Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Spewed This Totally Bonkers Anti-Trump Line

/0 Comments/in , , /by

As Sarah wrote yesterday, Mark Carney is the new leader of Canada’s Labour Party and is insane. But before the leadership election, Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minister, ran for the position, where she said that British nukes could protect Canada from Donald Trump (via The Telegraph):

Canada should seek closer ties with Britain because its nuclear weapons can help protect the country against Donald Trump, a Liberal party leader running to replace Justin Trudeau has said.

Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minister under Mr Trudeau, said that US president is “clearly threatening our sovereignty” with his campaign to absorb Canada as the 51st state of America.

In order to “guarantee our security”, Ms Freeland said she would build closer security partnerships with European Nato allies and “I would be sure that France and Britain were there, who possess nuclear weapons”.

“I would be working urgently with those partners to build a closer security relationship… in a time when the United States can be a threat,” said the ex-foreign minister and finance minister at the final Liberal leadership debate…

(Read more from “Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Spewed This Totally Bonkers Anti-Trump Line” HERE)

Russia Rejects Ukraine Ceasefire, Launches Massive Bombing Campaign

/0 Comments/in , /by

Russia said on Thursday that a partial or temporary ceasefire in its war on Ukraine would be “unacceptable,” and only a comprehensive “final settlement” will do.

The Russians punctuated this argument by launching a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with missiles and drones. Russia also appears to be on the verge of ejecting Ukrainian forces from Kursk, the territory counter-invaded by the Ukrainians in August 2024.

The Russians curtly rejected a French-British proposal for a one-month ceasefire “in the air, at sea, and on energy infrastructure,” to be backed up by a “coalition of the willing” that would include at least 20 member nations, according to British officials.

“Firm agreements on a final settlement are necessary. Without all this, any respite or regrouping is absolutely unacceptable, as it will lead to exactly the opposite result,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday.

“In reality, we are dealing with an open desire to achieve a respite at any cost for the Kyiv regime in its death throes, for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and to prevent the collapse of the front,” she said of the UK-France temporary ceasefire plan. (Read more from “Russia Rejects Ukraine Ceasefire, Launches Massive Bombing Campaign” HERE)

Gunmen in Mexico Kidnapped, Dismembered Nine Innocent Beach-Bound Students

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Authorities in Mexico have remained tight-lipped about the reason behind the kidnapping, torture, and dismemberment of nine students who were traveling through Mexico to a beach town in southern Mexico. The mass killing comes as the Trump Administration imposed a series of tariffs on Mexico as a punitive measure for the “intolerable relationship” between Mexico’s government and drug cartels.

The incident occurred on Sunday in the south-central part of Mexico along a highway near the state border between Puebla and Oaxaca. Authorities found one sedan with a total of nine bodies inside or strewn around the vehicle. Some of the victims had their hands severed, while others were entirely dismembered. All victims had been shot and showed signs of torture.

According to the Puebla Sun newspaper, the nine victims were all students from Tlaxcala who traveled to the beach hotspot of Huatulco, Oaxaca, when they went missing. Their relatives reported them missing on February 27, and it wasn’t until March 2 that authorities discovered their bodies inside the sedan. The victims are described as four women and five men.

Mexican authorities have so far refused to provide case details, claiming they are following various investigation theories.

The case comes at the same time that the White House imposed a series of tariffs on Mexico and announced that the country was protecting terrorist drug cartels, Breitbart Texas reported. (Read more from “Gunmen in Mexico Kidnapped, Dismembered Nine Innocent Beach-Bound Students” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

China Says It’s ‘Ready’ For Any ‘Type Of War’ With U.S. After Trump Doubles Tariffs

/5 Comments/in , , /by

China responded after President Donald Trump imposed higher tariffs on the communist country on Tuesday, saying that it is “ready” for “any … type of war” and will “fight till the end.”

Trump doubled the tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20% as 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico also went into effect Tuesday morning. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told The New York Times that Trump’s insistence that China do more to curb fentanyl trafficking into the United States “is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.”

“The U.S., not anyone else, is responsible for the fentanyl crisis inside the U.S. In the spirit of humanity and goodwill towards the American people, we have taken robust steps to assist the U.S. in dealing with the issue,” Lin said, adding, “If the U.S. truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit to address each other’s concerns.”

The communist government spokesman then warned that China was “ready” for war.

“If the U.S. has other agenda in mind and if war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” Lin said. “We urge the U.S. to stop being domineering and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation at an early date.” (Read more from “China Says It’s ‘Ready’ For Any ‘Type Of War’ With U.S. After Trump Doubles Tariffs” HERE)

UK, France to Craft Ukraine Peace Plan to Present to USA

/19 Comments/in , , /by

UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer said ahead of a Lancaster House summit on Sunday that Britain and France will work to craft a Ukraine ceasefire deal that would be presented to the United States.

Echoing the language of former U.S. President George W. Bush, the Labour Party leader said that London and Paris will seek to build a “coalition of the willing” to enforce a peace in Ukraine.

The UK and France have already committed to sending troops into the former Eastern bloc nation to act as peacekeepers, but other European nations, notably Italy, Germany, and Poland, have so far shot down the idea.

“We’ve got to find those countries in Europe that are prepared to be a bit more forward-leaning,” Prime Minister Starmer said per The Telegraph.

“I’m not criticising anyone here, but rather than move at the pace of every single member, every single country in Europe, which would in the end be quite a slow pace, I do think we’ve got to probably get to a coalition of the willing now.” (Read more from “UK, France to Craft Ukraine Peace Plan to Present to USA” HERE)

Trump’s Tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico Take Effect

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico took effect at midnight Tuesday morning, increasing the taxes that U.S. importers will pay on certain goods when they enter the country.

Effective Tuesday, U.S. imports from China, the third-largest U.S. trading partner, will be subject to a new 10% tariff on top of the initial 10% tariff he imposed on Chinese goods last month.

Tariffs on imported goods from Canada and Mexico – America’s two largest bilateral trading partners, according to Census Bureau data – are also set to rise, with 25% tariffs levied on all imports from the two countries. The tariffs include a carve-out for a lower 10% tariff on Canadian oil imports.

President Trump was asked on Monday whether there was room left for any room left for Canada or Mexico to make a deal to avoid tariffs and he replied, “No room left for Mexico or for Canada. No, the tariffs, you know, they’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow.”

Shortly after taking office in January, Trump announced he would impose tariffs on the three countries and cited the flows of illegal fentanyl shipments across the Mexican and Canadian borders, as well as precursor chemicals for fentanyl shipped from China. He cited authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). (Read more from “Trump’s Tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico Take Effect” HERE)

Indian Gender Clinics Shut Down After Losing Funds That Biden Passed Off As AIDS Relief

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid has led to three transgender clinics shutting down in India as liberal causes around the world lose taxpayer funding.

Mitr Clinic, the country’s first health institution “exclusively for the transgender community,” closed three facilities on Jan. 24 after Trump cut most of its budget, Indian news outlets reported Sunday and Monday. The clinics almost fully relied on American taxpayer funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), an entity the left has defended as Trump’s administration moves to dismantle it.

Former President Joe Biden’s State Department celebrated Mitr Clinic’s opening in 2021 along with the premiere of a documentary “Mitr Clinic – Pride and Beyond.” Biden’s USAID used a federal AIDS relief program to help open the clinic in partnership with Johns Hopkins University.

“As the White House report released on November 20 [2021] to memorialize the Transgender Day of Remembrance noted, the U.S. government is taking essential steps to address the root causes of anti-transgender violence, discrimination, and denial of economic opportunity,” a U.S. diplomat said in the State Department’s news release. “These clinics, which provide community-led comprehensive health care services to the transgender community, are a big step toward building a more inclusive society for the LGBTQI+ persons.” (Read more from “Indian Gender Clinics Shut Down After Losing Funds That Biden Passed Off As AIDS Relief” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Iran Triples Military Budget, Signals End to Negotiations

/0 Comments/in , /by

Iran’s decision to triple its military budget in the 2025 fiscal plan does not necessarily indicate war preparations, an Iranian National Security Committee member in Parliament revealed on Wednesday.

In a press interview, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani noted that the significant increase in defense spending means “negotiations are no longer an option.” When asked whether the 200% rise suggested military escalation, he responded, “It cannot be said with certainty, but in any case, this significant increase means that we are not negotiating.”

His remarks come amid heightened tensions following recent threats from US President Donald Trump, who suggested that Israel could launch a strike on Iran if it does not abandon its nuclear program.

Iran’s military leadership has also issued warnings today. The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force (IRGC-AF), Amir Ali Hajizadeh, hinted at the possible execution of a military operation called “True Promise 3,” saying, “If Iran’s nuclear facilities are attacked, the region will be engulfed in uncontrollable flames.”

The budget proposal for 2025 includes plans to export 1.75 million barrels of oil per day, with 420,000 barrels—approximately 24%—allocated directly to the armed forces. According to Iran International, this portion is valued at around €11 billion, up from €4 billion in the 2024 budget. (Read more from “Iran Triples Military Budget, Signals End to Negotiations” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Ukraine Could Be Offered Automatic NATO Membership if Russia Welches on Peace Deal: Report

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ukraine’s future membership of the NATO alliance may play the role of both carrot and stick to encourage more civilized behavior from Russia in future, a report claims.

Unfortunately for Ukraine itself, which makes a great deal of wanting to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to guarantee itself against future Russian aggression, it now seems all but impossible as war peace talks begin. While Russia is obviously against the idea, the United States is also reluctant under President Trump, just as it was under President Biden.

Even European states, who are generally the most enthusiastic backers of Kyiv and who say they support membership one day have proven very reluctant to agree to it immediately. Several European states have argued that Ukraine isn’t ready to be a member of organisations like NATO or the European Union and that, in any case, it would be foolhardy to induct a new member that is already at war and partially occupied by a foreign power.

But that NATO question has a place in negotiations nevertheless, says broadcaster NBC, which cites unnamed U.S. talks “officials” who state it can be used as a security guarantee for Ukraine by limiting Russia’s appetite for further adventurism. As reported, under the alleged plan Ukraine would not be given NATO membership now, but a mechanism would be created that would instantly award that status on Kyiv if Russia violated the future Donald Trump-negotiated Ukraine peace deal. (Read more from “Ukraine Could Be Offered Automatic NATO Membership if Russia Welches on Peace Deal: Report” HERE)

Starmer Rebuffs Trump, Reassures Zelensky It’s ‘Perfectly Reasonable’ to Cancel Elections in Wartime

/0 Comments/in , /by

British Prime Minister immediately offered Volodymyr Zelensky affirmation over his democratic status after President Trump blasted Ukraine for cancelling its elections and enforcing martial law on its citizens.

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Zelensky overnight, with his Downing Street office revealing the Prime Minister had told the Ukrainian he is not a dictator and that it had been “perfectly reasonable” to suspend democracy because of the Russian invasion.

The comments follow Donald Trump airing his views on the state of Ukrainian democracy, saying if Ukraine’s leadership wants a seat at the table, the Ukrainian people should be consulted on who they will send to sit at the table. Later remarks were more strident — perhaps in response to Zelensky’s angry answer to the initial comments, and accusing Trump of repeating Russian “disinformation — and called Zelensky a dictator.

President Trump had said: “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left… I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died”.

These remarks likely come as part of a strategy of pre-positioning by the United States ahead of the coming U.S.-Russia peace talks, and the United Kingdom government was fast to counter-signal against them. Downing Street said of Starmer’s call with Zelensky: “The prime minister spoke to President Zelenskyy this evening and stressed the need for everyone to work together. The prime minister expressed his support for President Zelenskyy as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader”. (Read more from “Starmer Rebuffs Trump, Reassures Zelensky It’s ‘Perfectly Reasonable’ to Cancel Elections in Wartime” HERE)