French authorities have hailed New Year’s Eve as a success for having a “calm” night in which only 745 vehicles were set on fire and nearly 400 people were arrested. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin proclaimed on Monday that the start of 2024 was “calm” by French standards, saying that “vehicle fires are down by 10 percent, as are mortar fire against law enforcement which is down by 80 percent.” More human beings died in abortions than any other cause of death in 2023. A heartbreaking reminder about the prevalence of abortion, statistics compiled by Worldometers indicate that there were over 73 million abortions worldwide in 2023. The independent site collects data from governments and other organizations and then reports the data, along with estimates and projections, based on those numbers. Abortion is also the leading cause of death in the United States. “In the USA, where nearly 30% of pregnancies are unintended and 40% of these are terminated by abortion, there are between 1,500 to 2,500 abortions per day. Nearly 20% of all pregnancies in the USA (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion." When contrasting the abortion numbers to other causes of death, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, traffic accidents and suicide, abortions far outnumbered every other cause. By contrast, an estimated 10 million people died from cancer in 2023, 6.2 million from smoking, 17 million from disease, and 2 million died of HIV/AIDS. With 67.1 million people dying last year from a cause other than abortion and 140 million people dying in total from abortion and all causes, that means abortions accounted for almost 52% of every death around the world last year. In America, just under 1 million babies are aborted every year. An estimated 65 million unborn babies have been killed in abortions in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade in 1973. In January, pro-life advocates will gather for the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. to remember the anniversary of that infamous decision and call for restored protections for the unborn. The UK’s cost-of-living crisis is fueling a record surge in shoplifting as people increasingly turn to the black market for food, The Guardian has reported, citing official data. Estimates by the British Retail Consortium show that retail thefts cost the industry £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in 2023, the newspaper said. Meanwhile, Home Office data shows that shoplifting has reached its highest level since records began, while the number of unresolved incidents has also risen. According to the report, the items most commonly stolen are meat, cheese, and sweets, which are typically considered high-value goods that can be resold. The items are being stolen in large quantities from shops and trucks in order to be sold to people hit by soaring prices. Wendy Chamberlain, a former police officer-turned-Liberal Democrat MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group for the elimination of food banks, claimed it is unsurprising that people are obtaining food through criminal means as important nutritional foods have “essentially rocketed in price.” According to Chamberlain, food poverty in the UK could be particularly acute at this time of year, with food banks providing only essentials that are generally “not particularly attractive or nutritional.” “When money is tight. . . . the opportunity to buy something a bit more premium and high-end, with ‘ask no questions’, and ‘off the back of a lorry’, as it were, is appealing,” she told The Guardian. The CMA report indicated that food price inflation in the UK continues to be at historically high levels, despite falling to 10.1% in October. https://www.rt.com/business/589775-brits-stealing-food-black-market/ "Buy now, pay later" (BNPL) loans surged in popularity during Black Friday and Cyber Monday in late November. As Christmas is less than a week away, Walmart shoppers have been greeted with a new BNPL payment at the checkout line. The increased use of BNPL is incredibly problematic for consumers with insurmountable credit card debt and depleted savings. Affirm Holdings announced Tuesday that its BNPL service has been expanded to self-checkout kiosks at 4,500 Walmart stores nationwide. Customers can purchase electronics, apparel, toys, and many more items (except groceries) by spreading payments out from three months to 24 months. "Recent Affirm research revealed that more than half of Americans (54%) are looking for retailers to offer a buy now, pay later option at checkout. Moreover, we've found that 76% of consumers would either delay or not make a purchase without Affirm," said Pat Suh, Affirm's SVP of Revenue. Last month, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) - the powerful federal banking regulator - sounded the alarm over increased usage of BNPL. OCC warned about the overuse and poor understanding of the BNPL payment structure that could lead to disastrous outcomes for consumers if payments are missed. A report published earlier this month by the Bank for International Settlements said BNPL is mainly being used by young adults, particularly those with low education and maxed-out credit cards. Other major retailers might follow Walmart's lead. It's never a good sign when retailers expand the purchasing power of broke consumers. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-67902806 Well, the PM forced the vax policy on people prohibiting them on boarding airplanes. At one time, you needed to show your vax passport to be able to apply for a passport and leave the country. He did that to a country where the majority of people are immigrants and need to travel overseas to be with the relatives and the loved ones that they miss. Hmm..... looks like the PM is getting a taste of what it is like to have overseas travel plans disrupted although this is minor compared to what he made too many innocent people endure. 
France Hails ‘Calm’ New Year’s Eve as ‘Only’ 745 Vehicles Set on Fire:
Abortion Was the Leading Cause of Death Worldwide in 2023, Killing 73 Million People:
Brits stealing food to sell on black market – report:
Self-Checkout Kiosks At 4,500 Walmarts Now Offer 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Loans For Basic Items:
Canada PM Justin Trudeau's official plane breaks down, again