According to statistics from the Italian interior ministry, 1,141 Italian women were raped by foreigners between 2018 and 2023. Meanwhile, a young woman was gang-raped by several North African migrants in the northern Italian city of Turin.
In other news, a Kremlin spokesperson said that German arms factories in Ukraine are legitimate military targets for the Russian army.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Hugh, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, 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.
Assassination Tool: Fitness App Strava Exposes Location of Donald Trump, Other World Leaders
An investigation by French newspaper Le Monde has revealed that the confidential movements of former President Donald Trump, a target of multiple assassination attempts, as well as other world leaders can be easily tracked online through the fitness app Strava, which is used by multiple Secret Service members along with other protective details worldwide.
AP News reports that the French newspaper Le Monde has uncovered a significant security vulnerability that allows the confidential movements of world leaders, including former President Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and other prominent figures like French President Emmanuel Macron, to be easily tracked online. The investigation found that some of the security personnel tasked with protecting these high-profile individuals use the popular fitness app Strava, which records and shares their workouts with a global community.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bannon in Return to ‘War Room’: ‘Empowered’ by Prison Sentence, Urges Americans Get Out, Vote Trump
Former key Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon made a dramatic return to his prominent podcast, War Room, on Tuesday after being released from federal prison earlier this morning.
He urged his listeners to vote and said even though the polls may show Trump with a slight advantage, it would all depend on turn out.
“It is flat out get out the vote,” Bannon said.
Rather than silence him, he said his prison term restored him.
“The four months in federal prison… empowered me!” He said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Chinese Communist Party saw Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as a prime “target” for its influence operations in the US, according to internal Department of Homeland Security communications shared the same day that Vice President Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate.
“You all have no idea how this feeds into what prc [the People’s Republic of China] has been doing here with him and local gov,” a DHS official wrote Aug. 6 on an internal “Nation State Threat — National Functional Team” chat, which a whistleblower recently disclosed to a congressional committee.
“It’s seriously a line of the intel,” the official added with alarm. “Target someone who is perceived they can get to DC.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ultra-liberal Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s decision to help free the Menedez brothers has contributed to serious uproar in his office.
Colleagues claim the move is self-serving, with him interfering in a huge case to raise his profile as he battles to hang on to his position in a November election.
“In the office there’s no support for Gascón,” a knowledgeable DA’s office source told The Post.
“Ninety percent of the people in the office think he should be recalled. Everything he does is viewed as either political or self-motivated to further his progressive agenda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Delta Airlines Plane Aborts Takeoff After Smoke Billows From Engine: ‘It’s on Fire!’
A Delta Airlines plane had to abort takeoff on Monday after smoke was seen billowing out of its engines as it accelerated on a runway in Las Vegas.
Delta Airlines flight DL777 was delayed for several hours at Harry Reid International Airport on Monday morning after the Atlanta-bound flight was denied takeoff due to engine issues, according to flight-tracker data.
“Looks like it’s coming out of the engine…it’s on fire,” one onlooker remarks as smoke billows from the plane, according to the video clip obtained by Storyful.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Philadelphia man was charged with threatening to kill and “skin alive” a woman who was recruiting poll watchers on social media. If he’s convicted, John Pollard will face 5 years in prison. Pollard made the threats when responding to a social media post made by a woman who was seeking poll watchers. In her ask, she had shared her email and phone number. The woman Pollard threatened was a Trump supporter and Pollard is a Democrat.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request has revealed that former New York City Democratic officials specifically targeted Jewish schools with citations and inspections during onerous COVID restrictions of 2020. After 4 years, a FOIL request filed by The Post Millennial finally was returned and revealed that the New York City Sheriff’s Office specifically targeted Jewish schools in Brooklyn in the fall of 2020 with inspections and citations.
Deputies Jackman and Decrescenzo were dispatched on Oct 14, 2020, to investigate if 17 Jewish schools in Orthodox areas of Brooklyn, including Midwood, Borough Park, and Bensonhurst were operating during a new round of COVID lockdowns specifically targeting Jewish communities.
Six of the 17 private religious institutions were found to be operating. However, no non-Jewish private or charter schools in the area were listed as having been inspected or cited.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
George Soros Missing in Action as ‘Soros DA’ George Gascon’s Reelection Bid Flounders
Even George Soros appears to be finished with Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon.
The billionaire Democratic donor who helped sweep Mr. Gascon into office in 2020 is nowhere to be found as the soft-on-crime prosecutor lurches toward defeat in his bid for a second term.
The Soros-funded California Justice & Public Safety PAC has spent zero dollars on Mr. Gascon’s reelection bid, according to the latest campaign finance filings, even though a poll released earlier this month found the incumbent trailing challenger Nate Hochman by a whopping 30 percentage points.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Homeless Man Admits to Torching Mailbox, Destroying Ballots in Phoenix
A homeles Phoenix man was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly set fire to a US Postal Service collection box that contained numerous election ballots. 35-year-old Dieter Klofkorn was charged with one count of arson and booked into Maricopa County jail. He later confessed to the crime.
The Phoenix Fire Department contacted police shortly after 1 am on Thursday after they responded to a fire at a USPS collection box on Seventh Avenue, a press release stated.
While working on leads in the case, investigators were led to possible suspect Klofkorn. He was arrested on an outstanding and unrelated warrant. While in custody, he admitted to the arson. “Klofkorn stated that he committed the arson because he wanted to be arrested and that his actions were not politically motivated and not related to anything involving the upcoming election,” the press release stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian Security Expert on Ukraine: Everything Depends on Who Wins on Nov. 5
According to security policy expert and economist György Nógradi, the situation in Ukraine greatly depends on who becomes the U.S. president on Nov. 5. Speaking on HirTV’s “Haború Ukrajnanak” program, Nógradi, who teaches at the Department of Defense Economics of Corvinus University in Budapest, discussed current reports on the war in Ukraine.
Nógradi said that the key is Nov. 5, the U.S. presidential election. If Trump wins, in his opinion, peace negotiations will start immediately, but if Kamala Harris wins, people should be prepared for something “completely different.”
Commenting further on the election, he said that in contrast to Harris, a significant part of industry, including tech companies, large aircraft parts companies, airplane manufacturing companies, and car manufacturers have lined up behind Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
James Comey Instructed the FBI to Infiltrate 2016 Trump Campaign With ‘Honeypots’: Whistleblower
A protected whistleblower disclosure sent to the House Judiciary Committee has revealed that the FBI began targeting Donald Trump in June of 2015, shortly after he announced his presidential run, in an off-the-books investigation ordered by then-FBI Director James Comey.
The disclosure, reviewed by the Washington Times, stated that two undercover FBIagents were directed to act as “honeypots” and infiltrated the high levels of Trump’s 2016 campaign. The undercover agents traveled with Trump and his campaign staff.
The agent “personally knew” that Comey had ordered the investigation against Trump and that Comey had “personally directed it.” The operation did not appear to target a specific crime, the Times reported, but rather was what agents described as a fishing expedition to find incriminating evidence on Trump.
The disclosure stated that the investigation “had no predicated foundation, so Mr. Comey personally directed the investigation without creating an official case file in Sentinel or any other FBI system.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
JD Vance Slams the Surveillance State, Government Backdoors
During an appearance on the Tim Dillon podcast, Senator and Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance shared his views on the expanding influence of government surveillance, expressing deep concern over its implications for American democracy. During the hour-long conversation, Vance addressed various issues, including his stance on the intelligence community, Big Tech’s role in censorship, and the Patriot Act’s lingering effects on American privacy and security.
Vance argued that many in government prioritize the survival and growth of intelligence agencies over addressing the everyday issues Americans face, such as inflation and housing. In a pointed critique, he sarcastically stated, “I recognize that the biggest crisis facing my fellow Americans is not that they can’t afford groceries or housing, but that a CIA bureaucrat making $190,000 a year might have to find a job in the private sector.” He went on to emphasize that the increasing prioritization of surveillance infrastructure overshadows crucial American values, adding, “It’s really you know, a win-win…Kamala Harris’s defense…she’s made it harder for Americans to afford housing but that’s been in the service so the CIA can more easily spy on our fellow Americans.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Joe Biden Calls Trump Supporters ‘GARBAGE’ in Shock Moment as Harris Calls for Unity at DC Rally
President Joe Biden overshadowed his vice president Kamala Harris’ ‘closing’ campaign plea by calling Donald Trump’s supporters ‘garbage’ in an astonishing outburst.
The 81-year-old commander-in-chief’s bombshell gaffe evoked memories of Hillary Clinton describing Trump voters as ‘deplorables’ in 2016, which contributed to her loss.
It also came as Harris was hoping to capture the nation’s full attention with a carefully planned rally in front of the White House for 75,000 Democrats.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Joe Rogan Shoots Down Kamala Harris Podcast Interview Over Campaign’s Demands
Joe Rogan says he has shot down a podcast interview with Vice President Kamala Harris after her campaign made several demands — but insisted he hopes it can still happen.
The mega-popular podcaster said the Democratic presidential nominee’s team had wanted him to travel to her and for their chat to last for only an hour.
“They offered a date for Tuesday, but I would have had to travel to her and they only wanted to do an hour. I strongly feel the best way to do it is in the studio in Austin,” Rogan said in a statement on X, adding that the Harris campaign “has not passed on doing the podcast.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kamala Supporter Outlines ‘Survival Guide’ if Trump Wins
Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Modernity.news
A Kamala Harris supporter provided a survival guide for leftists if Donald Trump wins the presidency, suggesting that Democrats would be rounded up and put in camps by a fascist government if they don’t keep quiet about politics.
The leftist suggested that if Trump wins, “MAGAheads” will proceed to engage in violent attacks against Americans who voted for Harris, despite the fact that this didn’t happen in 2016 and it was in fact leftists who reacted by engaging in violent riots.
“Keep your mouths shut,” asserted the leftist, advising that Democrats should hide the fact that they know anyone who is transgender, an immigrant or “left-leaning” in general.
“Anyone you don’t know that tries to talk about politics around you, you shut that shit down immediately because that is fishing for information and people they can report,” he added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Stabbed Repeatedly in Face After Refusing to Give Attacker a Smoke in Jamaica: NYPD
Police from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica are looking for a suspect who savagely stabbed a 43-year-old man who refused to give him a cigarette in broad daylight last week.
The victim was sitting in his car in the vicinity of Lowe Court and 148th Street after dropping off a relative in Jamaica just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, when the man grew agitated after his request was ignored. The assailant pulled out a knife, leaned through the driver’s side window, and stabbed the victim multiple times in his face and body, police said Monday.
A good Samaritan intervened and chased the suspect away. He was last seen walking eastbound on Lowe Court toward 149th Street. The victim was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center by private means, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The man who was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for attacking the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hammer in their California home was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole following a separate state trial.
A San Francisco jury in June found David DePape guilty of charges including aggravated kidnapping, first-degree burglary and false imprisonment of an elder.
Before issuing the sentence, Judge Harry Dorfman dismissed arguments from DePape’s attorneys that he be granted a new trial for the 2022 attack against Paul Pelosi, who was 82 years old at the time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Michael Bloomberg Becomes 2nd Largest Harris Donor Behind George Soros: Report
Former New York City mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg became the second-largest individual donor to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign after George Soros, following a reported $50 million donation to the main super PAC funding the vice president’s campaign.
Bloomberg donated nearly $20 million over the summer to support President Biden’s re-election campaign, but he conspicuously held out any donations to Harris after she replaced Biden on the Democratic Party’s ticket. However, amid pressure from fellow billionaires, Bloomberg did finally cut a check to support Harris, according to The New York Times, which reportedly spoke with four people who are familiar with the donation.
The $50 million went to Future Forward USA Action, the main dark money super PAC that is supporting Harris. Prior to Harris taking over the ticket, Future Forward was the main political action committee supporting Biden.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Musk Denies Allegations He Worked Illegally in America
Authored by Stephen Katte via The Epoch Times
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has denied allegations that he worked illegally in the United States in the early days of his career.
An Oct. 27 report from The Washington Post alleges that Musk began his career working illegally in the U.S. for a period in 1995 while he was building a Silicon Valley startup, Zip2, which sold for about $300 million four years later.
The outlet cited company documents, former business associates, and a past CEO of the company who said investors were worried that Musk could be deported if discovered.
In a series of posts on social media, Musk denied the allegations.
Responding to a video of President Joe Biden referencing the Post’s claims, Musk said he had authorization to work in the United States.
“I was in fact allowed to work in the U.S.,” Musk said in the Oct. 27 post.
In another post, he provided more details about his immigration status. Musk says he was initially on a J-1 visa for international students to pursue academic training or research, then transitioned to an H1-B visa allowing temporary employment for specialty occupations.
“I was on a J-1 visa that transitioned to an H1-B. They know this, as they have all my records,” Musk said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York Times Leverages Pro-Censorship Group to Pressure YouTube Against Political Commentators
On Monday, the New York Times reached out to mostly conservative figures Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson, and up to 30 others, seeking their input for an article examining the political discourse surrounding the upcoming elections on YouTube. The request, as detailed by the commentators on the social media platform X, cited an analysis by Media Matters for America, a left-leaning activist group known for its online censorship pressure.
A snippet from the Times’ message to both pundits read:
“I wanted to give you an opportunity to comment on an upcoming article that takes a look at how political commentators have discussed the upcoming elections on YouTube. We rely on an analysis conducted by researchers at Media Matters for America.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oregon Voters Warned Against Using Marcola Mailboxes to Send Ballots After Key Stolen From USPS
On Monday, election officials in Lane County, Oregon informed the public not to use two United States Postal Service (USPS) mailboxes in Marcola to drop mail-in ballots after it was discovered that a key used to open the mailboxes was stolen during a break-in at the city’s post office overnight.
The USPS mailboxes are located in front of the Marcola post office and at the end of Mohawk River Road. Election officials urged voters to use official ballot drop boxes instead. The news comes after incendiary devices were set off earlier in the day at two ballot drop boxes, one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington, destroying hundreds of ballots.
Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson said, “Although this does not appear to be related to the election, we are being cautious and asking voters in Marcola not to return their ballots using these mailboxes. Instead, they can use the official ballot drop box at Mohawk Marketplace on the way into town,” Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson said in a statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A 74-year-old Pennsylvania resident was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill former President Donald Trump a day before his Penn State rally, declaring: “I’d like to shoot that guy.”
Paul J. Gavenonis — who uses she/her pronouns, according to the Centre County Public Defender’s Office — was nabbed after she was overheard making the alleged threats while trying to buy a parking pass at the university’s transportation office last Friday, the Lexington Herald Leader reported.
“I hate Donald Trump. I’d like to shoot that guy,” Gavenonis allegedly said after making a gun-racking motion with her hand.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SCOTUS Rejects Emergency Push to Remove RFK Jr. From Ballot in Two Swing States
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an emergency appeal to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the presidential ballot in two battleground states.
Kennedy wanted to get off the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan after dropping his independent bid and endorsing Republican Donald Trump in the tight contest. He argued that keeping him on violated his First Amendment rights.
Michigan and Wisconsin said removing his name now, with early voting underway days before the election, would be impossible.
The justices did not detail their reason in rejecting the emergency appeal. Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented in the Michigan case.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump-Supporting Jews Slam MSNBC’s MSG Rally Nazi Comparisons as ‘Propaganda’
Jewish Republicans are denouncing MSNBC for comparing former President Donald Trump’s historic Big Apple rally to a Nazi event, mocking the left-wing network for its hysteria and posting pictures of themselves at the campaign gathering.
More than 20,000 Trump supporters packed Madison Square Garden Sunday night for a marathon rally featuring MAGA luminaries and capped off with a rousing and bombastic speech by the former president.
Many Jews were also in attendance, who have been taking to X to voice their outrage and rip the network for its careless comparison.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Truth Social Parent Company Trump Media Now Worth More Than Elon Musk’s X as Election Day Nears
Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates the social media network Truth Social, now trumps the estimated value of Elon Musk’s X as Election Day looms.
Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) is now valued at over $10 billion after its shares more than quadrupled since late September.
Meanwhile, X Holdings, which was taken private two years ago, is valued at around $9.4 billion, based on the most recent value the investment group Fidelity assigned to its stake in the company.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
White House Security Advisor’s “Information Czar” Idea Triggers Free Speech Concerns
Amid escalating assertions over foreign influence in US elections, the White House is exploring a controversial proposal that some warn could threaten free speech and open debate. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently confirmed that the administration has been “grappling with and thinking about” the potential creation of an “information czar,” sparking concern over the government’s expanding role in controlling narratives under the guise of national security.
Speaking at the National War College, Sullivan responded to a question about the potential for a centralized figure to oversee and counter foreign disinformation efforts by suggesting that while the idea has been under consideration, it could raise issues in a free society. “Questions around information operations, around public diplomacy, around the voice that America uses to speak to the world, bleed over into questions of propaganda or politics,” he said, implicitly acknowledging that such a role could have far-reaching consequences on public discourse.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
X CEO, Elon Musk Say Biden-Harris FTC is ‘Targeting’ Platform for ‘Political Reasons’
Elon Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino slammed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for allegedly targeting the tech giant “for political reasons” after a House Judiciary report revealed that commissioners “weaponized” the agency against Elon Musk and his social media platform.
In response to the bombshell report, Yaccarino wrote on X, “The FTC Commissioners clearly targeted our company for political reasons. To say this is troubling is an understatement. We’ve worked in good faith for years with the FTC and thought they had been as well. We need answers immediately.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s Trudeau Facing Revolt From Within as Popular Conservative Leader Looks to Capitalize
Justin Trudeau is up against perhaps his toughest challenge yet as the Canadian prime minister is facing mounting calls for his resignation.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, would be the obvious candidate to replace Trudeau if his party can win the next general election, not slated until October 2025. A year out from the election, a CBC News poll finds that the Conservative Party holds a 20-point lead over Trudeau’s Liberals, dropping to a new low.
Poilievre, appealing to both traditional conservatives and the more populist elements of society, is looking to capitalize on Canada’s post-pandemic social and economic issues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Opposition Party Says it Wants to Topple Trudeau’s Government in Parliament
MONT-TREMBLANT, Quebec (AP) — A Quebec nationalist party said Tuesday it will work with other opposition parties in Canada’s Parliament to topple Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’ s minority government.
Trudeau’s Liberals have only 153 seats in the 338-seat House of Commons and must rely on an opposition party to pass legislation. With the parliamentary election approaching and Trudeau hoping for a fourth term, his party has been trailing the Conservatives in polls with Canadians feeling frustrated by the rising cost of living, coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Trudeau’s “days are numbered” after the Liberals failed to meet his demand to boost old age security payments for seniors. However, the party will need the leftist New Democratic Party and the Conservatives — who are eager to force an election — to take down Trudeau’s Liberals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Investigating After Explosion at Grimsby, Ont., School Injures Staff Member
Police in Niagara Region say they’re investigating an explosion at a school that injured a female staff member.
Investigators say they were called to Central French Immersion Public School in Grimsby around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and found there was an explosion in an outdoor garbage bin area.
The Niagara Regional Police Service says the explosion happened as a school staff member accessed the garbage bin.
They say the staff member suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital.
Police say the school was placed under a “lock and learn,” while nearby residents were asked to shelter in place.
A police explosives unit has been called to the scene and several roads in the area are closed to traffic.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
“Russia Knows That Information is a Weapon”: An Interview With Alberto Rojas
Alberto Rojas is a historian, photographer, and journalist. A reporter in the international section of the newspaper El Mundo since 2011, Rojas has specialised in Africa and global armed conflicts. Since April 2022, he has covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine and narrated his experiences in Vivir la guerra (Living the war), published on 17 October.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In February of this year, the sister of 30-year-old Amandj S. entered his apartment was greeted by a powerful stench. What she found was shocking: the body of a woman who had been lying in a bathtub full of water for weeks.
Investigators descended on Amandj S.’s apartment just a day later in Cologne and found the body of 31-year-old Jennifer K, who the suspect had only met four weeks earlier. Investigators believe the mother of a 1-year-old boy was stabbed on Jan. 1, 2024, a shocking 135 times. In addition, her body was covered by lacerations and bruises, indicating she had met an incredibly violent end.
Although the name Amandj is not a German name, it is unclear what country the man may have come from. However, there is no indication he does not have German citizenship. Many foreigners who have obtained German citizenship have committed crimes in Germany, at which point their crime is only listed as having been committed by a German and not a foreigner.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After Polish Retail Sales Disappoint, Eyes on October
Poland needs solid retail sales for its economy to recover, and the September figures are a serious cause for concern, reads a report from Citi Handlowy. If the numbers for October also disappoint, it says the macroeconomic scenario for 2025 will have to be reconsidered.
“The real test will be the publication of October data, for which we have to wait another four weeks. Looking at the sales performance in previous years, usually after very poor results there are results better than expected (negative autocorrelation). If this is the case, the September data will go down in history as a source of great, but only short-term fear. If October brings disappointment, it will give grounds to rethink the scenarios for 2025,” wrote Citi Handlowy economists.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
As 13 EU Nations Criticise Orban’s ‘Premature’ Georgia Visit, Austria Gears Up to Host Hungarian PM
A coalition of European Union member states have criticised Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his “premature” visit to Georgia two days after a disputed election there.
That came as Austria prepared for Orban’s arrival on October 31, underlining the divided position of member states on the Hungarian PM.
A joint statement posted by Germany’s foreign ministry on October 28 saw 13 member states — including France, Poland and the Netherlands — asserted that Orban did not represent the EU’s stance on international election standards.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Another Flemish Commune Breaks ‘Cordon Sanitaire’, Far-Right Enters Government
A local list in the Flemish municipality Izegem has entered into government with the far-right party Vlaams Belang. It is the second commune to breach the cordon sanitaire following local elections on Sunday 13 October.
The cordon sanitaire is an agreement between Belgian political parties not to enter into government with the far-right. The rule was introduced in 1989 following the far-right party Vlaams Blok’s (Vlaams Belang’s predecessor) electoral success on Black Sunday in 1982.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Buyer’s Remorse: UK PM Starmer Takes Biggest Ever Post-Election Approval Dive
In power for just 115 days, Sir Keir Starmer’s approval rating among a deeply pessimistic public has taken a historic nose dive, collapsing a record 49 points since post-election polling.
The left-wing leader of the UK Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer, who swept to power in July on the lowest popular vote count seen in a British election in almost a century but nevertheless beating the rock-bottom Conservatives, has seen a record-breaking collapse in public confidence in his first months in power. Shortly after the election Starmer’s net approval hit as high as +11 — showing slightly more Britons approved of him than disapproved — but it has now collapsed an enormous 49 points to —38 approval.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EC Chief Von Der Leyen Seoul-Searches After 10k North Korean Troops Confirmed in Russia
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pushed for a tighter defence relationship with the Republic of Korea.
Her call came after it was revealed that 10,000 troops from the Communist-controlled north were now situated on the Russian side of the Ukraine border.
The US has claimed that the 10,000 soldiers deployed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) would be pitched against Ukrainian troops within a matter of weeks, prompting condemnation from across the Western world.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Adopts Extra Tariffs of Up to 35.3% on China-Made Electric Cars
The European Commission on Tuesday (29 October) confirmed tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese-made electric cars, wrapping up a consultation period launched in October last year to establish whether Beijing’s subsidies had undercut European competition.
The duties are on top of the current 10% duty on imports of electric vehicles from China. The decision will become law once it is published in the EU’s official journal on Wednesday and will then come into force on Thursday.
A senior Commission official told reporters in Brussels that persisting “broad disagreements over each and every fact” and “legal argument” around the original issue of subsidies — and how these were characterised — motivated Tuesday’s decision.
The official also said the move was aimed at “sav[ing] the European car industry” against how “Chinese imports have developed in the most recent period.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU iPhones to Lack Essential Features Until Next April Amid the Bloc’s Regulation Issues
Apple has confirmed it will not roll out essential features of its latest series of iPhones in the European Union until April 2025.
The announcement from the California-based tech giant came as it launched its new suite of Apple Intelligence tools for iPhone in the US on October 28. The AI-powered programmes have been billed as a key selling point of the iPhone 16.
In the press release, the company stated the tools would not be available in the EU or on iPhones linked to users from the EU until next April.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French RN Chief Bardella Cries ‘Censorship’ as Train Network Sncf Bans His Book Ads
France’s National Rally (RN) president Jordan Bardella has claimed he is the target of “censorship” after adverts for his new book, Ce que je cherche (What I’m looking for’), were barred from display in French train stations and subways.
MediaTransports, the advertising agency that represents the railway network SNCF — France’s national state-owned railway company — confirmed on October 28 that the ads would not run, citing principles of neutrality as required by public service regulations.
Following the decision, Bardella alleged that pressure from far-left trade unions was behind the cancellation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Minister for Foreign Trade to Challenge China Over ‘Political’ Cognac Duties
France will challenge China over its import duties on brandy, which Paris calls political and unjustified, when junior trade minister Sophie Primas visits Shanghai next week, two French diplomatic sources said on October 29.
China imposed temporary anti-dumping measures on brandy from the European Union early this month after the bloc voted for tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs).
The measures have hit French cognac hardest.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Car Industry Chief Warns One-in-Four Jobs at Risk in Next Decade
Volkswagen’s recent shock announcement to cut tens of thousands of jobs, in concert with wage restrictions, was not an isolated event but part of a much bigger crisis, according to Hildegard Müller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry.
While politicians have said jobs needed to be preserved, Müller has warned that 190,000 roles in Germany’s car industry alone were at stake over the coming decade, citing a soon-to-be-published study by her own organisation.
She said this on October 28 during the Hart aber Fair (Tough but Fair) show on public broadcaster ARD.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Home is the New Prison: UK’s High-Tech Digital Prison Plans Should Spark Privacy Fears for Everyone
That pandemic is over — but UK’s authorities appear very keen to launch another one, this time political, where various government departments seem to be lining up proposals aimed at keeping as many people as possible at home.
And those ministers look very optimistic about the surveillance capabilities of various wearables, all the way to enabling “virtual prisons” to function (this time for actual criminals, not the general population caught up in lockdown measures.)
Those in charge of healthcare would like people to basically take primary care of their own health whenever possible, and are ready to hand out wearable devices for patients to monitor anything from blood sugar to cancer recovery at home; and now Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering “virtual prisons.”
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Media Bias: German Journalists Overwhelmingly Support Left-Wing Parties, University Study Finds
A new study by the Technical University of Dortmund has found that nearly two-thirds of German journalists show political preferences leaning toward left-green parties, confirming what critics have claimed about an ideological bias within the mainstream media.
The study, conducted with 525 journalists between March and June 2024, reveals that 63 percent of respondents support the Greens, the Social Democrats (SPD), or the Left Party.
Of those with a political leaning, 41 percent back the Greens alone — a figure nearly four times higher than the party’s general support among the German population.
When isolating only journalists who expressed a party preference (77 percent of respondents), the alignment with left-green parties rose to 82 percent, highlighting an overwhelming skew in favor of liberal parties.
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Orban: When Conservatives Win, Democracy is Questioned
“When liberals win, democracy is upheld; when conservatives win, democracy is questioned,” Hungarian conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban quipped at his meeting with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi on Tuesday, October 29th.
The Hungarian PM’s visit was a show of solidarity with a country that is being vilified by Brussels and the globalist Western elites for not adhering to “EU values.”
The conservative Georgian Dream party won its fourth consecutive parliamentary elections on Saturday with a landslide. Though international observers did not call the elections fraudulent, the EU’s liberal leaders have demanded that Georgian authorities “seriously clarify and address” alleged irregularities, and have threatened the country with derailing its path to EU membership.
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Polish Radio Station U-Turns on AI Journalists Replacing Live Presenters
Publicly owned Off Radio Kraków has stopped using AI journalists in place of human presenters after protests from reporters and the State media regulator.
Off Radio Krakow relaunched one of its channels on October 21 in a new format almost entirely featuring artificial intelligence technology, including “virtual” presenters.
Staff who previously worked on the channel criticised the move but the station’s manager Marcin Pullit said that their contracts would have had to be terminated regardless of the AI-programme decision because the channel had failed to attract enough listeners and did not have the funds to pay workers.
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Populist French Leader Bardella Praises Trump’s ‘Patriotism’ and for Putting American People First
The president of France’s populist National Rally party expressed his support for former President Donald Trump, praising the Republican candidate for his devotion to “patriotism” and his commitment to putting his country’s people first.
Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old political rockstar who serves as Marine Le Pen’s deputy and the president of her National Rally party, joined the growing number of European politicians backing Donald Trump.
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Spain: Valencia Lawfare: Vox Calls Out ‘Ideological Persecution’
Valencia City Council is currently embroiled in a heated dispute centred around accusations of ideological persecution, as council members from the right-wing VOX party face a series of hate crime investigations and legal battles prompted by remarks made on social media.
Speaking to The European Conservative, Juan Manuel Badenas, a VOX council member and spokesperson, provided details of the escalating conflict, which he describes as an ideological campaign targeting his party.
The controversy began in May when a councilwoman from the far-left group Compromis filed a hate crime complaint against VOX councilwoman Cecilia Herrero. This complaint stemmed from a social media exchange between Herrero and a former Podemos deputy, who had originally entered Spain illegally. The former deputy, who once served in the Madrid assembly, had made inflammatory comments on social media inciting a “war” against the Spanish police.
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Sweden Ganged up on by Nordic Council Neighbours Over Criminality Spillover
The spillover of Swedish gang criminality to neighbouring countries was met with thinly veiled criticism at the 2024 Nordic Council in Reykjavik on Tuesday (29 October).
The prime ministers of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland met in the Icelandic capital for a meeting of the regional cooperative body on ‘Peace and Security in the Arctic’ — though the topic of Swedish organised crime unexpectedly featured prominently during discussions.
“We have focused on deepening our co-operation to combat cross-border organised crime”, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (Moderates, EPP) said at the press conference with his Nordic counterparts.
The subject of organised crime the region is back in the spotlight after Swedish gangs expanded their operations to neighbouring Denmark, Norway and Finland, where their particularly violent methods are worrying authorities.
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Swedish MEP Wants Anyone Applying for Citizenship to Recognise Israel
Whoever applies for Swedish citizenship must recognise Israel’s right to exist, wrote Swedish MEP Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Christian Democrats, EPP) in a blog post on Monday.
In an entry on her blog entitled ‘No left-wing Nazis on our streets’’, Christian Democrat MEP Alice Teodorescu Måwe called for stricter requirements for Swedish citizenship in response to the rise of anti-Semitic slogans at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
“To obtain Swedish citizenship at all, it should be required […] that the person who wants to become a Swedish citizen also recognises the right of the state of Israel to exist.”, she wrote.
Newcomers should also “embrace the Judeo-Christian values on which Swedish democracy is based”, she added, noting that non-citizens who incite violence and threaten the Jewish minority should be deported immediately.
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‘Tax the Rich’: French MPs Approve Billionaire Levy
French MPs have approved a leftist-backed amendment to increase tax on billionaires as part of the country’s budget proposal.
The so-called “Zucman Tax”, agreed on on October 25, targets the wealthiest in France, imposing a 2 per cent levy on personal assets over €1 billion — a threshold that would impact just the country’s ultra-rich elite.
The levy is named after economist Gabriel Zucman, an advocate for taxing the wealthy.
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UK Government Admits Thousands of Citizens Left ‘Permanently Disabled’ by COVID ‘Vaccines’
In a damning admission, the UK government has admitted that thousands of British citizens have been left “permanently disabled” by Covid “vaccines.”
The UK’s Department of Health has revealed that the government is seeing an influx of people being diagnosed with life-altering vaccine-induced injuries.
Thousands of citizens have now applied for compensation from the government after being left with disabilities from the “vaccines.”
British Health Secretary Wes Streeting is reportedly considering plans to establish a program for those suffering from devastating conditions that were caused by the Covid injections.
In the UK, many citizens were forced to get vaccinated in order to partake in regular society, with many facing losing their jobs for failing to comply.
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UK: Extinction Rebellion Blockade Gherkin as More Insurance Firms Targeted
Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters have occupied The Gherkin in its latest round of insurance-related protests.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, today (29 October 2024), XR said it had created a “blockade in the heart of London’s insurance district” to protest insurance firms insuring new fossil fuel projects.
Video footage shows protesters inside the lobby of The Gherkin, which is where Swiss Re is based, while police are on the scene as well.
In the video, a protester can be heard saying: “We’re in London at The Gherkin building outside the offices of Swiss Re and we are here because we need to stop the fossil fuel industry from creating more chaos with the climate.”
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UK: Southport Stabbing Suspect Charged With Terror Offence and Production of Poison
The teenager accused of the fatal stabbing of three girls at a dance class in Southport has been charged with production of a deadly poison and a terror offence, the chief constable of Merseyside Police has said.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court by videolink on Wednesday charged with production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism, although the attack has not been declared as a terrorist incident, police said.
The charges come after searches of his home in Banks, Lancashire, Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said at a press conference on Tuesday.
PDF file
The terror offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual, Ms Kennedy said.
Searches were carried out in the days following the attack, although it was not confirmed when the ricin was found.
According to the charges, the toxin was produced on or before July 29, and Rudakubana was charged with possessing the document between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.
Rudakubana is already charged with the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, who were fatally stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Hart Street, Southport, on July 29.
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UK: Study of 3.35 Million Links Surge in Severe Heart Disease to mRNA ‘Vaccines’
A major new study involving millions of vaccinated people has linked Covid mRNA “vaccines” to surges in cases of severe heart disease and related deaths.
The bombshell peer-reviewed study was conducted by a team of leading South Korean researchers in collaboration with the world-renowned Cambridge University in England.
The researchers analyzed the official government health data of 3,350,855 vaccinated South Korean citizens.
The data was obtained from South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS).
All of the subjects had received one dose of a Covid vaccine from February 2021 to March 2022.
The group was divided into two separate cohorts: Those who received an mRNA injection, and those who received a non-mRNA shot.
South Korea administered five types of COVID-19 vaccines: the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA shots, and the AstraZeneca, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) and Novavax non-mRNA shots.
The study found that acute heart disease is surging among those who received one dose of a Covid mRNA vaccine.
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Taylor Swift dance party mass knife attack suspect Axel Muganwa Rudakubana has been further charged with two new offences relating to materials allegedly found at his home after the Southport attack that left three young girls dead, including biological weapon ricin and an Al-Qaeda “training manual”.
18-year-old Axel Muganwa Rudakubana will appear by video link at Westminster Magistrate’s Court, facing fresh terrorism and bio-weapon charges in addition to those previously made against him for murder, attempted murder, and possession of a knife. Rudakubana was arrested in July shortly after a knifeman attacked a Taylor Swift-themed dance party in Southport, near Liverpool, where three young girls were killed and ten other people were stabbed.
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US Money Flows to Anti-Orban, Left-Liberal Hungarian News Outlets
The American Embassy in Hungary has once again invested heavily in the Hungarian — left-liberal — media. The 3rd Free Media tender was announced, with the aim once again to “protect and strengthen our freedom of the press.”
Last year, most of the national left-wing media received support from the first two tenders, but Magyar Hang, which calls itself “bourgeois,” also received money from U.S. taxpayers. David Pressman will say where this year’s 160 million forints (€395,000) will go, but notably, a new outlet, Kontroll, which is close to Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar, debuted just a few days ago.
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Israel Bans UNRWA Despite International Pressure
Israel has banned the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from operating in areas under Israeli control. The country’s parliament accused a dozen of UNRWA’s Gaza employees of involvement in the October 7, 2023 terror attack by Hamas, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Israeli civilians.
The two bills approving the ban received strong backing in parliament, with support from most of the opposition parties.
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Outrage as Iran Executes German-Iranian Dissident
Iran on Monday executed 69-year-old German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmahd after years in captivity, media in the Islamic Republic said, sparking outrage in Germany and beyond.
Berlin called the execution a “scandal” and warned of “serious consequences” for Iran’s “inhumane regime,” however Sharmahd’s daughter accused both Germany and the U.S. of “abandoning” her father.
Sharmahd, a German citizen of Iranian descent and a U.S. resident, was kidnapped by Iranian authorities in 2020 while travelling through the United Arab Emirates, according to his family. Iran, which does not recognise dual citizenship, announced his arrest after a “complex operation,” without specifying how, where or when he was seized.
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Four Saboteurs, Allegedly Including an American, Killed Trying to Infiltrate Russia: Kremlin
Russia is alleging that a group of foreign military saboteurs has been killed trying to breach and attack Russian territory with Western-supplied weapons.
The country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has presented what is calling clear evidence that the heavily armed infiltrators into Russia’s Bryansk region were foreign fighters, from nations including the United States, Canada, and Poland.
“FSB border guards, together with the units of Russia’s armed forces and the National Guard, thwarted an attempt to cross over the Russian state border in the Klimovsky district on Oct. 27,” the Russian law enforcement body stated.
It said there were four “eliminated saboteurs” who were not Ukrainian, and possessed explosive devices along with foreign equipment and weapons.
State news agencies on Monday and Tuesday widely shared footage showing a Canadian flag and a Polish-language prayer book which some of the armed men were carrying. These items were displayed next the body of one of the alleged saboteurs.
Graphic photos and footage also featured a close-up of a tattoo of angel wings on a deceased man’s arm. The FSB alleged this is evidence that he a member of the United States Army Rangers, as the tattoo featured a banner reading “Ranger” and “2d Bn”—an apparent reference to the 2nd Battalion of the US Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment.
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Kremlin Says German Arms Factories in Ukraine Are Legitimate Targets
Rheinmetall’s military facilities in Ukraine are a legitimate military target for Russia’s army, a Kremlin spokesperson warned Tuesday.
“Certainly it is,” Dmitry Peskov said when asked if the company’s vehicle maintenance plant in Ukraine was a legitimate target, the Russian news agency TASS reported.
Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest defense company, currently plans to have four facilities inside Ukraine, and is establishing ammunition, gunpowder, and air defense production lines inside the country in addition to the vehicle plant. The company has faced repeated Russian threats, and Western intelligence agencies foiled an assassination attempt against its CEO in July.
Kyiv has frequently called for Western weapons manufacturers to set up shop in Ukraine, arguing that the country needs a robust defense industrial base to make it more self-sufficient.
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Pro-Kyiv Saboteurs Blow Up Critical Bridge in Russia-Held Berdyansk: Report
A railway bridge in a Russian-occupied city in Ukraine has reportedly been sabotaged by Ukraine’s military intelligence and pro-Kyiv resistance.
A source from the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (GUR) told The Kyiv Independent on Monday that the bridge had been blown up in Berdiansk.
The bridge was reportedly between a Vodokanal utility company building and a car wash at Skhidnyi Avenue, the Ukrainian outlet reported. On Google maps, a building named Berdyanskvodokanal on Skhidnyi Avenue is next to a car wash called Atlantida. A railway line runs behind both buildings.
Images of the reported location, which the social media users said was part of the bridge targeted in the attack, were posted on X, formerly Twitter. It appears to be part of the bridge directly behind the car wash and utility building.
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Putin Announces Russian Nuclear Weapons Exercise
Russia has begun another exercise of its strategic nuclear arsenal on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday.
Putin followed the “strategic deterrence” drills by video link, the Kremlin said.
Military officials said the exercises featured submarines and missile-carrying bombers. An intercontinental ballistic missile was also test-launched.
Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said the forces “will practice delivering a massive nuclear strike in retaliation to an enemy nuclear strike,” according to the state-run TASS news agency.
Russia would not engage in a nuclear arms race, Putin said, but it would continue to perfect its strategic forces. Russia’s intercontinental missiles would be equipped to overcome countermeasures, he said.
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Russia is Experiencing Its ‘Fastest Economic Growth in the Last Decade’
Richard Connolly, a junior research fellow at the Royal Institute of Shared Services in London and an expert on the Russian economy, told CBS News that the number of small and medium-sized enterprises registered in Russia has reached an unprecedented level, writes Do Rzeczy.
In the wake of many Western companies leaving the country or suspending their operations due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they were quickly replaced by Russian versions. So, instead of Starbucks, they have Stars Coffee, instead of Zara, they have Maag, and instead of Coca-Cola, Dobry Cola. Back in April, Doby reported that its 2023 earnings were quadruplethe profits made in 2022.
Connolly says that sanctions have proven ineffective, essentially resulting in sanctions evasion becoming a sector in and of itself. This means that banned Western goods are still entering the country, with Russians able to purchase most of the products they were able to buy before the war. This includes cars such as Mercedes and Chrysler, which end up in Russia via third countries such as Georgia, Kazakhstan and China. Their price is higher because of the tortuous import route, but wealthy Russians can afford them.
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Russian Forces Make Swiftest Weekly Advance in Ukraine War This Year
According to a Russian media group, Moscow’s forces have taken 196.1 square km of Ukrainian territory over the week of October 20-27, making it the swiftest weekly advance for the forces this year.
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Georgia: Kremlin Rejects ‘Election Interference’ Charges as Tens of Thousands Take to Streets
Russia has blasted widespread allegations that it interfered in this past weekend’s parliamentary elections in Georgia. Instead, the Kremlin has turned the same accusation on the West.
“We strongly reject these accusations. There was no intervention. These accusations are completely unsubstantiated,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
“There are attempts to interfere, but not from Russia’s side,” Peskov emphasized. “A huge number of forces from European countries and various European institutions have tried to influence the outcome of the vote. No one was even hiding this, these were public statements.”
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Russian Special Forces Academy in Chechnya Hit by Drone Attack
A drone slammed into a building and campus in Chechnya known as the Russian Special Forces University in the early morning hours of Tuesday, regional governor Ramzan Kadyrov has confirmed.
“At 6:30 this morning, the roof of an empty building on the territory of the Russian Special Forces University caught fire in Gudermes as a result of an unmanned aerial attack,” Kadyrov said. The town which hosts the military school lies just over 20 miles east of the capital Grozny.
“No one was killed or injured. The fire has been extinguished,” Kadyrov detailed in the statement posted to Telegram. He claimed the attack didn’t lead to significant disruptions at the training academy. However, that seems doubtful given the photographs showing the extent of fires and damage to the roof in the aftermath. Images suggest more than one UAV may have hit.
The institution is known for being the only private campus for training Russian military special operators. But tens of thousands have been sent through its elite training program.
Politico has detailed that the school heavily contributes to training special operations troops deployed in Ukraine:
“The school’s website says it instructs both soldiers and civilians in a variety of combat tactics, including shooting, artillery and parachute landing. More than 47,000 troops deployed to the front line in Ukraine have been trained there, according to the Kremlin.
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Cars Burned and Police Attacked in New Protests on French Island of Martinique
PARIS, Oct 29 (Reuters) — Protesters torched cars and attacked police in a new night of trouble on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, the local government said on Tuesday, as violent demonstrationsover rising living costs show no signs of abating.
The Martinique administration said seven cars had been burned and police attacked with stones and Molotov cocktails during unrest from late Monday into early Tuesday.
Four youths were arrested.
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11,141 Italian Women Raped by Foreigners Since 2018, New Figures Claim
Between 2018 and 2023, 11,141 Italian women were reportedly raped by foreigners, according to research by Italian journalist Francesca Totolo, who revealed these figures in her recent book La Vite Delle Donne Contano (“Women’s Lives Matter”).
Totolo claims the statistics from the Italian interior ministry highlight an alarming trend: “In the European countries most affected by migration flows, foreigners are relatively overrepresented among the perpetrators of crimes against women, from murder to sexual violence,” she said in an interview with Breizh-Info.
The findings indicate that foreign nationals, who make up 9 percent of Italy’s population, are responsible for approximately 38 percent of violent sexual crimes, making them six times more likely to commit such crimes than Italian nationals.
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Austria: Three-Quarters of Viennese Middle School Students Speak No German at Home
New statistics from Austria reveal that more than three-quarters of students in Vienna’s middle schools do not speak German at home, a figure which has prompted political outcry and demands for urgent changes in the education system.
According to Statistics Austria’s STATcube, only 8,479 of Vienna’s 26,816 middle school students use German as their primary language, while 76 percent predominantly speak other languages.
In specific districts, the numbers soar above 90 percent, with areas like Margareten (95.4 percent), Hernals (92.2 percent), and Alsergrund (91.2 percent) reporting the highest proportions of students speaking languages other than German at home.
The figures are sparking debates over the impact on academic performance, teacher retention, and integration efforts within schools.
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Democratic Houston DA Slams Harris-Biden Admin’s ‘Absurd Catch-and-Release’ Border Policy
Houston’s Democratic district attorney slammed the Harris-Biden administration’s disastrous “catch and release” border policy Tuesday, saying it has unleashed hundreds of migrant criminals on the city.
Harris County DA Kim Ogg told The Post that the violent roaming migrant law-breakers, including the men accused of murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, are committing crimes that would be “preventable” — if the White House instituted stronger border restrictions to keep them out.
She said little Jocelyn, who was allegedly killed by two illegal migrants from Venezuela, would be alive today if not for the current border policies.
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France Reintroduces Border Controls: What Does This Mean for Belgium?
France will temporarily reintroduce checks at its borders from 1 November. What does this mean in practice, and how will it affect people travelling to the country from Belgium?
France announced in mid-October that it would reintroduce stricter border checks with Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland from 1 November, citing concerns over irregular immigration and “serious threats posed by high-level terrorist activities.” The checks will last six months.
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Germany a Major Hub for Human Smugglers
Human smugglers, who send illegal migrants across the English Channel, are using Germany as their base, with the western city of Essen acting as a major hub, according to an investigation by the BBC.
An undercover journalist, posing as a migrant wanting to get to the United Kingdom, met two smugglers in Essen. They said it costs €15,000 for the whole “package”—an inflatable dinghy with an outboard motor, and sixty life jackets. For that price, the smugglers would deliver the boat from Germany to the shores of northern France, somewhere near Calais.
For about €8,000, the migrant can pick up the boat himself at a warehouse in Essen and drive it to northern France independently. However, if he gets caught, it’s his own problem.
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Greece: Minister Gerapetritis Announces Recruitment of 150 New Border Guards in Evros
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Gerapetritis, announced the recruitment of 150 new border guards to be added to the 450 already hired in the past two years. This announcement was made during his visit to Evros for the October 28 celebrations, representing the government.
Mr Gerapetritis visited the border fence and stated that the new guards would bolster the second line of defence. He emphasized, “The State will remain firmly committed to enhancing the deterrent capabilities here so that the local community, our citizens in Evros, feel secure and know that the government is always by their side.”
“Today, I had the great honour and pleasure to be in Evros, particularly at the fence project the Greek state implemented in record time. It is 100% effective in securing our national and European borders, supported by the tremendous effort of the personnel working here daily,” said Mr Gerapetritis.
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Iranian Migrant Arrested for Murdering Teacher Who Gave Him German Lessons
An Iranian migrant has been arrested in connection with a case involving a murdered German schoolteacher. Detectives suspect he killed the 66-year-old woman, whose body was discovered on the banks of the Neckar River on Sunday afternoon.
The teacher, Isabelle D., reportedly died a violent death. The main suspect is a 37-year-old Iranian man living in a refugee shelter in Oberboihingen and received German lessons from the woman, according to Bild newspaper.
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Italy: Woman Gang Raped by Several North African Migrants in Broad Daylight in Turin
A young woman was gang raped by several North African migrants in the northern Italian city of Turin earlier this month in a heinous attack that has only just come to light.
The 27-year-old victim, known only as Laura, reported the brutal assault that occurred at around 5 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the city’s Parco del Valentino, according to the Corriere Torinonews outlet.
It is alleged she was approached by a man of Arab appearance, who approached her and offered assistance as she searched for an ATM.
“I was looking for an ATM, but then I came across a young boy, around 18, with an Arab accent who asked me if I needed anything,” she told the Italian publication.
The teen promised to guide her to a nearby cash machine, but instead led her to a desolate area of the park.
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A man from Chile shot his girlfriend and two kids — killing one of the victims — in Westchester County, then sparked a manhunt that forced a school district to close before he was nabbed Tuesday, officials say.
Fernando Jimenez, 40, allegedly shot the trio— his gal pal and two boys, ages 14 and 16 — in a townhouse at an apartment complex near the Crossroads Plaza on Route 6 in Somers around 11:30 p.m. Monday, according to law-enforcement sources and ABC 7.
Authorities rushed two of the victims to Westchester Medical Center and brought the third to New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, the station said. One of the victims died, sources said.
Jimenez fled the scene, and New York State Police put out a shelter-in-place order for Westchester County, forcing the Putnam Valley School District to close Tuesday as officers searched for the trigger-happy killer, a Chilean national, sources said.
Cops caught up with the suspect about 11 a.m. Tuesday in a local deli he’d just burglarized, according to sources and reports.
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The government’s asylum policy is in the news almost every day, but Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber’s inner circle is down to a skeleton crew. The PVV Minister has only one of her three spokespersons left, and she no longer has a political assistant because he failed the security screening, RTL Nieuws reports.
Faber’s team previously consisted of three spokespersons, with a fourth joining in mid-September. This very experienced spokesperson was meant as a fill-in for a spokesperson going on maternity leave for four months. But he quit the assignment in mid-October saying that there was “no match” between him and Faber.
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An Ohio Democratic campaign staffer was caught calling fellow residents racist for their stance on immigration and saying the entire border should be open.
In a leaked recording, Kevin Oyakawa, an operative working for Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Emilia Sykes, was heard discussing what has prevented Sykes from discussing her position on immigration.
‘Open the f****** border, I don’t give a s*** who the f**** comes in here,’ Oyakawa said in the recording, as reported by Ohio.news.
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Oklahoma Schools Chief Bills Kamala Harris $474M for Education Costs, Citing Illegal Immigration
Oklahoma’s top elected education official sent a “demand letter” to Vice President Kamala Harris that essentially served as an invoice for what the illegal immigration crisis under her tenure overseeing the border has cost Sooner State schools.
“As the statewide elected Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Oklahoma and the Executive Officer of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), it is my duty to ensure that the resources allocated to our public schools are counted for and used in the most effective manner possible for the benefit of Oklahoma students’ education,” Ryan Walters wrote to Harris.
In August, Walters tasked the department to work with school districts to calculate the financial impact borne by taxpayers on illegal immigrant minors.
That analysis resulted in an estimate of $474.9 million, which he demanded of Harris in the letter.
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Portugal: Employers to Become Financially Liable for Immigrant Workers
From next month, employers and sponsors in Portugal will be financially liable for immigrant workers should they fall foul of the law, including bearing the costs of deportation proceedings.
Starting Nov. 4, Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migrations, and Asylum (AIMA) will require employers to sign Terms of Responsibility for immigrant workers, making them responsible for their employee’s actions.
The regulation change announced on Tuesday means that employers and other sponsors who legally assume responsibility for immigrants will bear any adverse costs associated with their stay in Portugal, including travel expenses if the immigrant fails to secure a residence permit or breaks the law.
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Sweden: 2 Teen Foreigners on Trial for Gang-Related Bombings in Gothenburg That Produced 205 Victims
Several bombings occurred in southwest Gothenburg at the beginning of this year, and now two foreign teenagers have been charged as suspects of the crimes that police said 205 victims.
The 19-year-old African, Kadus Tadesse, was charged with three bombings that dated from January and March. He requires a translator. In addition, 19-year-old Ali Abdulkalk, an Arab migrant, was charged in two of the bombings.
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The Netherlands is Belgium’s Latest Neighbour to Introduce Border Controls
The Netherlands is the latest of Belgium’s neighbouring countries to announce that it will temporarily introduce border controls. From the end of November, only the border between Belgium and Luxembourg will remain unchecked.
Borders are nominally open between countries in the Schengen area, enabling more than 400 million people to travel freely without passing through border control. However, a rising number of countries are now putting a temporary stop to this by (re)introducing or expanding border controls “to limit irregular migration.”
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Trump Announces Plan to Seize Cartel Assets to Aid Families Victimized by ‘Migrant Crime’
Donald Trump said Tuesday his administration will seize “the assets of criminal gangs and drug cartels” and give the proceeds to families affected by “migrant crime” if he is elected the 47th president next week.
The funds, the 78-year-old told reporters at Mar-a-Lago, would create a compensation fund for victims of crimes committed by those in the US illegally.
“The government will help in the restoration,” Trump added.
The tactic has long been used by the federal government against drug trafficking organizations and former Drug Enforcement Administration officials called asset seizure an effective tool in the pursuit of justice.
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US Coast Guard Intercepts Dozens of Migrants, Ships Them Back
Coast Guard cutters intercepted dozens of migrants on the high seas as they tried to reach US soil — and shipped them to the Dominican Republic or turned them over to US Border Patrol, officials said.
The migrants were cut off in three separate operations over the past week off the waters of Puerto Rico and repatriated them over the past few days, the agency said in a press release Tuesday.
“The daily work accomplished by our watchstanders and responding Coast Guard and partner agency units is instrumental to stopping unlawful migration voyages at sea and removing migrants from a very dangerous environment,” Coast Guard Commander Matthew Roman said in a statement.
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