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So he'd love the idea of officially declaring WW3 against Russia or wait for Putin to do it first.
EUROPE
And then Russia makes a dangerous move...
INTERNATIONAL
Relevant for American College Students
Quote:President Joe Biden revealed that his administration will be canceling more than $7 billion in student debt for 160,000 people.
The White House issued a statement Wednesday announcing that 160,000 people in the United States would have their student loans canceled, erasing a total of $7.7 billion in student debt for those people.
In June 2023, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision to block Biden’s plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt for almost 40 million people.
“Today, my Administration is canceling student debt for 160,000 more people, bringing the total number of Americans who have benefitted from our debt relief actions to 4.75 million,” Biden said in the statement. “Each of those borrowers has received an average of over $35,000 in debt cancellation.”
Biden explained that the 160,000 people who were having their student debt forgiven were people working as teachers, nurses, or even in law enforcement who had enrolled in the Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan.
Biden’s latest announcement comes after he announced in April that his administration would be canceling student debt for more than 270,000 people. Those who had their student debt canceled in April were borrowers who were enrolled in Biden’s SAVE Plan.
Cubans at Miami Airport TSA
Quote:Five officials from Cuba’s communist regime — a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism — conducted a secret guided tour of Miami’s International Airport on Monday hosted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The secret tour, which reportedly lasted approximately five hours, is part of alleged “law-enforcement cooperation” between both countries and saw Castro regime officials visit the TSA’s control facilities in Miami’s airport, which contain some of the agency’s sensitive computer systems.
The visit of the Castro regime officials prompted the condemnation of the Cuban diaspora in Florida as well as that of local Miami-Dade County and airport personnel, who were allegedly unaware of the planned visit.
Cuba has been designated by the United States as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) due to the communist Castro regime’s deep ties with several international terrorist organizations such as the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Shiite jihadist organization Hezbollah, and Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Marxist terrorist groups.
The Castro regime also maintains ties with the Sunni jihadist terrorist group Hamas and has repeatedly condemned Israel for conducting self-defense operations against Hamas following the terrorist group’s unprecedented October 7 terrorist attack on Israeli territory that left over 1,200 dead and hundreds of hostages.
Cuba appeared on the SST list from 1982 until 2015, when former President Barack Obama, who exercised a friendly stance towards the rogue communist regime, had Cuba removed. Cuba was reintroduced to the list in January 2021 during the administration of former President Donald Trump.
While Cuba presently remains on the United States’ SST list, the administration of President Joe Biden removed Cuba last week from the list of countries that are “not cooperating fully” with the United States in the fight against terrorism.
According to State Secretary Anthony Blinken, Cuba’s inclusion on the list was “no longer appropriate” due to Cuban officials and U.S. law enforcement officials “once again” working together on counterterrorism and other related efforts.
The Castro regime’s TSA-guided tour of the Miami international airport occurred on May 20, Cuban Independence Day. With some minimal aid from the United States, Cuba seceded from Spain on May 20, 1902.
Blood Vials as Part of an Alleged Terrorist Attack?
Quote:Vials of blood in a package addressed to former President Donald Trump were sent to the Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters, sending the office into lockdown for what Chairman Michael Whatley called a “biological attack.”
A hazmat team was called, and staff were forced to evacuate the Washington, DC, headquarters on Wednesday morning after two vials containing blood from an unknown source were delivered, the New York Post reported.
“Today, vials of blood were sent to RNC Headquarters in DC. We are thankful to law enforcement, who responded quickly and ensured everyone’s safety,” Whatley said in a statement after the building was deemed safe.
“The lockdown has been cleared and staff has resumed their office duties because we remain unintimidated and undeterred in our efforts to elect President Trump to the White House,” he continued.
“This revolting attack comes on the heels of pro-Hamas protestors violently demonstrating on college campuses and deranged Biden supporters physically attacking our campaign volunteers for supporting President Trump,” the GOP leader added.
While Whatley did not confirm to whom the package was addressed, a source familiar with the incident told the Associated Press that Trump’s name was on it.
It is unclear if any message accompanied the biohazard.
Capitol Police announced on X that the package was “cleared by our Hazardous Incident Response Division.”
“The source of the package & its contents will be further investigated,” police added.
House Speaker on Ukraine
Quote:Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday appeared to back allowing Ukraine to use American-provided weapons to strike Russia or Russian-controlled territory.
One reporter asked Johnson about a House Intelligence Committee letter calling on the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with American-supplied weapons.
The letter stipulates that this would allow Ukraine to strike “Russian-controlled territory” as well as Russian territory and represents a significant escalation in America’s seemingly endless proxy war against Russia.
When asked about the letter and if Ukraine should be allowed to strike Russia with American-provided weapons, he said, “I think we need to allow Ukraine to prosecute the war the way they see fit. They need to be able to fight back. And I think us trying to micromanage the effort there – it’s not a good policy for us.”
This would not be the first time that Johnson has taken an unabashedly pro-Ukraine position.
Johnson has pushed, and passed, the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (REPO Act), which Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has said would hamstring a future Donald Trump presidency and potentially drive allies toward competing financial systems that Russia and China control.
“The REPO Act, currently debated in the House, would freeze the Russia sanctions in place and require an act of Congress to change. House Republicans must not pass legislation that makes it impossible for Donald Trump to engage in diplomacy,” Vance wrote.
In his memo to Republicans, Vance said that the REPO Act could cause significant blowback to America, including:
Hampering the U.S. Treasuries markets and hindering America’s ability to meet debt obligations
Tying the hands of a future president, including former President Donald Trump
Empowering Russia and China at the expense of the U.S. financial system
The majority of the bill’s provisions are shielded from judicial review
So he'd love the idea of officially declaring WW3 against Russia or wait for Putin to do it first.
Lethal Force Authorized
Quote:FBI agents were authorized to use “deadly force” if necessary during the raid of Mar-a-Lago when seizing suspected classified documents, according to court filings recently unsealed by Judge Aileen Cannon in the Trump documents case in Florida.
The filings revealed there was an “Operations Order” that contained a “Policy Statement” regarding the “Use of Deadly Force” when seizing documents at Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
It said, “Law enforcement officers of the Department of Justice may use deadly force when necessary,” as first highlighted by journalist Julie Kelly.
The authorization of deadly force prompted shock and outrage from former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Trump posted on Truth Social:
WOW! I just came out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the “Icebox,” and was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, in their Illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE. NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE — 25TH AMENDMENT!
The FBI issued a statement, arguing that it followed “standard protocol.”
“The FBI followed standard protocol in this search as we do for all search warrants, which includes a standard policy statement limiting the use of deadly force. No one ordered additional steps to be taken and there was no departure from the norm in this matter,” the statement said, according to ABC News.
Trial Resumes on May 28th
Quote:Former President Donald Trump’s defense has rested in the New York business records trial, and closing arguments are set for Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Trump’s defense rested after finishing questioning Michael Cohen’s former adviser, Robert Costello, shortly after court commenced, as the Hill noted. Jurors will have a full week off before hearing the arguments, as Justice Juan Merchan set closing arguments for Tuesday, May 28.
Merchan cited Memorial Day as a factor in his decision to set closing arguments on May 28, saying, “There is no way we can do what needs to be done in any cohesive manner” before the holiday.
He expects the prosecution and defense’s arguments to last a day and “hopes deliberations will start on Wednesday, May 29,” as the New York Times noted.
Per the Hill, Trump’s team and prosecutors are set to meet later in the day “to debate proposed charges, referring to the legal instructions the judge gives jurors before they begin deliberations.”
Trump ultimately did not testify when the defense presented its case. It was unclear in the lead-up to Tuesday whether he would testify, with one of his attorneys, Todd Blanche, telling Merchan Trump had not decided if he would take the stand.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the case, which was brought by Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg’s office alleges Trump committed these offenses by concealing an alleged $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Prosecutors’ case took a hit during Cohen’s cross-examination, as the disgraced former attorney admitted Monday to stealing tens of thousands from the Trump organization, as Fox News reported.
Baltimore Bridge
Quote:The large container ship which allided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, closing the mouth of the Baltimore Harbour in March was floated off and started its journey to a temporary berth for repairs on Monday.
The Singapore-registered MV Davi moved for the first time since March 26th on Monday after it was refloated off the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge pier, bringing the bridge crashing down. Proceeding at less than one mile an hour, the Davi is expected to be alongside at a marine terminal inside Boston Harbour for initial repairs within three hours.
The ship had been trapped under the remains of the bridge, but last week engineers blew demolition charges which had been painstakingly placed over key joints of the truss’s structure in the preceding weeks, bringing the remains down. That wreckage cleared away and an underwater survey for hidden hazards completed, preparations for todays’ move began on Sunday, with tugs put on standby, anchors and lines mooring the ship in place cut, and some of the 1.25 million gallons of water in the ballast pumped out to regain buoyancy.
The move began a little before five-thirty eastern time Monday morning with high tide, and saw a group of tugs pull the MV Davi north. Once alongside, its containers will be removed for forwarding on other ships or else return to their owners, and patching-up repairs will commence. Once those initial repairs are complete, the MV Davi will be moved — either under tug or its own power — to a larger shipbuilding facility where permanent repairs and recommissioning can take place.
Meanwhile, the path to completely reopening Baltimore Harbour after the March bridge collapse nears, with the Maryland-led Key Bridge Response group saying it expects the 50-foot dredged Federal Channel to be reopened by the end of this month.
Georgia College Student Killed
Quote:One female Georgia college student is dead after an armed intruder entered the campus and shot her near a bus stop, leaving other students shaken.
The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon at Kennesaw State University, leading to one victim’s death and the arrest of the suspect, WSB-TV reported.
While the school did not release the identity of the victim, university officials confirmed that she was “fatally shot on campus” and that there is currently “no threat to the campus community.”
KSU police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are working on the case, the school added.
The deadly attack took place on Campus Loop Road, where students typically wait for the bus.
“All I heard was bop, bop, bop, seven or eight times,” said Robert Bowns, who was studying nearby when the shooting occurred. “Five minutes later, I get a report from the campus that there was an armed intruder on campus.”
The KSU Alert emails and social media posts went out shortly after 4:00 p.m., telling students and faculty to “seek shelter in a secure location until further notice.”
Is Matthew Perry's Demise Accidental or Not?
Quote:Authorities have opened an investigation into how Matthew Perry received the supply of ketamine that killed him, police said Tuesday.
Los Angeles police are working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old “Friends” star had so much of the drug in his system, LAPD Capt. Scot Williams said in an email.
An assistant found the 54-year-old Perry face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead. His autopsy, released in December, found that the amount of ketamine in his blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. It was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said.
Drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors, the coroner said.
The investigation was first reported by TMZ.
People close to the actor told coroner’s investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. The decades-old surgical drug has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain.
But the medical examiner said Perry’s last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn’t explain the levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours. At least two doctors were treating Perry, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who served as his primary care physician, the medical examiner’s report said. No illicit drugs or paraphernalia were found at his house.
Perry had years of struggles with addiction dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest television stars of his generation as Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit sitcom.
Democrat on Gaza Aid
Quote:On Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Way Too Early,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) acknowledged that “It is very difficult, once you get aid into Israel, as the United States is finding out now, to ensure that it’s being distributed and getting to Gazans, and that is a huge problem that goes beyond what Israel is or isn’t doing, that it is Hamas and others who are diverting these trucks.” But argued that it’s important to work with Israel to ensure aid gets to people. He also said that there’s an issue because Hamas won’t release hostages and agree to a ceasefire.
Landsman said, “Surging humanitarian aid is a top priority. It has to be a top priority. I was in Israel a couple of months ago, that was the primary mission or objective of our trip, was to pressure all those involved, not just Israel, to surge humanitarian aid, create those conditions. It is very difficult, once you get aid into Israel, as the United States is finding out now, to ensure that it’s being distributed and getting to Gazans, and that is a huge problem that goes beyond what Israel is or isn’t doing, that it is Hamas and others who are diverting these trucks. And so, working with Israel to create those conditions, those humanitarian corridors is critically important. The challenge, obviously, is that Hamas has these hostages, refuses to release the hostages or agree to any ceasefire that’s been proposed, and we need, obviously, for Hamas to agree to a ceasefire. And, if they don’t, for Israel to pursue ending Hamas, getting these hostages out in the most surgical and disciplined way possible.”
Why Israel? What about Ukraine?
Quote:Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) demanded to know from Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday why the Biden administration was placing conditions on Israel that it was not placing on Ukraine, since both were attacked without provocation.
Ukraine is restricted in its use of some American weapons — for example, it may not use U.S. weapons to launch attacks inside Russian territory (much to the dismay of hawkish organizations such as the Atlantic Council).
However, as Perry pointed out in questioning Blinken at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Biden administration has withheld weapons from Israel in an attempt to deter Israel from attacking Hamas in Rafah.
Rafah is a city in southern Gaza where Hamas has concentrated its last battalions. It is also a strategic location that controls access to the Egyptian border. Israel believes that it is the key to victory against Hamas.
But Blinken and the Biden administration have said for months that the danger to civilians of an attack on Rafah is too great. Blinken said again Wednesday that there are other ways to remove Hamas — and did not elaborate.
Perry noted that the Biden administration had insisted that the Israeli government present a comprehensive plan for postwar Gaza.
Yet he said that the administration had made no such demands on Ukraine with regard to territories liberated from Russian control. Blinken claimed that he had laid out a plan in a recent speech in Ukraine (which focused on democracy and reform).
But as Perry noted, Blinken had not provided details of that plan to Congress.
Patriotism & a Catholic School
Quote:A California Catholic middle school student was “completely humiliated” by his principal forbidding him from delivering his speech on patriotism before calling the cops on his father for confronting her.
Jimmy Heyward, a 13-year-old student at Saint Bonaventure Catholic School in Orange County, spent hours on his campaign speech as he ran for Commissioner of School Spirit and Patriotism, his parents said.
His mom, Hattie Ruggles, claimed in a petition that principal Mary Flock told Jimmy to remove “everything about patriotism” from his speech, “even though ‘Patriotism’ was a part of the position’s title that he was running for.”
The speech features Jimmy calling for students to respect the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, veterans, and other typical aspects of American patriotism.
Jimmy even stated in his speech that he wanted to “coordinate with Ms. Flock” to organize events for “Holocaust survivors, 9/11 survivors, Japanese-Americans from internment camps, and more.”
“My love for America is my motivation for running,” the teen said. “It is an honor to live in this country.”
A video of Jimmy delivering his full speech at home also features the outspoken student wearing a red hat with the words “Make SBS [Saint Bonaventure School] Great Again.”
EUROPE
Zelensky: We Don't Trust Putin
Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected calls from French leader Emmanuel Macron for a truce with Russia during the Paris Olympics and criticised the West for seeking a swift end to the war.
The ancient tradition stretching back to Ancient Greece of a truce during the games will likely not be observed during this year’s Olympics in Paris, which will be held from July 26th to August 11th in the French capital.
While French President Emmanuel Macron proposed last month using the occasion for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, it appears that neither Kyiv nor Moscow are interested in heeding the call for peace.
Responding to Macron’s suggestion in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday, President Zelensky argued that an Olympics truce would only be used by Russia to its benefit by moving troops and equipment without fear of being attacked by Ukraine.
“If it’s a truce, an Olympic truce for the duration of the Olympics, a land truce, they will have an advantage,” he said, saying that there is “a risk that they will bring heavy equipment to our territory and no one will be able to stop them”.
“We are against any truce that plays into the hands of the enemy,” Zelensky declared.
The Ukrainian president said that he previously expressed his concerns about the proposal directly to Macron, saying that he told the French president: “Let’s be honest… Emmanuel, I don’t believe it… First of all, we don’t trust Putin”.
No More Traditional Wigs for Barristers
Quote:Courts in England are reportedly looking to scrap the requirement for barristers to wear traditional wigs amid claims that they discriminate against lawyers with “Afro-Caribbean hair”.
The iconic manner of dress in English courtrooms may become wokism’s latest scalp as demands have been made to abandon the requirement of barristers to wear wigs in front of the court because they are “culturally insensitive”, The Telegraph reports.
A common practice dating back to at least 1685, the wearing of wigs came under scrutiny following an incident in 2022 when Michael Etienne, a black barrister with a large afro hairstyle, claimed that he faced being in contempt of court if he refused to wear a wig while claiming that the demand represented a form of “hair discrimination”.
While wigs are still required in the crown court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court, the requirement was ended in 2007 for family, civil and Supreme Court cases in 2007.
Arguing in favour of scrapping the tradition entirely, mixed-race barrister Rachel Bale said that wigs are “not fit for purpose” for people with some black hairstyles.
“Something overlooked often in black culture is that your hair is so inexplicably important and it is completely interwoven with your identity,” she claimed.
Prominent barrister Leslie Thomas KC, also of African descent, has described the wigs as a “ridiculous costume” which allegedly represents the “culturally insensitive climate” in the British judicial system.
“The wigs certainly should go. There isn’t any place in a modern society for barristers to be wearing 17th-century fashion,” he said this week, adding that other “archaic” dress code items should also be scrapped, including bands, collarettes, and wing collars.
A spokesman for the Bar Council said: “Following questions from barristers about wigs and hair discrimination, the Bar Council set up a working group to consider court dress in the context of all protected characteristics.
“The findings of the working group are currently being discussed with the judiciary as part of our regular dialogue on equality and diversity matters.”
Russia Accuses US of Playing With Fire
Quote:Top Russian diplomat accuses Western countries of being led by “gopniks” — slang for violent petty criminals — and fashionistas, and asserts NATO is the root of all conflict in Europe, but stops short of examining Russia’s own role in the war.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has a long list of complaints against the United States, from political incompetence, provocation, to rewriting history, and to causing nuclear brinkmanship. Russia is innocent of these crimes, apparently, but America’s Western allies are mindless “fashionistas” dancing to the mood music coming from Washington, whatever it might be, the politician railed.
Russia has constantly warned America of these follies, Ryabkov said, and stated because those had been ignored it was now the case that: “they are playing with fire. They have long been in a state of proxy war with the Russian Federation.” Ryabkov, a career diplomat who started his service in the Soviet era and survived the transition into the Russian Federation, said if America continues as it has been, it would become increasingly difficult to prevent a cascade failure in international relations leading to war.
While Ryabkov offers suggestions for why American may not be heeding Russia’s warnings — its leaders having entered a bunker mentality and not taking on external information, for instance — ultimately his put down is that Washington is too stupid and unsophisticated to understand.
Turning around some of the most common criticisms levelled at Putin’s Russia, that it is led by corrupt mafia-gangsters, Ryabkov deployed the Russian nick-name for low-status antisocial petty criminals “gopniks” for the American leadership. America’s European allies don’t escape this onslaught of insults, either, as they are castigated as being led by “fashionistas” who flock to the latest ideas without critical thought.
Pentagon on the Latest Russian Move
Quote:Russia has launched a likely space weapon and deployed it in the same orbit as a US government satellite, the Pentagon said.
“Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that we assess is likely a counter-space weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,” Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Pat Ryder told a press briefing late Tuesday.
The Russian “counter-space weapon” launched on May 16 was deployed “into the same orbit as a US government satellite,” he said.
Ryder added that Washington would continue to monitor the situation and was ready to protect its interests.
“We have a responsibility to be ready to protect and defend the domain, the space domain, and ensure continuous and uninterrupted support to the Joint and Combined Force,” he said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment when asked about reports that Moscow had launched a space weapon.
“I can’t comment on this in any way. We act absolutely in accordance with international law, do not violate anything, and have repeatedly advocated banning any weapons in space,” he told a regular press briefing in Moscow.
“Unfortunately, these initiatives of ours were rejected, including by the USA.”
Earlier Tuesday, Moscow accused the United States of seeking to weaponize space after Washington joined other members of the Security Council in voting down a Russian non-proliferation resolution at the United Nations.
“They have once again demonstrated that their true priorities in the area of outer space are aimed not at keeping space free from weapons of any kind, but at placing weapons in space and turning it into an arena for military confrontation,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
Would You Glue Yourself to Any Airport Runway?
Quote:German authorities closed down Munich airport temporarily on Saturday after six climate activists broke through a security fence and glued themselves to access routes leading to runways, officials and local media reported.[spoiler=Farage on Sunak's Desperate Move]
The activists from the group Last Generation were protesting flying, the most polluting form of transportation, said the German news agency dpa.
Police have detained the six.
Incoming flights had to be diverted to other airports, an airport spokesperson said. After a couple of hours, the airport’s two runways were reopened though some disruptions to flight schedules may happen, a statement on the airport´s official website said.
Last Generation posted on social media platform X, accusing the German government of “downplaying” the negative effects of flying on the environment instead of “finally acting sincerely.”
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser slammed the protests and called for them to stop. “Such criminal actions threaten air traffic and harm climate protection because they only cause lack of understanding and anger,” she wrote on X.
Fraser also applauded police efforts to bring order back to the airport and called for airport safety measures to be checked.
The general manager of the German Airports Association Ralph Beisel sharply criticized the climate activists´ actions.
Quote:Brexit boss Nigel Farage said that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had opted for “suicide over total obliteration” by calling a Summer election, predicting that the dire state the Tory party finds itself in would only get worse as more time passes.
Farage said that while the election will be held on the same day which America celebrated its independence, the July 4th election will serve as “Deliverance Day” for Britain from “a bunch of charlatans who call themselves Conservatives but govern like big-state liberals”.
The Brexiteer also mocked the manner in which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the general election, from a podium outside of Downing Street in the rain while being drowned out by a protester’s loudspeaker blasting Tony Blair’s Labour Party 1997 election theme tune Things Can Only Get Better.
“The lack of professionalism is unbelievable,” Farage remarked. “To stand there getting soaked in the rain, to read from the notes like a robot, without passion, without belief, without vim, without vigor sums up 14 years of Conservatism and shows why they are going to get wiped in this election.”
The veteran populist campaigner said that the decision by the prime minister to call for a July election — rather than holding off until the Autumn or Winter as was previously assumed — showed that Sunak chose “suicide over total obliteration”.
“As the months go by, it will get worse and worse,” Farage said, predicting that “no planes” will go to Rwanda, referencing the government’s chief aim to stem the boat migrant crisis in the English Channel which hopes to deter crossings by removing illegals to the East African nation.
INTERNATIONAL
Former PM Bennett on ICC Warrants
Quote:Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who held office from June 2021 to June 2022, said on Wednesday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be “dismantled and defunded” after its “shameful” bid to arrest current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes.
“It’s a shameful moment for the ICC. It’s a total joke because they’re taking the leader of a democracy that’s fighting against a terror group … We fully reject this,” Bennett told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
Bennett said the ICC had allowed itself to become a “political tool” for Israel’s enemies.
“It’s a farce. It’s not about the evidence. It’s not about facts. It’s about politics, and it’s no secret that these international organs are being used by Israel’s enemies time and again to try and tie our hands while we’re fighting against the worst jihad terrorists in the world,” he said.
“We’re being accused of trying to starve the Gazans, but when you look at the evidence, we’ve let in 24,000 trucks, 400,000 tons of food and aid. That’s 30% more than before Oct. 7,” he noted.
“We’ve been bending over backwards to reduce civilian casualties while Hamas is doing everything it can to increase civilian casualties, yet Israel is being accused. We fully reject this. We need to continue and defeat Hamas. That’s the best response to all of this,” he said.
Bennett made similar points on Monday, the day after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas leaders.
Israel on Palestinian State
Quote:A Palestinian state would spell Israel’s “destruction” and the Biden administration’s repeated pressuring of Israel to accept one is “plain stupidity,” according to Religious Zionism Knesset member Simcha Rothman, who described Hamas as a “terror cartel” that exports terrorism globally, insisting that Israel must defeat the radical Gaza-based Islamist terrorist group to “protect its own security and the security of the world.”
Speaking with Breitbart News at an Israel Heritage Foundation (IHF) event in Israel this week, Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman of Israel’s Religious Zionist party addressed the possible formation of a Palestinian state following the completion of the current Gaza war.
Highlighting the widespread view that such a state would serve as an “enormous reward” for terror and “endanger Israel’s very existence,” Rothman noted that while Israel’s right-wing factions, including parties like his own, have held such a view for years, Israelis across the political spectrum continue to reach the same conclusion.
“Just three months ago, 99 Knesset members out of 120 voted that trying to impose a Palestinian state now would be a huge mistake,” he said, emphasizing that “the vast majority of the people of Israel say that a Palestinian state equals the destruction of the State of Israel.”
“The fact that people try to say that this view is only that of the Religious Zionist party, is a lie,” he added.
According to Rothman, the October 7 attacks changed the perception of many of those living in Israel.
“Though this has been my party’s view for many, many years, most Israelis [only fully] understood it immediately on October 7,” he explained, because the brutal massacre was “the [perfect] example” of what happens when Palestinians are granted a state.
Iranian Chanting Death to America
Quote:Iran held the second of a week’s worth of funeral events on Wednesday for President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, convening thousands who chanted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” in honor of the late officials.
Iran’s “supreme leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei personally led the prayers on Wednesday, praising Raisi as “noble and devoted” and lamenting his untimely death.
Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian, and six others died on Sunday in a helicopter crash as they attempted to return home from a diplomatic engagement in nearby Azerbaijan. Iranian authorities have announced they will investigate the circumstances of the crash but have not publicly indicated that they do not believe it was an accident, as it occurred in a mountainous forest area during inclement weather. It remains unclear at press time why the president’s helicopter was allowed to fly in significant fog and rain.
Iran held its first funeral for the officials in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, the Iranian province where the helicopter crashed, on Tuesday. On that occasion, Iranian state propaganda outlets claimed that “millions” convened to listen to Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi honor the late president and top diplomat. Iranian state outlet PressTV again claimed on Wednesday that a “millions-strong” crowd assembled for Raisi.
The images orchestrated by the Iranian Islamist regime contrast significantly with widespread reports on Sunday and Monday of Iranians openly celebrating Raisi’s death. Videos surfaced of unknown individuals launching fireworks and sharing sweets following the confirmation of Raisi’s death, a testament to Raisi’s brutal, murderous legacy. In the diaspora, Iranian exiles openly celebrated his demise.
Iranian Authorities Growing Desperate?
Quote:Anti-regime activists in Iran reportedly said on Wednesday that they received calls from “desperate” officials urging them to attend public displays of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi.
The regime is cracking down on expressions of joy and relief from dissidents after Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
The regime quickly sensed it would have a problem with the public response to Raisi’s death, as disgruntled Iranians danced in the streets and launched fireworks to celebrate the news. Women persecuted under Raisi’s vicious crackdown on the Mahsa Amini uprising, and the families of women killed by Raisi’s thug squads, were especially quick to celebrate his demise.
Compounding this uncertainty was the regime’s own ambivalent feelings about the late president and how it wanted to use the helicopter crash for political purposes. Raisi was seen as a protege of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a front-runner to replace him, which also means he had enemies in the endless factional struggles for power in Tehran. He could also prove useful in death as a scapegoat for public discontent about the corruption and incompetence of the Iranian government.
The result was that Raisi’s funeral was a “muted” affair — the most common term used by foreign media covering Wednesday’s events — and only too late did Iran’s rulers realize that turnout for public ceremonies of mourning would be embarrassingly light if they did not make an effort to get people into the streets.
China & Tibetans
Quote:Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday released a report that accused China of forcibly relocating more than 700,000 Tibetans since 2016, herding rural residents into big cities in a bid to “re-educate” the population while erasing Tibet’s history and culture.
“The Chinese government says that the relocation of Tibetan villages is voluntary, but official media reports contradict this claim,” said Maya Wang, HRW’s acting China director. “Those reports make clear that when a whole village is targeted for relocation, it is practically impossible for the residents to refuse to move without facing serious repercussions.”
HRW previously urged China to halt its forced relocation policies, noting that they violate both international law and China’s own nominal legal standards, but the pleas fell on deaf ears.
According to the report, titled “Educate the Masses to Change Their Minds,” China has been using compulsory “whole-village relocations” to move dozens or hundreds of Tibetans at a time, over their anguished objections.
Chinese officials insist these relocations were “voluntary” and the villagers eventually gave their consent, but HRW noted this “consent” was squeezed out of them with “extreme forms of persuasion,” including “repeated home visits; denigrating the intellectual capacity of the villagers to make decisions for themselves; implicit threats of punishment; banning of criticism; and threats of disciplinary action against local officials who fail to meet targets.”
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
