Marine Le Pen said that French President Emmanuel Macron must be punished for using war as a political tool against his rivals. Meanwhile, a new poll shows Rassemblement National obtaining a relative majority while Mr. Macron’s party would gain barely half as many seats.
In other news, a major police operation was launched after a group of 20 to 30 men in a German brewery allegedly started shouting “Sieg Heil,” which is a banned phrase in Germany.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Inflation Cools More Than Expected, Providing Relief for Consumers and the Fed
America got some good news on inflation on Wednesday, possibly opening the door for lower interest rates this year.
The Consumer Price Index climbed 3.3 percent in May from a year earlier, down from 3.4 percent in April, the Labor Department reported.
The “core” index—which excludes volatile food and energy prices to provide a clearer view of the underlying trend—rose 3.4 percent last month, down from 3.6 percent the previous month. That is the lowest annual increase in core prices since April 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sparred with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the Liberal government’s proposed massive capital gains tax increase during Question Period Tuesday. The House of Commons approved the tax hike Tuesday evening with the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois supporting the Trudeau government.
“It’s incredible that during a housing shortage [the prime minister] wants to tax home builders, during a health care shortage, he wants to tax away our doctors, during a food price crisis he wants to tax our farmers and while our economy is shrinking more than any other economy in the G7, he wants to tax our small business job creators,” Poilievre declared.
“Mr. Speaker, isn’t this the definition of insanity?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A newly surfaced internal memo from the national gym chain 24 Hour Fitness has revealed that employees were told they can wear items containing Pride or Black Lives Matter logos without restriction, while items containing the American flag could only be worn on holidays like the 4th of July.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
302 Fire Hydrants Have Been Stolen From LA Streets Since 2023
Over the past few months, Los Angeles has seen an uptick in the number of fire hydrants being stolen directly off the street. The thieves are believed to be taking the appliances to recycling centers, where they are then broken down and sold for scrap metal.
While hydrant heists are not a new phenomenon, the frequency with which they are now being removed is unprecedented. Golden State Water Co. has lost upwards of a million dollars in revenue as a result, and the sudden spike in cases has led the utility giant to take measures aimed at making their property thief-proof.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, America First Legal (AFL) filed a formal administrative complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against New York County District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. and Joe Biden’s principal campaign committee, Biden for President, for violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act.
In December 2022, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg reportedly hired Matthew B. Colangelo to “jump-start” his office’s investigation of President Trump due to Mr. Colangelo’s “history of taking on Donald J. Trump and his family business.” Colangelo left his post as the number three in the DOJ to join the district attorney’s office — a move that reeks of partisanship.
Colangelo previously held senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the New York Attorney General’s Office, both of which had competing investigations related to President Trump. Notably, before joining the Biden DOJ, Colangelo contributed several times to Bragg’s District Attorney campaign.
The available information indicates that Bragg’s hush money prosecution was “coordinated” with President Biden, i.e., it was made “in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of” Biden.
Effectively, Bragg acted “in cooperation, consultation, or concert, with, or at the request of” Biden to influence the 2024 presidential election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Some might see US Attorney General Merrick Garland getting quite involved in campaigning ahead of the November election — albeit indirectly so, as a public servant whose primary concern is supposedly how to keep Department of Justice (DoJ) staff “safe.”
And, in the process, he brings up “conspiracy theorists” branding them as undermining the judicial process in the US — because they dare question the validity of a particular judicial process that aimed at former President Trump.
In an opinion piece published by the Washington Post, Garland used one instance that saw a man convicted for threatening a local FBI office to draw blanket and dramatic conclusions that DoJ staff have never operated in a more dangerous environment, where “threats of violence have become routine.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Heckled During Slurring Anti-Gun Speech, Repeats Same Word 15 Times
Hecklers managed to derail Democrat President Joe Biden’s already slurred anti-gun speech.
Biden was speaking at the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund’s annual Gun Sense University conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
The president delivered the anti-Second Amendment speech on the same day that his son Hunter Biden was convicted on federal gun charges in Delaware.
However, Biden appeared to get completely lost and baffled when pro-Hamas protesters interrupted his speech, video coverage from Fox News shows.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Eight Protesters Arrested After Running Onto Field During Congressional Baseball Game
Eight protesters were arrested by Capitol Police on Wednesday night, after they ran onto the field at the Congressional Baseball Game, according to police officials.
The baseball game, which is played for charity, has become a staple in Washington, D.C., and sees Democratic lawmakers face off against Republicans from both chambers. Republicans currently have a three-year winning streak, and hold the highest amount of wins since the matchup’s inception in 1909 with 45 wins, compared to Democrats’ 22 wins, according to the Washington Examiner.
The eight protesters are being charged with interference with a member of the U.S. Capitol Police, which is a federal crime.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elderly Homeowner Arrested After Fatally Shooting California Burglary Suspect, Cops Say
A California homeowner was arrested after fatally shooting a suspected robber trying to break into his home with two other thieves Monday night, police said.
The 77-year-old man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murder.
It was not immediately clear if the homeowner would be charged in the man’s killing or if it could be justified as self-defense, KTVU reported.
The shooting unfolded shortly after two men and a woman pulled up to the man’s East Oakland home around 6 p.m. Monday in a stolen Infiniti Q40.
A witness told police one of the men was carrying a crowbar when they walked onto the property — and that they soon after heard a gunshot.
When police arrived at the scene they found the homeowner pointing a stolen Colt Python revolver at the female suspect, who told police he had shot her male friend, according to court documents reviewed by the station.
Firefighters and paramedics tried to save the male suspect but he died at the scene.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Republicans are challenging President Joe Biden’s executive order to funnel federal taxpayer funds to get-out-the-vote efforts that favor Democrats.
Nine states have filed an amicus brief adding to a lawsuit against the administration’s unlawful election takeover, West Virginia MetroNews reported.
The funds come from Biden’s 2021 Executive Order 14019.
Opponents believe the order provides too much federal influence in the state elections.
Joining legal action against the Biden administration are the Secretaries of State from Montana, Wyoming, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and West Virginia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP-Led House Votes to Pass Resolution Holding Garland in Contempt of Congress
The GOP-led House voted to pass a resolution holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress on Wednesday.
The vote to advance the measure earlier in the day was 208-207.
The final vote was 216-207 to pass the resolution.
The contempt resolution is focused on Garland’s refusal to turn over an audio recording of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Biden has invoked executive privilege to prevent the recording from being released.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A group of leftist coffee house workers in Philadelphia are outraged after their plan to unionize backfired.
On Tuesday, more than 30 employees of the small Philadelphia-based specialty coffee chain OCF Coffee House shops were told they are now out of work after an abrupt closure of the business.
The workers lost their jobs after they announced their intention to unionize and join Workers United Local 80.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York Rolls Out Digital IDs Following New Online Digital ID Law
It’s surely just a coincidence that New York has passed its online digital ID law, just as the state has joined the ranks of states adopting mobile ID technology, enabling residents to convert their traditional driver’s licenses or non-driver IDs into digital formats.
As of this week, New Yorkers can download the New Longyear Mobile ID app from both the Apple App Store and Google Play. This digital version allows users to verify their identity at airports and other locations requiring ID. To set up their mobile ID, users must initially scan both sides of their existing physical ID card using their smartphone.
The launch was unveiled at a media event at LaGuardia Airport, where Robert Duffy, the federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration, and other officials were present.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
North Dakota Becomes First State to Enact Age Limits on Federal Lawmakers
North Dakota voters have approved a measure to become the first state to set a maximum age for federal representatives, though lawmakers expect it to be challenged in court.
The ballot measure will cap the age of congressional representatives and senators from the state at 80 and is set to go into effect immediately after passing, which it did on Tuesday.
Voters favored the age limit by a large margin, with 61 percent voting “yes” and just 39 percent voting “no,” the Associated Press reported.
The state’s three current federal lawmakers are safe from the cut-off, as their ages range from 47 to 67.
While the measure passed easily, some legal experts predict it will be a test case for revisiting the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against congressional term limits. U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton established that states “cannot impose additional restrictions, such as term limits, on its representatives in the federal government beyond those provided by the Constitution.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SimpleX Introduces Enhanced IP Privacy Measures
SimpleX — an end-to-end encrypted messaging app that its founder touts as the first and possibly the only one that operates without any identifiers — has rolled out a new version.
The messaging and application platform, which those developing it say doesn’t even use random numbers or cryptographic keys to identify user profiles (in addition to not requiring phone numbers and usernames) has several new features in version 5.8 that was released earlier this month.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Delays Landmark Big Oil Climate Regulation Case
The United States Supreme Court has delayed ruling on a landmark case involving climate regulations that could devastate the energy industry.
The Supreme Court asked Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration to weigh in on the anti-Big Oil case.
The court wants Biden’s Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelongar to share an opinion on litigation in Hawaii against top oil companies.
The defendants had asked the Supreme Court to get involved after Hawaii’s top court permitted the case to proceed.
The Honolulu case is considered a very big deal in the globalist green agenda movement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Tennessee Rep. Seeks Accountability for Officials Who Called Hunter Biden’s Laptop ‘Disinformation’
Congressman Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on Tuesday called for accountability for government officials who signed a letter claiming first son Hunter Biden’s laptop was “Russian disinformation.”
“At some point, somebody’s got to hold them accountable,” Burchett said on the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show. “I would like to know the chain of command. I would like to know who each and every one of them talked to. I would like to know what notes they were looking at. I’d like to know who had their ear during all of this. And if they actually viewed the laptop.”
In 2020, 51 officials signed a letter saying that Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell” was Russian disinformation. The infamous laptop story that was originally perceived by media outlets as “Russian disinformation” was resurrected during Hunter’s gun trial.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas Secessionsts Win GOP Backing for Independence Vote: ‘Major Step’
The Republican Party of Texas is calling for a referendum on whether the state “should reassert its status as an independent nation” as a “legislative priority” in the next session of the Texas legislature.
The call was included in the party’s 2024 Legislative Priorities and Platform document which was released on June 7, after its component parts were voted on by Texas Republicans at the party’s convention in San Antonio, which took place between May 23 and 25.
Texan nationalists have long been pushing for a vote on whether the Lone Star State should secede from the United States and become a fully independent country, as it was between 1837 and 1845. Their cause has been helped by a surge in tensions between Texan authorities and the federal government over the past few months, particularly over illegal migration and education.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Top Doctor: Bird Flu Was Weaponized in Bioweapon Labs
A top doctor has spoken out to warn the public that bird flu has been weaponized in bioweapon labs to make the virus more transmissible between humans.
Dr. Kelly Victory, a leading emergency medicine and disaster specialist, says her studies have uncovered such conclusive evidence that she can “guarantee” that avian influenza was “manipulated in a laboratory.”
During a new interview on the podcast show “Redacted,” Dr. Victory explains that bird flu should not be able to be transmitted between humans.
However, she warns that scientists have “manipulated” the virus using gain-of-function research in biolabs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Pledges Help for Hunter Biden After Conviction
President Donald Trump has responded to Hunter Biden’s federal gun charge conviction by offering to help the first son.
As Slay News reported earlier, Hunter Biden was convicted on three federal gun charges on Tuesday.
Democrat President Joe Biden’s son now faces up to 25 years in prison for the conviction.
However, it was Trump who issued a statement promising help for him.
Biden was convicted of false statements on a federal form when he, in 2018 and was buying a handgun.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Woke’ Judge Defends Releasing Suspect Days Before She Murdered 3-Year-Old Child
A “woke” Ohio judge has come under fire after he released a suspect back onto the streets just three days before she murdered a 3-year-old child.
After the courts raised concerns about Bionca Ellis’s mental state, Rocky River Municipal Judge Brian Hagan chose to release her.
The judge argues that locking up Ellis would have violated her rights.
Three days later, she stabbed a toddler to death.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Excess Deaths Surged Among COVID-Vaccinated Elderly Patients, Investigation Finds
A team of researchers has conducted an investigation into the suspiciously large number of excess deaths among elderly patients who had been vaccinated with Covid mRNA shots.
Dr. Matthias Hoben at the University of Alberta as well as at York University, School of Health Policy and Management, led the study.
Hoden and colleagues conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study involving residents living in both Assisted Living (AL) and Nursing Homes (NH) facilities in Canada.
They examined facilities operated or contracted with the Alberta Provincial Healthcare system to provide publicly funded care in that part of Canada from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021.
They sought to investigate links between a major surge in excess deaths and the Covid injections, which were rolled out for public use in early 2021.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
More than one-third of primary school children in Vienna are Muslims, representing the largest religious group among elementary schools in the Austrian capital.
According to figures published by the Education Directorate and cited by the Exxpress news site, 35 percent of primary school students are Muslims, while 21 percent are Catholic, 13 percent are Orthodox, and 2 percent are either Protestant or belong to another denomination.
Just over one in four pupils (26 percent) are classified as non-religious.
The figures show a considerable increase in the number of Muslim children frequenting Austrian primary schools compared to data published for the 2016/2017 academic year when Catholics remained the largest religious group at 31 percent compared to 28 percent of Muslims.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium’s Extremely Alarming Antisemitism
A recent survey has attempted to quantify what Belgians feel towards Jews, a small minority representing 0.3% of the country’s population.
According to an IPSOS poll, 14% of Belgians express an aversion to Jews, twice as many as the French. This figure rises to 22% in Brussels, the capital, which is also the capital of European Union, where 11% of the population have sympathy for Hamas.
We suspected that anti-Semitism was widespread in Belgium, but this survey provides further confirmation, showing that the public attitude towards Jews has deteriorated even further since October 7, 2023. An increase in anti-Semitic acts has been denounced by Belgium’s League against Anti-Semitism.
What is striking about the survey is that, for every question, anti-Semitic prejudice is much higher in Brussels than at national level. It happens that the population of the capital of Belgium and the EU is between 30% and 40% Muslim.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bid to Replace Polish PM Tusk’s Government Rejected by Hard-Right
Fresh from its relative success in polling 12 per cent in the European Parliament elections, Poland’s right-wing Confederation party has poured cold water on the former ruling Conservatives (PiS) suggestion of a new governing coalition.
Under the plan, such a coalition would be made up of PiS, Confederation and the Polish People’s Party (PSL).
Since the elections ended on June 9, the PiS has been encouraging both Confederation and the PSL to cut a deal with it to replace the centre-left government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The PiS holds 194 seats in Poland’s 460-member parliament, Confederation 18 and the PSL 27.
The centre-right PSL, of the European People’s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, is currently part of the Third Way alliance together with the centrist Poland 2050 party. In addition, it is part of the ruling majority that put Tusk back in power in December last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Denmark Recalls South Korean Noodles for Being ‘Too Spicy’
Buldak Spicy Noodles have been deemed by Copenhagen to be too hot to handle and pulled off the Danish market.
According to the Danish Government, the noodles manufactured by South Korean firm Samyang Foods contain levels of capsaicin that are too high and could cause “poisoning”.
Capsaicin is the chemical compound in chilli peppers that causes foods to taste “hot” when eaten.
On June 11, the Danish food agency issued the recall, saying consumers should not eat three flavours of Samyang noodles: Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Downfall of Big-Hitter Saryusz-Wolski Raises Questions in Poland
Polish political veteran Jacek Saryusz-Wolski has failed in his re-election attempt to the European Parliament for his country’s Conservatives (PiS).
Saryusz-Wolski’s 20-year stint in the European Parliament came to a close on June 9 as he failed to secure a seat in the Southeast of Poland for the PiS.
For many, it was surprising that Saryusz-Wolski stood in the Southeast, a region with which he had no connections.
He garnered just over 56,000 votes, some 50,000-plus behind former PiS interior minister Mariusz Kaminski, falling well short of winning a seat.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Zemmour Steps Aside for National Rally Despite Electoral Pact Snub
French nationalist Éric Zemmour has announced he will not stand as a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections in France later this month, instead offering his support to the incumbent National Rally (RN) MP seeking re-election in his constituency.
The leader of the populist Reconquête party publicized his decision on social media on Tuesday evening before providing further insight in an interview with CNews.
“I’m telling you this evening that I won’t be standing in the legislative elections because, in my heartland constituency in the Var, there is a Rassemblement National (RN) incumbent and I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of the possible election of an RN MP,” he told the channel.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The National Rally (RN) has snubbed the offer of an electoral pact with the hard-right Reconquête party over fears of affiliating with its leader Éric Zemmour, Reconquête’s leading MEP Marion Maréchal announced on Tuesday.
In a statement posted on social media, Maréchal revealed how she had held several meetings with the RN leadership of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella following President Macron’s decision on Sunday to dissolve the French National Assembly and call a snap election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: First Poll Shows Macron Losing Upcoming Snap Elections
The first poll following the news that French President Emmanuel Macron will hold snap elections in June shows the National Rally obtaining a relative majority between 235 and 265 seats, while Macron’s party would score only 125 to 155 seats.
However, the poll from Harris Interactive for French publication Challenges was conducted before the news broke that National Rally and The Republicans (LR) would form an alliance together. Under their election pact, the candidates for The Republicans would run under the National Rally ticket.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Emmanuel Macron Blasts Centrists for Making ‘Deal With Devil’ in Allying With Marine Le Pen
French President Emmanuel Macron excoriated the Les Républicains leader Éric Ciotti for supporting an election pact with the populist National Rally party in the snap election he called after getting trounced in the EU elections.
In a rare press conference, an apparently agitated Macron snapped at Ciotti, Le Figaroreports, for turning his back on the “legacy of General (Charles) de Gaulle” in doing a “deal with the devil”, in reference to the Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), with whom the Les Républicains leader backed an alliance with on Tuesday against Macron.
The move by the center-right leader sent shockwaves throughout the political establishment, sparking backlash from the far-left, the Macronists, and even many from within his own party, who believe that it is beyond the pale to pair with Le Pen and break the cordon sanitaire surrounding the party.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Islamist Terror Suspect ‘Wanted to Work at Euro Football Championship’
Less than a week before the country starts hosting the UEFA football championship, German officials have arrested a man suspected of supporting the Islamic State terror group.
Worryingly, the German press reported that the alleged terror supporter had applied to work as a steward and security staff for ‘side events’ during the European championship, which starts this Friday, June 14th. His application was unsuccessful.
The Islamic State threatened to target a list of major football venues earlier this year during the UEFA Champions League football games. This prompted officials to boost their alert and “response systems. German lawmakers have already claimed that they are preparing for “all conceivable dangers” ahead of these upcoming games.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A police operation has been launched after a witness claimed to hear a group of 20 to 30 men sitting at a table in a German brewery, who started shouting, “Sieg Heil,” a banned phrase in Germany.
The report indicates that at 7 p.m., a witness related that one man stood up at a table in the Augustiner brewery in Munich holding a beer glass, at which point he delivered a short speech and shouted “Sieg,” several times, at which point the large group of men present responded with cries of “Heil.”
The term “Sieg Heil” in English translates to “Hail victory.” The term, which was used by the National Socialists during the rule of Adolf Hitler, has been banned in Germany since the end of the Second World War and can be prosecuted under criminal law.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Politicians Fingered in Chinese ‘Cash for Permits’ Corruption Scandal
The main suspect in an ongoing fraud investigation in Germany has incriminated several local politicians from the mainstream parties in the town of Düren, accusing key players in the district administration of taking bribes to approve bogus residence permits for wealthy Chinese nationals.
Claus B., a lawyer suspected of leading a criminal enterprise that advertised its services to foreign nationals and registered fake companies in Germany to assist with work permits, says local politicians were complicit in the scheme and received incentives to look the other way.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Globalists Panic, Warn ‘Rise of the Right Threatens to Kill’ WEF’s ‘Net Zero Ambitions’
Globalists are raising the alarm over fears that the growing popularity of right-wing parties is threatening to “kill” the green agenda.
As Slay News reported, recent elections in Europe have seen a historic surge toward right-wing, nationalist, and populist parties.
After getting crushed in the European Parliament elections, France’s far-left globalist President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the French parliament and called a snap election.
In addition, Belgium’s anti-Trump Prime Minister Alexander De Croo quit after his liberal party was trounced in local elections.
This uprising has triggered panic among globalists who now fear the green agenda will be shut down.
Surging right-wing parties will dismantle the World Economic Forum’s “Net Zero” agenda, Green politicians have said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Will Not Participate in NATO-Led Ukraine Mission
Hungary will not block majority-backed decisions in NATO but will not take part in any NATO-led mission in Ukraine either, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday, June 12th. This follows Orban holding talks with the military alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Budapest. The Hungarian decision also applies to security provisions and training Ukrainian troops.
Hungary has been one of a few NATO member states that have refused to send weapons to Ukraine in its fight against invading Russian forces. Viktor Orban has criticised his Western allies for prolonging the war by giving Ukraine military aid when, instead, they should be looking for diplomatic solutions to bring about peace. The prime minister believes that the actions of these countries have escalated tensions, and will drag the whole of Europe into war with Russia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian State Secretary Urges European Politicians to Stand Up for Persecuted Christians
It is an important mission to persuade European politicians to support persecuted Christians, said the Hungarian foreign ministry’s state secretary in charge of helping persecuted Christians in Budapest on Thursday at the launch of the book entitled Faces and Stories.
Tristan Azbej emphasized that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, with more than 360 million people across the globe facing discrimination, threats, or persecution for confessing the name of Jesus Christ. “This is one of the greatest and most silent humanitarian and human rights crises of our time,” he said.
According to the state secretary, the indifference or denial with which most politicians in the West have approached the cause of persecuted Christians clearly shows where European values have gone.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Leftist on Trial in Hungary for Brutal Hammer Attacks Set to Become MEP
Ilaria Salis, an Italian member of the extremist Antifa group, imprisoned for brutally beating up innocent civilians in Hungary, has been elected to the European Parliament (EP), meaning she could get immunity and be released from house arrest.
Italian daily Il Giornale writes that the election of someone who committed aggravated assault, caused life-threatening injuries—and still managed to present herself as the real victim—is nothing more than the triumph of victimhood culture.
As we previously reported, nine people were injured—four of them seriously—last February in the capital of Hungary, Budapest, in a series of attacks organised by the Hammerbande (Hammer Gang), a German left-wing militant group linked to Antifa.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Meloni’s Party Wins 39% Blue-Collar Support in EU Elections
A socio-economic analysis of last week’s Italian elections shows major advances for the Fratelli d’Italia party of PM Giorgia Meloni, with 39% of blue-collar workers backing the ruling conservative party.
The Italian premier, who has been in power for just under two years, easily triumphed in Sunday’s European election, with her party achieving 28.9% of the total vote in the first major electoral challenge of her premiership.
The positive results, which exceed even the 26% Meloni and Fratelli achieved when first elected in the 2022 parliamentary election, put the party in a kingmaker position among European populists and the EU establishment in the European Parliament.
The result was sweetened by a further study of Fratelli’s voter base, which showed it making major gains from the left-wing Democratic Party among Italian workers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘It’s Not a Defeat, it’s a Correction,’ Say European Greens After EP Vote
The European Greens led by German MEP Terry Reintke and Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout released their analysis of the group’s results in the European Parliament elections, stating: “It’s not a defeat, it’s a correction.”
According to the duo, the European Greens lost “in the two main countries, France and Germany”, but were “happy” to have “grown in Eastern and Southern Europe”.
The Greens are one of the groups, together with Renew Liberal group that lost the most, dropping from a 10.1 per cent score in 2019 to 7.4 per cent this year.
The Liberals fell from 14.2 per cent to 11 per cent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Various elections are not the only thing Big Tech is “protecting” this summer: athletes competing in major sporting events are another.
Meta has announced that the “protection measures” that are to affect its apps (Facebook, Instagram, and, Threads) will also extend to the fans.
Regardless of the way Meta phrases it, the objective is clearly to censor what the giant decides is abusive behavior, bullying, and hate speech.
The events that draw Meta’s particular attention are the European football championship (EURO 2024), and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Schoof I Cabinet Will Have Three New Ministries
The Schoof I Cabinet will have three new Ministries, according to the distribution of ministerial posts shared by the Cabinet Formation Spokesperson Office on Wednesday. The new ones are the Ministry of Asylum and Migration (PVV), the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning (BBB), and the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (VVD).
Dutch Cabinet positions where an individual is a “Minister of…” refer to a role where the figure oversees an entire Ministry, while a “Minister for…” is responsible for a specific policy portfolio within another Ministry. This individual is still considered a Minister and has a position more senior to the State Secretaries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Next Steps in Government Formation; Schoof I Cabinet Could Take Office by End-June
The Netherlands is one step closer to having a new government. Today, formateur Richard van Zwol will start his one-on-one conversations with candidate Ministers. His first conversation is with candidate Prime Minister Dick Schoof. The other talks will start on Friday. If everything goes smoothly, the Schoof I Cabinet could take office at the end of June or start of July, NOS reports.
With each candidate, Van Zwol must carefully discuss all relevant topics for a new Minister, ranging from paid and unpaid ancillary functions to business and financial interests to personal health. He has to warn them about the physically demanding job that awaits and ask the important question: is there anything “from the past or present” that could put the candidate themself or the Cabinet “in a difficult situation?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Orban Urges Sovereigntist Merger in Brussels
Parties across the EU began crunching numbers as soon as the election results were published. The center’s ‘Ursula coalition’ is interested in whether they can push von der Leyen through the finish line once again, while the national conservative forces are juggling different scenarios to make their parliamentary groups more powerful in the incoming European Parliament.
Once again, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban publicly backed Marine Le Pen’s idea of merging the two sovereigntist blocs—her Identity and Democracy (ID) group and Giorgia Meloni’s European Conservative and Reformists (ECR)—saying that such an alliance would have the opportunity to become the second largest force in Brussels, rivaling von der Leyen’s European centrist People’s Party (EPP).
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At a press conference following the meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orban and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Hungary walked away with guarantees that it will be allowed to maintain its pro-peace stance.
“Today we have received guarantees that in the case of the Ukraine-Russia war, we will not have to take part in any military action outside the territory of Hungary and that Hungary will not give money to this common burden, nor will it send men to this war, nor will Hungary’s territory be used for the purpose of joining this war. We have been granted everything that we have found necessary,” announced Orban.
He added that Hungary continues to be an active participant in NATO operations, highlighting the 1,300 Hungarian soldiers on NATO missions; air policing activities in Slovakia, Slovenia, and the Baltic states; and its role as a liaison across Central Asia and Africa.
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PM Orban: Hungarian Conservatives Had Best Election Result Ever, EU Moving Towards Pro-Peace Parties
The result of the European elections shows that pro-peace conservative forces achieved their goal in the first half of the match, and now all that is remaining is for Donald Trump to win the second half in November.
“The EP elections were an opportunity to slow the drift towards war. If you look at it from here, it was what we wanted,” the prime minister said in a television interview.
In France, the pro-war process has been halted, said Orban. There, the pro-peace party won by such a margin that a new parliamentary election had to be called.
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Poland: Kaczynski Loses Trusted Allies in EU Election to Younger PiS Candidates
The leader of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party Jaroslaw Kaczynski is reportedly frustrated that candidates he chose to top PiS’ election list in the regional constituencies in several cases ended up being overtaken by young candidates from lower down the list.
Several PiS candidates who managed to win from down the slate in the European elections are keeping their heads low so as not to attract the ire of the party leader, who is reportedly furious that the people he had chosen to top the slates had in many cases lost out in the election. Kaczynski knows he will now have several of those defeated coming to him to complain about what happened.
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Polish President Duda Spoke About the Need to Invite Ukraine to NATO
At the meeting of the leaders of the Bucharest Nine in Riga, Polish President Andrzej Duda listed the realization of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions as one of Poland’s priorities for the July NATO summit.
“It is necessary to issue an official invitation to Ukraine to join NATO,” he said.
Duda also underlined the need for decisive actions to counter Russia’s stance, which Duda called “Soviet Russian.” He observed that back in the days of the Soviet Union NATO members were prepared to spend 3 percent or more of their GDP on defense and that the alliance must now return to those levels of defense spending.
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Right-Wing Rift: French Conservatives Fail to Form United Front
The reconfiguration of French political forces following Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly on Sunday, June 9th, is in full swing. For both the Right and the Left, the challenge is to succeed in building solid coalitions ahead of the early parliamentary elections due to be held at the end of June. On the right, after a day of intense negotiations, Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) and Marion Maréchal and Éric Zemmour’s Reconquête failed to find common ground.
The union of the Right hoped for by a large proportion of the French right-wing electorate, across all parties, is likely to be only partially achieved in the forthcoming legislative elections.
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Romania Considers Giving $4 Billion Patriot Missile System to Ukraine
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced at a press conference on Tuesday, June 11, after attending the B9 Summit in Riga, that next week he will convene a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT).
Asked whether the issue of the transfer of a Patriot missile system to Ukraine is topical, the president replied, “The issue is topical, I will convene a meeting of the CSAT next week, on Thursday.”
Also in Riga, Iohannis spoke about the fact that Romanians want to be defended and Romanians are defended by NATO:
“For us, in Romania, it is extremely important that NATO’s deterrent posture is very strong and its defense capability is comprehensive,” the head of state said, adding that he also discussed the importance of the Black Sea at the B9 Summit.
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Seven Found Guilty in Dutch Journalist’s Execution; Will Serve Up to 28 Years in Prison
The court in Amsterdam sentenced Delano G. and Kamil E. to 28 years in prison for perpetrating the murder of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries. Krystian M. got 26 years for the same crimes. The court described De Vries’s murder as “ruthless and reckless” and showing a “complete disregard for the life of a fellow human being,” according to Parool and NOS liveblogs from the courtroom. Two suspects were acquitted, and four others were sentenced to between 4 weeks and 14 years in prison.
De Vries was shot on 6 July 2021 on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in the center of Amsterdam after appearing on RTL Boulevard. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital nine days later. The OM is convinced De Vries was murdered because he acted as a confidant of the key witness in the Marengo trial against Ridouan Taghi and his gang. Key witness Nabil B.’s brother and lawyer were previously assassinated. Taghi denied the accusation and is not a suspect in this case, but was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year in the Marengo case.
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Spain’s Far-Left Leader Yolanda Diaz Resigns After Election Debacle
Spain’s deputy prime minister and labour minister, Yolanda Diaz, has resigned as leader of the far-left alliance she founded after disappointing results in the European parliamentary elections.
Sumar, bringing together several national and regional hard-left parties, won only three of Spain’s 61 seats in the European Parliament (EP), vastly underperforming. Podemos, a party that split from Sumar in December 2023, also only won two seats, capping a bad night for the Spanish far left.
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Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on Tuesday the establishment of a legal aid office that would support soldiers, Border Guard officers and police officers. What would the lawyers protect the soldiers from? From the accusations of the far-left prosecution team created in April by Justice Minister Adam Bodnar.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Kosiniak-Kamysz (Third Way, PSL) emphasized that all cases involving the alleged unlawful use of weapons by soldiers had been reviewed. As he pointed out, four proceedings have been initiated — one in November 2023 and the other three this year.
“In only one case, described in the Onet article (when military police arrested three soldiers), did it end with charges being pursued,” he noted.
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UK Labour Party: Restoring Free Movement With EU is “Paramount”
Keir Starmer’s Labour is being “cautious” in its messaging ahead of the July 4th general election, but a senior party official has been unable to contain her excitement about sweeping plans to reverse major aspects of Brexit if it gets into government. Details of these changes are only just coming to light, but appear to have been in the works for some time.
Labour International chair Fiona Urquhart said, in comments seen by The Mail on Sunday, that Starmer’s top team “is prepared to revisit some of the Brexit agreements” and believes “restoring that freedom of movement is paramount.”
The Labour Party has made it clear that it wants to see a greater level of freedom of movement within the EU for Britons, in particular for professionals and trade.
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UK: Democracy ‘Directly Under Threat’ From ‘Mob Violence’ Says Nigel Farage After Being Attacked
The democratic process in Britain itself is “directly under threat”, Brexit leader Nigel Farage warned after being attacked for the second time on the campaign trail over the past week.
After returning to the political fold earlier this month, Reform UK president Nigel Farage lamented that “politics it would appear is worse five years on than when I left it”. The populist leader made the remarks on Tuesday evening following the latest leftist attack, in which a man hurled cement at him as he toured the Barnsley. This came just a week after a young woman threw a milkshake in his face as he launched his campaign in Clacton. Both alleged attackers have been tied to the far left.
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UK: Farage “Will Not Surrender to the Mob” After Second Attack in Two Weeks
Nigel Farage says he may be forced to “change tactics slightly” during this general election campaign due to the “constant threat of violence” on the streets after he was attacked on Tuesday for the second time. But he promises that “I will not surrender to the mob. I will not stop campaigning. This democratic process must continue.”
With the mainstream media continuing to brand Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) as “far-right,” and with left-wing pundits celebrating the first (milkshake) attack as “art,” some commentators say that increasing levels of violence are “inevitable.”
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is considerably more popular among 2019 Conservative Party voters than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a survey has found as the populist party is moving towards overtaking the Tories in the polls.
Research conducted by JLPartners has shown that Brexit boss Nigel Farage holds a commanding lead over Rishi Sunak in popularity rankings among those who supported Boris Johnson in the 2019 general election.
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UK: Farage Offered Government Security, Man Charged After Campaign Trail Attack
Police have charged a man after objects from a building site were thrown at Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage on the campaign trail yesterday, prompting the campaigner to express concern about the state of debate and public conduct in Britain.
28-year-old Josh Greally of Clowne, Chesterfield was charged with “using threatening, abusive, insulting words and behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence”, reports The Sheffield Star. He has been released on bail and has been ordered to appear before a magistrate later this month.
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UK: Tories Repeat Failed Promises in “Thin Gruel” Manifesto
Even Britain’s mainstream news channels, like the BBC and Channel 4, are now heavily criticising the Conservatives Party’s record on migration, showing that almost no one still believes the party’s renewed promises on this and other issues.
So it is no surprise, then, that even the more right-wing press responded negatively to the launch yesterday, on June 11th, of the latest Tory manifesto. The hefty document, whose 80 pages are clearly not intended to be read by the busy working public, claims to contain a “clear plan” made up of “bold action” which will bring about a “secure future.” But journalist Patrick O’Flynn described it in The Spectator as “thin gruel,” and the latest cartoon in The Times brutally mocked it as containing “flakey” pledges “freshly made up for you.”
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Von Der Leyen ‘Not Welcome’ at Summit to Discuss Her Future
Most heads of state in the European Union do not want European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen present during some discussions on the future of Europe at an informal EU leaders’ summit on June 17.
Von der Leyen is said to want to attend the full programme in a bid to secure herself a second five-year mandate.
Yet country leaders reportedly want to speak freely about the matter and have indicated von der Leyen is not welcome during those discussions.
Earlier, some news outlets alleged that keeping her out was “a ploy” by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, “irritating” Member States.
Now, a Council insider has told Brussels Signal the opposite was true.
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Warmongering Macron Must be Punished at French Snap Election, Claims Marine Le Pen
French President Emmanuel Macron has been punished for using war as a political tool against his rivals, his former presidential rival and president of the National Rally (RN) party group in the National Assembly, Marine Le Pen, has claimed.
The party stormed to victory in the European elections on Sunday. Le Pen has accused the French president of “doing everything he can to increase the pressure, which could lead to an escalation tomorrow,” referring to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The firebrand nationalist previously described Macron’s policy of war as a huge communication failure.
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Will the French Right Finally Unite Behind Le Pen’s Party?
Since Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the French National Assembly following the European elections, negotiations between the parties have accelerated in the run-up to the legislative elections due to be held on June 30th.
One of the major issues at stake in the election will be the ability of the French Right to unite in the hope of winning a majority in the Assembly.
On Monday, June 10th, Marion Maréchal, against the advice of Éric Zemmour and Sarah Knafo, met with Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella to negotiate an agreement and share the constituencies. Sovereigntist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan has also been approached and is keen to join the budding alliance.
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Will Courts Postpone France’s General Election?
The French Constitutional Council has been asked to rule on the constitutional legality of France’s general election.
Legal experts in electoral law filed an appeal with the French Constitutional Council on June 11 to overturn Macron’s decision to call a snap vote.
“The sincerity of the ballot is called into question by the impossibility of complying with certain legislative provisions within such a short timeframe,” said one of the plaintiffs.
“What is being criticised are problems with the deadline, which will make the elections too short,” they said.
According to Article 12 of the French Constitution, invoked by the French President, the election must be held between 20 and 40 days after the announcement.
In mainland France, the first round of voting will take place on June 30, following the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9, thus respecting the required timeframe.
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Israel’s Central Bank Pushes Digital Shekel
To accelerate its central bank digital currency (CBDC) development, Israel is pushing forward with the digital shekel initiative. The Bank of Israel (BoI) is set to collaborate with a range of service providers to create a sophisticated digital payment system based on this new currency.
Central Bank Digital Currencies have sparked significant controversy, particularly concerning privacy and civil liberties. One of the primary concerns is the potential for increased surveillance. Unlike cash transactions, which offer a high degree of anonymity, CBDC transactions could be meticulously tracked and monitored by central banks. This capability to log and trace every transaction made with CBDCs could severely undermine financial privacy, allowing governments to gather extensive data on individuals’ spending habits and personal financial activities.
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Hezbollah Rocket Barrage Into Israel Raises Fears About War in the North
In response to an Israeli strike that killed a senior commander, Hezbollah launched one of its largest salvos into northern Israel, sparking fires. Some 60,000 Israelis are displaced from the north. Nick Schifrin reports on what life is like for them and in their hometowns.
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Hezbollah Fires Dozens of Rockets Into Israel After Strike Kills Commander
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement has fired multiple barrages of rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike which killed one of its senior commanders.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly identified more than 200 projectiles that crossed the border on Wednesday. Some triggered fires, but no casualties were reported.
It came as a top Hezbollah official vowed that the Iran-backed group would increase the intensity, force and quantity of its attacks.
He was speaking at the funeral of Taleb Sami Abdullah, the field commander targeted in a strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night.
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Stanislav Aseyev is a Ukrainian writer and journalist. He has a degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in religious studies from the University of Donetsk. The author of a published collection of short stories and a novel, Elephant Melchior, he began reporting on what was happening in Donetsk between 2015 and 2017. His work was published under the pseudonym Stanislav Vasin in the Mirror Weekly newspaper and other Ukrainian media, for which he was arrested and held in a secret prison for more than two years. Aseyev was released in an exchange in December 2019. His dispatches from the Donetsk People’s Republic were collected and published under the title In Isolation: Dispatches from Occupied Donbas. He later authored a book recounting his experiences in the torture camp Izolyatsia, The Torture Camp on Paradise Street.
Since his release, Aseyev has been active in the struggle for the rights of prisoners held in illegal prisons in Russia and the occupied territories, and he has spoken at forums such as the Council of Europe and the Munich Security Conference. He also founded the Justice Initiative Fund to track down war criminals such as those who operated Izolyatsia and similar sites. In 2023, Aseyev enlisted in the Territorial Defence Forces of Ukraine as an infantryman. In late April of 2024, while serving with the 109th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade, Aseyev was concussed during the fighting in Donbas and sent to the rear to recover. It was during this period, before his return to the front, that we conducted this interview.
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Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Causes 175 Million Tonnes of CO2 Emissions: Report
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has directly caused or paved the way to the emission of 175 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, a joint report said on Thursday.
The report, published by Ukraine’s environment ministry and climate NGOs, said their estimate included both emissions that had been released and those that would be produced during repair work following the destruction caused by the February 2020 invasion.
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Some of Ukraine’s F-16s Will be Based in Neighboring Countries
A number of Western F-16s that Ukraine will receive from its allies will be deployed to foreign bases, as there are fears that the Russians would immediately destroy them if they were stored on Ukrainian soil.
While these fighter jets are stored in neighboring countries, Ukrainian pilots will continue to train on them, according to Serhi Glubtsov, head of aviation at the Ukrainian Air Force Command, in an interview with Radio Liberty.
According to him, four countries have so far confirmed their readiness to supply the planes, but the number could increase as states gradually shift their fleets from F-16s to F-35s.
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‘Exploded in My Face’: Fireside Proposal Goes Seriously Wrong
A fireside engagement proposal has gone seriously awry for an Adelaide man who burned himself and spent weeks in hospital after trying to get the romantic bonfire going with an accelerant.
Adam Boots is recovering from burns to his face, arms and legs six months on from trying to pop the question beside the fire pit.
The father of two managed to propose from his hospital bed sometime later.
“I’ve just lent down and leaned in and it’s exploded into my face,” he said.
“The pain was quite excruciating, especially on the face.
“Don’t use accelerations and be very cautious.”
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Mexico Finds the Remains of Some of the 63 Miners Who Died 18 Years Ago
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities announced Wednesday that they found the remains of some of the 63 miners who were trapped 18 years ago in a coal mine in northern Mexico.
The accident occurred at the Pasta de Conchos mine in the state of Coahuila, which borders Texas, on Feb. 19, 2006. Of the 73 miners on duty, eight survived with serious burns, and two bodies were recovered.
The Interior ministry said Wednesday that after years of searching they were able to locate “the first human remains” in one of the mine’s chambers, but they did not specify when the remains were recovered.
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Biden Admin Sees First Lawsuit After Asylum Executive Order
President Joe Biden’s administration was sued Wednesday, over his recent executive actions related to illegal immigration, by a coalition of immigrant advocacy groups that includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The lawsuit is in response to Biden’s executive order that he issued last week, which bars illegal immigrants from receiving asylum when there are high levels of encounters at the southern border.
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Dutch Immigration Office Not Following Up on Residency Fraud Claims: Whistleblowers
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) and the Ministry of Justice and Security are not following up on whistleblowers’ reports of potential residency permit fraud. NRC found six cases in which two whistleblowers reported serious indications of fraud that were not investigated any further. According to the newspaper, the whistleblowers were told that “filing a complaint is usually not the most appropriate way” to handle fraud suspicions.
Both whistleblowers work for the IND’s Family department. The 16 groups in this department are responsible for assessing applications from immigrants to let family members join them in the Netherlands. They check IDs, marriage certificates, integration papers, criminal records, and whether the applicant can support the family members they want bring over, among other things.
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Eurocrats Defy Electorate by Altering Protocols to Promote Open Borders
European Union Migration Pact—despite objections from such as member states Poland and Hungary.
Ignoring the concerns of citizens that influenced much of the voting in last week’s EU elections, the Commission is committing to new measures that would worsen the bloc’s asylum problems. Internal documents show that Brussels plans an aggressive implementation process in the coming weeks and months.
The materials seen by The European Conservative include the agenda for today’s meeting, supported by miscellaneous correspondence about the Pact sent out by the Commission.
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Drug cartels are taking advantage of an ‘unlimited supply’ of vulnerable child migrants by using them as foot soldiers to shuttle cocaine across Europe — and dishing out heinous punishments to keep them in check.
Europe’s booming illicit drug market is worth at least €31 billion (£26 billion) according to the latest official report, of which cocaine accounts for some £10 billion as OECD figures suggested that the UK, Spain and Austria all rank in the top five countries worldwide where cocaine use is most prevalent.
Underage migrants, particularly those unaccompanied by older family members, are seen as ideal targets for recruitment through the ruthless eyes of the cocaine kingpins overseeing the flow of the illicit substance into and around the continent.
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Finland Considers Tough New Border Law Amid Tensions With Russia
Ahead of the summer recess, Finnish lawmakers are set to vote on a new law that would allow border guards to use force if necessary to return asylum seekers to Russia.
Under the proposed legislation, Finnish border guards will be able to call on thousands of reservists to help patrol the frontier. They will also be able to detect migrants’ phone signals, as well as send migrants to detention centers.
Proponents of the the law argue that it is necessary as new arrivals are being used as part of Russia’s hybrid warfare against the West.
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Germany: CDU and SPD Politicians Implicated by Human Trafficking Gang Leader
A four-year investigation by the Düsseldorf public prosecutor’s office (PO) into an extensive human trafficking ring in western Germany took a wild turn after the alleged gang leader testified for the first time, implicating several Christian Democrat (CDU) and Social Democrat (SPD) politicians, Junge Freiheit reported on Tuesday, June 11th.
According to the German daily, local politicians near Cologne had allegedly accepted large-scale bribes from the gang in exchange for giving out illegal residence permits. The full extent of these bribes is yet to be discovered, but “we’re talking about dubious donations in the six-digit range,” the website writes.
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German Youth Flock to the AfD Party Over Fears of Crime and Immigration
Two and a half years ago, the future of the German Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens looked bright in Germany, as the parties were popular among young people. In the federal elections held in September 2021, the Greens came first with 23 percent of 18-24 year-olds, closely followed by the Liberals with 21 percent.
At the time, the Greens and FDP said: “Young people want education and climate protection,” referring to the many first-past-the-post voters who voted for the yellow and green parties.
But the EP elections painted a very different picture. Among first-time voters aged 16-17, neither the FDP nor the Greens came out on top. The CDU/CSU came first with 17 percent, followed closely by the AfD with 16 percent.
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A 19-year-old Afghan migrant has brutally stabbed a Ukrainian refugee woman who was sitting on a park bench in Frankfurt, resulting in serious injuries to the 41-year-old woman.
The victim was stabbed in her head, neck and in her behind with a box cutter, according to the public prosecutor. She was able to flee the scene, but then stumbled onto the ground a few meters away from the bench, at which point the Afghan man continued to stab her while she laid on the ground.
Witnesses rushed to help the woman, at which point the attacker fled the scene. The police searched the area and found the Afghan, identified as Mohammad Zaman A., hiding in a bush nearby. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder and other offenses. The weapon used in the attack was found in his possession, according to police.
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Poland: Rwandan Migrant Demolishes Car in Warsaw in Viral Video
A recording involving a migrant in Warsaw has gone viral showing the man demolishing a parked car on a housing estate. Although such videos of migrants destroying property or causing public mayhem are common in Western European nations, they are also becoming increasingly common in Poland as its immigrant population grows.
The recording shows the man repeatedly jumping and rolling on the roof of a parked car. The car is reported to have been seriously damaged and will require costly repairs.
The video has garnered a lot of attention, with X users commenting about the EU’s migration pact, noting that the pact will bring more migrants like the one depicted in the video to Poland.
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The leader of Poland’s right-wing Confederation party, Krzysztof Bosak, has called for the removal of Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, who he blames for the harassment of soldiers who defended themselves against aggressive migrants on the eastern border.
Still basking in the glow of the 12 percent his party polled in the European parliamentary election, Bosak went on the attack against the justice minister in the Donald Tusk government.
“It’s just not possible to defend the border and use firearms knowing that the minister is an ideological fanatic who has been setting up special teams of prosecutors to pursue soldiers and guards who dare to use firearms,” Bosak told portal Salon24.pl.
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Should Polish Soldiers be Able to Shoot Migrants? 85% of Poles Say Yes
In the survey conducted by IBRiS, participants were asked whether soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces stationed on the eastern border should be allowed to use firearms in situations of forceful border crossing attempts by migrants.
The survey, commissioned by the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, revealed that 85.7 percent of those surveyed support such actions by the military, while 10.7 percent are opposed, and 3.6 percent are undecided.
The survey indicates that support for military action against migrants is particularly strong among men overall (88 percent), men in their 50s (90 percent), and residents of small towns (91 percent). These supporters are most often irregular churchgoers (93 percent) who follow political developments closely and identify their political views as right-leaning (96 percent). They most recently voted predominantly for the Confederation (94 percent) or Law and Justice party (PiS) (88 percent) in the last parliamentary elections.
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Spanish and Albanian Police Bust Migrant-Smuggling Ring
One of Europe’s largest human trafficking networks for Albanians was shut down this week in a joint operation. Spanish and Albanian authorities apprehended 82 suspects—35 of them in Spain—including an Albanian police officer.
According to Spanish media, the Albanian and Kosovar networks provided forged documentation to enable migrants to transit illegally to the UK and Ireland, primarily through Barcelona airport.
A total of 26 individuals were detained by the Albanian National Police, with five wanted and still at large.
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Arguably Germany’s most famous currently serving mayor, Tübingen’s Boris Palmer, has attributed the success of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party among young voters to the consequences of mass migration, which have transformed the school.
“They experience what irregular migration means on a daily basis,” Palmer wrote on Facebook on Monday.
“Above all, the young men who have arrived alone are changing the living environment of young people. In the park, in the club, on the street, on the bus, at the train station, in the schoolyard,” he added.
Notably, Palmer was once a Green party mayor, but as he became known more and more for his outspokenness against mass immigration and other political taboos, the party worked to eject him. Nevertheless, he remained so popular with the people of his city that they elected him as an unaffiliated mayor, which means he is running Tübingen independent of any political party.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Tuesday that a federal court sided with Texas in it’s case against the Biden administration’s guidance on Title IXthat interpreted “sex” as meaning “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” and would have schools risk their federal funding if they kept facilities and activities like sports separated by biological sex.
Paxton brought the lawsuit against the United States Department of Education and its secretary Miguel Cardona, and the Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland in June of 2023 asking that the court vacate the June 2021 guidance.
Paxton said that the new rules are “not in accordance with law and are in excess of statutory authority because they rely upon the interpretation of Title VII described in Bostock and apply it to Title IX,” and that the guidance documents are “substantive or legislative rules that required notice-and-comment rulemaking.”
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Student council members at a Washington state high school were accused of promoting white supremacy after proposing a mural of the school’s unofficial mascot, the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor, be painted as their senior gift.
The school district’s diversity, equity, and inclusion office raised concerns that the painting represents white supremacy and would need to be accompanied by women and people of color to meet the Evergreen Public School district’s racial and gender equity standards, KTTH reports. Klarissa Hightower is the Director of Equity and Inclusion at Evergreen Public Schools.
Student councilors at Mountain View High School in Vancouver proposed the artwork because their school’s mascot is The Thunders, and the name “Thor” translates to “thunder.” There is already a statue of Thor at the school’s main entrance, which added further confusion among the student body government.
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The infamous Spokane LGBTQ Pride crosswalk was vandalized again on Tuesday, this time with paint. The new incident occurred less than a week after three teenagers were charged with felonies for riding scooters over the Pride crosswalk, painted in the street, and leaving skid marks on it. The crosswalk is emblazoned with the colors of the LGBTQ Pride progress flag at a busy downtown intersection.
On Tuesday morning, officials discovered yellow and white paint splashed on the crosswalk after the city worked to have it repainted over the weekend ahead of Spokane’s annual Pride parade.
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Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Loses Challenge to Compete in Women’s Olympics
The Court of Arbitration for Sports rejected transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’s challenge against the World Aquatics governing body on Wednesday over its rule that prohibits biological men from competing in women’s competitions, per the Associated Press.
The three-judge panel ruled that Thomas’s request lacked standing and dismissed the case. World Aquatics welcomed the decision and said it’s another step forward “in our efforts to protect women’s sports.”
In 2022, World Aquatics banned male-identified trans swimmers who have gone through male puberty from competing in women’s categories. The swimming governing body created a separate “open” category for transgender athletes to compete in.
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Ukraine Recovery Conference to Focus on ‘Green Recovery and Gender Mainstreaming’
European and wider Western Ukraine allies are thinking about the country’s progressive future as it fights for survival against Russia.
At the Ukraine Recovery Conference on June 11 and 12 in Berlin, a major focus of attention is “Gender Mainstreaming and Female Leadership”.
One of the goals of Ukraine’s international partners is to ensure a “gender-responsive and inclusive recovery for Ukraine”, according to the conference manifesto.
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UN Calls for Water Rationing to ‘Secure Climate Justice’
The United Nations (UN) is calling on the governments of “sovereign” nations around the world to introduce sweeping new regulations that will allow globalists to apply strict controls and limits on the water supply.
The unelected bureaucratic agency argues that rationing water is part of its agenda for supposedly “securing climate justice.”
The regulations would assert major restrictions on the water use of the general public by giving individuals a dystopian daily allowance.
Under such regulations, citizens would be limited to only one shower per day, grass lawns on private homes would be banned, and gardens would be restricted.
To ration the water, the supply to homes would be restricted by a state-controlled meter.
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@ Baron
Re: “In other news, a major police operation was launched after a group of 20 to 30 men in a German brewery allegedly started shouting “Sieg Heil,” which is a banned phrase in Germany.”
What was the Mohammed coefficient? If it isn’t high, perhaps even one-hundred percent, I’d tend to smell a rat, by which I mean an influence op being staged by the opponents of AfD (“Alternative for Germany”) political party and movement. The motive for such a psy-op would be simple: Discredit anti-immigration activism by linking its members to National Socialism.
The fact that such linkage would be entirely fictive is besides the point, as far as the black-bag boys are concerned. Control of the information battle-space and the narrative is what matters to them, not right-and-wrong or true-versus-false.
Of course, the real irony here is that the very people the ruling class, both within Germany and at the European Union, seek to import are known to be proponents of Nazism. Almost eighty years after his death, the only place where Adolf Hitler’s writings still sell well is in the Islamic world, and among Muslims. Suitably translated into Arabic, Turkish, Farsi, Pashto, and so on.
Nobody will be punished. What is LePen thinking, BSing people?