Month: April 2021

Former Members of Italian Red Brigades Arrested in France

PARIS—Seven Italians convicted of left-wing domestic terrorist crimes, including several former members of the Red Brigades were arrested in France on Wednesday, the French presidency said in a statement. French police made the arrests on warrants seeking the suspects in Italy for “acts of terrorism,” the statement said. The arrested individuals had fled Italy and…


Commentary on Biden’s First 100 Days From Republicans, Democrats Are Poles Apart

Republicans and Democratic lawmakers issued starkly different commentary on President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office as the president delivered his first address to the joint session of Congress, with the former side full of criticism and the latter full of praise. Biden, a Democrat, delivered his hour-long, nationally televised address at 9 p.m. ET on…


One Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines Halves Onward Transmission, Study

One dose of either Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccines can reduce the risk of CCP virus transmission by up to a half, a new study has found. A preprint of the study (pdf) by Public Health England (PHE) said that those who received one dose of a vaccine at least 21 days before being tested positive have a…


Australian Curriculum to Give Greater Emphasis on First Nation Australians

Schools around Australia will now prioritise teaching the culture, perspectives, and history of ‘First Nation Australians’ in the subjects of History, and English under a newly proposed curriculum that has been opened up for public review. Under the new curriculum, students will learn that about ‘First Nation Australians’—the new term for indigenous Australians—perceived the First Fleet’s…


Arlene Foster to Quit as Northern Ireland First Minister and DUP Leader

Arlene Foster said on Wednesday that she will quit as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and first minister of Northern Ireland. She said she will leave her DUP role on May 28 and resign as first minister at the end of June. Foster, who has been first minister for five years, had faced…


Georgia AG Denies Loeffler’s Request to Probe Raffensperger Over 2020 Election

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr on Wednesday denied an investigation that former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-G.A.) had requested into the conduct of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during the 2020 presidential election. Hours earlier, Loeffler had sent a letter to Carr asking him to probe whether Raffensperger used his position to push his personal…


Manchin ‘Uncomfortable’ Over Rising Cost of Biden Legislative Plans

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), a crucial moderate Democrat, has expressed reservations over the mounting costs associated with implementing President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. His comments come after Biden unveiled a $1.8 trillion plan to expand educational opportunities and child care for families, dubbed the American Family Plan. The plan is expected to be funded by an increase…


ACT Police Found to Have Illegally Accessed Private Location Data an Estimated 1,704 Times

An investigation has revealed that the AFP’s community policing arm, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) police, used “covert and intrusive” powers to unlawfully gain personal location information on an estimated 1,704 separate occasions between October 2015 and 2019. The report (pdf) by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Michael Manthorpe, came after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) self-reported a…


Terrorist Attack Likely in Next 12 Months: Australian Intelligence Chief

Australia’s domestic intelligence chief has said he believes that a terrorist attack on Australian soil is likely within the next year. The comments came during a parliamentary inquiry, where the Australian Federal Police chief called the internet a “salad bar of hate” responsible for amplifying extremist messaging. Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence…


Deputy Shot Dead, Another Wounded in Ongoing North Carolina Standoff

A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy has been killed and another has been wounded in a Watauga County standoff that continued after nightfall with law enforcement officers surrounding a home, authorities said. Watauga County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Chris Ward died from his injuries after a standoff at a home in the town of Boone that began…