Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, told an “inter-faith” gathering that “every religion is a way to arrive at God.” The statement came in the Singapore Catholic Junior College.
He further clarified “There are different languages to arrive at God but God is God for all. But my God is more important than your god, is that true? There is only 1 God & each of has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.”
BREAKING: Pope Francis: ‘Every religion is a way to arrive at God’– www.lifesitenews.com
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Addressing an inter-religious meeting of young people in Singapore just before departing for his return flight to Rome, Pope Francis turned to one of the central themes of his pontificate – inter-religious dialogue.
“One of the things that struck me about all of you here is your ability to engage in inter-religious dialogue, and this is very important,” he told the crowd, assembled in Singapore’s Catholic Junior College.
Notwithstanding any comments to the contrary, the Catholic Church has consistently and clearly taught that it is the only true Church, the Body of Christ (Eph 1:22), and it exercises the charge given by Christ to spread the Gospel to all nations and to bring souls into the Church (Mark 16).
‘Every religion’ reaches God
Leaving aside his prepared speech and speaking without a script {transcript subsequently published here}, Francis instead spoke chiefly on dialogue between religions, having just taken questions from a Catholic, a Sikh, and a Hindu.
NEW: #PopeFrancis on inter-religious dialogue:
“Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God but God is God for all.
But my God is more important than your god, is that true?
There is only 1 God & each of has a language to arrive at… pic.twitter.com/TMHRDjEuJ9— Michael Haynes 🇻🇦 (@MLJHaynes) September 13, 2024
The meeting’s widely varied mix of creeds represents Singapore’s status as one of the most diverse religious nations in the world. Focusing on this, Francis urged that no religion be given priority but that individuals instead focus on parity between beliefs:
If we start to fight amongst ourselves and say “my religion is more important than yours, my religion is true, yours is not,” where will that lead us? Where?
It’s okay to discuss [between religions].
Continuing, the Pope declared that each religion is a means to attain God, stating:
Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true?
There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.
The Pope’s words were warmly welcomed by those present in the hall, which included leaders and representatives of Singapore’s many religious bodies and the large papal retinue.
Courage to pursue religious harmony
Francis also dedicated time warning of the dangers of “bullying” and urging young people to have “courage” to move forward in inter-religious dialogue.
In order to have inter-religious dialogue between youth it takes courage, because youth is really the time when there is courage in our lives. But you can also have this courage and use it for things that really don’t help you, or you can use that courage to move forward and engage in dialogue.
Engaging in a discussion with the selected young people on the stage about the evils of bullying, Francis urged that to “move past” differences “helps with inter-religious dialogue.”
“You can build and move forward with inter-religious dialogue when you respect each other, and this is very important.”
READ: Bishop Schneider: There is no divine positive will or natural right to the diversity of religions
He encouraged them to build a “safe space” where they could discuss their differences without fear of bullying. “Because dialogue is something that creates a path, a way,” Francis said.
He closed the meeting by calling on all present to “pray for each other” in silence. The Pope did not give a formal blessing – echoing his actions in Indonesia – but instead vocally called for God’s blessings on those present:
Let’s pray for each other … May God bless all of us. And as time passes and you become older, especially as you become grandparents, pass this on to the children and grandchildren.
God bless you and pray for me, but pray in favor, not against [me].
Following the conclusion of Francis’ comments, the young people assembled made an inter-religious pledge, committing to promote religious dialogue and harmony:
We the future generation pledge to be a beacon of unity and hope by promoting cooperation and friendships that nurture the harmonious co-existence between people of diverse beliefs.
READ: Pope Francis skips Sign of the Cross to impart blessing ‘valid for all religions’
Speaking to a similar inter-religious gathering of youth in Indonesia only last week, Francis said “Here, you are from diverse religions, but we have only one God, He is only one.”
Catholicism and salvation
Pope Francis has made numerous inter-religious statements and collaborated in formal documents on the matter – notably the controversial 2019 Abu Dhabi document and the Istiqlal Declaration, signed just days ago in Indonesia. The Abu Dhabi text has been described as seeking to “overturn the doctrine of the Gospel” due to its promotion of equality of religions in a form of “fraternity.”
However, the much-loved and widely respected approved catechism, the Baltimore Catechism, reminds readers simply that “The one true Church established by Christ is the Catholic Church.” {Q. 152}
READ: EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Schneider says Vatican is betraying ‘Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind’
Catholic doctrine teaches that this fact is knowable since the Catholic Church alone has the four marks of being the true Church: one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic.
As a result, the Church teaches that all souls must “belong” to the Church to be saved: “All are obliged to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved.” {Baltimore Catechism Q 166.}
This teaching of “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” (no salvation outside the Church), has been increasingly rejected by modernizing activists in recent years, yet remains valid and unchanging in the Church’s teaching.
Pope Leo XIII pronounced it clearly in his 1824 encyclical letter Ubi Primum:
It is impossible for the most true God, who is Truth Itself, the best, the wisest Provider, and the Rewarder of good men, to approve all sects who profess false teachings which are often inconsistent with one another and contradictory, and to confer eternal rewards on their members. For we have a surer word of the prophet, and in writing to you We speak wisdom among the perfect; not the wisdom of this world but the wisdom of God in a mystery.
By it we are taught, and by divine faith we hold one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and that no other name under heaven is given to men except the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in which we must be saved. This is why we profess that there is no salvation outside the Church.
The Vatican’s 1949 decree from the Holy Office instructed bishops charged with promoting true ecumenism to draw souls to the Church, and that they must always teach the fullness of the Church’s priority:
By no means is it permitted to pass over in silence or to veil in ambiguous terms the Catholic truth regarding the nature and way of justification, the constitution of the Church, the primacy of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, and the only true union by the return of the dissidents to the one true Church of Christ.
The Catholic Church notes that it is possible for those remaining outside the Church “through no grave fault of their own” and who are somehow unaware that the Church is the true Church, to still be saved “by making use of the graces which God gives them.” However, salvation in these cases of “invincible ignorance” is not found through other churches, but is through the Catholic Church as the channel of grace, as taught by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Groundbreaking AI Treaty to be Signed by US, Britain, and European Union: Report – Finance Magnates
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- This treaty aims to balance the risks of AI with the promotion of responsible innovation and the protection of human rights.
- The AI Convention differs from the EU’s AI Act in that it applies to a broader group of countries and emphasizes human rights.
United States, Britain, and European Union member states will sign the world’s first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence, Reuters reported. The treaty, developed over years of negotiations, aims to address the risks posed by AI while promoting responsible innovation.
The AI Convention, adopted in May, is the result of discussions among 57 nations spearheaded by the Council of Europe, a human rights organization. This agreement is focused on protecting the human rights of those affected by AI systems and ensuring that technological progress does not come at the expense of fundamental values like human rights and the rule of law.
While the treaty may share similar goals with the European Union’s recently enacted AI Act, it is distinct in scope and application. The EU’s AI Act, which came into force last month, focuses on regulating AI systems within the EU’s internal market.
The DNC-controlled Health and Human Services (HHS) Department has released a newsletter on suicide prevention targeting “LGBTQIA2S+ Youth” that claims “Lack of access to gender affirming care may have negative effects on LGBTQIA2S+ youth, including exacerbating gender dysphoria, creating feelings of social isolation and depression, and contributing to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.”
In rooted, plain terms, our government is pushing for the sterilization, mutilation, and chemical poisoning of our children as a “cure” to suicide. The “cure” for a child to avoid killing themselves is to hack their private parts to smithereens, with girls getting their breasts cut off as well, then become dependent on high doses of dangerous hormone drugs that cost thousands of dollars a month.
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Excerpt from www.dailysignal.com
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is using “Suicide Prevention Awareness Month” this September to push the lie that transgender medical interventions stop children from committing suicide.
The Daily Signal obtained a newsletter the HHS sent on Friday sharing resources on suicide prevention for “LGBTQIA2S+ Youth.” The resources promote the idea that LGBTQ+ children are likely to commit suicide if they don’t receive irreversible gender transition procedures, like surgeries and hormone replacement regimens.
“Lack of access to gender affirming care may have negative effects on LGBTQIA2S+ youth, including exacerbating gender dysphoria, creating feelings of social isolation and depression, and contributing to suicidal thoughts and behaviors,” one of the linked resources reads. “Access to culturally responsive, sensitive, and affirming services for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, particularly healthcare services, has the power to improve health outcomes for this population.”
But an April study revealed that transgender surgeries actually increase the risk of suicide. The study concluded: “Individuals who underwent gender-affirming surgery had a 12.12-fold higher suicide attempt risk than those who did not.”
The significant majority of children with gender dysphoria children grow out of it by the time they reach adulthood, a 15-year study from the Netherlands of 2,700 children reveals.
“Despite growing evidence that so-called gender-affirming care is harmful, HHS continues to spread the dangerous lie that children will kill themselves if their self-proclaimed identity is not ‘affirmed,’” Rachel Morrison, who directs the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s HHS Accountability Project, told The Daily Signal.
The LGBTQ community is ready to boycott companies that drop DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) standards according to a report from Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a militant extortionist organization that threatens companies with corporate-supported social ostracism if it doesn’t change its culture to be “gay affirming.”
HRC claims 80 percent of members of the rainbow community, or the LGBTQ community, would boycott any company that chose to stop using the anti-American, bigoted, racist standard of DEI. The support from the rainbow community at such a high level puts them at odds with the American republic itself.
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Excerpt from news.google.com
… But new data from HRC signals that this surge in anti-DEI activity at corporations is already impacting how queer workers perceive brands and employers. In a survey of almost 2,500 respondents—all of whom identified as LGBTQ+—about 80% said they would boycott a company that had rolled back its DEI policies.
Nearly 20% of respondents said that if they worked at a company that made such a decision, they would quit or look for a new job, while a third of those surveyed said their productivity would take a hit. Many others—more than 72% of respondents—said it would impact their experience at work and make them feel less accepted.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are Population Control Radicals Who Love Abortion – lifenews.com
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Excerpt from www.lifenews.com
A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to make abortion—the death of unborn children—the centerpiece of a presidential campaign.
But that’s exactly what the Harris-Walz campaign is doing.
It’s not just that they have abandoned former President Bill Clinton’s “safe, legal, and rare” formulation and embraced the “right” to kill an unborn baby for any reason, at any time, up to and including the moment of birth—and even after birth, should the baby survive the abortion.
That, sadly, is now the position taken by all leading Democrats.
But Harris-Walz have gone ever further. They have elevated this “right” above all others, including those listed in the Bill of Rights.
Abortion is, according to Vice President Kamala Harris, “a woman’s most fundamental right,” meaning that in her view it trumps freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or even freedom of conscience.
Do Dems Believe Men Get A Choice Whether Their Children Live?– thefederalist.com
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Excerpt:
Kamala Harris touted herself as a champion for abortion in Tuesday’s debate, framing this life-and-death issue as a basic freedom. She told viewers she would “be a president that will protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.”
This theme of abortion as “freedom” has run throughout her campaign, placing so-called abortion rights above the right to life and moving far beyond the former Democrat position of abortion being “safe, legal, and rare.” Tim Walz stands firmly with Harris, famously declaring: “We respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make, even if we wouldn’t make the same choices for ourselves, because we know there’s a golden rule, mind your own damn business.”
But Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg raised an interesting question: What does “reproductive freedom” mean for men? Speaking at a “White Dudes for Harris” event, Buttigieg encouraged men to support Harris because he said abortion benefits them. He argued that “men are also more free in a country where we have a president who stands up for things like access to abortion care.”
Abortion rights questions are on ballots in 9 states. Will they tilt elections? – ABC News
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Ballot measures on abortion access could attract voters to polls in November who otherwise might sit out the election — and even a small number of additional voters could make a difference in close races for offices from the state legislature to president.
Scholars and ballot measure experts are divided on the impact ballot measures have previously had on candidate elections. But in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, which ended the nationwide right to abortion, these measures are seen as ones that could sway results if any can.
“2024 is a test in this post-Dobbs world of how this issue being on the ballot will impact candidates,” said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which helps progressive groups with the details of pursuing and campaigning for ballot measures. “It is really dependent on whether candidates are willing to run on those issues.”
Voters in nine states are considering measures to add the right to abortion to their state constitutions in the highest profile of many ballot measures.
Voters in swing states want federal abortion law: Poll – Washington Examiner
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Voters in swing states want federal abortion law: Poll Washington Examiner
Voters in swing states for the 2024 election do not want to leave abortion policy up to the states, according to a new poll from the University of Maryland, as abortion is set to be a pivotal consideration in the first presidential race since the Supreme Court overturnedRoe v. Wade in 2022.
Significant majorities, regardless of party identification, in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin said they preferred some sort of federal law codifying abortion rights, an issue that has sharply divided Republicans and Democrats in the lead-up to November.
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), have made states’ rights on the issue of abortion the new standard of the Republican Party, following the move to delete long-standing anti-abortion language from the GOP platform this summer.
Abortion Could Be Banned Nationwide If Trump Resurrects This Zombie Law– www.scientificamerican.com
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When the Comstock Act was written, germ theory was still contested science, blood types and vitamins were medical mysteries, and the most common cause of death in the U.S. was tuberculosis, then known as consumption. And yet a movement has been gaining steam to use the 1873 law to ban a vital type of medical care nationwide: abortion. Experts say this strategy may well succeed if former president Donald Trump is elected to a second term in November.
Abortions are extremely safe—far safer than pregnancy, studies show. “Abortion is a very safe procedure,” says Glenmarie Matthews, a gynecologist at RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey. It is also vital medical care for much of the population. “We are trying to isolate abortion care from women’s health care, but it’s all intertwined into one thing,” she says. It’s also politically popular—the clear majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal under most circumstances.
Trump wouldn’t say whether he’d veto a national ban even as abortion remains a top election issue – Las Vegas Sun
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Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined to say during this week’s debate if he would veto a national abortion ban if he were elected again — a question that has lingered as the Republican nominee has shifted his stances on the crucial election issue.
In Tuesday’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump said he would not sign a federal abortion ban, insisting that a ban would not pass Congress anyway. But he refused twice to say if he would veto such legislation if it landed on his desk. Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio, said in an interview with NBC News last month that the former president would veto a ban.
In response to moderators prompting him about Vance’s statement, Trump said: “I didn’t discuss it with JD, in all fairness. And I don’t mind if he has a certain view, but I don’t think he was speaking for me.”
Trump creates rift in anti-abortion movement (Video) – Social News XYZ
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Former President Donald Trump has created a rift in the anti-abortion movement, with some seeing him as a champion and others perceiving him as a traitor to the cause. NOTUS reporter Oriana Gonzlez joins to discuss.
Do Dems Believe Men Get A Choice Whether Their Children Live?– thefederalist.com
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Excerpt:
Kamala Harris touted herself as a champion for abortion in Tuesday’s debate, framing this life-and-death issue as a basic freedom. She told viewers she would “be a president that will protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.”
This theme of abortion as “freedom” has run throughout her campaign, placing so-called abortion rights above the right to life and moving far beyond the former Democrat position of abortion being “safe, legal, and rare.” Tim Walz stands firmly with Harris, famously declaring: “We respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make, even if we wouldn’t make the same choices for ourselves, because we know there’s a golden rule, mind your own damn business.”
But Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg raised an interesting question: What does “reproductive freedom” mean for men? Speaking at a “White Dudes for Harris” event, Buttigieg encouraged men to support Harris because he said abortion benefits them. He argued that “men are also more free in a country where we have a president who stands up for things like access to abortion care.”
The Bizarre Alliance Between the Trans Agenda and Abortion– www.lifenews.com
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Excerpt:
When discussing the transgender craze and abortion, less is often more. But the alliance between the trans movement and the pro-abortion movement has become so aggressive that we can’t avoid talking about it (as much as we might like to).
At first glance, the issues of abortion and LGBTQ appear unrelated. Same-sex relationships are sterile and can’t result in pregnancy. But the homosexual movement has actively inserted itself into the abortion debate because both the trans and pro-abortion movements are built on a shared philosophy: sexual license that accepts no sexual limitations from church, state, or culture.
Abortion advocates and LGBTQ advocates alike generally believe that sex should be free for any reason, with anyone, and with zero consequences. And they demand that this philosophy be accepted by everyone.
The two movements are locked arm-in-arm, not only in principle but financially. This is why you see so many “Pride” flags at pro-abortion events and abortion rights signs at “Pride” parades.
Enter the transgender movement.
Florida might join blue states in enshrining nearly limitless abortion as a right. Here’s a look at the fight ahead. – theblaze.com
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Excerpt from www.theblaze.com
Voters in Florida will decide on Nov. 5 whether to scrap hard-won legal protections for the unborn and effectively legalize late-term abortion through a constitutional amendment to the Sunshine State’s Declaration of Rights.
Pro-life advocates have shared critical insights with Blaze News regarding the political significance of Florida’s Amendment 4; its implications for the unborn and their advocates both in Florida and out of state; and what it reveals about the pro-abortion movement’s strategy going forward.
New York Democrats panic abortion amendment isn’t silver bullet they were counting on – washingtonexaminer.com
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Excerpt from www.washingtonexaminer.com
New York Democrats counting on an abortion ballot measure boosting turnout for their party have been increasingly worried it has become a problem for swing-seat candidates.
Conservatives have effectively blasted the amendment for including provisions on “gender identity” and “gender expression” that connect with a nationwide attack on Democrats involving nonbiological females playing in women’s sports.
While abortion and broad LGBT rights have outright support in the state, provisions about “gender identity,” “pregnancy outcomes,” and the rights relating to age are turning off some supporters. Internal polling shows that messaging about mixed-gender sports, in particular, has moved voters in battleground House districts, according to Politico.
SCOTUS Rules Biden-Harris Admin Can Block Funds to Oklahoma for Refusing to Refer Women for Abortions – townhall.com
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Excerpt from townhall.com
The United States Supreme Court blocked the reinstatement of millions of dollars in federal funding for family planning services in Oklahoma because the state refuses to refer pregnant women to get abortions.
The Biden-Harris Administration stripped funding from the pro-life state after family planning services refused to provide a hotline number for patients to call and receive information on abortion.
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Xavier Becerra, were sued by the state, which was seeking a reinstatement of over $4.5 million in family-planning grants. However, on Tuesday, the SCOTUS ruled in favor of the Biden-Harris Administration.
Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch indicated they would have granted the state’s request.
The federal grant program was established in 1970 under Title X of the Public Health Service Act. However, in 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration revised the act, stating that family planning services must provide information to pregnant women about their options to receive “neutral, factual information and non-directive counseling,” including abortion.
Democratic group launches battleground ads hitting Trump on abortion – AOL
Congressional Democrats push resolution that says hospitals must provide emergency abortions – Beaumont Enterprise
Nebraska Supreme Court will hear lawsuit challenging measure to expand abortion rights – The Associated Press
Poll: Nevada voters want expanded birth control access, oppose abortion criminalization – The Nevada Independent
SLU poll: Missouri voters likely to support abortion rights ballot measure – WDAF FOX4 Kansas City
Supreme Court sides with Biden in fight over abortion referrals in Oklahoma – WTVA
Muslim, European FMs to meet in Madrid on Israel-Palestine two-state solution today – Tribune UK
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The foreign ministers of several Muslim and European countries will meet in Madrid on Friday to discuss how to implement a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Spanish and Norwegian governments said.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares will host the meeting, which will be attended by his European counterparts, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza.
The two-state solution set out in the 1991 Madrid Conference and the 1993-95 Oslo Accords has long been seen by the international community as the best way to settle the decades-long conflict, but the peace process has been moribund for years.
However, the search for a peaceful solution has been given new urgency by the 11-month-long war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas – the bloodiest episode yet in the overall conflict – as well as escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
On May 28, Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognised a unified Palestinian state ruled by the Palestinian Authority comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital. With them, 146 of the 193 member states of the United Nations now recognise Palestinian statehood.
U.S. moves USS Theodore Roosevelt from Middle East, leaving USS Abraham Lincoln as sole carrier in vicinity – 13 News Now
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WASHINGTON — The United States has reduced the number of aircraft carriers it has stationed in the Middle East,
The Pentagon announced Thursday that it has moved USS Theodore Roosevelt from the region. That decision leaves the U.S. with just one carrier in the vicinity: USS Abraham Lincoln.
Both carriers have been in place since August 23 to provide presence, as Israel continues its war with Hamas.
“Following a period of dual carrier coverage by the Theodore Roosevelt CSG and the Abraham Lincoln CSG in the CENTCOM region, the Theodore Rosevelt has departed and begun its transit into the Indo-Pacific area of operations,” said Major General Pat Ryder, Department of Defense Press Secretary.
Foreign Anarchists Instructed to Deceive Israeli Authorities, Document Reveals – The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com
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Excerpt:
Anti-Israel foreign activists, including American students, are being used by a radical Palestinian organization and told to lie their way into Israel, according to a document obtained by The Press Service of Israel.
The annual Faz3a campaign, organized by the Ramallah-based Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, is timed around the olive harvest season, which typically takes place in October and November.
“When asked about where you are going, you can say Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Do not mention Palestine, the West Bank, nor your intentions to go there. When asked why you are coming, answer tourism. Do not wear anything that can be connected to Palestine,” the document advises the foreigners.
Hamas Using Hostages to Wage Psychological Warfare on Israel, Terror Group’s Leaked Document Shows– legalinsurrection.com
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Excerpt:
A newly leaked top-secret Hamas document exposes the terrorist group’s negotiation strategy and its ongoing phycological warfare against Israel. The document, described as Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar’s “secret war paper,” was published by the German newspaper BILD on Friday.
Hamas is negotiating to survive the current Israeli offensive and regain its lost terrorist capabilities to stage future attacks on Israel, the document shows.
The Gaza-based terrorist group’s current negotiation strategy is to restore the “ability of [its] armed forces” to act against Israel. Israel should be “exhausted” and international pressure on country should be “increased,” the German daily reported, quoting from the document.
The aim of the ceasefire talks is to further Hamas terrorist aims — “ending the war is not a priority for Hamas,” the BILD added.
Israeli intelligence commander to resign after being accused of failing to prevent Oct. 7– www.ctvnews.ca
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Excerpt:
An Israeli intelligence commander, who critics say played a pivotal role in failing to prevent the Oct. 7 attacks, is resigning, Israel’s military told CNN.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Brigadier General Yossi Sariel, who led its 8200 intelligence unit, has informed them he will “conclude his role in the near future.”
The country’s public broadcaster Kan and several other media outlets have published excerpts of his resignation letter stating he feels personally responsible for not preventing Hamas from launching the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
“On October 7th at 06:29 I did not fulfill the task as I expected of myself, those at my command and commanders expected me and the citizens of the state I love so much,” the letter said, according to Kan.
“Today, in accordance with the state of the war, the processes of the gathering ranks and the building of the unit’s resilience, and after the completion of the initial investigative processes, I request to fulfill my personal responsibility as the commander of the unit on October 7 and at a time to be determined by my commanders to pass the baton to the next shift,” Kan reported Thursday.
US military says destroyed five Houthi drones, two missile systems in Yemen – Social News XYZ
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Excerpt:
“It was determined these (equipment and) systems presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” it said on social media platform X, without disclosing the name of the areas targeted.
The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen since late 2014 after the outbreak of a civil war with the Yemeni government, has not yet made any comment, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israeli forces withdraw from Jenin, step up raids in other West Bank areas – aljazeera.com
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Excerpt from www.aljazeera.com
The Israeli military has withdrawn from the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp after a military offensive that killed many and destroyed critical infrastructure.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa confirmed on Friday that Israeli forces had pulled out of the city following a 10-day siege, but residents feared soldiers would return after temporarily moving to surrounding military checkpoints.
At least 21 Palestinians, including children and the elderly, have been killed in Jenin over the last few days, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement on Friday, and at least 130 more were injured.
The Israeli military said on Friday that its forces had been “conducting counterterrorism activity in the area of Jenin”, without confirming the withdrawal.
Iran Ally Shoots Down NATO Military Drone Over Arab Airspace; Rare Escalation Amid Israel-Hamas War – MSN
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In a rare incident, Middle East Monitor reported that Iraq shot down a Turkish military drone which was flying over Iraqi air space last week. According to Reuters news agency, an armed drone fell in the centre of the city of Kirkuk in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. No casualty has been reported in the incident. Iran Ally Shoots Down NATO Military Drone Over Arab Airspace; Rare Escalation Amid Israel-Hamas War
Netanyahu insists Israel will not withdraw from strategic Philadelphi corridor – euronews.com
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Excerpt from www.euronews.com
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his stance on keeping an Israeli presence along the Philadelphi corridor, while thousands protested against the government’s failure to secure a hostage deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he will continue to insist on maintaining an Israeli presence along the Philadelphi corridor.
The strategic border between Gaza and Egypt has been a main point of discussion in recent ceasefire talks. Hamas is demanding a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, but Netanyahu claims Israel’s control of the corridor is vital to ensure the militant group cannot rearm via tunnels.
Strikes begin after huge anti-government protests erupt in Israel – Thred
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Excerpt:
The Israeli government is facing pressure for not doing enough to retrieve hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest on Sunday, while widespread labour strikes are planned for the rest of the week.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday, demanding their government agree to a ceasefire in order to secure a hostage return deal with Hamas.
The protests were sparked after the bodies of six captives were recovered by Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers from underground tunnels in southern Gaza on Saturday.
Forensic examinations conducted by Israel’s health ministry suggest they were killed 48–72 hours before being found.
Israel brought to a near halt as strikes and protests pressure Netanyahu to secure a Gaza hostage deal – CNN
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Excerpt:
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to Israel’s streets in fresh fury on Monday over the government’s failure to secure a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Hamas. Demonstrations could be seen in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Caesarea and other sites across the country, fueled by the killing in Gaza of six hostages, whose bodies were retrieved by Israeli soldiers this weekend.
Several gatherings targeted the homes of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with protesters lighting fires and chanting: “You are the leader – you are guilty!” near one of Netanyahu’s private residences in Caesarea. In Tel Aviv, protesters outside the US Embassy chanted “Shame!” late into the evening, video showed.
Netanyahu has been accused of stalling efforts for a deal by some hostage families and their supporters. More than 100 hostages, including 35 believed to be dead, are still being held in Gaza – the vast majority of them taken during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, when some 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken captive
The scenes outside the Israeli leader’s homes culminated a day of anger that brought much of the country to a halt, following a call by the country’s largest labor union, known as Histadrut, to shut down the “entire” economy. Flights in and out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport were also stopped for two hours.
Israeli court orders end of nationwide strike called over handling of hostage talks – The Guardian
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Excerpt:
Israel’s first nationwide general strike since the Hamas attacks of 7 October, which was convened in support of a deal to free hostages held in Gaza, has ended after eight hours with a court order for workers to go back to their jobs.
The strike was organised amid widespread public anger at the government’s handling of the war in Gaza after the discovery of the bodies of six hostages at the weekend.
It was called by Israel’s largest trade union, Histadrut, from 6am on Monday, closing government and municipal offices as well as schools and many private businesses. Israel’s international airport, Ben Gurion, was reported to have shut down at 8am local time (6am BST) for two hours.
Israel seeking to close down Unrwa, says agency’s chief after school bombing | United Nations– www.theguardian.com
Source Link
Excerpt:
A campaign is under way to drive the UN relief agency for Palestinians, Unrwa, out of existence, its commissioner general has said, days after 18 people were killed when Israeli jets bombed an Unrwa school in Gaza.
Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview that the Israeli government was seeking to close down the agency, having failed to persuade western donors to stop funding it on the grounds of allegations about links between Unrwa staff and Hamas.
“This deliberate attempt to eliminate Unrwa and prevent it from operating would have devastating consequences for the multilateral system, the UN and the cause of a Palestinian transition to self-determination,” Lazzarini said.
DOJ charges Hamas leader, other militants over Oct. 7 attacks – thehill.com
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Excerpt from thehill.com
The Department of Justice has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other militants over the group’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Tuesday.
The charges, unsealed Tuesday, accuse Sinwar and other senior Hamas leaders of “financing and directing a decades-long campaign to murder American citizens and endanger the security of the United States.”
The criminal complaint, filed in federal court in New York City, includes seven counts, including charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, resulting in death.
“In its attacks over the past three decades, Hamas has murdered or injured thousands of civilians, including dozens of American citizens,” Garland said in a video announcement.
Former British diplomat: Benjamin Netanyahu is the enemy of peace in Israel – lifesitenews.com
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Excerpt from www.lifesitenews.com
(LifeSiteNews) — In his latest interviews with Judge Antony Napolitano, former British diplomat and highly influential MI6 operative Alastair Crooke brings to his audience a view of the crisis in world events notably absent from the mainstream headlines.
In one of two videos below, Crooke argues that it is the Netanyahu regime rather than Hamas which is making any peace or hostage deal impossible – to prolong and escalate war in the region.
His work offers a comprehensive appraisal of the system of “mind management” pursued by the liberal-globalist West, whose partnership with Israel sees it focused on “narrative control” through media propaganda, while it loses wars in reality. Crooke is strongly committed to trying to bring about peace between warring factions.
Islamists Gain in Jordan, Reflecting Public Anger Over Gaza War – The New York Times
UK suspends 30 of its 350 arms export licences to Israel – Reuters UK
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Excerpt from WPVI-TV
Former aide to New York’s governor is charged with being an agent of the Chinese government
Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, schemed to advance the interests of China while working in New York State government, federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
The indictment charges Sun with failure to register as a foreign agent, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy.
Her husband, Christopher Hu, allegedly facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain, prosecutors said.
Sun and Hu each pleaded not guilty during their arraignment in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday afternoon. Sun appeared in a black pantsuit with a red blouse, while her husband appeared in slacks and a pale dress shirt.
While working for the Cuomo and Hochul administrations, Sun allegedly acted as an unregistered agent of China while her husband allegedly laundered the proceeds, enabling them to buy a $3.6 million house in Manhasset and a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii, prosecutors said.
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Excerpt from freebeacon.com
China Paid Pro-CCP Agitators To Clash With Dissenters During Xi’s Visit to San Francisco: Report
China paid pro-Chinese Communist Party agitators to clash with dissidents in November 2023 when the country’s president, Xi Jinping, visited San Francisco, a Washington Post investigation revealed on Tuesday.
The Post’s report found that Chinese diplomats and diaspora groups organized demonstrations to “silence” anti-Beijing protesters gathered outside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where Xi met with President Joe Biden and other foreign leaders. The Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles paid for the hotels and meals of pro-CCP agitators to incentivize them to participate in the violent demonstration.
The agitators harassed and beat anti-China protesters with flagpoles and chemical sprays, leaving some seriously injured, the investigation revealed. The attacks, according to the Post, were “carried out by coordinated groups of young men embedded among” the protesters to silence the dissenters, who gathered to denounce the Chinese government’s domestic repression and human rights abuse.
The Post report is a result of a six-month investigation into China’s campaign to silence foreign dissenters at the 2023 summit. China’s efforts at the APEC summit are part of a broader global pattern to suppress Chinese citizens abroad who advocate against the CCP and ongoing rights abuses in Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and mainland China, the U.S. government and human rights groups told the Post.
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Excerpt from warroom.org
China’s Communist Infiltration of U.S. Institutions: A Growing National Threat Often Ignored by Elite Politicans
In recent discussions, experts have raised alarms over the persistent and pervasive threat posed by Chinese infiltration in the United States. Ret. Col. Derek Harvey, a seasoned intelligence officer, and Ben Harnwell, a political analyst, highlighted the grave concerns regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to infiltrate various American institutions, from universities to government bodies. Their commentary underscores a troubling reality: despite clear warnings, these threats have often been ignored or downplayed.
Harvey pointed out that Chinese infiltration is “the largest counterintelligence and domestic spying operation” faced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), yet it remains under-resourced and, more concerningly, not prioritized.
“Too often these warnings and the indicators that they should be looking for are ignored or they just are quickly forgotten,” Harvey stated, reflecting a widespread complacency or negligence within the U.S. establishment.
This lack of prioritization is not just a theoretical issue; it has real-world consequences. For instance, Harvey recalled the case of U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell, who served on the House Intelligence Committee while maintaining a relationship with a Chinese agent named Fang Fang. Similarly, Senator Dianne Feinstein employed a driver for two decades who was later revealed to be a Chinese spy. These incidents, Harvey emphasized, were not isolated but part of a broader pattern of Chinese espionage efforts that have been overlooked until it’s too late.
“The FBI is spending resources on following, persecuting, and surveying little old ladies who climb to the U.S. state just to pray,” Harnwell added, pointing out the stark contrast in resource allocation. “Meanwhile, spies who are seeking to advance the influence of the CCP in America often go undetected for years.” This misallocation of resources, according to Harvey, demonstrates a failure of priorities within the FBI and other agencies tasked with national security.
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Excerpt from time.com
The U.S. is Losing the Nuclear Arms Race to China
America has one of the largest strategic nuclear arsenals in the world—and one of the oldest. The U.S. can deliver nuclear weapons from silos buried deep in the American heartland, submarines plying vast oceans, or bombers conducting global patrols. Nuclear power has underpinned not just America’s security but that of its closest allies for decades. But the U.S. is losing its nuclear edge in ways that profoundly affect Washington’s interests.
Today, the U.S.’ most formidable adversary, China, is growing its nuclear arsenal by rapidly churning out launch platforms and warheads faster than America’s aging forces can be replaced. A revisionist power like China is most effectively deterred when confronted by an opponent with the resolve and capability to balance out their forces in peacetime and, should deterrence fail, deny them victory in wartime. Satellite imagery of China’s nuclear forces shows that this balance is deteriorating…
A senior U.S. defense official recently revealed that China has begun loading these silos with intercontinental-range missiles. This is to say nothing of Beijing’s more secure road-mobile systems that can also hold the U.S. homeland at risk but are less vulnerable to preemptive attack. The Pentagon has reported to Congress that China’s intercontinental-range missile launchers, in total, outnumber America’s 400 silos loaded with the 54-year-old Minuteman III. China has thus exceeded the targeting coverage of the obsolescing U.S. land-based capability.
Who else is China recruiting? NY political insiders warn of broader CCP effort after arrest of ex-Hochul aide – New York Post
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Excerpt:
Bombshell accusations that a former aide to New York Govs. Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo acted as a secret agent for China raised alarms Tuesday about a broader effort by the Chinese Communist Party to compromise public officials and infiltrate American governments and society.
Political insiders and watchdog groups pointed to the Brooklyn federal court indictments of Linda Sun and her husband Christopher Hu as showing the extent of China’s spy recruitment apparatus.
“This is a dangerous situation,” warned Ed Cox, the state Republican Party chairman and son-in-law of former President Richard Nixon.
Indictment Of Gov. Hochul’s Aide Shows Red China Is No. 1 Threat– thefederalist.com
Source Link
Excerpt:
The Chinese have compromised the Democrat Party in ways Democrats dream the Russians have infiltrated Republicans.
Two indictments this week shook the nation, revealing the lengths to which foreign adversaries have gone to compromise the integrity of the American political system. One indictment, however, was not like the other. In fact, one was far worse in just about every way imaginable.
On Wednesday, an indictment handed down by the Department of Justice (DOJ) exposed a network of shadowy Russian media operatives allegedly duping half a dozen conservative pundits with large followings into receiving millions to “pump pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation across social media.” Federal prosecutors pressed charges against two employees of the Russian-backed news outlet Russia Today (RT), claiming they funneled $10 million to a Tennessee company that paid conservative influencers, who were unaware of its Moscow origins.
In other words, a few conservatives who created their usual online content with the support of a Tennessee firm (apparently Tenet Media) were left completely in the dark about the source of the original financing but are now being tarred in the press as Russian assets. By Thursday, YouTube had stripped Tenet Media’s channel (which hosted the aforementioned popular right-leaning figures) from its website, just two months before Election Day. According to Forbes, YouTube nuked all four channels operated by conservative commentator Lauren Chen, despite Chen’s not having been convicted or even charged with anything.
Yet the Russian interference effort to buy off a couple of oblivious influencers pales in comparison to Chinese operations that are targeting elected leaders who are actually in office.
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Excerpt from www.theblaze.com
UPDATE, 2:47 p.m. ET.: A statement from the GBI on social media confirmed that 4 people had been killed in the shooting and another 9 people were transported to various hospitals for treatment of their injuries.
Georgia police said one suspect is in custody after a high school shooting Wednesday morning that resulted in casualties and injuries.
The shooting was reported at the Apalachee High School in Winder about 10:45 a.m. Winder is about an hour northeast of Atlanta.
‘I have directed all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and urge all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state.’
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Excerpt from CNN
A 14-year-old Apalachee High School student and his father, who are both charged in connection with a shooting at the Georgia school that left two students and two teachers dead earlier this week, appeared in court Friday, both declining to enter a plea to the charges against them.
Colt Gray was arraigned in a Barrow County courtroom on four counts of felony murder stemming from a school shooting that’s left a small community grieving…
In court, Judge Currie Mingledorff informed Gray of his rights and initially said the maximum penalty in his case was the death sentence or life in prison. He later called Gray back into the courtroom to correct the maximum penalty, telling the teen that because of his young age, the maximum he could face is life in prison with or without parole.
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Excerpt from americanactionnews.com
The father of 14-year-old Colt Gray, the suspected shooter at Apalachee High School, was arrested by Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) officials, according to a Thursday press release.
GBI officials announced the arrest of 54-year-old Colin Gray in connection with the Georgia high school shooting on Wednesday, which killed four people and injured nine others. Colin Gray is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to officials.
Colt Gray was arrested Wednesday morning after officials had received calls of a shooting occurring at the high school. GBI Director Chris Hosey and Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith confirmed during a press conference the 14-year-old had been a student at the school and will be “tried as an adult.”
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Excerpt from wltreport.com
Wow, this is bad….
It ALMOST makes you feel sorry for this kid, the alleged shooter in yesterday’s horrific school shooting. Almost. Because apparently he had one hell of a bad family.
Family members of the alleged shooter went online today and went on the offensive unleashing angry and vile and vitriolic tirades against anyone saying anything bad about Colt, at one point threatening to go “full throttle” in a bloody rage.
Sick stuff.
Take a look here:
NEW: Apalachee High School sh**ting suspect Colt Gray’s family is *defending* him after he k*lled four innocent people, threaten to go “full throttle.”
Multiple family members have lashed out since the incident.
“Just check yourself before you speak about a child that never… pic.twitter.com/K8sEP9DJJk
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 5, 2024
NEW: Apalachee High School sh**ting suspect Colt Gray’s family is *defending* him after he k*lled four innocent people, threaten to go “full throttle.”
Multiple family members have lashed out since the incident.
“Just check yourself before you speak about a child that never asked to deal with the bull**** he saw on a daily basis,” his aunt Annie Polhamus Brown said on Facebook.
“Y’all ready to see Polhamus bl**d in full throttle? Nah, I wouldn’t either.”
“Colt never asked for what he’s been through – I’m with you 1000000%. Prayers for EVERYONE affected,” an apparent relative said in a comment.
A former teacher even called him a “sweet boy.”
“I taught Colt and know first hand he dealt with so much!”
“I love him and will be thinking about him and your family as you go through this tragedy! Such a sweet boy.”
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Excerpt from www.thegatewaypundit.com
New details have emerged from Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, regarding a warning the school received prior to the gunman opening fire.
Despite reportedly receiving a phone call stating that the high school would be the first of five targets, seemingly nothing was done to prevent the violence.
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Excerpt from wltreport.com
… Right now it’s come out that the FBI had the shooter flagged as a potential threat over a year ago.
Both the FBI and local authorities confirmed they received an anonymous tip in May 2023 regarding Gray.
But then, there’s reports coming out from those on site that there was more than one shooter.
BOMBSHELL REPORT: FBI had the 14-year-old Georgia school shooter ON THEIR RADAR for over a year..
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN..
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) September 5, 2024
🚨 JUST IN: The FBI has ADMITTED the Georgia school sh**ter was on their radar, as he had made threats to shoot up the school already, but they failed to act on it.
Probably because they’re more worried about concerned parents at school board meetings.
What the hell is the FBI… pic.twitter.com/RNrZe6B7mp
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 5, 2024
FOX News reports:
The FBI has confirmed that the alleged shooter who killed two students and two teachers and wounded nine others at a Georgia high school Wednesday has been on its radar as a possible threat since last year.
In a joint statement, the FBI’s Atlanta field office and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said the agency’s National Threat Operations Center received an anonymous tip about threats posted online regarding a possible school shooting in May 2023.
The agencies said that the threats contained images of guns.
Within 24 hours of receiving the anonymous tip, investigators determined the threats originated in Georgia and the matter was referred to the sheriff’s office.
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Excerpt from americanactionnews.com
Local authorities questioned the Georgia school shooting suspect in 2023 following anonymous tips about alleged threats, The Washington Post reported.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Colt Gray, then 13, in May 2023 after the FBI sent anonymous tips it received through its National Threat Operations Center, the Post reported. The officials, however, claimed there was no probable cause for arrest and Gray denied making any threats.
Four people were killed and at least nine hospitalized Wednesday during a school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Chris Hosey confirmed that Gray, 14 and a student at the school, was arrested after being confronted by officers.
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Excerpt from www.westernjournal.com
A recording of a teacher laughing during the Georgia school shooting is going viral after a realization that the video portrays more bravery than anyone previously thought.
The video was uploaded to social media platform X on Wednesday, the same day as the massacre at Apalachee High School in Winder.
In the clip, a teacher is seen holding shut a classroom door while students crouch down in the corner. She is smiling and appears to be laughing as someone in the student group records her.
“Why the f*** are you laughing?” a student demands. “What the f*** is wrong with you?”
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Excerpt from Axios
This week’s mass shooting at a Georgia high school brought the issue of gun violence back to the fore ahead of November’s 2024 presidential election.
The big picture: Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) made clear in comments Thursday they have very different ideas in how to respond to gun violence in the wake of the Apalachee High School shooting that killed four people and injured nine others.
Driving the news: A CNN reporter asked Vance at a Phoenix, Arizona, event what his policies were on ending school shootings after this week’s massacre, which saw a 14-year-old student charged with four counts of felony murder and his father facing charges including second-degree murder.
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Excerpt from thehill.com
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) called for tighter school security, describing school shootings as a “fact of life” in the wake of this week’s school shooting in Georgia.
“If these psychos are going to go after our kids we’ve got to be prepared for it,” Vance said at a rally in Phoenix. “We don’t have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We’ve got to deal with it.”
His remarks came in response to a reporter’s question about what can be done to stop school shootings. The Ohio Republican argued that restricted access to guns will not prevent shootings, per the Associated Press.
“I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said, per the news wire. “But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We’ve got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children they’re not able.”
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Excerpt from The Daily Wire
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp released statements on Wednesday evening after four people were killed and nine more were injured during a tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
“Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA,” Trump said. “These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster.”
Kemp said in a statement that he and his family were “heartbroken” by the news.
“This is a day every parent dreads, and Georgians everywhere will hug their children tighter this evening because of this painful event,” he said. “We continue to work closely with local, state, and federal partners to make any and all resources available to help this community on this incredibly difficult day and in the days to come.”
Brandon Johnson calls gun access ‘out of control’ after deadly CTA shooting – WBBM
Pic of Alleged Georgia Shooter Has Been Released as Horrifying Tragedy Gets New Update – westernjournal.com
Georgia school shooting: Colt Gray appears in court – live updates – The Independent
Questions remain about how Colt Gray allegedly obtained gun in the Apalachee High School shooting – Yahoo! Voices
Charges against accused school shooter’s father seen as legal ‘breakthrough’ – The Washington Post
Why an ominous warning didn’t stop Georgia school shooting – USA TODAY
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Excerpt from Reuters Canada
Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday she wants the United States to do “much more” to press President Nicolas Maduro amid an ongoing dispute over July’s presidential election.Democracies around the world have criticized the Venezuelan government’s handling of the July 28 vote, which election officials and its top court say was won by Maduro, who has been in power since 2013. Authorities have not released full tallies, blaming a cyber attack.
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Excerpt fromAsharq Al-awsat
Venezuela’s attorney general’s office said on Monday a court has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of incitement and other crimes amid a dispute over whether he or President Nicolas Maduro won a July election.
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Excerpt from Digital Journal
Venezuela’s opposition chief Maria Corina Machado on Thursday called on the world to recognize candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president-elect after a disputed election in the oil-rich nation.
President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the July 28 vote but many in the international community have refused to recognize that result.
However, they have also stopped short of accepting Gonzalez Urrutia as the president-elect, instead calling for Caracas to publish detailed polling results.
“The world knows Edmundo Gonzalez is the president-elect and Maduro was defeated by a landslide,” Machado said during a virtual appearance.
Canada still hasn’t recognized the likely winner of Venezuela’s election — Venezuelans want to know why – cbc.ca
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Excerpt:
Some Venezuelan-Canadians say the Trudeau government has failed to stand up for democracy in its response to the July 28 Venezuelan presidential election — an election tainted by widespread evidence of fraud and a government campaign of arrests, disappearances and torture of poll workers.
Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia ruled out seeking asylum abroad yesterday after a judge loyal to the Nicolas Maduro regime issued a warrant for his arrest on Monday.
Global Affairs Canada condemned the arrest warrant in a media statement. Gonzalez was still in hiding when this article was published.
According to digitized returns, Gonzalez’s unified opposition won the great majority of votes in the election. But his victory has been rejected by the Maduro regime, which claims to have received 51 per cent of the vote. It is backed by Venezuela’s courts and its National Election Commission, both packed with hand-picked Maduro loyalists.
While Gonzalez and his partner, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, have refused international protection, they have asked for international recognition.
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Excerpt from Al Jazeera English
Foreign leaders, including in the United States and Brazil, have reacted with alarm and warnings after Venezuela issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia this week.
On Tuesday, Canada joined in the outcry, as the government of President Nicolas Maduro continues to crack down on opposition members after a contested presidential election…
Maduro’s government declared him the winner of the July 28 presidential election, with nearly 52 percent of the vote. But unlike in past elections, it did not release vote tallies to back up that claim.
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Excerpt from Financial Times
Washington has seized a private aircraft used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, citing alleged violations of US export controls and sanctions laws. The Department of Justice on Monday said the Dassault Falcon 900EX plane had been seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to southern Florida.
“This morning, the justice department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13mn through a shell company and smuggled out of the US for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” said US attorney-general Merrick Garland.
The DoJ’s move comes as Maduro, a revolutionary socialist in power since 2013, has been cracking down on the opposition following allegations his government rigged the count to steal victory in July’s presidential election in the Latin American country.
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Excerpt from Canadian Free Press
Venezuela’s opposition was dealt a blow Thursday when countries that had been pressuring President Nicolás Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory in last month’s presidential election began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead.
The proposal from the leftist governments of Brazil and Colombia, both Maduro allies, came less than three weeks after the results of the highly anticipated election came into question when the main opposition coalition revealed it has proof that its candidate defeated the president by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
The opposition categorically rejected any plan to redo the election.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, during a virtual news conference with Argentine media, said that repeating the July 28 presidential election would be “an insult” to the people, and she asked if a second election were held and Maduro still didn’t accept the results, “do we go for a third one?”
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Excerpt from Reuters
The lawyer for Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez said on Wednesday the attorney general’s office received his affidavit explaining why Gonzalez ignored three summons, amid an ongoing election dispute.The summons came before an arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez, the opposition’s erstwhile presidential candidate, on Monday on accusations of usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents and conspiracy, among other charges.
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Excerpt from Catholic News Agency
“This year, in homage and gratitude to you, I am going to decree that the Christmas season [begins] on Oct. 1,” declared Nicolás Maduro, leader of the ruling socialist regime in Venezuela, Sept. 2 on national television.
“For everyone, Christmas has arrived with peace, happiness, and security,” Maduro added. According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, this is not the first time the socialist regime has done this, as in 2019, 2020, and 2021 it also decreed the “advance” of the Christmas season.
Maduro’s announcement came just hours after the Venezuelan justice system issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González Urrutia, who won the July 28 presidential elections by a wide margin, according to vote tallies published by the opposition. However, the National Electoral Council, controlled by the governing socialist party, declared Maduro the winner.
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Excerpt from Big News Network
A major power outage plunged much of Venezuela into darkness on Friday, affecting the capital, Caracas, and several other states. The blackout, which began around 4:50 a.m., was blamed on “electrical sabotage” by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
In a statement shared via Telegram, Communications Minister Freddy Nanez attributed the outage to what he described as a “desperate” effort by Maduro’s opponents to remove him from power. Nanez claimed that all 24 states in Venezuela were at least partially affected by the power disruption. “The entire national government has been activated to overcome this new aggression,” he declared.
By evening, power had been restored to many parts of Caracas after a day marked by intermittent outages. President Maduro, appearing on state television, expressed gratitude to Venezuelans for their patience during a chaotic day that saw businesses close, hospitals switch to backup generators, and Caracas’ subway system shut down, leaving thousands stranded.
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Excerpt from CNN
A US service member has been detained in Venezuela, according to four US officials familiar with the matter.
The service member, a US Navy sailor, is a US citizen and was detained on August 30 in Caracas, according to the officials. One of the officials said he is being held by the Venezuelan intelligence agency SEBIN.
A defense official told CNN, “we are aware of reports that a US Navy Sailor was detained on or about August 30, 2024, by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities while on personal travel to Venezuela. The US Navy is looking into this and working closely with the State Department. We refer you to the State Department for additional questions.”
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Excerpt fromThe Hub at Johns Hopkins
Venezuela has been ruled by dictators for nearly a quarter century, first under Hugo Chavez, and now under his protege, Nicolas Maduro. Their regimes have suppressed free speech, throttled the economy, committed untold human rights violations, and, in typical dictator fashion, ignored election results to remain in power. Maduro recently ran for reelection against Edmundo González, a stand-in for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was arbitrarily banned from running by the government. Exit polls indicate that the incredibly popular Gonzalez beat Maduro by 30 points, yet on July 28, Maduro declared himself the winner. In more than a month since, his government has provided no proof of victory but has cracked down on dissent, arresting around 2,000 protestors.
The SNF Agora‘s Dissident in Residence, David Smolansky, has firsthand experience with Maduro’s oppressive governance. Before seeking refuge in the United States, the native Venezuelan was elected mayor of El Hatillo, one of the five municipalities in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in 2013. During his mayoral tenure, he reduced kidnappings in his district by 84%, gained recognition for establishing one of the most transparent local governments in Venezuela, and used his platform to condemn the Maduro administration.
Venezuela’s opposition leader calls for global movement to ‘rescue’ country – The Guardian
Protest against the election results announced by President Nicolas Maduro’s government, in Caracas – Colorado Springs Gazette
Argentina joins condemnation of arrest warrant for Venezuela opposition candidate – Buenos Aires Times
Venezuela: UN rights office describes pervasive ‘climate of fear’ – UN News
The Take: Venezuela unrest – Can Nicolas Maduro hold on to power? – Al Jazeera English
Major power outage hits Venezuela; Maduro government blames ‘sabotage’ = Big News Network
Blinken’s Inept Policies Make a Bad Situation in Venezuela Worse – The American Conservative
Venezuela revokes Brazil’s custody of diplomatic mission housing six Maduro opponents – SFGATE
In a move that is sending shockwaves throughout the international social media community, France has decided to arrest the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, after being allegedly falsely allured to France by current fascist PM Emanuel Macron. The lame duck PM lured Pavel to France by inviting him to have dinner with him, only to have him arrested.
The arrest comes after Durov had recently spoken to Tucker Carlson, claiming authoritarian governments were trying to get Rumble to censor their users. The international response has been mostly in support of Durov, with the United Arab Emirates pulling out an arms deal over it and growing calls to boycott France until it frees Durov. Macron claimed the arrest wasn’t political, but no one is buying it.
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Excerpt from Gulf Business
Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram who was arrested in Paris, has nothing to hide and it is absurd to hold an owner responsible for abuse of the messaging and social media platform, Telegram said in a statement.
Durov, a 39-year-old billionaire cast as “Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg”, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris shortly after landing on a private jet late on Saturday from Azerbaijan.
The arrest of the Telegram CEO prompted a warning from Moscow to Paris that he should be accorded his rights, and criticism from X owner Elon Musk who said that free speech in Europe was under attack.
Though there has been no official French comment on the arrest, French news channel franceinfo said that Durov was still in custody on Monday and that he could remain in custody for up to four days.
Telegram, in a short statement released after midnight Paris time, gave no details of the arrest but said the Dubai-based company abided by European Union laws and its moderation was “within industry standards and constantly improving”.
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe,” Telegram said. “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”
“We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”
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Excerpt from news.sky.com
The arrest of the billionaire Telegram founder on French soil was not a political decision, the country’s president has said.
Pavel Durov, who created the encrypted messaging app, was detained after his private jet landed at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris on Saturday.
He has been arrested and detained as part of a cyber criminality investigation – concerning crimes related to illicit transactions, child sexual abuse images and fraud – the Paris prosecutor has said.
In his first public comment on the matter, President Emmanuel Macron said his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights”.
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Excerpt from timesofindia.indiatimes.com
French-Russian tech tycoon Pavel Durov was taken into custody at a Paris airport on Sunday for suspected involvement in activities associated with his messaging app Telegram. The alleged offences include fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organised crime and the promotion of terrorism.
As per the Moscow Times, Durov was detained at Le Bourget Airport and is scheduled to appear in court on Sunday itself.
He could face charges that carry a maximum prison term of 20 years. The arrest has sparked significant discussion and responses within the technology sector and among well-known individuals.
Warrant and content moderation concerns
France has authorised the arrest of Durov as a part of an initial inquiry into the purported offences. The detention of the founder of Telegram has sparked further debates regarding the platform’s policies on regulating content.
Renowned for its end-to-end encryption, Telegram permits groups of up to 200,000 members, consequently raising allegations that it enables the proliferation of inaccurate information and detrimental content.
Reactions from the tech industry
The reaction from the tech industry to Durov’s arrest has been swift and vocal.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, was one of the first prominent tech figures to support the “#FreePavel” trend. He expressed concern about the arrest, seeing it as an attack on free speech and suggested wider implications for censorship. Musk highlighted the dangerous direction these actions represent and expressed increased worry about censorship.
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Excerpt from The Cryptonomist
Telegram declares itself compliant with all EU laws and defends its CEO Pavel Durov
The great messaging app Telegram, defends its compliance with EU laws, after its CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France.
“Telegram respects the laws of the European Union, including the Digital Services Act, and its moderation meets industry standards and is constantly improving. Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, has nothing to hide and often travels to Europe.”
In practice, Telegram has stated that it is fully compliant with the laws of the European Union and that its content moderation practices fall within the “industry standards”.
This statement comes after its CEO was arrested at a French airport by local authorities. The reason for this arrest appears to be a criminal complaint focused on the platform’s moderation practices, which French law enforcement considers insufficient.
In fact, despite there not being a formal accusation published yet, it seems that the company and its CEO are guilty of having published organized criminal acts.
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Excerpt from Shore News Network
The recent events involving the arrest of Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, and the subsequent flight of Chris Pavlovski, CEO of Rumble, from Europe, underscore a troubling trend in the global battle over free speech, particularly in the digital age. These incidents are emblematic of the growing tension between governments and social media platforms that refuse to bow to demands for content censorship. This issue has profound implications for the future of free speech, both online and offline, and raises critical questions about the balance between regulation and freedom in democratic societies.
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Excerpt from observer.com
Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old billionaire founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, who has historically flown under the radar, suddenly made headlines over the weekend after he was arrested in a Paris airport on Saturday (Aug. 25), according to local media reports that were later confirmed by French law enforcement. The surprise news came after Telegram faced backlash for enabling criminal activities through its encrypted messaging platform, and Durov was reportedly held responsible.
Telegram messages are encrypted, meaning no outside influence—not even the company itself or law enforcement—can see conversations that take place on the app. This has made the platform a center for free speech, particularly in non-democratic countries that stifle news at the state level. The flip side, however, is that Telegram has also become a breeding ground for criminal activities, extremism and disinformation. Durov’s arrest was specifically related to Telegram’s lack of content moderation, which has reportedly led to the propagation of pedophilia.
“Telegram abides byE.U.U laws, including the Digital Services Act,” the company said in a statement on X on Sunday, adding, “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”
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Excerpt from Daily Coin
Following the arrest of Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov, several popular crypto figures offered support for the famed tech mogul. In the wake of Durov’s arrest, Nayib Bukele, the pro-Bitcoin President of El Salvador, posted a message on X, implying that the setback would have never happened in his country.
“We also guarantee that you won’t be arrested, censored, or have your assets seized for exercising your right to free speech,” remarked Bukele, who claims El Salvador is now the safest country in the Western Hemisphere. The small Central American nation adopted Bitcoin (BTC) as a legal tender in September 2021.
