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zablife · 2 years

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Thinking Jack is Leaving You

Jack Nelson x female reader

Summary: You overhear Jack state his intention to leave the UK and mistakenly believe he wants to leave you behind as well.

Author's Note: A quick imagine requested by a lovely anon who wondered what would happen if a Shelby sister was dating Jack while he was in the UK then overheard him stating his intention to "get off this fuckin' island."

Warnings: language, drinking

As you passed by the dining room late one evening a clatter of china caught your attention, then suddenly you heard your lover’s voice. “Fuck wine. Whiskey!” You heard the muffled voices of Jack and your brother, Tommy, along with a few other people. Unaware they were conducting business so late, you crept closer to eavesdrop and heard Jack proclaim. “I’m celebratin’….Gettin’ off this fuckin’ island!” Jack said with malice.

Tommy and Jack had been conducting business the past few weeks and you knew their negotiations hadn’t been pleasant. While he hadn’t discussed his departure with you, you thought Jack liked you enough to tell you about it when the time came. The realization dawned on you that perhaps he had been lying about his feelings for you. What if he planned to leave without so much as a goodbye?

You couldn’t help the tears that fell and you sniffled quietly on the stairs. Before you could wallow in your sadness much longer, Lizzie came pushing past you in a fit of tears herself and you tried calling out to her, but she was inconsolable. As you stood dumbfounded, Sir Oswald Mosley and Lady Diana Mitford strolled out of the room arm in arm sharing a laugh. You watched them disappear down the front hallway toward the door and quickly realized Jack was now all alone in the dining room.

Seizing the opportunity to confront him, you barged in to find him sitting at the table alone. “Hiya, doll face!” he called out loudly, opening his arms in welcome.

“My God, Jack. Are you drunk?” You asked looking him up and down, noticing his disheveled hair, rumpled shirtfront and undone tie. He was never this untidy.

Jack downed his drink and slammed the crystal glass on the polished table, swaying slightly. “Course not. Come join me for another round.” He raised his arm and snapped his fingers, unaware that the wait staff had left the room.

You rolled your eyes at him. “There’s no one here, Jack. Besides, you’ve had enough and I want to talk to you,” you said pulling out the chair next to him.

“Why are you so serious, doll?” He said reaching for your hand.

You pulled away reflexively answering, “Why are you so anxious to leave me?” You couldn’t help the tears forming in the corners of your eyes as you asked the question. You’d become more attached to Jack than you wanted to admit.

“Woah, woah…slow down,” he said putting a hand to his forehead, the alcohol catching up with him. “What are you talkin’ about?”

“I heard what you said to my brother about getting off this “fucking island”, Jack. I know you’re planning on leaving me behind so what was all the bullshit you’ve been telling me about how you can’t live without me?” you said, accusations and emotion pouring out of you in equal measure.

Jack took a deep, sobering breath and reached a hand to your cheek. You allowed him to touch you, wanting to feel the comforting warmth of him one last time. “Sweetheart, I may be going home, but I don’t wanna leave you behind.”

“You don’t? Are you saying you want me to come to Boston?” You asked, a smile slowly spreading over your face.

“You’re gettin’ the idea,” he said with a smirk. Then raising from his chair suddenly he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder. He strode toward the door saying, “Gonna kidnap you if that’s what it takes” and you laughed uncontrollably at his antics. He spanked your ass a couple of times asking joyfully, “Are you gonna say yes?” You pummeled his back with your fists playfully saying, “Let me down, you big oaf.”

You were still giggling as he returned you to the ground searching your eyes. You steadied yourself placing your hands on his forearms and looked into his eyes. Turning serious for a moment you replied, “Yes, I’ll go to Boston with you, Jack.” Then you pressed onto your tiptoes to place a kiss to his lips to seal the deal.

#Peaky Blinders fanfic #Peaky Blinders imagine #Jack Nelson fanfic #Jack Nelson imagine #Jack Nelson x female reader

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the50-person · 10 months

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Hong Kong police on Monday offered HK$1 million (S$172,000) bounties for information leading to the capture of eight democracy activists based abroad and wanted for national security crimes.

In response to the accusations against the activists – some of whom are based in the UK – Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said London would "not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas".

#hong kong #china #chinese #human rights #news #anti-extradition #and so the world spins

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beardedmrbean · 1 year

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EU nations on Wednesday were finalizing a joint response to China's COVID-19 crisis.

Over the past week, member states have been implementing their own restrictions on travelers arriving from China.

Reactions to restrictions on visitors from China

Beijing has slammed the new rules, such as testing requirements in Italy and France, as "discriminatory" and vowed to impose countermeasures. As the EU was fine-tuning its approach, Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning said: "We sincerely hope that all parties will focus on fighting the epidemic itself, avoid the politicization of COVID.''

Medical groups and airlines have also complained that the disjointed approach is untenable. International Air Transport Association Director General Willie Walsh said that it was "extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years."

"Research undertaken around the arrival of the omicron variant concluded that putting barriers in the way of travel made no difference to the peak spread of infections. At most, restrictions delayed that peak by a few days," he said.

Some EU health officials have also noted that the variants now heavily affecting China have already been present in Europe for sometime.

Despite this, the European Union appeared determined to impose some sort of restriction. Sweden, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, issued a statement saying that "travelers from China need to be prepared for decisions being taken at short notice.''

On a trip to Portugal, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said it was essential for the EU to have a united response to China's unprecendented wave of infections.

What is the current COVID-19 situation in China?

In December, China became one of the last countries on Earth to drop its "zero-COVID" policy, which had been in place since the pandemic began in 2020. The policy became known for its extremely strict quarantines, often of entire neighborhoods or cities. The administration of Premier Xi Jinping finally dropped the plan after nationwide protests throughout the fall, resulting in soaring numbers of infections and deaths.

After the initial wave began, China announced that it would be counting cases and fatalities differently, resulting in data that international health officials have criticized as opaque.

Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, a UK-based expert on epidemiology and global health, told DW that "in a global crisis, we need rapid sharing of information. And, without that, it's very hard for us to sort of respond globally in a coordinated manner."

She said she didn't think that the European Union's current patchwork approach would do much good. "I think while it's really important to surveil the variants that might be emerging or growing within China, this sort of patchy pre-departure testing is unlikely to make a difference in terms of slowing the import of any new variant unless there are also domestic measures in place," he said.

Gurdasani also said that, with Lunar New Year approaching, the spread of COVID-19 across China and the emergence of new variants is highly likely.

WHO calls for transparency from Beijing

Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) criticized Beijing's "very narrow" definition of COVID deaths, which does not include people who die of COVID alongside another underlying condition. It also only allows for a death to be listed as caused by the coronavirus if the person died of respiratory failure, despite scientists know that COVID-19 has many other symptoms. Therefore, only 22 deaths have been registered since early December.

"We believe that the current numbers being published from China under-represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, and particularly in terms of deaths," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told reporters.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that his team was conducting talks with their counterparts in Beijing

"We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalization and deaths, as well as more comprehensive, real-time viral sequencing," he said.

#nunyas news

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pressnewsagencyllc · 1 month

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Article 23: China decries 'hypocrisy' as EU, UK slam security law

Beijing has called on the European Union (EU) and the UK to abandon “double standards,” after they raised concerns about the potential erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong under the newly passed domestic security law. National and regional flags at various official buildings in Hong Kong, including the Central Government Offices and Beijing’s liaison office fly at half mast to mourn the late Chinese…

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#article 23 #David Cameron #European Union (EU)#National Security #Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs #UK

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xtruss · 3 months

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Texas Bentley’s Top 10 Predictions For 2024

I put on my Swami hat and my Guru suit, met with the Shamans, and consulted AI. I crunched all the data, checked all the facts, consulted all the "experts", and analyzed the results. And here they are - Texas Bentley's Top Ten Predictions for 2024 (and beyond).

#10 - Vladimir Putin Will Be Re-elected as Russia's President

Yeah, I know that's not an especially astute or amazing revelation (we'll get to those later) but it is an absolute slam-dunk guaranteed-to-be-correct prediction, which ensures, at least, that I won't get them all wrong. Of course, I could have predicted with equal certainty that the Sun will rise in the morning, but that is not completely certain. A giant meteor could smash the Earth into pieces tonight, or the Sun itself could explode before tomorrow. It's possible. But barring either of these two possible events, it is absolutely certain that Putin will be re-elected in 2024. It's also nice to start off with some good news, since there's not going to be a lot of that in the near future. Which brings us to my next prediction...

#9 - Things Will Get Worse Before They Get Better

Most people who have been keeping up with the news, and whose understanding of history extends beyond last Saturday night, probably already know this, but that particular set of people is a very small minority in the West, especially in the USA. Those who think that voting will change anything, or that there's any chance that the governments and the ones who own and control them will loosen their grips on the collective throat of Humanity have a naive and ahistorical world view that, to be honest, is a big part of the problem.

There can hardly be any credible argument against the fact that in the 21st century, for people throughout most of the world, things have not only gotten worse, they've gotten much worse. Those who say their rulers are "stupid" because of this fact, miss the whole point. Their rulers are not stupid, they are doing it on purpose, and will continue to do so, unless and until we stop them. Voting will not do it, singing songs and carrying signs will not do it. Posting the sad face emoji on Facebook will not do it.

If you want to try to make things better, you will have to pass through a crucible of fire, from which there's no guarantee you'll make it to the other side. But it is guaranteed that if you're not willing to go there, you'll never see the other side. And you will sit and wait to get what you deserve. If you want to know how to do it and what must be done, ask the Houthis, ask the people of Palestine, Iran and Syria, ask the people of Cuba and the people of Donbass. They know, and they are doing it, right now, today. Take a lesson from them. Speaking of which...

#8 - The Shia Axis of Resistance Will Not Back Down

The harder the US/UK/EU and Israeli forces hit the Axis of Resistance, the harder they will hit back. NATO forces are laughably unprepared for a conventional military confrontation in the Middle East or anywhere else. However, they are nuclear armed, experts at dirty tricks, and there is no moral line they will not cross to cling to power or slaughter those who resist them. They have already proven it themselves, by their actions in Gaza and elsewhere. Iran has stated officially that they do not possess, nor seek to possess, nuclear weapons, because those types of weapons are immoral and repugnant to God and Humanity. If attacked, they will use every weapon at their disposal to defend themselves, and they will fight to the end, without hesitation.

#7 - NATO Will Soon Involve Itself in a Multi-front War

In Ukraine, in the Middle East, domestically in Europe and North America, for sure, and probably with China too. Within a year from now, the countries of NATO will be in a kinetic shooting war in most, if not all, of these places. And they will be getting their butts kicked, on all Fronts. just like they have in Ukraine. The Houthis have already defeated the US-backed invasion on the ground in Yemen, and they have proven their ability and willingness to hit targets in the Red Sea. What the Houthis have done in the Red Sea, Iran can do in the Persian Gulf. The logistics alone make it impossible for the US/EU to win, but their naval and commercial ships will be sitting ducks for Iranian and Houthi missiles, in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and treated accordingly.

NATO's misadventures in Ukraine have absolutely depleted both the military and economic reserves of the US and EU, and Russia has proven that they cannot be beaten, even by the full power of NATO, in a war using conventional weapons in Ukraine. So NATO will use their unconventional weapons - nuclear, biological and chemical. They have done it before, they will do it again.

The farmer's uprisings going on throughout Europe will only grow in both size and intensity, as will the confrontation between Texas (plus the 25 states that support Texas) and the US federal government. In France, the police are literally handing out chocolate to the farmers who have blockaded Paris, dumped manure in front of government buildings and burned trucks with foreign produce. These are extremely militant actions, violent felonies, and it is only because of the fear on the part of the government and police that an equally violent reaction has not occurred. They will, but not yet, and not in the traditional form of suppressing uprisings. The NATO Nazis will use nuclear weapons on the foreign Fronts, and biological weapons against their own citizens domestically. You have been warned.

The same goes for the "Dis-united" States. The conflict between the "Liberals" and "Conservatives" has now gone far beyond any possible peaceful political resolution. There will be another US Civil War. It may not be sparked by the current confrontation on the Mexican border, but most certainly, it will begin shortly after the upcoming US "election", which will again be rigged, and more obviously and blatantly than ever. On purpose.

#6 - Genocide and War Crimes Will Continue and Increase, in Gaza and Elsewhere

The horrific slaughter and war crimes in Gaza are not primarily about "defeating Hamas" or even stealing the last remaining land from the Palestinian People. The main purpose of the genocide in Gaza is to move the Overton Window to a place where genocide becomes not only acceptable, but unremarkable and commonplace. Soon, they will do in the US and Europe what they are now doing in Gaza. The current death toll in Gaza from bombing and shooting, of mostly civilians by the IDF stands at 27,000 as of today.

Tomorrow, it will be higher still, but that number will soon be eclipsed by the number of deaths from famine and disease caused by the Israeli blockade and the failure of any international response to prevent it. Israel and its lackeys in the US and EU have laughed in the faces of the ICJ and UN, proving the collusion and abject impotence of international law. What is the use of "international law" if it is not enforced? It is totally useless and incapable of being used to prevent the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, and the multiple genocides that are on the horizon across the globe.

Economic sanctions and blockades of humanitarian supplies are every bit as deadly as missiles, bombs and bullets. Who can forget the half million Iraqi children murdered by US economic sanctions against Iraq under the Clinton regime, that Madeleine Albright said "were worth it"? Quite a few, apparently. But they forget at their peril - The blockade of Iraq, like the blockade of Gaza, are examples of what's to come, genocide by depriving millions, or billions, of people of food, water, medicine, electricity, transportation, communication, everything, in fact, that is required to sustain life, that will be used against all areas and people that oppose the Nazis of the 21st century, including in the US and Europe.

Death by starvation is the worst possible death that there is. It is slow and painful, humiliating, and creates a mad desperation in which people become willing to sell their children or their souls for a cup of gruel or a handful of Soylent Green. And this is exactly the weapon that will be used by 21st century Nazis, but it is not the only one. Nuclear and chemical weapons will be used on the battlefields of Ukraine and the Middle East, and biological weapons will be unleashed not only against foreign adversaries, but also domestically.

#5 - The War Will Be Global, and It Will Be Based on Economic Status, Not Nationality

The war will not be between nations, it will be a war of the Parasite Class, the "Golden Billion" that exists in every nation on Earth, against the majority of Humanity. Famine, pestilence (disease), and military conflict will be the main methods used to depopulate the planet of the majority of its human inhabitants. This war has already begun, and as in chess, we are now entering the Middle Game, where all the death and destruction take place. After the Middle Game comes the End Game, and the world will be vastly different for those few who will be left when they get there.

#4 - Trump Will Not Be the Next US President

In the 21st century, only idiots vote in the US. Same goes for Europe. The US "elections" in the last few decades have been marked by a blatant and impudent fraudulence, as if it were being done openly and intentionally, just to rub it in the faces of the chumps who still vote, who continue to believe they could win in a crooked game of 3 card monte. Which is exactly the case. Even though Trump is just another huckster and servant of the Parasite Class, he has zero chance of being again, for the third time, elected US President, or at least of taking the office, which is all that counts.

Even if he doesn't have a "heart attack" or suddenly succumb to some mysterious form of "turbo cancer", or "accidentally" fall off the balcony of his penthouse on the 54th floor, he currently stands indicted on 91 felony charges in four separate court cases. And though being indicted, convicted or even actually being in prison does not preclude one from running for, or even being elected President, being in prison does prevent one from actually moving into the White House. And Dandy Donny Trump ain't no Eugene Debs.

There are four charges against Trump, having to do with the J6 "insurrection", that in fact do prevent anyone who is convicted of them from holding office. Trump already had the 2020 election stolen from him, and he took it like a punk, and didn't do anything about it when he had the chance. How can anyone believe he would do anything different if he gets punked again? Besides, Trump and the Republicans are owned and controlled by the same scum who own and control Biden and the Democrats. They will decide who moves into the White House on January 20th, 2025, and you can bet, it won't be Trump. Or Biden.

#3 - Biden Will Not Be the Next US President. He Won't Even Run

Biden can't even walk, so how can he run? He slithered into the White House after a rigged and stolen election, and proceeded to ensconce the most corrupt, contemptible and humiliating presidential administration in US history. No competent person can deny or even question the obvious fact that Biden is not capable enough to bathe himself, much less be President. And while Biden may not have as many felony charges as Trump has, if there was any justice at all left in the USA, (there isn't) Biden's degenerate drug addict sex pervert son would be facing a number of charges that would make Trump's 91 felony charges look like a parking ticket. (He won't.)

Because, of course, one of Biden's cronies, hand-picked by those who own and control both parties and the entire US government, will be installed in the White House to make sure all Hunter's charges simply "go away". If actually charged for the multitude of crimes which are already irrefutably proven by the evidence on his infamous laptop, Hunter Biden can be counted on to sing like a canary and squeal like a pig on anyone and everyone, including his own senile father, at even the first thought of jail time.

There's no chance he could even handle a few weeks or months in jail. He must have protection from the very top, and only the White House can provide that kind of protection. And obviously, it has worked so far, so it will continue to work again. The next US President can't be a Republican, they would put Hunter on trial, just as the Democrats have done to Trump. And Hunter Biden knows as much as Epstein, and cannot be allowed to talk. The next President has to be a Democrat, which is exactly what it's going to be. Biden will not be re-elected, because he won't even run. Nor will the cackling harpy, Vice-President Harris. They, like Hunter's felony charges, will simply "go away", swept into the dustbin of history like a wad of used kleenex.

The non-entities who make up the top ten Democratic contenders for US President in 2024 are an insipid tribe of political pygmies and perennial losers who are about as important and inspiring as the aforementioned kleenex. No sane person would vote for any of them. And none of them will be President in January 2025. Nor will any of the sold out mob of craven lickspittles that make up the rat's nest collection of Republican candidates (including the lead contender against Trump, Nicky Haley, who is currently trailing 20 percentage points behind "None of the Above" in the Nevada Republican primaries) look. But The Powers That Be have already decided that it won't be a Republican, (it won't) it will be a Democrat (it will) who moves into the White House next year. But it won't be any of those listed above. Read on, I will tell you exactly who it will be. Brace yourselves.

#2 - The Next US President Will Be... Mobomba!!!

"Mobomba", is an amalgamation of "Michelle" and "Obomba", Barack Obama's well-earned nickname, as the "drone killer" President, who personally authorised 540 lethal drone attacks that killed at least 3,797 people, of whom at least 10% were innocent civilians, including at least one teenage US citizen. In exactly the same way that Dick Cheney was the shot-caller behind Bush Junior, and as Bush Senior called the shots behind Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama is now coming to the end of his third term as de facto President of the USA, the one who has been hiding behind the curtain and making every decision of the Biden regime all along. Obomba's work has again proven satisfactory to his masters, so shortly will begin his fourth term, hiding in the wings behind his spouse, "Michelle", (who may or may not have been born an actual biological female) and will soon be the next President of the USA. Take it to the bank, and remember you first heard it here.

I was born in 1960, I remember when JFK was murdered, and since then, every US President has been worse than the one before. This trend will continue with the selection of Mobomba. The 2024 US Presidential "election" is a freak show distraction for the rubes who still think that voting means anything in the 21st century USA. Meanwhile, it's all already been decided, and things will go on as usual. The rich will get richer, the ultra-rich parasites will continue to get ultra-richer, and the hard working and long suffering majority of Humanity will continue to be targeted for extermination and ground into the dust, through poverty, pestilence, famine and war. Mobomba will not only be the worst President in US history, they (pronoun is correct) will go down as the most malignant despot in human history. Caligula, Vlad the Impaler (who was Romanian, not Russian), Hitler. Mobomba. The Antichrist. And now, folks, for the Number One Texas Bentley Top Ten Prediction for 2024... (Drum roll, please.)

#1 - Everything Will Still Be Ok

Things are going to get worse, much, much worse, and they will probably never get better. You and all those you love will probably suffer more than you could ever imagine, and then you will die. The next few decades will probably be, barring a miracle, the most horrific in all of recorded human history. Famine, plague, World War Three. The reign of the Antichrist. The extermination, like insects, of the vast majority of Humanity, folks like you and me. All brought on, on purpose, by genuinely satanic forces in human form. No one gets out alive.

But don't worry too much about it. Just keep on keepin' on. Don't sell your soul, don't betray your Humanity. We can't save the world, it's already too late for that. But we can still save our own souls, by doing everything we can to try and save the world, being on the right side of truth and justice and Humanity, fighting against the demons in this world, putting them out of their misery when we can. And in the end, that's what counts - that we tried. You know, like Don Quixote's Impossible Dream. Obviously, the devil is real, and here now. You can literally see him in the faces of Klaus Schwab and Bill Gates, Chrystia Freeland and Victoria Nuland, and in their every action. But if the devil is real, then that means God must also be real. And He is. Remember that. Don't just believe it, understand it. That everything we do in this life, good or evil, right or wrong, comes back to us in equal measure. Everything. And what could be more beautiful than that? This is not the only world, and this is not the only life. As my homeboy Bill Hicks used to say, "It's just a ride." We will all get to the end of it, and then beyond. And get everything we deserve. Be brave, be good, say your prayers, trust in God.

— By Russell Bentley | Sputnik International | February 05, 2024

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jobaaj · 3 months

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HAVE YOU HEARD: A war is coming to our neighborhood. Iran and Pakistan have attacked each other!! For those unaware, Iran carried out precision strikes on the Pakistani bases of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl yesterday! Pakistan slammed the move as “unprovoked aggression” as China tried to mediate between the two. In its defense, Jaish launched attacks on Iran last month that killed 11 Iranian police officers, so its response may not have been completely unprovoked. Still, Pakistan warned that Iran's “unlawful act” will have “grave consequences”.

Pakistan called back its ambassador, suspended all high-level visits to Iran, and expelled the Iranian ambassador! But it wasn’t done. Fast forward to a few hours later, Pakistan launched a series of strikes in South-West Iran, targeting 7 Baloch separatist groups in the area. According to Pakistan, the strike killed several terrorists. At a time when West Asia is already engulfed in a multi-pronged war involving Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the US, the UK, Iraq, Turkiye, Syria, and Iran, this move serves to further destabilize the region. Will India be engulfed in this war? Who should it side with?? Follow Jobaaj Stories (the Media arm of Jobaaj.com Group) for more.

#iran #pakistan #terrorists #terrorism #war #currentaffairs

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rjhamster · 9 months

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Trump Slams ‘Liddle’ Mike Pence; China EVs Raise Spy Fears; Massive Missile Strikes in Ukraine

Breaking News from Newsmax.com Trump: ‘Liddle Mike Pence’ Has Turned to Dark Side Special: Perry Johnson on Verge of Making First Debate UK Fears China Will Use EVs to Spy on Citizens Russia Launches Massive Wave of Missile and Drone Attacks on Ukraine SPONSOR ADVERTORIAL GOP presidential candidate and outsider businessman Perry Johnson has announced he is on the verge of making the RNC…

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libertariantaoist · 11 months

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Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 6/1/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

The former CIA officer, Brian Jeffrey Raymond, is accused of sexually assaulting 20 incapacitated women, but the case against him could fall apart because of the botched execution of the search warrant by the State and Justice Departments. NBC News

The debt ceiling agreement reached between the White House and House Republicans places no constraints on spending on the war in Ukraine, a White House official told Bloomberg. AWC

Europe

The US ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, announced Tuesday that Washington was kicking Pristina out of the US-led Defender Europe military exercises over its treatment of the ethnic Serb population of northern Kosovo. AWC

The US flew two B1-B bombers over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday in a show of force meant as a warning to Milorad Dodik, the leader of the semi-autonomous Serb republic within Bosnia, known as Republika Srpska. AWC

Russia

A Ukrainian official this week was pushing for a stronger commitment from NATO during the annual GLOBSEC forum in Bratislava, Slovakia. AWC

As a condition for ending the war, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded Russia remove its military forces along its border with Ukraine. The Institute

As NATO looms ever larger as a major actor in global affairs in the wake of the war in Ukraine, the lack of transparency that characterizes its long-range military planning processes poses a serious challenge to democratic oversight. RS

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday a new $300 million weapons package for Ukraine that includes Stinger anti-aircraft systems and ammunition for Patriot air defenses and the HIMARS rocket systems. AWC

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that NATO should offer “concrete and tangible security guarantees” to Ukraine as the alliance is debating what to offer Kyiv at a NATO summit that will be held in Vilnius this July. AWC

Ukraine and its Western backers are planning to hold an international summit to increase support for Kyiv’s terms for a settlement to the conflict with Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. AWC

As relations between Russia and Germany continue to spiral downward amid the war in Ukraine, the two nations engaged in tit for tat moves closing down consulates and limiting the number of diplomatic personnel in each country, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. The Institute

The North Atlantic alliance began military drills hosted by Finland just miles from the Russian border. An American defense official said the war games show the bloc’s commitment to the newest member of NATO. The Institute

The commander of the Czech Republic’s armed forces said the North Atlantic alliance and Russia are on the path to a direct war. The general described the potential war as the “worst-case scenario” but emphasized that it remains a distinct possibility. The Institute

The Russian embassy in the UK on Wednesday slammed London over British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s comments about Ukrainian attacks inside Russia. AWC

China

The State Department said Wednesday that a shipment of US-made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles that arrived in Taiwan last week was part of a $223.56 arms sale to Taipei that was approved in 2019. AWC

US Indo-Pacific command on Tuesday claimed a Chinese fighter jet conducted an “unprofessional intercept” of a US spy plane over the South China Sea, an area where the US has increased its military presence in recent years. AWC

Middle East

Abu Dhabi has halted its involvement with a Washington-led coalition aimed at preventing Iranian ship seizures in the Middle East. The UAE disclosed the decision the day after the Wall Street Journal reported growing discord between Abu Dhabi and Washington over the region’s lack of American military assets. The Institute

Brett McGurk, the top Middle East official on the National Security Council, recently made an unannounced trip to Oman to discuss potential diplomatic outreach with Iran over its nuclear program, Axios reported Tuesday. AWC

#kyle anzalone #libertarian institute #news roundup

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andronetalks · 10 months

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'Never, ever, ever…an American official does not bow': Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is slammed for BOWING multiple times to China's vice-premier...

Daily Mail News UK By HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM PUBLISHED: 01:34 EDT, 9 July 2023 | UPDATED: 18:33 EDT, 9 July 2023 Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was slammed for bowing multiple times when she met with China’s vice premier He Lifeng, as some critics say the protocol error is a sign of American weakness. Yellen, who served as chair of the Federal Reserve before becoming Joe Biden‘s top…

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newstfionline · 1 year

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Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Regional Banks Slammed by Fear of a Broader Financial Crisis (NYT) The unexpected seizure of two banks in three days by regulators intensified fears of a broader financial crisis, sending the stocks of more than two dozen banks into free fall on Monday, even as President Biden reassured Americans that the banking system was resilient and that customers’ money was safe. Banks of various sizes in different parts of the country—from San Francisco-based First Republic Bank to Salt Lake City-based Zions Bank—found themselves battling market turmoil as customers rushed to withdraw their deposits and investors, worried about more runs, dumped bank stocks. Despite the echoes of the 2008 financial crisis, when 465 banks failed within four years, sometimes dozens in a month, regulators and banking officials were quick to insist that the current panic is far more contained, and that the banks whose stocks tanked had enough funds to meet their obligations.

Desperate migrants seeking asylum face a new hurdle: Technology (Washington Post) It was supposed to be his last day in Mexico. The 7-year-old Venezuelan boy beamed as he bade farewell to his teacher, Liliana Carlos, at a school for migrant children living in tents while waiting for their chance to enter the United States. His family, finally, had obtained an appointment in February with U.S. Customs and Border Protection after weeks of trying to use a new app to secure a slot. Now they hoped to be allowed to begin a new life in America. No more sleeping on the ground. No more threats of kidnapping. No more watching his mother cry. But instead of the safety his family longed for inside the United States, the boy returned to the Sidewalk School, inconsolable, his teacher recalled. CBP officials on the border bridge sent back about 50 families, including his. They’d all made appointments online as family units. But agents were now enforcing a rule requiring each child to register individually. As the Biden administration struggles to bring order to the border, some of the most vulnerable migrants are finding themselves stuck in squalid camps in Mexico. Advocates estimate close to 7,000 people were spread out in encampments in Matamoros and Reynosa in January. All are trying to use a new CBP app that is supposed to make entering the country more efficient. Each day, migrants awake before sunrise to search for a WiFi signal and try to get one of the 700 to 800 appointments available at eight entry points. Advocates estimate there are more than 100,000 people seeking entry. The appointments fill up within five minutes.

UK employers feel the strain of missing skilled workers (Reuters) Frustrated with England’s education system, Simon Biltcliffe spends a lot of time training new hires at his marketing firm in the “soft skills” he and many employers say the country’s sluggish economy badly needs. Finding that new starters often struggle to think on their feet, he sets them workplace challenges to learn to solve problems at pace and in teams. Many don’t adapt, leading to high attrition after three- and six-month reviews. Across Britain, Biltcliffe’s frustrations are shared by businesses who say the nation’s schools, technical colleges and apprentice schemes are not turning out the workers they need, from software coders and designers to skilled machinists. Biltcliffe described the education system as “not fit for purpose” in a changing economy where the growth of automation and artificial intelligence will make creative skills and adaptability all the more important.

UK ramps up defense spending by $6 billion (CNN) The United Kingdom will ramp up defense spending by $6 billion to “fortify” against growing threats from Russia and China, the country’s leader announced on the eve of highly anticipated talks with AUKUS partners, the United States and Australia.

US says Russian warplane hits American drone over Black Sea (AP) A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said. Moscow said the U.S. drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept it near Crimea, but insisted its warplanes didn’t fire their weapons or hit the drone. The incident, which added to Russia-U.S. tensions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, appeared to mark the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after an encounter with a Russian warplane. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the U.S. drone was flying over the Black Sea near Crimea and intruded in the area that was declared off limits by Russia as part of what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, causing the military to scramble fighters to intercept it. “As a result of sharp maneuver, the MQ-9 drone went into uncontrollable flight with a loss of altitude and crashed into water,” it said. “The Russian fighters didn’t use their weapons or impact the unmanned aerial vehicle, and they safely returned to their base.” Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The Kremlin has charged that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the conflict.

Ukraine: Objects of war become new normal in Kyiv scenery (AP) There are sandbags around the statues and anti-tank obstacles by the side of the streets, trenches in the nearby forests and land mine warnings in the woods. Signs painted on walls point to the nearest shelter, while air raid sirens occasionally wail across the city, which still sometimes comes under missile attack. But against this backdrop of war, residents of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, are living their lives as normally as they can while Russia’s invasion of their country continues into its second year. Shops, restaurants and bars are open—even if customers have to wrap up their evenings early and rush home in time for the 11 p.m. curfew. Nobody pays attention to the angular steel anti-tank hedgehogs by the side of the road, or the occasional pile of sandbags. Outside the landmark Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in central Kyiv, people pose for photos beside destroyed Russian tanks and armored vehicles. Nearby, yet more photos are being added to a wall with pictures of those killed in the fight against Russia.

Ukraine short of skilled troops and munitions as losses, pessimism grow (Washington Post) The quality of Ukraine’s military force, once considered a substantial advantage over Russia, has been degraded by a year of casualties that have taken many of the most experienced fighters off the battlefield, leading some Ukrainian officials to question Kyiv’s readiness to mount a much-anticipated spring offensive. U.S. and European officials have estimated that as many as 120,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the start of Russia’s invasion, compared with about 200,000 on the Russian side, which has a much larger military and roughly triple the population from which to draw conscripts. Ukraine keeps its running casualty numbers secret, even from its staunchest Western supporters. Statistics aside, an influx of inexperienced draftees, brought in to plug the losses, has changed the profile of the Ukrainian force. It is also suffering from basic shortages of ammunition, including artillery shells and mortar bombs, according to military personnel in the field. “The most valuable thing in war is combat experience,” said a battalion commander in the 46th Air Assault Brigade, who is being identified only by his call sign, Kupol. “A soldier who has survived six months of combat and a soldier who came from a firing range are two different soldiers. It’s heaven and earth.”

China to reopen to tourists, resume all visas Wednesday (AP) China will reopen its borders to tourists and resume issuing all visas Wednesday after a three-year halt during the pandemic as it sought to boost its tourism and economy. China is one of the last major countries to reopen its borders to tourists. The announcement Tuesday came after it declared a “decisive victory” over COVID-19 in February. All types of visas will resume from Wednesday. Visa-free entry also will resume at destinations such as Hainan island as well as for cruise ships entering Shanghai that had no visa requirement before COVID-19.

China’s Xi promises to build ‘great wall of steel’ in rivalry with West (Washington Post) China needs “self-reliance and strength in science and technology” to better compete with the West in military preparedness, economic growth and many other areas, leader Xi Jinping said Monday, closing an annual Chinese Communist Party meeting during which he cemented his hold on power and escalated his rhetorical confrontation with the United States. The urgent need for technological progress was a dominant theme of the eight-day National People’s Congress meeting, during which the rubber-stamp parliament confirmed a third term in power for Xi and elevated his loyal lieutenant Li Qiang into the No. 2 role. In his first speech since being confirmed Friday for a third term, Xi pledged to “build the military into a great wall of steel that effectively safeguards national sovereignty, security and our development interests,” adding that “safety is the foundation of development, and stability is the prerequisite for prosperity.” Xi’s remarks capped off a meeting that put the Communist Party firmly in control of science- and technology-related decisions and consolidated the government’s grip on innovation.

No regrets from the Iraqi who threw his shoes at Bush (Reuters) Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi gained fame for hurling his shoes at President George W. Bush in a news conference to show his anger at the corruption and chaos that followed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He is still furious. “The same people who entered 20 years ago with the occupier are still ruling despite failures and corruption. The United States knows very well that it brought in pseudo politicians,” he told Reuters, recounting his actions back in 2008 during the Baghdad media briefing. Bush, who was standing next to then Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, ducked to avoid the footwear that spun at him from across the room. Throwing shoes at someone is a deep insult in the Arab world. “This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!” Zaidi shouted before security officials bundled him outside. Bush had been criticised across the Middle East for his decision to oust Saddam Hussein, an action launched based on faulty U.S. intelligence that the Iraqi leader had amassed weapons of mass destruction.

For Russian Elite, Dubai Becomes a Wartime Harbor (NYT) On an artificial island on the edge of the Persian Gulf, Dima Tutkov feels safe. There are none of the anti-Russian attitudes that he hears about in Europe. He has noticed no potholes or homelessness, unlike what he saw in Los Angeles. And even as his ad agency turns big profits back in Russia, he does not have to worry about being drafted to fight in Ukraine. “Dubai is much more free—in every way,” he said, sporting an intricately torn designer T-shirt at a cafe he just opened in the city, where his children are now in a British school. “We are independent of Russia,” he said. “This is very important.” A year into a historic onslaught of economic sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s rich are still rich. And in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ biggest city, they have found their wartime harbor. Among the city’s waterfront walkways, palatial shopping malls and suburban cul-de-sacs, Russian is becoming a lingua franca. Oligarchs mingle in exclusive resorts. Restaurateurs from Moscow and St. Petersburg race to open there. Entrepreneurs like Mr. Tutkov are running their Russian businesses from Dubai, and opening up new ones.

Spiritual exemplars (Religion News Service) Media stories about religion often focus on corruption in religious institutions, politicians’ alliances with conservative Christians and institutional abuses of power. But there is another dimension to religion that makes an impact on our society: Religious values inspire people to confront difficult social problems, their beliefs help them reframe issues in hopeful and life-affirming ways and their spiritual practices sustain them in their struggles. Several years ago, I went looking for stories that captured the social dimension of religion and spirituality, and I was struck by how often humanitarian work is led by religious people—as much as 90%, according to research done by Anne Colby and William Colby for their 1992 book “Some Do Care: Contemporary Lives of Moral Commitment.”

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