Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
Just want to make this clear: there are two, very different, virus research facilities in Wuhan.
One is a level 4 lab (though its efficay has been questioned since its opening in 2017, due to ‘socialist’ construction). It is several kilometers (miles) apart from the ‘Wuhan wet market’.
Then there is a second lab, much lower security, only 200m apart from the ‘wet market’ in Wuhan. This lab was working on bats and SARS-like viruses.
This is 100% speculation on my part: the ‘level 4’ lab was developing a Bio-wepon virus, while the other (close to the wet-market) lab was tasked with developing a vaccine/treatment to that same virus that had been developed in the level 4 lab.
Both labs were using bats not native to that region.
Thoughts and ideas, please…
Lab accident without evidence of a try for proper containment. No need to fabricate a new virus. Plenty already exist without vaccines. Compare Reston Ebola containment drama. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/10/26/crisis-in-the-hot-zone
The spin is the malice: WHO, PRC, etc.
If it had been Ebola, they would not have been able to lie this much–markets; no human transmission; containment unnecessary.
This is a likely scenario, the lab closets to the wet market is probably where the leak/accident occurred. If we are correct and the modifications to the virus was to make it more infectious and more lethal rather then just a pure research program. With the paperwork already destroyed and most of the people who were working on the virus either disappeared or warned to the point they will never talk the WMD part will never be proven.
Ebola hunt with lab level protocols-long and full of suspense
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/10/26/crisis-in-the-hot-zone
“Refugee children” wearing A.C.A.B. shirts are joyfully greeted by Europe’s left-wing politicians
At last they are here! On Wednesday, the Luxembourg socialist Asselborn was finally able to welcome 12 unaccompanied “refugees” – flown from Greek islands via airlift. The welcome photos show that the “young children” are not quite as young as promised. On the other hand, the “little children” come to us with clear messages: One of them wears a T-shirt with the imprint “A.C.A.B” – “All cops are bastards – All cops are pigs”.
https://medforth.blog/2020/04/16/refugee-children-wearing-a-c-a-b-shirts-are-joyfully-greeted-by-europes-left-wing-politicians/
WATCH: At Easter at Lake Phoenix in Dortmund, Germany – While millions of Germans respect the lockdown, hundreds of immigrants are gathering there
In Saarbrücken, two Germans were warned with an administrative fine because they had rested on a bench!
https://medforth.blog/2020/04/16/watch-at-easter-at-lake-phoenix-in-dortmund-germany-while-millions-of-germans-respect-the-lockdown-hundreds-of-immigrants-are-gathering-there/
It’s hard to imagine any lecture being more prescient, especially given how long ago it was delivered. I don’t expect anyone to sit through all of this because it’s long, but it explains much. Dr. Fekete is still alive as far as I know but is nearing 90 years old and no longer posts articles:
https://youtu.be/0Arm7IK429o
We now have an increasingly pronounced divergence in understanding between the Canadian government’s position on the origin of the CCP WMD, and what is becoming the prevailing stance in the U.S.A. Canada is making official overtures to punishing any voice of dissent to its official narrative, which is that the virus is not an artifact, even while empirical evidence to the contrary establishes itself south of the border. This tells us that the likelihood of deep penetration by the CCP into Canadian institutions is highly likely, and the same into America less so. This should alarm Americans, and compel them to cast a very critical eye on the behavior of their northern neighbor.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/coronavirus-wuhan-lab-china-compete-us-sources
Saudi-Led Coalition Conducts Nine Airstrikes on Sanaa, Suburbs, Military Source Says (sputniknews, Apr 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202004161078974490-saudi-led-coalition-conducts-nine-airstrikes-on-sanaa-suburbs-military-source-says/
“The Arab coalition has carried out several airstrikes on the rebel-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa and its suburbs, a Yemeni military source told Sputnik on Thursday.
According to the source, the coalition carried out nine airstrikes on the city and nearby positions of the Shia Houthi rebels. The coalition, in turn, has accused the Houthis of 547 violations of the ceasefire declared last week.
On 15 April, spokesperson for the Houthi movement Yahya Sarai said that the Saudi-led coalition had conducted 26 air raids on the country’s northern and western provinces despite the alliance’s step towards a ceasefire in Yemen.
Yemen has been mired in a conflict between the UN-backed government and the Houthi Shia rebels since 2015. The parties signed a ceasefire agreement in late 2018, which collapsed shortly thereafter.
On 8 April, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it would cease operations in Yemen for a 14-day period in response to a UN call for a global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic.”
Migrants Injured After Riot in Asylum Home Under Coronavirus Quarantine (breitbart, Apr 16, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/04/16/migrants-injured-after-riot-in-asylum-home-under-coronavirus-quarantine/
“Two migrants were injured following a mass brawl in a German asylum home currently under quarantine due to confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus.
The violence took place on Monday evening and saw two groups of asylum seekers in the home, located in the town of Halberstadt, come to blows. Local police said that the violence was preceded by an evening of threats between the two parties.
“Several windows and the door glazing of an apartment block were damaged or destroyed by stones and weapon-like objects,” a police spokesman told German tabloid Bild.
The 850 asylum home residents have been under quarantine since the confirmation of numerous cases of the Wuhan coronavirus among those living in the shelter, with the quarantine measures recently extended until the 21st of April.
The incident is not the first bout of violence at the home since the quarantine measures were put in place. On the 5th of April, around 50 asylum seekers knocked over fences and clashed with guards at the facility.
A pregnant resident of the asylum home was taken to a local hospital as a result of the violence. She was found to be uninjured, according to a police spokeswoman.
The troubles at the asylum home come after it was reported in late March that mayors in the towns of Schneeberg and Zschorlau in the Saxony region complained that asylum seekers were not respecting government measures to stop the spread of the Chinese virus.
The issue of care of asylum seekers and how to handle other matters such as deportations during the coronavirus pandemic has affected several countries across Europe.
In Sweden, the government is facing the real possibility of having to release migrants set for deportation as current laws only allow authorities to incarcerate illegal migrants for a set period. Some have warned that migrants may go underground if they are released.”
Greece to Expand Turkish Border Fence, Claims Turks Shot at Greek Police (breitbart, Apr 16, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/04/16/greece-expand-turkish-border-fence-turks-shot-greek-police/
“The Greek government will expand the border fence along the Evros river in preparation for a fresh migrant wave and claimed that Turkish officials fired at Greek police earlier this month.
The plan to extend the border fence comes as part of new legislation aimed at tackling the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus and outlined that Greek authorities will build the border fence extension “regardless of the expenditure budget”.
Armoured military vehicles will also be deployed along the northern border with Turkey “for the purpose of covering extraordinary and urgent needs to serve the public interest and protection of national and EU borders”, newspaper Proto Thema reports.
The Greek government has also claimed this week that Turkey may be sending migrants back to the Greek border area after previously closing the border late last month over coronavirus infection fears.
“We have noticed some suspicious movements… As a result, we have ordered a heightened alert for the next few days during the Easter holiday,” a Greek government source had said, with Greek Orthodox Easter celebrated later in the calendar than in Western churches.
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas confirmed the claims, saying that the Greeks had seen “signs of activity”.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos went on to add: “We will strengthen our forces along the borders. In Evros, the existing fence is strengthened and created in places where it did not exist. At sea, where the effort is more difficult than on land, we are there with the Coast Guard.”
During the weeks following President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an opening the Turkish border to migrants, Greek authorities reported multiple acts of aggression from Turkish forces and authorities stationed along the border.
This week it was revealed that earlier this month Turkish special forces had shot towards Greek police, both in the air and in their direction.
The incidents occurred on the evening of April 7th near the village of Sofiko and saw at least three Turkish soldiers fire their weapons on three separate occasions. The Greeks did not return fire.”
Exclusive: California State Election Official Confirms Double-Voting by Mail in Super Tuesday Primary (breitbart, Apr 15, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/15/exclusive-california-state-election-official-confirms-double-voting-by-mail-in-super-tuesday-primary/
“California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has confirmed that double-voting by mail took place in the March 3, 2020, Super Tuesday primary, Breitbart News has exclusively learned.
Days before Super Tuesday, citizen watchdog group Election Integrity Project California sent a letter to Padilla requesting his office look into possible double voting in the 2020 primary election.
More than a month later, in a letter dated April 7, 2020, Padilla confirmed double-voting in one case and suspected double-voting by a number of other registered voters on Super Tuesday, according to the letter obtained by Breitbart News.
Padilla confirmed in at least one case that two ballots from one voter were “opened and counted on election night.” Twelve of the 15 total registered voters identified with “duplicate voting history” are “suspected to have cast two ballots for the March primary election,” Padilla wrote in the letter.
In the remaining two cases, Padilla said county election officials “caught the duplicate voter records prior to election day and only one vote was tallied.” Padilla said the findings have been “forwarded to investigators to follow-up as necessary with the voters.”…”
Indonesian police kill 2 suspected in attack on policeman (abcnews, Apr 15, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/indonesian-police-kill-suspected-attack-policeman-70161433
“Indonesian security forces on Wednesday shot and killed two alleged members of an Islamic militant group suspected of involvement in attack on a policeman on Sulawesi island earlier in the day.
The two men, believed to be members of the East Indonesia Mujahideen militant group, were killed in a gunfight in Kayamanya village in Poso, a mountainous district considered an extremist hotbed in Central Sulawesi province, local police spokesman Didik Supranoto said.
Supranoto said a security video led police and military to a house in the village while they were searching for two gunmen who critically wounded a police officer in an attack in front of a bank on Wednesday afternoon.
The video showed two attackers wearing helmets shooting the policeman and then fleeing on a motorbike when the injured officer tried to resist with a gun.
Supranoto said the suspects refused to surrender and shot at police during the raid on the house…”
Exactly who is this WHO woman who locked down and destroyed the Dystopian economy? Not much info:
https://www.eurocanadian.ca/2020/04/who-is-dr-theresa-tam.html
UN: 51 migrants disembark in Libyan capital amid clashes (abcnews, Apr 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/47-migrants-allowed-disembark-libya-amid-clashes-70163836
“More than 50 migrants from Eritrea and Sudan disembarked in Libya’s capital Wednesday after spending hours on a coast guard vessel off Tripoli and were detained by local authorities, the U.N. migration agency said.
The U.N. mission in Libya, meanwhile, voiced concern about an escalation of fighting between rival forces over Tripoli in recent days, and the release of over 400 jail inmates in a western town recently taken by Tripoli-allied militias.
The migrants were handed over to Libya’s coast guard after being rescued Tuesday night by a commercial ship in Maltese territorial waters, the International Organization for Migration said. At least five bodies were also retrieved, and seven other migrants were reported missing, it said. The agency first put the number of survivors at 47, but later said there were 51.
The rescued migrants spent the night on the coast guard vessel before disembarking in Tripoli on Wednesday and being taken by local authorities to a detention center, the IOM said.
Safa Mselhi, a spokesperson for the IOM, said the migrants are Eritreans and Sudanese, with eight women and three children among them.
Migrants seeking better lives in Europe often land in Libyan detention centers after perilous journeys at the mercy of traffickers who hold them for ransom from their families. These overcrowded facilities have the potential to become breeding grounds for the spread of the coronavirus and other diseases.
“We reiterate that people rescued at sea should not be returned to unsafe ports,” the U.N. migration agency said. “An alternative to disembarkation in Libya must be found urgently.”
Alarm Phone, a crisis hotline for migrants in need of rescue at sea, said the migrants were “illegally abducted” in Malta’s search-and-rescue zone, blaming Maltese authorities for the five deaths and the return of the others to “war, rape and torture” in Libya.
The Maltese government said in a statement Wednesday that its Rescue and Coordination Center coordinated the rescue of the migrants who entered Malta’s waters after a few days in Libyan waters.
It said the Maltese military carried out flights to pinpoint where the boat was located, and called nearby vessels to assist. The statement said the migrants were assisted by a commercial vessel. Later, a Libyan fishing vessel took the migrants on board, it said.
Malta said the European Union was aware of the boat as it was located in Libya’s waters. The EU flew its aircraft over the area but did not send any vessels to pick up the migrants, it said.
Last week, at least 277 migrants were not allowed to disembark in Tripoli for hours over safety concerns, the IOM said, citing Libyan officials without elaborating.
Those migrants, hungry and exhausted after 72 hours at sea, remained stuck on a crowded coast guard ship after being denied entry to Tripoli. Heavy bombardment of the port area at first prevented them from disembarking. They later were able to get off the vessel and around 200 of them were taken to detention centers, while the rest fled to urban areas, according to the IOM.
The fighting for Tripoli has been raging for over a year between military commander Khalifa Hifter’s forces, which are allied with a rival government based in eastern Libya, and an array of militias in the west loosely linked to the U.N.-supported authorities in Tripoli.
The fighting has escalated in recent weeks even as the U.N. appealed for a cease-fire so authorities could turn their focus to fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The virus could potentially devastate war-torn Libya, where a decade-long conflict has ravaged key infrastructure and created dire medical shortages.
Libya has confirmed 48 cases of the virus and one fatality…”
Bangladesh rescues 382 Rohingya drifting at sea for weeks (abcnews, Apr 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bangladesh-rescues-382-rohingya-drifting-sea-weeks-70177209
“Bangladesh’s coast guard has rescued 382 starving Rohingya refugees who had been drifting at sea for weeks after failing to reach Malaysia, officials said Thursday.
The U.N. refugee agency received them from the authorities, UNHCR said in a statement.
The refugees, mostly women and children, were attempting to land on Bangladesh’s coast in the Teknaf area in Cox’s Bazar late Wednesday night, said Lt. Cmdr. M. Sohel Rana, the local head of the coast guard.
Officials gave varying accounts of whether those rescued had been among the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar.
Rana said the refugees started their journey for Malaysia about two months ago and had been drifting at sea for weeks.
“They failed to reach Malaysia and returned,” he said.
A.B.M. Masud Hossain, police superintendent in Cox’s Bazar, said the refugees were lured by traffickers and the owner of the boat was a Myanmar Buddhist.
Others said the rescued refugees were from Bangladesh camps…”
Saudi Arabia executes man who attacked Spanish performers (abcnews, Apr 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saudi-arabia-executes-man-attacked-spanish-performers-70179500
“Saudi Arabia on Thursday executed a Yemeni man found guilty of attacking a Spanish dance troupe and wounding three people on stage before a stunned audience in the capital last year.
The Interior Ministry announced the execution in a statement and identified the man as 33-year-old Yemeni national Emad Abdelqawi al-Mansouri. He was sentenced to death in late December, a swift six weeks after the attack in Riyadh in mid-November.
The troupe from Spain had been performing at a park in Riyadh on the evening of Nov. 11 when a man stormed the stage and attacked them with a knife. It marked the first such incidence of violence since the kingdom began loosening restrictions on entertainment around two years ago.
The Specialized Criminal Court, established to try terrorism cases in Riyadh, found al-Mansouri guilty on a number of charges, including stabbing performers and a security guard, intimidating the public, tampering with national security, creating chaos and terror and attempting to derail entertainment activities in Saudi Arabia.
The court also found the man guilty of acting on the orders of a senior al-Qaida leader in Yemen. The name of the alleged al-Qaida leader was not made public.
The court ruled that a second suspect, who was not identified, be sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. He was found guilty of aiding and abetting the attacker and sending money to al-Qaida in Yemen.
State-owned news media outlets aired footage the night of the attack showing security as they ran on stage to capture the suspect. Other state-linked media outlets shared footage online of a man running on stage and apparently attacking the performers from behind as the troupe, dressed in gold ensembles, performed a dance.”
For future reference without distortion, the horse’s mouth:
https://fidesz.hu/int/news/we-have-launched-our-english-website
http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-bbc-is-airing-islamic-prayer-calls.html
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020
The BBC is airing Islamic prayer calls, and unlikely to cease
Front Page Magazine reports that Britain’s worst government-owned institution is broadcasting the Islamic call for prayer, all because the Coronavirus crisis has led to a closure of mosques (which could just as easily not be the case in enclaves), and they’re unlikely to stop even after the crisis is over:
Global Village Space reported Wednesday that “in a first, BBC begins the broadcast of Muslim prayers on its network as mosques shut down across Britain, part of the extensive measures against coronavirus.” In today’s Britain, it is extraordinarily unlikely that the BBC will stop broadcasting the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, once the coronavirus pandemic is over. A cultural line has been crossed. And the implications of this, beyond the expected hosannas from the usual proponents of globalism and multiculturalism, are ominous.
According to Global Village Space, “different imams lead the 5:50 am broadcasts every week on Friday from 14 local radio stations of BBC. The imam recites verses from the Holy Quran and quotes of Holy Prophet before delivering the sermon and leading the listeners in prayers. The program is titled, ‘Islamic Reflections’. The arrangements have been made to facilitate the Muslim community to the run-up to the month of Ramadan till the end of April.”
The BBC is no doubt thrilled to do this, as it demonstrates how “inclusive” the mega- network is, and how welcoming British society is. Chris Burns, the head of BBC Local Radio, was dead chuffed, saying: “Local radio is all about connecting communities, and we hope these weekly reflections will go some way to helping Muslims feel a sense of community while they are isolating.”
Wrong. What they’re doing is legitimizing a religion built on totalitarianism, but of course, you couldn’t possibly expect the Beeb’s awful reps to admit it. This certainly is dangerous on the concern it could lead to more violence and corruption if the worst themes are recited on the network. As for Judeo-Christian prayers, I guess they, by contrast, don’t have any serious emphasis anywhere on the Beeb during this time, right? No shock there. Such a corrupt network needs to be abandoned by all sensible viewers, and advertisers should withdraw, if that’s what it takes to protest this. Better still, the Beeb should be sold to private businesses.
As we have learned, it really is just an ancient call for toilet paper from a pandemic long, long, ago…
How ‘dangerous’ is it really? | Iranian boats approach US vessels in the Persian Gulf
United States Navy accuses Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps of acting in a ‘dangerous & provocative’ manner as American warships reportedly conducted ‘maritime security’ in the Persian Gulf.
Vice News – Vice Guide to Iran
( 51 min 19 )
Over the past weeks and months, Iran has descended into chaos.
From the downing of a passenger jet to the assassination of a top general, and now one of the world’s largest coronavirus outbreaks, life in the Islamic Republic is facing its toughest challenges since it was founded in 1979.
Just days before all hell broke loose, VICE founder Suroosh Alvi traveled to the country, meeting people from all walks of life: from hipsters to hostage-takers, and from top lawmakers to one of Iran’s heaviest metal bands.
China: Beijing expresses support for WHO efforts on pandemic control
A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesperson expressed support for the World Health Organization (WHO) in its daily press briefing in Beijing, on Thursday, after the United States announced it would cut off funding to the organisation.
“The WHO has been calling on countries to pay high attention to the pandemic and actively prepare during the early stages of the outbreak. It was mentioned in the schedule of the outbreak response, which was issued by the WHO,” said MOFA Deputy Director and spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
europravda – W.H.O: US President Donald Trump halts funding over coronavirus “mismanagement”
europravda ‘Now is not the time’: Global alarm as Trump halts US funds to WHO amid coronavirus pandemic
…experts worry that by suspending funding, it could jeopardise efforts to stop the coronavirus pandemic
Europe remains ‘in the eye’ of COVID-19 storm: WHO
The World Health Organization’s European office says despite some “optimistic signs” in some of the countries worst hit by the new coronavirus, the number of cases was rising and approaching one million in the continent alone.
“We remain in the eye of the storm,” WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, tells an online news conference, urging countries to put adequate controls in place before easing lockdown restrictions.
Wuhan’s ‘wet markets’ struggle after virus lockdown
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to roil the world, China’s “wet markets” have acquired a bad international reputation.
COVID-19 seemingly emerged from stalls selling live game in Wuhan late last year.
Shut down during the lengthy quarantine that sealed off the city to the rest of the world until April 8, the city’s markets are now fighting for survival as customers have not been rushing back.
Meanwhile in Beijing, one consumer says she will keep going to wet markets because they are cheaper than supermarkets.
Macron discusses coronavirus with G7 members by video conference
RT – France’s strict shutdown takes severe toll on the economy
COVID-19 : MAIS À QUOI SERT CE GOUVERNEMENT ?
BBC – Coronavirus: False claims by politicians debunked –
Stolen face masks, an effective cure, and biological weaponry –
Reality Check’s Chris Morris takes a look at some of the false coronavirus claims made by leading politicians around the world.
Deception in graph from Main Stream Median that implies this pandemic had started at the same time.
https://images.app.goo.gl/GNmyaiAocHCPp2sAA
If they only moved the date back to include two months prior… but that’s not how damn lies work.
If economies re-open quickly, epidemic may resurge
U.N. Secretary General sends Trump a letter and scolds him for the decision to defund WHO
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took a serious shot at President Donald Trump this week.
In a statement just released, Guterres expressed: “The World Health Organization, with thousands of its staff, is on the front lines, supporting Member States and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services…”
He added, “It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.” Along with, “As it is not that time, it is also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.”
And Guterres told, “As I have said before, now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences.”
[…]
https://vozwire.com/u-n-secretary-general-sends-trump-a-letter-and-scolds-him-for-the-decision-to-defund-who/
====================================================
UN – Statement by the Secretary-General on the World Health Organization
As I said on 8 April: “The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most dangerous challenges this world has faced in our lifetime. It is above all a human crisis with severe health and socio-economic consequences.
The World Health Organization, with thousands of its staff, is on the front lines, supporting Member States and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services as they fight the virus.
It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.
This virus is unprecedented in our lifetime and requires an unprecedented response. Obviously, in such conditions, it is possible that the same facts have had different readings by different entities. Once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis. The lessons learned will be essential to effectively address similar challenges, as they may arise in the future.
But now is not that time.”
As it is not that time, it is also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.
As I have said before, now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences.
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2020-04-14/statement-the-secretary-general-the-world-health-organization
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daily news Egypt – World denounces Trump’s WHO funding halt
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls decision timing inappropriate
[…]China expressed its “serious concerns” following Trump’s suspension of all US funding to the WHO over the latter’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the global battle against the pandemic is at a “critical moment,” and that suspending funding will “undermine international cooperation against the epidemic.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that it is not the appropriate time to reduce resources for the WHO. He emphasised, instead, that now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop the virus and its devastating consequences.
[…]European Union Foreign Affairs Commissioner Josep Borrell has joined the chorus of criticism against Trump saying the decision is “deeply” regrettable.
Earlier on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected Trump’s move, saying the UN, and “especially the underfunded WHO,” were the best institutions to “strengthen the development and distribution of tests and a vaccine.”
dailynewssegypt(dot)com/2020/04/15/world-denounces-trumps-who-funding-halt/
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Donald Trump under fire for suspending funding to WHO
[…]EU High Representative Borrell, a former Spanish MEP and president of Parliament, saying, “I deeply regret the US decision to suspend funding to WHO. There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever.”
He said there was “no reason” to freeze WHO funding at a critical stage and called for measures to promote unity instead of division.
[…]Further criticism of his decision came from Belgian Renew Europe member Hilde Vautmans, who said, “President Trump’s decision to freeze funding for the WHO is dangerous and irresponsible. Now is not the time to point fingers. The EU must see what can be done to minimise the risks following this decision.”
[…]Janez Lenarviv, EU Commissioner for crisis management, said, “The WHO is one of our major international partners to save lives while facing the COVID19 pandemic. Pulling out of this global fight leaves everyone behind. It is crucial we work together on a global scale to save lives, especially the most vulnerable at higher risk.”
[…]Germany’s foreign minister tweeted that strengthening the “under-funded” WHO was one of the best investments that could be made at this time.
Heiko Maas said, “Placing blame doesn’t help. The virus knows no borders. We must work closely against COVID-19. Strengthening the UN, in particular the underfunded WHO, is a better investment, for example, to develop and distribute tests and vaccines.”
The Netherlands has also thrown its support behind the WHO. “Now is not the time to hold back funding. Once the pandemic is under control, lessons can be learned. For now, focus on overcoming this crisis,” Sigrid Kaag, Dutch minister for foreign trade and development cooperation, said on Twitter.
Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist, said on Twitter: “Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds.”
https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/news/donald-trump-under-fire-suspending-funding-who
Germany: Cutting WHO funding like “throwing the pilot out of the plane mid-flight” – FM Maas
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas condemned US President Donald Trump’s cutting of US funding to the World Health Organisation in Berlin on Thursday.
“Weakening it (WHO) would be nothing other than throwing the pilot out of the plane in mid-flight. And we do not consider this to be justifiable, which is why the WHO must also be further strengthened financially,” the minister said on a video conference with 23 other foreign ministers today.
“The WHO is and will remain the backbone of the current pandemic control. And that’s why it makes no sense at all to question the functioning and significance of the WHO now,” he added.
The German foreign minister also said that he is in contact with the United States and expects to bring Washington and the WHO together to solve the issue.
“We are also talking to the USA. And we would welcome talks between the World Health Organization and the USA, in which a way out of this situation can be sought. After all, the United States also has an interest in ensuring that international coordination in the fight against coronavirus works. And the WHO plays a very important role in this,” Maas stated.
Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed her “full support” for the WHO on Thursday in a call with the leaders of the G7, stressing the need for a “strong and coordinated international response” to fight the pandemic.
1 lie per sentence.
Heiko Maas said, “Placing blame doesn’t help. The virus knows no borders. We must work closely against COVID-19. Strengthening the UN, in particular the underfunded WHO, is a better investment, for example, to develop and distribute tests and vaccines.”
Airline conducts COVID-19 blood tests on passengers
One airline is now administering blood tests to passengers before they board flights amid the coronavirus pandemic, it announced on Wednesday.
Emirates said this week that on a Wednesday flight to Tunisia from Dubai, passengers “were all tested for COVID-19” before departing by way of blood tests conducted by the Dubai Health Authority at the airport’s check-in area, and “results were available within 10 minutes.”
Emirates called itself the first airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19 tests on its passengers. These blood tests are in addition to other precautions the airline has taken, such as requiring passengers to wear masks.
CNN notes that “serology (blood) tests aren’t meant to diagnose active coronavirus infections,” but they “check for proteins in the immune system, known as antibodies, through a blood sample,” and “their presence means a person was exposed to the virus and developed antibodies against it.”
But this, CNN also observes, may be “a sign of what the future holds for air travelers,” while NPR describes it as potentially “a step toward making air travel palatable to the public again.” The airline is hoping to expand this practice, as Emirates Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha said in a statement, “We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights.”
https://theweek.com/speedreads/909119/airline-conducts-covid19-blood-tests-passengers
the gateway pundit –Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Fires Health Minister for Pushing Total Confinement, Something Bolsonaro Rejects — Brazil’s COVID-19 Deaths 8 Times Lower than New York State
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired his Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta on Thursday. Dr. Mandetta wanted the Brazilian government to shut down its economy and enforce a total confinement of the population.
Jair Bolsonaro refuses to destroy his economy in confronting the virus.
Brazil today has 1,924 coronavirus deaths in a country of 207 million.
New York state has over 16,000 deaths in a state of 20 million.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has fired Thursday the country’s Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, a doctor by profession, who had previously reiterated earlier today that his departure from office was imminent after public discrepancies with the president.
“I just heard from President Jair Bolsonaro the notice of my dismissal from the Ministry of Health,” Mandetta, a supporter of the social isolation measures rejected by Bolsonaro, reported on his Twitter account.
Since the Covid-19 crisis began, Mandetta and Bolsonaro have shown profound differences in how the health crisis should be faced. The minister is in favor of adopting drastic measures , such as the total confinement of the population, something that the president rejects so as not to harm the economy.
The still minister had insisted this Thursday during an appearance on the Internet that the coronavirus “does not negotiate, does not give up”, and those who do not face it “end up being run over by the way it behaves.”
Mandetta has promised to “support” his substitute in office,
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/04/brazilian-president-jair-bolsonaro-fires-health-minister-pushing-total-confinement-something-bolsonaro-rejects-brazils-covid-19-deaths-8-times-lower-new-york-state/
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President Bolsonaro appoints Nelson Teich as Brazil’s new Health minister
President Jair Bolsonaro appoints oncologist Nelson Teich as Brazil’s new Health minister, after firing former Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta following weeks of clashes over the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
channel 4 – UK coronavirus lockdown extended by three weeks
The government has detailed the five things that will need to change before measures can be relaxed.
In reality it’s likely to go on far longer: the government warned today the number of people dying is still far too high to consider any kind of exit strategy.
But they are coming under more pressure to explain to the British public what happens next, with suggestions that co-ordinated action on widespread contact tracing and testing may be the only way out any time soon.
Fake News Sites Told You Distrusting China Over Coronavirus Was ‘Dangerous’
Here is a timely reminder of the scores of fake news outlets that dismissed questions as ‘baseless conspiracy theories’.
Now that numerous virology experts are on record as saying it cannot be dismissed, and multiple government and intelligence sources have confirmed that investigations are underway into the possibility that the coronavirus leaked from an unsafe Wuhan bio-lab and China lied about the true scale of the outbreak, here is a timely reminder of the scores of fake news outlets that for weeks and months dismissed both notions as a ‘baseless conspiracy theories’.
Remember, these sources (this is only a small selection of what is out there), to a varying degree in their dismissals, effectively bolstered Chinese state media and government insistences that questions over the safety of the lab were ‘dangerous’.
The Guardian STILL says it’s a conspiracy theory.
Vox – The conspiracy theories about the origins of the coronavirus, debunked – Mar 12
Reuters – China lab says conspiracy theories hurting efforts to curb virus – Feb 20
The Telegraph – Coronavirus myths, scams and conspiracy theories that have gone viral (Point 8: Coronavirus was leaked from a high security lab in Wuhan and China is trying to cover it up) – Mar 29
USA Today – Fact check: Did the coronavirus originate in a Chinese laboratory? – Mar 22
The Scientist – Theory that Coronavirus Escaped from a Lab Lacks Evidence – Mar 5
Politifact – Fact-checking hoaxes and conspiracies about the coronavirus – Jan 24
FactCheck.org – Baseless Conspiracy Theories Claim New Coronavirus Was Bioengineered – Feb 7
The Independent – Coronavirus: From a Chinese lab to eating garlic, the Covid-19 conspiracy theories Britons believe – Mar 30
Vice – The Coronavirus Is an Exciting Opportunity for Conspiracy Theorists – Jan 28
Buzzfeed – Struggling for attention, Italy’s former deputy prime minister and others are sharing false claims the virus was engineered in a Chinese lab – Mar 26
Business Insider – Sen. Tom Cotton keeps airing a long-debunked theory that the deadly coronavirus is a Chinese biological weapon that was leaked from a government lab in Wuhan – Feb 17
The Daily Wire – Report Promotes Debunked Theory That Coronavirus Comes From Chinese Lab – Feb 2
Vanity Fair – Inside the Viral Spread of a Coronavirus Origin Theory – April 10
Forbes – No, COVID-19 Coronavirus Was Not Bioengineered. Here’s The Research That Debunks That Idea – Mar 17
The New York Times – Why Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Flourish. And Why It Matters – April 8
Wired – Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Are a Public Health Hazard – Mar 27
Snopes – The Origins and Scientific Failings of the COVID-19 ‘Bioweapon’ Conspiracy Theory – April 1
BBC – China coronavirus: Misinformation spreads online about origin and scale – Jan 30
https://summit.news/2020/04/16/fake-news-sites-told-you-distrusting-china-over-coronavirus-was-dangerous/
BREITBART – Democrats Say Trump’s Halt to W.H.O. Funding Breaks ‘Same Spending Laws that Brought About His Impeachment’
House Democrats revived the specter of impeachment for President Donald Trump if he moves forward with his order to defund the communist China-influenced World Health Organization (W.H.O.) for mismanaging and covering up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak during its early stages.
The Democrat lawmakers argued that Trump lacks the authority to halt congressionally-approved funding for the W.H.O., a component of the United Nations.
Trump has said he wants to pull funding from the W.H.O. because of the organization’s role in “mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus” during its early stages, a move that slowed the world’s response.
The president announced on Tuesday that he had ordered a halt on W.H.O. funding while his administration reviews the organization’s response to the coronavirus, described as lackluster by some administration officials.
On Wednesday, CNBC quoted Evan Hollander, a spokesman for the Democrat-led House Appropriations Committee, as declaring in a statement:
In a desperate attempt to deflect blame, President Trump is violating the same spending laws that brought about his impeachment. The president does not have the unilateral authority to withhold the United States’ assessed contribution to the World Health Organization.
House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) also blasted Trump’s plans to stop funding to the W.H.O. as “petty, counterproductive political games.”
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Need more proof that President Trump’s illegal withholding of World Health Organization funding puts Americans at risk?
His own State Department says funding the WHO helps “fight disease and ultimately, protect Americans.”
https://twitter.com/AppropsDems/status/1250474130476064768
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Although the United States is the W.H.O.’s top source of funding, China appears to maintain more clout over the U.N. agency, particularly after helping put Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in power as the organization’s director. Tedros is a member of a Marxist-Leninist Ethiopian political party that analysts have listed as a perpetrator of terrorism.
CNBC reported:
House Democrats argued that suspending funding would hamper the global response to the disease ripping across the globe. They also contended he cannot withdraw money already appropriated by Congress under its constitutional authority — suggesting a court fight over Trump’s power looms if he pulls funding.
…
The [Democrat] party also raised the specter of the White House’s decision to withhold congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine last year as Trump urged the country to investigate his political rival, apparent Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The action led to the House impeaching Trump. The Senate acquitted him in February.
Referring to Trump’s plan to stop funding the W.H.O., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) proclaimed in a statement issued Wednesday:
This is another case, as I have said, of the president’s ineffective response, that ‘a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others.’ This decision is dangerous, illegal, and will be swiftly challenged.
In an apparent response to Pelosi’s criticism, Trump said via Twitter on Thursday, “She is totally incompetent and controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet. Come back to Washington and do your job!”
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twitter @realDonaldTrump
Crazy “Nancy Pelosi, you are a weak person.
You are a poor leader.
You are the reason America hates career politicians, like yourself.” @seanhannity
She is totally incompetent & controlled by the Radical Left, a weak and pathetic puppet.
Come back to Washington and do your job!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1250779261595783168
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U.S. lawmakers reportedly appropriated $122 million for the W.H.O. in the fiscal year 2020.
The organization receives funding through assessed contributions, notably membership dues from member countries, as well as voluntary contributions from states and private organizations.
According to the Impoundment Control Act, Trump is allowed to withhold appropriated money as long as he gets approval from Congress within 45 days.
Referring to that law, CNBC noted:
The White House is set to use a broad interpretation of the law in arguing Trump can halt funding to the WHO. The administration will contend lawmakers approved the money within a pool of “global aid” funds, meaning he can redirect to another organization that meets the criteria, administration officials told CNBC.
The WHO broadly works to expand health care services and help countries prepare and respond to emergencies. Losing American funding would hamper the agency: the U.S. gave an average of $446 million to the organization for 2018 and 2019 in both required and voluntary contributions, making up nearly 15% of its total budget.
A Breitbart News assessment found that the W.H.O. helped China hide the severity of the coronavirus outbreak within its borders during the early stages of the disease, parroting a Beijing propaganda claim that there was “no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.” China’s Wuhan region is the birthplace of the coronavirus.
U.S. officials have also accused Beijing of downplaying the extent of the coronavirus during the deadly and highly contagious disease’s early stages and slowing the world’s response. Beijing and the W.H.O. have denied hiding the accusations.
On Wednesday, W.H.O. Director Tedros told reporters the U.N. agency regrets Trump’s decision to halt funding.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/04/16/democrats-threatening-impeachment-over-trumps-order-to-halt-w-h-o-funding/
Trump passionately vows to investigate why initial COVID-19 info was hidden
President Trump says he is angry coronavirus information wasn’t initially shred more broadly with the world.
OT: Globalist invasion of monster insects https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/deadly-giant-asian-hornets-can-21844860
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-06212-0
Now also in Hamburg https://www.uni-hamburg.de/newsroom/presse/2020/pm7.html
Libyan official says 2 killed, 5 wounded in Tripoli shelling (abcnews, Apr 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/libyan-official-killed-wounded-tripoli-shelling-70180333
“A woman and a child were killed and another five children were wounded by artillery shelling in Tripoli from eastern forces seeking to capture the capital from the U.N.-backed government there, a Libyan official said Thursday.
Libya has been divided between two rival governments since 2015, one in the east and another in the West. Last year, troops loyal to commander Khalifa Hifter, who is allied with the eastern government, launched an offensive on Tripoli.
A 5-year-old boy was killed and his three siblings were severely wounded when their house was shelled in Tripoli’s Tariq al-Soor neighborhood late Wednesday, Amin al-Hashemi, Health Ministry spokesman with the Tripoli-based government, said.
In a separate shelling, a 66-year-old woman was killed and another two children were wounded in the Abu Salim neighborhood.
“It was a bloody night, Grad-launchers and random missiles have hit several neighborhoods in Tripoli,” al-Hashemi said.
The fighting over Tripoli has intensified in recent days despite U.N. calls for a cease-fire to allow authorities to focus on curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Libya has so far recorded 48 virus cases, including one fatality. The pandemic could possibly devastate war-torn Libya, where a decade-long conflict has ravaged key infrastructure and created dire medical shortages.
Earlier this week, forces allied with the Tripoli-based government made significant advances by gaining control of Sabrata, a key town that served as a base for troops loyal to Hifter.
Hifter’s march on the capital has so far resulted in a military stalemate, killed hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands.”
CBC – Court documents reveal owner of CHSLD Herron’s lengthy criminal past
‘Unacceptable,’ says premier, for man convicted of fraud, drug crimes to end up in care of Quebec seniors
Samir Chowieri, the president of the group that owns the controversial CHSLD Herron, was convicted in the 1980s of conspiracy for drug trafficking and conspiracy for fraud, according to court documents obtained by Radio-Canada’s Enquête.
At his daily briefing Wednesday, Quebec Premier François Legault called it “unacceptable” that a person convicted of serious crimes ended up running a string of long-term care establishments in the province.
Chowieri immigrated to Canada in 1972, claiming to have only $2,000 to his name, according to Enquête. A few years later, in 1980, two people were arrested trying to cross the Lebanese-Syrian border with 14 kilograms of hashish. RCMP documents showed a Gatineau-area criminal organization was involved.
Chowieri was convicted of conspiracy to traffic drugs in 1981 and sentenced in the Hull courthouse to two years in prison. A year later, records show, Chowieri was sentenced to 18 months for conspiracy to commit fraud, for having acquired 12.5 tonnes of cheese without paying the supplier.
Chowieri received a pardon for his past crimes in 2014 from the Parole Board of Canada, a spokesperson for the businessman informed Radio-Canada in an email statement Wednesday.
“Mr. Chowieri, as well as all his companies’ directors, were subject to a judicial investigation before being allowed to invest in residences for seniors,” the statement said.
Under police watch for alleged money laundering
The Gatineau businessman also attracted the attention of authorities in the 1990s, according to information contained in a search-warrant affidavit filed by the RCMP, the contents of which have not been tested in court. Police suspected him of continuing involvement in drug trafficking, as well as in money laundering.
Through myriad companies, Chowieri allegedly recycled narco-dollars for the Mafia, according to information obtained by investigators.
“Chowieri is a smart and careful drug trafficker and money launderer,” said an RCMP informant quoted in the document.
During a time that he was delivering pizza after immigrating to Canada, the businessman owned two Rolls Royces and two BMWs, a police informant said. The RCMP investigation found that Chowieri had allegedly made several trips to Panama, Colombia, France, Barbados, the Bahamas, Venezuela and Brazil.
In March 1990, he told a customs officer that he had to go to Panama to meet someone for a property purchase in Canada, but he refused to identify that person, according to the RCMP.
In 2002, Mr. Chowieri was also found guilty of tax evasion for having passed off personal spending as business expenses for his company, CHO Brothers. He was fined $125,000.
‘Unacceptable’: Legault
Despite Chowieri’s criminal past, CHSLD Herron was authorized by the Quebec agency responsible for public contracts, Autorité des marchés publics (AMP), to do business with the Quebec government.
The AMP can deny that right to anyone convicted of a crime. However, that person has the right to seek government contracts again, five years after a conviction.
Just the same, the situation is “unacceptable,” Legault said Wednesday when asked at his daily briefing to comment on the Chowieri revelations, first published by La Presse.
All eyes on CHSLD Herron
Almost 33 years after the inauguration of its first building, the Katasa Group — headed by Chowieri and his three daughters — owns residential properties in Ottawa, Montreal and Sept-Îles, as well as two commercial buildings in Gatineau. It operates three long-term care homes for seniors in Gatineau and four others elsewhere in Quebec.
All eyes have been on one of them, CHSLD Herron in Dorval, after the regional health agency had to step in to take over and discovered that 31 of its 150 residents had died since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in mid-March.
In an interview with Radio-Canada, Samir Cowieri’s daughter, Katherine Chowieri, defended Katasa, saying it was CHSLD Herron’s owners that asked for the help from the West Island CIUSSS on March 29 because they were left so short-staffed after the first cases of COVID-19. That’s when the CIUSSS took over their administration.
“Up until that date, March 29, we’d had one death and two confirmed cases of COVID-19,” Katherine Chowieri said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/samir-chowieri-katasa-group-chsld-herron-criminal-past-1.5533934
Owner of Résidence Herron was once targeted in a money-laundering probe
The owner of Dorval’s Résidence Herron got his start in the elder care business in 1987 when he built a facility in Gatineau. In 1994, the Résidence de l’Île became the target of an RCMP investigation into money laundering, but no charges were filed in the case.
The Résidence Herron, a long-term care facility where 31 seniors have died since the end of March, is under investigation by Montreal police amid allegations of negligence in how it responded to the coronavirus crisis.
The Gatineau facility was also the subject of three reports released last year filed by two Quebec coroners. The coroners probed the deaths of three patients between the ages of 82 and 98. Two of the patients arrived at a hospital severely malnourished, while the other died after staff at the residence failed for hours to notice that her oxygen mask had fallen off her face.
In one case, a coroner noted it took three months for the Résidence de l’Île to supply the deceased’s records.
“This fact is worrisome as it stains the credibility of the information received,” coroner Francine Danais wrote in her report.
Résidence de l’Île and Résidence Herron are two of seven homes for elderly people owned and managed by Katasa Group Inc., a company that lists Samir Chowieri as its president on Quebec’s business registry.
On June 3, 1994, members of an RCMP Proceeds of Crime unit based in Vanier, Ont. fanned out in Gatineau and Hull and carried out search warrants at three locations, including the offices of the CHO Brothers, a company then run by Samir Chowieri and his brother Elias.
The company began operating in 1987 and was dissolved in 1996, with Samir Chowieri listed as its primary shareholder and president.
According to an article published in 1994 by Le Droit, a newspaper based in Ottawa, a Quebec Court judge authorized the search based on an affidavit that alleged the RCMP had reason to believe transactions made by the company between Nov. 3, 1982, and June 1994, involved laundered drug money. That included transactions made to build the Residence de l’Île.
Le Droit reported the RCMP used the date in 1982 as the starting point of the documents they sought to seize because it was the day when Samir Chowieri was released from a penitentiary after having served a two-year sentence he received on June 18, 1981, for being part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that took place in Gatineau, Mirabel, Ottawa and Lebanon. Chowieri’s brother received a six-month sentence in the same case.
Less than a year after the RCMP raid, provincial prosecutor Claude Haccoun announced no charges would be filed against Chowieri or his bother. Haccoun told Le Droit there weren’t enough “tangible elements” to file charges in the money laundering investigation.
The same search warrant is referred to in a 2001 Quebec Court judgment in a case where Samir Chowieri, his brother Elias, and their company CHO Brothers Investments were charged in 1997 with having violated Canadian tax laws. While challenging the case, the brothers argued the Canada Revenue Agency investigation was illegal because it was based entirely on documents the RCMP seized in 1994. The judge’s decision notes the Chowieri brothers did “not challenge the validity of the warrant obtained by the RCMP in June of 1994 nor the extent of the seizure done under the authority of that search warrant.”
An RCMP investigator named Dave Wilson, a member of the Proceeds of Crime Section, was called to testify as part of the motion filed by Samir Chowieri. According to the 58-page decision rejecting the motion, Wilson testified the “investigation was started by the RCMP against the Chowieris in July 1992. It was a proceed of crime investigation (organized crime involved in fraud) and an attempt to link money to drug trafficking, and to explain how the money had been invested in the company in the first place.”
The decision notes the RCMP seized business records, ledgers and cassette recordings from Samir Chowieri’s office on June 3, 1994. They seized the cassettes based on a tip that Chowieri was illiterate and recorded his business meetings because he was unable to take notes. At least one of the recordings referred to Residence de l’Île. A CRA investigator testified that specific recording steered the tax evasion investigation.
The CRA case dragged through the courts for years. Quebec Court Judge Pierre Chevalier rejected Samir Chowieri’s motion in 2001. But in 2002, a judge at the Hull courthouse agreed to place a stay of proceedings on all of the charges filed against the Chowieri brothers and their company.
Eight months after the RCMP carried out the search warrants at the CHO Brothers offices in 1994, the Sûreté du Québec carried out a series of similar searches at the home of Constance Provost, then the mayor of Aylmer, and Aylmer’s city hall.
While listening to wiretaps in another investigation, the SQ alleged Provost used a condominium in West Palm Beach, Fla., offered to her by Samir Chowieri. On Nov. 17, 1995, she was charged with breach of trust.
When she pleaded guilty to the charge at the Hull courthouse in 1998, she admitted she used the condo owned by a notary who was friends with Chowieri. She was sentenced to an absolute discharge, apparently because the investigation failed to prove whether Chowieri benefited from the gift he offered to her.
Katasa Groupe Inc. did not reply to an email sent by The Montreal Gazette seeking comment from Samir Chowieri for this article.
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/owner-of-residence-herron-was-once-targeted-in-a-money-laundering-probe/
TVA – Une famille de généreux donateurs
Propriétaires du CHSLD Herron, le président du Groupe Katasa et ses trois filles sont de grands donateurs du Parti libéral du Québec depuis de nombreuses années.
En près de 15 ans, Samir Chowieri, sa femme, Lise Chartrand, et ses filles, Katherine, Samantha et Tanya, ont donné au Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ) près de 10 000$.
D’autres membres de la famille ont également fait de généreux dons. Ils sont toujours restés fidèles au PLQ, selon les données compilées par le Directeur général des élections
La famille est à la tête d’un empire immobilier depuis plus de 30 ans, incluant de nombreuses résidences privées pour aînés. Parmi ces résidences, il y a le CHSLD Herron de Dorval. C’est à cet endroit que plus de 30 personnes âgées sont décédées dans les dernières semaines, principalement en raison de la COVID-19. […]
https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2020/04/16/une-famille-de-genereux-donateurs-1
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Montreal Gazette
But Herron owner Samir Chowieri might not technically have a criminal record, despite having been convicted of at least two major crimes since 1981.
[…]In Chowieri’s case, government officials may be surprised to discover he does not have a criminal record, despite having been convicted of at least two major crimes since 1981.
Frédéric Lepage, a spokesperson for Katasa Group Inc., sent the Montreal Gazette a copy of a letter from the Parole Board of Canada stating that Chowieri has, since 2014, “a record suspension under the Criminal Records Act.”
“Mr. Chowieri, as well as all the members of the management of his businesses, have been the subject of (a background check) before being involved in residences for the elderly,” Lepage wrote in the email.[…]
https://montrealgazette.com/news/herron-scandal-prompts-quebec-to-consider-background-checks-on-chsld-owners/
GREECE – First group of migrant children relocated to Luxembourg
Twelve unaccompanied minors from migrant camps in the northern Aegean islands departed Athens to be relocated in Luxembourg on Wednesday.
Footage shows the children arriving at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, where they were met by authorities before boarding a special flight.
Greek Alternate Minister of Citizen Protection Giorgos Koumoutsakos praised Luxembourg for what he called “an indication of solidarity” and confirmed a further 50 children are to be flown to Germany on Saturday.
Earlier in March, eight EU member states agreed to welcome at least 1,600 children who reached Greece’ shores without their parents, amid the outbreak of coronavirus.
the rebel – UPDATE! Mosque removes ALL flags after Rebel reports on Maple Leaf violation
Just a throwaway comment, but so many people in this facebook group tend to share Pakistan and Egypt as great travel destination and then also say Israel doesnt exist. I wonder what the world view is.
https://ibb.co/5RWGS7L
https://ibb.co/nrRqzhb
https://ibb.co/nMn1YjV
NJ governor ignores Bill of Rights in exclusive Tucker interview
he #YouClapForMeNow Campaign is Hideous
Connecting the Dots
Thailand unable to afford COVID-19 cash relief payouts to citizens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw8UeV2Iv4Q
COVID-19: Malaysia bans any form of bazaar during Ramadan
“Michael Pillsbury, Trump’s top outside adviser on China, discusses new threats to America, including Beijing’s biowarfare plans.”
John Solomon – April 16, 2020 – Twitter
https://twitter.com/jsolomonReports/status/1250781211687030784
John Solomon Reports – Just the News – Podcast
Understanding the Chinese Threat – April 15, 2020
Guest: Michael Pillsbury
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-solomon-reports/id1495251160
“The Hundred-Year Marathon: China’s Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower”
Hudson Institute – February 3, 2015
Hudson Institute hosted a discussion with Dr. Michael Pillsbury, director of Hudson’s Center on Chinese Strategy, Representative J. Randy Forbes, Chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, and Senior Fellow Husain Haqqani on the implications of a China-led world order and the policy options the U.S. should implement while developing its own competitiveness strategy.
John Solomon Reports – Podcast via ART19
Play button – top of page
Understanding the Chinese Threat
April 15, 2020
https://art19.com/shows/john-solomon-reports
Defunding the WHO is the right thing to do
After Indore Shocker, Covidiots On Rampage Again, Attack Medics In Moradabad | India First
COVID-19 Developments In India: Enough Testing Kits Available, Says ICMR, Medics Write To Amit Shah
COVID-19 Crisis: People Roam Freely On Roads In Bengaluru Without Masks Despite Lockdown
Senate committee to investigate China, WHO | NTD
CCP Virus Origins Under Investigation, Wuhan P4 Lab Hides Secrets? | Crossroads with Joshua Philipp
China Lied and People Died
State media reveals regime’s coverup of CCP virus; thousands waiting outside hospital amid pandemic
Investigating Covid 19 Origins; “New Cold War” with Chinese Communist Party—Bill Gertz | CCP Virus
Hong Kong Media is Under Purge Due To Taiwan Issue
BRIGITTE GABRIEL: Calling All Nations, We Must Hold China Accountable!
Can Beijing Be Held Legally Responsible for COVID-19?
Dozens of Migrants Infected with Coronavirus in German and French Asylum Homes (breitbart, Apr 16, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/04/16/dozens-migrants-infected-coronavirus-german-french-asylum-homes/
“Dozens of asylum seekers at migrant reception centres in France and Germany have confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus.
An asylum home in the German city of Ludwigshafen, located across the Rhine river from Mannheim, has reported at least 59 confirmed coronavirus cases among residents, with the facility having a population of around 170.
The accommodation has been under quarantine measures since the start of April according to German tabloid Bild which said that infected migrants had been moved away from the facility.
The paper added that many migrants have been caught violating the quarantine measures and have been brought back to the facility by police officers in recent weeks.
In late March, German mayors in the towns of Schneeberg and Zschorlau complained that asylum seekers in migrant homes in their area were not respecting measures to halt the spread of coronavirus.
In neighbouring France, an asylum home in the commune of La Crèche confirmed that 38 migrants have tested positive for the Chinese virus, nearly half of the total population of the accommodation which houses 86 individuals of various nationalities.
The migrants, who live in a local hotel, were first tested last week. Authorities found nine of the migrants had confirmed cases of the virus. A follow-up test was then conducted and revealed the actual number of cases was much higher.
The migrants have now been placed in three different locations, two hotels and a local apprentice training campus, with no severe cases of the virus reported among the migrants so far.
Over 100 French leftist parliamentarians have proposed amnesty for illegal migrants and asylum seekers in order to combat the spread of coronavirus, arguing that they would then have better access to healthcare systems.
The MPs wrote a letter to French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to emulate a similar temporary measure enacted by Portugal in late March.”
The Tragedy of Trusting False Numbers
Iraq says 2 women killed in Turkish strikes on Kurdish group (abcnews, Apr 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iraq-women-killed-turkish-strikes-kurdish-group-70185620
“Turkish airstrikes targeting members of an outlawed Kurdish rebel group struck a refugee camp in northern Iraq and killed two refugee women, Iraqi authorities said Thursday.
The strikes, which took place on Wednesday, were a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, Iraq’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said.
The strikes on the Makhmour refugee camp were carried out by a Turkish military drone that was detected by Iraq’s air defense, a statement from the ministry said. It expressed “condemnation in the strongest possible terms over these Turkish attacks” and said they also “constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
The Turkish government claims the refugee camp is a hotbed of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, an outlawed group in Turkey that is fighting an insurgency against Ankara…”
Unidentified Gunmen Kill 5 Employees at US Air Base in Afghanistan – Report (sputniknews, Apr 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202004161078988213-unidentified-gunman-kills-5-employees-at-us-air-base-in-afghanistan—report/
“An unidentified group of gunmen on Thursday killed five employees of the Bagram Airfield, a US air base in Afghanistan, a civilian source confirmed to Sputnik. Four others were injured in the attack.
The source noted that the attack took place near the base, and that the incident unfolded at roughly 10 p.m. local time.
Social media reports suggest the workers were traveling in a vehicle when the attack occurred. All nine individuals are reportedly citizens of Afghanistan.
No group has claimed responsibility for the incident and US military officials have not yet issued a release on the reported attack.
The Bagram air base, located in Afghanistan’s Parwan province, is the largest US base in the Middle Eastern country.
Earlier this month, the NATO Resolute Support Mission issued a release revealing that five rockets were launched toward the base. There were no casualties as a result of the deployment.”
FISA bombshell: Russian intel knew Christopher Steele was investigating Trump during 2016 campaign
Two Russian intelligence operatives were aware as early as July 2016 that former British spy Christopher Steele was investigating Donald Trump, according to newly declassified information in footnotes from the Justice Department’s report on FBI surveillance of the Trump campaign.
Footnotes from that report also said a member of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane team investigating the Trump campaign received evidence in January 2017 that Russian intelligence might have targeted and collected information on Steele’s firm, Orbis Business Intelligence.
“In late January 2017, a member of the Crossfire Hurricane received information [redacted] that RIS (Russian Intelligence) may have targeted Orbis and research all publicly available information about it,” a footnote from the Justice Department inspector general’s report said.
https://libertyunyielding.com/2020/04/16/fisa-bombshell-russian-intel-knew-christopher-steele-was-investigating-trump-during-2016-campaign/