News
16-Year-Old Arrested for Opposing Trans Ideology in Ontario, Canada
The lawyer for a 16-year-old Catholic high school student suspended for opposing transgender ideology says his client’s legal battle demonstrates that religious freedom in Canada is rapidly eroding.
“I think it’s representative of where the culture, society, and our government institutions are up here,” attorney James Kitchen said of the case against 16-year-old Josh Alexander.
On February 6, the high school junior was arrested for trespassing after showing up at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in Renfrew, Ontario, despite an exclusion order. Kitchen is taking legal action against Alexander by appealing the exclusion order and filing a human rights complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.
Alexander, a born-again Christian, was suspended in November for organizing protests at his school against biological males in girls’ restrooms and arguing in class that God created two unchangeable genders.
Alexander’s suspension was technically lifted in January, but it has remained in effect since the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board “excluded” him for the remainder of the school year. Alexander told The Epoch Times that his principal offered him a return to school if he stopped using transgender students’ “dead names” or given names and excluded himself from classes with two transgender students.
Religious Freedom Declining in Canada
Kitchen, the Liberty Coalition Canada’s chief litigator, said he had no idea how big Alexander’s case would become when he first contacted him around Christmas, following Alexander’s initial suspension from the government-funded school.
The Liberty Coalition Canada website states that clergy founded it in January 2021 to ” support Canadians facing unjust and illegal discrimination for exercising their lawful freedoms.”
“I never imagined it would reach this level,” Kitchen said. “I knew it would be publicized, and there would be some sort of conflict because I knew Josh wouldn’t back down.”
Kitchen believes that religious freedom and freedom of expression are declining in Canada, but that religious liberty is fading faster. He claims that many Canadians are unaware of their government’s growing threat to religious freedom, which he claims is “essentially dead” after withering “for about 10 or 15 years.”
Kitchen said the Supreme Court of Canada issued “the nail in the coffin” with a 2018 decision against Trinity Western University in British Columbia. The Christian school, which sought to establish Canada’s first Christian law school, petitioned the Supreme Court after regional law societies refused to accredit them based on their student covenant, which prohibited extramarital sex.
According to Kitchen, the legal precedent established in that case “really gutted religious freedom in Canada,” and such trends have accelerated in recent years as authorities jailed pastors and seized church properties during the pandemic. Alexander’s case, he claims, is another step up.
The lawyer cited Bill C-4, passed by the Canadian Parliament last year, as a “perfect example” of Canada’s encroaching wave against religious freedom.
Religious Leaders Arrested in Canada
Therapists in Canada who provide counseling to repress or reduce “non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior” or “non-cisgender identity” could face up to five years in prison under the law, which prompted protests from thousands of churches across North America.
“We don’t have any cases on it yet, no charges, so we’re all just kind of waiting to see what the government decides to do with that,” Kitchen said, predicting that “the gender and sexuality issue” will lead to more legal clashes between Christians and the Canadian government.
“I fully expect to get a call in the next 12-24 months that a pastor or some other religious leader has been arrested for telling some guy who thinks he’s a woman that he should consider being OK with being a man instead of transitioning to be a woman,” Kitchen said.
“As a lawyer in Canada, I expect to be on that case or at least hear about it,” he added. “That’s where we’re going.” Alexander agreed with Kitchen, saying that “freedom of expression and religion, in general, are under attack” in his country. “There’s no doubt that we’re about to lose all the liberties that we’ve taken for granted for far too long,” he said.
Canadians are free to practice any religion under Section 2 of the Charter. They also have the right to think, believe, and express themselves freely.
Alexander observed that some young people his age are afraid to express themselves. He urged them to “speak up before it’s too late.”
“If you think what I’m dealing with now is bad, wait until your freedom of belief and thought is outlawed,” he warned. “Now is the time to speak up before it’s too late. Our predecessors failed to do so, and it is now up to us to pick up the torch and carry it.”
Trudeau’s Open War on Religion in Canada
The honorable Leslyn Lewis, a Conservative Party of Canada MP and licensed attorney, said she would “stand up” for religious freedom after accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of waging an “open war” on people’s faith since his election in 2015.
Lewis blasted a recent report from a Department of National Defence (DND) advisory panel recommending it “not consider for employment as spiritual guides or multi-faith representatives Chaplaincy applicants affiliated with religious groups whose values are not aligned with those of the Defence Team” in a platform update titled “Enough Discrimination.”
“Currently, some chaplains represent or are affiliated with organized religions whose beliefs do not coincide with those of a diverse and inclusive workplace. “Some of these chaplains’ affiliated religions do not subscribe to an open attitude and the promotion of diversity,” according to the DND’s recommendations.
“For example, the exclusion of women from priesthoods in some churches violates equality and social justice principles, as do sexist notions embedded in their religious dogmas.”
This latest report, according to Lewis, is “absolutely shocking.”
“People are only now realizing how far it goes in its assault on traditional faiths,” Lewis observed.
Lewis stated that while asking that “chaplains’ values are aligned with the Defence Team may appear innocent enough,” reading further reveals that “the religious groups it considers do not have the right values fall under the banner of ‘The Abrahamic Religions.'”
“This expressly states that Christianity, Islam, and Judaism followers should be barred from serving as military chaplains,” Lewis wrote.
“How are all the Jewish, Muslim and Christian military members to feel now that they have been singled out as out-of-step with the values of the country they are fighting for? Or that in the same report, their beliefs are explicitly compared to the worst kinds of racism?”
According to the report, “minorities in Canada are consistently just used as political tools by this government,” Lewis continued.
Six people have been arrested, including a jeweler and a commercial airline employee, and police have issued warrants for three more suspects in connection with what they say the single-largest gold robbery in Canadian history.
According to Peel Regional Police in Ontario, a joint investigation with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) resulted in the filing of nearly two dozen charges against the suspects in connection with the nearly $20 million Canadian dollar ($14.5 million) heist that occurred a year ago.
During a news conference in Ontario on Wednesday, Peel Regional Police Detective-Sergeant Mike Mavity told reporters that 400 kilograms of gold bars weighing more than 900 pounds, as well as approximately CA$2.5 million ($1.8 million) in stolen bank notes, were hijacked at Toronto Pearson International Airport after arriving on a commercial flight from Europe.
In total, 6,600 gold bars of various sizes were stolen, each of which was “99.9% pure and contained individualized serial numbers,” according to Mavity.
Gold Was in Hull of Air Canada aeroplane: File Photo
According to Peel Regional Police in Ontario, a joint investigation with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) resulted in nearly two dozen charges being filed against the suspects in connection with the nearly $20 million Canadian dollar heist that occurred on April 17, 2023.
On April 17, 2023, the gold and money were loaded into the hull of an Air Canada flight in “an approved airline container” bound for Toronto.
At 3:56 p.m. same day, the flight arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport, and the gold and cash were quickly removed from the aircraft and transported to an Air Canada facility.
At 6:32 p.m., a man suspect came at air can freight driving a 5-ton truck and approached the property with what police called a counterfeit airway bill, a document used by carriers to track shipments.
Shortly after, a forklift arrived and loaded the item into the suspect’s truck. The suspect then drove off.
Fake Shipping Bill: Photo Peel Police
According to a police press release, officials discovered the document bill at 2:43 a.m. the next day to be a duplicate of an airline bill for a valid shipment of fish delivered and picked up the day before.
According to Mavity, the fake bill was produced at the Air Canada facility, and when officials discovered the products were gone, they used security footage to monitor part of the suspect’s subsequent trip until losing track of the truck in north Milton, an Ontario suburb.
Police stated that the crime was an inside operation and that a former Air Canada manager was wanted in the case.
So far police said they have arrested the following suspects in connection to the gold heist case:
- Air Canada employee Parmpal Sidhu, 54, of Ontario
- Jewelry store owner Ali Raza, 37, of Toronto
- Amit Jalota, 40, of Ontario
- Ammad Chaudhary, 43, of Ontario
- Prasath Paramalingam, 35, of Ontario
All five were released on bail and are scheduled to appear in court at a later date, Mavity said.
The truck driver who allegedly picked up the gold, Durante King-Mclean, 25 of Ontario, is currently in custody in the U.S. on firearms and trafficking related charges.
Here are the suspects at large:
- Air Canada manager Simran Preet Panesar, 31, of Ontario
- Archit Grover, 36, of Ontario
- Arsalan Chaudhary, 42, of Ontario
Only CA$90,000 ($65,000) of the more than CA$20 million recovered, said to Peel Regional Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich.
According to US Today, U.S. ATF Special Agent Eric DeGree, King-Mclean was detained in Pennsylvania following a traffic stop that resulted in the seizure of 65 illicit guns destined for Canada. According to DeGree, King-Mclean attempted to flee after police discovered the firearms in a rental car he was driving.
According to Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick, two of the individuals identified by police worked for the airline’s cargo division at the time of the crime.
“One left the company prior to the arrests announced today, and the second has been suspended,” he stated, according to the site. “Because matter is now before the courts, we are unable to speak further.
According to the announcement, only about CA $90,000 (one kilogram of gold) has been found and melted down into bangle bracelets. According to authorities, the remaining gold was most likely melted down and used to purchase illicit weaponry.
“I commend our investigators, the ATF, other law enforcement partners, and our community for working together to identify and arrest those responsible for this brazen crime,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a statement this week.
Anyone with information regarding the case should contact Peel Regional Police.
WARSAW, Poland – A Polish man has been arrested on suspicion of preparing to spy for Russia’s military intelligence in an alleged plot to assassinate Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Polish prosecutors said Thursday.
According to a statement released by Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office, the individual, known only as Pawel K. under Polish privacy regulations, was accused of preparing to transmit airport security information to Russian agents and was arrested in Poland on Wednesday.
AP News Image
Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot
The man was looking for contact with Russians directly involved in the war in Ukraine and was expected to provide detailed information about the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in south-east Poland, near the Ukrainian border, which serves as the gateway for international military and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine. It also caters to leaders and politicians traveling in and out of Ukraine. The airport is controlled by US soldiers.
If convicted, the guy faces up to eight years in prison, according to the statement.
AP News – VOR News
Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot
The prosecutors claimed that close cooperation with Ukrainian prosecutors and security agencies, who tipped them off and provided crucial evidence, made the arrest possible. They stated the case is progressing.
On Thursday, prosecutors in Germany announced the arrest of two German-Russian individuals on suspicion of espionage, with one accused of agreeing to carry out assaults on potential targets, including US military bases, in the hopes of damaging supplies to Ukraine.
Dieter S. and Alexander J. were arrested Wednesday in Bayreuth, Bavaria, according to German federal authorities.
Since Moscow initiated its campaign on Ukraine in February 2022, several persons have been arrested in Poland on suspicion of spying for Russia, including a dual Russian-Spanish citizen.
CNN – Vor News Image
Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot
Poland, a European Union member, has been a loyal backer of neighboring Ukraine and Zelenskyy in their fight against Russia’s aggression for more than two years.
SOURCE – (AP)
News
Long-Lost First Model Of The USS Enterprise From ‘Star Trek’ Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage
DALLAS – The first model of the USS Enterprise, which appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series, has returned home, decades after it went stolen.
The model’s disappearance in the 1970s had become a source of legend, so when it appeared on eBay last fall, it generated quite the commotion. The sellers promptly removed it and called Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. The auction house helped arrange the model’s return last weekend.
Long-Lost First Model Of The USS Enterprise From ‘Star Trek’ Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage
Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he is overjoyed to have the model that formerly graced his father’s desk, who died in 1991 at age 70.
“This is not going home to adorn my shelves,” Roddenberry remarked. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”
Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s executive vice president, stated that the auction house was approached by persons who claimed to have discovered it in a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”
They contacted Roddenberry, who expressed his gratitude that everyone involved felt that returning the model was the correct thing to do. He would not go into detail about the arrangement reached, but he did say, “I felt it was important to reward and show appreciation for that.”
Maddalena claimed the model vanished in the 1970s when Gene Roddenberry loaned it to the producers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.
Long-Lost First Model Of The USS Enterprise From ‘Star Trek’ Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage
“No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry admitted.
The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in both the show’s initial pilot episode and the opening credits of the subsequent TV series, and it served as a prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version seen in the series’ episodes. The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian has the larger replica on display.
The original “Star Trek” television series, which debuted in the late 1960s, sparked an ever-expanding universe of cultural phenomena, including TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a rabid and committed Trekkie fandom can’t get enough memorabilia.
This USS Enterprise replica might easily fetch more than $1 million at auction, but “it’s priceless,” Maddalena stated.
“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he told me. “It is truly a cultural icon.”
Roddenberry, who was a little boy when the model went away, described his memories as “almost a deja vu.” He stated he hadn’t given it any attention until people started contacting him after it surfaced on eBay.
“I don’t think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he told me.
He added he doesn’t know if there was something sinister behind the disappearance decades ago or if it was simply misplaced, but it would be intriguing to learn more about what happened Star Trek.
Long-Lost First Model Of The USS Enterprise From ‘Star Trek’ Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage
“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” added Roddenberry.
Fortunately, he claimed, the finding has put an end to one rumor: that it was destroyed because he threw it into a pool as a child.
“Finally, I’m vindicated after all these years,” he stated with a giggle.
SOURCE – (AP)
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