A public swimming pool in the Neukölln district of Berlin had to be shut down after a violent attacker broke a woman’s nose. Meanwhile, an Afghan migrant in Hamburg was arrested for stabbing a woman in the head at a bus stop.
In other news, prosecutors in the Ghislaine Maxwell case say the next target for sex trafficking prosecution will be Prince Andrew.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, Fjordman, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, 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.
83% of Americans Cut Back on Spending as Economy Careens Towards Crisis , Poll Finds
US consumer sentiment and confidence have deteriorated for households amid slowing economic growth and persistently high inflation that suggests stagflation.
A new study lends credibility to the current souring macroeconomic backdrop of high inflation and shortages, altering consumer lifestyles, behavior changes, and expectations, all of which show “Bidenomics” could be one greatest failures since the Carter administration of 1977-1981.
Provident Bank, based in New Jersey, found that 83% of respondents slashed personal spending due to soaring prices of food and gasoline, with 23% indicating they had to make “drastic changes” to their spending for financial survival.
According to the survey results of 600 adults, 10.5% of respondents eliminated all non-essential purchases, and nearly 72% said they made at least some changes to personal travel habits.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Believe it or not, with inflation nearing 9%, it turns out that one job simply isn’t good enough to cut it anymore.
At least that was the findings of a new study from Insuranks, that found that 93% of working Americans today have a side hustle. Popular side hustles include Uber, Etsy, DoorDash, and Depop, the report says.
The study found that 50% of people who had a side hustle were women and 49% were men. It surveyed 1,006 full-time and part-time Americans workers about their side hustles and income, and respondents were 49% female, 49% male, and 2% transgender/non-binary. The age range was 18 to 84, with an average age of 37 years old, the report said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Hikes Interest Rates by a Whopping 185 Basis Points
In an effort to slow down inflation, the Hungarian Central Bank (MNB) increased its base rate by 185 basis points on Tuesday to 7.75 percent, the bank’s Monetary Council announced on Tuesday.
“Inflation risks have intensified over the past quarter. Accordingly, the inflation path currently expected by MNB has shifted upwards compared to the March forecast. Global inflation has hit a new high for the last decade, coupled with money market volatility, posing a higher risk to the domestic inflation outlook,” the statement of the Monetary Council said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“Bulls***”: Claim Trump “Lunged” For Steering Wheel on January 6 Discredited by Secret Service
The January 6 Committee’s credibility has plummeted after claims by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson that President Trump “lunged” for the steering wheel of his vehicle and demanded to be taken to the site of the riots were contradicted by the lead Secret Service agent.
Hutchinson testified that Tony Ornato, the then-White House deputy chief of staff, told her that Trump said something like, “I’m the f-ing president, take me up to the Capitol now,” and had “reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel” before then using “his free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engel,” the the presidential driver.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Is there any punishment anymore for lying under oath?
So long as you’re parroting regime narratives, apparently you have total immunity to spout utter garbage with zero consequences.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
American Who Joined Islamic State Gets Prison Term Reduced by 6 Years
The first American to be convicted in a US jury trial of joining the Islamic State had his prison term reduced Tuesday from 20 years to 14 years after an appeals court ordered a new sentencing hearing.
Mohamad Khweis was convicted back in 2017 of providing material support to terrorists, as well as a weapons charge. He traveled to Islamic State-controlled territory in Iraq and Syria in December 2015, even obtaining an official IS membership card. But he left after a few months and surrendered in northern Iraq to Kurdish forces.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Americans Stealing Gas as Prices Soar
As fuel prices hit record highs in the US, thieves either target pumps and transport vehicles, or hack into networks of gas retailers.
Earlier this month, at Virginia Beach, police observed “many vehicles” using equipment to pump gas from a gas station that had closed down.
“Individuals then sell gasoline at a discounted price via a telephone application and operate it on social media. It was determined to have been advertised. In a few days, a few thousand dollars worth of gasoline was stolen from the business,” Virginia Beach Police Station Said in a press release on June 14.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The problems with Big Tech platforms censoring for so-called “misinformation” was highlighted again in the last week when, while testifying before Congress, former White House COVID response coordinator Deborah Birx said that claims of Covid vaccines efficacy were based on “hope,” not actual science.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boyfriend of Woman Found Dead in Queens House With Son, Friend Being Sought by Police
Police are searching for the boyfriend of the woman whose body was found in a Queens house of horrors along with that of her son and a family friend, police and sources said.
Detectives are looking for Travis Blake, 29, who they suspect killed Karleen Barnett, 55, her son Dervon Brightly, 35, and family friend Varshana “Brittany” Malcolm, 22. Their maimed bodies were found inside the single-family house on 155 St. near 116 Rd. in South Jamaica on Friday…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: SCOTUS Rules States Can Prosecute Crimes on Native American Lands
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a ruling stating that states can prosecute crimes against Native Americans, committed on Native American reservations if the defendant is non-native. The case Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta clarifies some confusion and difficulty had by law enforcement attempting to find justice for victims, despite there being limitations on state law enforcement officials to either investigate or prosecute crimes on Native American designated land.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The California Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee approved bill AB 2098, which would punish doctors for disagreeing with the state’s chosen authority and spreading COVID “misinformation.”
According to the author of the bill, Democrat Assemblyman Evan Low, the controversial bill “helps ensure we tackle misinformation and disinformation” spread by doctors about COVID.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive: Female Photojournalist Assaulted by Antifa During Vandalism of Portland Pregnancy Center
On Monday evening, a female photojournalist was assaulted by Antifa members in Portland, Ore., as the group vandalized a pregnancy resource center and building associated with a church.
52-year-old photojournalist Chelly Bouferrache captured footage of Antifa’s Monday “Abolish SCOTUS” march through the Buckman neighborhood of Portland.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
If you’re a U.S. Facebook user, you may be owed a payout as part of a new $90 million Class Action Lawsuit against the company.
According to a press release dated June 24, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has granted “preliminary approval” of a $90 million settlement with Facebook’s parent company involving the famous “Like” button.
The suit addresses a “long-running class action accusing Facebook of tracking its subscribers’ activities on non-Facebook websites — even while signed out of their Facebook accounts.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FBI Warns Asian Americans That They Are Being Targeted by New Jersey Criminal Enterprises
The FBI recently sent a warning to Asian-Americans living in New Jersey, informing them that they are being targeted by criminal enterprises for robberies.
Special Agent Mike Ratta of the FBI field office in Newark said criminal groups have been burglarizing Asian-American owned businesses and homes at an increasing rate over the past three years, according to NJ 1015.
Special Agent Ratta said these criminals surveil these businesses to determine “when they open, when they close,” the outlet reports.
“They may rummage through their cars to determine where they might live, then they would do surveillances at the residence as well,” he said. “They would follow them to and from work and other places.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The office of California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta released the personal information of thousands of California gun owners and concealed carry permit holders to the public this week, and Second Amendment activists see it as a major breach of privacy.
Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, told Fox News Wednesday that the release of information was either negligent or potentially criminal.
“We believe that AG Rob Bonta is either massively incompetent, incredibly negligent, or willing to criminally leak information that he does not have the authority to leak,” Paredes said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hard-Line Conservative Reps. Boebert, Miller Win Primaries
WASHINGTON — Two of Congress’ staunchest conservatives repelled more centrist alternatives to lock up Republican nominations on Tuesday, even as the party’s voters chose to turn out a six-term incumbent in Mississippi.
Illinois Republican Rep. Mary Miller won her primary over fellow incumbent Rep. Rodney Davis just days after she called the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade a “historic victory for white life” during a weekend rally with former President Donald Trump. Her spokesperson said she misspoke.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Is America About to Break Apart?
by Douglas Murray
The institutions that used to unite the country now bitterly divide it.
Here’s a fun fact: almost half of Americans believe that there will be a civil war in their lifetimes. Less fun fact: they could be right. To observe the United States today is to watch a country that cannot get on with itself.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Joe Rogan: DeSantis Would be a ‘Good President’
Podcaster Joe Rogan says he’s a fan of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), arguing the governor’s tenure in The Sunshine State would help boost a potential presidential bid.
“I think Ron DeSantis would work as a good president,” Rogan said on an episode of his podcast this week when asked who he might want to see run for the White House in 2024. “I mean, what he’s done for Florida has been admirable.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Denies Requests to Block ‘Stop WOKE Act’
A federal judge is allowing a ban on “woke ideology” associated with critical race theory to take effect on Friday.
Judge Mark Walker, chief judge in the Northern District of Florida, denied a request Monday for a preliminary injunction against the new law (HB 7), which Gov. Ron DeSantis calls the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act.”
The measure will prohibit lessons and training which tell students and employees that they are inherently racist, sexist or oppressive because of their race, color, sex or national origin. It also will ban instruction that they are personally responsible and should feel guilty for the past actions of members of their race, color, sex or national origin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EXCLUSIVE — The conservative America First Legal (AFL), through its Center for Legal Equality, has filed a lawsuit against Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) “for the district’s systemic and egregious moral corruption of children and its deliberate, and almost gleeful, violations of parental rights to control the upbringing of their children.”
“Parents across the country should be shocked and horrified to see a once-respected school system systematically destroyed, all because LCPS believes that it has more of a right than parents to tell a captive audience of students what they MUST believe,” America First Legal said in a press release Tuesday. “Fortunately, as we have seen, there are no parents with more courage, more fight, and more rock-solid dedication to their children than in Loudoun County, Virginia.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Predator R. Kelly Sentenced to 30 Years in Sex Trafficking Case
He’s a caged bird now.
R. Kelly, the Grammy-winning singer and icon of ‘90s pop stardom, was slapped with 30 years in prison Wednesday for sexually abusing women and underage girls and boys over the course of decades.
The fallen “I Believe I Can Fly” singer did not react as US District Judge Ann Donnelly issued the stiff sentence after hearing to statements from seven victims during an hours-long proceeding in Brooklyn federal court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Prosecutors Say Prince Andrew ‘Next Target’ After Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced to 20 Years
Following the relatively light twenty year sentence Ghislaine Maxwell has received for sex trafficking underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein, prosecutors representing the victims have said that the ‘next target’ should be British Royal Prince Andrew.
The lawyers acting on behalf of those alleging abuse requested that the FBI continue investigating the Epstein case and look harder at Andrew and other individuals accused by the victims.
“Let’s hope they’re the next target,” Attorney Brad Edwards told reporters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Science Experiment Explodes, Leaving 12-Year-Old and His Mother With Severe Burns
HIGHLANDS, N.C. (WLOS) — A 12-year-old North Carolina boy is on a long road to recovery after a science experiment exploded, leaving him with second-and third-degree burns on 50% of his body, his family said.
Kyle McKim told WLOS his 12-year-old son, Barrett, was working on a science project Thursday at their Highlands home when something went horrifically wrong.
It involved a Bunsen burner, and he was using a number of things. Alcohol was in the mix. Somehow in that process, that got ignited and kind of blew up and back into his face. He’s burned on about 50 percent of his body, and my understanding is that about 20% of those are third-degree and 30% are second-degree,” McKim said. “Fortunately, he was wearing protective glasses, which certainly helped, but he was wearing a synthetic shirt, which ended up being a real contributor in the fire staying and trying to get that off as it kind of melted away with the accelerant on there.”
Caroline McKim was also badly burned in the accident as she tried to save her son, McKim said.
“Caroline, although she’s yet to believe it, is a hero and I think a lot of the reason Barrett is alive,” Kyle said.
McKim said Caroline has already undergone one surgery and is scheduled for another this week. Barrett was in surgery for about four hours on Tuesday, McKim said, and likely has several others ahead.
Barrett and Caroline have a long road to recovery, but that road is made easier with a large, supportive family…
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Skyrocketing Chicago Crime Has Small Businesses, Corporations Pack Their Bags: ‘Enough is Enough’
A business owner in Chicago, Illinois tells Fox News Digital that skyrocketing crime in the city forced him to quit doing business in town adding to the list of individuals and businesses that have fled Illinois over the past couple of years amid surging crime.
Gary Rabine, founder of the Rabine Group and owner of 13 businesses, told Fox News Digital this week that surging crime in Chicago was a driving factor in his decision to pull his road paving company out of the city after his crews were repeatedly robbed, sometimes in broad daylight, even after adding security to the jobs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Social Media Study Shows Growing DeSantis Boom Among Swing Voters
Authored by John Ransom via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
An analysis of social media posts shared with The Epoch Times shows growing momentum for Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as the GOP presidential nominee in 2024 among voters who aren’t solidly in the Trump camp.
“A sizable portion of the positive discussion (32 percent) speak of him as preferable to Trump,” said the summary analysis of the research paid for by the Ready for Ron Committee—a draft committee that is encouraging DeSantis to run for president.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Appeals Twitter Censorship Lawsuit Dismissal
Former President Trump, and other plaintiffs, have filed a notice registering his intent to appeal the dismissal of the lawsuit against Twitter by a US District Court Judge in May.
Trump and other plaintiffs that have previously been permanently suspended from Twitter, filed a lawsuit against the platform, claiming the bans constitute a violation of the First Amendment.
Twitter filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was granted by US District Court Judge James Donato.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: CNN Guest Says Trump to Blame for 9/11
A talking head on CNN suggested Tuesday that President Trump was to blame for 9/11, a Freudian slip during a discussion about the latest developments in the January 6th show trial.
Republican Strategist Alice Stewart declared “I think it has not been good for the former president,” adding “I think we’ve made a case that he was responsible for 9/11.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
What Companies Have Left California Since COVID?
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The Golden State has long been an epicenter for entrepreneurship — but that reputation has been threatened since the COVID-19 pandemic, when a multitude of economic and social forces came to a head and led companies to make the decision to pack up and leave.
A 2021 report by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in August 2021 found that 74 corporate headquarters left California in just the first six months of the year, in addition to 64 companies that moved out in 2020.
Bay Area counties accounted for five of the top 10 counties that saw headquarter migration — with San Francisco leading the way.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wisconsin School District Drops Legal Threat and Use of ‘Bully Tactics’ Against Activist Mom
A Wisconsin school district that sent a cease and desist letter threatening legal action against an activist mom dropped the issue Tuesday.
The Oconomowoc Area School District board released a statement, which said, “We consider this issue closed… Please know our district is committed to moving forward, continuing to deliver on a high-value education for students and our community.”
The district added, “The purpose of the cease and desist letter was to advise the organization that it was publishing and circulating misinformation regarding the District’s curriculum and educational materials.”
The district sent a letter to Alexandra Schweitzer, the president of a No Left Turn in Education chapter in the state, in May after she raised concerns about the appropriateness of some curriculum and materials in schools throughout the district.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Youth Program Teacher With Biden’s DoD Fired for Moonlighting on OnlyFans
On Monday, Sarah Seales, also known as Sarah Juree, was fired from her teaching position at the South Bend location of the Department of Defense’s STARBASE program after it was revealed that the teacher had a side gig on OnlyFans posting fully nude photographs for purchase.
According to Real News Michiana, Juree advertised her OnlyFans page on her public social media accounts, with her OnlyFans account username going by the name of “Buttercup,” a nickname that she reportedly had students use for her.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
More Canadians Pessimistic About Canada’s Future Than Optimistic: Poll
Canadians are increasingly disappointed with the country’s direction, as a majority of Canadians report being pessimistic about Canada’s future.
An Angus Reid poll has found that 52% of Canadians are either very or moderately pessimistic about the future of Canada, compared to the 48% who are optimistic.
Frustration with the country’s direction is apparent in English-speaking provinces, as none of these provinces have a positive rating below 50%
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RCMP Admits to Remotely Turning on Phone Cameras, Mics of Criminal Suspects
The RCMP has admitted for the first time that it has been using spyware to infiltrate the cell phones of Canadians, including by remotely turning on the camera and microphone of suspect’s phones and laptops.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Liberals Pressured Commissioner After NS Mass Shooting: RCMP Official
A letter from RCMP communications manager Lia Scanlan says that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki said that she experienced direct pressure from the office of then-public safety minister Bill Blair to name the firearms that were used in the Nova Scotia mass shooting.
The letter, dated April 14, 2021, says that the RCMP commissioner wanted to help push the Liberal Party’s agenda and said so much during a call on April 28, 2020, after the shooting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Liberals Announce $50 Million Housing Fund for Black Canadians
The Trudeau Liberals are aiming to create more housing dedicated to black Canadian households via a $50-million fund.
Black-led organizations can apply for funding of affordable housing projects through the government’s National Housing Strategy’s National Housing Co-Investment Fund.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Says ‘Our Multiculturalism Makes Us Who We Are as Canadians’
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in his statement on Multiculturalism Day that Canada’s identity was created by multiculturalism. The statement comes as discussions around multiculturalism re-emerge thanks to Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who said last week that he prefers promoting “interculturalism” because not all cultures are equal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
5 Million German Jobs Will be Lost if Russia Cuts Gas Supply, Warns Major Business Association
The Bavarian Business Association (VBW) warned that as many as 5.6 million jobs across Germany could be lost in the case of a gas supply stop from Russia.
According to the association’s calculations, a German boycott of Russian gas could also reduce the country’s economic output by 12.7 percent, with immediate abandonment of the raw material hitting the glass, iron, and steel industries particularly hard; losses in these sectors would be almost 50 percent.
VBW highlighted that with an import rate of 89 percent, Germany is almost totally dependent on foreign supplies of natural gas. In 2021, Russia was the largest importer, with a value of 424 terawatt-hours (TWh), followed by Norway with 275, the Netherlands with 82, and Belgium with 18 TWh.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: More Than 35,000 Women and Girls Are at Risk of Female Genital Mutilation
A study commissioned by the FPS Public Health and the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men in Belgium estimated that 23,395 women and children across the country have undergone partial or total removal of their external genitalia, also known as female genital mutilation (FGM).
The study was presented on Tuesday to the press in the presence of the Secretary of State for Gender Equality Sarah Schlitz. It was carried out by two researchers, a demographer and a midwife in public health, and also concludes that more than 12,000 girls or women living in Belgium are “potentially at risk of excision” because of their origins.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium is the Latest Country to Propose a Digital ID System
Currently, the Belgian government relies on ItsMe app to verify the identities of people trying to log into official government websites. It has now announced it will be developing its own digital ID system.
While it is used when logging into official government portals and websites, the ItsMe system is a private initiative by a group of top banks and tech companies in Belgium. It was launched in 2017, and since then over six million people have downloaded the app. The ItsMe system links a user’s phone number to their national ID.
ItsMe can be used on the tax returns portal and banks, local governments, and health records websites.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Before the war, the Ukrainian police actively fought drug-related crime. Now the authorities have other priorities.
The accession of Ukraine could lead to further negative consequences for Europe and the world. The United Nations has warned of an increase in drug production in the war-torn country. At the same time, the conflict could also become a problem for drug smugglers.
According to the United Nations, the Ukraine war could lead to an increase in drug production. Conflict regions act like a “magnet” for the production of synthetic drugs, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna warned in its annual report. “This effect may be greater when the conflict region is near large consumer markets”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Lone Surviving Terrorist in Paris Attack That Killed 130 Gets Life in Prison Without Parole
The lone surviving Islamic State terrorist who helped carry out the 2015 Paris attack that killed 130 people was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Wednesday.
Chief surviving suspect Salah Abdeslam, 31, was found guilty along with 19 other men involved in the attack after a nine-month trial in a special court, The Associated Press reported.
Abdeslam was convicted of murder and attempted murder related to a terrorist organization. Abdeslam, a Belgian with Moroccan roots, attempted to join the Nov. 13, 2015 attack, but his explosives vest malfunctioned, the court ruled.
Life in prison without parole has only been given four times in France, all in crimes related to the rape and murder of children.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Crisis at Berlin Pool After Woman’s Nose Broken by Violent Suspect
A swimming facility in Germany was shut down amid mass unrest sparked by an attack on a young woman by a male suspect this week, according to reports.
The latest incident of its kind unfolded on Sunday afternoon in Neukölln, a borough of Berlin.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German to be Tried for Holocaust Denial in Polish Court
A district court in Oswiecim, the city in which the Auschwitz concentration camp was located, will try a German national, Gotllieb G., who has been charged with the denial of actions perpetrated by those working at the Nazi German concentration camp.
According to state prosecutors, Gottlieb G. visited the Auschwitz Museum on July 23, 2019, with a group of German speakers. During their guided visit, he questioned the systemic character of German Nazi crimes involving the extermination of Jews. He negated the Third Reich having decided on a “final solution,” the number of Jews murdered at Auschwitz, and the existence of gas chambers and crematories in the concentration camp.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Authorities in Germany have arrested a 29-year-old Afghan national in connection with a brutal knife attack on a 19-year-old woman in Hamburg.
According to local reports, the attack took place on Thursday morning as a woman waited at a bus stop in Kandinskyallee in the Billstedt district of Hamburg.
The victim was about to get on the bus when the perpetrator attacked her with a knife.
“He rammed the knife right into her head,” one eyewitness told the Bild newspaper.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
During French President Emmanuel Macron’s tenure, he has been accused of taking a heavy-handed approach to protests and actively deploying police forces to crush dissent, most notably during the Yellow Vest movement. Now, his government has begun receiving a new military-style armored vehicle, which is expected to be highly effective at suppressing the type of domestic protest movements that have confronted his government over the years.
The new 14.5-ton vehicle, Centaure, which is produced by domestic arms manufacture Soframe, was selected by the French interior ministry to replace existing crowd control equipment, news portal Quartier Général reports. Centaure, a variation of the infantry fighting ARIVE vehicles also produced by Soframe, is equipped with an automatic, remote-controlled 30-shot grenade launcher with a range of 400 meters, in addition to a night vision camera integrated into the front of the chassis. Although the grenade rounds used in crowd control are non-lethal, the vehicle is expected to have a wide variety of ammunition to choose from, ranging from tear gas to flash bangs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NATO Formally Invites Sweden, Finland to Join
The US-led military bloc NATO has formally invited previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland to join its ranks.
“Today, we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO, and agreed to sign the Accession Protocols,” the bloc said in a statement on Wednesday during the summit in Madrid, Spain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nigerian Politician Charged in UK Over Organ-Harvesting Plot Involving 15-Year-Old Boy
A Nigerian senator has appeared in court in London to face charges of conspiring to transport a 15-year-old boy to the United Kingdom in order to harvest his organs.
Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and his wife Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in west London on Thursday.
When asked to confirm their address, the couple replied: “Nigeria.”
The court heard how the couple, both of whom are prominent public figures in Nigeria, trafficked the homeless 15-year-old boy from Nigeria to the U.K. using a fake passport with a view to transplanting his organs into their daughter who is suffering from kidney failure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A busy motorway near Paris was brought to a standstill by environmental protesters who sat in the middle of the road this morning.
A video shows activists being repeatedly dragged out of the road by angry drivers headed to the French capital.
Despite the efforts of commuters, kilometres of traffic formed along the A13 motorway as the demonstration was prolonged by the high-vis-clad group, who kept shuffling back into the middle of the road.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Norway Hit by Cyberattack, Russian Hacker Group Blamed
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A cyberattack temporarily knocked out public and private websites in Norway in the past 24 hours, Norwegian authorities said Wednesday.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that to his knowledge the attack “has not caused any significant damage.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Norway: Alleged Oslo Pride Attacker Had Contact With Known Islamic Radical
The suspect in the Oslo pride shooting attack that left two dead and at least ten injured last weekend at a local gay bar is said to have had direct contact with the leader of an Islamist group.
Iranian national Zaniar Matapour, the main suspect in the Oslo attack, is said to have been in contact with Arfan Bhatti, an Islamist who created the group Profetens Ummah (The Prophet’s Community), which is said to be linked to the Islamic State terror group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pandemic Lowers Number of Practicing Catholics in Poland
The pandemic has reduced weekly church attendances in Poland from 46 percent of the population to 37 percent, according to research by the CBOS research center.
The research also indicated that more people are declaring themselves as those who never go to church. However, the figure for those who attend church more than once a week remained stable between 2020 and 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland Building Coalition to Fight EU’s Ban on Gas and Diesel Cars
Not everyone is on board with the European Union’s plans to ban gas and diesel cars, with a number of countries coming together in opposition to the proposal.
“Poland and Czechia will build a coalition of countries opposing the ban on new CO2-emitting vehicles by 2035, which was proposed by the European Commission,” said Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller.
Müller was asked about the EU’s plan to ban the production of vehicles using internal combustion engines by 2035 in an interview with TVP Info, part of Polish public television.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Activist and writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied has received a furious letter from a British woman claiming she is ‘simply an engineer of social discord and division’ for her Union Jack flag comments.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
The UK’s Online Censorship Bill is (As Expected) Unpopular
The UK’s Online Safety Bill has long been the target of criticism from civil rights, privacy and security advocates and experts, but a recent YouGov poll shows that even those from the ranks of the party that’s pushing it — the Conservatives — don’t like it.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Two of Four Convicted Over Swedish Qur’an Riots to be Deported
Two of the four people convicted by a Swedish court for rioting on Easter after copies of the Islamic Qur’an were burned by anti-Islam activists will be deported.
The four men, aged between 20 and 30, were convicted for their actions during the Easter riots in the city of Örebro after being accused of violence toward police officers and disrupting the operations of the officers during the rioting in Sveaparken.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Warsaw’s Mayor Tricked by ‘Deepfake’ Version of Vitali Klitschko
In a sign that deepfakes have the power to affect geopolitics, reports have emerged that in the beginning of June, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski had a private videocall with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko that turned out to be a deepfake.
The call was immediately deemed “unusual” and drew suspicions. Right after it ended, Warsaw City Hall contacted Kyiv authorities, and it became clear that Kyiv’s mayor was not video conferencing at that moment, reports Polish Radio ZET.
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Boris Johnson Claims Putin Would Not Have Invaded Ukraine if He Was a Woman
Boris Johnson has claimed that Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he was a woman and believes that the war is a “perfect example of toxic masculinity”.
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Russia-Ukraine War: What Happened Today (June 29)
As Wednesday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:
NATO formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the alliance, in the most historic ripple effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, Turkey had lifted its objections to the two countries’ membership. NATO also declared Russia the “most significant and direct threat” to its members.
The U.S. said it would boost its military presence in Europe, including a permanent army headquarters in Poland. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed NATO leaders, reiterating the country’s need for more weapons and aid.
Russian forces made “incremental advances” to encircle Lysychansk, the last Ukrainian-controlled town in the eastern Luhansk region, according to Britain’s defense ministry. The agency also called it “a realistic possibility” that Russia’s deadly missile strike on a shopping mall in Kremenchuk on Monday was intended to hit nearby infrastructure.
Ukrainian authorities said 144 of the country’s soldiers have returned in a prisoner swap with Russia. Of those released, 95 are fighters who defended the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol, which Russian troops captured in May.
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VHP calls Nationwide Protest against Islamic Terrorism.
J P Yadav | Jaipur | HENB | June 29, 2022:: Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Rajasthan for a month, and Internet services cut for 24 hours across the state, after two Muslim men hacked a Hindu tailor to death inside his shop in Udaipur on Tuesday — and posted a video online of the incident claiming it was in retaliation for the victim sharing remarks made by BJP’s Nupur Sharma on the Prophet.
The police identified the victim as Kanhaiya Lal. His body was removed from the spot only late at night after protesters stalled the authorities while demanding action and compensation for his family.
The assailants identified themselves in another video as Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad, boasted about the “beheading” — and issued death threats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharma.
Riyaz and Mohammad, both residents of Udaipur, were arrested from Bhim in Rajsamand district.
The incident triggered arson and protests in Udaipur, prompted the Union Home Ministry to send a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to the city to “explore” if there was a “terror angle”, and led to security concerns in other states such as Maharashtra.
As the incident caused a heavy repercussion in the Hindus, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) called a protest to burn effigy of Islamic Terrorism today i.e. 29th & 30th June at all district centers of the country.
In a video tweet, VHP’s Jt. Gen Secy. Dr Surendra Kr Jain informed, “????? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???????? ?? ??: In protest agnst brutal Lynching of Hindu youth #KanhaiyaLal in Udaipur Raj, Bajarang dal will protest & burn effigy of Islamic Terrorism today i.e. 29th & 30th June at all district centers of the country. #JusticeForKanhaiyaLal”.
The video of the incident posted by the assailants shows Lal, who ran Supreme Tailors in Udaipur’s Hathi Pole locality, taking measurements of one of them who later identified himself as Riyaz. Moments later, it shows the man attacking the tailor on his neck with a cleaver even as the victim asks: “Kya hua? Batao toh sahi (What happened? Tell me)”.
According to the police, Lal had claimed earlier that his son had “mistakenly” posted an “objectionable comment” on Facebook while playing a game on his phone. He also claimed that he had no knowledge of the post until some local residents questioned him…
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The Disappearing Hindus in Islamic Bangladesh
‘In 30 years, there would be no Hindus in Bangladesh’ as ‘Hindus- are leaving’ under ‘vandalism and killing almost every day’ with an anticipation ‘mullahs will grab the state power’: Dr Abul Barkat.
(An interview of Prof Abul Barkat of Dhaka University with Pinaki Chakraborty of TOI).
Abul Barkat is a professor of economics at Dhaka University. He has written books on migration and economic development of Bangladesh. Taking out time from his busy schedule ahed of the budget, Barkat talks about the current situation of minorities, the economy and the growing Islamisation of his country. Pinaki Chakraborty took the interview of Prof Barkat for Times of India which was published on June 6, 2022 at first.
Q: What is the percentage of minorities in Bangladesh?
A: Ninety per cent of the population are Muslims, according to 2011 census. Hindus are 8.9% and 1% are Buddhists, Christians and others.
In 1941, there were almost 31.9% Hindus, which dropped to 18.4% in 1961. In 1965 there was the India-Pakistan war and the Enemy Property Act was brought in. [This law allowed the authorities to take over land and buildings of Hindus who migrated to India.]
There were three factors that led to this [falling population of Hindus]. First communal riots, second India-Pakistan war in 1965 and last the Enemy Property Act and then the continuation of same act by another name, the vested Property Act, which came into being after 1971.
When the act was enforced in 1965, the question that was meant to be asked was: “Who was the enemy?”
According to the original act, the enemy was mentioned as Hindustan; so Hindus residing anywhere, according to that act, were regarded as enemy. The act was applicable to both West and East Pakistan [before liberation in 1971, Bangladesh was part of Pakistan and was called East Pakistan].
Q: Why were the Hindus mentioned as enemies in the act?
A: After 1947, Pakistan tried to push through the discourse that Bengalis meant Bengali Muslims. Those who were Hindus were not Bengalis but Hindustanis. The Pakistani government wanted to do whatever it could drive the Bengali Hindus out of East Pakistan and bring Muslims to East Pakistan. In the process, the government brought Biharis from Dhanbad and other areas like Kolkata and Asansol.
Q: When was this?
A: Just after 1947. Communal riots were on. Hindus were leaving, not the prominent ones. When they were leaving, a few landgrabber — Muslims were taking over their properties.
The Enemy Property Act allows the state takes over a property, it does not become its owner but its custodian.
So, whenever you come back, the state will have to back the property. But, it didn’t work. And since it didn’t work for years, the property changed hands. Now it has become complicated.
From what I understand, in 2001, the present government wanted to promulgate the Vested Property Repeal Act, giving back the property. But that too didn’t work…
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Census data revealed that one million homes are sitting empty across Australia while the national vacancy rate for rental properties is near record low of 1.1 per cent.
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The home appliance giant will stop using the controversial technology after concerned customers flooded the privacy watchdog with complaints.
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Austrian Court Convicts People Smuggler Who Left Two Syrians to Die in Van
A 19-year-old people smuggler has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in the deaths of two Syrian illegal immigrants who suffocated in the back of a van he was driving across the border to Austria.
The Eisenstadt court found the 19-year-old people smuggler, a Latvian national, guilty on Monday of people smuggling and actions that led to death and was sentenced to seven years in prison. He was not found guilty of the murder charge the prosecutor had demanded, however.
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Census: British Population Hits All Time High, Driven Mostly by Migration
The population of England and Wales has hit a new all-time high according to the first statistical release of once-in-a-decade census, the statistical agency saying the majority of population growth is due to immigration.
After taking over a year to publish its first batch of census figures, the government has revealed that the population of England and Wales rose by 6.3 per cent over the previous ten-year recording period, taking the total to nearly 60 million. When combined with Northern Ireland and Scotland, the other two integral members of the United Kingdom, the population rose to almost 67 million.
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Florida Supreme Court Approves Desantis’ Statewide Grand Jury on Immigration
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — When signing a bill handling immigration restrictions and response, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a petition to impanel a grand jury focused on illegal immigration and human smuggling. The Florida Supreme Court has now granted that request.
At the time in Pensacola, DeSantis described the statewide grand jury as being needed to “examine international human smuggling networks that bring illegal aliens across the southern border and ultimately to states like Florida.”
The governor said the jury would work on investigating how the international smuggling networks mentioned violated Florida law, and how the organizations smuggled minors into the United States illegally over the southern border.
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German ministers are planning to fast-track migrants from Turkey into the country to help reduce airport chaos caused by a lack of workers.
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Nearly 300 migrants including children wrapped in waterproof jackets and bobble hats arrived on the Kent coast this morning — just hours after a new law came into force threatening traffickers with life in jail.
The first arrivals, of around 40 people, landed on the beach at Dungeness, Kent at sunrise — with at least four children among them. They were led across the pebbles to safety by UK officials who supplied them with bottles of water.
In Dover, witnesses estimated hundreds of people could have arrived in three rescue boats between 7am and around 10.30am.
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60% of Americans Say People Can’t Switch Genders, Up From Years Past: Poll
A majority of Americans believe a person’s gender cannot be changed, according to a new poll, which underscores the public’s complicated view of transgender issues.
A new survey released by the Pew Research Center on Tuesday states that 60% of adults say “a person’s gender is determined by their sex assigned at birth.”
This is a four-point increase from the previous year — 56% in 2021 — and a six-point increase from 54% in 2017.
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Abortion is Homicide, But We Will Not Change the Law, Says Czech Labor Minister
The Czech government has no ambition to change current legislation on the right to abortion, the country’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Marian Jurecka said on Tuesday in response to Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned the constitutional right to abortion in the United States.
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California to Become ‘Sanctuary State’ For Child Gender Transitions Across the US Under Proposed Law
California lawmakers are currently considering a bill, SB 107, that would make the state a safe haven for child gender procedures, prohibiting out of state law forces from acting on subpoenas, warrants, and child custody issues if the child was brought into the state for procedures like surgical gender reassignments or the prescribing of cross sex hormones.
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Florida Slams Biden’s DHS Official Rachel Levine for ‘Character Assassination’
Florida’s Department of Health slammed Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine over recent comments Levine made about those who oppose gender-affirming care, calling it a “poorly attempted character assassination.”
Levine suggested that individuals and groups who stand against such practices are “opponents of LGBTQ equality” who have “targeted trans and queer youth to score political points.”
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Ottawa to Police “Racist, Homophobic, Misogynistic Signs or Speech” On Canada Day
The Ottawa Police Service put out a stern warning on Tuesday saying that it will be on the lookout for “racist, homophobic, misogynistic signs or speech” during this year’s Canada Day celebrations.
A spokesperson with the force said that communicating any such messaging either verbally or in another fashion could lead to criminal charges.
“Communicating (words spoken or written, gestures or signs) homophobic, misogynistic, and/or racist messages in a public place will be investigated and can lead to various criminal charges including public incitement of hatred Sec 319(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada,” said Cst. Mike Cudrasov. “These will NOT be tolerated.”
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Porn Maker Exposed as Organizer of Portland Antifa Children’s Photoshoot
An investigation by The Post Millennial has revealed that a Portland, Ore. event advertised as a Pride-themed photoshoot for children complete with makeup and wardrobe changing is being run by an Antifa member and pornographer who makes and sells sexually explicit content.
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UK: “Pronouns Matter”: Bank’s Attempt to Virtue Signal Backfires
A subsidiary of a £886 billion net worth bank attempted to virtue signal by proclaiming “pronouns matter” alongside an image of an employee wearing a “she/her/hers” tag, but the stunt massively backfired on Twitter.
“Pronouns matter. #ItsAPeopleThing,” tweeted Halifax Bank, which is owned by Lloyds Banking Group, one of the UK’s largest financial services organizations.
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UK: NHS Removes References to Women From Advice About Menopause
The NHS has caused controversy yet again by erasing all references to women from an online advice section about the menopause, an exclusively female condition.
The previous language on the NHS website stated, “The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.”
However, the new version has removed all mentions of the female gender in the name of satiating the demands of transgender activists.
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White House Forced to Dismiss Idea of Abortion Tents in National Parks
Following repeated calls by Democrats for pop up abortion centres to be instituted on federal owned land, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre admitted that any such move would likely put women and providers at risk of prosecution.
As we noted yesterday, the likes of Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have called for the Biden administration to immediately implement federal abortion services, with Warren suggesting tents could be erected in national parks.
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