News of the World
USA
If you've got cereal, that's all you need, according to this moron.
EUROPE
ASIA
LATIN AMERICA
The Southern Border
Quote:President Joe Biden ignored questions regarding the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley, allegedly at the hands of an illegal alien released into the United States, while speaking to the media in Brownsville, Texas, near the southern border.
On Thursday, Biden spoke alongside Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at a Border Patrol station in Brownsville, mostly about the record-setting illegal immigration that has occurred on their watch.
When the press conference ended, a reporter asked Biden, “Mr. President, do you bear any responsibility for Laken Riley’s death?” Biden did not turn around to address the question and instead continued shaking hands with officials.
...
In October 2023, [Riley's killer] Ibarra and his brother, also an illegal alien who was released into the United States interior, were given a citation for shoplifting $200 worth of items at a Walmart in Athens. Ibarra failed to appear in court for the shoplifting charge and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest in December 2023.
Quote:Former President Donald J. Trump visited the small Texas border town of Eagle Pass on Thursday, offering his assessment of the current border situation. Trump began by describing the horrible murder of Laken Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia at Athens. The former President blamed the murder of Riley and other crime victims on what he referred to as the “Joe Biden Invasion.”
Trump’s remarks included details concerning his plan to regain control of the border as he lamented the deliberate destruction of the most secure border in history. The destruction occurred on January 21, 2021, with President Joe Biden canceling the former president’s strict and successful border policies. Trump’s statement described his assessment of the border, saying, “Three years ago, we had the most secure border in history, people weren’t coming because they knew they couldn’t get in, we weren’t promising free education, free medical, free everything.”
Trump went on to tout the progress towards securing the border under his administration, saying, “We ended catch and release, we built 571 miles of border wall, much more than I promised I would build.” Trump added, “We purchased another 200 miles (of wall materials), and they sold that — much of it for five cents on the dollar.”
Trump went on to describe the removal policies canceled on President Biden’s watch, including “Remain in Mexico,” Asylum Cooperative Agreements (ACA’s) to speed asylum adjudication while migrants wait in Central American northern triangle countries, and the Title 42 COVID-19 expulsion mechanism.
A statement from Texas Governor Greg Abbott followed Trump’s brief remarks. The governor touted the success of his border barrier project and the numerous narcotics seizures and migrant arrests through his Operation Lone Star initiatives.
According to Abbott’s office, as of February 22, the state has made more than 40,000 criminal arrests and seized more than 114 million lethal doses of Fentanyl. The operation also netted 9,811 illegal firearms and resulted in the arrest of more than 500,000 migrants along the Texas-Mexico border.
Abbott also described plans to construct an Army National Guard military base near Eagle Pass. The “fort” is designed to house 1,800 soldiers with an additional surge capacity of 500. According to Abbott, the facility will include a dining hall and space for welfare and recreation activities for the soldiers.
DEI Employees Fired
Quote:University of Florida has fired all of its employees related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), according to conservative activist and CRT expert Christopher Rufo.
“University of Florida has fired all employees related to DEI. The conservative counter-revolution has begun,” Rufo said in a Friday X/Twitter post.
In his post, Rufo included a screenshot of what appears to be an internal email sent from University of Florida officials to faculty and staff.
The email announced that the university is closing its “Office of the Chief Diversity Officer,” eliminating “DEI positions and administrative appointments,” and halting “DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors” in order to comply with the Florida Board of Governance’s regulation regarding prohibited expenditures.
University of Florida officials added that employees whose positions have been eliminated will receive twelve weeks of pay and can apply for a new job at the school in the meantime.
“HR will work to fast-track the interview process and provide an answer on all applications within the twelve-week window,” the email read.
Moreover, “the Office of the Chief Financial Officer will reallocate the approximately $5 million in funds,” previously used for DEI-related expenses, “into a faculty recruitment fund to be administered by the Office of the Provost,” the email added.
The email concluded by reassuring faculty that “the University of Florida is — and always will be — unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity.”
“As we educate students by thoughtfully engaging a wide range of ideas and views, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of the Gator Nation,” the email asserted.
Unbelievable!
Quote:American families struggling with high food prices due to inflation should eat cereal for dinner in order to save money, Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick, who has an estimated net worth of $15.7 million, said.So who cares about not eating some salad or chicken?
It’s no secret that American families are suffering due to inflation under the Biden administration.
Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick, a multi-millionaire, views the issue as a great opportunity to market his company’s brand, suggesting that cash-strapped families eat “cereal for dinner.”
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable, and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure,” Pilnick told CNBC in a recent interview.
Pilnick went on to suggest that the fact that consumers are currently under financial pressure is a good marketing opportunity for Kellogg’s.
“Some of the things that we’re doing is, first, messaging,” the Kellogg’s CEO said. “We have to reach the consumer where they are. So we’re advertising about cereal for dinner.”
“If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that’s going to be much more affordable,” he added.
If you've got cereal, that's all you need, according to this moron.
EUROPE
Scholz The Loosemouth
Quote:Scholz has been accused of abusing intelligence and being a bad ally by angry NATO politicians after his remarks about the level of involvement he claims there is of the British and French in the deployment of the Storm Shadow / SCALP cruise missiles they have given to Ukraine, and which have been deployed with devastating effect.
Ukraine continues to demand Germany hand over its stock of Taurus bunker-buster cruise missiles to help it fight Russia. Indeed, the powerful and long-range weapon which Berlin has proven resistant to supply has been the subject of debate in Germany dragging on now for several months. Chancellor Olaf Scholz insists providing the weapon, which has the endurance to strike deep into Russian areas would represent an irresponsible escalation of the war and make Germany a party to the conflict in a way its previous donations of weapon systems and ammunition had not.
Answering questions on the subject again this week, Chancellor Scholz developed his reasoning for refusing the weapon by stating it was of such complexity there would necessarily have to be German soldiers present in Ukraine to program and set up the weapon before it could be fired. Scholz said this week: “What is being done in the way of target control and accompanying target control on the part of the British and the French can’t be done in Germany. Everyone who has dealt with this system knows that”.
Indeed, he doubled down on this on Friday: “I will not support any decision that would somehow involve German soldiers in a military operation related to Russia’s terrible war against Ukraine”.
It is a little-discussed fact that many NATO states have soldiers in Ukraine, but these troops are generally present only to protect the embassies of those nations in Kyiv, and to safeguard diplomatic staff. In some cases they have additional roles: the United States has been open about the fact it has a limited presence of soldiers who track what happens to the enormous amounts of high-tech weapons systems the West gives to Ukraine, for the sake of accountability. Indeed, that presence was re-confirmed only this week by John Kirby.
In the case of the United Kingdom, an apparently off-guard remark by a senior military officer in 2022 revealed there may be more going on behind the scenes, the Lieutenant General saying there had been “discreet operations in a hugely sensitive environment and with a high level of political and military risk”. The British government later strongly denied having any active troops in Ukraine, however, warning against “taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation”.
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Figures from the United Kingdom and within Germany itself have lashed out at Scholz for, it is alleged, throwing his allies under the bus to try and diffuse domestic political tension over his own issues.
Is Putin Encouraging the Polarisation of the US?
Quote:“For Vladimir Putin, victory in Ukraine may run through Texas’ Rio Grande Valley,” says the March 1 AP report, adding:
In recent weeks, Russian state media and online accounts tied to the Kremlin have spread and amplified misleading and incendiary content about U.S. immigration and border security. The campaign seems crafted to stoke outrage and polarization before the 2024 election for the White House, and experts who study Russian disinformation say Americans can expect more to come as Putin looks to weaken support for Ukraine and cut off a vital supply of aid.
The vague claim of foreign influence operations is humdrum because U.S. citizens know that many nations for decades have used media to influence U.S. attitudes.
But the claim is also politically skewed. For example, the article includes many vague terms — “seems,” “misleading,” and “may” — as it suggests that U.S. migration politics are influenced by Russia. But it provides no means to gauge the scale or impact of Russian influence or spending on American immigration politics.
The AP report described Russian reports about a Texas protest and growing demands for a border wall while admitting that “some [Russian] claims were posted by accounts with tiny audiences; others were made by state media sites with millions of followers.”
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The AP article declared that Russian media reports are inaccurate but provided no links or quotes so that Americans could verify the AP’s reasonable claim:
In social media posts, online videos and stories on websites, these accounts misstate the impact of immigration, highlight stories about crimes committed by immigrants, and warn of dire consequences if the U.S. doesn’t crack down at its border with Mexico. Many are misleading, filled with cherry-picked data or debunked rumors.
The AP did cite Russian coverage about the murder of an American, allegedly by a Venezuelan migrant: “This week the accounts seized on the recent death of a Georgia nursing student and the arrest of a Venezuelan man who had entered the U.S. illegally and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case.”
Rapper Dies & Gangs Start a War
Quote:On Tuesday evening there were at least three explosions at homes in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, with the phrase “War” being graffitied on the walls of two of the locations struck by apparent bombings, Der Telegraph reported.
Police have said that they believe the explosions were linked to a conflict over the killing of 26-year rapper-old Danzel Silos, also known by his stage name Bigidagoe, who was shot and killed in the Sloterdijk area of Amsterdam.
Silos was reportedly attending a party with friends on Saturday evening. Upon leaving the event, he was shot by an attacker in the parking lot. Although he was rushed to hospital, the rapper ultimately died of his injuries.
Bigidagoe had a long history of being involved in crime in the Netherlands, with authorities believing that much of his lavish lifestyle had been a result of the cocaine trade. In August of 2020, he was shot in Amsterdam, however, he recovered from the previous shooting.
Last year, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service called for a four-year prison sentence against Silos over involvement in an alleged kidnapping of rival rapper “Kobus L”, however, the case was not ruled on before his death.
In the wake of the killing, three explosions at residential addresses rocked Amsterdam, with suspected bombings going off on Mastbos, Populierenweg, and Kelbergen streets in the late hours of Tuesday evening into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Is Sunak Still In Charge Or Not?
Quote:Having discovered issues in British society at the very last possible moment when, after over a decade in charge, it is probably now too late to do much about it the leader of the UK’s Conservative government has expressed concern about intimidating factions impacting politics. Rishi Sunak’s comments followed now months of regular Gaza protests in London and other cities, with emboldened protesters also launching what the BBC called “intimidatory protest[s] at MPs’ homes”.
The debate about safety and security of Members of Parliament, already serious after two members of Parliament were killed by extremists in the past ten years, has been given new prominence by increased tensions over the Israel-Gaza war. The speaker of the House of Commons claimed last week he was forced to change the usual business of the house to protect its elected members from becoming the victims of terrorist attacks.
For the Prime Minister, this febrile environment — which he has presided over — is a problem. Now seeking a solution, Sunak summoned police bosses and is reported to have told them:
There is a growing consensus that mob rule is replacing democratic rule. And we’ve got to collectively, all of us, change that urgently.
We simply cannot allow this pattern of increasingly violent and intimidatory behaviour which is, as far as anyone can see, intended to shout down free debate and stop elected representatives doing their job.
That is simply undemocratic… I am going to do whatever it requires to protect our democracy and our values that we all hold dear. That is what the public expect. It is fundamental to our democratic system. And also it is vital for maintaining public confidence in the police.
Sunak said he wanted extra police patrols and a guaranteed minimum police response if a Member of Parliament received a threat, saying this was what the public expected in a democracy and in order to have faith in the police. He did not, however, take the time to publicly reflect on what changes in Britain the policies of the Conservative Party since 2010 might have, inadvertently or not, driven changes in society to produce these effects.
Shortly after Sunak’s lamenting remarks about the damage to democracy being done on his watch, allegations of serious intimidation including death threats were made about the conduct of the Rochdale by-election on Thursday. A man was arrested during the campaign, and the Reform UK Party has published a complaint about the conduct of some candidates and campaigners.
ASIA
Strange Events
Quote:A Scandinavian Airlines medical evacuation plane arrived on Friday in Malaysia’s northern resort island of Langkawi, where the Norwegian king is in hospital and being treated for an infection.
King Harald V, Europe’s oldest monarch at 87, was hospitalized after he fell ill during a vacation, the royal palace in Oslo announced on Tuesday. There were no details of his illness. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, has said his father’s condition was improving and that he needed rest before being brought back.
Norwegian TV2 said that a Scandinavian aircraft with the tail number LN-RPJ took off from Oslo Airport on Thursday, The Boeing 737-700 airline, which has previously been used as a flying ambulance, landed in Langkawi on Friday.
The royal house said Friday in a brief statement that the monarch’s condition was improving but he would remain “in hospital for a few more days for treatment and rest before returning home.”
Quote:India and South Africa on Wednesday blocked the passage of a major investment agreement at the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference in Abu Dhabi, potentially scuttling hundreds of billions of dollars in investments — many of them slated for developing countries of the “Global South,” which India frequently claims to champion.
A trade delegate from a Western nation told Reuters it seemed “ironic that India and South Africa stand in the way of something with such manifest benefits for developing countries.”
The “something” in question is the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFD), introduced at the WTO by Chile and South Korea, with support from China. Depending on how they are implemented, the projects covered by the IFD would be worth between $200 billion and $800 billion.
The WTO has a rule that any of the 164 member nations can block an agreement by filing a formal objection. India and South Africa exercised that option, while 123 of the other members affirmatively supported the IFD.
India filed its objection because it would compromise the “multilateral” nature of the WTO by imposing binding regulations and agreements on all members. Indian officials suggested the nations eager to participate in the IFD could negotiate among themselves and reach an agreement outside the World Trade Organization.
India contends that an agreement such as the IFD must be adopted through a specific set of WTO procedures that would require the unanimous agreement of all members. IFD co-sponsor South Korea seemingly agreed with that point at the Abu Dhabi conference and said WTO leaders are trying to persuade India and South Africa to withdraw their objections.
LATIN AMERICA
Argentina
Quote:Prosecutors charged Argentina’s socialist former President Alberto Fernández on Thursday with embezzlement of funds as part of an investigation into irregularities in insurance contracting allegedly committed during his administration, which ended in December.
Fernández stands accused of having allegedly misappropriated funds by favoring certain brokers to mediate the management of insurance contracts for official dependencies during his government.
In addition to Fernández, the former CEO of the Nación Seguros insurance company Alberto Pagliano and broker Héctor Martínez Sosa – husband of the former president’s private secretary – also stand accused.
Argentine newspaper La Nación reported on Friday that before Fernández took office, the Argentine National Social Security Administration was under a self-insurance program, but in 2021, the former president ordered that all state insurance should be channeled through Nación Seguros, a company that contracted a broker and private companies.
The ongoing graft probe was launched in response to an extensive report published by the Argentine newspaper Clarín on February 24. The report revealed that Nación Seguros subcontracted an intermediate insurance company for Argentina’s ANSES Social Security office that netted a 17-percent benefit in commissions, an amount that is “three times higher than that of the market.”
The total commission earnings, according to Clarín, are estimated at 300 million Argentine pesos per month (roughly $356,000) and 20 billion pesos per year (roughly $23.7 million).
Following the report’s publication, Argentine lawyer Silvina Martínez filed a formal complaint on Wednesday regarding “alleged irregularities in the hiring of a broker and private companies” to mediate in the management of insurance in official agencies during Fernández’s government, leading to the charges.
El Salvador
Quote:The government of El Salvador banned all gender ideology content from the nation’s public school system, education minister José Mauricio Pineda announced this week.
“Confirmed: We have removed every use or trace of gender ideology from public schools,” Pineda said on Wednesday in a social media post, without giving more specifics.
The minister made the confirmation shortly after his office issued a clarification on social media this week stating that gender ideology content, which previous administrations had inserted into curricula, no longer appeared in any “guides, books and other educational materials” in schools. The clarification was issued in response to a local group known as “Salvadoras against gender ideology,” which claimed that gender ideology content was being taught to children in schools.
Following Minister Pineda’s announcement, the Salvadoran newspaper La Prensa Gráfica reported on Thursday that it had obtained a copy of a memorandum issued by the Salvadoran Education Ministry, in which Pineda stressed that the Ministry established its position against gender ideology in 2022.
In the memorandum, Pineda states:
Care has been taken to ensure that all educational materials and programs, teaching resources, lesson plans, textbooks, administrative documents, websites, learning guides, multimedia objects and other related documentation does not contain or allude to this ideology, completely disassociating it from the work of this ministry.
The minister called on the directors, managers, chiefs, and other staff to “take care of the integral education of our students,” asking them to abide by the provisions against gender ideology content “to avoid punitive measures that may result in the termination of their functions, according to due process.”
Last week, during his participation at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), President Nayib Bukele touched upon the subject of gender ideology when Catalina Stubbe, the Hispanic coordinator of the Moms for Liberty organization, asked him about it. Bukele described the practice of teaching gender ideology to kids as an “attempt to destroy future generations.”
"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
