Anderson Aldrich, 23, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, is expected to plead guilty to 50 hate crime charges and 24 firearm violations to avoid the death penalty
Aldrich will receive life sentences in addition to a 190-year jail time
Five people were killed and 17 injured at the LGBTQ+ Club Q in Colorado Springs
Aldrich is already serving life in prison after pleading guilty last June to murder charges and 46 counts of attempted murder - one for each person at Club Q during the attack on November 19, 2022.
[AFRICANEWS] Eight passengers were confirmed dead and an estimated 100 were missing after their overloaded boat capsized in north-central Nigeria, the emergency services said Tuesday.
It is the latest in a series of deadly boat accidents that increasingly point to regulatory failures.
The passengers were being conveyed from Niger state's Borgu district to a market in the neighbouring Kebbi state on Monday afternoon when the boat overturned in the Niger River, according to Niger State Emergency Management Agency front man Ibrahim Audu.
"The boat was overloaded so the strong wind affected them," Audu said.
He said the boat's capacity is 100 passengers but it was estimated to be carrying a much higher number, in addition to bags of grain, making it difficult to control when it began to sink. Hank Johnson nods in an "I tol' you so about Guam"
Villagers were helping local divers and emergency officials to search for the missing passengers, many of whom were women, Audu said. He could not say how many people had survived.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2024 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[30 views]
Top|| File under:
[AGWEB.COM - Greg Henderson] A federal judge in Oklahoma has ordered the removal of an 84-turbine wind farm spread across 8,400 acres in Osage County with a final ruling that ends a decade-long legal battle over illegal mining on the Osage Reservation. The cost for removal of the turbines is estimated at $300 million.
The ruling in Tulsa federal court by U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Jennifer Choe-Groves was against Osage Wind LLC, Enel Kansas LLC and Enel Green Power North America Inc. The order grants the United States and the Osage Nation through its Minerals Council permanent injunctive relief via "ejectment of the wind turbine farm for continuing trespass."
The Osage Allotment Act of 1906 states that the Osage Nation owns the subsurface rights to minerals in the area. The Minerals Council is an arm of the Osage Nation that manages the Osage Minerals Estate.
A trial date for damages due to the tribe has not been set, but a spokesman for the Osage Minerals Council said the tribe would expect at least the value of damage to the land, all lawyer fees, profits and tax incentives Enel received as a result of the installation.
At issue in the case was whether a mining permit was required to construct the wind farm, located in tallgrass prairie between Pawhuska and Fairfax. The defendants began leasing surface rights from private landowners for the project in 2013, and construction on the wind towers began in October 2013, with excavation for the towers beginning in September 2014.
A 2017 appellate court decision determined the construction of the wind farm constituted mining and therefore a lease from the Osage Nation's Minerals Council was required.
"The developers failed to acquire a mining lease during or after construction, as well as after issuance of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision holding that a mining lease was required," Choe-Groves said.
"On the record before the Court, it is clear the Defendants are actively avoiding the leasing requirement," Choe-Groves said. "Permitting such behavior would create the prospect for future interference with the Osage Mineral Council's authority by Defendants or others wishing to develop the mineral lease. The Court concludes that Defendants' past and continued refusal to obtain a lease constitutes interference with the sovereignty of the Osage Nation and is sufficient to constitute irreparable injury."
[AFRICANEWS] Rwanda announced on Tuesday that it thwarted an incursion by soldiers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material... (DRC), resulting in the death of one soldier and the capture of two others along their shared border.
According to a statement from the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF), the Congolese soldiers crossed into Rwandan territory near Rubavu town. During a confrontation with a patrol, one soldier was fatally shot while attempting to open fire, while the other two were subsequently apprehended.
The RDF disclosed that the captured soldiers were in possession of an AK-47 rifle, four magazines loaded with 105 rounds of ammunition, a protective vest, and sachets of cannabis.
Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson for the Congolese military, claimed to be unaware of the incident when approached for comment.
This incident adds to the ongoing tension between the two neighbouring nations. Kinshasa has persistently accused Kigali of supporting M23 rebels, primarily comprised of members from the Tutsi ethnic group, operating in eastern Congo. The rebels launched a renewed offensive last year near Uganda, prompting the displacement of over one million people.
The situation highlights the delicate nature of the border region and the challenges both countries face in maintaining stability. As tensions persist, diplomatic efforts will likely be crucial in preventing further escalation and fostering peaceful relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2024 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[32 views]
Top|| File under:
JPMorgan reported seeing double the hacking attempts from 2022 to 2023
The U.S. banking giant is seeing 45 million cyber attacks every day
Chief Executive of Wealth and Assets said the fraudsters are getting 'savvier'
Since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago - rising global geopolitical tensions have caused cyber crime to skyrocket.
Over 70 per cent of bank leaders in a 2023 KPMG survey reported being concerned about cyber crime and cyber insecurity.
JPMorgan spends $15 billion each year just on technology to prevent cyber attacks as part of an effort to bolster its cyber defenses.
This budget is up substantially from the $14.3 billion that the company spent on technology in 2022.
Edroes also reported that JPMorgan Chase had employed 62,000 technologists to help secure systems and prevent hacking.
In 2022 it was reported that Russian hackers were targeting JPMorgan Chase in an attempt to knock its websites offline. The bank said it shrugged off the assault with no 'operational impact'. The Killnet gang threated to hit JPMorgan with a denial-of-service attack - in which hackers flood targets with junk data - following a strikes against several US airport websites.
[GEO.TV] New Zealand Member of Parliament Golriz Ghahraman, affiliated with the Green Party, has tendered her resignation following allegations of shoplifting, prompting police investigation.
According to BBC News the former UN human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... lawyer, who made history as the country's first refugee in government in 2017, faced accusations of theft from two clothing stores in Auckland and Wellington.
CCTV footage surfaced, allegedly showing Ghahraman taking a designer handbag from an Auckland boutique. While she has not been charged with any crime, the 42-year-old MP acknowledged that her actions did not meet the expected standards of behaviour for elected representatives and expressed remorse. Sam Brinton: "Shoulda done it at the airport, Stupid!"
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2024 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[24 views]
Top|| File under: Moslem Colonists
Golriz Ghahraman
@golrizghahraman ‼️Gaza is cut off from internet communication. This is a terrifying moment. Israel is committing ethnic cleansing under the cover of night. Where Govs fail to act we, the people, have to force a response.
Please turn out to protests today. Write to MPs. Be loud for the voiceless
[ZERO] Deere & Company, the world's largest tractor maker, announced Tuesday morning it "entered into an agreement" with Elon Musk's SpaceX company to provide high-speed satellite internet to farmers across the US and Brazil in the second half of this year.
"Utilizing the industry-leading Starlink network, this solution will allow farmers facing rural connectivity challenges to fully leverage precision agriculture technologies," Deere wrote in a press release.
This will allow "John Deere customers to be more productive, profitable, and sustainable in their operations as they continue to provide food, fuel, and fiber for their communities and a growing global population," the company continued.
#2
John Deere is going to build the Brazil Technology Development Center, its first development and testing center for tropical agriculture in the world. The company will invest around R$180 million (USD 37 million) in the project, with the aim of promoting synergy between the multiple R&D teams that are dedicated to designing and validating new products and technologies for the main production systems: grain, sugarcane, and special crops.
Spoilt child of powerful politician acts up, gets caught.
[AFRICANEWS] A Ottoman Turkish court on Tuesday convicted the son of Somalia’s president over the death of a cycle of violence courier and sentenced him to 2 1/2 years in prison. The sentence, however, was immediately commuted to a fine.
Mohammed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was charged with "causing death by negligence" after a diplomatic car he was driving hit Yunus Emre Gocer on a highway in Istanbul on Nov. 30. An arrest warrant was issued for Mohamud after Gocer died six days later, but the president’s son had already left The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... Mohamud reportedly returned to Turkey last week to testify about the accident. The arrest warrant and a travel ban imposed on Mohamud were revoked after he gave a statement to court officials, and was then released, the DHA news agency reported.
On Tuesday, the Istanbul court convicted Mohamud, who was not present, of the charge of negligent death and ruled that he be fined 27,300 Ottoman Turkish lira ($910). His driver’s license was revoked for six months.
Prosecutors had requested that Mohamud be sentenced to up to six years in prison.
Gocer's father was planning to appeal the decision to commute the sentence, his lawyer Tugba Aydin told news hounds after the hearing.
An association fighting for the rights of motorized couriers also criticized the court's ruling.
The life of a cycle of violence courier cannot be worth 27,000 Ottoman Turkish lira when the other side is 75% at fault," said Mesut Ceki of the Courier Rights Association. "So what happened? Is this justice?"
The motorcyclist’s death had threatened to sour friendly relations between Turkey and Somalia. Turkey launched an investigation into officials who conducted the initial crash investigation and reportedly allowed Mohamud to go free.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named last month that his 40-year-old son, who is a doctor, did not flee Turkey and said he had advised him to present himself to court.
"Turkey is a brotherly country," the president said. "We respect the laws and the justice and the judicial system. As a president of Somalia, I will never allow anybody to violate this country’s judicial system."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2024 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[20 views]
Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
[ZERO] The 54th annual gathering of the World Economic Forum begins today in the small Alpine resort town of Davos. The invitation-only meeting brings nearly 2,800 leaders from 120 countries together to discuss the world's most pressing topics, such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and virus pandemics. And "why does it burn when I pee?"
After world leaders, politicians, business leaders, academics, NGOs, and religious leaders debate global problems and attempt to find 'solutions' to issues plaguing the world, there is an after-hours scene that is very dark, as we've explained previously:
'Dark Side Of Davos' Revealed As Global Elite Bookings For Sex Workers Soar
A "Corrupt Circle-Jerk..." Of "Select Human Beings" - Did Davos Just Reach 'Peak Creepy'?
What's on the menu this year? Well, The New York Post described: "Caviar, magic mushrooms, gold-leaf desserts, A-list selfies, $2,500-per-night hookers and secret dinners."
[REGNUM] Davos, Switzerland, hosts one of the most significant globalist gatherings, the Davos Forum, from January 15 to 19.
Once upon a time, many (and sometimes almost all) world economic and political leaders gathered there. Significant decisions were made regarding world trade, global security, international relations, values, rules of the game and, of course, the course of globalization.
In general, they dealt with the key problems that existed in the world at that time.
It would seem that this forum was no exception. The main topic of the forum was Russia and Ukraine. The only problem is that no decisions will be made there. They couldn't exist.
Thus, on January 14 (that is, on the zero day of the event), a large summit on Ukraine took place, which brought together national security advisers from 83 states. They discussed the “peace formula” of Vladimir Zelensky, as well as other aspects of the Ukrainian crisis.
BUT WE TOOK PICTURES
As the Financial Times noted, not without irony, the most important achievement of this event was the collective photograph of the participants. After all, at the previous summit of national security advisers (which took place in Malta) there were only 65 countries.
Yes, Kyiv seriously presents this fact as a victory - especially since, in addition to Europeans and Americans, representatives of 18 Asian and 12 African states were present at the summit.
“Countries from the Global South are becoming increasingly involved in our work. This demonstrates their understanding that this European conflict is in fact a challenge for all humanity,” the Associated Press quotes the head of Zelensky’s office, Andriy Yermak, as saying.
However, it would be possible to talk about some kind of understanding only if these states of the Global South supported or at least began discussing Zelensky’s “peace plan.” And they were only present there.
Some because they want to score image points by appearing on the platform for discussing the Ukrainian crisis, which is pivotal for the current world. Some because they don’t want to anger the Americans. And some because for him it is a ticket to big politics.
Therefore, we could not expect any constructive discussion from them.
WAITING FOR "PLAN B"
But the irony is that there was no constructiveness from Western representatives either.
Firstly, because the so-called “Zelensky peace plan” is, in fact, a list of conditions for Russia’s surrender. And if it could still be perceived as relevant at the beginning of 2023, then by the beginning of 2024 - after the failed Ukrainian counter-offensive, after a reduction in Western funding, etc. — Zelensky’s proposal looks fantastic.
As are various Western “peace with Russia” projects based on the plan. It is no coincidence that one of the “hosts” of the Davos site, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazzo Cassis, noted that there is nothing to discuss here without Russia’s participation.
“Therefore, until Washington and Brussels come up with a “Plan B” as a replacement for the failed blitzkrieg against Russia, participation in such events will only be of benefit to delegates - they will be able to breathe the Alpine air, have a hearty meal, walk with escort girls and take a couple of selfies.” “, says Ivan Lizan, head of the analytical bureau of the SONAR-2050 project, to IA Regnum.
Only after the West gives birth in agony to “Plan B” for Ukraine, unless, of course, it is forced into negotiations with Russia, will there be any sense in such meetings, Lizan added.
So the Western delegations, like their Asian-African colleagues, only indicated their presence. Simply because they could not not be present.
“Meetings in Ukraine have long turned into a kind of spell. The topic must be supported in the information space. Otherwise, the same European inhabitants will begin to doubt that such support should be continued,” Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Russian State University for the Humanities, told IA Regnum.
Actually, the Western media wrote about this. “Negotiations on Ukraine's peace plan ended without a breakthrough,” explains Bloomberg. “Talks about peace in Ukraine are more conversations than about peace,” the FT continues to sneer.
Yes, the Russian-Ukrainian theme will be continued at the Davos Forum itself. The participants plan to discuss the American idea of transferring gold and foreign exchange reserves - Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves (more than 90% of these frozen assets are stored in Europe) - to restore the Kyiv regime.
Also on the agenda are other options for European financing of Ukraine, because it is becoming more and more difficult for Joe Biden to allocate money from American taxpayers for domestic political reasons related to the dissatisfaction of these taxpayers and the upcoming elections in November 2024.
“The United States has been unable to resolve the issue of allocating money to Ukraine for five months ; the European Union is dragging its feet on funding,” recalls Ivan Lizan. But Kyiv really needs money - the colossal hole in the budget needs to be plugged with something.
True, much progress on the issue of financing Ukraine is not expected at Davos either. The parties may reach some kind of compromise on the use of interest from the placement of Russian gold and foreign currency reserves, but the funds themselves are unlikely to be sent to Kyiv.
Firstly, because they are afraid of the Russian response. “ European companies have property in Russia that is comparable in value to our gold and currency reserves in the West. And they don’t want to lose it,” says Vadim Trukhachev.
Secondly, the withdrawal of Russian money will collapse the entire European financial system. “ A precedent will be created for taking away money, which will provoke an outflow of the same Chinese capital from Europe. And for Switzerland this would be a complete erosion of its reputation,” Trukhachev believes.
And not only European. Confiscation of gold and foreign currency reserves guarantees the death of the very concept of creating gold and foreign exchange reserves in their currency part and using reserve currencies. “After all, what’s the point of saving money if it can be stolen? So the confiscation of gold and foreign currency reserves will become no less dangerous a precedent for the West than the very beginning of the SVO by Russia,” says Ivan Lizan. And the Western economy, as you know, is very dependent on Asian money.
I SHOULD HAVE CALLED MILEY
Empty talk on the Ukrainian issue, in fact, is a general reflection of the crisis of the Davos Forum - as well as other previously iconic globalization institutions (like the G7). “It is impossible to say anything new to its organizers and main participants. Russia, Ukraine, China, Israel and Palestine - everything was discussed a long time ago. If you wanted some “spice”, you had to call the new Argentine President Javier Miley,” says Vadim Trukhachev.
There is nothing to say not only because there are no new ideas, but also because there is no international legitimacy for the implementation of such ideas.
“This is a long-standing process of exhaustion of the global development agenda. The main and very important problem recently is that multilateral formats have ceased to be a source of consensus,” Dmitry Ofitserov-Belsky, senior researcher at IMEMO RAS, emphasizes in a commentary to IA Regnum.
The fact that the formats still exist, but the result is not even in sight, means that the level of contradictions has grown to very high proportions, the expert points out. The G8 is long gone, and BRICS is actively expanding. So we can say that the world is simply changing its paradigm, and the West has no place in the new paradigm yet. According to Ofitserov-Belsky, there is no point in holding the Davos Forum next year.
However, most likely they will, IA Regnum’s interlocutors believe. For the same reason that we held a meeting on Ukraine on January 14 - because otherwise Western citizens will begin to doubt that the Western-centric world continues.
#8
IF, you ever wondered about Ga. GOV.Kemp and his True political leanings. He's attending the Davo meet & greet. Wonder how many over those going after Trump are attending also?
[Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] What's for lunch?
Doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 30 of his followers have appeared in a Kenyan court to face charges of murdering 191 children.
Mackenzie and the other suspects did not enter pleas in the coastal town of Malindi because High Court Judge Mugure Thande granted a request from prosecutors that they undergo mental health assessments and return to court on February 6.
The remains of 180 of the 191 dead children have not been identified, according to the prosecution’s charge sheet.
Mackenzie and some of his followers have been blamed for the deaths of 429 members of his Good News International Church, many of whom are believed to have starved themselves in the belief that by doing so they would meet Jesus Christ before the world ends.
The bodies were discovered in dozens of shallow graves on an 800-acre (320-hectare) ranch in a remote area known as Shakahola Forest in the coastal county of Kilifi.
The graves were found after police rescued 15 emaciated church members who told investigators that Mackenzie had instructed them to starve themselves to death before the world ends. Four of the 15 died after they were taken to a hospital.
Post-mortem examinations on some of the bodies found in the graves showed they died from starvation, strangulation or suffocation.
Kenya’s top prosecutor said on Monday that 95 people will be charged with murder, cruelty, child torture and other crimes.
For months since the arrest of the defendants last April, prosecutors have asked a court in Kilifi for permission to keep holding them while the investigation continues.
But last week, Principal Magistrate Yousuf Shikanda declined their latest request to hold the suspects for an additional 60 days, saying the prosecutors had been given enough time to complete the investigation.
Mackenzie is serving a separate one-year prison sentence after being found guilty of operating a film studio and producing movies for his preaching without a valid licence.
[GEO.TV] Betavolt a Chinese startup company has introduced a new nuclear battery that it claims can generate electricity for 50 years without charging, the Independent reported last week.
Betavolt said, "This new energy innovation will help China gain a leading edge in the new round of the AI technological revolution." It said it is the first nuclear battery to miniaturise atomic energy, by placing 63 nuclear isotopes into a module smaller than a coin.
The Battery is being tested and will ultimately be mass-produced for commercial use such as phones and drones. "Don't keep your phone in your pocket for periods longer than 1.3 minutes"
The first nuclear battery of its kind by Betavolt can deliver 100 microwatts of power and a voltage of 3V while measuring 15x15x5 cubic millimetres. However, facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable... it plans to produce a battery with 1 watt of power by 2025.
The project is part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan that aims to strengthen the country's economy by 2025. Other research institutes in the United States and Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... are also working on developing the technology.
This technology could revolutionise electronics by removing the need for chargers or portable power banks altogether, creating devices that run continuously and whose batteries do not degrade in terms of capacity and lifespan.
The company said "The atomic energy battery developed by Betavolt is safe, has no external radiation, and is suitable for use in medical devices such as pacemakers, artificial hearts, and cochleas in the human body,
"Atomic energy batteries are environmentally friendly. After the decay period, the 63 isotopes turn into a stable isotope of copper, which is non-radioactive and does not pose any threat or pollution to the environment."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/17/2024 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
E-Mail||
[48 views]
Top|| File under: Commies
#9
Smells like a pie in the sky business proposition to lure foreign capital in. Once this never materializes the money will be gone and the investors will be screwed. How many times will China do this before investors stop?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka 
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
