Geert Wilders and the far Right dominate Dutch elections. He is mainly known for rabid Islamophobia But will have to put together a coalition, if he can
Anti immigration sentiments. Will get worse before it gets better Right-wing protesters angered by a stabbing attack they believed had involved someone of immigrant background rampaged through central Dublin on Thursday night, leaving behind a trail of burning destruction. Ireland’s police chief on Friday described the unrest, in which double-decker buses, trams and police cars were torched, as “scenes that we have not seen in decades.” The violence and looting through some of Dublin’s most famous streets began after a stabbing attack outside a school that left five people hospitalized. They included three young children and a woman. Police detained a man who also is being treated for injuries. Rumors spread online that the perpetrator of the attack was an immigrant or had an immigrant background. The BBC, citing unnamed sources, said the man was an Irish citizen who had lived in the country for 20 years. People the police later described as far-right protesters disrupted the crime scene, chanting anti-immigrant slogans and took to the streets of Dublin, setting vehicles ablaze and clashing with police. Far-right protesters burn, loot in Dublin after 5 people are stabbed Far-right protesters burn, loot in Dublin after 5 people are stabbed - Tampa Bay Times
LGBTQ rights protest in India. Good for them. Invoking equality. That worked here for awhile, until the right to discriminate in the name of religion and repulsion pushed back LGBTQ+ people in India hold Pride event LGBTQ+ people in India hold Pride event - Tampa Bay Times
Milei’s Conversion to Judaism Seals Pro-Israel Push by Argentina A week after winning the Nov. 19 runoff election, Milei arrived in New York on Monday morning for his first trip abroad as president-elect and headed straight to the tomb of a famous orthodox Jewish rabbi in Queens. Donning a kippah and all black outfit, he visited Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s grave to pay respects. The symbolic gesture illustrates how committed the incoming leader is to deepening Argentina’s cultural and political ties with Israel while much of Latin America, a Catholic stronghold, remains neutral or even critical. Milei went to the Ohel Chabad Lubavitch before any other meetings with US officials or the International Monetary Fund in Washington. The president-elect is converting to Judaism, as per one of his spokespersons, and on Saturday participated in a Jewish ceremony in Buenos Aires where he received a blessing from another rabbi. Less than two weeks before he takes office and without a full cabinet in place, he called the US visit a “spiritual” trip — the second of its kind since early September. It remains unclear when Milei, who grew up Catholic, chose to convert.
Creative way to oppose oppression, like the Chinese blank pieces of paper Nicaraguan police said Friday they want to arrest the director of the Miss Nicaragua pageant, accusing her of intentionally rigging contests so that anti-government beauty queens would win the pageants as part of a plot to overthrow the government. The charges against pageant director Karen Celebertti would not be out of place in a vintage James Bond movie with a repressive, closed-off government, coup-plotting claims, foreign agents and beauty queens. It all started Nov. 18, when Miss Nicaragua, Sheynnis Palacios, won the Miss Universe competition. The government of President Daniel Ortega briefly thought it had scored a rare public relations victory, calling her win a moment of “legitimate joy and pride.” But the tone quickly soured the day after the win when it emerged that Palacios had posted photos of herself on Facebook participating in one of the mass anti-government protests in 2018. DT would order out the army if a beauty queen that had protested against him won. Police accuse pageant director of ‘beauty queen coup’ scheme Police accuse pageant director of ‘beauty queen coup’ scheme - Tampa Bay Times
He’s a weirdo and a U.S. vassal. Still, I’m interested to see whether his economic policies can right the ship in Argentina.
raging gun battles in Ecuador as gangs break leaders out of jail and declare war on gubmnt. jsut what we need, another wave of immigrants runnign for their lives from drug gang violence Ecuador president says country is at war with drug gangs | Reuters QUITO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Ecuador President Daniel Noboa said on Wednesday his country was "at war" with drug gangs who are holding prison guards hostage, amid a dramatic surge in violence that saw gunmen briefly take over a TV live broadcast and explosions in multiple cities. Noboa on Tuesday named 22 gangs as terrorist organizations, making them official military targets. The president took power in November pledging to tackle a growing security problem caused by a rise in drug-trafficking gangs transporting cocaine through Ecuador. "We are at war and we cannot cede in the face of these terrorist groups," Noboa told radio station Canela Radio on Wednesday. He estimated that some 20,000 crime gang members are active in Ecuador. Streets in the capital Quito and port city of Guayaquil were quieter than usual on Wednesday, with many businesses closed or working remotely and schools shuttered. The hostage-takings of more than 130 prison guards and staff, which began in the early hours of Monday, and the apparent escape of Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macias from prison over the weekend spurred Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency.
Poland elected pro EU parliament but is still led by a Polish magat and the gubmnt is still stocked with their corrupt appointees. Parliament and courts ordered police to arrest two former MP's who had been convicted but given shelter by president in presidential palace so they went in and took them to prison. Polish police arrest MPs in presidential palace (bbc.com) Polish police have arrested the former interior minister and deputy interior minister inside the presidential palace in Warsaw in a day of unprecedented political theatre. Mariusz Kaminski and Maciej Wasik were sentenced to two years' jail last month for abuse of power when they led an anti-corruption office in 2007. ....................... The arrests highlight the political turmoil between the Law and Justice (PiS) party and the new pro-EU coalition. The men, who were elected PiS MPs in October, refused to recognise last month's court decision because President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, pardoned them for the crime in 2015. Mr Duda has also said he does not recognise the court's ruling because he insists his pardon remains valid.
Taiwanese elections champion democracy. Forces on alert in case of mainland reaction. Hope Americans value democracy as much
We have friends coming off an Antarctica vacation who will be in Buenos Aires next week. Anxious to get a report. Never been, but have met a lot of ex Argentinians in SFla.
Newly elected Guatemalan President (from Left) sworn in after Right Wing Legislature tried to prevent, necessitating street action and international support to respect election, including from the United States
I have heard some podcasts that try to downplay how crazy he is, but this is nuts. Can't imagine a defensible context
