The Times, whose reporters have “been told” that the impact of new sentencing measures will not reduce the demand for prison spaces until at least spring 2026.
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Israel Breaks Up Iranian Spy Ring, Arrests 7 of Its Own Citizens: ‘Significant Harm’
Israeli security agencies on Monday said they had uncovered and stopped an Iranian spy ring operating out of northern Israel after seven Israeli citizens were detained over allegations of working to aid Jerusalem’s top adversary.
In a joint announcement by Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, and the Israeli Police, the suspects were all reported to be providing intelligence on key military and energy infrastructures, reported Israeli news agency TPS.
Two minors, whose names remain confidential, along with five others identified as Aziz Nisanov, Alexander Sedykov, Vyacheslav Gushchin, Yevgeny Yoffe and Yigal Nissan have been arrested and accused of conducting espionage to aid two Iranian agents under the operational code names of “Elkhan” and “Orkhan.”
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Gulen, the Powerful Cleric Accused of Orchestrating a Turkish Coup, Dies
The U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who built a powerful Islamic movement in Turkey and beyond but spent his later years mired in accusations of orchestrating an attempted coup against Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan, has died. He was 83.
Herkul, a website that publishes Gulen’s sermons, said on its X account that Gulen had died on Sunday evening in the U.S. hospital where he was being treated.
Gulen was a one-time ally of Erdogan but they fell out spectacularly, and Erdogan held him responsible for the 2016 attempted coup in which rogue soldiers commandeered warplanes, tanks and helicopters. Some 250 people were killed in the bid to seize power.
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Israel Apologizes for Strike That Killed 3 Lebanese Soldiers
The Israeli military apologized Monday for a strike that killed three Lebanese soldiers in southern Lebanon, saying it is not battling the country’s military and its troops believed they were targeting a vehicle belonging to the Hezbollah militant group.
Israeli strikes meanwhile hit nearly a dozen branches of a Hezbollah-run financial institution that Israel says is used to fund attacks but where many ordinary people keep their savings.
Last week, Hezbollah said it is entering a new phase in its fight against invading Israeli troops, as the region reckoned with the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza. Sinwar was a chief architect of the attack on southern Israel that precipitated the latest escalating conflicts in the Middle East.
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New Israeli Air Raids Unleash Giant Fireballs, Chaos in Beirut
(1736ET): Before and after midnight (local time), huge Israeli strikes are once again rocking southern Beirut suburbs, with reports of large strikes hitting very near hospitals.
Early videos of some of tonight’s airstrikes show absolutely massive fireballs expanding high over the city, amid another night of panic on the ground, and as hospitals are filling up.
Local media has indicated at least 13 raids in the last hours, and Lebanon’s health ministry said that at least four have been killed in the fresh attacks:
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says one of those killed was a child.
Twenty-four people also were wounded in an initial toll following the Israeli attack near Rafik Hariri Hospital in southern Beirut, the ministry said.
Sahel Hospital in the southern suburbs of Beirut is also being threatened, with Israel’s military claiming that Hezbollah uses the facility to store cash and gold.
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Alleged North Korean Troop Involvement in Ukraine Sparks Escalation Fears
Reports by Ukrainian media have suggested that North Korean deserter soldiers have been captured by Russian forces in the Kursk region — a claim that, if substantiated, could mark a turning point in the war.
The reports came even though NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin both said on October 19 that they could not confirm a North Korean military presence in Ukraine.
In light of these reports on October 21, Rutte warned that North Korean troops in Russia would likely lead to a significant escalation of the conflict.
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Pentagon Chief Visits Ukraine, Unveils New Aid Package, Ahead of US Election
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Ukraine’s capital by train on an unannounced visit Monday, at a moment Ukraine’s forces are getting steadily pushed back in the east, and as President Zelensky expresses frustration at the lack of large-scale new military aid.
“It’s been absolutely remarkable that Ukraine has been able to do what it’s done,” Austin told reporters as he went into Ukraine Sunday night. “It’s been able to do that, of course, because of the fact that we have supported them from the very beginning, and we’ve rallied some 50 countries to be a part of that support.”
In Kiev, Austin announced $400 million in new arms for Ukraine but did not acquiesce to the Ukrainians’ main ask — the greenlight to strike Russia with US-supplied weapons.
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US Defense Chief Promises Ukraine What it Needs to Fight Russia But Goes No Further
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United States “will get Ukraine what it needs” to fight its war with Russia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday, but he gave no hint that Washington might endorse key planks of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s so-called “victory plan.”
The United States will provide Ukraine with what it requires “to fight for its survival and security,” Austin said in a speech at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. He noted that the U.S. has delivered more than $58 billion in security assistance for Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion, making it Kyiv’s main backer.
But Zelenskyy has asked Ukraine’s Western allies to go a few steps further, notably inviting Ukraine to join NATO and letting it use Western-supplied longer-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory. Those steps have met with a lukewarm response.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
With This Trick, Ukraine is Overcoming Russian Defenses
Small and cheap FPV drones are the real stars of the Russian-Ukrainian war. These devices are often invisible to air defense, are extremely cheap, and can cause shocking amounts of damage even to heavily armored vehicles. The best way to knock them out of the sky is to force them to the ground with electronic jamming devices, but now it seems this trick does not always work either.
Ukrainian FPV drones are now being equipped with artificial intelligence programs that enable them to continue to their target even if the operator loses control of the device. In a new video published on X, Ukrainian suicide drone operators showcase this technology against a Russian BTR armored vehicle, reportedly somewhere on the Kursk front. The device was equipped with electronic jamming equipment.
These devices break the connection between the drone operator and the drone, rendering the drone useless. However, Kyiv has equipped more and more drones with automatic targeting systems, which allow the drones to continue on to their target even if they lose their connection.
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India: Non-COVID ICU Deaths Surged Among Vaccinated, Study Finds
A group of medical researchers has just exposed an alarming surge in deaths among Covid-vaccinated patients admitted to hospital intensive care units (ICU).
The researchers, affiliated with several renowned academic medical centers across India, identified a death spike in non-Covid ICU patients.
The study, led by Dr. Amarja A. Havaldar of the St. John’s Medical College Hospital Bengaluru, sought to investigate the timing of the Covid vaccination and admission diagnosis and their effect on ICU mortality.
The time from vaccination can help identify adverse events directly related to vaccination.
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Religious Leaders Push Back Against Australia’s Controversial Speech Bill
Australia’s “misinformation and disinformation” bill is being criticized by several Christian and Muslim leaders, concerned about the way its provisions might negatively influence religious discourse.
The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combating Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 is designed to give the government’s communications and media regulator ACMA new powers regarding enforcement of rules that concern online content.
Some reports describe those powers as “broad” and the language of the proposed law also comes across as vague — the word “reasonably verifiable” is there to describe when content can be branded as misleading, false, deceptive, or is “reasonably likely” to cause serious harm.
That the bill excludes “content shared for religious purposes” was not enough to put Australia’s religious leaders’ minds at ease.
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‘Vaxxed & Boosted’ 30-Year-Old Pilot Dies ‘Suddenly’: ‘Wake Us Up From This Nightmare’
A 30-year-old airline pilot has tragically died “suddenly,” according to his devastated family.
Harrison Allchin, from Australia’s Gold Coast, served as First Officer at QantasLink Airlines for the last six years.
According to reports, Allchin was forced to keep up to date with Covid vaccinations to keep his job with Qantas.
In August 2021, Qantas announced that Covid “vaccines” were mandated for all “Frontline employees — including cabin crew, pilots, and airport workers.”
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After three-and-a-half years of record breaking illegal immigration over the southern border, yet another migrant caravan is heading towards the U.S.
With just 15 days left until the presidential elections, the large group of asylum seekers are taking a shot to see if they can get into the country ahead of a potentially major shift in border policies.
It is just the latest example of the widespread influence that the 2024 American elections will have on the world.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Libyan Who Planned Attack on Israeli Embassy in Berlin is Failed Asylum Seeker
The Libyan man who plotted an attack on the Israeli embassy in Germany was a failed asylum seeker, according to German news agency dpa.
The man, identified as Omar A., was arrested on Saturday, October 19th in Bernau, a town just outside of Berlin. “He intended to carry out a high-profile attack with firearms on the Israeli embassy in Berlin,” the prosecutor’s office said. He also reportedly exchanged information with a member of the Islamic State terror group.
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Germany: ‘One of Them Pooped Outside My Door!’ — Syrian Family Causes Misery for Hamburg Pensioners
A pensioner from Hamburg has shared her troubling experiences in what was once a peaceful neighborhood, now facing significant challenges due to the arrival of a large Syrian refugee family.
The pensioner, who lives in an affluent area of the German port city, described how her home has transformed from a “Bullerbü” (a reference to Astrid Lindgren’s idyllic children’s book series) into a source of constant stress and frustration.
The family of 10 occupies a three-room, state-subsidized apartment, where, according to the pensioner, only one child knows any German. This lack of communication has intensified the cultural divide between the new arrivals and long-standing residents, who once enjoyed a tranquil living environment.
Her experiences were highlighted in letters sent to NIUS, a German media outlet that has been covering the ongoing asylum crisis and its impact on local communities.
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A rejected asylum seeker from Libya has been arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack on the Israeli embassy in Berlin, German authorities confirmed.
Special units from the Federal Criminal Police Office arrested the 28-year-old suspect and raided a house in Bernau, Brandenburg, on Saturday, preventing what is believed to have been a potential terrorist attack.
At the same time, another search was conducted in an apartment in a high-rise building in Sankt Augustin, North Rhine-Westphalia, believed to be the home of the suspect’s uncle. Potential evidence is understood to have been seized from the property.
German authorities were alerted to the suspect by foreign intelligence services, who provided a tip that led to the investigation. The Libyan national was allegedly planning to attack the Israeli embassy using either firearms or explosives. He had reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
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Germany: AfD Party Hits Record High in Bavaria as Migrant Crisis Spirals
The Alternative for Germany party is rising to new heights in Bavaria, surging to 18 percent of the vote, according to an Insa poll. Not only is it a record for the AfD in the state, but it also means the powerful state has the strongest showing for the AfD of all western German states.
During state elections just a year ago, the AfD scored 14.5 percent of the vote, which was also a record at the time, representing a jump of 4.4 points from its last election showing there. Unlike the east of Germany, which is sidelined in terms of power in the federal government, Bavaria is a wealthy heavyweight that commands political, economic, and social power within Germany.
The AfD’s strong showing comes at a time when Bavaria is increasingly facing more and more migration pressure, with towns and cities being flooded by migrants, a development that Remix News has routinely reported on. Among the projects for migrants is a luxury lakeside asylum home worth €6 million near Lake Starnberg, which is facing its own housing crisis.
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Only four months after his release from prison, knifeman Khalid O. stabbed and seriously injured another person. The 29-year-old should have been deported to Eritrea long ago, but Germany cannot get rid of him.
Investigators are now convinced that Khalid O. stabbed a Libyan (33) in an apartment in Dresden, presumably over drugs. According to sources,, the victim suffered severe back injuries and was taken to a hospital.
“The investigating judge issued an arrest warrant for attempted manslaughter in conjunction with dangerous bodily harm,” said senior public prosecutor Jürgen Schmidt, according to German newspaper Bild.
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Italy: Meloni Vows to Fight Court Ruling Blocking Migrant Transfers to Albania
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni has vowed to keep fighting the politicized court ruling that barred the first shipment of migrants from being transported to the country’s offshore detention centers in Albania. The prime minister is working on changing the rules about designating countries as ‘safe,’ and is set to present her proposal to the Council of Ministers later on Monday, October 21st.
“As long as we have the support of the citizens, we will continue to work with determination, with our heads held high, to implement our program and help Italy grow, become strong, credible, and respected,” PM Meloni wrote on social media on Monday, promising to go through with the plan one way or another. “We owe it to the Italians, to those who chose us, and to those who, despite not having voted for us, hope that we do our job well.”
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Italy Adopts a New Decree to Overcome Hurdles Jeopardizing Its Migration Deal With Albania
ROME (AP) — Italy’s far-right government on Monday approved a new decree aimed at overcoming judicial hurdles that risked derailing a controversial migration deal with Albania.
Under the new decree — which is effective immediately — the government shortened the list of countries considered “safe” by law, meaning that Rome can repatriate to those countries migrants who didn’t win asylum using a fast-track procedure.
The number of safe countries is now reduced to 19 from the previous 22, excluding Cameroon, Colombia and Nigeria.
The move follows a ruling by Rome judges, who on Friday rejected the detention of the first 12 migrants sent to a newly-opened reception center in Albania, arguing that their countries of origin — Bangladesh and Egypt — were not safe enough for them to be sent back.
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Migrants Are Invading Empty Properties in Warsaw, Polish Opposition Warns
Migrants are invading empty properties in the Polish capital of Warsaw, the country’s leader of the opposition has claimed.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party, warned in the national parliament that “migrants are breaking into apartments and occupying empty buildings” in parts of Poland’s capital city Warsaw.
“There are already places in Warsaw where the police warn about migrants— where there are attempts to break into apartments and houses at night,” Kaczynski said on October 18.
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Migrants No Longer Guaranteed Beds in Chicago, Could be Evicted as Mayor Cuts Back on Shelters
Hundreds of migrants living in Chicago’s shelters could be evicted in the coming months as the mayor finally cuts back on the city’s overburdened shelters.
Starting Tuesday, only migrants who have been in the city for 30 days or less will be eligible for a bed in one of the 13 migrant shelters in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said.
Migrants already in the system will also be barred from reapplying to a shelter when they hit the city’s 60-day stay limit, with officials only making exceptions for pregnant women and those suffering from an illness or disability.
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No Going Back: Quarter of Ukrainian Refugees Want to Settle Abroad Permanently
A survey by the German ifo institute has shown that the longer the war in Ukraine lasts, the fewer Ukrainian refugees plan to return to their homeland.
According to the report published on October 18, close to 25 per cent of Ukrainian refugees in Europe indicated they do not want to return to their homeland in the long term.
“The longer the conflict lasts, the more people can imagine a future outside Ukraine,” said ifo migration researcher Yvonne Giesing.
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Poland Fears Germany May Dump Up to 40,000 Migrants on Polish Territory
Poland fears that up to 40,000 migrants may be returned to its territory from Germany, according to sources in the Polish foreign ministry who spoke with news outlet Interia.
Under EU rules known as the Dublin procedures, Poland would be required to take all of these migrants, as they first appeared in Poland and made their way to Germany. While Poland may ultimately decide against any asylum application, in the meantime, the migrant will have been provided with decent living conditions. Furthermore, the cost of any deportation would then fall on Poland.
As Interia learned, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs fears a situation in which Germany will fully exploit the procedures for readmitting migrants. As a result, Berlin will be able to send up to 40 thousand migrants to the Vistula. If this happens, Poland will have to accept them.
Germany may also return illegal migrants who had their applications rejected but were originally in Poland. This falls under a bilateral, Polish-German agreement that already exists.
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Speaker Mike Johnson Says Up to 4.5M Migrants Will be ‘First Priority’ for Mass Deportation
Should former President Donald Trump win back the White House, as many as 4.5 million migrants who entered the US illegally will be a “first priority” for deportation, House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Post in an exclusive interview.
Trump, 78, has already floated the removal of “nearly 20 million” migrants if he becomes the 47th president — and his closest ally in the House sees an opportunity to fast-track the removal of the most dangerous of the lot.
“There’s about 4.5 million who would be the first priority for that, people who’ve already committed crimes,” Johnson (R-La.) said Thursday. “They’re in the system now [for] shoplifting, or whatever it is … or [having] done things that are untoward or unlawful.”
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Suspected Tren De Aragua Gang Members Caught After Fleeing Brutal Stamford Murder Scene
Two alleged members of Tren de Aragua were caught while on the run with two young kids after they allegedly murdered a man inside a Stamford, Connecticut, hotel room, cops say.
The Venezuelan migrants were arrested in Rensselaer, New York, as they were on the run for allegedly murdering and robbing a 59-year-old man in Connecticut.
Police in Rensselaer, New York, arrested Gregory Marlyn Galindez-Trias, 24, and Moises Alejandro Condollo-Urbaneja, 22, Wednesday as the two were trying to use a stolen credit card at an Amtrak station while accompanied by their children, ages 1 and 3, according to authorities.
Just 150 miles away and two days earlier, Trias and Urbaneja allegedly fatally shot Angel Samaniego in the chest at a Super 8 Hotel in Stamford and made off with the victim’s car, according to the Stamford Advocate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Tiny Midwestern Town Where ‘Explosion’ of Haitian Migrants is Overwhelming Schools
Angry residents of a remote Indiana city complain of being deluged by migrants from Haiti and elsewhere, putting a strain on schools, hospitals, and other social services.
Locals of Logansport, a city of 18,000 in the center of the state, say students are being muscled out of public schools by an influx of thousands of foreign newcomers.
They say the migrants came for jobs at a local meat-packing plant, but that their kids can’t speak English and suck up the attention of teachers, dragging down standards.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
All America’s Problems Are Leftist Problems
The problem with solving problems is that once they are solved, no one needs the solver anymore. The better kinds of problems are recurring problems that ensure customer retention, employing plumbers, locksmiths and police officers, but the best kind are the completely unsolvable problems.
And those are the only kinds of problems that the Left wants to solve.
Given enough human ingenuity and technological development, most problems can concievably be addressed and that is why the Left has to contrive to make them unsolvable by either causing the problem (homelessness), defining it in such a way that it is inherently unsolvable (equity), defining the inappropriate problem while obscuring the actual problem (gun violence) or inventing fake problems (global warming) that can never be solved because they don’t exist in the first place.
Why create unsolvable problems? They’re a virtually infinite source of money and power.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Author With $249K Book Deal Claims She’s Choctaw-Cherokee — Native American Group Alleges Otherwise
An author who identifies as Native American has been called out by a research group who claim she has “no genealogical connection” to any indigenous tribe.
Seattle-based Colby Wilkens, 31, claims she is a “white/Native and queer” writer of Choctaw and Cherokee descent on her website.
Her recently published debut “If I Stopped Haunting You” — part of a three-book deal for “sizzling” adventure-romance novels valued at as much as $249,000 — features an indigenous character who flirts with a female Native American writer at a haunted Scottish castle. Her next book is about hunting for lost Cherokee gold.
However, non-profit organization the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF) claims Wilkens has no links to any indigenous peoples based upon research by their genealogists into her family line, poring over documents of her ancestors going back ten generations.
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Polish Water Park Has a Kids-Free Day, and Some People Aren’t Happy
Numerous online portals fuel hatred towards moms and spread the image of motherhood as “a series of torments,” according to the Do Rzeczy news portal. One recent promotion at a water park gained cheers from many, while rustling others’ feathers.
Claiming that portals such as Onet, Wysokie Obcasy and eDziecko regularly publish texts showing suffering mothers and promoting getting a dog instead of having children, Do Rzeczy felt a kids-free day at one park fell into this category of propaganda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WHO Chief Doubles Down on Free Speech Crackdown
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus used the UN agency’s Summit 2024 to launch into yet another tirade against online “misinformation/disinformation.”
The WHO’s contribution against that threat, Tedros said, was countering it by “working” with a number of companies and other partners.
In his speech, the WHO chief repeated the many-times heard accusations against social media as “turbo-charging” the spread of misinformation which then added to people’s skepticism toward vaccines and some other medical treatments.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |