03 World

Blurb:

A church leader in the UK says police warned him that he may face a criminal investigation because a Bible verse displayed on the back of his campervan could be treated as “hate speech.”

The story is yet another chilling example of how far Britain’s crackdown on religious expression has gone.

Pastor Mick Fleming, 59, who runs an independent church and anti-poverty charity in Burnley, said he was approached by a police officer at a gas station on October 27.

The officer warned Fleming that the Scripture on his vehicle might be considered hateful “in the wrong context.”

The verse was John 3:16, one of the most widely known and quoted passages in the Christian faith:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Blurb:

After much controversy over the doctoring of a portion of President Donald Trump’s remarks at The Ellipse on January 6th, 2021, it has been announced today that both the Director General and News CEO of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) have resigned.

Per The New York Post:

The director-general of the BBC has resigned Sunday amid scandal after the British state broadcaster shared doctored footage of President Trump speaking on Jan. 6.

…

Blurb:

The BBC’s boss and its head of news quit on Sunday following criticism over bias at the British broadcaster, including in the way it edited a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The BBC had been under mounting pressure after an internal report by a former standards adviser was leaked to the Daily Telegraph newspaper which cited failings in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, trans issues and a speech made by Trump.

The White House had recently denounced the broadcaster as a “propaganda machine” after its flagship Panorama program was found to have edited two parts of Trump’s speech together so he appeared to encourage the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021.

Tim Davie, who has led the British Broadcasting Corporation since 2020, said he decided to leave after “reflecting on the very intense personal and professional demands of managing this role over many years in these febrile times”.

Blurb:

Texas has entered a new stage in enforcing its ban on gender transition procedures for minors, after a Dallas pediatrician accused of violating the law surrendered her medical license, state officials announced.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that Dr. May Lau requested the cancellation of her license from the Texas Medical Board this month and the board approved the request. Paxton called the move “a major victory for our state” and said it “permanently bars Lau from experimenting on children in Texas in the future.”

The attorney general’s office sued Lau in October 2024, accusing her of illegally prescribing cross-sex hormones to 21 minors “for the direct purpose of ‘transitioning’ the child’s biological sex.”

A press release added that “The doctor allegedly used false diagnoses and billing codes to mask these unlawful prescriptions.”

Blurb:

BEIJING: China said on Monday (Nov 10) it would suspend for one year “special port fees” on US vessels “simultaneously” with Washington’s pause on levies targeting Chinese ships, as a fragile trade truce between the superpowers continues to take shape.

The United States and China have been involved in a volatile trade and tariff war for months, but agreed to walk back some punitive measures after presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met last month in South Korea.

At one point, duties on both sides had reached prohibitive triple-digit levels, hampering trade between the world’s two largest economies and snarling global supply chains.

The suspension of the port fees, which applied to ships operated by or built in the United States that visited Chinese ports, began at 1.01pm (5.01am GMT) on Monday, a transport ministry statement said.

Blurb:

A leaked document from a November 2 meeting of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America reveals a series of extreme anti-Israel demands the group is preparing to press Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to adopt. Having helped propel him to victory, the DSA now appears eager to collect on its investment.

Although Mamdani is a long-time member of the DSA who clearly aligns with its anti-Israeli agenda, members are clearly worried he might yield to political pressure once he takes office.

Just the News’ Jerry Dunleavy obtained an internal Anti-War Working Group document that details what the DSA plans to demand of Mamdani.

Blurb:

Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, a leader of China’s underground Catholic Church who endured decades of persecution under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has died at 90 years old. Yet his passing has drawn no official response from the Vatican. Bishop Jia, long targeted for his pastoral ministry, was repeatedly arrested by the Communist Party.

Starting in 1962, Bishop Jia endured multiple prison terms, ranging from periods of house arrest to as long as 15 years in confinement, for refusing to submit to the regime’s state-sanctioned church. His arrests marked significant stoppages in negotiations between Rome and China.

Blurb:

After several busy days of Conservative Party conference lobbying politicians and darting between fringe events, I decided to venture down enemy territory lane and attend the Dignity in Dying (DiD) panel fringe event. Contrary to what the media might have you believe, fringe events were packed, people spilling out like sardines into the corridors, and I often found myself turning up a good half-hour early just to secure a standing spot, never mind a seat sandwiched between two delegates.

Upon arrival at the DiD panel, it was the first room I had walked into where the room was full of empty seats.

On the panel sat the Rt. Hon. Kit Malthouse MP, Dr. Neil Shastri-Hurst MP, David Barker (Chief Executive, Willow Burn Hospice) Nick Hoile (Board Member for Dignity in Dying) and Rebecca Gillanders, a volunteer.

Blurb:

Several years ago, I traveled to Amsterdam as part of the National Right to Life delegation for a multi-issue pro-family conference. The event brought together representatives from dozens of countries and organizations working in maternal health, children’s welfare, family policy, and religious freedom. Over the course of four days, the conference addressed a spectrum of bioethical concerns: euthanasia, adoption, trafficking, and the global expansion of abortion access under the guise of reproductive health.

Our delegation included Dr. Wanda Franz, then president of National Right to Life, and her husband, Dr. Gunter Franz, as well as Olivia Gans. We installed NRLC’s large exhibit booth in the main convention hall. It featured fetal development models, scientific literature, fact sheets, and multilingual brochures explaining the consequences of legalized abortion. The aim was to present abortion not as a theoretical concept but as a physical reality, one that leaves lasting scars on families and societies.

Blurb:

A Chinese consul general in Japan threatened to decapitate the nation’s new prime minister over her comments in defense of Taiwan, prompting outrage in Tokyo and underscoring the rising tension between the two regional powers.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office last month, told a parliamentary committee Friday that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan would likely create a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan — one that could compel Tokyo to deploy its Self-Defense Forces in response. The democratically governed island sits just 60 miles from Japanese territory.

Xue Jian, the Chinese consul general in Osaka, fired back in a since-deleted X post on Sunday: “That filthy neck that barged in on its own — I’ve got no choice but to cut it off without a moment’s hesitation. Are you prepared for that?”

As protests continue against the new government in South Korea over its seeming embrace of China and North Korea, the Democrats prepare to crack down on the dissenters. The Democratic Party of Korea is introducing multiple bills in the legislature it controls that would criminalize anti-China protests.

Democratic Party Representative Yang Bu-nam introduced an amendment to the criminal act that would prohibit anti-China protests. He justified the actions, claiming, “On March 3 of last month, participants at an anti-China rally sang a song containing lyrics like ‘Changgae, Bukgye, and red communists should leave quickly’ and used profanity, spreading false claims about Chinese interference in elections.”

Blurb:

Democratic Party Proposes Prison for Anti-China Defamation  조선일보
from news.google.com

The Democratic Party of Korea has consecutively proposed bills targeting anti-China protests. The People Power Party has reacted by criticizing, “They remain silent on anti-U.S. and anti-Japan protests but single out anti-China demonstrations.” Critics argue that the Democratic Party, which has long emphasized the freedom of assembly and expression, is now leading efforts to suppress protests. On the 6th, the party also passed an amendment to the Aviation Safety Act at the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, banning the distribution of anti-North Korea leaflets in no-fly zones near border areas. The People Power Party opposed the move, stating, “It has unconstitutional elements, including infringing on freedom of expression.”

Democratic Party Representative Yang Bu-nam proposed a Criminal Act amendment on the 4th to recognize defamation against specific groups. Under the bill, those who defame the honor of specific nations, peoples, or races face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million Korean won, while those who publicly insult them face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 2 million Korean won. Current law limits defamation and insult victims to individuals, but the amendment expands this to groups.

Blurb:

THE BATTLE FOR POKROVSK: For a year and a half, Russia has committed an inordinate number of forces and suffered horrific casualties (over 1,500 dead last month) trying to take the city of Pokrovsk, located on the front lines of Donetsk province in eastern Ukraine.

The latest battlefield reports suggest Ukrainian defenders of the city — which once had 60,000 inhabitants but is now mostly deserted — may soon be overwhelmed by Russian forces who have taken about 90% of Pokrovsk and are slowly advancing in house-to-house battles.

“Russian forces are just a few km away from closing their pincer movement around Pokrovsk and neighbouring Myrnohrad and are also closing in on Ukrainian forces in Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region,” Reuters reported from Moscow.

“Moscow’s forces are now close to cutting off the main roads into Pokrovsk, with its two key supply routes already under fire from Russian drones, making it dangerous and difficult to bring in supplies and also threatening Ukrainian forces ability to withdraw,” ABC news reported.

Dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk” by Russian media, the fall of Pokrovsk would give Russian President Vladimir Putin a psychological victory and buttress his effort to seize more territory before seriously considering ending the war. It would give Putin his biggest win since the fall of Bakhmut in May 2023, and would put the last two major cities in Donetsk, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, in peril.

Blurb:

A federal appeals court upheld a Florida law on Tuesday that restricts Chinese nationals and entities affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from making land purchases in the state.

In a 2-1 ruling, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the group of Chinese nationals challenging parts of the law (SB 264) lacked standing to bring their suit. The decision comes after the district court denied plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction blocking the statute’s enforcement.

“After careful review, and with the benefit of oral argument, we affirm the denial of the plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction motion as to the registration and affidavit requirements. But we reverse and remand for the district court to deny the preliminary injunction motion without prejudice as to the purchase restriction because none of the plaintiffs have shown they have standing to challenge that provision of SB 264,” the ruling reads. The majority opinion noted how several of the plaintiffs, although they are Chinese citizens, were not “domiciled” in China, and therefore their efforts to purchase property falls outside the scope of the law.

Blurb:

It cannot be overstated: Zohran Mamdani’s Tuesday night victory in New York City’s mayoral race marked a watershed moment for both Muslim and socialist activists — not only across the five boroughs, but throughout the nation. The displays of hubris began almost immediately after Mamdani was declared the winner — and have shown no sign of slowing since.

One of the most revealing — and frightening — reactions came from an unidentified Muslim man who interpreted Mamdani’s triumph as nothing less than divine approval for Islam’s ultimate conquest of America.

In the video below, he told supporters:

We’re done hiding. We’re done being tortured and hurt and judged. This is the correct religion. This is the religion that all of humanity needs to be a part of Islam [sic], and we will not stop until it enters every home.

I wanna hear it in every single district. It should tremble. Brooklyn should hear it. The Bronx should hear it. Queens should hear it. Say it as if the ummah depends on this, my brothers and sisters.

There is no God worthy of worship except Allah — and final prophet, Mohammed.

Blurb:

It has been a rough couple of weeks for those claiming that Trump is abandoning Taiwan. The administration continues to show its commitment to the self-governed island. Recent examples include President Trump’s “Taiwan is Taiwan” remark, his warning regarding the “consequences” of attempting to take Taiwan, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth raising concerns about China’s actions around the island to China’s Minister of National Defense, and meetings between Taiwanese and U.S. officials at the APEC summit.

🇹🇼 “Taiwan is Taiwan” says President Trump.

I agree with him completely. Taiwan will never be a part of Communist China. pic.twitter.com/EBYuzYR4cP

— 鈴森はるか 『haruka suzumori』 🇯🇵 (@harukaawake) October 31, 2025

Before the Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea, Taiwanese officials expressed strong confidence in the ties between Taipei and Washington.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump has moved to cut U.S. fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods in half, following last month’s in-person meeting with China’s leader Xi Jinping in South Korea.

Under a new executive order issued on Tuesday, the tariff will drop from 20 percent to 10 percent beginning November 10.

In the order, Trump stated:

“The PRC [People’s Republic of China] has committed to take significant measures to end the flow of fentanyl to the United States, including stopping the shipment of certain designated chemicals to North America and strictly controlling exports of certain other chemicals to all destinations in the world.”

Trump and Xi met on October 30 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan, South Korea.

After the meeting, Trump said he believed Beijing would take “strong action” to stem the supply of precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl.

Blurb:

Multiple people were injured Wednesday after a driver who screamed “Allahu Akbar” after he was arrested drove through pedestrians on an island off the coast of France.

Ten people were injured, with four in critical condition, after the incident on Ile d’Oléron, according to the BBC.

The man drove between two villages, knocking down anyone who did not get out of his way, Thibault Brechkoff, the mayor of Dolus d’Oléron, said.

He abandoned the vehicle and set fire to it before trying to escape, Brechkoff said.

“No one has died, and we are hoping that the injured will recover,” he said, according to GB News.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked around 80,000 non-immigrant visas since its inauguration on January 20 for offenses ranging from driving under the influence to assault and theft, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday.

The extent of the revocations, first reported by Washington Examiner, reflects a broad immigration crackdown initiated when Trump came into office, deporting an unprecedented number of migrants including some who held valid visas.

The administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.

Around 16,000 of the visa revocations were tied to cases of driving under the influence, while about 12,000 were for assault and another 8,000 for theft.

Blurb:

The heads of state of about 50 countries are expected in the Amazonian city of Belem for a summit on Thursday and Friday, before the annual UN Conference of Parties (COP) climate negotiations that open next week. Almost every nation is participating aside from the United States, with President Donald Trump having branded climate science a “con job”.
from www.france24.com