Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot several times today in an assassination attempt, and was hospitalized with life-threatening wounds. His condition later stabilized, and he is reportedly now out of danger. The shooting took place in the town of Handlova as Mr. Fico emerged from a government meeting. The suspected gunman was detained at the scene. He is said to be 71 years old and a member of a progressive left party.
In other news, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Beijing today to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discuss the latter’s support for the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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.
Polish Interest Rates Will Not Fall in the Foreseeable Future Due to Inflation Threat
The Polish Monetary Policy Council has kept the central bank’s (NBP) interest rate at 5.75 percent, the same level it has been since October of last year, and there seems little or no prospect of interest rate reductions any time soon.
The decision to maintain interest rates at 5.75 percent, despite a fall in the inflation rate, is explained by the high level of regulatory uncertainty and inflationary pressures driven by decisions to increase VAT on food to 5 percent, an increase in energy prices as a result of falling subsidies, and pay increases well above the rate of inflation.
As a result, forecasters believe that inflation could reach the level of 5 percent at some point this year, well above the central bank’s 2.5-percent inflation target.
The strength of economic growth in the first quarter (1.5 percent) was disappointing, but this has not convinced the monetary authorities to soften their stance because of the inflationary pressures facing the economy.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poor Dutch Economic Data Last Quarter: GDP Falls 0.1% as Exports Slump 6% in March
The Dutch economy reversed course during the first three months of the year, with the gross domestic product sliding backward for the fourth time in five quarters. The GDP fell by 0.1 percent from January to March, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), which released new data on Wednesday that also showed exportsfell sharply by 6 percent in March alone. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the Dutch economy was 0.7 percent lower this past quarter.
The Dutch GDP stood 0.9 percent lower than at the end of 2022, a year marked by a rapid recovery following the coronavirus pandemic. That was followed by a mild recession that took hold from January to September 2023. During the last quarter of the year, the economy grew by 0.3 percent to end the year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Demands No Audience for Debates With Trump
Joe Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to two debates taking place on June 27 on CNN and September 10 on ABC News.
Ahead of the two candidates agreeing to the dates Wednesday morning, Biden campaign Communications Director Michael Tyler told CNN that the debates should be “in studio with no audience so the candidates can clearly articulate their visions for the country.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Boy, 15, Stabbed in Head Near Queens School as Surge of NYC Teen Violence Continues
A 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the head on a Queens street near his school on Wednesday afternoon amid a wave of violence targeting teens in the Big Apple.
The young victim was attacked by a ski mask-wearing assailant moments after leaving August Martin High School around 2:50 p.m., police and sources said.
The suspect snuck up on the teen and plunged a knife into his head and shoulder near Guy R Brewer Boulevard and 112th Avenue in South Jamaica, cops and the sources said.
EMTs rushed the wounded boy to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking Update: Trump to Debate Biden June 27 on CNN, September 10 on ABC News
Joe Biden and Donald Trump will participate in their first debate of the 2024 election cycle on June 27 live on CNN in Atlanta. A second debate will take place on September 10 and will air on ABC News.
Trump told Fox News’ Brooke Singman, “I’ll be there,” and that he was “looking forward to being in beautiful Atlanta.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In a significant development regarding Donald Trump’s classified documents trial, Michael Cohen’s former attorney has revealed that Cohen did not actually believeStormy Daniels’ allegation against Trump when he was running for president in 2016.
Costello explained in a Congressional hearing that although Cohen did not believe the allegations made by Daniels, he chose to address them independently, fearing the potential damage to Trump’s presidential campaign and his marriage to Melania Trump.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Convicted Non-Violent Felons Can Own Guns, Ninth Circuit Rules
In what must be the first time California’s 9th circuit has ruled in favor of the 2nd Amendment, non-violent convicted felons can now own guns.
The decision stems from a 2020 case, in which California resident Steven Duarte was arrested after tossing a handgun out of a moving car during a traffic stop. He was indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing said firearm while being previously convicted of “a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year” in violation of the federal “felon-in-possession” law.
Duarte had five prior non-violent criminal convictions in California; vandalism, felon in possession of a firearm, drug possession, and two convictions for fleeing a police officer — each of which is punishable by one year or more in prison. After pleading not guilty, Duarte’s case proceeded to trial, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 51 months in prison.
Not so fast!
As the Epoch Times notes further, in a 2-1 decision handed down on May 9, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Mr. Duarte’s conviction violated the Second Amendment as applied to him.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FBI Warns ISIS Could Attack Pride Parades Amid Biden’s Border Crisis
The FBI has issued an alert warning that Pride events in the US in June may be targeted by ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations.
“Foreign terrorist organizations or supporters may seek to exploit increased gatherings associated with the upcoming June 2024 Pride Month,” the alert, issued by the FBI and DHS, warned.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
GOP Lawmakers Draft Plan to Force Biden to Release Congressionally Approved Military Aid to Israel
On Tuesday, Republicans in the US Senate filed legislation to force the Biden administration to continue providing military aid to Israel, per congressional approval. Biden had paused the aid after taking issue with Israel’s military strategy.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) introduced a Senate version of legislation that is circulating in the GOP-controlled House that would bypass Biden’s pause in arms sales to the Jewish state. According to the Washington Free Beacon, the White House has been lobbying against the bill while House Democrats are also working to scuttle the legislation.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that it will be suspending funding for EcoHealth Alliance, the nonprofit connected to gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. HHS has also proposed the formal debarment of the organization.
In a letter released on Wednesday by a House subcommittee that is investigating the Covid-19 outbreak, HHS deputy assistant secretary for acquisitions Katrina Brisbon told EcoHealth President Dr. Peter Daszak that there was “adequate evidence” for recommending that the nonprofit not receive future government contracts. The letter also stated that “immediate action is necessary to protect the public interest.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Journalist Allegedly Assaulted, Pulled Into Gaza Camp at University of Washington
On Sunday, a female journalist was allegedly assaulted and pulled into the barricades provided by the University of Washington to “protect” the Gaza camp on the Quad during a pro-Israel march of Jews and Christians.
Gabrielle Cuccia, a former White House correspondent and White House staffer, and currently with DC Draino Media, flew to Seattle to cover the protests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, Barrett Blade, spouse of adult film star Stormy Daniels, revealed on Tuesday that they are seriously considering relocating abroad if former President Donald Trump is found not guilty in his ongoing Manhattan criminal trial.
Blade expressed concerns about the intense scrutiny and negativity directed at his wife.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FIRST ON FOX: Free Press, a media group financed by liberal billionaire George Soros, “is looking to incorporate global pressure to push Big Tech platforms to juice their censorship operations before the 2024 U.S. presidential election,” according to the Media Research Center (MRC).
Free Press, which is not affiliated with journalist Bari Weiss’ The Free Press, bills itself as an organization that “closely watches as the decisions shaping the media landscape are made and sounds the alarm when people’s rights to connect and communicate are in danger.” However, in a new report, the conservative MRC found that Soros gave over $80 million to affiliated groups calling for “censorship” ahead of November’s critical election.
“One of the wealthiest men in the world is using his vast wealth and power to silence regular Americans ahead of the 2024 election. At a time when defending free speech is key, leftists are trying their best to shut down the voices of half of America, especially those who disagree with the radical agenda promoted by Biden, Soros and most Big Tech executives,” MRC Free Speech America vice president Dan Schneider told Fox News Digital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NTSB Report Finds Dali Lost Power Day Before Crashing Into Key Bridge in Baltimore
BALTIMORE — The Dali container ship lost power twice the day before crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its collapse, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report released Tuesday afternoon.
The NTSB’s marine investigation preliminary report into the Dali revealed one of the 23 crew members was injured on board the ship when the bridge fell.
The U.S. Coast Guard classified this accident as a major marine casualty.
NTSB leaders are scheduled to testify Wednesday before Congress on its response to the bridge collapse.
The report found the Dali experienced a power outage on March 25 during maintenance, about 10 hours before it departed Baltimore. “A crewmember mistakenly closed an inline engine exhaust damper.”
The NTSB report explains that the closure blocked the engine’s cylinder exhaust gases from traveling up its stack and out of the vessel, causing the engine to stall.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Oakland County Sheriff Warns of International “Tourist Burglars” Targeting Metro Detroit
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Oakland County is dealing with a growing threat of burglary tourism, according to Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
In a town hall meeting on Monday, Bouchard said they are concerned with transnational organized crime groups. Groups of people from other countries enter the U.S. under the guise of tourism and then steal from wealthy homes.
Bouchard said the groups operate like special operations teams, hitting 40 to 50 homes in Oakland County over the past months, at one point, pulling up to $1 million out of the county.
The sheriff said so far, they have arrested two robbery teams, and all seven people were from Chile.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oregon, Washington Among ‘Most Dangerous States’: FBI Crime Data
A report recently released by US News & World Report has revealed that Washington and Oregon are among the most dangerous states in the nation.
The report, which relied on the latest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations for corrections outcomes and public safety, put Oregon, the Beaver State, in 46th place while its neighbor to the north came in 39th.
According to the data, Oregon had an incarceration rate of 295 per 100,000 residents, and a juvenile incarceration rate of 121 per 100,000 juveniles. The violent crime rate sat at 342 per 100,000 residents, slightly lower than the national average of 381 per 100,000 residents.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Occupy Building, Create Encampment at UC Irvine
Police responded to the campus of the University of California, Irvine, on Wednesday, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators overtook a building and constructed a barricaded encampment.
Video posted to the Instagram handle “ucidivest” showed protesters hanging banners from the Physical Science Lecture Hall and rushing to pitch tents outside the building at about 2:30 p.m.
In a text message alert, UCI called it a “violent protest” and urged students to avoid the area. “If you are in the area, shelter in place for your safety until further notice,” the university said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doubled down on his efforts to gain entry to the upcoming CNN presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in June, which was announced just hours earlier.
Kennedy claimed that he will meet the criteria for the debate, scheduled for June 27 in Atlanta, and called on those involved to let him take part. The Biden campaign only agreed to present their candidate if RFK Jr. did not appear at the debate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The squatter who used a Shake Shack receipt to try and prove that he had a legal right to live in a $930,000 New York City home faces a slew of charges by the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Lance White-Hunt, 24, was indicted on one count of second-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, five counts of first-degree identity theft, third-degree attempted grand larceny, petit larceny, third-degree attempted criminal possession of stolen property, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, tampering with physical evidence, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Double Standard on Campus Speech
After weeks in which college students at campuses from Columbia to Harvard to UCLA celebrated murders and rapes, waved the flags of Islamic terrorist organizations and assaulted Jewish people, one student has finally been held accountable.
The student, a frat brother at University of Mississippi, was a counterprotester who allegedly mocked a pro-terror student as “Lizzo” and made sounds some thought resembled a monkey.
While no amount of calls for the destruction of America or assaults on Jewish students led to any outrage in the media or actual consequences (including Khymani James, a leader of the Columbia University encampment who talked to university officials about killing Jews), the incident at a decidedly non-Ivy school has actually generated outrage and consequences.
Knocking a Jewish female UCLA student unconscious didn’t do it. Barring Jewish students from being able to go to their classes didn’t do it. Assaulting staff members and faculty at universities didn’t do it. But call a fat black female activist Lizzo” and it’s an instant nationwide outrage.
The Biden administration personally condemned it. The New York Times, USA Today, The Daily Beast, NBC News, CNN and Newsweek all covered this urgent story. None of them condemned or addressed a Jewish girl being knocked unconscious at UCLA. Or other specific assaults.
What the ‘Ole Miss’ story really tells us is that the sudden concern for free speech on campuses is a hoax. The media and the rest of the Left believe that calling for the murder of Jews is free speech while calling another student “Lizzo” isn’t. Just as they believe that non-Mexican students wearing sombreros is a punishable offense but cheering for Hamas isn’t.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands of Children Prescribed Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine for COVID: Study
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times
Doctors prescribed ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine more than 4,400 times to children with COVID-19 during periods of time when the drugs were not recommended against the illness by authorities, according to a new study.
Doctors issued 813 prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine to minors with COVID-19 after the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society on Sept. 12, 2020, advised against using hydroxychloroquine outside of a clinical trial, researchers found. The recommendation came after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19.
Another 3,602 prescriptions of ivermectin for children with COVID-19 were issued after Feb. 5, 2021, when the Infectious Diseases Society of America released guidelines advising not to use ivermectin outside of a trial. The FDA later in 2021 urged people not to take ivermectin against COVID-19, although it has since been forced to rescind those warnings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Unpacking Canada’s Controversial Push to Police the Digital World
The latest of Canada’s speech-restricting legislative efforts, the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63) was introduced and promoted earlier in the year by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as necessary primarily to protect children and vulnerable population categories on the internet.
The actual text of the bill, however, reveals broad implications, including sweeping censorship and draconian penalties, as yet another country pushes such measures under the “think of the children” banner.
We obtained a copy of the bill for you here.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: The Crumbling of the Establishment Has Run Its Course
It might be tempting to point to themes dominating discourse in the European Union and connect failures to “Brussels”, or European institutions, but that, in a Belgian context, would be to miss important nuances.
EU policy on agriculture, migration and energy, for example, is a major element in any election debate, and the bloc is often the cause of discontent.
While the three examples above also apply to Belgium, it is important to keep a broader perspective. The crumbling of the Belgian establishment is a decades-long phenomenon.
Since the Second World War, Belgium, as with many other European countries, has been governed by the three “traditional” parties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Brexit’s Farage Predicts ‘Very Low Turnout’ for UK Election With ‘Boring’ Sunak and Starmer
The upcoming general election in Britain will likely see a “very, very low turnout” due to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and opposition Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer being incredibly “boring”, Brexit boss Nigel Farage predicted.
As the two major party leaders laid out their respective visions for the country on Monday, Nigel Farage said that their performances were so uninspiring that he began to “nod off”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Deep Shock at Cowardly Attack on Fico Says Meloni
Premier Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday voiced deep shock at the “cowardly” assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico who is fighting for his life after being repeatedly shot in the abdomen in the central Slovak town of Handlova.
“I learned with deep shock of the cowardly attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
All my thoughts are for him, his family and the friendly Slovak people,” she said.
“Aslo in the name of the Italian government, I wish to express firm condemnation of all forms of violence and attacks on the key principles of democracy and freedoms.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Coalition Talks End in a Deal: PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB to Form a Cabinet
Nearly six months after elections in November, far-right leader Geert Wilders announced that the four parties negotiating to form a new Cabinet have reached a deal. The leader of the PVV said on Wednesday afternoon that he also discussed who will become the next prime minister with the other parties working to form a coalition, the VVD, NSC, and BBB. However, the four parties have not reached a deal on the new leader.
Details about the coalition agreement were not released, as it now has to be debated by the parties’ parliamentarians within their own political groups. Neither Wilders nor the leaders of the other three parties would say who could become the next political leader of the Netherlands. “We have an agreement with the negotiators and we will now defend it with our factions. We have spoken about the prime minister. We will resume that conversation at a later time. I cannot say more now. I came out at the moment it was finished,” said Wilders, and refused to answer more questions about the matter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Coalition Deal: The Long Road to a New Right-Wing Cabinet Has Taken 175 Days
It took a negotiation of 175 days before the announcement on Wednesday that the far-right PVV had reached a deal to form a new Cabinet with the right-wing parties, VVD, NSC and BBB. The leader of the PVV, Geert Wilders, told reporters that they came to an agreement when talks ended three hours later than expected. The two people moderating the talks, Elbert Dijkgraaf and Richard van Zwol, had a firm May 15 deadline to bring this negotiating round to a close.
The leaders of the four parties began discussing the content of the coalition agreement with their political factions in Parliament soon after the announcement late Wednesday afternoon. Those conversations were expected to continue well into the night, but details about the coalition agreement should soon emerge. So far, only a vague collection of bullet points from a draft version of the agreement have leaked out.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Grid Operator Warns of Future Energy Shortages, Price Hikes
The Netherlands will not have enough electricity to be powered 24/7 from about 2032, with the country’s national grid operator warning of future shortages and price spikes.
In its annual report on energy supply security, system operator TenneT warned that the Netherlands will see, on average, around 14 hours of annual power shortages by 2033, compared to the current norm of four hours.
From 2030 onward, it warned, the country’s supply security will “markedly deteriorate”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EP Activates Army of Online Creators to Push Youngsters to Vote in June
More than 100 social media content creators were invited to the European Parliament in Brussels for a Content Creator Summit in a bid to promote the EP elections in June.
At the summit on May 2 and 3, the EP discussed ways of getting the young out to vote. In some countries, 16-year-olds will be voting for the first time.
EP officials told Brussels Signal the aim was to “reach various audiences to increase knowledge of the European Parliament and interest in participating in elections and democracy”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An overwhelming majority of EU citizens are against the mass migration policy imposed on them by Brussels and their respective governments and do not believe that Europe needs migration to address its demographic challenges, a damning new poll has revealed.
The survey conducted by BVA Xsight shone a light on the views of Europeans on the current migration crisis ahead of next month’s European Parliamentary elections.
Four out of five respondents in every EU member state believed the bloc needed to take more action to combat illegal immigration. Danes and Luxembourgers (79 percent) agreed with this statement the least despite still overwhelming majorities, while Portuguese citizens agreed with it the most (91 percent).
When asked whether quotas needed to be set for all EU member states to receive their fair share of new arrivals to the bloc, respondents from the four Visegrad nations of Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, and Poland were the least enthusiastic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
At the moment, nothing offers a better chance of ending the war in Ukraine than a possible right-wing turn in the European Parliament (EP) elections this year along with the re-election of former U/S. President Donald Trump, said Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó on the EU election campaign trail on Monday.
According to a statement by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Szijjartó first spoke about the war in Ukraine at the campaign event held in the city, pointing out that Hungary has been directly confronted with all its serious negative consequences for more than two years; ethnic Hungarians from the Transcarpathian community, which is located in Ukraine and has been forced to send many of its men to the frontlines in Ukraine, have also died in the fighting.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: AfD Regional Leader Fined for Using ‘Nazi’ Slogan
Björn Höcke, a regional leader of the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has been fined for using a “Nazi” slogan.
Höcke was penalised on May 14 for saying, “Everything for Germany!” during a speech in Merseburg in May 2021 . The phrase was employed by Adolf Hitler’s storm troopers.
The 52-year-old politician claimed the decision of the German regional court in the Eastern city of Halle to fine him €13,000 hindered freedom of speech in his country. He has the right to appeal.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How Far Has Spain Moved Past Catalonia’s Secession Crisis? Voters Will Decide in Regional Election
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s fugitive former leader, stares confidently out the backseat window of a car, the sun illuminating his gaze in a campaign poster for Sunday’s critical elections in the northeastern Spanish region.
The image plays on another one imagined from six years prior when Puigdemont hid in the trunk of a car as he was snuck across the French border, fleeing Spain’s crackdown on a failed illegal 2017 secession attempt that he had led as Catalan regional president.
Sunday’s elections will be a test to see if Catalonia wants him back as leader or if the wealthy region has moved on from secession and has more pressing worries.
Puigdemont is still technically a fugitive. But ironically recent maneuvers by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have revitalized his political career. Sanchez promised amnesty to Puigdemont and other separatists facing charges in return for the support of separatist lawmakers in the national parliament to form a new government in Madrid. But that could now backfire and cause problems for the national government if Puigdemont, public enemy No. 1 for many Spaniards, is reelected.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
European cities are now filled to the brim with electric scooters, and Hungary is no different. Now, operators of the sometimes dangerous transport devices, which have often become a public nuisance, will require insurance to operate them.
From July 15, 2024, the range of vehicles for which compulsory motor liability insurancemust be taken out will be extended, the Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies (Mabisz) said in a statement.
The organization said that under the new provisions announced on April 30, the use of certain micro-mobility devices, including certain electric scooters, will have to be covered by comprehensive personal liability insurance.
The net weight of the vehicle and its design speed will determine whether or not liability insurance is required for the device.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary’s Orban ‘Deeply Shocked’ by ‘Heinous Attack’ on Slovak PM
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday expressed “deep shock” over the “heinous attack against my friend” Slovakia’s premier Robert Fico, who was reportedly shot and hospitalised after a cabinet meeting.
“I was deeply shocked by the heinous attack against my friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico. We pray for his health and quick recovery! God bless him and his country!,” the nationalist fellow EU leader wrote on X.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Has 3 Million Fewer Young People Than 20 Yrs Ago
The number of young people living in Italy has fallen by over three million in 20 years, Istat reported on Wednesday.
The national statistics agency said Italy had just 10.33 million people aged between 18 and 34 in 2023, a drop of 22.9% compared to the 13.39 million it had 2002.
The young population is down by almost five million (-32.3%) with respect to the peak it reached in 1994, Istat said in its annual report.
There has been an increase over the last 30 years, on the other hand, in the number of people aged 65 or older, which has risen from just over nine million in 1994 to over 14 million in 2023 (+54.4%).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Michel Says EU Leaders May Co-Operate After EP Elections With ‘Some’ on Hard-Right
The European Union’s current leaders could co-operate with “some” hard-right leaders after [the European Parliament] June elections, European Council President Charles Michel told a Copenhagen audience.
Michel’s comments at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on May 14 represented a departure from previous statements by his Liberal Renew Europe bloc.
Renew Europe’s leader Valérie Hayer had strictly ruled out any post-election coalition possibilities with the Eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID) groups.
Renew Europe co-signed a May 8 statement with the Socialists & Democrats, Greens/EFA and Left groups in which the four groups ruled out an alliance with ECR and ID, with “no ambiguity”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mysterious Fires in Poland Raise Fears of Sabotage
Several major fires have erupted across Poland in recent days, with a significant blaze destroying Warsaw’s largest retail hall, decimating the shopping facility. In Bytom, Silesia, 10 buses were consumed by flames at a transport depot, and a school building in Grodzisk Mazowiecki caught fire during an examination. Additionally, a chemical plant in Siemianowice, Silesia, experienced a fire, and multiple waste disposal sites throughout the country also reported fires.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, stressed the significance of determining whether these fires were linked to foreign activities or constituted acts of sabotage; however, he acknowledged that there is currently no evidence linking the recent fires to external interference.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NATO’s Newest Member Open to Hosting Nuclear Weapons
Via The Libertarian Institute
The Swedish Prime Minister has said his country would be willing to host nuclear weapons during a war. The North Atlantic Alliance has a nuclear sharing program that has US nuclear weapons deployed in five countries. The Polish leader recently said he hopes Warsaw can one day join the program.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Swedish public radio that Stockholm would be willing to do this only during wartime. “In a war situation it’s a completely different matter. It would depend entirely on what would happen,” he explained “In the absolute worst-case scenario, the democratic countries in our part of the world must ultimately be able to defend themselves against countries that could threaten us with nuclear weapons.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PM Orban: We Have Enough Warmongers in the EU Parliament, Don’t Send More
The campaign for the European parliament is in full swing in Hungary, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban on a nationwide tour to make the case for Hungarians to vote for his brand of anti-war, anti-immigration politics
“Sending a pro-war MEP to Brussels is like throwing water into the Danube: It is possible, but unnecessary. There is enough of that there,” he said at a campaign stop in Tiszaladany.
Orban further suggested that “instead of pro-war leftists who are bought by the kilo, let’s send pro-peace people to Brussels! Let’s show George Soros that there is no worse investment than a Hungarian pro-war politician.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poland’s Confederation party has formally notified the prosecutor’s office of a potential crime involving diplomatic treason by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. This announcement follows the European Commission’s confirmation on May 7 that Poland has recognized the primacy of EU law over its national legislation, as part of concluding proceedings under Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union.
During a press conference, Confederation spokesman Tomasz Grabarczyk highlighted the European Commission’s statement, which acknowledged that “Poland has launched a series of legislative and non-legislative measures to address the concerns on independence of the justice system, it has recognised the primacy of EU law and is committed to implementing all the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights related to rule of law including judicial independence.”
“For us, and for all rational-minded Poles, this simply means that Donald Tusk, as the prime minister of the Republic of Poland, has committed an act of diplomatic treason. Therefore, we are notifying the authorities of the possibility that a crime of diplomatic treason has been committed,” Grabarczyk stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In the upcoming European Parliament elections, the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party could secure 32.7 percent of the votes, while the Civic Coalition (KO), led by Donald Tusk, is a close second with 30.3 percent, according to the latest survey by United Surveys for Dziennik Gazeta Prawna (DGP) paper and RMF FM commercial radio. If the elections were held next Sunday, Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s party would emerge victorious.
The Third Way alliance, comprising Poland 2050 and the Polish People’s Party (PSL), which are in ruling coalition with Tusk’s party, would finish third, garnering 12.6 percent of the votes.
Representatives from the Left (9.6 percent) and the Confederation party (8.6 percent) would also secure seats in the European Parliament.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish President and PM Meet at Last in Tense Encounter
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk finally could not avoid meeting President Andrzej Duda. The president had to take the oath of office from four new ministers Tusk had appointed last Friday, replacing the four who decided to run in the EU parliament elections due to take place on June 9.
The meeting had been postponed on Tusk’s initiative, even though Tusk himself had asked to meet Duda about the latter’s statements on nuclear sharing, which the government says were made without consultation.
The biggest conflict between Duda and Tusk remains the issue of judicial reform. The justice ministry has introduced conciliatory amendments to the legislative draft, which would see the election of a new National Judicial Council (KRS), the body that makes recommendations for judicial appointments and sets internal rules governing the legal profession. These changes were expected to be enough for the president to desist from vetoing the legislation, as the status of all judges would no longer be challenged.
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Populists Excluded From Von Der Leyen Debate on European Parliament Orders, Broadcast Union Claims
Brussels’ two main populist factions have been excluded from an upcoming debate with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the orders of the European Parliament, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) claimed.
Both the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group and the Identity and Democracy (ID) group have been refused entry to the “Eurovision” debate on May 23 in the EP’s plenary chamber in Brussels, which will see the von der Leyen defend her mandate against challengers.
While the exclusion has caused outrage among right-wing politicians in Brussels, the EBU claimed it had no choice but to leave out both groups, as neither had formally appointed a spitzenkandidat — or lead candidate.
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Bratislava, Slovakia — Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot Wednesday and left in a life-threatening condition, according to his Facebook page and the Slovak government. The shooting took place in the town of Handlova, about 90 miles northeast of the capital Bratislava, as Fico emerged from a government meeting.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár called it an assassination attempt in a social media post. One suspect was detained at the scene as Fico was transported first by car, and then by helicopter to a regional hospital as it was deemed to urgent to move him on the ground.
Deputy speaker of parliament Lubos Blaha confirmed the incident during a session of parliament and adjourned the legislature until further notice, the Slovak TASR news agency said.
Police quickly sealed off the scene and photos and video showed at least one person being taken into custody. Slovak media outlets said the suspect was a 71 year old man.
There were no reports of other suspects on the loose, and no immediate information about a possible motive for the shooting of the highly divisive, veteran politician.
Witnesses reported hearing about four shots, according to the BBC, and local media outlets said Fico was hit in the abdomen and possibly an arm or leg. Video from the scene showed security personnel rushing the wounded premier into a car before driving away at speed. He was transferred to a helicopter and camera’s then captured him being rolled on a stretcher, covered by blankets, into a hospital in the city of Banska Bystrica.
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Slovak PM Robert Fico Shot in Assassination Attempt
Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting on Wednesday before being driven away at speed by security personnel.
The attack took place in the town of Handlova ahead of a meeting of government officials.
Slovak news outlet Dennik N reported the incident shortly after 2:45 p.m., revealing how Fico had greeted a crowd of people welcoming him to the town when several shots were fired.
The Slovak leader fell to the ground and was covered by security personnel.
The alleged assassin was neutralized and detained by police who have cordoned off the area.
Fico was carried into a vehicle which drove off at speed. He is reported to have been seriously injured and was airlifted to the Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica. He is understood to be in critical condition.
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Slovak PM Robert Fico Expected to Survive; UK Media Appears to Justify Assassination Attempt
Update(1840ET): Prime Minister Fico is said to be improving, following reports that he was in surgery due to several gunshot wounds from the Wednesday assassination attempt. Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba has told the BBC he “is not in a life-threatening situation at this moment.”
“Fortunately, as far as I know, the operation went well — and I guess in the end he will survive,” the statement indicated.
Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak has told reporters in a briefing that “there is no doubt” that the attack was a politically motivated assassination attempt. “The inability to accept the will of some part of the public, which some group does not like, is the result that they have worked towards today,” he said in reference to Fico’s political opponents. A video is widely circulated of the detained suspect’s interrogation wherein the man, identified as Juraj Cintula, confesses to saying he “disagreed” with his government’s policies.
Western media coverage of the attempted killing has been interesting to say the least. Fico was alongside Viktor Orban a dissenter when it comes to the NATO line on Ukraine.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald has commented, for example, “Listen to this Sky News report on the shooting of Robert Fico. Not only do they come close to justifying it because he opposes aid to Ukraine, but they also casually imply that he’s being paid by the Kremlin. This casual accusation is so prevalent in the West, and toxic.” The Sky segment in question which calls Fico “very pro-Russian” and that it’s “not surprising” that the attack took place is below:
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Socialists Turn on Greens’ Brussels Mobility Project
With around three weeks to go to June’s Belgian national elections, Brussels Socialists are distancing themselves from the Greens, trashing its flagship Good Move project.
Ahmed Laaouej, leading the Francophone Socialist PS list in the Brussels-Capital Region and aspiring minister-president, has stated his intention to repeal the local urban mobility plan advocated by the Greens.
“Good Move crashed. It’s a failure,” Laaouej said of the proposal.
That did not sit well with the Greens — it was the party’s pet project to achieve sustainable mobility and… fewer vehicles in the city, more bicycles and more public transport.
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Spain: Why the Trains Don’t Run on Time in Catalonia
Two serious robberies of copper wires have left Catalonia’s regional train service in a shambles.
In the early hours of Sunday, election day for the region, the theft of a large amount of wire cables in a strategic area for train traffic paralyzed six train lines that connect Barcelona, the Catalan regional capital, with its surrounding area, causing a general breakdown in the regional train service. Two of the lines were operating again by Monday but buses had to be put in place to substitute train service on the rest of the lines. Costs to repair the damage are estimated at some 15 million euros. It could take up to two months to get the trains running at full service again.
Then on Tuesday, another robbery of copper wires affected two more train lines.
Sunday’s incidents had already led to political finger-pointing.
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The Simpsons Releases ‘Pro-EU Song’ Ahead of June EP Elections
Hit US cartoon The Simpsons has released a song praising the European Union ahead of the June European Parliament elections.
Titled Little E.U., the musical number mainly focuses on the lack of a tipping culture in Europe, with the main protagonist Homer lauding the bloc for allowing him to pay just the ticket price for a wealth of services.
“Here, in Euro land, extra money not change hand,” he sings in episode 17 of season 35, which aired on May 12.
“Waiters, cabbies, escort girl, just cost base rate, what a world,” he adds.
“Europe king and here is why. Only pay for what you buy.
“The printed price is all that’s due. When you in Little EU!” Homer concludes.
The character goes on to praise Europe’s free-at-point-of-use healthcare systems in the song, which is a parody of the 2023 meme Planet Of The Bass.
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Tusk Government to Put Chief of Poland’s Broadcast Media Regulator on Trial
The Polish Government has prepared an indictment against Maciej Swirski, the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiTV).
Swirski is being charged with illegally withholding TV and radio licence-fee payments owed to public broadcasters that the Government took control of in December and put into liquidation.
In response to the announcement of his pending indictment, Swirski said it was “an attempt to intimidate a constitutional body in order to obtain the executive’s desired actions”.
The KRRiTV chief was elected to his post in 2022 by Parliament which, according to the Constitution, elects the members of the Council for six-year terms.
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Recently released minutes from the UK government’s Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) governing board, the Disinformation Board, provide further evidence of the authorities’ direct involvement in monitoring online speech during the pandemic but also flagging it for removal.
But even this wasn’t enough for CDU, which in 2023, after several years of criticism and scrutiny by some media and privacy groups, got rebranded as the National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT).
One of the moves considered by top UK officials was to “embed” civil servants in companies running social platforms, and it remains unclear if this was in fact done, writes Big Brother Watch’s Jake Hurfurt for Public.
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GB News host Martin Daubney has slammed the new portrait of King Charles claiming that it “looks like Extinction Rebellion already got to it”.
It comes after the first official portrait of King Charles since his Coronation was unveiled at Buckingham Palace this afternoon.
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UK: Cambridge Journal Drops ‘Anglo-Saxon’ From Its Title Under Pressure From “Mad Americans”
A prestigious academic journal has been accused of caving to a “handful of mad Americans” after erasing the term “Anglo-Saxon” from its title.
Anglo-Saxon England, a journal published by the University of Cambridge since 1972, will now be known as Early Medieval England and Its Neighbours.
The university said the renaming represented the “international, interdisciplinary and rapidly evolving nature of research in this field,” but historian and author Dominic Sandbrook accused them of changing the title because they are “total drips” who “didn’t have the courage to say no to a handful of mad Americans.”
The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group, descended from Germanic settlers, who inhabited England from the 5th century. They spoke Old English, the ancestor of the modern-day English language.
Writing in defence of the term, history writer Samuel Rubinstein, says:
The Anglo-Saxons appear to us as a benign link in the chain of Our Island Story: they come after The Romans, coincide with The Vikings, and abruptly transform into The Normans at Hastings in 1066. Peopled with colourful characters, it is an exciting, murky part of the story.
However, some academics, especially in the U.S., say “Anglo-Saxon” has racist overtones due to its use by a small number of white supremacists.
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UK: Liberal Democrats Accused of “Witch-Hunt” Against Christian Candidate
Christian members of the left-wing Liberal Democrats feared that their positions in the party could have been at risk after their Anglican colleague was deselected as a parliamentary candidate because of his faith.
On Monday, The European Conservative approached the Liberal Democrats over claims David Campanale is set to be replaced as a prospective MP candidate for Sutton and Cheam after being “hounded out” of the position due to being a Christian. A spokesman insisted the party is “home to people of all faiths and none, including many Christians.”
But it has since emerged that other Christian Lib Dems feared that the interrogation of Campanale over his faith would lead to them being expelled too. One party member, quoted in The Daily Telegraph, said he “wouldn’t be surprised if the night of the long knives included me.”
The newspaper has also revealed that the party’s local officers were warned that there was “the feel of a witch-hunt” against Campanale.
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In the first three months of this year, the number of violent incidents, including sexual assaults, at German train stations has once again risen sharply compared to the previous year, according to data from the Federal Police.
The crime statistics show that there were approximately 8,100 violent crimes in just three months, and in March 2024 alone, there were 2,800 violent crimes, representing a shocking 19.7 percent rise compared to March 2023. In total, there are 90 crimes per day on the German train network.
In particular, in March, serious sexual crimes exploded to 213, a 37 percent increase over March 2023.
The situation is deteriorating so quickly in Germany that the police are turning against the far-left interior minister, Nancy Faeser (SPD), who is responsible for security in Germany but appears to be focusing her efforts on fighting her political foe, the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
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Following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico, the ruling government is pinning the blame for the heinous and anti-democratic attempted murder on the opposition and dominant left-wing media.
“You have made us all targets,” said Lubos Blaha, the deputy speaker of the Slovak Parliament, and a member of Fico’s Smér party, during a heated press conference. “You have spread a haunting hatred for years. You hated that people elected us so much that you went after us like wild animals. These are the fruits of your labor. The prime minister is fighting for his life because of you.”
He noted that “liberal media” had whipped up hatred of Fico related to his commitment to nationalist politics and his desire to end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire.
The country’s interior minister, Miinister Šutaj Estok, further noted that the constant media and opposition attacks on Fico helped fuel the climate that led to his attempted assassination, including the use of dehumanizing language.
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Israel’s War on Gaza Live: Mass Displacement as Israelis Intensify Assaults
Deadly battles rage in Gaza’s north with Palestinian armed groups attacking invading Israeli troops in small-arms ambushes and with rocket fire and improvised explosive devices.
| — Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Hamas to Set Up Base in Turkey, Coordinate Attacks in Nearby NATO Countries
A document, retrieved by the Israeli army from the residence of the chief of staff to Hamas’s leader in Gaza, lays out a plan to set up a secret base in Turkey and other terror cells elsewhere to coordinate attacks against Israeli targets in neighboring countries, including NATO members, Israel claims.
The printed document, seen by The Times but not publicly available, was discovered in the home of Hamza Abu Shanab, chief of staff to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Its uncredited author sketches a Hamas put on the defensive in the Gaza strip and which therefore has no choice but to act with a major effort to establish military hubs which will be the base for special operations that can strengthen the forces of resistance militarily, diplomatically and morally. Therefore we suggest to establish a security branch abroad which will be capable of carrying out intelligence and military operations in the future.
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Analysis: Why Did Putin Replace Shoigu With Belousov in Kremlin Reshuffle?
In a significant move that reflects Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategic intentions, Andrei Belousov has been appointed as the new defense minister of Russia. According to insights from the American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this decision underscores Putin’s desire to energize Russia’s arms industry for a prolonged war with Ukraine and possibly future confrontations with NATO.
Belousov replaces Sergei Shoigu, who will now serve as the secretary of Russia’s security council. The outgoing secretary, the powerful Nikolai Patrushev, is set to assume a new position, details of which are yet to be disclosed, announced Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Sunday. Belousov will also be Putin’s deputy on the Military-Industrial Commission.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained that elections in Ukraine will not take place until the country’s conflict with Russia concludes and “all Ukrainians” can participate in the voting process. During a speech in Kyiv, Blinken outlined the United States’ efforts to work with the Ukrainian government and civil society groups to assist with Ukraine’s election infrastructure.
“As soon as Ukrainians agree that conditions allow, all Ukrainians, including those displaced by Russia’s aggression, can exercise their right to vote,” Blinken explained. “People in Ukraine and around the world can have confidence that the voting process is free, fair, secure.”
[Comment: But an election might show that the voters want a peaceful resolution of the war. The military-industrial complex would not like that result.]
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Putin in China Seeking Support for Ukraine War Effort
Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Beijing on Thursday for his first trip abroad since his reelection.
The two-day trip is the Russian leader’s second to China in six months.
Putin was welcomed by Chinese officials as well as a military honor guard when he touched down.
Both Russian and Chinese state media covered the arrival.
The two neighbors described their relationship as having “no limits” during a meeting in 2022 when the rest of the world decried Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
Beijing has benefitted from supporting Moscow by receiving cheap gas and oil. Still, China has increasingly come under pressure from Western nations with its banks facing the threat of US sanctions that could interrupt Chinese access to international financial markets.
Prior to the trip, the Kremlin said Putin and Xi would “define key areas of development in Russian-Chinese cooperation, and exchange views on international and regional issues” during discussions on the “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between their nations.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Russian Gazprom Posts First Loss in Over 20 Years as Sanctions Bite
For the first time in more than 20 years, Russian energy giant Gazprom has reported a financial loss. Analysts say the multi-billion dollar loss is a sign that Western sanctions are taking effect and that turning to China is not compensating for lost European revenues.
The energy company is running a $7 billion deficit due to a sharp drop in trade with European countries and sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine.
Gazprom and the Russian economy have responded to the sanctions by turning to India and China, but this has not compensated for the lost European markets. The company’s problems reflect the limitations of Moscow’s partnership with China, according to a report from Reuters.
The constraints persist despite Moscow’s deft response to sanctions, with the country known to divert its seaborne oil exports to other buyers.
In 2022, the first year of the war, it shipped some 63.8 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. Last year, this fell by a further 55 percent to 28.3 billion cubic meters.
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Russian Exploration Vessels ‘Discover the World’s Largest Oil Reserves’ in Antarctica
Reports from Russian exploration vessels suggest vast amounts of oil and gas have been discovered in Antarctica, partly in areas claimed by the UK and Argentina.
The exploitation of resources in Antarctica is strictly prohibited. Only activities related to science are permitted, under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty that bans all mineral or oil developments.
According to British daily The Telegraph on May 11, the Russian research vessels’ operator Rosgeo (Russian Geological Exploration Holding) informed Moscow that there are reserves totalling 511 billion barrels of oil — or double all of Saudi Arabia’s reserves.
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Zelensky Cancels Visit to Spain as Russia Attacks From the Northeast
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky has cancelled his visit to Madrid, scheduled for Friday, May 17, according to sources within the Spanish Royal House.
He was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe VI to discuss the war, with Spanish leaders keen to restate their support for Kyiv.
Diplomatic sources now indicate that the Ukrainian president’s trip, which would have also included Portugal, was cancelled due to the renewed Russian offensive.
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Georgia Approves Controversial ‘Foreign Agent’ Law, Sparking More Protests
Georgia’s parliament has voted through a divisive “foreign agent” law that has sparked weeks of mass street protests.
However, the bill now faces a likely veto by Georgia’s president, which the parliament in Tbilisi can override by holding an additional vote.
Critics say the bill — which they call the “Russia law” — could be used to threaten civil liberties.
After the vote, protesters tried to enter the parliament while crowds also shut down a major intersection
Under the bill — which passed its third and final reading with 84 votes against 30 on Tuesday — NGOs and independent media that receive more than 20% of their funding from foreign donors would have to register as organisations “bearing the interests of a foreign power”.
They would also be monitored by the Justice Ministry and could be forced to share sensitive information — or face hefty fines of up to 25,000 GEL ($9,400; £7,500).
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French Government Blocks TikTok to Curb Civil Unrest in New Caledonia
France has imposed a state of emergency in New Caledonia in response to protests and riots, leading to a ban on TikTok as authorities seek to stabilize the region. The French government has taken these measures to address the unrest that erupted after a contentious vote extending voting rights in the territory’s provincial elections and is the latest example of a government restricting internet access as a means to control citizens.
The local government representative in New Caledonia, under the directive of the newly declared state of emergency, took the significant step of banning TikTok, citing public safety concerns. This action was part of broader measures that included increased powers for security forces such as house detentions, weapon seizures, and restrictions on movement to prevent further disorder.
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Over $13 Million Paid Out in Vaccine Injury Claims in Australia
Authored by Monica O’Shea via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The Australian government has paid out $20.5 million (US$13.2 million) in COVID-19 vaccine injury claims to people who experienced harm from the jab.
Services Australia data provided to The Epoch Times reveals 6.82 percent of claims have been compensated so far, that is 286 out of 4,191.
“As at 31 March 2024, the COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme has received 4,191 claims and paid 286 claims to the value of around $20.5 million,” a spokesperson said.
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Two Killed in New Caledonia Rioting After Right to Vote is Broadened
At least two people have been killed in rioting on the French Pacific Island of New Caledonia.
Around 130 people were also taken into custody by police during the violence on May 14. Several institutional buildings were set on fire, leading French President Emmanuel Macron to convene a defence and national security council meeting the following day regarding the “insurrection”.
The rioting erupted after the French National Assembly approved changes to voting rules in the Pacific island, repealing the Noumea Agreements of 1998 in which only those registered on the electoral roll before 1998 could vote in provincial elections. The new law will allow all natives and those who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to take part.
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148 House Democrats Vote Against Bill to Deport Migrants Who Assault Police
A bill aimed at booting illegal immigrants out of the U.S. if they assault a police officerpassed the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening.
It’s one of several pieces of legislation that House Republican leaders are putting up for a vote this week as part of National Police Week.
The bill passed with a 265 to 148 vote, with 54 Democrats voting with the GOP.
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Afghan Family Arrested in Sweden for Murder of Female Relative in Suspected Honor Killing
Three Afghan nationals from the same family have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of murdering their 25-year-old female relative in an “honor killing” before burning and dumping her body in the woods.
A 44-year-old man, a 43-year-old woman, and a 23-year-old man believed to be the victim’s parents and brother were arrested last week after the woman’s body was discovered on the morning of May 4 in a shelter located in the Ekebacken nature area outside Lessebo.
Police were able to identify the body despite the woman sustaining severe injuries and being partially burned.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday evening, and two residential homes, a garage, and a vehicle were searched. The homes remain cordoned off due to the ongoing investigation.
All three suspects were charged on Friday with murder and grave breach of peace. They remain in custody.
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Brussels Divided as 19 EU Member States Lead Charge for Offshore Processing of Asylum Seekers
A group of 19 disgruntled EU member states who believe the European Union must “go beyond” the proposed migration pact and find a “real solution” to the migrant crisis are drafting a letter to the European Commission calling for the offshore processing of illegal migrants.
The mobilization of more than two-thirds of member states was confirmed during a press conference between Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, in Rome on Monday.
“We need to start solving the problem before we have to deal with it in the countries of the union. We therefore want to focus more on cooperation with safe third countries, enter into strategic partnerships with states from which or through which migrants come to us, or focus on creating return centers,” Fiala told journalists.
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Congolese Migrant Dubbed ‘Poster Boy for Integration’ Jailed in Germany for Raping His Own Mother
A Congolese refugee, previously described by the German press as a success story for integration, has been jailed for nine years after being convicted of beating and raping his own mother.
Moise Lohombo, 30, was sentenced by the Wiesbaden District Court for an offense the judge claimed was so cruel he told the court he thought he had misread the case file.
The migrant was found to have committed the crime in an apartment he shared with his mother shortly after being released from prison for a drug-related offense.
Upon the return home of his mother, he threatened her with a knife and told her he would kill her if she refused him sex. In a desperate plea, his mother offered him money for a prostitute instead, but he refused.
The victim was so severely beaten during the attack that investigators found blood spatter all over the apartment. After the rape, Lohombo reportedly apologized to his mother and called her an ambulance before fleeing.
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French Police Officers Doused in Petrol by 40-Strong Migrant Group Headed for Britain
Two French police officers were doused in petrol and targeted with lit projectiles during a failed attempt to prevent a group of 40 migrants from crossing the English Channel.
The incident occurred on Monday near Gravelines, a French commune around 20 kilometers southwest of Dunkirk.
Shortly after 11 p.m., the officers spotted the migrant group heading to the coastline at Place du Petit Fort Philippe carrying a dinghy and life jackets.
In a bid to intercept the group before they embarked on the vessel, the officers chased after the migrants, who turned around and confronted them.
According to BFMTV, the migrant group opened a can of petrol and threw the substance at the officers before lighting their life jackets and launching them at the two men.
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Hungary is on another collision course with Brussels after senior government officials vowed on Tuesday to defy the measures outlined in the EU’s controversial New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Speaking to Hungarian journalists in the de facto EU capital, Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said the conservative administration in Budapest would not adhere to new rules relating to migrant quotas — a move likely to result in fresh financial penalties being imposed by Brussels.
“Hungary does not accept the imposition of migrant quotas,” Varga said.
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A new shocking video from the German city of Leipzig shows foreign groups battling each other, including with machetes, in broad daylight on Sunday in a notorious crime zone — one that has the only “weapon ban” zone in the state of Saxony.
In one part of the video, one of the suspects can be seen hitting another man with a machete blade, with one police investigator saying that the use of machetes is becoming increasingly common.
Two men, both aged 26, were injured in the mass brawl, with one of them requiring hospitalization.
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‘Open the Sea’ — Hezbollah Leader Calls on Lebanon to Flood Europe With Migrants
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday urged the Lebanese authorities to “open the sea” to migrant boats to put pressure on Europe. The announcement comes shortly before the EU parliamentary elections on June 9, with immigration perhaps the most important topic of the election.
In a televised address, Hassan Nasrallah called for “a national decision” to “open the sea” for “anyone who wants to leave for Europe, for Cyprus,” which is the EU country closest to Lebanon’s coast.
Many in Lebanon accuse the EU of wanting to keep displaced Syrians in the country, which claims to host nearly 2 million Syrian refugees, including many who are in the country illegally. That represents the highest per capita ratio in the world.
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Tusk’s Opposition to the EU Migration Pact ‘Is a Setup,’ Warns Polish MEP Dominik Tarczynski
Dominik Tarczynski, the leader of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) faction in the European Parliament, has accused Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk of being disingenuous regarding Poland’s opposition to the EU migration pact.
On Tuesday, following the Council of Ministers meeting, Donald Tusk assured that Poland will not welcome any migrants under the migration pact. He added that Poland has already taken in hundreds of thousands of migrants due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and tens of thousands from Belarus.
Despite opposition from Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, the migration pact was ultimately approved by the finance ministers of EU nations on Tuesday.
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Two-thirds of Ukrainian refugees living in Poland, Germany, and Czechia are satisfied with their new lives and intend to pursue citizenship in their respective host countries, new polling revealed.
According to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) last month, 28 percent of adult Ukrainian refugees living in the aforementioned European nations are completely satisfied in their new surroundings, while 38 percent are rather satisfied.
Just 6 percent are completely dissatisfied with their living situation in their new country.
As a result, 64 percent have already pursued or plan to pursue citizenship in their host country when they become eligible to do so.
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UK: Sunak’s Rwanda Plan Hits Yet Another Legal Obstacle
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan—to deter Channel crossings by sending illegal migrants to the African nation for asylum processing—cannot apply to Northern Ireland, a Belfast High Court judge has ruled.
The official said that migrants cannot be deported to Rwanda from Northern Ireland, which is a province of the United Kingdom, because this would be in breach of the UK-EU post-Brexit Windsor Framework, which says there can be no reduction of the rights enshrined within the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. They added that aspects of the Act are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Robert Bates, who is research director at the Centre for Migration Control think tank, said that the decision should come as no surprise. He told The European Conservative:
Yet again we hear that the Rwanda plan is rubbing up against Britain’s so-called human rights obligations. The prime minister was warned by many, including his former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, that his legislation simply would not work if we remained within the ECHR—and sadly they have been shown to be correct.
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UK: Tories Won’t Give “Single Thought” to Seriously Reducing Migration
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has spent much of the past week in the headlines for his various plans to bring a sense of control back to Britain’s borders. But experts in the field have told The European Conservative that neither this Conservative nor the (likely) next Labour government will seriously consider them, because they “simply don’t share the same concerns about mass migration as the British public.”
Jenrick, alongside former housing minister Neil O’Brien, last week warned in a paper for the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) think tank that mass migration under the Conservatives, and Labour before them, has made integration impossible and placed “enormous pressure” on national services.
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A western Sydney council has backflipped on its controversial ban on a book for same-sex parents following a night of marathon debate and fiery scenes.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Flemish Left Meltdown Over Vlaams Belang’s Pro-Family Policies
The Left in Flanders is in a tizzy after the Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang party, inspired by Hungary’s demographic approach to public spending, proposed incentivising couples to have children.
With Belgium’s June 9th elections fast approaching, and Vlaams Belang topping the latest polls by a wide margin (securing a commanding 28% of the vote), leftist establishment parties are doing their utmost to publicize the supposed ‘far-right’ threat Vlaams Belang presents in the northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium.
The Left’s latest slander—in an obvious ploy to appeal to what they believe will attract women voters—focuses on how Vlaams Belang could tackle the dire birthrate which, like all across Europe, is below replacement level, prompting fears of a demographic crisis: In the past ten years, the number of live births in Flanders dropped from 1.81 to 1.53 children per woman.
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Digital scams have become increasingly sophisticated and Google’s latest innovation offers a promising defense mechanism. But, like with all things Google promotes as progress, how it impacts lives and the implications of the technology could become a major civil liberties issue — especially anti-privacy EU officials are likely salivating at the idea of the technology.
Announced at the I/O developer conference, the company is testing a new call monitoring feature designed to protect Android users from phone scams. This feature leverages Gemini Nano, a streamlined version of Google’s Gemini large language model, which can run locally on devices to detect fraudulent language and patterns during calls, alerting users in real time. While this development is a significant step forward in combating scams, it also raises crucial questions about privacy and the potential for broader applications that could infringe on personal freedoms.
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Half of Scots Want Draconian Hate Crime Law Repealed
Humza Yousaf might be gone as Scotland’s first minister, but the Hate Crime and Public Order Actwhich was introduced during his short stint in office is still very much in place.
The Scottish National Party’ hate crime law created a new crime of “stirring up hatred” against a range of protected groups, not including women.
In the month that has now passed since the law came into force, Police Scotland has been hit with more than 10,000 hate crime complaints (a good proportion of them directed at Yousaf himself), distracting officers from real crime.
But while this figure continues to go up, the level of public support for the hate crime law shows no sign of improving.
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Moms for Liberty Joins Federal Lawsuit Against Biden Admin’s Title IX Regulation
Moms for Liberty, along with Young America’s Foundation, attorneys general from Kansas, Wyoming, Utah, and Alaska, have joined together in legal action against the Biden administration’s Title IX regulation, which conflates gender identity and biological sex and diminishes protections for women on college campuses.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, argues that the new Title IX regulation infringes upon students’ First Amendment rights by compelling them to use specific pronouns, endorse certain theories about gender, and restrict their safety and privacy in sex-segregated spaces, which are now open to both sexes who identify as the opposite sex.
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Schools in England to be Banned From Teaching ‘Gender Identity’ to Young Children
Schools in England will be told by the government not to teach children about progressive theories on so-called “gender identity” and sex education in general to children under the age of nine.
Fresh guidance from the government will inform schools that they should not teach children that they can change their gender identity and that if asked, should only provide children with “biological” information about sex. Schools will also be required to inform children that they cannot legally change their gender until after they are 18. Meanwhile, teachers will be told that they should refrain from engaging in “explicit” conversations about sex until the age of 13, The Times reports.
The guidance, which will be published on Thursday, will also say that teachers should, if asked about the topic, inform children that “gender ideology” is contested, according to the BBC.
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Similar in age and outlook to the 2 terrorists one of whom massacred over 50 people at a Las Vegas concert, the other who tried to kill a republican congressman. Is there a kind of zoo where the regime keeps these leftists, ready to use them for political assassinations?
I suspect you are right.
If you dont toe the line you will suffer an “accident” – if you are of higher rank.
And if you are of lower rank you are arrested, harrassed or disappeared.
Punish one and 1000 will get the message.
I must admit I would really like to know what their endgame is.
When they control everything and everybody bows to their whims.
Wouldnt it be totally boring?
I believe that the answer to your question lies in Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Narcissists are charming dreamers that force the world around them to conform to their will – even if it means murder. They will fight and punish anyone who does not conform to their worldview. They justify evil actions against other people by thinking other people provoked them to do evil – by the things they said or did…
Narcissists don’t accept defeat and they are most dangerous when they are losing or when they have already lost: Uncovered and defeated narcissist goes through “narcissistic collapse” and that’s when he or she is capable of anything – even murder – because narcissist can’t accept he or she has lost.
Like the Pharaoh in Egypt – he had his land destroyed and his army and ultimately he lost his own life – simply because he could not accept that he lost.
Yes, there is. It’s in the indoctrination centers, called Universities.
Soros and crew most likely promises to take care of these losers families after the police take them out or they are lock up for life and keep their mouths shut or they get Epsteined when the cameras in the jail fail and the guards take a smoke break..
Princip (Ferdinand) = leftist communist
Booth (Lincoln) = Democrat
Oswald (J Kennedy) = leftist communist
Sirhan (R Kennedy) = Mohammedanist
Hodgkinson (Scalise) = Democrat
Cintula (Fico) = leftist communist
Today’s Rhetorical Question: Sans lunatics like Hinckley (Reagan) and Fromme (Ford), which side of the political spectrum’s always behind the trigger when major political figures get shot?
Actually, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is from a Palestinian Christian family.
“Actually, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is from a Palestinian Christian family.”
Perhaps, raised as a “Christian”, but he seems to’ve self-identified (and ACTED) as a run-of-the-mill “Palestinian”.
“My only connection with Robert Kennedy was his sole support of Israel and…obviously do harm to the Palestinians.” —Sirhan (Feb 1989)
https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/20/us/sirhan-felt-betrayed-by-kennedy.html
“He was raised as a Palestinian Christian and was also born with Jordanian citizenship. Sirhan moved to the United States at the age of 12—living first in New York and then in California…A fervent Christian, Sirhan explored several denominations as an adult. He identified as a Baptist and Seventh Day Adventist before joining the occult Rosicrucians.”
https://www.biography.com/crime/sirhan-sirhan
“In 1968, while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in Los Angeles, he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant.”
https://www.britannica.com/summary/Robert-F-Kennedy
“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia [Rabies] in a dog…” —Winston Churchill, “The River War” (1899)
Many Palestinian Christians are ardent Jew-haters. Maybe not as much as their Muslim cousins, but they still tend to hate the Jews.
“Many Palestinian Christians are ardent Jew-haters. Maybe not as much as their Muslim cousins, but they still tend to hate the Jews.”
Not to beat this horse too much, but, generally speaking, most Christians aren’t Jew haters; most Palestinians are.
Yes, that’s exactly true.