News of the World
04-12-2024, 06:00 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-15-2024, 02:54 AM by DerVVulfman.)
USA
EDIT BY DERVVULFMAN:
As a person who worked for someone with an FFL (Federal Firearm License), I wish it known that it has been federal law that gun sales and transfers, even between private individuals, MUST go through a FFL dealership and have at least the FBI NICS-4473 form filled out and processed. Biden's claim that private citizens must go through an FFL is actually unchanged as it has always been the case. I have personally handled such transfers, making direct phone calls to the FBI NICS department easily over 200 times. I memorized the phone number.
And I thought that it still was the USSR / Russia's job. I guess Putin does believe in outsourcing services.
ASIA
OTHER REGIONS
Punished for Being Patriotic
Quote:Members of the Borderline Dance Team were “excited” to show off their moves at the Emerald City Hoedown until the LGBTQ organization that hosted the event gave them an ultimatum.
Rain Country Dance Association, a nonprofit group that hosts events to bring the country and western dance scene to the “queer” community, reportedly told the Borderline dancers that their red, white, and blue shirts were “offensive.”
“Unfortunately, what our team was met with upon arrival was that our flag tops were offensive to some of the convention goers. There was a small group that felt ‘triggered and unsafe,'” Borderline Dance Team wrote on Facebook.
Over the last two days, we have been answering dozens of calls and messages from friends and family. Feelings have…
Posted by Borderline Dance Team on Monday, April 8, 2024
The team went on to say the reasons that people were offended included “the situation in Palestine” and the “trans community in America.”
“At first we were told we would just be booed, yelled at, and, likely, many of them would walk out. This did not deter us,” the dance squad said. “But then we were given an ultimatum.”
Members said they were told to “remove the flag tops and perform in either street clothes (which most didn’t bring, as they traveled there in their uniforms) or they would supply us with ECH shirts from years past…Or, don’t perform at all, which, effectively, was asking us to leave.”
Biden The 20th Century Man. Really!
Quote:President Joe Biden, 81, made the case on Wednesday for his reelection, arguing he is ready for four more years because “I’m in the 20th century.”
While speaking with reporters next to the president of Japan at the White House, Biden said, “Elect me. I’m in the 20th Century,” before correcting himself, saying, “the 21st century.”
It is not the first gaffe or inaccurate statement delivered by Biden, whom special counsel Robert Hur described as “an elderly man with a poor memory.” Numerous times, and perhaps several times during each speech, Biden makes embarrassing gaffes.
He has:
Stated his favorite memory of 2023 was the alleged improvement of the U.S. economy
Claimed he never met with Hunter Biden’s associates, despite photo evidence
Said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power”
Maintained he only had six grandchildren, ignoring Hunter Biden’s out-of-wedlock child
Declared twice that his son died in Iraq
To decrease the number of mistakes, White House aides give Biden note cards and suggest he stay on a pre-written script, Reuters reported in January. His planned words are typically fully “crafted and vetted” by a host of advisers.
That strategy appeared to be deployed during his press conference on Wednesday. Asked about the Hamas/Israel war, Biden appeared to read answers from his note cards:
Biden’s public appearances will do little to calm worries about his mental fitness. Polling shows bad signs for the president:
Quinnipiac: Only about one-quarter of voters say Biden is physically or mentally fit to serve a second term
Fox News: 54 percent of Democrat primary voters prefer an alternative to Biden
FiveThirtyEight: Joe Biden is the least popular president in modern history
CNN: Majority say there is “no chance” they would vote for Biden in 2024
WH on OJ Simpson
Quote:The White House sparked controversy on Thursday when it expressed condolences to the family of OJ Simpson without mentioning the families of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman – the two people he had been accused of (and acquitted of) murdering before being found unanimously responsible for their deaths in a civil trial.
“Our thoughts are with his families [sic] during this difficult time — obviously with his family and loved ones,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing.
“And I’ll say this: I know that they have asked for some privacy. And so we’re going to respect that. And I’ll just leave it there,” she added.
Simpson’s family announced his death at the age of 76 on Thursday following a battle with prostate cancer.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” a statement from the family said. “During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
As Breitbart News reported, Simpson’s star power following a prolific football career, which included 11 NFL seasons as a star running back with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers, cratered in the early 1990s when he stood accused of the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Though he was acquitted of those murders following a lengthy and controversial trial, a jury later unanimously declared him liable for their deaths in a civil trial.
Milei Pays a Visit to Musk
Quote:Argentine President Javier Milei arrived in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday for a visit that will see him receive an award from a prominent Jewish organization and meet privately with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Austin, Texas, on Friday.
Milei’s third trip to the United States since being elected president in November is part of a larger international tour that will conclude with a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, next week.
Much like his previous international trips, Milei traveled to the United States on a commercial flight, saluting other passengers when arriving in Miami with his catchphrase, “Long live liberty, damn it!”
During his stay in Miami, Milei and his sister, Karina Milei, received the “Ambassador of Light” award from the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish organization in a private ceremony on Wednesday evening held at the Shul of Bal Harbour. Milei and his sister were granted the award in recognition of Milei’s support for Israel and his “his unwavering dedication to spreading freedom, hope and positivity in the face of darkness.”
Milei is the one of the few Latin American political voices who has expressed support for Israel’s self-defense operations against the jihadist terrorist organization Hamas. In February, Milei conducted a multi-day visit to Israel, meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Milei has taken steps since his inauguration to realign Argentina’s foreign policy, embracing the United States and Israel after nearly two decades of socialist governments pushed Argentina towards China, Russia, and Iran.
Milei will continue his agenda on Thursday with a meeting with Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn. Milei will also deliver an address at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University.
On Friday, Milei will take a tour of Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas in Austin, where he is slated to meet with Elon Musk. Milei, in a recent interview given to Bloomberg, claimed that Musk will be an active player and will have a role to play in the new Argentina that is “emerging from decadence.”
Iowa Follows Texas Abbott's Example
Quote:The Republican governor of Iowa signed a bill into law that makes illegal immigration a state crime if the person had been deported once already or denied entry before, a law similar in nature to that in Texas.
The bill signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds ® on Wednesday is meant to take effect on July 1, but could be delayed by court challenges, the New York Times reported.
Iowa’s Senate Bill 2340 makes illegal reentry into the U.S. a state crime and with certain limits gives state police officials the power to return an illegal to their home country.
The law also grants immunity from liability to law enforcement agencies and individuals.
Reynolds blasted the Biden administration in her signing.
“The Biden administration has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk,” Reynolds said. “Those who come into our country illegally have broken the law, yet Biden refuses to deport them. This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the power to do what he is unwilling to do: enforce immigration laws already on the books.”
Mayorkas States It's Preposterous
Quote:Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says it is “preposterous” to suggest that President Joe Biden is importing millions of migrants to the United States to inflate political power in favor of Democrats.
During a Senate budget hearing on Wednesday, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asked Mayorkas if it is a fact “that the number of illegal immigrants that you and the president allow into our country counts for congressional district reapportionment?”
Mayorkas initially responded, saying “I’m not sure I understand your question but I can surely share with you that I disagree with its phrasing.”
Kennedy asked again, “Isn’t it true that the number of illegal immigrants that you and President Biden have allowed into our country counts in allocating electoral votes?” to which Mayorkas eventually responded, “The notion, Senator, that we intend to allow illegal immigration is nothing short of preposterous.”
Mayorkas’s remarks come as a Rasmussen Reports survey showed this month that a majority of 57 percent of likely voters — including 54 percent of white voters and 68 percent of Hispanics — believe Biden is importing migrants to the U.S. to create a permanent Democrat majority that Republicans will be unable to overcome.
Indeed, immigration plays a significant role in congressional apportionment and thus, the number of electoral college votes in presidential elections.
In 2020, for example, Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) researchers revealed that the nation’s immigration policy — which annually brings more than a million legal immigrants to the U.S. as well as millions of migrants — was responsible for the shift of about 26 House seats.
“To put this number in perspective, changing the party of 21 members of the current Congress would flip the majority in the U.S. House. The 26 seats represent the effect of all immigrants and their children 17 years of age and younger, and is not the change from one census to another,” CIS researchers Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler wrote:
Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born minor children will redistribute five seats in 2020, with Ohio, Michigan, Alabama, Minnesota, and West Virginia each losing one seat in 2020 that they otherwise would have had. California and Texas will each have two additional seats, and New York will have one additional seat. [Emphasis added]
The Other Biden Member
Quote:First daughter Ashley Biden made a rare appearance at a lavish state dinner welcoming the Japanese prime minister to the White House on Wednesday, a day after the woman who stole and sold her diary was sentenced to a month of prison time.
The New York Times noted the timing of her appearance:
Ashley Biden, the president’s daughter, politely but quickly drifted away from the cameras after telling reporters about her dress. On Tuesday, a Florida woman was sentenced to jail for selling Ms. Biden’s private diary to a right-wing activist group. But outside worries rarely come between a Biden and a state dinner invitation. Ms. Biden’s brother, Hunter, attended a state dinner while under federal investigation last year.
One journalist commented that the article had a “sneering tone” and suggested that Biden should not appear so soon after the sentence:
The woman who was sentenced to jail, Aimee Harris, is a mother of two children, and was given prison time and and three months of home confinement after prosecutors accused her of purposely delaying the sentencing hearing 12 times and showing “a complete disregard” for court orders.
Harris apologized at the hearing for selling the diary and apologized for repeatedly delaying the sentencing hearing, arguing that she was consumed with caring for her two young children, who are six and eight years old. She also said that she is a survivor of long-term domestic abuse and sexual trauma.
Old Biden Praises Mexico's Plan
Quote:President Joe Biden is dangling new border curbs and praising the border plan pushed by Mexico’s president as he tries to restore his support among alienated and disappointed Latino voters.
When asked by the Spanish-language Univision TV network if he plans to issue an executive order to curb the inflow, Biden dodged by saying:
There’s no guarantee that I have that power all by myself without legislation. And some have suggested I should just go ahead and try it. And if I get shut down by the court, I get shut down by the court. We’re trying to work through that right now.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump used the president’s myriad legal and diplomatic powers in 2019 to sharply reduce illegal migration in 2020.
Biden’s border dodge is rational because swing voters want curbs while critical groups in his coalition — West Coast investors and anti-border progressives — have successfully blocked proposed actions to curb the inflow of migrant workers, consumers, and renters.
Axios reported that “while it’s not final, such an executive order is likely by the end of April.” The site claimed Biden “would use authority” in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude some migrants as “detrimental” to U.S. national interests.
Also, Biden may not need an effective policy shift to curb migration. His deputies have already negotiated curbs with Mexico that are reducing the visibility of the unplanned inflow. And even a toothless policy change will help him declare that he is curbing the border inflow.
Biden’s deputies are smacking down claims that he will tighten border rules. “What people want to see is order and humanity in our immigration system” — not cuts and curbs — Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, told the Washington Post last month. “The president doesn’t talk about shutting down the border,” said Chavez Rodriguez, who is the Berkeley-retrained granddaughter of the 1960s labor leader Cesar Chavez, who strongly opposed migration.
FBI's Hypocrite Warning
Quote:We live in dangerous times. That is the simple message FBI Director Christopher Wray will deliver Thursday when he warns of an “elevated threat” to U.S. public safety and national security while seeking a budget boost.
Wray is set to tell a House of Representatives panel of just how America can be threatened through the execution an organized terrorist attack similar to the one that killed scores of people at a Russian concert hall last month, FOX News reports.
“Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once,” Wray will say to the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. “But that is the case as I sit here today. This is not a point when we can let up.”
Wray will argue at the hearing the federal agency needs fiscal support to “tackle these threats” to keep American citizens safe at home as what we were once perceived as global dangers draw nearer.
“This is by no means a time to let up or dial back. This is a time when we need your support the most — we need all the tools, all the people, and all the resources required to tackle these threats and to keep Americans safe,” Wray will say.
Wray will say the FBI’s “immediate concern” is individuals will draw inspiration from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East and carry out terrorist attacks in the U.S..
Quote:During portions of an interview with NBC News aired on Thursday’s edition of “NBC Nightly News,” Jason Houser, who served as ICE Chief of Staff under the Biden administration, reacted to a report that Border Patrol released a man who was on the terror watchlist by stating that this happening “is very, very rare.” But it’s not acceptable for any terrorist or anyone linked to terrorism to try to come into the U.S.
NBC News Homeland Security Correspondent Julia Ainsley said the case “appears to be just one of at least three incidents in the past two years involving suspected terrorists being released by Customs and Border Protection, according to the DHS inspector general and Congress.”
She also played a clip of Houser saying, “Any terrorist or terrorist-linked individual trying to come into this country is unacceptable.”
Ainsley then said, “We pressed a former top ICE official in the Biden administration about how a member of a terror group could be released into the U.S. by DHS.”
She then played a clip of Houser stating, “This is very, very rare. There’s a large capacity and capability for both Border Patrol, ICE, federal law enforcement, and the interagency to identify and vet these individuals as they come to the border.”
VP Harris & Guns
Quote:Vice President Kamala Harris posted a video to X on Thursday in which she praised the ATF’s proposed rule which will force background checks on private gun sales.
President Biden boasted about the proposed ATF rule Thursday morning as well.
Breitbart News explained that the ATF’s proposed rule changes the definition of what it means to be “engaged in the business of selling guns,” thereby expanding the instances in which an unlicensed seller — i.e., a private citizen — must use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to sell or transfer a gun.
In Harris’s video, she claimed the expanded background checks will “save lives.” She then went on to push for Congress to pass more gun control, including red flag laws, an “assault weapons” ban, and literally universal background checks.
Harris did not mention that California has had an “assault weapons” ban since 1989, universal background checks since the early 1990s, and a red flag law since 2014. In fact, California has more gun control than any other state.
Nevertheless, in 2021, California was the number one state for “active shooter incidents.”
EDIT BY DERVVULFMAN:
As a person who worked for someone with an FFL (Federal Firearm License), I wish it known that it has been federal law that gun sales and transfers, even between private individuals, MUST go through a FFL dealership and have at least the FBI NICS-4473 form filled out and processed. Biden's claim that private citizens must go through an FFL is actually unchanged as it has always been the case. I have personally handled such transfers, making direct phone calls to the FBI NICS department easily over 200 times. I memorized the phone number.
China Hijacking UN Agencies
Quote:Experts, including two former diplomats representing America at the United Nations, warned Congress in a hearing on Wednesday that China is amassing power within the U.N. structure to “blunt criticism, shut out and stigmatize Taiwan, plug its Belt and Road Initiative, and dilute norms that might be used to hold it accountable.”
The experts cited examples such as the Chinese Communist Party actively pursuing leadership roles for members of the regime at the head of influence U.N. agencies, investing directly in obscure U.N. projects and hijacking them to work in Beijing’s interest, and using its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to coerce poor countries into defending it against human rights criticism at the United Nations.
Among the most prominent examples of the latter was China’s “Universal Periodic Review” at the Human Rights Council this year. The Human Rights Council, currently staffed by majority dictatorships, reviews the records of various governments on a schedule on the matter of human rights; China was one of 14 to face scrutiny in 2024.
While the Chinese Communist Party is one of the bloodiest and most prolific human rights criminals in the world, most notably engaging in an ongoing genocide against Turkic ethnic groups in occupied East Turkistan, it received lavish praise at the Human Rights Council for “commitment to the promotion of humanity’s common values,” “improving the criminal litigation system,” and “impressive progress in the field of social economic development.” Among the countries applauding the communists were fellow rogue states such as Russia and Iran, but nominal U.S. allies including Ukraine, a BRI member, as well.
The experts also lamented China’s role in limiting competent action by the World Health Organization (W.H.O) during the early days of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic and similar attempts to influence other U.N. bodies.
The Congressional Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations hosted the hearing on Wednesday, titled, “The Chinese Communist Party’s Malign Influence at the United Nations — It’s Getting Worse.” The hearing followed a similar event in February hosted by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a bicameral body, that focused only on the Universal Periodic Review. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) chaired both events.
And I thought that it still was the USSR / Russia's job. I guess Putin does believe in outsourcing services.
ASIA
Don't Commit Fraud or You'll Be Executed
Quote:A court in Ho Chi Minh City rushed on Thursday to sentence real estate tycoon Truong My Lan, one of the richest women in the world, to death for her part in a $12.5 billion fraud case.
The verdict and sentence were delivered surprisingly early in the trial, which was the greatest courtroom spectacle in Vietnam’s history.
Lan, 67, is a Chinese-born billionaire who rose from humble origins as a cosmetics vendor to build a real estate empire after Vietnam’s economic reforms in the 1980s. She established the Van Thinh Phat company in 1992, the same year she married Hong Kong investor Eric Chu Nap-kee, and quickly amassed a vast portfolio of hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls. To this day, the company owns most of the luxury properties in Ho Chi Minh City – or at least it did until the court seized over 1,000 properties owned by Lan.
All land in Vietnam is technically owned by the Communist regime, so even when the economy was “liberalized” by “market reforms,” close ties to a phalanx of government officials were necessary to become successful in real estate. Almost all of Vietnam’s first wave of market-reform millionaires were people like Lan who convinced Communist officials to let them buy and sell real estate.
Lan became so respected and influential that the Vietnamese Communist Party gave her an oversight role in a massive 2011 bank merger. According to prosecutors, she proceeded to use the revamped Saigon Joint Commercial Bank (SCB) as her personal piggy bank, milking it for billions by creating “ghost companies” and using them to secure fraudulent loans for herself and her cronies.
Lan and her 85 co-defendants were accused of swindling $12.5 billion from the SCB, but prosecutors said their activities caused over $27 billion in damage to the bank and Vietnam’s financial system, which is equivalent to about seven percent of Vietnam’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
China Owns Taiwan? Xi Believes it
Quote:Chinese dictator Xi Jinping hosted former President of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou on Wednesday, declaring that Taiwan is not a separate entity from communist China as their peoples “share the same bloodline, culture, and history.”
Ma served as president of the nation of Taiwan between 2008 and 2016, representing the pro-communist Kuomintang party. Taiwan is a sovereign state independent of China that has never been ruled by a government headquartered in Beijing, and Ma became president through a free and fair election. Despite having been the leader of the sovereign entity, Ma has championed friendly relations with the Chinese Communist Party, which rejects the reality of Taiwanese nationhood and insists the country is a rogue province rightfully governed by Beijing.
Chinese state media, which covered Ma’s visit extensively, did not indicate that Ma objected to Xi’s repeated claims over his country. On the contrary, the state outlet Xinhua claimed that Ma said “opposing ‘Taiwan independence'” is a necessary “common political foundation” for peaceful Beijing-Taipei relations.
Ma’s visit followed the election of hardline anti-communist Vice President Lai Ching-te to the presidency of the country in January, extending the rule of his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after two terms of outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, who succeeded Ma. The Chinese Communist Party aggressively opposed the elections of both Tsai and Lai, and state media openly threatened war against Taiwan in the aftermath of Lai’s defeat of the Kuomintang.
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army remains on high alert at all times and will take all necessary measures to resolutely crush any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist plots and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman bellowed shortly before Lai’s victory.
Having failed to defeat the DPP, the Chinese government appears to be working to elevate its rival party by giving Ma a warm welcome on Wednesday. Xinhua reported that Xi emphasized to Ma and – thus, the entire nation of Taiwan – that there is no such thing as a Taiwanese national.
China Sanctions US Companies
Quote:China on Thursday announced sanctions on two major American defense companies over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan violated the various agreements between the U.S. and China that maintain a delicate situation whereby the U.S. does not officially recognize the Taiwanese government nor support its independence, but it allows for the U.S. to maintain informal ties to the democratic island nation and bolster its defense against a military takeover by China.
The ministry said in a statement:
The continued U.S. arms sales to China’s Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, interfere in China’s internal affairs, and undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China sanctioned General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems, freezing their assets within China and denying entry to their senior management. “This decision shall come into force as of April 11, 2024,” the statement said.
According to the Associated Press (AP), General Dynamics operates a half-dozen Gulfstream and jet aviation services operations in China. The company also produces the Abrams tank, which is being purchased by Taiwan to resist an invasion by China.
Last year, China banned American defense companies Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Missiles & Defense after one of their planes and missiles shot down the suspected spy balloon that was discovered flying across the continental U.S. over sensitive military installations, the AP reported.
Taiwan is a major flashpoint between the U.S. and China.
US, Japan, Australia, Philippines & China
Quote:The Philippines joined the United States, Japan, and Australia on Sunday for a large-scale joint air and naval exercise in the South China Sea. China peevishly announced “combat patrols” to counter the exercise, boasting it would keep the United States and its allies “under control.”
The Philippine military said the joint exercise, dubbed “the first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMC) in the West Philippine Sea,” was a success.
The exercise involved six surface vessels and four aircraft, which performed “communications exercises” and practiced tactical maneuvers within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“These activities were designed to enhance the different forces’ abilities to work together effectively in maritime scenarios,” the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.
“The MMCA demonstrated the participating countries’ commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific through interoperability exercises in the maritime domain,” the AFP declared.
Australian Commander Jennifer Graham of the HMAS Warramunga, an Anzac-class frigate that participated in the exercise, said:
We thoroughly enjoyed Philippine hospitality and activities while alongside at Puerto Princesa as part of our regional presence deployment, including cultural exchanges, ship tour and an official function, plus a goodwill match of soccer and basketball with the Philippine Navy at Naval Station Apolinario.
“We were very impressed with the capability, professionalism and support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines elements involved in the planning and execution of the activity,” Squadron Leader Tristan Hull said.
South Korea's Political Debacle
Quote:Multiple senior members of conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration and the head of his People Power Party (PPP) tendered their resignations on Thursday after vote counts confirmed that the left-wing Democratic Party decisively took over the National Assembly in Wednesday’s midterm election.
The Democrats overcame a chaotic campaign season in which leader Lee Jae-myung survived a would-be assassin stabbing him in the neck. The day he was released from the hospital, three members of his party defected, protesting that Lee was running an authoritarian and corrupt “regime” within the party. Lee was in court on Tuesday for a hearing addressing criminal charges in which he stands accused of bribery and other corruption during his term as mayor of Seongnam.
Aiding the Democratic Party is the growing unpopularity of the PPP under Yoon. Yoon is facing his own corruption scandal – wife Kim Keon-hee was allegedly caught on video accepting a $2,200 Dior bag as an illicit gift – and soured public sentiment against himself by claiming during a supermarket visit that the price of green onions was reasonable.
Voters interpreted his observation, which omitted that the government was forced to intervene to suppress inflation of scallion prices, as an indication that he was woefully out of touch with the difficulties average Koreans are facing in his economy.
As of Thursday, authorities confirmed the Democratic Party taking 161 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly, the federal legislature, and in total controls 175 seats, including associated political parties that compete in the few seats elected via proportional representation. The PPP, meanwhile, holds 90 seats and controls 108 when counting associated parties.
OTHER REGIONS
Canada & China
Quote:A Canadian intelligence commission concluded on Monday that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) “clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 elections,” both of which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party won.
Trudeau established the commission in January under intense pressure to do more about foreign interference in Canadian elections, especially from China.
The most glaring example of such interference was the downfall of Kenny Chiu, a Conservative Member of Parliament explicitly told by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) that his re-election campaign was undermined by foreign interference. Chiu lost his seat in 2021 to a member of Trudeau’s Liberal Party.
On Monday, the commission reviewed a February 2023 CSIS briefing for Trudeau in which the spy agency made it clear that China clandestinely interfered in the previous two elections. The public disclosure of this document was a bombshell that demolished earlier claims by Trudeau officials that the evidence of Chinese interference was not firm enough to merit government action.
Even more embarrassing was the conclusion CSIS reached in the February briefing that China worked to undermine Conservative candidates in 2021 because Beijing felt the party was running on an “anti-China” platform. Among other issues, the Conservatives were vocal about China’s genocide of the Uyghur Muslims and the security threat posed by Huawei 5G networking equipment.
The briefing presented to Trudeau described “online and media activities aimed at discouraging Canadians, particularly of Chinese heritage, from supporting the Conservative Party, leader Erin O’Toole, and particularly Steveston-Richmond East Candidate Kenny Chiu.”
Costa Rica: Ferry Boat Collision
Quote:In the tranquil waters of Puntarenas, a surprising event unfolded this Tuesday, which might remind one of a peculiar shuffle rather than a smooth sailing day. The Naviera Tambor’s ferry, the Tambor III, found itself in a tangle with the Paquera dock’s access ramp. This was not your everyday bump; the collision left the dock licking its wounds, prompting an urgent reassessment of infrastructure and travel plans alike.
A Collision Course with Chaos
The incident took a dramatic turn as the ferry, in a bid to embrace the shore, instead embraced the ramp a tad too tightly. This unfortunate entanglement resulted in significant damage to the structure, setting off alarms across the region. It was a moment when the ocean’s calm met human error, and the result was anything but serene.
As fate would have it, this maritime misstep occurred at a time when alternative routes to Guanacaste were as precious as a cool breeze in summer. The La Amistad bridge over the Tempisque river was closed for maintenance, leaving travelers to rely more heavily on ferry services. The timing, it seems, could not have been more impeccable if it tried.
The Response: A Tide of Actions
Quick to react, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), through its Maritime Port Authority, deployed officials to the scene faster than one might say “ship ahoy!” Their mission: to assess the damages and chart the course for repair. Meanwhile, Naviera Tambor took to social media, perhaps in an attempt to steady the ship, announcing that services would continue but with a slight detour to Playa Naranjo’s docks.
In an era where social media can often seem like the wild seas, Naviera Tambor’s announcement was a lighthouse of information. They reassured the public that their crew, captains, and personnel were as capable as ever, perhaps even ready to navigate through a storm in a teacup.
Navigating Through Repairs
As the dust settled and the tide of immediate reactions receded, the MOPT authorized Coonatramar, another ferry operator, to fill in the gaps. Coonatramar, navigating the waters between Puntarenas and Playa Naranjo, was granted permission to operate around the clock, a decision that likely saw a collective sigh of relief from travelers and night owls alike.
Verny Jiménez, the director of the Maritime Port Division, painted a picture of the aftermath: two modules, each three meters wide, were damaged, alongside a pilote. As for the timeline and solution, the waters remain murky, but the repair works are estimated to last at least two months, with the costs to be borne by insurance.
Russian Oil
Quote:The latest oil price-tracking data suggests Russian crude oil is currently selling for about $75 per barrel, which is far above the $60 cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations (G7) in 2022.
Russian oil is trading even higher in markets like India, suggesting the G7 effort to starve Russia’s war machine of oil revenue is failing.
Bloomberg News reviewed data on Wednesday from one of the premier oil price trackers, Argus Media, to determine that Russian oil is currently valued at $75 a barrel when it leaves Black Sea and Baltic Sea ports.
In India, oil from the Urals is trading at $88 a barrel, which is only a $3.80 discount below the global benchmark. Russia was originally forced to sell its oil at steep discounts after it invaded Ukraine and drew Western sanctions, but that no longer seems to be the case.
Argus Media said the good news is that Russia pays far more to ship oil to customers in Asia than to its old customers in Europe, which eats up about $7 to $8 of profit from each barrel sold – but even those high shipping costs are declining, which puts more money in Moscow’s pocket.
The bad news is that those high prices mean Western shipping companies have not been honestly reporting the value of the Russian oil they transport.
New Zealand & Immigration
Quote:New Zealand’s conservative government announced Sunday it has tightened work visa rules as “unsustainable” migration levels soar to near-record highs.
Low-skilled applicants now have to fulfil English-language requirements and are allowed to stay for three years – down from five previously – amid fears that high immigration levels are driving up house prices.
“Getting our immigration settings right is critical to this government’s plan to rebuild the economy,” said Immigration Minister Erica Stanford.
Close to a record 173,000 non-citizens migrated to New Zealand last year.
New Zealand, which has a population of 5.3 million, has been experiencing a surge in migration since the end of 2022 driven by moves from the previous left-wing Labour government of now departed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon declared last year the country’s high net migration rates did not “feel sustainable at all” and promised to act.
Now he has fulfilled that commitment.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
![[Image: SP1-Scripter.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Scripter.png)
![[Image: SP1-Writer.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Writer.png)
![[Image: SP1-Poet.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Poet.png)
![[Image: SP1-PixelArtist.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-PixelArtist.png)
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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
