“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">Do They Know It’s Christmas</a>?” co-writer Bob Geldof is still fully on board with the song he helped create for charity with Band Aid, and doesn’t agree with criticisms he’s been hearing lately, including from performer Ed Sheeran.
The song was originally released in 1984 and has had several remakes since then, including one Sheeran collaborated on in 2014. It has raised millions of dollars for charity over the years.
The latest version called Band Aid 40, which commemorates four decades since its debut, uses previous recordings including those of Bono and Sheeran. This “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” is getting backlash, however, for allegedly promoting stereotypes about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/africa">African culture</a>.
Last week, Sheeran said on social media that Band Aid never asked permission to use his vocals in the new version and that if they had, he “would have respectfully declined.&#8221;
“A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all,&#8221; the British musician <a href="https://people.com/ed-sheeran-claims-band-aid-using-vocals-without-permission-8747178">shared</a> to Instagram Stories.
The explanation he referenced came from British-Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG who said he turned down Band Aid 30. He wrote on Stories: &#8220;While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa&#8217;s economic growth, tourism, and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity.&#8221;
Now Geldof is responding to Sheeran’s comments and overall criticism of the song. The Irish songwriter told <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/bob-geldof-band-aid-at-40-ed-sheeran-controversy-nmcfm2gql">The Sunday Times</a> that reality is more important than an “abstract wealthy-world argument.”
“This little pop song has kept millions of people alive,” he told the outlet of the song that helped raise funds for Africans following a famine. “Why would Band Aid scrap feeding thousands of children dependent on us for a meal?”
“Why not keep doing that? Because of an abstract wealthy-world argument, regardless of its legitimacy?” Geldof continued.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
“No abstract theory, regardless of how sincerely held, should impede or distract from that hideous, concrete real-world reality,” he went on. “There are 600 million hungry people in the world — 300 million are in Africa. We wish it were other, but it is not. We can help some of them. That’s what we will continue to do.&#8221;
“And I can guarantee your personal action here will result in a kid sleeping warmer, fed that night. This is one issue in which you have power,” he said. “You get to tilt the world a fraction — and I know: ‘Here is f***ing Geldof banging on.’ But the instrument of this control, as corny as it may sound, is this thing — this OK tune.”
The song’s co-writer Midge Ure told The Sunday Times that even though he believes it’s “not a great song,” he still sees the value.
“There are many keyboard warriors out there, and in the time it takes them to write a scathing remark some child has died. They talk while we actually do something,” Ure told the outlet. “All those stars turned up on that Sunday morning with hangovers, but were there for a reason. Although it’s also possible that they were just scared of Bob.”

Bob Geldof

‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ Co-Writer Defends Song After Ed Sheeran Trashes It

'Do They Know It's Christmas?' Co-Writer Defends Song After Ed Sheeran Trashes It

Africa

Charity

Entertainment

Music

Songs

World

The U.S. military was forced out of its sprawling base in Niger’s northern desert this week in what is yet another foreign policy disaster for the Biden-Harris administration.
The U.S. has been trying for months to get the country turned around after its military overthrew its democratically elected government last year.
The withdrawal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-forced-to-pull-u-s-forces-out-of-key-african-nation-thats-turning-to-russia-iran-china">upends</a> U.S. counterterrorism efforts and security policy in the politically unstable Sahel region of Africa, which stretches across the northern central part of the continent and includes Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, and Eritrea.
The region is one of the most dangerous in the world and is a hotbed for multiple major Islamic terrorist groups — including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and more — and the threat is growing, as is Russia&#8217;s influence and footprint in the region.
“The security of the region is a grave concern,” Air Force Major Gen. Kenneth Ekman, who is leading the U.S. withdrawal from Niger, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/05/niger-agadez-sahel-military-bases/">told</a> The Washington Post. “The threat has become worse — it has spread and become more acute. … And from a U.S. perspective, our access has been reduced even though our objectives have not changed.”
The U.S. reportedly was able to remove a lot of its equipment from the base, including drones used by special forces to target terrorists, generators, and other sensitive equipment. However, the Biden-Harris administration reportedly left behind &#8220;dozens of vehicles.&#8221;
Multiple security experts who spoke to the newspaper said that the Biden-Harris administration capitulating the region to hostile forces was a national security disaster that could destabilize the entire region.
Daniel Eizenga, a researcher focused on the Sahel at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, said that the terrorist attacks have rapidly increased along Africa&#8217;s coastal countries.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722702091491000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dzILUu8JkHbwoxyGwS0qT">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
“It’s like a five-alarm fire for coastal West Africa, with all the red lights flashing,” Eizenga said. “The security threat has arrived.”
The situation in Niger is part of a pattern in the region where countries are breaking ties with Western nations and forming alliances with Russia, whose criminal paramilitary forces have been increasing their footprint in recent years.
Russia is now providing the country with military resources and personnel, and the highly impoverished country is considering giving “Iran a possible deal on its uranium reserves.” The country has also <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/04/17/us-losing-access-its-bases-niger-heres-why-thats-big-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strengthened</a> economic ties with China in recent years, and with Biden being forced out of the country, China could again increase its footprint.

NIGER-US-DIPLOMACY-DEFENCE-ARMY

U.S. Forced Out Of African Country Key To Fighting Islamic Terrorism

Global Politics

The U.S. Military is withdrawing dozens of special forces soldiers from Chad over the next week in what is a second blow for U.S. foreign policy in Africa over the last week.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/25/us/politics/chad-us-troop-withdrawal.html">reported</a> that the U.S. is removing 75 Army Special Forces personnel from Chad&#8217;s capital N&#8217;Djamena due to a letter the U.S. received from Chad&#8217;s government that it &#8220;saw as threatening to end an important security agreement with Washington.&#8221;
The U.S. forces being withdrawn work at a base where they train with local forces and advise them on operations.
U.S. officials were reportedly &#8220;blindsided and puzzled&#8221; by the letter due to a number of factors, including the fact that it was &#8220;not sent through official diplomatic channels.&#8221;
The move comes after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-forced-to-pull-u-s-forces-out-of-key-african-nation-thats-turning-to-russia-iran-china">news</a> broke last week that Biden was going to start withdrawing U.S. soldiers from Niger, which is on Chad&#8217;s western border.
The dwindling of America&#8217;s presence in the region upends U.S. counterterrorism efforts and security policy in the politically unstable Sahel region of Africa, which stretches across the central part of the continent and includes Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, and Eritrea.
The region is one of the most dangerous in the world and is a hotbed for multiple major Islamic terrorist groups, including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and more.
The report said that although the U.S. is withdrawing, France still has troops in the country and has a much larger military footprint there than the U.S. does.
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The Times noted that the withdrawal of U.S. forces in both countries &#8220;comes as Niger, as well as Mali and Burkina Faso, [are] turning away from years of cooperation with the United States and forming partnerships with Russia — or at least exploring closer security ties with Moscow.&#8221;
The report noted that Russia often uses coercive tactics to destabilize governments in the region.
The U.S. warned &#8220;Chad’s president last year that Russian mercenaries were plotting to kill him and three senior aides and that Moscow was backing Chadian rebels massing in the Central African Republic, to the south,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;At the same time, the Kremlin was courting sympathizers within Chad’s ruling elite, including cabinet ministers and a half brother of the president.&#8221;

President Biden Travels To Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

U.S. Forced Out Of Second African Nation, Dealing Another Blow To National Security Under Biden

Conflicts

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> suffered humiliation on the global stage again this week as the U.S. is reportedly set to give up its bases in Niger and evacuate the thousand American troops deployed there.
The move upends U.S. counterterrorism efforts and security policy in the politically unstable Sahel region of Africa, which stretches across the northern central part of the continent and includes Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, and Eritrea.
The region is one of the most dangerous in the world and is a hotbed for multiple major Islamic terrorist groups, including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and many more.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/us/politics/us-niger-military-withdrawal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Biden administration is pulling the troops out in the coming weeks after the country&#8217;s democratically elected government was overthrown by its own weak military.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING &#8211; U.S. tells Niger it will withdraw 1,000 American military personnel from the West African country in the coming months. upending United States counterterrorism and security policy in the tumultuous Sahel region of Africa
— Eric Schmitt (@EricSchmittNYT) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricSchmittNYT/status/1781455128509194562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
The situation in Niger is part of a pattern in the region where countries are breaking ties with Western nations and are forming alliances with Russia, whose criminal paramilitary forces have been increasing their footprint in recent years, the report said.
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Russia is now providing the country with military resources and personnel, and the highly impoverished country is considering giving &#8220;Iran a possible deal on its uranium reserves.&#8221; The country has also <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/04/17/us-losing-access-its-bases-niger-heres-why-thats-big-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strengthened</a> economic ties with China in recent years, and with Biden being forced out of the country, China could again increase its footprint.
The country served as key strategic interest for the U.S. because its location allowed U.S. forces to conduct critical counterterrorism operations in the region.

niger

Biden Forced To Pull U.S. Forces Out Of Key African Nation That’s Turning To Russia, Iran, China

Communist China

Iran

Joe Biden

Russia

Rioting erupted in the Netherlands over the weekend between two African migrant groups that resulted in police cars being torched.
The Associated Press <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/17/eritrea-government-rioting-hague-netherlands/c41a2064-cdd4-11ee-aa8e-1e5794a4b2d6_story.html">reported</a> that a group of Eritreans that opposes the African country&#8217;s government attacked a venue where a group loyal to Eritrea’s government was holding a meeting.
The Hague Municipality spokesman Robin Middel said, “It got seriously out of hand.”
Video of the attack showed dozens of military-aged males rioting, smashing windows, and destroying vehicles as police arrived on scene.
Stones were later thrown at law enforcement officials and there were reports of approximately a dozen police officers and firefighters sustaining injuries.
Police had to use tear gas to disperse the migrants and quell the violence.
&#8220;Rioters break into an entrance at the Opera,&#8221; a local reporter <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13095811/Riot-erupts-streets-Hague-migrants-attack-cops.html">posted</a> on X. &#8220;Windows are broken and attempts are made to enter. The fire brigade has also left again and cannot extinguish the fire.&#8221;
WATCH:
https://twitter.com/geertwilderspvv/status/1758972840475287779
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Parts of The Hague, Netherlands were set on fire by warring African migrants from Eritrea who attacked each another and police. <a href="https://t.co/J0arCB9mtA">pic.twitter.com/J0arCB9mtA</a>
&mdash; Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1759029369618809066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Associated Press highlighted numerous examples of widespread violence that the African migrants from Eritrea have caused, including injuring dozens of police officers at a cultural event in Germany last September; violent riots in Israel last September, and 22 German police officers that were injured in separate attacks at a festival earlier in 2023.

Violent clashes erupt between Eritrean migrants, police in Netherlands

Warring African Migrant Groups Torch Police Cars

Migrants

Riots

The Netherlands

Democratic House Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, And Summer Lee Call For Cease Fire In Gaza

Representative Ilhan Omar Must Be Expelled From Congress And Deported

Congress

Ilhan Omar

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Opinion

Readers Pass

Somalia

U.S. House of Representatives

Thousands of Africans are flying to Central America in order to travel into the United States illegally by crossing the southern border.
A record number of illegal immigrants have entered America in the last year under President Joe Biden, according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/05/us/africa-migrants-us-border.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The New York Times. The Times reported on Friday that there were 58,462 Africans apprehended at the southern border in fiscal year 2023 — up from 13,406 in 2022, according to government data.
The 2023 numbers include 15,263 from Mauritania, 13,526 from Senegal, and over 4,000 from Angola and Guinea. These Africans are flying into Central America, many starting in Nicaragua, and then making their way up into America by crossing through Mexico. The influx of Africans is reportedly in part due to some countries in Europe implementing tighter border controls. 
It is unclear how exactly all of these migrants are paying for their flights across the Atlantic, as many of them are looking to escape poverty. Some claim they borrow money from friends while others say they sold small businesses. Once they make it to the southern border, many of the illegal migrants are simply released into the United States. 
Ira Mehlman, of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told The Daily Wire that the message has gone out across the world that the American border is open. He said that the Biden administration needed to pursue a policy of deterrence and stop the abuse of the asylum system. 
“Everybody around the world got the message: ‘come to the United States illegally, enter a bogus asylum claim, you’ll be released, you’ll be given work authorization within 180 days, you’ll get to remain here, and the longer you’re here the more you can establish other claims to remain here,&#8221; he said. 
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Illegal border crossings have continued to hit records under President Joe Biden, including an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/migrant-encounters-southern-border-hit-record-302k-december-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all-time record</a> of 302,000 encounters in December alone. House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the southern border on Wednesday calling on the White House to secure the border.
House Republicans are trying to force the Senate to pass the Secure the Border Act of 2023 before they consider any budget or foreign aid legislation. The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2/summary/00" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> would require the construction of a border wall and reforms the asylum process, among other border security measures.

Flood Of Migrants Overwhelms Arizona Border Crossings

Thousands Of Africans Flying To Central America Before Crossing Illegally Into United States

Border Crisis

Illegal Immigration

Southern Border

U.S.

It was only a very short time after Jesus’s birth over 2,000 years ago that persecution began.
As related in the second chapter of Matthew, King Herod sought to find the whereabouts of the newborn Jesus in order to kill him, fearing that he might challenge his rule one day. After Jesus and his family escaped into Egypt, Herod gave vent to his rage by slaughtering the children of Bethlehem.
Yet Herod’s rage was in vain. He himself died soon after, and Jesus soon returned and began his ministry.
This same pattern plays out across the world now more than ever. Governments and enemies of Christianity persecute Christians who recognize that their first allegiance is to God. But because of the faith of these Christians, they give witness to the enduring strength of Christ, and triumph.
Christmas is a time to remember the persecuted, as Jesus and the Holy Innocents were persecuted that first Christmas. But it is also a time to give thanks to God when their witness has triumphed over their persecutors.
Northern Nigeria is a place where the Church faces some of the worst persecution on earth. According to Open Doors, roughly <a href="https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/persecution-trends/">90%</a> of all martyrs in 2022 — over 5,000 Christians murdered for their faith — were from Nigeria.
One of those martyrs was Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a Christian student at a university in Sokoto State, who in May 2022 was <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/05/a-christian-stoned-to-death-for-blasphemy-in-nigeria-when-will-it-end/">stoned to death</a> and burnt by her Muslim classmates because of her faith in Jesus. Another Christian woman, <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253128/nigerian-mother-charged-with-blasphemy-for-defending-murdered-christian">Rhoda Jatau</a>, faced a mob and was arrested for blasphemy after the mob accused her of sharing a video that insulted Islam because it condemned the lynching of Deborah.
Rhoda sat in a jail in Bauchi State, Nigeria, for over 18 months because of the accusations. She only saw her family and lawyers at court hearings.
But through her witness to the injustice of the treatment of Christians in Northern Nigeria, both by extremist Islamist mobs and baseless prosecutions, her case caused national outrage.
Earlier this month, after enormous national outcry, Rhoda was finally <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/rhoda-jatau-bail">released</a> on bail, able to spend Christmas this year with her family in safety. While the charges against her are still pending, many within Nigeria and internationally are pushing for them to be dropped fully.
Other legal victories this year within Nigeria may make it easier for Christians in the northern part of the country to practice their faith. As with many places where Christians are a religious minority, converts to Christianity, particularly from Islam, often find it extremely dangerous to practice their faith. <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/evangelist-acquitted-nigeria">Daniel Kefee</a>* was an evangelist in Northern Nigeria who brought a young Muslim woman, Hafsatu*, to Christ. But when her family found out, members of her family threatened to kill her. She sought out help from Daniel, who found a Christian residential school that could care for her.
For helping Hafsatu, Daniel was charged by Nigerian authorities with kidnapping. Yet Daniel and his lawyers bravely presented to the court the reality of what had happened. In an astonishing result given the region, the judge not only acquitted Daniel, but prodded the prosecutors, asking them, “should the defendant have left the girl, what would have happened with her?”
Also this year, in another state in Northern Nigeria, a young woman named <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/mary-nigeria">Mary Olowe</a>* similarly converted to Christianity and faced death threats from her family. She was able to flee and filed for a restraining order against those who threatened her. Once again, the court issued a remarkable decision, granting the order and explicitly recognizing as a fundamental right Mary’s ability to change her religion from Islam to Christianity without facing any threat of violence.
Even when a remedy through the courts is not possible, we often can see God working through the persecuted to further His kingdom. In Sudan, <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/nada-hamouda-us">Nada and Hamouda</a> were a married Christian couple who were baselessly charged with adultery by prosecutors after their conversions to Christianity from Islam. When Hamouda, the husband, converted after encountering the local church, Nada’s brother threatened the couple, and a Sharia court dissolved their marriage. But soon after, Nada returned to her husband and became a Christian as well. That is when Nada’s brother sought the police to bring charges against them.
Nada and Hamouda could not remain in Sudan. Either they would be convicted and face lashes and potential exile, or they might be freed but hunted down by Islamists. With the help of international partners, they were able to flee to the United States. Now, they have become leaders within their local church community in the U.S., sharing their stories of persecution, witnessing to the grace of the Gospel, and spending their first Christmas <a href="https://youtu.be/L3T5q4JlOBQ?si=kq8OnohJa9nuZjvZ">free and in safety</a>.
We remember the vulnerable and the persecuted at Christmas because of the vulnerability and persecution that our own Savior faced even in those first nights in Bethlehem. But let us also see how God is revealing the hope found in the Gospel and the promise of Christmas even now in these stories from just this year around the world.
* * *
Sean Nelson is an international human rights lawyer serving as Legal Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International. ADF International has supported the cases of Rhoda Jatau, Daniel Kefee*, Mary Olowe*, and Nada and Hamouda.
*These names have been changed to protect these individuals’ identities.
 The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Catholic Protest In Lagos

90% Of All Christian Martyrs In 2022 Were From This African Country

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Christians

Court

Murder

Nigeria

A 14-year-old boy who was kidnapped from a Christian school in Africa by a group of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/radical-islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">radical Islamic</a> Fulani herdsmen returned home last week, more than two years after his captivity began.
Treasure Ayuba, one of 121 students who were kidnapped from the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna, Nigeria, finally escaped, according to a local pastor.
“Glory be to God! Glory be to God!! Glory be to God!!!” Pastor Israel Akanji, the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, wrote on social media. “Treasure Ayuba, the last boy who was still with the bandits who kidnapped the 121 students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, on July 5, 2021, has just returned home!”
Ayuba had been captured by Islamic Fulani herdsmen just days after his 12th birthday and forced to march hours away where he was held hostage, <a href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/treasure-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Open Doors, an organization that monitors Christian persecution around the world.
“Christians from the Nigerian Baptist Convention, which runs Bethel High School, were forced to negotiate with the terrorists over ransom demands,” local pastor Winyadebi Rolis said. “When the convention first started negotiating with the extremists over ransom payments, they thought that all the children would be released. However, to the anguish of the parents, the children were only released in batches with extremists then demanding more money to release the next batch of students.”
Some of the payments demanded by the kidnappers exceeded $300,000. Ayuba’s captors reportedly planned to hold him until he converted to Islam. Ayuba did not and was able to slip away, making it back home where he showed up at his mom’s house, according to Open Doors.
“Treasure somehow managed to sneak away and escape from the extremists,” Winyadebi said. “He walked at night and hid during the day. Eventually he found hunters who took him to his hometown and from there he was able to find his way home.&#8221;
He was the last student to make it home and is expected to receive trauma counseling.
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Nigeria is one the worst countries in the world for Christian persecution, with thousands being killed every year. Christians in the African nation have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/46-nigerian-christians-killed-in-terrorists-attacks-as-government-accused-of-negligence-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> the government of negligence and asked them to take stronger steps to counter the violence.

NIGERIA-UNREST-KIDNAPPING-CRIME

14-Year-Old Returns Home 2 Years After Being Captured From Christian School In Nigeria

14-Year-Old Returns Home Two Years After Being Captured From Christian School In Nigeria

Christianity

Persecution

Radical Islam

Terrorism

Federal law enforcement officials arrested an illegal alien terror suspect from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Africa</a> late last month after he was apprehended and released into the U.S. after being caught unlawfully entering the country.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York City arrested the 29-year-old illegal alien on October 10, just seven days after he &#8220;unlawfully&#8221; entered the U.S. near Lukeville, Arizona — more than 2,000 miles away.
&#8220;Officials processed him and served him a notice to appear as a noncitizen present without admission or parole,&#8221; ICE <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ero-new-york-city-arrests-noncitizen-wanted-senegal-terroristic-activities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;The noncitizen was released on his own recognizance and provided with documentation to report to ERO New York City.&#8221;
ICE was not even sure where the suspect was from, referring to him in their statement as an &#8220;unlawfully present Mauritanian or Senegalese citizen.&#8221;
The suspect, who was not named, was wanted by Senegalese authorities for criminal conspiracy in relation to a terrorist organization; destruction, degradation and damages in relation to a terrorist organization; acts or preparatory acts aimed at compromising public safety or causing serious political troubles; direct provocation of an armed crowd; and holding arms without prior administrative authorization, according to the press release.
“Noncitizens who are engaged in or suspected of supporting terrorism are a direct threat to our country’s national security and will be expeditiously removed from the United States,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “ERO New York City will use every tool at our disposal to keep American citizens and residents safe from those who erroneously believe they can exploit our immigration laws to escape justice in other countries. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure individuals who commit unspeakable acts of violence are held accountable.”
The terrorist suspect will remain in U.S. custody without bond until he is deported, officials said.
A Border Patrol source explained to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin how a situation like this unfolds.
&#8220;If BP checks come up negative then they assume he’s clear, if derogatory info is developed through another source like an attaché or biometrics info, that shows up later, then it gets loaded into a shared database,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;BP doesn’t have the luxury of sitting on these folks for weeks.&#8221;
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I asked a trusted Border Patrol source how something like this can happen? 
Reaponse: “If BP checks come up negative then they assume he’s clear, if derogatory info is developed through another source like an attaché or biometrics info, that shows up later, then it gets loaded…
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1720259907931537534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The news comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-records-highest-illegal-alien-encounters-in-history-for-september-over-8-million-total-for-biden-era" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> late last month that for the month of September, there were 269,735 illegal alien encounters — the highest single-month total ever recorded.
September’s numbers close out Fiscal Year 2023 with a total of 2,475,669 illegal alien encounters. President Joe Biden’s illegal immigration crisis on the southern border has worsened every year that he has been in office, with Fiscal Year 2022 having 2,378,944 encounters and Fiscal Year 2021 having 1,734,686 encounters.
The 2,475,669 illegal alien encounters for Fiscal Year 2023 is the highest level recorded in U.S. history.
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Additionally, 169 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist were arrested in Fiscal Year 2023, bringing the total number arrested under Biden to 282.
During the Biden era, federal agents have also encountered 72,823 “special interest aliens” attempting to enter the country illegally. “Special interest aliens” are illegal aliens that come from countries that are considered breeding grounds for terrorism.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-alien-from-middle-east-arrested-on-gun-charge-in-texas-was-planning-terror-attack-on-jews-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Palestinian In U.S. Illegally Arrested On Gun Charge In Texas, Was Planning Terror Attack On Jews: Report</a>

ICE Agents Detain Suspected Undocumented Immigrants In Raids

Feds Arrest African Illegal Alien Wanted For ‘Terroristic Activities’ After Border Patrol Let Him Into U.S.

Feds Arrest African Illegal Alien Wanted For 'Terroristic Activities' After Border Patrol Let Him Into U.S.

Border Patrol

New York City

When I moved to Tennessee, my cat died. I didn’t talk about it publicly because no one cares when your cat dies. But my cat’s death was traumatizing to me. 
I adopted her when I was living alone in New York City. I got caught in a festival while trying to cross the street. At the end of it was a truck with animals who were going to die if they were not adopted. My soon-to-be-adopted cat had her head down, as though she had accepted defeat and was going to die. So, I decided I need that little ball of drama in my life. She was so sweet, practically human, and also so scared. She was afraid of every single sound in the city, and she would run under the bed and hide all the time. And she remained a true scaredy cat when we moved to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. But when we moved to Tennessee, something changed. Maybe the air was different, but she started just bolting outside. Every day she would go a little farther in the backyard. She had been terrified of everything and all of a sudden she was trying to get outside. One night, she ran out and did not come back; two coyotes killed her on our front porch. It was devastating. She didn’t know the outside. Four years old but she had never lived outside. She didn’t even know what a coyote was.
Over the past few years, I have felt more and more like we aren’t even human anymore; we are more like droids and robots, walking around and not even knowing our surroundings. Around the time we came to Tennessee, I started really leaning into my humanity, wanting to know how to survive. I began growing my own food, raising chickens, and hunting — but it  took me a while to come around to hunting. I had grown up thinking it was horrific, and I was against it on a spiritual level. But the reality was, I knew nothing about hunting at all. In fact, most people who think hunting is terrible don’t know the truth, which is that hunters are, in fact, the number one animal conservationists on the planet — not vegans.
The reason hunters buy into a hunt is because they are either saving an animal or they are saving humans. In Africa, for example, lions often become overpopulated in various regions. When that happens, they begin attacking and killing entire villages of Africans — and they do it in as little as minutes. Hunters can then buy into a hunt because the region needs the population of lions to go down. Otherwise, Africans continue to get slaughtered. Hunters will pay a million dollars to hunt one lion, and that money goes directly to save other animals. There are serious restrictions around hunting: what animals can be hunted, the cost to pay for the hunt, certain types must be bulls, species numbers cannot be low, and so on. You could never kill a black rhino, for example, because there are few in the world.
These hunters know about the wilderness. They actually care about the animals and are often trying to preserve other animals. Poachers, however, are a different story. There is a gaping difference between poachers and hunters. When hunting is banned, it becomes open season for poachers. Poachers will land a helicopter in the middle of a field in the dead of night, take a rhino’s horns, and leave it to bleed to a slow death. Poachers love hunting bans because bans mean no hunters. Poachers are scared of hunters because a hunter will shoot a poacher — but if hunters can’t hunt, poachers have free reign.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/candace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Candace Owens</a></h4>
All this new-to-me information, coupled with my desire to learn to survive in the wilderness, made me want to learn how to hunt my own food. So when I went to South Africa earlier this year, I decided it was time. Plus, what better place to hunt than a place where the meat is turned into food for the villagers? (That is what happens with every hunter: Every piece of animal meat is used for the Africans’ survival.) The morning we left on our hunting excursion, I felt different; I knew this was going to be successful, and I knew that I could do it. I felt good about my practice shots at the shooting range in the Kalahari Desert, and I decided I wanted to shoot gemsbok. A tracker is present on the hunt, of course, and they can see animals no one else can. They know the land, the animals, the expectations. They also warn you of the dangers because it’s Africa, not an American zoo where animals are imprisoned for viewing pleasure. These animals are in the wild and they are wild. They told us critical information, like why to stay away from a rhino and its calf. While white rhinos are safe, they will still charge if they think their young is threatened. Any of these animals will attack if that’s the case.
<div id="attachment_631701" style="width: 335px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631701" class="size-full wp-image-631701" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Gemstock.png" alt="" width="325" height="217" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Gemstock.png 325w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Gemstock-300x200.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px" />African Gemsbok. Owens.</div>
When we made it to our location, our tracker pointed out the gemsbok. Though he could see them, I could not until we had run quite some distance and were probably within 500 meters of them. The tracker told us the wind was not good — right as I was thinking how great it felt. We were in the desert, it was hot, and the wind felt like a small sprinkling of relief from the heat. But the wind was not “good” because the gemsbok caught our scent — and vanished. I realized quickly that everything becomes a predator; the elements are a predator. The wind drives the animals off, the terrain is rugged, and the blazing sun is an hourglass ticking away time. The obscure bushes cover the land as they protect the animals and clawed at us as we passed. The sand is a deep red, deceivingly beautiful as it is unbelievably difficult to trek through. But even with the battle against the elements, I was acutely aware that this was a special moment, and I did not want to forget it. I wanted to pause and create memories in my head. While the elements don’t work in your favor, the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful.
<div id="attachment_631703" style="width: 211px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631703" class="size-full wp-image-631703" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-and-sky-Africa.png" alt="" width="201" height="356" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-and-sky-Africa.png 201w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-and-sky-Africa-169x300.png 169w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" />Owens.</div>
When the tracker spotted another gemsbok, we started to run which quickly became a sprint as we tried to keep up with him. My husband was in front of me, holding the rifle, and I was giving it my all. I kept thinking about how I wake up every morning and run on the treadmill — and in this situation, it was utterly meaningless. Nothing can compare to running across this terrain. It seemed that everything I was wearing was wrong, including my shoes, and when my husband would look back, I would whisper as we continued running, “Go, go ahead. I’m fine.” I wasn’t fine. But, I felt so alive. I had a burning in my chest. And while the treadmill didn’t touch this exercise, I still knew this was the point of why I train — because these are the things that actually matter. This is the reason God designed us with this body and with this ability to run: to run after prey and to run from predators.
In the middle of these thoughts and in the middle of my sprinting, my heart felt like it stopped: I suddenly realized we were completely surrounded by rhinos. They were only about ten feet away from me, and I froze in my tracks. Questions raced through my mind: Does the rhino have a calf? Does she think I’m crossing her? Where is the baby? Is there a baby? I started scream whispering to my husband, trying to get his attention by jumping, all while feeling as though my feet were cement. I was terrified. The tracker assuaged my fears, telling me the rhinos have bad vision and they did not have any calves with them. We kept running.
I was overcome wishing I could live this day over and over. Everything matters in these moments. It’s either hunt or be hunted. My senses were heightened, my adrenaline was pumping, and I felt alive. It was as if nothing else mattered outside that moment, outside of that hunt. I thought back to my cat and realized this must be how she felt. When we came to Tennessee, she finally became a cat. As I was running through the Kalahari Desert in Africa, I finally felt human.
<div id="attachment_631709" style="width: 211px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-631709" class="size-full wp-image-631709" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-of-the-sage-brush.png" alt="" width="201" height="354" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-of-the-sage-brush.png 201w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/Land-of-the-sage-brush-170x300.png 170w" sizes="(max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px" />Owens.</div>
We ran for an hour and a half, stopping, pausing briefly — but the journey felt like it was only 10 minutes. Finally, I looked up, and I saw her in the distance. And I just knew. I knew I was going to get that gemsbok. The shot was 250 meters away, and the tracker helped me set up, told me to take a deep breath, and instructed me to be calm. But I wasn’t nervous at all. I felt incredibly calm and so sure of myself in that moment. I took a deep breath, fired, and shot the animal directly. When we ran to her, we discovered she was a queen; she would go in a record book because she had horns.
I am smiling in the photos I took with her. I used to wonder how people could smile next to an animal that’s dead, that they’ve killed. But I want to make it clear: I was not gloating that I killed an animal. I smiled because of the beauty in it. This experience gave me a tremendous respect for life — and for death. I reached another level of my own development. In these photos, I don’t see a person who just wants to believe food comes from a grocery store; I see a person who can now hunt her own food. And that’s what this animal did: The meat in these pictures went on to feed African children in nearby villages, children who are ecstatic when hunters come because they know they will eat.
I don’t want to be a conservative coward who will not post nor talk about hunting for fear that people will not understand. I’m proud. I am tremendously proud of this moment. And I know in the future, all my children will learn to shoot, hunt, and live off the land. When things get bad — and they will because good and bad times are cyclical — I want to know how to survive. We live in times of prosperity, but we have also seen grocery stores with shelves cleared. The vegans won’t be the ones to survive if times get tough. It’s the hunters who will be able to survive.
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Candace_516x9 copy 29

Why I Am Not Afraid To Talk About Hunting

Candace Owens

Hunting

South Africa

A powerful and rare <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natural-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earthquake</a> struck the northern African nation of Morocco late on Friday night, at least 2,000 dead and more than 1,800 injured.
The earthquake hit the western part of the nation — which is located across from Spain just south of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/09/09/world/morocco-earthquake-marrakesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the High Atlas Mountains close to midnight. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in more than 120 years.
The Times noted that the country is &#8220;positioned at the juncture of a slow-motion tectonic crash between the African and Eurasian plates&#8221; with the plates only colliding 4 to 6 millimeters per year. The San Andreas Fault, for comparison, shifts approximately 50 millimeters per year, the report said.
The U.S. Geological Survey says that the most likely accurate estimate for the number of fatalities from the incident could be as high as 10,000.
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Morocco&#8217;s King Mohammed VI held a meeting where he issued orders directing his government&#8217;s response to the tragedy, including instructions to “immediately set up an inter-ministerial commission responsible for deploying a relief program, emergency rehabilitation and assistance in the reconstruction of destroyed housing in disaster areas, as soon as possible.”
The Biden administration also issued a statement offering support to the country.
&#8220;We are deeply saddened by the loss of life from yesterday’s earthquake in Morocco and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected,&#8221; said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. &#8220;We offer our support and solidarity to our Moroccan partners at this tragic time.&#8221;
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We are deeply saddened by the loss of life from yesterday’s earthquake in Morocco and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected. We offer our support and solidarity to our Moroccan partners at this tragic time.
&mdash; Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1700499840357089405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Multiple nations offered support to Morocco following the earthquake, including Turkey, which is still recovering from a devastating earthquake that it experienced back in February, killing more than 50,000 people.
Moroccan soccer team star Achraf Hakimi posted to social media a request for people to donate blood to help the victims of the earthquake.
&#8220;We are living in difficult times and our thoughts are with the injured and the families of the victims,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Let&#8217;s all cooperate and contribute to saving the wounded by donating blood. To God we belong and to him we shall return.&#8221;
This is a developing news story; refresh the page for updates.

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