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Category: World

swiss border italy
September 28, 2023
Jake Welch
Immigration
News
World

Switzerland Closed Its Border With Italy This Week Amidst Another Migrant Surge.

Switzerland has closed its borders with Italy and introduced heavy restrictions on movement from other countries following the recent influx of illegal migrants in Europe.

The Swiss Federal Office of Customs and Border Security (UDSC) claimed the decision was a precautionary measure after the French and Austrian governments similarly restricted movement on their borders with Italy last week. The only remaining Italian neighbor to keep its frontier open is Slovenia, as it is not a preferred location by African or Middle Eastern migrants.

The Swiss government was further encouraged to act by the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, with the region regularly appealing for more assistance in its efforts to accommodate increasing numbers of migrants who arrived in the country after it reached its processing capacity. The federal government has stationed more border security guards on the region’s Italian borders as a result.

Switzerland, although not a member of the European Union, is a part of the Schengen Area, which requires it to maintain an open border with other signatories to the agreement and permit the free movement of over 400 million EU citizens and non-EU nationals residing within the bloc.

Over 125,000 illegal migrants have arrived in Italy since the beginning of this year – double last year’s figure. Tens of thousands have landed in Lampedusa, requiring the tiny Mediterranean island of just 6,000 inhabitants to declare a state of emergency over the past several weeks.

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Switzerland has closed its borders with Italy and introduced heavy restrictions on movement from other countries following the recent influx of illegal migrants in Europe. show more
zelensky
September 26, 2023
William Upton
News
Politics
World

Ukraine’s First Lady Unsure If Husband Zelensky Will Run For Re-Election.

Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, appeared unsure during an interview if her husband would run for re-election in 2024 as the country continues to fight a war with Russia. Zelenska also indicated that she hasn’t always been as supportive of her husbands political aspirations.

“Even when he ran for the first time, I didn’t fully endorse it,” Ukraine’s First Lady told Margaret Brennan on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’. “But if he runs again, if he runs for the second time, if he decided it is necessary — well, we have some experience, we’ve been there.” Zelenska’s emphasis on ‘if’ seemed to suggest that her husband was still weighing weather to seek re-election as leader of the war-torn country. She added that if Ukrainians “…no longer wish him to be the president, he will probably not run.”

The First Lady of Ukraine also seemed to suggest the 2024 elections in the country might not occur at all.

Western leaders like Dutch head of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Knox, have encouraged Ukraine to move forward with their 2024 elections despite the country being under martial law. U.S. lawmakers like Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have also pushed for Ukrainian elections next year.

Ukrainian officials have said they believe holding open elections in the midst of the ongoing war may be impossible. At least one security official said in an interview that they believed the push for elections by Western leaders was a Russian conspiracy, adding, “There is no situation in which it is possible to have a democratic election during the war.”

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Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, appeared unsure during an interview if her husband would run for re-election in 2024 as the country continues to fight a war with Russia. Zelenska also indicated that she hasn't always been as supportive of her husbands political aspirations. show more
espionage
September 25, 2023
Crime
News
World

Diversity Is Our Strength: Justice Dept Confirms Arrest of Migrant Defense Contractor for Espionage.

A contractor for the U.S. government, Abraham Teklu Lemma, has been arrested on espionage charges, the Justice Department announced on Thursday. Lemma, originally from Ethiopia, held a top secret security clearance and had access to classified information through contracting positions with the departments of State and Justice.

Lemma is accused of using an encrypted messaging application to transmit maps, photographs, and satellite imagery to a foreign government. Court documents do not identify the country, but press reports say the migrant is alleged to have spied for Ethiopia. He faces charges of delivering national defense information to aid a foreign government, conspiring to do so, and willful retention of national defense information.

Lemma, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, communicated with a foreign official who tasked him with supplying information on specific subjects of interest, including military issues such as command centers and rebel activities.

The State Department learned about Lemma’s actions during an internal security review prompted by the arrest of a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified military documents on a social media platform in April.

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A contractor for the U.S. government, Abraham Teklu Lemma, has been arrested on espionage charges, the Justice Department announced on Thursday. Lemma, originally from Ethiopia, held a top secret security clearance and had access to classified information through contracting positions with the departments of State and Justice. show more
September 25, 2023
Jake Welch
News
World

Canada’s Parliament Gives Standing Ovation to ACTUAL Nazi.

The Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Anthony Rota, has publicly apologized for encouraging the nation’s parliament to give a standing ovation for Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian Second World War veteran who actively fought for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

Rota claimed that Hunka, 98, was a “Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero” who “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today,” whereupon Members of the Canadian parliament from all parties, standing alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, applauded Hunka twice.

The speaker was, however, forced to make a public apology after people began to highlight the reality of Hunka’s military service, with Rota stating: “I particularly want to extend my apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.”

Hunka volunteered for the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the German Army or “Galizien” division, which is believed to have committed multiple war crimes and atrocities in the latter stages of the war. He detailed his involvement in the war and the division in a 2011 blog post, in which he calls his service between 1943 and 1945 “the happiest years of my life.”

Notably, the oath of the Galizien division declared: “I swear before God this holy oath, that in the battle against Bolshevism, I will give absolute obedience to the commander in chief of the German armed forces, Adolf Hitler, and as a brave soldier I will always be prepared to lay down my life for this oath.”

WATCH:

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The Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Anthony Rota, has publicly apologized for encouraging the nation's parliament to give a standing ovation for Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian Second World War veteran who actively fought for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
We previously reported on how Ukraine had planned to honor the Galizien division founder Volodymyr Kubiyovych
for exclusive members-only insights
We previously reported on how Ukraine had planned to honor the Galizien division founder Volodymyr Kubiyovych show more
for exclusive members-only insights
biden ukraine
September 25, 2023
Jack Montgomery
News
Podcast
World

U.S. Aid is Subsidizing Ukraine Corporates, Paying State Salaries, and Buying Fertilizer for Farmers.

Joe Biden’s government is pumping billions of dollars not only into the Ukrainian war machine, but into the Ukrainian economy, using taxpayer cash to pay the salaries of almost 60,000 state employees, subsidize private businesses, and even buy seed and fertilizer for farmers. At the same time, NATO allies including Poland and Hungary complain their own farmers are being overwhelmed by Ukrainian produce being dumped on European markets.

Reporters discovered U.S. taxpayers are paying the salaries of all 57,000 first responders in Ukraine, and not only subsidizing businesses, but even helping them to secure new customers overseas via USAID.

Perhaps the most controversial discovery is the financial support for Ukrainian farmers, considering Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is currently lodging proceedings against several European Union neighbors who have banned imports of Ukrainian grain – without the EU’s permission.

Poland, one of the countries involved in this fledgling trade war, even halted military supplies to Ukraine amid the dispute. It had previously been one of Zelensky’s most important backers, supplying him with warplanes and over 300 tanks, and pushing other NATO members to offer similar assistance.

While non-military aid to Ukraine has already reached the tens of billions, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to Hawaii following devastating wildfires currently stands at around $3.17 million.

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Joe Biden's government is pumping billions of dollars not only into the Ukrainian war machine, but into the Ukrainian economy, using taxpayer cash to pay the salaries of almost 60,000 state employees, subsidize private businesses, and even buy seed and fertilizer for farmers. At the same time, NATO allies including Poland and Hungary complain their own farmers are being overwhelmed by Ukrainian produce being dumped on European markets. show more
September 24, 2023
Election Integrity
News
World

Smartmatic Execs Accused in Election Bribery Scheme.

Executives for subsidiaries of Smartmatic, the voting technology company currently suing Fox News for defamation, have been accused as uncharged co-conspirators in a bribery case, according to a court filing.

The allegations emerged in a case against the former chairman of the Philippines Commission on Elections, Andres Bautista, with court documents suggesting the US Department of Justice has filed money laundering charges against Bautista, with four Smartmatic executives implicated in the case. Both Smartmatic and Bautista deny any wrongdoing.

Smartmatic, in a statement, maintained that it has complied with all bidding processes and procurement procedures in the Philippines, adhering to the relevant laws and regulations. The company emphasized that winning bids in the country are not based on a single individual’s preference, but involve multiple technical evaluations and assessments. Smartmatic said the ongoing investigation is unrelated to election security or integrity.

Fox News, which settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems earlier this year, is also facing a $2.7 billion lawsuit from Smartmatic and its lead counsel, Erik Connolly, is demanding a full retraction and apology from the news network.

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Executives for subsidiaries of Smartmatic, the voting technology company currently suing Fox News for defamation, have been accused as uncharged co-conspirators in a bribery case, according to a court filing. show more
migrants
September 23, 2023
Jake Welch
News
World

Just 8% Of EU Illegal Migrants Are Women.

Women represent a tiny minority of illegal migrants smuggled into the European Union last year, with Frontex – the EU’s border and coastal agency – finding that just eight percent of new arrivals were female.

Just 26,446 of the 331,553 illegal migrants were women, with the rest registered as men or “not available” by the agency, dispelling the myth often reported by the mainstream media that those arriving include a high number of desperate women and children.

In fact, the only occasion in which women and children were the outright majority was in the roughly 13 million who fled the war in Ukraine. These, however, were not recorded as illegal crossings.

Men from countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and others represented a significant majority of the EU’s illegal arrivals.

The report also predicted the number of illegal migrants is expected to increase further in the following years. It states: “There is much to suggest that clandestine entry may increase in the next year in line with expected higher migratory pressure at the EU external borders in general.”

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Women represent a tiny minority of illegal migrants smuggled into the European Union last year, with Frontex – the EU's border and coastal agency – finding that just eight percent of new arrivals were female. show more
September 22, 2023
Jack Montgomery
News
Politics
World

French Globalists Seek to Jail Populist Le Pen AND Ban Her From Office.

Prosecutors in Emmanuel Macron’s France want to put populist leader Marine Le Pen on trial for allegedly misusing European Union (EU) funds, with the potential for a million-euro ($1.06M) fine, a 10-year ban on running for office, and 10 years behind bars if she is convicted.

The strategy of attempting to jail a leading opposition candidate is similar to that being explored in the United States with the sham persecution of former President and White House favorite Donald J. Trump.

The prosecutors claim EU funds allocated to Le assistants while she was an elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) went to individuals who were members of her Front National party, now rebranded National Rally, allegedly violating rules against assistant funding being used for party political purposes.

“We dispute this position which seems to be an erroneous understanding of the work of opposition lawmakers and their assistants, which is above all a political one,” National Rally says of the charges.

Le Pen, 55, ran against President Macron in both 2017 and 2022, narrowing the gap between them from 66 va 34 percent to to 59-41 percent. A poll released earlier this year suggested she would now beat the increasingly unpopular globalist by 55-45 percent.

Le Pen will not get the chance to run against whoever replaces Macron as globalism’s chosen representative in France if the prosecutors have their way.

It is now up to judges to decide whether or not a prosecution will be allowed to proceed.

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Prosecutors in Emmanuel Macron's France want to put populist leader Marine Le Pen on trial for allegedly misusing European Union (EU) funds, with the potential for a million-euro ($1.06M) fine, a 10-year ban on running for office, and 10 years behind bars if she is convicted. show more
September 22, 2023
Jake Welch
News
Politics
World

1 in 3 Europeans Are Now Voting for Populist Parties.

Just under one-third of Europeans – 32 percent – have started voting for both left-wing and right-wing populist political parties over the past several years as trust in establishment parties has plummeted, according to a recent analysis conducted across 31 countries.

Right-wing populist parties in particular “have really broadened their voter base and are forging coalitions of voters with very different concerns,” argues Daphne Halikiopoulou, comparative political scientist at the University of York and a PopuList co-author.

Europe has witnessed electoral success for populists in countries across the continent, including Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, and Spain, with a number of those going to the national polls within the next 12 months.

The share of the vote for populist parties has skyrocketed in recent years, as only 20 percent of Europeans voted for anti-establishment parties in the early 2000s, with even fewer in the 1990s, at just 12 percent. The researchers highlight a number of current political trends as the contributing factors, such as mass uncontrolled immigration from the third world, climate change – all but accepted as sacrosanct by the political mainstream – and other “culture war” issues.

Despite some fluctuation in the vote share, “the underlying trend is the numbers keep rising,” argues Matthijs Rooduijn, a political scientist at the University of Amsterdam, who led the research.

“Mainstream parties are losing votes; anti-establishment parties are gaining,” Rooduijn added.

Recent polling similarly found that right-wing populist parties are also expected to make major gains in next year’s European elections.

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Just under one-third of Europeans – 32 percent – have started voting for both left-wing and right-wing populist political parties over the past several years as trust in establishment parties has plummeted, according to a recent analysis conducted across 31 countries. show more
September 21, 2023
Jack Montgomery
News
World

Poland Halts Weapons Transfers to Ukraine After Being Insulted by Zelensky at the UN.

Poland, Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe, has announced it will no longer send weapons to Volodymyr Zelensky, who insulted the NATO member at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly over its efforts to stop an influx of Ukrainian grain.

Ukraine is a major grain producer and exporter, and Zelensky has often claimed that Russia’s control over the Black Sea is preventing food from reaching the Third World – but much of the food leaving Ukraine is not going to the Third World, but instead flooding neighboring European Union member-states and undercutting local farmers.

The European Commission, the EU’s unelected executive, has refused to extend a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain, but Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia are imposing local bans unilaterally, in defiance of the EU’s claims to exclusive control over trade policy. Zelensky responded to the bans by insulting the governments involved at the UN, suggesting they are aiding Russia.

The Polish government, which is looking after more Ukrainian refugees than any other country, hosts workshops repairing Ukrainian military equipment, and has supplied Zelensky with artillery, tanks, and warplanes, has reacted strongly to the insult, declaring that Polish weapons shipments are now at an end: “We are now arming Poland,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Poland and Ukraine have a strained historical relationship, despite the former’s strong support for the Ukrainian war effort, with Ukrainian nationalists having massacred over a hundred thousand ethnic Poles in formerly Polish territory, now incorporated into Ukraine, during the Second World War. These nationalists, and in particular their leader Stepan Bandera, are celebrated as heroes in Ukraine to this day.

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Poland, Ukraine's strongest supporter in Europe, has announced it will no longer send weapons to Volodymyr Zelensky, who insulted the NATO member at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly over its efforts to stop an influx of Ukrainian grain. show more