Friday, June 13, 2025
The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

Friday, June 13, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Breaking News

https://nordictimes.com/world/us-hit-by-deadliest-hurricane-since-2005/

World

US hit by deadliest hurricane since 2005

  • The devastating Hurricane Helene is reported to have killed more than 230 people, with 285 still missing, since it began its path across the southeastern United States on September 26.
  • Desperate people in the region strongly criticise the public crisis management and the lack of emergency aid.
  • Several testimonies go so far as to accuse the authorities of sabotaging the relief work organised by volunteers.
  • Meanwhile, another powerful hurricane is expected to hit Florida later today.
Published 9 October 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Devastation in Florida after hurricane Helene.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

 

In one of his first comments on the disaster on 30 September, US President Joe Biden told the public service channel C-Span about the government’s response that “We’ve given everything that we have” and that local authorities “haven’t asked for it yet”.

At the same time, the government’s arguably slow response to the hurricane and the general lack of emergency aid is being heavily criticised by those affected.

– Honestly, I don’t know how you did not have a formal press conference from either president Biden or Kamala Harris. How do you not say anything for four days, and this is the first day we’ve heard, said one resident with relatives in the cut-off areas, who she said is in a dire situation and low on water, food and gasoline.

Asheville in particular, with a population of about 100,000, is said to be partially cut off from the outside world, forcing people to flee the city on a massive scale.


Controversial reports: Authorities sabotaging volunteer work

Several witnesses, including Pastor Chadwick Buckland of Legacy Church Global in Greenville, claim that some emergency aid has reached the worst-affected areas, but that this is being done by volunteers. Buckland and several other witnesses go so far as to accuse authorities of sabotaging aid deliveries, information that is echoed by other witnesses who believe that anonymous military helicopters have been flying at low altitudes, including in Burnsville, NC, in a way that has caused chaos for volunteers.

Donald Trump has criticised the FEMA agency in the same way. FEMA Director Deanne Criswell told MSNBC television that the allegations were merely a matter of spreading “disinformation”, and reassured that the situation was under control.

– We have over 4500 people on the ground that have been here since before the storm made landfall, working side by side with our state counterparts in the communities with the local officials, and all I hear on the ground is gratefulness and compassion and a level of unity to make sure that we’re getting people what they need.

Already, Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005. Another major hurricane, named Milton, is moving east through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida and is expected to make landfall Wednesday evening.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

https://nordictimes.com/world/denmark-signs-defense-pact-enabling-us-military-presence-in-greenland-and-faroe-islands/

World

Denmark signs defense pact enabling US military presence in Greenland and Faroe Islands

The new cold war

Published yesterday 16:49
– By Editorial Staff
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen looks forward to enhanced cooperation with the US.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Danish Parliament has voted through an agreement granting the US access to Danish military bases – including military infrastructure in the autonomous regions of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Critics warn of a slide in Danish sovereignty, while the government describes the agreement as a necessary step.

With a broad majority – 94 votes in favor and 11 against – the Danish parliament this week adopted a new defense agreement with the US. The agreement gives US forces the right to use several military facilities on Danish soil, including Karup, Skrydstrup, and Aalborg, as well as access to areas in the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

According to the Danish government, the agreement aims to strengthen Denmark’s cooperation with the US within the framework of NATO. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen emphasizes that the agreement does not imply a permanent troop presence, but rather logistical capabilities and operational flexibility.

The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the US military presence is seen as a way to be ready to respond quickly to crises in the Arctic and North Atlantic – areas that have become more important militarily as the security situation has changed.

The agreement has also attracted criticism from several quarters. Particularly controversial is the clause stipulating that US military personnel will be subject to US jurisdiction, even if they commit crimes against civilians in Denmark. Several opposition politicians have pointed out that this undermines the rule of law and goes against Danish legal tradition.

Shortly before the vote, the leader of the Unity List, Pelle Dragsted, said that the agreement is “harmful to the country”.

– It is an agreement that means that we will have areas in Denmark that are under American jurisdiction. Where Danish authorities cannot exercise control. And where mistreatment of prisoners can occur. It is a gigantic failure towards the Danish population.

With the country’s new DCA agreement with the US, Danish soldiers can expect to see a significant increase in the American presence in Denmark. Photo: 7th Army Training Command/CC BY 2.0

Superpower logic guides decisions

Others believe that the agreement represents a step toward Denmark effectively ceding parts of its territory to a foreign power.

Greenland and the Faroe Islands, both of which have extensive self-government, have been formally informed of the agreement, but neither the Faroese Lagting nor the Greenlandic Inatsisartut have had the right to block the decision. This has led to further criticism, as many see it as Copenhagen bypassing local interests in favor of superpower logic.

In the background is also the geopolitical shift underway in the Arctic, where Russia, China, and the US are all trying to strengthen their positions. The US has previously shown interest in Greenland – not least after Donald Trump’s much-publicized proposal to buy the island – and considers it to be of strategic importance for surveillance and control of the North Atlantic.

The Danish government sees the agreement as a necessary adaptation to a new reality.

– The problem is not too much involvement from the US in Europe. On the contrary, the risk is that the US will withdraw and move troops away or stop donations to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier this week.

At the same time, there are growing concerns that Denmark is also making itself more vulnerable – both politically and militarily – in the event of a future conflict between major powers.

The Folketing’s decision therefore marks not only a deepening of cooperation with the US, but also a change in Denmark’s attitude toward military alliances and sovereignty—a choice that is far from comfortable for all Danes.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/swede-to-be-new-vaccine-advisor-in-the-us/

World

Swede to be new vaccine advisor in the US

Published yesterday 14:57
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy has appointed eight new vaccine advisors. Among them is Swedish epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff.

The health secretary recently decided to fire all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the federal government on vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Kennedy has now selected eight new members for the committee, reports The New York Times. They include a psychiatrist, a biostatistician, a pediatrician, and an emergency physician. All of those selected are either doctors or have a doctorate.

Among them is Swedish epidemiologist and biostatistician Martin Kulldorff. Kulldorff is generally described as having a positive attitude toward vaccines, but was strongly critical of vaccine mandates and lockdown policies during the coronavirus crisis. This led to him losing his position at Harvard University, where he was a professor of medicine.

Kulldorff was one of those who spoke highly of natural immunity when it came to COVID-19 and described vaccine mandates as “unscientific and unethical”. He was also one of the main authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed lockdowns and received over a million signatures from more than 40 countries.

The Swedish epidemiologist was born in Lund but grew up in Umeå, where he also attended Umeå University. He has previously worked at Uppsala University.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/orbans-message-to-the-french-help-us-save-europe-from-the-brussels-guillotine/

World

Orbán’s message to the French: Help us save Europe from the Brussels guillotine

The globalist agenda

Published yesterday 13:49
– By Editorial Staff
Orbán believes that EU leaders are actively trying to harm the countries and peoples of Europe.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivered a passionate speech on Monday at the Patriots for Europe meeting in Mormant-sur-Vernisson, France.

Before an enthusiastic audience, he called on French voters to support Marine Le Pen and patriotic forces in the fight against the Brussels establishment and the threat of cultural obliteration through mass migration and population replacement.

Orbán began by contrasting France’s superpower status with Hungary’s more limited resources.

– France is a great power and Hungary is a small country with 11 million people, modest GDP, and limited military strength. But what makes Hungary interesting is its politics.

– We are the black sheep of the European Union. Brussels’ nightmare. The hope of Europe’s patriots. And the last bastion of Christians, he continued.

Orbán returned to his own upbringing under communism:

– I was born in a communist dictatorship under Soviet occupation. We had to fight for freedom and democracy… The intellectual bureaucrats in Brussels who criticize Hungary have no idea what it means to fight for your country.

“Besieged” by the media and big business

The prime minister highlighted the historical distance between Hungary and France, but emphasized that the countries are now united in a common struggle. Referring to the authors Victor Hugo and Albert Camus, he portrayed Hungary as a nation shaped by resistance – now once again fighting against ideological occupation.

A large part of the speech was devoted to the EU’s migration policy, with Orbán arguing that Brussels has pursued a line that undermines Europe’s cultural foundations.

He argued that the siege of Hungary began 20 years ago – not by armies, but by global corporations, progressive NGOs, and foreign-funded media that took over the country’s institutions.

– For them, the family, the nation, and Christianity were just a joke.

“Will not kneel”

He described Hungary’s response as clear and effective:

– In Hungary, the number of migrants is zero. There are no migrant hordes on our streets. No anti-Semitism. No violence. No riots. Hungary is the country of the Hungarians

Orbán attacked the EU’s migration policy, calling it part of a larger plan for a large-scale population exchange.

– This is not migration. It’s an organized population exchange meant to replace the cultural foundation of Europe.

– We will not kneel before Brussels, he continued.

“Don’t want to die for Ukraine”

He also expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and argued that everyone loses if the war drags on.

– I come from a country that shares a border with Ukraine. Warmongering politicians want us to believe this war must go on. But I warn you: it cannot be won. On the battlefield, there are only the dead, suffering, and destruction.

The national conservative politician also rejected the idea of Hungary becoming involved militarily:

– We don’t want to die for Ukraine. We don’t want our sons coming home in coffins. We don’t want a new Afghanistan on our doorstep, he declared, criticizing the EU’s handling of the conflict.

– We don’t want Brussels using this war as a pretext for federalizing member states’ finances, taking on massive debt, and pushing us into an arms race. We must stop them.

“The weak fall”

According to Orbán, it is of utmost importance that European peoples work together in their quest for independence and freedom – and he believes that France has an important role to play here.

Orbán is a close ally of Marine Le Pen and is calling on the French to support her movement. Photo: Vox España

– We Hungarians need your victory. Without you, we cannot take Brussels. And without you, we cannot save Hungary from the Brussels guillotine

– The weak fall. The cowardly are humiliated. But the brave stand tall. Effort wins. If we unite, we will be strong – and we will win. Marine [Le Pen], lead us, he concluded.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/world-saw-record-number-of-armed-conflicts-last-year/

World

World saw record number of armed conflicts last year

Published yesterday 7:19
– By Editorial Staff
Israeli soldiers during the invasion of Gaza.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The number of armed conflicts reached a historic high in 2024, according to new statistics from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at Uppsala University.

Despite a marginal decrease in the total number of deaths, targeted violence against civilians also increased significantly.

UCDP recorded 61 armed conflicts involving at least one state in 2024 – an increase from 59 the previous year and the highest number since measurements began in 1946. Of these, 11 were classified as wars, which according to the UCDP definition means at least 1,000 combat-related deaths in a year – the highest figure since 2016.

In total, around 160,000 people were killed in organized violence during the year, a slight decrease compared to the extremely deadly year of 2022.

– This is not about the world becoming more peaceful. We are seeing more wars and more conflicts than before, but with slightly fewer deaths than in the exceptionally bloody year of 2022. 2024 is the fourth most violent year since the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, said Shawn Davies, senior analyst at UCDP.

The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza

The war in Ukraine remained the world’s deadliest conflict in 2024, with around 76,000 combat-related deaths. In the Middle East, Israel’s war in Gaza and against Hezbollah in Lebanon contributed to high death tolls, especially among civilians. The UCDP recorded a total of around 26,000 deaths in these two conflicts, 94 percent of whom were civilians or persons of unknown identity.

– It has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between civilians and members of armed groups, despite improvements in information in many areas over the past 15 years. This is particularly challenging in situations where the line between civilians and combatants is blurred, or where indiscriminate violence, such as aerial bombardments, is used in densely populated areas, says Therese Pettersson, senior analyst at UCDP.

In Gaza, only 2% of deaths could be linked to members of a combatant group, while 48% were classified as civilians. The rest were recorded as persons of unknown identity.

– Reliable information about who is killed is important for investigating suspected war crimes, for the international community to be able to act appropriately, and for knowing what needs society has after a conflict ends, Pettersson continues.

Decade of increasing conflict

Targeted attacks against civilians increased sharply in 2024. The UCDP recorded 13,900 civilian deaths in such attacks – an increase of 31 percent compared to the previous year. For the tenth year in a row, the Islamist terrorist group IS was the deadliest actor, with around 3,800 civilian casualties, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since 2010, the number of armed conflicts involving state actors has almost doubled, and the number of deaths has increased fivefold – despite some temporary declines.

– Over the past decade, we have seen an increase in the number of inter-state conflicts, with 2024 recording the highest number since 1987. Conflicts in which states actively support armed groups in other countries have also become more common during this period. This is a worrying development that risks contributing to higher death tolls, explains Davies, adding:

– We are living in a new era with more and more intense and complex conflicts, which places higher demands on international conflict resolution and better protection of civilians. It is also important to continue documenting what is happening in the world’s conflicts.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Organized violence

UCDP defines organized violence as armed confrontations between two organized actors in which at least 25 people are killed in direct combat in a calendar year. It includes three categories: state violence (between state and actor), non-state violence (between two non-state groups) and unilateral violence directed against civilians.

All deaths must be combat-related, i.e. directly caused by armed violence – not indirect consequences such as starvation or disease.

N

Polaris of Enlightenment

News

Other

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Follow TNT socials!

X-twitter Facebook Telegram Instagram

© 2022-2025 The Nordic Times TNT.
All rights reserved.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Donate

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Donate
Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.