The Taliban’s defense ministry on Sunday claimed the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” has amassed a standing army of over 130,000 troops with hopes to bring that number up to 150,000. Meanwhile, the Afghan economy is a wreck, poverty is rampant, and starvation is kept at bay only through massive international humanitarian efforts. Volunteers prepare food to give a donation to the poor from the Afterlife foundation during Islam’s Holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kandahar on April 27, 2022. (Photo by JAVED TANVEER/AFP via Getty Images) “More than 130,000 people have been registered and this process will continue. With the completion of registration, the Afghans will see an independent, well-formed and committed military who will provide security and defend the Afghan soil and borders,” Defense Ministry spokesman Inayatullah Khwarazami boasted to Afghanistan’s independent Tolo News . Khwarazami said the female employees who worked for the elected government … [Read more...] about Taliban Claims 130,000-Strong Army as Afghans Face Starvation
Watch: Pro-Abortion Protesters Shout as Catholic Priest Prays over Them
A Catholic priest prayed over pro-abortion counter protesters across from the Washington Surgi-Clinic in the nation’s capital as they screamed at pro-life activists who were there demanding justice for five late-term babies they say were aborted in violation of federal law. “Lord Jesus, we thank you for this time together to testify to the dignity of human life. Help turn aside the darkness that covers our land and the minds of the people that might be here,” a priest who goes by Father Bill prayed during the protest on May 4. “In the name of Jesus, may they be healed. In the name of Jesus, may they be at peace. In the name of Jesus, may they be delivered from the darkness that the evil one brings. Amen.” The protest was one of a series led by the left-wing pro-life group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU). Founder and executive director of PAAU, Terrisa Bukovinac, and the group’s director of activism, Lauren Handy, said they recovered 115 aborted babies, including … [Read more...] about Watch: Pro-Abortion Protesters Shout as Catholic Priest Prays over Them
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Features Plus-Sized Model Yumi Nu
Joining the ranks of Ashley Graham and Hunter McGrady, the 2022 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue will feature plus-sized model Yumi Nu on its front cover. Speaking with the New York Post , the 25-year-old half Dutch, half Japanese Nu said that Sports Illustrated surprised her with the cover reveal, praising the magazine for pushing inclusion and body diversity. “I could not speak. I had full body chills. I was shaking, I was crying. They really got me good,” she said upon learning of the honor. Nu’s inclusion on the swimsuit cover comes after she was featured in the Vogue ‘s September issue last year and in Vogue Japan this past April. “It’s amazing. I’m on cloud nine. This is nothing I could prepare for. It’s unexpected. I feel like we’re in a place right now where people are making space for more diversity on magazine covers,” Nu said. “It’s a big time for Asian-American people in media. I know I play a big role in representation in body diversity and race … [Read more...] about Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Features Plus-Sized Model Yumi Nu
Durbin: There’s ‘a Lot’ of Price Gouging and Record Job Creation Comes with Inflation
On Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “MTP Daily,” Senate Majority Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) stated that “we’re dealing with a transitional economy, coming from a shutdown economy under COVID-19, reemerging, creation of jobs at record levels, but with it, comes the fires of inflation.” And there’s also “a lot” of price gouging. Durbin stated that poor poll numbers for Democrats reflect “history’s reality that off-year elections are not kind to the president’s party. That’s the starting point. Secondly, we’re dealing with a transitional economy, coming from a shutdown economy under COVID-19, reemerging, creation of jobs at record levels, but with it, comes the fires of inflation. Every family’s feeling that. They want to know that Democrats are going to do something to change it. The president has used several tools in his kit. For example, releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was one, dealing with agricultural prices is another. There will be more jawboning, if you … [Read more...] about Durbin: There’s ‘a Lot’ of Price Gouging and Record Job Creation Comes with Inflation
musk: Elon Musk wants to pay less for Twitter than his original $44 billion offer
Detroit (US), May 17 (AP) Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave the strongest hint yet that he would like to pay less for Twitter than his USD 44 billion offer made last month. Musk told a Miami technology conference that a viable deal at a lower price would not be out of the question, according to a report by Bloomberg News, which said it viewed a live-stream video of the conference posted by a Twitter user. Also at the All In Summit, Musk estimated that at least 20 per cent of Twitter's 229 million accounts are spam bots, percentage he said was at the low end of his assessment, according to the report. The appearance came a few hours after Musk began trolling Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal , who posted a series of tweets explaining his company's effort to fight bots and how it has consistently estimated that less than 5 per cent of Twitter accounts are fake. In all, the day's events bolstered theories from analysts that Musk either wants out of the deal or is seeking … [Read more...] about musk: Elon Musk wants to pay less for Twitter than his original $44 billion offer