West-defying Serb leader celebrates victory in Bosnia and Herzegovina election

Milorad Dodik’s party retains its influence in Republika Srpska and keeps the Serb seat in the national presidency

Published 5 Oct, 2026 11:33

Milorad Dodik, the former president of Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has celebrated his party’s performance in Sunday’s general election.

The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) is set to retain its lead in the Republika Srpska parliament, keep the entity’s presidency and hold on to the Serb seat in Bosnia and Herzegovina’sthree-member collective presidency, according to preliminary results released by the Election Commission after more than 90% of ballots had been counted. The party is projected to get roughly 40% of the seats in the regional legislature.

Dodik himself was not on the ballot after being barred from holding public office over his 2025 conviction for defying Christian Schmidt, the German politician who at the time served as the international high representative overseeing implementation of the 1995 Dayton Agreement. Dodik argued that Schmidt lacked UN Security Council backing for the post and had abused the office to curb Republika Srpska’s autonomy, leading to a bitter political standoff.

Speaking to supporters late Sunday, Dodik thanked voters for backing SNSD and its allies, ==declaring that “no one should ask us to change our politics.”

He also praised US President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory and thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting the Serb entity.==

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose sovereignist politics have often aligned with Dodik’s, hailed the result as a “grand slam” for SNSD.

More than 3 million people were eligible to vote in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They chose representatives on multiple levels from the ten cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina up to the national presidency.The country used biometric voter identification and ballot scanners for the first time in an effort to streamline voting and counting.

Dodik ally Zeljka Cvijanovic and Croat nationalist politician Darijana Filipovic are on course to join incumbent Bosniak presidency member Denis Becirovic in leading the Balkan country, whose political system is divided along ethnic and religious lines.

Savo Minic is set to become the next president of Republika Srpska, succeeding Sinisa Karan, another SNSD member.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s complex system of government was established under the Dayton Agreement in a bid to balance the interests of its constituent peoples and prevent a return to the violence that engulfed the Balkans during the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

https://www.rt.com/news/646737-bosnia-herzegovina-dodik-victory/

(RT calls EU the West, they always use America when talking about the United States)

Ukraine’s scam-call networks targeting Swiss – anti-fraud squad

Senior political figures in Kiev are accused of heading a predatory and illegal industry said to be worth billions

Published 5 Oct, 2026 11:281/2

Swiss police are investigating a sprawling fraud operation with suspected links to Ukrainian scam call centers,an industry said to be worth billions to corrupt officials in Kiev, Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ) has reported, citing law enforcement officials.

According to a report on Sunday, NEDIK, the police network coordinating Switzerland’s fight against digital crime, recently recorded an increase in fraud offenses suspected of having links to Ukraine. The network declined to provide nationwide figures “for tactical reasons,”but noted that at least four fraudulent call centers in Ukraine have been identified in international investigations involving Swiss authorities, with Swiss and German citizens among their main victims.

One investigation by Bern authorities,reportedly underway for years, concerns a man suspected of operating several call centers in Kiev. On just one platform allegedly linked to the operation, reported losses in Switzerland amounted to nearly 4 million Swiss francs ($4.8 million).

Several Ukrainian nationals have also recently been arrested in Swiss cantons for allegedly acting as cash collectors in telephone scams. In St. Gallen in early September, a person posing as a bank employee called a 93-year-old man and instructed him to withdraw and hand over a large sum of money.

Police later arrested a 38-year-old Ukrainian who allegedly collected the cash.

Police in Aargau have similarly reported a growing number of suspected cash collectors holding Ukrainian citizenship. Authorities, however, have not established whether they are being directed by call centers in Ukraine or acting independently. NZZ noted that it remains unclear to what extent Ukraine-based operations are connected to fraud networks and cash collectors operating in Switzerland.

While Russians have long been portrayed as the main targets of Ukrainian scammers, sources cited by NZZ challenged that narrative. Brian Lee, head of the Eurasia Observatory at the Geneva-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC),said Russians accounted for just 10%-15% of targets even at the height of the so-called “patriotic fraud” narrative, under which young Ukrainians were recruited into scam networks on the pretext of taking revenge for Moscow’s military operation against the Kiev regime.Victims have been identified in at least 29 countries, with scam centers increasingly targeting Europe and the US, according to a GI-TOC report published earlier this year.

Lee also reported that bribing Ukrainian officials for protection is central to the business model, saying GI-TOC investigations found that criminal elements “operate seamlessly and efficiently alongside law enforcement agencies, public officials and the private sector.”Such protection reportedly costs scam operators $10,000-$15,000 per month.

Scam networks and state structures

Corruption has long plagued Ukraine,with high-level scandals including last year’s $100 million Energoatom kickback scheme, reportedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. Western-backed investigators have since uncovered further graft involving Ukrainian officials.

The scam call center network reentered the spotlight last month after Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko – a key pillar of Zelensky’s increasingly fragile governing structure – resigned amid the exposure of an industrial-scale network across the country with alleged links to senior figures in Kiev. Ukraine’s Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) accused Sergey Kropiva, head of the cybercrime unit at the Prosecutor General’s Office, of leading a ring that collected protection payments from notorious Ukrainian scam call centers. NABU said it identified assets worth almost $1 million allegedly purchased with proceeds from the scheme.

The sums involved in Ukraine’s wider scam industry are reportedly far larger. Ukrainian media earlier estimated thatroughly 2,000 scam offices were operating nationwideas of early August, about half paying protection money to corrupt officials. Suchpayments were estimated at $240 million annually, while the industry itself has beenvalued at up to $1 billion a month.

https://www.rt.com/news/646725-switzerland-ukraine-scam-call-centers/

>>25113191

2/2

The scam industry has also been linked to powerful security structures under Zelensky’s government. In September, personnel from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR) exchanged fire in Kiev in a confrontation that left three servicemen injured. The clash centered on Stepan Kaplunov, a member of an HUR-linked armed unit detained by the SBU. A law enforcement source cited by Ukrainian outlet Strana said Kaplunov may have been involved in operating scam call centers, pointing to a broader struggle between rival security agencies over the lucrative industry. Ukrainian journalists have also reported that proceeds from criminal operations help finance parts of the HUR’s activities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described phone scams as a key tactic employed by Kiev to extract money from Russian citizens, suggesting the practice has effectively become state policy. Moscow considers the industry a national security threat and claims Ukrainian scam networks operate in coordination with the country’s intelligence services.

Russian forces have recently intensified strikes on Ukrainian telecommunications infrastructure, mobile operators, and data centers in response to Kiev’s botched “pressure campaign” of drone attacks on civilian infrastructure deep inside Russia. The strikes have disrupted internet access, digital television, and other services, including by hitting data centers in Kiev that Moscow says were used by Ukrainian military and intelligence services. Media reports late last month also claimed a Russian strike hit one of the scam call centers in Dnepropetrovsk.

https://www.rt.com/news/646725-switzerland-ukraine-scam-call-centers/

Germany facing potential ‘violent conflict’ with Russia – spy chief

BND chief Martin Jaeger’s claim comes as his agency pushes for more funding and expanded powers

Published 5 Oct, 2026 12:51 |

Germany could become “embroiled in a violent conflict with Russia,” the country’s foreign intelligence chief has warned, claiming that a mysterious drone incident at Leipzig airport is an example of the “real and imminent” threat posed by Moscow.

Speaking to lawmakers at a parliamentary hearing on Monday, Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) head Martin Jaeger declared that “the confrontation we are facing with Russia has taken on a new, more dangerous dimension.”

“Germany is in danger of becoming embroiled in a violent conflict with Russia – the attempted attack in Leipzig ⁠is just one example,” he continued, referring to the discovery of an explosive-laden drone next to a Ukrainian transport plane at the city’s airport in August.

German authorities have not released any evidence linking the incident to Russia, and Moscow has described the episode as a “hastily cobbled-together provocation” serving “exclusively the aims of Kiev and the militaristic wing of the European political class.” It is “obvious that Germany is pursuing a further course of escalation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month.

Nevertheless, Jaeger claimed that Russia is “waging a shadow war,” and that there is a “real and imminent” threatof attacks against targets in Germany. “No other country currently poses such a direct, comprehensive, and concrete threat to Germany,” he added.

Jaeger is one of dozens of Western political, military, and media figures to accuse Russia of waging a “hybrid war” or “shadow war” against Europe in recent weeks. The accusations are, by their nature, impossible to verify, and Moscow has written them off as pretexts to deepen Western involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, justify military spending hikes, and expand surveillance and persecution of domestic opponents.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has explicitly and without evidence described the country’s most popular political party, the right-wing AfD, as “Russia-backed.” Martina Rosenberg, the head of Germany’s Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), alluded to this claim during Monday’s briefing, telling lawmakers that the country is “threatened by diverse dangers from both outside and within.”

Jaeger, Rosenberg, and domestic intelligence (BfV) chief Sinan Selen all praised Merz’s recent efforts to grant the BND greater offensive powers, and called for further strengthening of the MAD and BfV’s capabilities.

Despite their allegations of “hybrid war,” European leaders have repeatedly stressed that they do not believe Russia to be planning any actual attacks on NATO territory. The BND has seen “no indication of an imminent large-scale Russian attack on NATO territory,” Jaeger added on Monday.

Amid an unprecedented escalation in the West’s rhetoric toward Russia, RT is tracking the statements, accusations, and threats in our ongoing ‘Escalation Watch’ special.Keep an eye on it here as we sort the facts from the propaganda and debunk the psyops in real time.

https://www.rt.com/news/646748-germany-conflict-russia-intelligence/

These leaders in the EU, are evil, they are constantly pushing propaganda and lies about Russia invading Europe, and scaring the shit out of their citizens intentionally. They probably do it for more money for their agencies, or they cannot tell the truth that EU is going bankrupt, because it’s run so badly.

New York Forced to Skip Planned Minimum Wage Increase Because Its Economy Isn’t Good Enough

by Nick Givas, The Western Journal Oct. 6, 2026 7:00 pm

New York State will not increase its minimum wage in January 2027, marking the first time the state has frozen wages since a 2023 law tied future annual adjustments to the rate of inflation and job losses.

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is running for reelection in November, is seeking approval for the change from the Democrat-led state legislature, the Times Union reported last week.

New York officials said thestate has lost thousands of private sector jobs this year, which triggered the law forcing the minimum wage freeze.

Consumer costs have also increased while confidence has floundered.

Hochul blamed the state’s woes on the “misguided policies” of President Donald Trump, citing his tariff actions and the Iran War.

“This change is good for workers and businesses as it will ensure that those hardest hit by Trump’s affordability crisis keep pace with the cost of living, maintain their purchasing power, contribute to the state economy, and support our small business community,” she said in a statement.

This news comes as other blue states are set to hike their minimum wages for 2027, including neighboring New Jersey.

California, Connecticut, Michigan, and Washington state will also be raising minimum wages beginning on Jan. 1, according to a Fox News report published on Tuesday.

Washington will have the highest wage at $17.73 an hour, up 60 cents from its current $17.13 rate. Connecticut’s minimum wage will rise from $16.94 to $17.48, while California’s will climb from $16.90 to $17.40.

New Jersey will increase the minimum wage by 56 cents to $16.48 an hour for most of its workers, while Michigan’s rate will climb from $13.73 to $15 an hour.

California was recently cited in areport by CNN about how high labor costs are causing businesses to close and hurting the local economy.

CNN senior national correspondent Kyung Lah interviewed Los Angeles business owner Tom Sopit, whose restaurant survived the COVID lockdowns but is now closing due to regulations, taxes, and high labor costs.

“The cost of goods, the cost of labor is much higher than everyone else in the country,” he noted.

“I think you can’t just keep taxing businesses and people,” Sopit added. “How are we just keep paying more taxes, but somehow the state just keeps going downhill? That doesn’t make sense.”

Lah was later interviewed by CNN’s Dana Bash about her sit-down with Sopit and said this type of governance is “going to chase Gov. Newsom as he seeks higher office.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/new-york-forced-skip-planned-minimum-wage-increase/

NEVER GETS OLD: President Trump Dances to Village People Hit Following Speech to Midshipmen and Sailors(VIDEO)

by Jordan Conradson Oct. 6, 2026 5:40 pm

President Donald Trump closed out a major Navy shipbuilding announcement in Maryland the way only he can, by breaking into his signature dance to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” while midshipmen and sailors roared, laughed, and filmed him on their phones.

The scene was captured Tuesday at Tradepoint Atlantic in Sparrows Point, the old Bethlehem Steel yard outside Baltimore, where Trump addressed Naval Academy midshipmen and sailors after Anduril Industries unveiled plans for a new “software-defined” shipyard.

The Baltimore Sun reported that “Y.M.C.A.” started as Trump wrapped his remarks and left the stage. Before he did, he told the crowd, “We will build the future of America’s Navy right here in Baltimore.”

WATCH:

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/never-gets-old-president-trump-dances-village-people/

Jordan Conradson Joins Steve Bannon on War Room, “Rock Star, Incredible! Almost Got Arrested Out in Arizona Doing His Job!” (VIDEO)

by Jim Hoft Oct. 6, 2026 2:00 pm

The Gateway Pundit’s Jordan Conradson joined Steve Bannon on The War Room on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Jordan asked President Trump to comment on the breaking news that Maricopa County officials announced that Runbeck Election Services had mistakenly sent out thousands of ballots by mistake.

A similar issue occurred in 2022, when over 60,000 ballots with incorrect races were sent to voters by mistake ahead of the August primary elections.

Maricopa County announced on Sunday that over 3,000 ballots were mistakenly sent to voters by its ballot printing vendor, Runbeck Election Services, nearly a week before early voting is set to begin in the Grand Canyon State.

Runbeck has a history of controversies. The Gateway Pundit has reported extensively on this shady private entity, which was founded by leftists and transports and scans Maricopa County mail-in ballots with no oversight or chain of custody before they are processed and counted by the County.

President Trump told Jordan, “Maricopa just sent out thousands of ballots in error, Maricopa County in Arizona. And they have to be ashamed of themselves.”

Trump added, “By the way, there were no errors. You know that, right? There were no errors.”

On Tuesday Steve Bannon asked Jordan about Runbeck Election Services and their latest slip-up.

Jordan told Steve: “Thank you for highlighting this important issue that’s going on in Maricopa County still. I mean, Runbeck’s had concerns in 2020 and 2022 and 2024, and now they have this weird quote-unquote error.

Apparently, they sent out about over 3,000 ballots to people before early voting was even set to begin, before the ballots were supposed to be mailed out.

They say it was a mistake. They say that they put the ballots on the wrong pallet or gave the wrong pallet to USPS and these ballots got sent out. Now they’re saying, there’s no issue, this didn’t cause any voter disenfranchisement or anything, we should just sweep it under the rug.

Maricopa County announced it on Sunday. They said that Runbeck didn’t even wanna put out a statement about it publicly. They didn’t wanna talk about it, they wanted to just sweep it under the rug. And it’s really representative of the lack of transparency we’ve received from Maricopa County and Runbeck in the past.

Steve Bannon: Luckily, for all our new viewers and listeners, this is an infamous company. In 2022, Kari Lake, the steal went through Runbeck. Am I wrong in that, Brother Conradson?

Jordan Conradson: That’s right.In Kari Lake’s lawsuit, it was alleged that I believe almost 300,000 (actual amount, 35,000) ballots were lacking chain of custody after— chain of custody documentation after they went through Runbeck to be scanned in and sent to the county. So there are these thousands of ballots that are believed to have basically come out of nowhere at the hands of Runbeck. And I mean, what’s especially shocking is this election, you’ve got the same fraudsters on the ballot that were on the ballot in 2022. You’ve got Katie Hobbs, Chris Mayes, Adrian Fontes, the cartel lawyer turned Arizona Secretary of State.

And… people in Arizona are scared. They don’t want this to happen again. They don’t want this to happen to Andy Biggs, Alex Culloden, Warren Peterson, all the great candidates that are running for these statewide positions. And it’s causing a lot of anxiety for the people of Arizona.

Steve ended the segment with these remarks about TGP reporter, Jordan Conradson, “Rock star, incredible! Almost got arrested out in Arizona doing his job!”

We agree!

Full interview below:

Jordan Conradson joins Bannon’s War Room to discuss Maricopa County’s ballot blunder

4:48

https://rumble.com/embed/v7eaukw/?pub=4

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/jordan-conradson-joins-steve-bannon-war-room-rock/

Marine Unit Intercepts Smuggling Vessel, Arrests 14 Illegal Aliens at Gunpoint Near Newport Beach, California (VIDEO)

by Cristina Laila Oct. 6, 2026 6:00 pm

A Marine unit intercepted a smuggling vessel with 14 illegal aliens near Newport Beach, California, over the weekend. Newport Beach is a wealthy, conservative enclave in Orange County about 95 miles from the Mexican border.

Several smuggling vessels have made it to Newport Beach’s Balboa docks over the last few months.This time, CBP intercepted the smuggling boat before it reached land and arrested the illegals at gunpoint.

“On October 3, the Long Beach Marine Unit intercepted a vessel south of Newport Beach, California, carrying 14 illegal aliens,” CBPAMO said. “The crew safely transported all 14 individuals to the US Coast Guard dock in Newport Beach, where one individual was evaluated and cleared by EMS. US Border Patrol assumed custody for processing, and the vessel was seized,” CBPAMO said.

The vessel was carrying 11 military aged males, two women and one minor male, Fox News reported. Last month, a boat full of illegals docked in Newport Beach, and the occupants of the vessel ran into the coastal neighborhood and disappeared.

According to Fox News, federal court records revealed a Mexican national previously convicted of human smuggling was waiting near the Balboa Fun Zone over the weekend waiting to pick up the illegal aliens arriving by boat.

A Newport Beach councilmember wants to install security camera’s at the harbor’s entrance.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/marine-unit-intercepts-smuggling-vessel-14-illegal-aliens/

https://rumble.com/shorts/v7ghlu8