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Signs of the Times: The World for People who Think. Featuring independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events.
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Houthis may not be targeting US warships, Pentagon claims
Waves of attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen may not be targeting U.S. warships, even though the U.S. Navy has responded by shooting down drone aircraft and missiles in recent weeks, the Pentagon said on Monday. The United States has blamed the Houthis for a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7. In the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea on Sunday. The Houthis acknowledged launching drone and missile attacks against what they said were two Israeli vessels in the area. -
Why are younger voters flocking to the far right in parts of Europe?
Many young people are not xenophobic but their lives are precarious, say experts, amid crises in housing and healthcare Lunching on a tuna sandwich in the central market of Volendam, a picturesque fishing port north of Amsterdam, Gerald, 24, was lucid about his choice in last week's Dutch election. "I voted for Wilders, and many of my friends did too," he said. "I don't want to live with my parents forever. I want my own home, and to be able to provide for my family later on. Wilders wants to figure out the housing crisis, and make our healthcare better. Those are the most important topics for me." -
Utah ski resorts pummeled with feet of snow
"30-49 inch storm totals in many spots in Utah." Buried cars. Deep base layers, and snow piling up seemingly by the second. Utah is experiencing a major snow storm, leaving mountains covered and skiers stoked. Powderchasers, a popular IG account dedicated to helping people source fresh pow, posted "30-49 inch storm totals in many spots in Utah (Beaver, Solitude, Snowbasin, Powder, Alta). Colorado totals are 15-30 inches." Resorts across Utah are open, with a solid base and fresh snow to boot. Snowbasin has a 45 inch base, with 31 new inches in the past 48 hours and 14 inches over the last 24. -
Woman killed in shark attack while swimming with young daughter off Mexico's Pacific coast
A Mexican woman who was swimming with her young daughter died after she was severely bitten in the leg by a shark in the Pacific Ocean off the beach town of Melaque, authorities said Sunday. Rafael Araiza, the head of the local civil defense office, said the attack occurred Saturday a short distance from the beach in Melaque, just west of the seaport of Manzanillo. The town is in the western state of Jalisco, and is located next to the better-known beach town of Barra de Navidad. Ariaza said the woman, 26, was swimming with her five-year-old daughter toward a floating play platform about 75 feet from the shore. The victim was trying to boost her child aboard the floating platform when the shark bit her. The daughter was not harmed. -
US tourist from Boston killed in shark attack in Bahamas, police say
A female tourist from Boston was killed Monday by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police told reporters. The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located. She was paddleboarding with a man who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson. "We extend our heartfelt condolences...for this most unfortunate situation," she said. Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts. -
Lightning strike kills 6 people, injures 5 in Tanzania
SIX people have died and five others injured by lightning in Maparagwe village, Chikukwa Ward in Masasi District, Mtwara Region. Mtwara Regional Police Commander (RPC), Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Nicodemus Katembo announced on Monday here, saying that the incident occurred at around 18 hours on Sunday. He named those who died as Patrick Maurus (42), Fatuma Rashid (40), Rosina Wales (46), Regina Vincent (55), Zainabu Abdulrahaman (62) and Zainabu Mussa (44). Those injured are Amina Abdulrahaman (62), Halman Fadhili (04), John Nguli (39), Luiz William (36) and Mzamiru Said (02). ACP Katembo said the lightning strikes occurred when the named people had gathered to celebrate their relative's graduation ceremony, after completing O-level education. -
Scores reported killed in Gaza as fighting shatters Israel-Hamas truce
Israel's warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after talks to extend a week-old truce with Hamas collapsed, sending wounded and dead Palestinians into hospitals and forcing hundreds to flee in the streets. Eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza came under intense bombardment as the deadline lapsed shortly after dawn, with columns of smoke rising into the sky, Reuters journalists in the city said. Residents took to the road with belongings heaped up in carts, searching for shelter further west. In the north of the enclave, previously the main war zone, huge plumes of smoke rose above the ruins, seen from across the fence in Israel. The rattle of gunfire and thud of explosions rang out above the sound of barking dogs. Sirens blared across southern Israel as militants fired rockets from the coastal enclave into towns. Hamas said it had targeted Tel Aviv, but there were no reports of casualties or damage there. By the evening, Gaza health officials said Israeli air strikes had killed... -
India government employee was Nikhil Gupta's handler: US charge in Pannun murder plot
Court documents filed by the US Justice Department detail how an unnamed Indian government official colluded with an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, to orchestrate an alleged assassination attempt on US-based Khalistani terrorist of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Federal prosecutors in the United States have accused an Indian government official of directing a plot to murder Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. On Thursday, the US Justice Department brought charges against another Indian man, Nikhil Gupta, for his alleged role in the foiled killing plot. According to an indictment filed in a Manhattan court, Nikhil Gupta aka "Nick", 52, colluded with the Indian government agency employee in a plan to murder Pannun, a US citizen and founder of the Khalistani outfit, Sikhs for Justice. "The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state... -
Cosmopolitan magazine shares steps for how to have a 'Satanic Abortion Ceremony'
Cosmopolitan, a popular magazine for young women, shared with readers how they could have a ritualized abortion service via an abortion facility named after Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's mother. Cosmopolitan explained on its Instagram page on Nov. 16 about the process of having a Satanic-themed abortion. It specifically addressed a "ceremonial" service provided at the "Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic," named as an insult to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. "What's it like to have a Satanic abortion? For Jessica* [a fake name to keep the woman anonymous], a 37-year-old mother of three who received abortion medication via Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Clinic, 'the experience was just very supportive,'" Cosmopolitan wrote in an Instagram post. "While she's not a Satanist, Jessica decided to incorporate a few ceremonial elements into her solo abortion experience. 'Why not?' she thought. The overall messaging just clicked with her." The post shared a series of... -
Somalia receives free wheat from Moscow
Somalia has taken delivery of 25,000 tons of humanitarian wheat from Russia, according to the East African nation's news agency, SONNA. A cargo ship carrying the aid arrived in the country's port of Mogadishu on Thursday. Russia's ambassador to Somalia, Mikhail Golovanov, who arrived in Mogadishu on Saturday ahead of the delivery, handed over the free grain to Somalia's minister of maritime transport and ports, Abdullahi Ahmed Jama. Moscow has committed to assisting Somalia in dealing with a hunger crisis caused by prolonged droughts and recent floods that affected most of the country's governorates, displacing around 250,000 people. The UN food program said last month that an estimated 4.1 million people in the country will face acute hunger by the end of the year. Last month, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev announced that two shipments of free grain had left for Burkina Faso and Somalia as part of a pledge made by President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa summit... -
Growing number of Ukrainians want peace talks - poll
Ukrainians are almost evenly split on how to proceed in the conflict with Russia, local media reported on Sunday, citing a survey conducted in November by the Rating group. According to the results of the poll, 44% of respondents said it was important to look for compromise in negotiations with Russia and that other countries should be brought into the process. At the same time, 48% of those polled were opposed to any negotiations with Moscow, and insisted on continuing hostilities until Kiev retakes full control of the territories it has lost. The results indicated a marked downturn in the number of Ukrainians who support prolonging the fighting with Moscow. In similar polls conducted in July and February, negotiations were backed by just 35% of respondents, while 60% were in favor of prolonging the conflict. -
Ethnic cleansing: IDF threatens south Gaza with north Gaza's fate
Israel is seeking to repeat the attack on the northern part of the Palestinian enclave in the south, IDF chief of staff says A ground operation in the southern part of Gaza has already begun and it will be "no less powerful" than the attack on the north, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Sunday. The general made the remarks as he met Israeli troops with the Gaza Division, claiming that "yesterday, today, we killed [Hamas] battalion commanders, company commanders and many operatives," confirming the operation against the southern part of the Palestinian enclave began on Saturday. -
Pentagon chief warns Israel of 'strategic defeat'
Israel's victory over Hamas will become a "strategic defeat" if the country doesn't prevent civilian casualties during its military operation in Gaza, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said. Washington "will continue to press Israel to protect civilians and to ensure the robust flow of humanitarian aid" into Gaza, Austin vowed on Saturday, in a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum at Simi Valley, California. Implying that indiscriminate attacks on Gaza by Israel could prompt even more Palestinians to join the ranks of the Hamas armed group, the Pentagon chief said: "The center of gravity is the civilian population and if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat. It would compound this tragedy if all that awaited Israelis and Palestinians at the end of this awful war was more insecurity, more rage and more despair." At least 193 people have been killed since the IDF renewed its offensive in Gaza after the... -
'Prepare for bad news' from Ukraine - NATO chief
Jens Stoltenberg said the military bloc's defense industry has yet to reach the level of cooperation needed to satisfy Kiev... The Ukrainian military has failed to achieve any breakthroughs on the battlefield over the past several months, but the West should stand by the country regardless, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has argued. The official also lamented the apparent failure of the military bloc's defense industry to provide Kiev with the munitions it requires. Earlier this week Stoltenberg warned that Moscow had been amassing missiles ahead of the winter, noting that Russian weapons manufacturers were operating "on a war footing." Comment: What a surprise. -
Russia has beaten 'addiction' to Western tech - Putin
The Russian economy has successfully overcome the "addiction" to Western technologies and is developing a competitive domestic market, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. During a meeting with participants in the 3rd Congress of Young Scientists in Sochi, Putin commented on the 'Our Lab' exhibition of scientific equipment produced in Russia. Putin told the scientists: "Our so-called partners believed that they had hooked us on a technological needle and we would never get off. Thanks to the efforts of people like you and your colleagues, it turned out that this could be done - and quite quickly, too." Russian researchers used to buy their equipment abroad, but have since turned to domestically produced alternatives, in part due to the embargo imposed by the US and its allies over the Ukraine conflict. -
The federal government paid media outlets to promote the Covid vaccine
After releasing my three-part series earlier this year showing how multiple media outlets refused to platform dissent on the Covid vaccine, I was asked on multiple podcasts why this was the case. Ideological groupthink, fear of exacerbating institutional distrust and financial motives were on my list of potential explanations, but I did not have concrete evidence. As I highlighted in my first piece, the responses I got from editors claiming their publication's "pro-vaccine" allegiance was quite jarring. More than anything else, a publication should be "pro-truth" - whether that means highlighting the astounding benefits of a therapeutic or exposing its serious side effects. The idea that a whole media corporation would take a firm stance on a novel, experimental product is antithetical to the core purpose of journalism. As it turns out, mainstream media's nearly monolithic coverage of mRNA vaccines and other Covid measures can be at least partially explained by a clear financial... -
Feds spent more than $600K hiring influencers in 2021
In 2021 the Canadian government turned to social media influencers to promote federal initiatives on multiple occasions, from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to Winterlude 'staycations,' spending more than $600,000 in the process, according to a CTV News analysis. Seeking out influencers — social media users, often with large followings, who often use their platforms to make money by promoting products or events — to amplify government messages is a relatively new strategy being deployed by administrations across the world, and Canada is no exception. According to a CTV News analysis of documents recently tabled in the House of Commons, more than a dozen federal departments and agencies employed influencers to help get their messages out in the last year. Elizabeth Dubois, a University of Ottawa professor whose work focuses on the intersections of communications, technology, and politics, said: "Influencers or creators online do a really good job of building a tight-knit community, a... -
Sergey Poletaev: How incompetent leaders put Ukraine on the road to disaster
Out of all the possible options, officials in Kiev seem to always opt for the worst... Last week, the West celebrated the tenth anniversary of what was known as "Euromaidan." On November 21, 2013, then-President Viktor Yanukovich announced that Ukraine was suspending preparations for signing an EU Association Agreement, and journalist and activist Mustafa Nayyem called on people to go to the Maidan Square in Kiev to protest the decision. He promised them tea and a good time. At the start, few took the events seriously - Ukrainians were used to seeing tents on Kiev's main square since the 2004 Orange Revolution, as the political circus often moved beyond the walls of the Verkhovna Rada (the national parliament) and ended in fights. The opposition had gathered crowds of protesters when Yanukovich extended the Black Sea Fleet Agreement with Moscow, after the cancelation of former President Viktor Yushchenko's constitutional reform, following the arrest of ex-Prime Minister Yulia... -
New Zealand whistleblower data leak links Covid vaccine to deaths: Parsing the evidence
By now, almost everyone has heard of the 'New Zealand whistleblower data'. Many people are discussing it, and I want to weigh in with my sceptical opinion. While I oppose Covid vaccines, I owe my subscribers a duty to report truthfully. My post should not be interpreted as 'pro-vaccine advocacy'. Be aware that the 'leaked New Zealand data' is problematic; even the story accompanying it is less than entirely believable. I spent an entire day analysing it. I downloaded it as a CSV file, uploaded it to my MySQL database server, and analysed it. As I will show... The 'whistleblower data' is missing huge chunks of information that should logically be present Liz Gunn of NZ is misinterpreting it by trying to pass normal nursing home deaths as evidence of "super deadly batches" and "mass vaccine casualties" The data has problems that are incompatible with the story of its origin. It cannot be a full snapshot from a working payment database. Therefore, the story of its origin is suspect... -
Scientists discover six alien worlds perfectly synchronized
A planetary system not so far from the Solar System has six worlds orbiting their star in beautiful, perfect harmony. Each of the six exoplanets orbiting the bright star HD 110067 has an orbit in lockstep with the adjacent exoplanets, resulting in a rare phenomenon known as a chain of resonance. This suggests that the system has existed relatively undisturbed since its formation over a billion years ago - an exceptional hidden jewel in the Milky Way. "We think only about one percent of all systems stay in resonance," says astrophysicist Rafael Luque of the University of Chicago. "It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched." Orbital resonances are neither uncommon, nor unexpected. They occur when two bodies orbiting a third body exert a gravitational influence on each other, in such a way that their orbital periods line up. Not exactly 1:1 - that appears to be super uncommon - but it can be expressed as a ratio. -
Ex-Zelensky aide: Ukraine has lost up to 300,000 soldiers
Kiev's refusal to negotiate with Moscow has only caused the country heavy battlefield casualties, Aleksey Arestovich says Ukraine has lost up to 300,000 soldiers during its conflict with Russia, Aleksey Arestovich, a former aide to President Vladimir Zelensky, has claimed. Arestovich made the revelation on Friday while speaking to journalist Yulia Latynina via video link. The former presidential aide was addressing the recent admission made by top Ukrainian MP David Arakhamia, who said the Istanbul talks between Moscow and Kiev were derailed by then-UK PM Boris Johnson, who urged Ukraine to "just continue fighting" instead of attempting to reach a deal with Russia. "I was a member of the Istanbul negotiating team, but even I don't know how it happened that we decided to break off the Istanbul [talks]," Arestovich stated. -
Climate activists' private planes freeze themselves to runway in powerful protest
In a beautiful act of protest, the private planes of several climate activists stuck themselves to the runway with giant sheets of ice. Continuing climate activists' preferred method of protest, the planes apparently glued themselves to the runway with ice to prevent activists from traveling to a climate change conference in Dubai. "These planes really nailed the holy grail of climate change protests, both sticking themselves to an object and obstructing transportation," said local man Hans Meyer. "Their climate activist owners have taught them well -- perhaps too well." According to sources, hundreds of extraordinarily wealthy climate activists were scheduled to meet in Dubai to discuss what the poors are doing to the climate. Four hundred private jets were expected at the Dubai International Airport, where individual SUV motorcades would shuttle each activist to one of the most posh hotels on the planet. Asked why the activists did not meet over Zoom to help the climate, the... -
Seymour Hersh: Russia, Ukraine peace deal already underway
Included in the potential deal would also be Russia's agreement to Ukraine's accession to NATO provided that NATO troops are not stationed on its territory and only defensive weaponry is located there. In his newly released article, renowned US journalist Seymour Hersh assured that peace negotiations between top Russian and Ukrainian generals Valery Gerasimov and Valerii Zaluzhnyi respectively are currently underway which include a potential security of Crimea and another four former regions of Ukraine as part of Russia. Included in the potential deal would also be Russia's agreement to Ukraine's accession to NATO provided that NATO troops are not stationed on its territory and only defensive weaponry is located there. -
Bidenomics in Action
"We are at an inflection point, a threshold, where weak, brittle, effete personality structures are a threat to human civilization." — JD Haltigan If you're troubled at all about the state of our country, and even your own small role in it, you might be asking yourself whether the people running things have any idea what they're doing. Some of these doings happen in the metaphysical realm of finance, for instance America's national debt ($34-trillion and going up like mad), and the death of the US dollar, along with the bonds that underwrite it. Or the game of hide-the-salami with the repo and reverse repo markets played between the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury to give the broken banking system the appearance of stability when it is actually in deepening ruin. Did you understand any of that? Probably not, but not because you're dumb. It's because all that action is meant to be incomprehensible even to people who went to grad school. The news media only amplify the... -
The economic writing is on the wall, and Professor Putin is holding the chalk
In the wake of the most drastic sanctions ever placed on a nation, Russia's economy is a modern miracle. However, in the Western press, Vladimir Putin's administration is on borrowed time economically and in every other facet of progress. However, the reality is that Russia's economy is growing three times faster than that of the Eurozone. Ursula von der Leyen and her colleagues in the EU shot off both feet when the bloc followed Washington's lead. This, and other boneheaded measures, reveal to all the world that European leadership are nothing more than modern satraps to the American empire. They may as well be viceroys or chieftains of the Achaemenid Empire, doing what they are told or else. But their loyalties and temperaments are not the story here; their malfeasance against the interests of their own people is. According to some Western analysts, Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 1.5 percent in 2024. By comparison, expectations for the Eurozone economy's... -
Black Pattern Forming?
A number of serious commentators - one being U.S. Professor Victor Hanson - are warning: "Brace yourself for what's coming in 2024". Hansen sees bad omens darkening the future. Is he exaggerating? Perhaps not. One cannot but notice how bad tempered Americans and Europeans generally have become. Calm, reasoned discussion of issues is gone; Yelling, emotivism and 'othering' is commonplace; something bad is coming. A gut feeling, Tucker Carlson says. "There are "angry people who feel like they have no recourse, who don't think elections are real...". What might these commentators be suggesting? Well, they are explicit on one point: the West has been sinking beneath the waves of its' Cultural Revolution - the deliberate cancelling of virtues and legacies of traditional civilization, to be replaced by a cultural hierarchy that upends and inverts the societal paradigm that is close to conquering all. The unanswered question: Why has western society been so supine, so unreflectively... -
US warns it will 'run out' of Ukraine aid funds by end of year
The White House has issued a blunt warning that the US is set to run out of funds to aid Ukraine by the end of the year, saying that a failure by Congress to approve new support would "kneecap" Kyiv. The alert from Shalanda Young, the White House budget director, in a letter to congressional leaders on Monday, represented the most specific assessment yet of Washington's waning financial and military support for Ukraine. "Without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks," Young wrote to political leaders of both parties. Comment: It's not just money they need, because the West was already struggling to supply the Kiev-junta with weapons, even before Israel accelerated its genocide of Palestinian; and the US printing money won't magically result in munitions. It took Russia years to establish its military manufacturing line, and even Moscow had to rely... -
Cyclone Michaung: Runway at Chennai Airport, India flooded as rain pounds city, cars washed away
Flight operations at Chennai airport has been affected due to the heavy rains as Cyclone Michaung is expected to cross the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu on Monday. Several flights have been cancelled and some of them have been diverted. The entire runway and airplane parking zone of the Chennai airport are filled with water. Heavy rain lashed Chennai through the night on Monday as Cyclone Michaung inching closer near the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coast. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that the city and its neighbouring districts would experience extremely heavy rain in the next 24 hours. -
Tanzania Floods: Tragedy strikes Hanang District with over 50 fatalities after heavy overnight rain (UPDATE)
In the early hours of December 3, 2023, the tranquil life in Katesh and Gendabi areas within Hanang District, Manyara Region, Tanzania, was interrupted by severe flooding. The overnight rains triggered mudslides and instigated the partial collapse of Mount Hanang. The aftermath - a shocking tally of at least 20 fatalities and 70 injuries, with homes, shops, business areas, and the main bus station in Katesh lying in ruins. -
Cattle tyrant bird native to South America turns up in Corpus Christi, Texas in November - never before seen in North America
Over the years, there have been many efforts to revitalize downtown Corpus Christi as a means of drawing in tourists. And, driving down Schatzell Street one Saturday afternoon in November, you might think that's been a roaring success when you see a group of people walking around with cameras and binoculars. But they're actually here to see another tourist to the area - one that's never before been seen in North America: the cattle tyrant, a flycatcher bird native to South America. It's an unusual sight to be sure. The cattle tyrant had to have traveled nearly 3,000 miles and crossed several borders to make it to its current stake-out spot near a sushi restaurant and parking garage in downtown Corpus. And ever since it was identified, scores of birders from all over have made the trip to catch a glimpse of it. -
Xi and Belarus' Lukashenko meet for 2nd time this year to renew strategic ties, strengthen defence, security
China and Western-sanctioned Belarus have pledged to strengthen "strategic coordination", as their heads of state met in Beijing on Monday. Referring to President Alexander Lukashenko as "an old friend", Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the two countries would improve relations in a range of areas, from industrial cooperation to cross-border transport. China would also strengthen coordination with Belarus on multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, of which Belarus is expected to become a permanent member next year. "China is willing to continue strengthening strategic coordination with Belarus, support each other resolutely, promote pragmatic cooperation, and continue deepening our bilateral relations," state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying. -
Giant hailstones pummel parts of Queensland, Australia
Australians have been warned to brace themselves for another week of wild weather as hail storms batter the east coast while a tropical cyclone is on its way. The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted a high chance of Tropical Cyclone Jasper developing into a category 3 weather system by Tuesday or Wednesday as it moves towards Queensland from the South Pacific Ocean. However parts of southeastern Queensland have already been smashed by giant hailstones on Monday as thunderstorms reportedly appeared out of nowhere. Residents from Gympie claimed golf ball-size hail had pelted down just after midday across the region. -
Cyberattacks in multiple US states disrupts factories, Israel's gov't adopts new 'wartime digital powers'
An Iran-linked hacking group is "actively targeting and compromising" multiple U.S. facilities for using an Israeli-made computer system, U.S. cybersecurity officials say. Comment: Not only are hackers difficult to identify, the US itself admitted that it is able to cover its own cyber tracks with the footprints of other actors, therefore any claims that these groups are 'Iran-linked' is questionable. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said on Friday that the hackers, known as "CyberAv3ngers," have been infiltrating video screens with the message "You have been hacked, down with Israel. Every equipment 'made in Israel' is CyberAv3ngers legal target." Comment: Which means that the Israeli companies, and by default, Mossad, have the backdoors to these systems. The cyberattacks have spanned multiple states, CISA said. While the equipment in question, "Unitronics Vision Series programmable logic controllers," is predominately used in water and wastewater... -
Mount Marapi: Eleven hikers killed as volcano erupts in Indonesia
Eleven hikers have been found dead near the crater of Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano after it erupted over the weekend, rescuers say. Twelve others are missing and the search was suspended on Monday after another, smaller eruption. There were 75 hikers in the area during the main eruption on Sunday but most were safely evacuated. Marapi spewed a 3km (9,800ft) ash cloud into the air, dimming the sky and blanketing surrounding villages in ash. It is among the most active of Indonesia's 127 volcanoes and is also popular among hikers. Some trails reopened only last June due to ash eruptions from January to February. Marapi's deadliest eruption occurred in 1979, when 60 people died. Three people were rescued near the crater on Monday before the search was suspended. They were "weak and had some burns", said Abdul Malik, head of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency. -
SOTT FOCUS: Signs of the Times Christmas Fundraiser: Donate Today to Keep the Lighthouse Shining, Receive 2024 SOTT Merch!
As we approach the end of 2023, the SOTT.net team would like to wish all our readers and followers a peaceful and happy Christmas, and a prosperous and adventurous new year. We remain ever grateful for the continuing support we receive from this far-flung network of like-minded truth-seekers. Without your support, there would be no Signs of the Times, so thank you. If it's within your means to do so, please consider donating below so that we may keep bringing you the news and views that matter! Israel's ongoing, shocking obliteration of Gaza is truly of 'biblical' proportions. The Israeli regime has already killed more Palestinians in the past six weeks than it killed during the Nakba ('catastrophe') that initially 'shaped' Israel in 1948-9. We say 'biblical' not just because, like the war in Ukraine, it looks set to generate another wave of refugees, and not just because it could potentially ignite a wider Middle East war. This war is 'biblical' because it's not really a war, but... -
Magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes off southern Philippines - 7th mag. 6+ in area within 30 hours
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines, following a series of strong quakes in the same area. Early morning on Monday, the 6.9 magnitude earthquake jolted the southern Philippines early Monday, the United States Geological Survey said. Yesterday, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake and a deadly magnitude 7.6 quake Saturday struck in the same region. At least two people were killed and several were injured after Saturday's quake, according to AFP news agency. Saturday's quake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific region and sent residents along the east coast of Mindanao fleeing buildings, evacuating a hospital, and seeking higher ground. -
Disney admits 'misalignment with public and consumer tastes' has 'adversely impacted' the company, SEC filing reveals
After years of unsuccessfully trying to force its woke agenda upon its customers, the world's largest family entertainment company is finally admitting there may be some truth to the saying coined by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: "Go Woke. Go Broke." According to its latest filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Walt Disney Company acknowledged that it faces "risks relating to misalignment with public and consumer tastes and preferences for entertainment, travel, and consumer products," and that "revenues and profitability are adversely impacted" when their "entertainment offerings and products" don't "achieve sufficient consumer acceptance." Conversely, it describes itself as "a diversified worldwide entertainment company" with "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" objectives that include "building teams that reflect the life experiences of our audiences, while employing and supporting a diverse array of voices in our creative and production teams."... -
1 tourist dead after Paris knife attack, assailant was known by authorities for terrorist plans & radical Islam views
Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, a young Frenchman from the Paris region, was arrested on Saturday following the stabbing death of a German tourist in Paris and the attack on two other people with a hammer. He was a known person to authorities for his radical Islamism and psychiatric disorders. What he is accused of A German man was killed and two other people injured in a knife and hammer attack near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Saturday evening. The assailant, Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, was arrested shortly after the incident and taken into custody. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) has taken charge of the investigation for murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise and for criminal terrorist conspiracy. -
Possible 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery discovered near the Arctic Circle
Archaeologists have found a mysterious prehistoric site believed to be a 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery just 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the Arctic Circle. The prehistoric site is known as Tainiaro, located about 50 miles south of the Arctic Circle in the Finnish region of Lapland. Although the hypothesis that the Tainiaro site is a Stone Age cemetery remains unproven, if confirmed, it could drastically alter ideas about the history of Northern Europe. Furthermore, the proof would make Tainiaro the northernmost Stone Age graveyard in the world. Back in 1959, local workers came across stone tools in Simo, which is situated near the Baltic Sea's northern edge, just 80 kilometers to the south of the Arctic Circle. The site, named Tainiaro, underwent partial excavations in the 80s. This led to the revelation of thousands of artifacts, including pottery, stone tools, and animal bones. The archaeologists were also able to notice 127 possible pits of different sizes that could... -
Buhbye! Walmart stops advertising on X, adding to growing list of companies
Retail giant follows Apple, Disney and IBM in halting ads on X Walmart no longer advertises on X, adding to the list of companies that have halted ads on the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. A spokesperson for the retail giant on Friday confirmed to FOX Business in a statement, "We aren't advertising on X as we've found other platforms to better reach our customers." The news was first reported by Reuters. A person familiar with the situation told FOX Business that Walmart's decision to stop advertising on X was not made overnight, but was rather a gradual progression away from the platform over quite some time. -
Private jets headed to Cop28 global warming conference "literally frozen on runway"
While world leaders spoke at a 'global warming' conference in Dubai, located in the heart of the Arabian Desert, discussing the usual: banning gas stoves, cow farts, and petrol-powered vehicles, a powerful snowstorm grounded all flights at Munich Airport in Germany. "Private jets in Munich on the way to Dubai global warming conference are literally frozen on the runway, which has turned into a glacier," said Ryan Maue, a meteorologist and former NOAA chief scientist. -
Press advocates say Gaza war is deadliest conflict for journalists in over 30 years
"This might be the last video I post," Ayat Khaddoura, a Palestinian journalist and podcaster, said in a post on Instagram Oct. 13. It was one of many videos Khaddoura had been sharing with her hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, talking about living under Israeli bombardment and trying to survive with limited water and electricity. On Nov. 6, in a video she called her "last message to the world," she said: "We used to have big dreams, but now our dream is only to be killed in one piece so people know who we are." A week later, she was dead. An Israeli airstrike on her home in northern Gaza killed her. -
Israel demands 'security envelope', no Hamas on border after war
Israel will seek a "security envelope" with special zones and arrangements that will prevent Hamas from being positioned on its border after the war in Gaza is over, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. On Friday, Reuters reported that Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the coastal enclave after the war ends. Asked whether Israel was indeed seeking such a buffer zone, senior adviser Mark Regev told reporters: "Israel will have to have a security envelope. We can never again allow terrorists to cross the border and butcher our people the way they did on October 7." -
Study finds children with liberal parents more likely to suffer mental health problems
Children who grow up in politically liberal households are more likely to suffer mental health problems than their conservative peers, according to a new study. An Institute for Family Studies-Gallup report found that "political ideology is one of the strongest predictors" of which caregiving styles a parent adopts, and conservative parents are associated with the best mental health outcomes for their children. "Conservative and very conservative parents are the most likely to adopt the parenting practices associated with adolescent mental health," study author Jonathan Rothwell, who is also the principal economist at Gallup and nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote . "Liberal parents score the lowest, even worse than very liberal parents, largely because they are the least likely to successfully discipline their children." -
Russia boosts size of armed forces by 170,000 troops
President Putin's decree takes number of Russian service personnel to 1.32 million amid continuing Ukraine war. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's military to increase the maximum number of troops by nearly 170,000 people, as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine continues into its 22nd month. Putin's decree was released by the Kremlin on Friday and took force immediately. It brings the strength of the armed forces to 1.32 million service personnel and increases the overall number of Russian military personnel to about 2.2 million. "The increase in the full-time strength of the armed forces is due to the growing threats to our country associated with the special military operation and the ongoing expansion of NATO," the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a statement. -
King Charles issues call to arms in Cop28 opening statement
Rishi Sunak's attendance comes after he scaled back pledges to help the UK reach net zero by 2050... King Charles gave a call to arms in his Cop28 climate summit opening statement, as Rishi Sunak expressed delight over the monarch's record championing the issue. Sunak said it was a "proud moment" for him to witness Charles deliver his speech on Friday, which "speaks volumes about our type of leadership as a country". "We've got our head of state there, delivering a call to arms in the opening statement, which speaks volumes about the respect that he's got on this issue around the world. "We've got the head of government there with me, and we've got our chief diplomat there and the foreign secretary. There are very few countries that will be able to say what I've just said." -
Trading in death responsibility: 'Woke' funds funnel $5 trillion into arms industry
In the cutthroat world of asset management, my gig as an investment banker at Zurich's top Swiss joint was a tightrope walk between challenge and monotony. Crafting portfolios for the high rollers at the biggest Swiss bank needed a delicate mix of precision and strategy. The daily grind of summarizing, stacking up, and shaping portfolios for the wealthy wasn't just a skill; it was a meticulous drill where financial stability was the goal and the payoff. In the established 60-40 asset allocation doctrine - a fundamental principle in wealth management - the goal was straightforward: allocate 60% to stocks and 40% to bonds. This implicit guideline, honed through market wisdom, provided clients with a safeguard against the unpredictable nature of individual stocks. However, the intricacies of my role extended beyond the numerical aspects of asset allocation. Placing emphasis on securing a resilient lending value for portfolios became paramount, evolving beyond a mere metric to become a... -
North Korea rules out talks with 'two-faced' US
Pyongyang has rejected an offer to resume dialogue with Washington, saying its sovereignty is not open to negotiation... North Korea has blasted Washington for offering renewed peace negotiations even as it ramps up military provocations in the region and tries to deny Pyongyang's sovereign right to develop its aerospace program. Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's foreign policy chief and sister of leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed the possibility of resuming negotiations with US officials on Wednesday, citing the "extreme double standards" displayed at this week's UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting regarding the launch of Pyongyang's first spy satellite. She claimed that US officials asked North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to set the time and agenda for renewed dialogue. -
Kiev's counteroffensive casualties top 125,000 - Moscow
Heavy troop losses and Western weapons did not help Ukraine achieve its goals, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said... In the six months since Kiev launched its push against Russian defensive lines, it has lost over 125,000 troops and 16,000 heavy weapons, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu estimated during a ministerial meeting on Friday. The Ukrainian government and its Western backers had high expectations for the operation, for which the former's army was provided with main battle tanks and other advanced arms. Ukrainian officials predicted that the push would help their country reclaim territory lost since major hostilities started in February 2022, and potentially launch an incursion into Crimea, which had broken away from Kiev in the wake of the 2014 armed coup. The Russian minister reported: "Total mobilization in Ukraine, delivery of Western arms and deployment of strategic reserves by the Ukrainian command have not changed the situation on the battlefield. Those... -
BEST OF THE WEB: Israel plans 'Wrath of God' campaign to assassinate Hamas leaders across the world
The operation recalls Israel's hunt for the terrorists behind the attack on Israelis at the 1972 Munich Olympics — which became the Spielberg film 'Munich'... Israeli leaders are planning a program of targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders across the world — reminiscent of the "Wrath of God" operation that targeted the terrorists behind the attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, according to a new report. Those in the sights of Mossad assassins include top Hamas heads living in Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar, the Wall Street Journal reported. Video from Qatar of Hamas political leaders celebrating the October 7 attacks while living comfortably in the wealthy Gulf emirate reportedly enraged Israeli officials. Israel's clandestine operations have become the subject of both movies and international condemnation, including the famed "Operation Wrath of God" in the 70s and 80s to methodically hunt down the Palestinian terrorists who killed 11 Israeli athletes at the...
