German business associations warned the government that its new gas levy may well devastate the economy and drive businesses out of the country. Meanwhile, this summer’s severe drought has hit German crops hard, with some states facing a possible 50% crop loss.
In other news, the Polish Institute of Economics is forecasting that almost 40% of Poland’s electricity will be supplied by nuclear power by the year 2040.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, JW, Reader from Chicago, Upananda Brahmachari, Vlad Tepes, 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.
Erdogan’s Turkey Cuts Interest Rate Despite Runaway Inflation Hitting 80 Per Cent
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank on Thursday lowered its key interest rate despite inflation surging to nearly 80 per cent and making it difficult for people to buy what they need, falling in line with the unorthodox economic views of the country’s president.
In a statement following a monetary policy committee meeting, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey said it decided to reduce the policy rate from 14 per cent to 13 per cent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Record Broken as Wholesale Gas Trades at €241 Per MWh
The wholesale price of gas for the European market broke the record on Thursday after the price of the crucial gas futures contract for September delivery rose 6.7 percent to close at €241 per megawatt-hour (MWh) at the Title Transfer Facility virtual trading hub in the Netherlands.
Europe has been dealing with a crisis in energy supply since last fall; however, the situation worsened this spring following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and natural gas has become too expensive for industrial use and electricity production, Bloomberg reports.
Prices are approximately 11 times higher than usual for this time of year. Costs for European households and businesses are skyrocketing as consumers face the worst inflation in decades.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Germany is So Dependent on Russia That They Are Now on the Brink of Recession,’ Says Polish MEP
Germany is paying the price for its over-reliance on Russia, as it is threatened by an economic downturn, a Polish MEP has claimed.
Dominik Tarczynski of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party offered his remarks on relations between Berlin and Moscow during an interview with Polskie Radio 24.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian Economy Booms, GDP Up by 6.5% in Second Quarter
In the second quarter, Hungary’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 6.5 percent compared to the previous year, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) reported on Wednesday based on its first estimate.
Analysts expected a lower annual GDP growth of 6.1 percent and 0.4 percent compared to the previous quarter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
7-11 Ransacked by Giant Mob in Los Angeles
A massive gang of people took over a Los Angeles intersection, terrorizing motorists, before mobbing a nearby 7-11, destroying and looting items from the convenience store.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a street takeover was initiated at the intersection of Figueroa Street and El Segundo Boulevard at approximately 12:40am on Monday. The mob flooded the intersection, blocking traffic with their vehicles from all directions to create a “pit” in the middle of the intersection. Onlookers watched as the mob drove recklessly in the circle, doing “donut” maneuvers, leaving tire tracks on the pavement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
America First Candidate Laura Loomer Secures Massive Victory in Villagers for Trump Straw Poll
America First congressional candidate Laura Loomer crushed U.S. Rep. David Webster (R-FL) in a Villagers for Trump straw poll. Loomer ultimately received 89.07 percent of the vote from the key demographic, compared to just 10.2 percent for Webster.
“Villagers for Trump is the largest and most impactful club in The Villages, the largest voting block in my district,” Loomer said after the massive victory.
Loomer has been running an America First campaign and has hit Webster hard over key missed votes. The Florida congressman most notably missed a Trump impeachment trial despite overwhelming support for acquittal from his constituents. Webster has claimed that he had a family emergency that day and was unable to make the vote.
The congressional hopeful has referred to the six-time congressman as one of the most absent members of Congress” and accuses him of not “showing up for them in times when it matters most.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arizona Governor Candidate Kari Lake Urges People to Switch to Rumble
Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for Arizona Governor, has urged people to join the free speech video platform Rumble because of its stance of allowing users to speak freely.
Lake made the comments one day after YouTube censored her interview with conservative comedian and commentator Steven Crowder. She responded to this censorship by appearing for a follow-up interview on Crowder’s show, “Louder With Crowder.” This follow-up interview was a huge hit and passed over 90,000 live viewers on Rumble.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Armed Masked Gunmen Rob New York Coffee Shop Customers Across From ‘Police Defunding’ Councilwoman
Masked gunmen on Tuesday robbed a Queens, New York coffee shop that sits across the street from the office of Democrat Councilwoman Tiffany Caban. Caban’s official position is not only the defunding of the police but the entire elimination of the New York City police force, shutting down all prisons, and releasing the incarcerated onto the streets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Babylon Bee Offers Job to Sacked CNN Clown Stelter
In the ultimate celebration of the demise of now former CNN potato head Brian Stelter, The Babylon Bee offered him a job producing “funny fake news” for them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s DOJ Refuses to Prosecute Man Who Twice Threatened to Kill Fox News Hosts
A New York City man has been let off twice by federal prosecutors after he threatened numerous Fox News hosts, despite breaking an agreement drafted after his first encounter with prosecutors.
In 2021, Jeffrey Rodriguez of New York City was arrested and charged with cyberstalking and threatening interstate communications after sending hundreds of vile messages to numerous Fox News hosts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Shooting: 5 Shot: 1 Fatally, In Homan Square Drive-by
CHICAGO — One person was killed and four others wounded in a shooting Friday evening in Homan Square on the West Side.
About 6 p.m., the group was standing outside a home in the 3300 block of West Flournoy Street when a vehicle drove by and someone inside opened fire, Chicago police said.
A 33-year-old man was struck multiple times and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. He has not yet been identified.
Four other men, ranging in age from 31 to 56, were shot and transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said.
There was no one in custody.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Led Cities See Deserted Downtowns, Surging Crime as Residents Flee
American cities such as San Francisco, Cleveland, and Portland rank high among Democrat led metropolises that have become barren of human activity in the wake of record-high crime, homelessness, and poor public services.
According to the Daily Mail, the downtown and urban centers of major US cities have seen activity drop by nearly 50 percent according to a study by the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California Berkeley. The study tracked the cell phone activity of roughly 18 million Americans and compared that data with movement in the big cities before the Covid pandemic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Announces Plot to “Protect” The 2022 Midterms
In what it is calling election “safeguards” ahead of the 2022 midterms, Facebook will not allow editing of ads related to political, electoral, and social issues approved to run in the week of the midterm elections.
In a press release, the company’s Global Affairs President Nick Clegg said that the platform is one of the most popular ways of spreading news and that is why it needs to “protect elections online.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS ‘Beatle’ Member Gets Life in Prison for Torture, Ransom of US Hostages
One of the ISIS men in the group dubbed “the Beatles” previously convicted of the kidnapping and killing of U.S. hostages was sentenced to eight concurrent life sentences Friday.
El Shafee Elsheikh, 34, was sentenced at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia for crimes he inflicted upon at least eight American, British, and Japanese citizens.
Among the victims were American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, along with aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller, which ultimately resulted in their deaths.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Permanently Blocks Biden Leasing Pause in States That Sued
A Louisiana judge issued a permanent injunction against the Biden administration’s moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands Thursday night, a day after another court tossed an earlier injunction against it.
In the Thursday ruling, Judge Terry Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana permanently blocked the January 2021 order in 13 states that sued over the order in March of that year. The states in question are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. It does not apply to any states uninvolved in the lawsuit.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Chastises DoD, Marine Corps in Order Granting Class Action Status in Vaccine Mandate Case
(The Center Square) — U.S District Court Judge Steven Merryday issued a blistering rebuke of the Department of Defense and Marine Corps for refusing to grant religious accommodation requests to service members.
Merryday did so when issuing a 48-page ruling Thursday in which he granted class action status for all active and reserve U.S. Marine Corps service men and women in a lawsuit filed against the Secretary of Defense over the department’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
He also issued a classwide preliminary injunction against the Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps, prohibiting them “from enforcing against a member of the class any order, requirement, or rule to accept COVID-19 vaccination; from separating or discharging from the Marine Corps a member of the class who declines COVID-19 vaccination; and from retaliating against a member of the class for the member’s asserting statutory rights under RFRA [Religious Freedom Restoration Act].”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Recounts Being Stabbed While Getting Off Los Angeles Train
Timothy Hahn said someone spit at him as he stepped onto a train platform Sunday, after which he came face-to-face with a man wielding a large knife. Hahn, an Army veteran, was struck in the arm; he has no movement in three fingers, he said.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
New York State Senate Blocks Citizens on Twitter, An Unconstitutional Move to Crush Dissent
New Yorkers who criticize the state’s Senate on Twitter have been blocked from commenting and seeing tweets, according to FIRE who is representing a New Yorker who was blocked for criticizing the state’s new gun control legislation.
In June, the US Supreme Court struck down a New York State legislation that required people to have a license to carry a concealed firearm outside of their homes. The state’s legislature responded by expediting a new gun control legislation limiting who is allowed to carry firearms among other controls.
New Yorkers upset with the reform took to Twitter to express their frustration. According to FIRE, the state’s Senate Twitter account hid about 90 tweets and blocked multiple users.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Peter Schweizer: Americans Have Gone to Jail for Doing Far Less Than What Hunter Biden Has Done
Peter Schweizer, Breitbart News Senior Contributor, President of the Government Accountability Institute, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win, said Hunter Biden is benefiting from a double standard when it comes to his highly questionable foreign ties, saying other Americans have gone to jail for doing far less.
In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, Peter Schweizer alleged Hunter Biden has acted as a lobbyist for foreign entities based on evidence from his laptop and commercial activities, and has violated the law, namely the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland Families Leaving the City to Escape Homelessness and Crime
KGW8 aired a report yesterday about families in North Portland who have had enough of the city’s homeless camps and rising crime. Some of them are seriously thinking about leaving but some have already sold their homes and are moving further out into the suburbs, away from the problems associated with the city.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report: FBI Raid Targeted Docs Trump Collected to “Exonerate” Himself From Russiagate Hoax
A report in Newsweek citing U.S. intelligence officials has claimed that one of the main purposes of the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago was to find documents that President Trump had collected and intended to use as proof to put to bed once and for all the Russian collusion conspiracy theory.
The report states that Trump intended to “weaponise” the documents as part of his campaign for 2024.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sam Harris Offers Feeble ‘Clarification’ After Bizarre Comments About Trump
Author Sam Harris said he supported the censorship of the Hunter Biden story despite acknowledging it was “a left-wing conspiracy to deny the presidency to Donald Trump,” but then later clarified that he didn’t say that, even though he did.
Harris, who once found favor amongst some on the right for standing up against identity politics and Islamism, suffered a rather severe bout of Trump derangement syndrome around the 2016 election and hasn’t recovered since.
The public intellectual made the bizarre comments during an interview with the TRIGGERnometry podcast.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether former Mayor Jenny Durkan, ex-police chief Carmen Best and other city officials violated the law when thousands of text messages during the 2020 riots and the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) were deleted from their city-issued phones, according to Axios.
The outlet reported that the Sheriff’s Office opened the investigation on July 28 at the request of King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg. Satterberg said in a statement “The case had never been referred to us, and typically we don’t ask for an investigation to be conducted. But in recent weeks and months, I heard from people in the community that this matter was important to them and I considered it my responsibility to make this request to the Sheriff before the end of my term.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Traffic Accident Deaths Up 7% Year-to-Date in Q1-2022
From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today (note that it takes 4.5 months for the Federal government to report on traffic crash trends):
Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Quarter of 2022
Summary
A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2022 shows that an estimated 9,560 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents an increase of about 7.0 percent as compared to 8,935 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first quarter of 2021, as shown in Table 1. This also represents the highest number of fatalities in Q1 since 2002.
As a society, we really should have fewer car crash deaths over the last 20 years, not no progress. We seem to have fewer plane crash deaths.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Uvalde school board has called a special session to consider whether Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo should be fired following the delayed police response in killing a gunman that fatally shot 19 children and two teachers in May.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Arredondo officially resigned from his position on the Uvalde, Texas City Council on July 2. He was placed on administrative leave from his police chief duties in mid July and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District postponed their decision on whether to fire Arredondo in late July, placing him instead on administrative leave.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virginia: Fairfax County School Employed Counselor Despite Felony Pedophilia Conviction
A Northern Virginia middle school counselor was employed by Fairfax County Public Schools for a whopping five months after he was convicted of a crime of pedophilia in suburban Richmond’s Chesterfield County. In a press release made this week, Fairfax County Public Schools announced they’d fired the counselor, yet protected his identity and claimed to have been previously unaware of his felony sex crime charges and conviction.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: DeSantis Announces the Arrest of 20 People for Voter Fraud
Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state had arrested and charged 20 individuals who had voted illegally.
“They are disqualified from voting because they’ve been convicted of either murder or sexual assault and they do not have the right to vote,” DeSantis explained. The governor noted that most of these individuals voted illegally in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade counties, but that his efforts were statewide in tracking down anyone who committed this crime.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Court Rules Child Can’t be Forcibly Vaccinated
A 12-year old schoolgirl who objected to being vaccinated against COVID-19 cannot be forced to take it, a Peterborough, Ontario judge has ruled.
“The science relating to COVID-19 is developing,” wrote Justice Christopher Corkery of Ontario Superior Court. “The ‘facts’ are changing.”
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the decision came in a family court dispute. The girl’s unidentified father filed a motion with the Court compelling his ex-wife to have the girl vaccinated before the start of the school year. “It’s keeping everyone in our community safe,” the father told the Court. “It’s keeping you safe.”
The schoolgirl described as an A-student wrote in an email submitted to the court stating she did not want to get vaccinated. Her reasons included data suggesting “people who have received both shots and the booster are still getting COVID” and that “she heard from friends that their doctors are advising that children not get vaccinated.”
“This is my final decision,” wrote the girl. “I do not want the vaccine. I hope my wishes will be respected.” The Court was told the girl’s mother “is not against the COVID-19 vaccine but is not prepared to force her daughter to be vaccinated against her will.”
Justice Corkery ruled he could not mandate vaccination. “I am satisfied she is able to reasonably form her own opinions,” he wrote.
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
During the pandemic, many women in British Columbia’s public sector took advantage of the maternity leave benefits made available to them.
Now, those who chose to remain unvaccinated are being asked by the BC government to repay the benefits they received, despite in many cases taking leave prior to the implementation of the mandates.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau’s’ Freeze’ on Handguns Starts Friday
The Trudeau Liberals’ freeze on handguns comes into effect today, meaning that individuals and businesses will no longer be able to import pistols into Canada, with limited exceptions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Says Decline of French in Canada is ‘Extremely Worrying’
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to data showing a decline in use of the French language in Canada, something he called “extremely troubling” on Friday. Trudeau added that the government has a responsibility to protect linguistic minorities, including in Quebec.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Liberals Say Fears of Fertilizer Cutbacks Are ‘Misinformation’
Liberal Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau said that farmers who are fearful of the Trudeau government’s fertilizer cut targets are victims are disinformation.
Bibeau said in an interview on August 9 that there was “a lot of misinformation going on.”
“I just wanted to reiterate that we’re really talking about reducing emissions caused by fertilizer. We’re not talking about having any intention of limiting the use of fertilizer itself. The idea is to use them in the most sustainable way possible,” she said of the Liberals’ goal of cutting emissions by 30 percent, reports True North.
The Liberals are aiming to cut greenhouse gasses in agriculture by 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czechia: The Proposed Regulation of Reducing Temperatures Faces Criticism
The proposed regulation of the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, according to which schools, hospitals, and households will have to reduce their temperature by up to six degrees Celsius due to the energy crisis, is causing outrage.
The operators of homes for the elderly criticized the draft legislation because, according to them, the proposed temperatures are too low for older people.
The proposed regulation includes a temperature reduction in the bathrooms and rooms of these facilities from 24 to 20 degrees. The ministry defends itself by saying the proposers consulted with health professionals.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czechia Will Limit Heating for Households to Keep Industry Running in Event of Gas Shortage
In the event of a gas shortage, the government would limit heating for households to keep key components of industry running, announced Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Sikela.
The ministry has prepared a draft regulation on rules for heating, which would come into force in the event of a declaration of emergency prevention or an emergency in the heating industry. The government is preparing to heat buildings at lower temperatures. For example, people should heat living rooms to 18 degrees Celsius instead of 20 degrees. Bathrooms should be heated at 19 instead of 24 degrees Celsius.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The head of the Polish Central Bank, Adam Glapinski, accused the leader of Poland’s biggest opposition party, Donald Tusk, of implementing EU and German plans to force the euro currency on Poland. According to him, the leader of the Civic Platform (PO) performs tasks at the behest of Brussels in exchange for a potentially huge political payoff.
After Tusk finishes with the tasks given to him by the EU and Germany, he is to become the president of the European Commission, said Glapinski. Tusk will then be tasked with speeding up the creation of a European superstate, Glapinski told Polish media outlet Gazeta Polska.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Finland’s Millennial Feminist PM Denies Drug Use After Party Rave Footage Emerges
Finland’s millennial feminist prime minister Sanna Marin has denied allegations of drug use after footage of her partying emerged on social media.
Videos which appear to have been originally posted on the social media platform Instagram show Finland’s prime minister at a party with several other people, some of whom are said to be Finnish celebrities.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Forecast: Nuclear Power in Poland Should Account for Close to 40% of Energy Mix by 2040s
Nuclear power will be capable of generating 38.4 percent of Poland’s electric power needs by 2043, and should raise the country’s GDP by over 1 percent, a report by the Polish Institute of Economics (PIE) has forecast.
The report, titled “Economic aspects of nuclear investment in Poland — influence on business, the labor market and local communities,” also says that the nuclear energy program will generate 40,000 jobs over the next five decades.
According to the most optimistic scenario, 70 percent of the value of the investments in nuclear energy should be realized by Polish companies, and the total investment realized by them could reach close to $40 billion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Industry Warns New Gas Levy Could Blow Up Economy and Push Business Out of the Country
The gas levy announced by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) could represent a major blow to the entire German economy, according to numerous business associations. These industry groups are warning that companies could close over the gas levy and even result in companies migrating abroad to set up operations in areas that feature a more friendly working environment.
The mood in Germany can best be described as a sense of doom. In addition to prices skyrocketing higher, the German government is slapping a 2.88 cents per kilowatt-hour surcharge on households and industry.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Woke Ikea Lectures Customers Not to Eat Fries to Fight Climate Change
At least one Ikea in Germany has told its customers not to eat french fries, with the massive corporation complaining that the food is bad for the climate.
People should avoid eating french fries in order to save the planet, one branch of global furniture giant Ikea appears to believe, having ordered customers to refrain from eating the food over its alleged CO2 output.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Global Food Crisis: 50 Per Cent Crop Loss Likely Due to Drought, German Farmers Say
Crop losses of up to 50 per cent are now expected in parts of Germany due to drought, farmers in affected regions have claimed.
Up to half of the crops in parts of the German state of Baden-Württemberg are likely to be lost due to drought, farmers in the region have claimed, with problems to do with the prices of fuel, fertiliser, and pesticides connected to the green agenda and war in Ukraine also reportedly causing problems for those in the region.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Gets Green Light to Become Country’s Second Assisted Suicide
A 44-year-old quadriplegic man has been given the green light by a regional Italian health authority to become the second person offered assisted suicide in the country.
The man, Antonio, who has been a quadriplegic since 2014, was given permission to be administered a drug for assisted suicide by the regional health authority in the Marche region.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Over 100,000 Sign Petition Against Germany’s Broadcasting Fee in a Matter of Days
A petition calling for the abolition of broadcasting fees and a fundamental reform of German public broadcasting has acquired 100,000 signatories in just a few days, the German news outlet, Junge Freiheit, who launched the petition has revealed.
Junge Freihert editor-in-chief Dieter Stein announced the milestone had been reached by noon on Tuesday, just five days since it was launched on Thursday of last week, and expressed his enthusiasm for the rapid pace at which the petition had progressed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland: Petition to Legislate Protection of Christians Under Way
The petition committee for the “In Defense of Christians” legislative proposal to make the disruption of mass and intentional insults against Christianity a criminal offense was set up in July, and in the Swietokrzyskie region alone in southern Poland, it has already gathered over 3,000 signatures.
The legislative proposal is based on the idea put forward by Solidarity Poland, a group which is part of the ruling bloc led by Law and Justice (PiS).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Law Enforcement Arrests Man Suspected of Planning to Spy for Russia
Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained a man who reportedly displayed “readiness for action” to support Russian intelligence. The National Prosecutor’s Office alleges that the individual, Jaroslaw A., planned to provide Russia with information on Poland’s security and defense capabilities.
According to Stanislaw Zaryn, spokesman for Poland’s ABW, the man was detained on July 11 in the country’s southern Silesia region. He has been remanded in custody and faces eight years in prison.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Russians Scramble for Visas as EU Urges “Coordinated Approach” on Travel Bans
The European Commission has said it is still weighing a travel ban for all Russian nationals, but stressed in a Thursday statement that some member states have individually begun to impose restrictions on visas, but that none has ceased issuing them completely.
Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper called for a “coordinated approach” among EU countries, saying in a Thursday press briefing in Brussels that “visa activities have not stopped completely and in particular the humanitarian cases are catered for.”
She said that Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine had created “unprecedented challenges” for the entirety of the EU, and for that reason had “acted immediately” to suspend a visa facilitation agreement with Moscow on February 25, the day after the invasion.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: 2 Wounded in Shopping Center Shooting
Swedish police say two people have been wounded in a shooting at a shopping center in the southern city of Malmo
STOCKHOLM — Swedish police say two people have been wounded in a shooting at a shopping center in the southern city of Malmo.
A suspected was arrested after the shooting Friday afternoon at the Emporia shopping center, which police said appeared to be gang-related.
“Police are on site with big resources to map the incident by interviewing witnesses and going through material from surveillance cameras. The immediate danger to the public appears to be over,” Malmo police said.
Shootings by criminal gangs have become a growing problem in Sweden in recent decades, including in Malmo, the country’s third-biggest city. Gang violence is among the main campaign issues ahead of Sweden’s national election on Sept. 11…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki launched a scathing attack on the European Union, accusing the bloc of being democratic in name only, and slamming the dominance of France and Germany who often ignore the dissenting voices of other member states.
In a recent article for German newspaper Die Welt on Wednesday, the Polish premier claimed that European elites had refused to listen to Polish warnings about Russia prior to the country’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and claimed the valid concerns of less powerful member states were all too often overlooked by the Franco-German dominated EU institutions.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Man Arrested After Pensioner Stabbed to Death on Mobility Scooter in London
A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of 87-year-old pensioner Thomas O’Halloran, who was stabbed to death on his mobility scooter in London on Tuesday.
The attack, which has caused outrage among the local community and wider public, occurred on Western Avenue in Greenford shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday. According to a statement by the Metropolitan Police, O’Halloran managed to travel 75 yards from the scene on his mobility scooter to Runnymede Gardens, where he flagged down a member of the public for help.
Despite the emergency aid of first responders, and the efforts of both the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance, O’Halloran was pronounced dead at the scene.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Unexplained Deaths From Lockdowns Outpacing COVID Fatalities
England’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that on average, 1000 more people are dying each week in the country, and the deaths are not from Covid.
The Telegraph reports that a “new silent health crisis” has been created by the country’s response to Covid, as people are dying from a collection of reasons, some of them unexplained, because they simply didn’t seek treatment for health issues while Covid lockdowns were in place.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Venezuela Stops Oil Shipments to Europe as Alternatives to Russian Energy Dry Up
The writing is on the wall for Europe in terms of this coming winter — It’s going to get ugly.
With natural gas imports from Russia cut by 80% through Nord Stream 1 along with the majority of oil shipments, the EU is going to be scrambling for whatever fuel sources they can find to supply electricity and heating through the coming winter. Two sources that were originally suggested as alternatives were Iran and Venezuela.
Increased Iranian oil and gas exports to the west are highly dependent on the tentative nuclear deal, but as Goldman Sachs recently suggested, such a deal is unlikely anytime soon as deadlines on proposals have not been met and the Israeli government calls for negotiators to ‘walk away.’
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wild Video: UK Police Take Down Knife-Wielding Suspect Shouting ‘Allah’
A man wielding a knife and yelling Islamic slogans was neutralized by police during a standoff in a neighborhood in England this week, according to reports.
The disturbing incident unfolded at around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening in Birmingham.
Authorities were alerted about a man who was slashing trees with a large blade and intimidating people in the Alum Rock neighborhood, the Birmingham Mail reports.
The suspect went inside a residence before climbing out onto the roof and confronting officers on the ground.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European Aid to Ukraine Grinds to a Halt
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy reported this week that aid commitments from the six largest European countries for Ukraine fell to almost zero in July.
Support for Ukraine is crumbling not only among the population. Aid pledges from European countries are also falling rapidly.
The Institute has developed its own tool to measure the support provided by Western countries to Ukraine. The Ukraine Support Tracker is a database that tracks the financial, military and humanitarian assistance provided to Ukraine.
The tracker showed that for the month of July, support for Ukraine was crumbling. There were practically no further pledges of aid.
The tracker records the support services from a total of 40 countries. It differentiates into three categories: military, humanitarian and financial support. He also differentiates between promised aid and aid actually provided. In addition to the EU, the United States and Great Britain, data from Turkey, Australia, Norway, South Korea, New Zealand, China, India, Taiwan and Switzerland are also included.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
International Support for Russian Isolation Dwindles
While Western politicians are still cultivating the notion of Russia’s foreign policy “isolation” after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, a glance at the map shows that not even a quarter of the countries of the world have been following along obediently.
Faced with reality, Western diplomats often have to admit this fact to themselves, for example at a reception at the Russian UN mission in New York in June. Dozens of UN ambassadors from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia accepted the Russian invitation — not a trace of isolation. “We thank you all for your support and your principled attitude against the so-called anti-Russian crusade,” said the Russian UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzia, thanking the numerous guests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The FSB, Russia’s primary security and intelligence agency and the successor to the KGB, began a major expansion of its Ukraine unit as far back as 2019, according to a report from The Washington Post. The revelation suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have began plotting an invasion and the “seizure” of Ukraine years ago, a security official in Kyiv who tracks the FSB told the Post.
The FSB unit grew from 30 members to roughly 160 by last summer, per the report, which detailed Russian intelligence activities and failures in the lead-up to the war. The FSB offered incentives to pull in officers from other branches — including free housing in Moscow.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
India: Threat Call From Pakistan to the Hindu Advocate of Gyanvapi Case
Gyanvapi Case: The advocate of the temple side received threat call from Pakistan, Sohanlal said — even he is ready to sacrifice life for Hindutva.
Upendra Bharti | HENB | Varanasi | Aug 18, 2022:: There was a stir in the Gyanvapi Shringar Gauri episode on Wednesday afternoon. On Wednesday, people were shocked after receiving a threatening call from Pakistan to the advocates of the temple side. After which a case has been registered at Laksa police station of Varanasi Commissionerate on the complaint of Dr. Sohanlal Arya, advocate of the temple side. Dr. Sohan Lal has been fighting for many years on behalf of Arya Mandir side. He is also an advocate in the hearing of the Gyanvapi Shringar Gauri case going on in the court of the District Judge of Varanasi. His wife Lakshmi Devi is also the litigant in this case.
According to Dr. Sohanlal Arya, his number received a threatening call from Pakistan. He has complained to the senior officers of the police administration. On Wednesday afternoon, he along with his lawyer Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi reached the police to submit a complaint. Police have registered a case against unknown people in this matter at Laksa police station of Varanasi Commissionerate in the evening.
Regarding the whole matter, ACP Awadhesh Pandey said that after registering a case on Sohanlal Arya’s complaint, the number is being identified. Taking this whole matter seriously, the police team is investigating. He said that the cyber cell has been activated. Soon it will be known from where this threatening call came.
Already received threats twice earlier
I tis also reported that Dr. Sohan Lal Arya has received threats twice before. On this issue, Dr. Sohanlal Arya said that he is not afraid of any threat. No one cares if he loses his life for Hindutva and temple causes. Two policemen have also been deployed under the protection of Dr. Sohan Lal.
It is worth to note that in the ongoing hearing in the court of the District Judge of Varanasi, the argument on behalf of the temple side has been completed. Now Anjuman Inazandia from the Masjid side has to file his reply in this. But, due to the sudden death of their lawyer Abhay Nath Yadav due to heart attack, the Masjid side requested the court to give time. After which the court has given the next date for hearing.
Pioneer Advocate of temple side Vishnu Shankar jain, son of Champion Hindutva Advocate (all three cases of Sri Ramjanmabhoomi, Sri Krishna Janmasthan and Sri Gyanvapi-SringarGauri) — Sri Hari Shankar Jain told HENB that the next date for the case as fixed on Aug 22.
Another hearing of the case is going on
Another hearing of Gyanvapi case is also going on in the court of Civil Judge Senior Division of Varanasi. This case has been filed on behalf of the wife of Jitendra Singh, the head of Vishwa Vaidik Sanatan Sangh. The next hearing of this case is fixed on September 5. In this case, the petitioner has demanded that Hindus should get the right to worship the Shivling found during the survey of the Gyanvapi complex. It has also been demanded that the entry of Muslims in Gyanvapi should be banned.
Senior Hindutva interlocutor and Hindu Existence Website Editor, Upananda Brahmachari demanded “Security cover for all the advocates of the temple side”.
| — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai and 47 Democrats Charged Under Nsl to Face Trial With No Jury
The case of former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, charged with breaching national security law, will be held with no jury empaneled.
According to the website of the Judiciary, the case, which is scheduled for August 22, will be tried by three designated National Security Law Judges — Judge Esther Toh Lye-ping, Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios, and Alex Lee Wan-tang — in the High Court in a one-hour hearing, with no jury present.
Lai used to be an activist in the 2019 protest and is the founder of the now-defunct tabloid Apple Daily, and is currently serving a prison sentence at Stanley Prison.
The defendants of Lai’s cases involved himself and three companies — Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and AD Internet Limited. They were charged with multiple counts of “collusion with external elements to endanger national security” and “printing, publishing, selling, offering for sale, distributing, displaying or reproducing seditious publication.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Security Threat: China’s Interest in US Agriculture
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) recently warned that China’s interest in the agriculture of the United States poses both a serious economic challenge and a security risk to the United States.
China sits on 7-9% percent of the world’s arable land, 294 million acres, but is home to nearly 20% (1.4 billion in 2020) of the global population (nearly 8 billion in 2022). By comparison, the US has more than 375 million acres of arable land and a population of 329.5 million.
China has sought to resolve its dilemma of achieving food security by buying up farmland and agricultural businesses abroad on a huge scale, including in the United States, and by seeking to advance its own agricultural technology, including through theft of US agricultural technology.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Anger in Australia as Sentence Cut Means Jihadist Bali Bomber Could be Free in Days
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s leader said Friday that it’s upsetting Indonesia has further reduced the prison sentence of the bombmaker in the Bali terror attack that killed 202 people — which could free him within days if he’s granted parole.
The most recent reduction of Umar Patek’s sentence takes his total reductions to almost two years and means Patek could be released on parole ahead of the 20th anniversary of the bombings in October.
“This will cause further distress to Australians who were the families of victims of the Bali bombings,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Channel 9. “We lost 88 Australian lives in those bombings.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Has President Macron Abandoned Mali to the Jihadists?
France ended its nine-year military deployment in Mali on Monday as President Macron approved the official withdrawal of all French troops from the West African nation marred by political violence and a rise in Islamic extremism.
France initially sent 5,000 troops into the former French colony back in 2013 following the return home of insurgents and mercenaries who had helped topple Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, and remained determined to fight for the independence of Mali’s northern territory. The anti-insurgent mission was named Operation Barkhane.
Despite being initially welcomed by the locals, the reputation of the French military across the country diminished over time, and the frequency of terrorist attacks and guerrilla warfare conducted on Malian soil rose rapidly.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Farm attacks continued in July, with many brutal and gory attacks on whites, but no actual white deaths listed here. South Africa’s murder rate is still incredibly high (see Christopher Hitchens On Capital Punishment And “Liberated” South Africa) so there’s a reported mass murder on a farm where SEVEN black farm workers were killed by two local blacks.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Algerian Migrant Chases Passengers With Boxcutter, Robs a Woman in Paris Metro System
A 28-year-old Algerian migrant who just arrived in France seven months ago has been convicted of threatening two victims with a boxcutter and robbing one woman last Friday in the Paris metro.
The two men were taken into custody on line 4 at Strasbourg Saint-Denis station after having committed the two attempted robberies and one theft.
Just days after his arrest, the Algerian, Amine D., was sentenced on Tuesday in Paris Criminal Court to a four-month prison sentence. Although in France for only seven months, the man is already well-known to the police for various crimes, including theft and property damage.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Residents Asked to Make Empty Housing Available for Asylum Seekers
Local authorities in Germany are urging citizens who have free space to accommodate asylum seekers amid a shortage in social housing.
The Kulmbach district office in Bavaria has reportedly requested anyone who can provide living space, ideally a spare apartment or house, to contact the responsible authorities and arrange for prospective refugees to take residence in the properties, according to a report by the local broadcaster Radio Plassenburg.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary Faces Major Border Crisis, 145,000 Illegal Crossings Recorded
So far this year, 145,000 border violators have been apprehended, compared to 57,000 in the same period last year. While Hungary remains committed to border security, Europe’s refusal to implement effective border security and increase deportations is only encouraging many to make the difficult to journey to Europe.
In addition to the wave of migrants, the number of human traffickers caught by border patrol exceeds a thousand, said the prime minister’s chief adviser on internal security Wednesday morning on channel M1.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Border Farce: Over 50 Migrants Over 30 Years Old Registered as ‘Children’
Over the past decade the British government has registered over 50 illegal migrants over the age of 30 as children, according to a Freedom of Information request.
In an embarrassing revelation, Home Office figures show that border officials were either so inept or indifferent as to register 52 grown adults over the age of 30 years old as children over the last decade.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UN: ‘Racist’ EU Must Take Millions of African and Mid East Migrants as Well as Ukrainians
GENEVA (AP) — Europe’s embrace of millions of Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion showed that it’s possible to welcome large numbers of asylum seekers, and the approach should be replicated to receive those fleeing other nations, the head of the UN Refugee Agency said.
In an interview with The Associated Press, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi described the European Union’s response as “exemplary,” noting that nearly 4 million Ukrainians, mainly women and children, have registered with the bloc’s temporary protection system since the start of the war nearly six months ago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video of Border Patrol Unlocking Gates for Illegals; Rand Paul Says Time for ‘Zero Tolerance Policy’
Video of Border Patrol agents unlocking a gate in Eagle Pass and allowing illegal immigrants to pour through after the National Guard had locked it prompted Senator Rand Paul to call for a ‘zero tolerance policy’ to be implemented.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin tweeted footage of the incident, noting “For the first time, we witnessed the TX National Guard close & lock a gate on private property at a major crossing area in Eagle Pass, denying entry to migrants who just crossed illegally & expected to be let in. Border Patrol then came w/ a key & let them in for processing.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Administration to Offer Monkeypox Vaccinations at Pride Events
Health officials announced on Thursday that 50,000 monkeypox vaccines have been dispatched to areas where gay pride events have been planned.
Fox News reports that Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Rochelle Walensky said, “While we are offering the vaccine at these events to those at high risk, this is a two-dose vaccine series, and receiving the vaccine at the event will not provide protection at the event itself.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
LGBTQ ‘Support Guides’ That May Violate State Law Pulled From Florida Schools
Florida is pulling numerous LGBTQ support documents from all school districts in the state for review, after the State Board of Education suggested that some of these could violate a law passed earlier this year.
On Wednesday, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. gave his staff the go ahead to conduct the action, with board member Ryan Petty stating that he has “grave concerns” regarding these support guide provided to teachers, students, and school staff members, according to News Service of Florida.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Majority Oppose Teachers Giving Instruction to Grades K-3 on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
A new poll published on Friday has revealed that a majority of Americans do not approve of teaching children in elementary school about gender identity and sexual orientation.
The poll, conducted by YouGov for the Washington Examiner, asked 1,000 people between August 12 and 15, “do you support or oppose public school teachers providing classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to children?”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
6 murders in 4 days in London.
Riots and looting.
Sadiq Khan blames…
The school holidays and the weather.
In reality, he should blame himself.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wisconsin School District Bans Teachers From Displaying BLM, Pride Symbols
On Tuesday night the Kettle Moraine School Board in Wales, Wisconsin voted to uphold a school policy that bans messages and flags like “Black Lives Matter” and the Pride flag from classrooms and prohibits teachers from writing their “preferred pronouns” in their identification.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta Exec Nick Clegg Makes Hypocritical Suggestion Governments Should Support the “Open Internet”
Politico recently had five questions for Meta President of Global Affairs and former British politician Nick Clegg, but unfortunately, none of those was, “Do you even know what the open internet is?”
It’s highly likely that the reply would have added even more hypocrisy and mental gymnastics to the article, given that Clegg appears to be under the impression that the open internet is something select governments should be “defending.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
World Economic Forum Makes Big Push for Digital Identity Programs Around the World
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is promoting the introduction of a digital identity system, at whose core will be identity — and who better to create and maintain it than banks and companies offering financial services.
According to a blog post, citing the International Data Corporation (IDC)Digital Trust Index, there are “trillions of dollars of opportunities” around the world, but a higher level of “digital trust” as a universal value is what’s missing in order to unlock this potential.
In this narrative, the WEF positions identity as the key element to building the digital economy. The apparently pressing need for this development, at this particular juncture, is explained with what the Davos-based group says has been the recent “prevalence of cybercrime.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Who voted for the World Economic Forum and their hair brained policies? Why should we take any notice of them?
Because they are the globalists and they think that makes them the boss of the world.
MERKEL PLAN!Borderless open door policy
https://swebbtube.se/w/399RQJ2ezh4BGJG5D9cAq3
The EU has exceeded it’s carrying capacity in numbers of people.
All the illegals use water in excess of the planned amount. This reduced safety margins for years with low water. In addition, the “migrants” consumed Governmental and private money that could have made energy use and infrastructure more efficient, without benefit to the larger economy. This is an own goal.
The US is part of the failure chain, with Hillary as Sec. of State waging war with Libya, negating progress since 1986. The war in Libya opened the door to greatly increased migration into the EU. Sorta a mission-kill for the EU, by the US government.
I tend to disagree that the EU exeeded its carrying capacity with regards to water. Europe has plenty of water, though “our” politicians would like us to “save water”, we don’t really need to. Droughts are a regular summer occurence since time immemorial, they are made to sound “bigger” these days because it fits the Climate Change agenda.
Zero tolerance for illegal immigrants begins with adoption of premise that an illegal immigrant is ipso facto an undesirable alien. When detected and proved, humane capture followed by entry of that person’s biometric data into a roster of persons pernanently prohibited from entering the US, followed by prompt expulsion.
You don’t use civilized means with uncivilized savages, they respect and understand one thing, brutal force.
https://www.civilianintelligencenetwork.ca/2021/06/30/klaus-schwab-declares-pandemic-over/
Not to worry ! Irksome La von der Laydown said NO PROBLEM to any energy interruptions, because “We can get our energy from our “partners” in the Middle East, Norway, and the JUSA”. This was after a conference call with Klaus and George Soros-Rothchild’s left testicle. She’s an expert in all things, pure genius and ability.
Icke tycka om turist,
tycka turist är trist…
=
Not like tourist –
think tourist is dull…
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Povel Rammel
on world tour in the end of the 70s,
together with Hasse Alfredsson.
https://voca.ro/11AT2wDeZSZ3