Four U.S. Army vessels that were part of the JLOTS temporary pier bringing aid to Gaza broke free from their moorings in rough seas today and were beached near the pier in Gaza, and near Ashkelon. The Army had built the pier at a cost of $320 million.
In other news, two gunmen shot at a Jewish elementary school in Toronto early this morning. No injuries were reported, but damage was done to the school.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Dean, DV, Insubria, JW, LP, McN, Reader from Chicago, Upananda Brahmachari, Vlad Tepes, WRSA, 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.
Average US Vehicle Age Hits 12.6 Years as Inflation Takes Toll
Cars, trucks, and SUVs across the U.S. are getting older, with the average vehicle age now at a record 12.6 years. According to S&P Global Mobility, which monitors state vehicle registration data, high prices for new cars and massive economic pressures on buyers account for the trend, ABC News reports.
Despite a small recovery in new vehicle sales and a recent drop in prices — the average new car cost just over $45,000 last month, down from a peak in December 2022 — many people still find new cars too expensive. “It’s prohibitively high for a lot of households now,” said Todd Campau, aftermarket leader at S&P Global Mobility. “So I think consumers are being painted into the corner of having to keep the vehicle on the road longer.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Study: AI Set to Impact 3 Million Jobs in Germany by 2030
profound impact on the job market in Germany, potentially affecting up to three million jobs by 2030, as reported by SPIEGEL.
The study, conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), suggests that AI adoption could lead to automation of a significant portion of work hours, prompting millions of workers to switch jobs.
While many companies see AI as a way to streamline operations, the study underscores the importance of workers adapting to avoid being left behind. The projected changes could represent seven percent of total employment in Germany by 2030.
Researchers at McKinsey envision a future where AI adoption accelerates in both the US and Europe, potentially automating nearly a third of work hours by 2030. This percentage could increase to 45 percent by 2035 in the EU, necessitating nearly twelve million job transitions by 2030, or 6.5 percent of current jobs in Europe.
The study highlights the potential for polarization in the job market, with a shortage of highly skilled, well-paying positions and an oversupply of low-wage jobs. Office roles, particularly in administration and public institutions, are expected to undergo the most significant changes, with over half of AI-induced job switches (54 percent) projected to occur in this sector in Germany.
To mitigate the impact of these changes, workers can protect themselves through training and other qualification measures. The study predicts increased demand for technical skills by 25 percent and social and emotional skills by 12 percent in Europe.
Sandra Durth, a contributor to the study, emphasizes the importance of investment in training and reskilling for leaders. Without such efforts, AI cannot reach its full potential, and office support roles are particularly vulnerable.
Despite potential challenges, the economic implications are viewed positively by McKinsey researchers. They suggest that faster AI adoption and effective worker retraining could boost Europe’s annual productivity growth rate to three percent by 2030.
The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) study analyzed economic and societal trends up to 2030 in the US and ten European countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Additionally, over 1100 executives from companies in Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and the US were surveyed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
“We’re Numb” to Chaos: Baltimore Crowned America’s Overdose Capital
“Walking through the streets of Baltimore City, especially on the west side, feels like navigating a warzone. Drug gangs have taken over entire neighborhoods, and the police are nowhere to be found. We’ve all become numb to the violence, with shootings and drug overdoses around the clock. The fentanyl flooding the streets is killing people left and right, and all that’s left out of all this chaos are used Narcan kits littering city streets,” said Baltimore resident Theresa Davis.
Davis continued with a few questions: “Where are the politicians who promised the end of the drug crisis? You know, the White House is just right down the street—where is Biden?”
“This is insane — our leaders have failed us,” she added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese NYPD Cop Fired for Allegedly Spying for Chinese Communist Party: Docs
An NYPD cop from China was fired by the department for allegedly spying for the CCP, internal disciplinary records show.
Lt. Steven Li was working at the Internal Affairs Bureau when he helped a Chinese national connect with a woman targeted by the Chinese government from between 2019 and 2021, FBI and NYPD investigators alleged.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dettelbach Dances Around Oversight Questions in Hearing Into ATF’s Killing of Bryan Malinowski
ATF agents cut off the electricity to Bryan Malinowski’s Little Rock home before executing their search warrant March 19. None of the agents wore body cameras, and they covered Malinowski’s doorbell camera with tape to hide their actions.
Fifty-seven seconds after kicking down the front door, Malinowski was fatally shot in the head. His wife, Maer Malinowski, was pulled out of her home wearing only bedclothes and forced into the back of a squad car, where she was held against her will for four hours in 34-degree weather, despite her frequent pleas to check on her dying husband.
“If that isn’t weaponization of government, I don’t know what is,” Congressman Jim Jordan, R-OH, said Thursday morning, during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gaza Camp Protests Predominantly Occurring at Elite Colleges, Report Finds
A recent report has found that Gaza camp and ceasefire protests on college campusesare disproportionately occurring at elite institutions, primarily attended by students from higher-income families.
Washington Monthly report, which analyzed data from Harvard’s Crows Counting Consortium and reports of encampments, highlighted significant disparities in protest activities based on the socioeconomic backgrounds of students.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
What a long, strange trip it’s been.
Five years and one month after first son Hunter Biden dropped off three damaged laptops at a repair shop in Wilmington, Del., and never returned to pick them up, a Delaware federal judge ruled that jurors at the 54-year-old’s upcoming trial on weapons charges can be shown damaging evidence about his illegal drug use taken from his hard drive, his iPhone and iPad and his own memoir.
As Hunter looked on in court — one day after attending a White House state dinner — US District Judge Maryellen Noreika in Wilmington ruled that the “laptop from hell” could not be barred out of hand based on his legal team’s claim it had been hacked and seeded with false information.
However, Noreika did rule that the first son’s attorneys can object to the introduction of specific pieces of information from the laptop as prosecutors — who say there is no evidence that the computer was ever compromised — seek to raise them during trial, which begins with jury selection June 3.
[Comment: Oh, so Hunter Biden’s laptop is real, and not “Russian disinformation.”]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
President Joe Biden commemorated the fourth anniversary of George Floyd’s death with a social media post saying his death started a “civil rights movement” and that Americans should “act in his memory.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Joe Rogan: Democrats Are ‘Lying to Everyone’ About Biden Over Fears They’ll ‘Empower’ Trump
Podcaster Joe Rogan has asserted that Democrats are refusing to publicly criticize President Joe Biden over fears he will lose the election in November.
Rogan argues Democrats lost all credibility by “lying to everyone” to cover for Biden over fears that criticisms could “empower” President Donald Trump.
The host spoke to standup comedian Brian Redban during Thursday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Life Sentence for Man Who Raped, Stabbed Gwinnett Teen After Meeting on Snapchat
LAWRENCEVILLE — A Flowery Branch man was sentenced to life in prison on May 24 for raping a 15-year-old Gwinnett County girl and stabbing her 86 times.
Zachary Iona, 22, pled guilty in Gwinnett County Superior Court to charges of rape, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, statutory rape, child molestation and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. Iona was given a life sentence, followed by five years of parole and mandatory sex offender registration as part of his negotiated plea.
“This should be a warning to our young people to beware,” said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin Gatson. “As this case demonstrates, not everyone you meet on social media has your best interest at heart.”
The teen met Iona on SnapChat. In Feb. 2022, the teen agreed to allow Iona to visit her at a home in Hoschton. Iona arrived with rolls of duct tape, rope and a knife. He bound the teen’s hands and covered her mouth with tape and then raped her, the Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office stated. During the sexual assault, Iona began stabbing the teen in her face, torso, neck, legs and arms. He then fled.
The teen managed to crawl to her phone and call for help. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found at least 86 stab and cut wounds on her body.
Police were able to identify the defendant from a photo on the teen’s SnapChat. Police searched Iona’s car and found duct tape and rope, as well as blood, according to the investigation.
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Minnesota Proclaims May 25 as ‘George Floyd Remembrance Day’ on Memorial Day Weekend
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has once again proclaimed May 25 as “George Floyd Remembrance Day.”
In an official proclamation released by the governor, Walz stated “George Floyd’s murder ignited a global movement, accentuating the systemic racism that Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color have endured for centuries,” and that “true justice for George Floyd will come only by upholding high standards of accountability and investing in genuine systemic change.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Muslim Activists Lead ‘Abandon Biden’ Movement in 9 Swing States to Thwart President’s Reelection
A national Muslim activist group called “Abandon Biden” is organizing operations in nine swing states to prevent President Joe Biden from winning reelection in November as punishment for his handling of the Israel and Hamas war, according to a report.
Minneapolis-based newspaper the Star Tribune reported Sunday of the group’s efforts to keep Biden from a second term, even if it results in a Trump presidency:
Abdel Salam, 48, is among a group of Muslim activists, including several Minnesotans, who are organizing in nine swing states in opposition to Biden’s re-election. The group’s leaders say they want to politically punish the president for what they describe as enabling mass civilian casualties in Gaza.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New Documents Reveal Plans to Continue Election Censorship Into 2024
A lot of logical and reasonable things have been turned on their head over the last years of unprecedented, politically-driven censorship, and so the latest revelations about the policy of the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) could be summed up as, “better sorry than safe.”
Namely, new documents show that despite not knowing — and admitting to not knowing — if their highly divisive and controversial “anti-disinformation” efforts actually work, this coalition brought together thanks to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pressed on with plans to extend that censorship push into the 2024 election year.
EIP was established about three months before the 2020 presidential ballot in the US, and engaged in flagging speech on social media, declaratively with the goal of removing election-related misinformation.
The new documents unearthed by Matt Taibbi (of the Twitter Files) show that, despite the turmoil around that election that was in no small part tied to “fact-checkers” and the like, but also the government’s (indirect) involvement, EIP planned to continue its “mission.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
PGA Tour Golfer Grayson Murray Dies Suddenly at 30
The PGA Tour has announced the tragic sudden death of Grayson Murray at the age of 30.
His death was announced just one day after he withdrew from this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday.
The North Carolina native won his second PGA Tour title back in January.
On Saturday, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed he was “lost for words” after Murray died unexpectedly on Saturday morning.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The chief of police at Portland State University was hospitalized after a medical emergency on Thursday while responding to violent attacks at the Gaza direct actionon campus. Rioters attempted to block the ambulance from picking up the chief and there were multiple arrests made.
Video footage showed Chief Willie Halliburton lying on the ground with officers tending to him. He was shaking and appeared to have lost consciousness, according to the clip. It’s unclear what type of medical emergency he was suffering from. He was later brought to the hospital, according to KEYE.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Record-Breaking 3M Air Travelers Took to the Skies to Kick Off Memorial Day Weekend: TSA
Memorial Day Weekend air travel has reached new heights.
Nearly 3 million travelers took to the skies across the country on Friday for the unofficial launch of summer, breaking the last record by more than 42,000, the Transportation Security Administration announced Saturday.
“TSA Officers have set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day!” the agency wrote on X.
“On Friday, May 24, 2,951,163 individuals were screened at checkpoints nationwide, surpassing the previous record on Nov. 26, 2023.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Republicans Are Winning the Voter Registration Battle in Battleground States
Authored by Austin Alonzo via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)
Republicans are closing the gap on voter registrations in key swing states. Political observers say it could be a sign the party will perform well in November.
The gap between registered voters in the Democratic Party and Republican Party shrank significantly in Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina, according to voter registration statistics collected in April.
Taking the combined voter totals in the three states, Republicans have eroded the Democratic registration advantage by more than 54 percent between 2019 and 2024.
In Arizona, a fourth critical state, Republicans extended their lead in registered voters by more than 71 percent during the same period.
The four states are among the most prized possessions in presidential politics. Collectively, they represent 52 electoral votes. In 2020, Joe Biden carried all except North Carolina. In 2016, Donald Trump took everything but Nevada.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Special Counsel Requests (Another) Gag Order for Trump in Classified Docs Case
Authored by Caden Pearson via The Epoch Times
Special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutors asked the judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida on Friday to issue a gag order following remarks he made about the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate.
In a filing on Friday, prosecutors asked Judge Aileen Cannon to modify the conditions of President Trump’s release from jail before trial to prevent him from making statements that may pose a “significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger” to the FBI agents involved in the planning and execution of the search and seizure of presidential documents stored at his Florida estate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A student at a woke New York City school is facing “disciplinary consequences” after being identified Saturday as the vandal who defaced its entrance with anti-Israel graffiti.
Though there were two students thought to be involved in the graffiti incident at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, a spokesperson for the Bronx institution insisted there was just one culprit, who was identified following an “immediate” investigation and will now be disciplined.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Supreme Court Faces Historic Finish to Eventful Term
Authored by John Malcolm via The Epoch Times
Oral arguments are over at the Supreme Court for this term. Although the rallies and protesters have dispersed (for now, anyway), the justices remain frantically at work on the numerous opinions they have yet to hand down. With several closely watched cases still pending, it will likely be a historic finish to this Supreme Court term.
The court heard 61 arguments in 69 cases this term (some of the cases were consolidated for oral argument), 20 of which the court has already decided.
The most newsworthy of those cases was the unanimous ruling in Trump v. Anderson, in which the court reversed the Colorado Supreme Court and held that former President Donald Trump could not be removed from the state ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
Because, the court said, “the Constitution makes Congress, rather than the States, responsible for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates,” state courts and state officials have no power to remove federal candidates from the ballot.
Opinions in some of the biggest cases, however, have yet to be issued.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Thieves Trying to Steal Catalytic Converter in LA Fatally Shoot Man When He Tries to Stop Them
A group of thieves fatally shot a man in South Los Angeles when he tried to stop them from stealing a catalytic converter from his vehicle Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Police received a call at 3:15 a.m. about a shooting near West Pico Boulevard and South Hope Street, and upon arrival, found a 35-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds, LAPD said. Investigators learned the man saw three people trying to remove the catalytic converter and approached them. Then they opened fire.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the male suspects fled the scene. They remained at large several hours later.
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Top Attorney Testifies: Hospitals Were ‘Incentivized’ to ‘Murder COVID Patients’
Renowned American attorney Tom Renz has testified before the Ohio Senate with explosive allegations against the medical industry and federal government health officials.
According to Renz, hospitals and doctors were “incentivized” to “murder” their patients to create the illusion that COVID-19 was a significant threat to public health.
During his testimony, Renz revealed that hospitals received more money from the government for every patient that tested positive for Covid.
They received additional funding for treating patients for Covid and even more when the virus was listed as the cause of their death.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Block ‘Apprentice’ Film
Former President Trump sent a cease and desist letter to filmmakers shopping a movie about his early career.
The film, called “The Apprentice,” focuses on Trump’s rise to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s and on his relationship with Roy Cohn, the notorious mob-connected New York lawyer who worked with Trump before Cohn’s 1986 death.
“The film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president,” the producers of the film said in a statement to Variety, which first reported the cease and desist letter. “We want everyone to see it and then decide.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Slams War at Libertarian Party Event, Says Military Should Stay Out of Regime-Change Wars
Former President Donald Trump took the stage at the Libertarian National Convention where he slammed endless wars, stating that the point of the U.S. military is to defend America and its people.
“We believe the job of the United States military is not to wage endless regime change wars around the globe,” Trump said during his speech. “The job of the United States military is to defend America from attack and invasion here at home.”
Trump later said that property rights are fundamental to a free society and slammed President Joe Biden for the rampant inflation.
The 45th president was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the Libertarian Party crowd.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Experts’ Claim Disaster-Proofing Necessary for Canadian Hospitals Due to Climate Change
On Saturday, experts in Canada claimed the need to update the country’s hospitals to be more disaster-proof because climate change is expected to bring more “climate-related emergencies” in coming years.
In an interview with the Canadian Press, director of adaptation research at the Canadian Climate Institute, Ryan Ness, noted that the types of disasters that bring people to the emergency room, such as wildfires, floods, and others, are also a threat to the hospitals themselves.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gunmen Open Fire on Toronto Jewish Girls School: Police
Authorities told reporters on Saturday that two gunmen shot at Jewish elementary school in the early hours of the morning in Toronto. No injuries were reported but damage was done to the school.
Video of the suspects shooting at the Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School of Toronto revealed the shots being fired in the early hours at around 5am, local time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Shots Fired at Toronto Jewish Girls School, Police Investigating
Toronto police say they’re looking for multiple suspects who allegedly shot at an elementary school in North York early Saturday morning.
In a news conference Saturday afternoon, Insp. Paul Krawczyk of the guns and gangs task force said the suspects fired from a dark-coloured vehicle at the Bais Chaya Mushka, a school that serves Jewish girls in the Greater Toronto Area, just before 5 a.m. before leaving.
Police were called to the area after staff called investigators at around 9 a.m. Saturday reporting “evidence of a firearm discharge” at the school, Krawczyk said.
“I completely understand that this can cause concern and fear and anxiety in the community, especially when it happens at a school like this,” said Krawczyk.
There have been no reported injuries, but Krawczyk said the front of the school has been damaged.
Krawczyk said it’s too early to tell whether the shooting was a hate crime or a terrorist act.
“We’re not going to ignore the obvious, you know, what occurred here and what the target of the shooting was,” he said. “But at the same time, it will be wrong to just guess at this point.”
The guns and gangs task force are leading the investigation but will be supported by the force’s hate crime unit, Krawczyk said.
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
Decline in Small General Stores Continues in Czech Republic
The number of small general stores in the Czech Republic has continued to shrink, decreasing by 137 in the past year, bringing the total to 11,701. Over the last four years, nearly 400 such stores, each with an area of up to 400 square meters, have closed.
Compared to 2017, the country has lost more than 2,000 small stores, and since 2007, approximately 4,600 have disappeared. This data was reported by the Association of Czech Traditional Trade (ACTO), based on findings from the NIQ agency.
The decline is most pronounced in stores that are not part of larger networks, particularly in municipalities with populations of up to 2,000 residents. “The reasons why small, independent stores are closing are quite clear. On one hand, it is due to the growing competition from multinational chains, and on the other hand, these stores are unable to purchase cheaply from suppliers,” explained ACTO chairman Pavel Brezina.
Looking forward, ACTO predicts the trend will persist. Brezina suggested that small stores could adapt by integrating with e-shops to expand their offerings or by adopting automated sales technology to reduce personnel costs and enhance customer convenience. “In simple terms, small stores must find ways to succeed,” he added.
To combat this decline, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) has initiated the Obchudek 2021+ program, aimed at supporting small general stores. This year, the program allocated 49.4 million crowns to cover expenses such as employee wages, rent, heating, lighting, and internet for stores in smaller municipalities. Applications for the program closed on April 15. Each region can receive up to 3.8 million crowns, with individual stores eligible for up to 130,000 crowns.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Must Consider Unfair Competition Measures — Giorgetti
Europe should probably follow US’s lead says economy minister
(see related) Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said Friday that the European Union should consider taking measures like those imposed by the United States to protect its businesses from unfair competition.
The US recently announced new tariffs on $18 billion of imports from China, saying this was necessary to protect American workers and businesses.
It said China was flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports and conducting unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation.
“(Access to) the free market should be granted to those who respect fundamental rights, this must be clear,” Giorgetti told Rai television in Stresa, where he is chairing the G7 Finance Meeting.
“ There are geopolitical and geo-economic systems that create unfair competition.
“The United States has taken very powerful decisions and Europe will probably have to do the same”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
France Conducts Test Launch of Nuclear-Capable Missile
France conducted its first test launch of a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, according to a post by the country’s defense minister Sébastien Lecornu on the social media platform X, as reported by the BBC.
The ASMPA-R missile was launched without a warhead from a Rafale fighter jet during an exercise “over national territory at the end of a flight simulating a nuclear airstrike,” Lecornu wrote.
The minister noted that the exercise had been planned for a long time. The announcement also reminded that France possesses nuclear forces both for air and submarine deployment. Lecornu emphasized that the exercise was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the air component of the nuclear deterrence forces.
In the coming years, France plans to allocate 13% of its military budget to its nuclear forces, including the modernization of air-based delivery systems.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France and Germany Unite in Call for EU Growth Strategy Focused on Energy Transition
France and Germany have issued a joint call for a robust growth strategy to address competitiveness challenges in the energy transition, offering support to the forthcoming EU executive.
On the eve of the Competitiveness Council meeting, Paris and Berlin proposed a series of measures aimed at boosting industrial competitiveness over the next five years. Their focus includes enhancing cross-border energy infrastructure, securing critical raw materials, and discussing the 2040 climate targets.
The joint paper, signed by German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for the Economy and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, and French Minister for the Economy, Finance, and Recovery Bruno Le Maire, urges the next European Commission to prioritize simplifying bureaucracy, achieving the Capital Markets Union, and addressing the energy transition.
“We need to further accelerate the transition of our energy systems,” the document states, highlighting that increasing geopolitical tensions have compounded challenges for the EU’s supply chains and access to critical raw materials.
The paper emphasizes that private financing should be the “natural first contributor” to bridge the estimated €620 million investment gap needed for energy and climate transition initiatives. France and Germany commit to collaborating on the future EU climate and energy framework for 2040, aiming to lower electricity prices and bolster European competitiveness.
“We will work together to find common ground on the future EU climate and energy framework for 2040. This will help lower electricity prices and strengthen European competitiveness,” the joint paper declared.
Additionally, the paper stresses the importance of meeting climate targets while preventing carbon leakage through the swift implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), designed to support the decarbonization of EU industry.
A German government official, speaking at a press briefing, confirmed that the paper aligns with the government’s broader strategic thinking. “We don’t want to deteriorate the level of ambition on this paper … The goal is to find a common language to build on this [energy policy],” the official stated, reflecting the stance of Germany’s coalition government.
This Franco-German initiative underscores the commitment of two of the EU’s largest economies to spearhead a unified and strategic approach to energy transition, aiming to enhance the bloc’s industrial competitiveness and sustainability.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
G7 Finance Ministers Have Not Made a Final Decision on Russian Assets
The G7 finance and economy ministers did not make a final decision on the use of profits from Russian assets, Italian Economy and Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti announced.
According to him, progress has been made on this issue, but the process is not complete due to technical difficulties. He emphasized the ministers’ shared position on supporting Ukraine.
“Progress has been made regarding Russian assets, but the process is not complete because there are technical difficulties,” the minister said at a press conference following the meeting.
Earlier, the media reported that Hungary is obstructing the European Union’s attempts to use profits from frozen Russian assets to assist Ukrainian troops. According to the publication, the EU had proposed a deal to Hungary in which their share of Brussels’ funds would not be used to purchase weapons. A source indicated that this would prevent Budapest from vetoing the EU’s mechanism.
On May 21, EU countries approved a plan to use 90% of the income from frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank to supply weapons to Ukraine. The EU Council announced the first seizure of income from frozen Russian assets in European banks would take place in July this year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Berlin, Germany, an Analytical Center Warns About the Purchase of Intelligence Data
Intelligence services are increasingly obtaining sensitive data from commercial data markets, prompting a call for stricter regulations and increased supervision by a think tank based in Berlin, SPIEGEL reports.
According to a recent analysis by Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, an intelligence services are turning to commercial data brokers more frequently to acquire information. This method, dubbed “information acquisition with a credit card,” grants access to a range of highly sensitive data, including political affiliations, health records, geographical data, and comprehensive movement patterns.
One significant source of such data is online advertising platforms, where advertisers vie for ad space on websites through real-time bidding. A substantial portion of available data originates from these advertising auctions, leading to the term “Advertising Intelligence” (ADINT) to describe intelligence services’ procurement practices.
Corbinian Ruckerbauer, one of the analysis authors, highlights compelling evidence suggesting that German intelligence services are also active in purchasing such data. Unlike the United States, Germany has seen limited action in terms of regulatory oversight and policy development.
The authors emphasize the current high risk of data misuse and advocate for the swift implementation of standards and limitations, akin to those governing other intelligence activities. They present specific recommendations and underline the importance of the impending reform of intelligence legislation announced by the coalition government, viewing it as a crucial opportunity to establish robust regulations in this domain.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Is the Right Coming Back? Germany Prepares for European Parliament Elections
On June 9, the next elections to the European Parliament will be held. According to expert assessments and opinion polls, the popularity of extreme right-wing parties in Germany is now unprecedentedly high. The rapid growth of the right wing and the request of a society who is tired of the left’s empty promises, allows right — wing politicians, who previously were in the shadow of liberal forces, to hope for good performance during the elections. At the same time, the democratic forces are confident of their success despite the rising ratings of their competitors. Voice of Europe reports on how Germany is preparing for the election process.
Turning right
In the last year, the popularity of right-wing parties has been growing rapidly. As the results of the parliamentary elections that took place in a succession of EU countries show, this is not an isolated case in a particular country, but an international trend.
In 2023, far-right parties in Portugal and the Netherlands won first place in internal parliamentary elections. The Sweden Democrats party, strongly opposed to immigration and multiculturalism, is the second largest party in the parliament and supports the right-wing coalition government. Greece has three far-right parties in parliament at once. At the same time, the extreme right has achieved success in Spain (Vox), Italy (Brothers of Italy, current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni), Finland (True Finns) and other countries.
In addition, the AfD party won its first victory in Germany — Robert Sesselmann won the election for the Landrat (head of administration) of the district of Sonneberg. Even though this is a district with a population of 56,000 people, this can be perceived as the first signal of a potential “right-wing coup” in German political circles. This is also evidenced by the performance of the extreme right shortly before the start of voting for the European Parliament.
In March, Ipsos, commissioned by Euronews, conducted an exclusive survey on party support in the run-up to the elections. The survey was conducted in 18 EU countries. The results showed that the right-wing is likely to succeed in the elections and its support will increase in the next European Parliament.
“The center-right will manage to maintain its majority in the polls, but the far-right and Euroskeptics could significantly expand their support base, as they are currently leading in four of the six founding countries of the EU,” the publication said in a piece.
It is noted that in France, the National Union of Marine Le Pen is overtaking the party of President Macron by a large margin. In Italy, the Italian Brotherhood of Giorgia Meloni is expected to win, and in the Netherlands, the success of Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party is likely to be repeated.
The study shows that the ratings of the Liberals and the Greens will fall strongly in Germany. The Greens are now in third place in the country and behind the Alternative for Germany, which is showing its best performance in recent years.
Why has the right-wing become so popular?
Social networks have become one of the valuable resources used by the AfD to grow in popularity and recognition. In a commentary for DW, Klaus Hurrelmann, a researcher on youth issues, said.
The fact is that Alternative for Germany, unlike other German parties, actively uses TikTok for communication with its potential voters and advertising. The AfD used this niche in time and pushed its competitors out of the popular social network, as TikTok algorithms prefer to advertise pioneers in content.
This year, for the first time in Germany, it will be possible to vote in the European Parliament elections from the age of 16. The party has recognized the current demands of young people and is attracting a new, still young electorate through their own environment and methods of communication.
According to a study by political analyst Johannes Hillje, the AfD’s posts on TikTok get about ten times more views than those of other parties. That’s not counting the accounts of individual deputies and regional figures of the political force.
“Climate crisis, inflation, housing problems and fear of poverty in old age. For a party like the AfD, this is what is needed. After all, this is the party that claims that the government is unable to dispel such fears,” says Klaus Hurrelmann.
It is noted that the AfD offers simple solutions to the country’s problems. It is for this reason that the AfD came second among young voters between the ages of 18 and 24 in the Landtag elections in the federal state of Hesse last fall.
“The AfD is a party that is unambiguously male-dominated. It’s a party that men primarily vote for, and young men too,” says Hurrelman.
Other polls also testify to the growing popularity of the far-right. The Jugend in Deutschland 2024 survey published in April showed that the level of support for the AfD is 22% among the younger generation. This is almost double the level of support in 2023 and 2022. In second place with 20% is the opposition conservative CDU/CSU bloc.
Study co-author Kilian Hampel explained in an interview with DW why young people in Germany have turned sharply to the right in recent years
“AfD’s 22% among young people is minus the votes of those who will not go to vote. If we leave out their votes, the AfD’s figure would be 14.5 percent, and so it would remain in first place. The AfD knows how to successfully appeal to the youth, to speak directly about their concerns. Young people believe that politicians do not see them, do not take their interests into account and so they are very dissatisfied with the government. Dissatisfaction with the political situation in general is at record levels. When discontent in the country grows at all levels, it always improves the position of the opposition. This can be seen in the example of the AfD and the CDU/CSU. This is a normal process, but the AfD also manages to communicate successfully with young people using digital technology,” says Hampel.
It is believed that it was the popularity of the AfD on social media that may have motivated Chancellor Olaf Scholz to start TikTok in an attempt to boost his ratings among young people ahead of the election.
What is the right-wing promising in Germany?
The European Union, in the AfD’s view, needs to be reformatted. The party states its desire to create a “federation of European nations,” which means a European economic community based on new principles and a community of interests in which the sovereignty of member states will be guaranteed. The AfD intends to preserve the EU internal market.
In migration policy, the party calls for the protection of the European Union’s external borders and the deportation of undesirable migrants.
In the context of foreign policy, the AfD calls for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict with Russia and the resumption of economic relations, which, according to politicians, should be reflected in the stabilization of the energy market in the EU.
Changing migration policy is perhaps the most pressing topic for the German elections and the main explanation for the current popularity of right-wing parties. Previously the refugee issue was just speculation for opposition parties. While currently, given the turbulence in the EU due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, voters will demand a solution to a critical and vexing situation.
This is according to the results of opinion polls conducted by DeutschlandTrend. It is reported that asylum policy is the main topic on the eve of the European Parliament elections. According to a poll conducted on May 2, if federal elections were held this month, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party would receive 15%. The Union (a bloc of center-right political parties) rating has improved slightly to 31%. “The Greens remain unchanged at 15%. The AfD party is in second place with 18%.
In an attempt to discredit their opponents, German politicians in opposition to the AfD often claim that far-right parties support Russia in the war against Ukraine. However, even such controversial accusations no longer deal electoral blows to political forces. Experts note that now the classification of a party’s ideology is not the main factor in voting. Voters are more interested in the declared goals and support the solution of what they believe to be urgent problems in the country.
“The war had direct consequences for many. Young people found themselves in a difficult economic situation. In an affluent country where it seemed that the threat of poverty was not to be worried about, the percentage of young people who feared exactly that increased. Inflation has hit many. In addition, there was the Covid-19 pandemic not too long ago. And right after that, there were financial problems. This has caused a sense of powerlessness for many. The prospect that this could somehow be changed was very appealing. That’s why, as our research has shown, people are willing to support the AfD. This is not directly related to attitudes toward the war, or support for Russia or non-support for Ukraine. It has much more to do with a desire to improve their own situation,” Hampel told reporters about the results of the sociological study.
The Jugend in Deutschland 2024 study shows that the issue of illegal migration is one of the sought-after issues among German youth. Hampel explains that in 2015, when the flow of refugees into Europe had just begun, Germany was in a better and stronger economic position. In 2024, the situation is much worse, so citizens are not ready to provide aid to migrants en masse.
This position has been influenced by the increase in crime in Germany in recent years. In 2023, the German police recorded more than 5.94 million crimes. This is 5.5% more than in 2022 and the highest figure in the last eight years. At the same time, the number of violent crimes increased by 8.6%. This is according to data provided at a press conference by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on April 9, 2024.
According to crime statistics, the total number of criminal suspects amounted to 2,246,767 in 2023. Among them, persons without German citizenship were 923,269, accounting for more than 40% of the crimes.
“The best remedy against migrant crime is successful integration, so we cannot continue to leave the number of people coming to us to chance. Germany has reached its integration limit after several years of a very strong influx of migrants,” said Michael Steuben, Minister of the Interior of the federal state of Brandenburg.
Some sociologists believe that the far-right, opposition parties deliberately scare their voters with the drama around the migration issue, but statements by official authorities say otherwise.
It is likely that specifically in Germany, unlike in France and Italy, the popularity of right-wing parties is due to the fact that the AfD has become a kind of candidate against everyone and, in this case, against Olaf Scholz’s party. At a critical moment, when the liberal movement is in crisis against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the right-wing has focused public attention by offering an easy and quick way to solve the problem.
The European Parliament will shift even more to the right, according to a Politico poll.
Thus, the IID faction, which traditionally includes representatives of the Alternative for Germany and the Rassemblement National (France), could become the third largest. This political force has currently announced 84 seats in Parliament. At the same time, ECR, which unites Polish national conservatives (Law and Justice) and Italian right-wingers (Brothers of Italy), has a chance to become the fourth or fifth largest force.
This once again confirms the likely changes in the composition of the European Parliament, where “traditional” liberal politicians will have to cooperate and seek compromise with right-wing Eurosceptics.
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Italy: Row After Two Muslim Students Exempted From Studying Dante
Parties slam ‘crazy’ move, ‘insult to our culture’
A middle school teacher in the northern city of Treviso has exempted two Muslim students from studying Dante on the grounds that it is a religious work that clashes with their Islamic faith, local dailies reported Friday, sparking a major row on integration and an alleged insult to Italian culture.
The Divine Comedy, with its visions of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, is steeped in medieval Christianity and the Prophet Mohamed is one of the historical figures placed in the Inferno.
The teacher asked the families of all the students who are exempted from religious studies on religious grounds if they also wanted to be exempted from studying the greatest Christian poet, or greatest poet of any kind, and two families said yes.
Their sons were instead given Boccaccio, one of Italy’s other great medieval poets along with Petrarch, to study.
The case spurred a wave of criticism with centre-left Democratic Party (PD) Senator Simona Malpezzi saying it was “profoundly wrong” to deprive any student of the “deep knowledge of Italian culture that studying Dante brings”.
She added: “Knowing Dante does not take anything away from the children’s religious confession”.
The indignation was cross-party with Deputy Senate Speaker Gian Marco Centinaio of the ruling rightwing League party saying “not studying Dante is an insult to our culture”.
League leader, Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said “it’s demented not to study Dante because some people might get offended”.
League MEP candidate and army general Roberto Vannacci, suspended from duty over a best-selling book slamming gays, feminists, Blacks and other minorities, denying climate change, endorsing the great replacement theory on Muslim migrants replacing ethnic Italians, and blasting woke culture, said “they are trying to destroy our identity.” Deputy Lower House Speaker Fabio Rampelli of Premier Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party said “excluding Dante from the curriculum on request is mad”.
FdI bigwig and Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè said “we are continuing to be subjugated by Muslims, giving in to their extremist demands”.
FdI cultura pointman Federico Moillicone, chair of the House culture committee, said “the Divine Comedy is universal, and we must resist curricula personalised on religious grounds”.
Back on the left, PD MP Debora Serracchiani also lamented the teacher’s decision, stressing that “Dante is an irreplaceable cultural heritage of humanity”.
Irene Manzi, the PD’s national schools pointwoman, said “integration is also achieved by studying other cultures,” a point made by many critics of the move.
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Italy: Star of David, Threat Scrawled on Florence Uni Prof’s Door
Antisemitism rising on campus say young Jews
A Star of David and a threat were scrawled on a Jewish Florence university professor’s door Tuesday.
University Minister Anna Maria Bernini condemned the incident as “disgusting”.
The Italian Union of Young Jews said that the current wave of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli protests amid the Gaza war was having “undeniable antisemitic fallout”.
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Labour Party to Give 16- and 17-Year-Olds the Right to Vote in the UK if Elected
The Labour Party will reportedly give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in one of its first acts if victorious in the general election, in an apparent attempt to cement their grip on power.
Labour sources have told The Times of London that should the party take control of Downing Street — as is widely predicted to happen at the July 4th election — a Sir Keir Starmer government would look to lower the voting age in England within its first year in office.
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Life Expectancy in Germany Has Decreased Again
Germany continues to have one of the lowest life expectancy rates in Western Europe, with a trend towards further decline. This is according to the results of a study conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. The results were published in a press release on the BiB website.
According to this data, over the past two decades, Germany’s lag behind the rest of Europe has steadily increased. In 2022, the average life expectancy in Germany was 80.55 years, whereas in all of Western Europe it was 82.25 years. While in 2000 Germany lagged behind other Western European countries by about 0.7 years in terms of average life expectancy, by 2022 this gap had increased by a whole year to 1.7 years.
“The early 2000s marked a turning point in mortality trends in Germany,” said Dr. Pavel Grigoriev of BiB, a co-author of the study, in the press release. He noted that the gap in mortality rates between Germany and other Western European countries has been growing “relatively steadily.”
A short-term convergence to the average level in Western Europe occurred only in the first year of the pandemic, in 2020, since significantly fewer people died from COVID-19 in Germany than in other countries in the region.
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Most German Citizens Support the Creation of a Pan-European Army
Two weeks before the European Parliament elections, which begin on June 9, the INSA opinion research institute, commissioned by BILD, posed questions to German citizens about the most discussed topics.
The majority of residents of the Federal Republic of Germany (55%) want the creation of a joint European army. Only 27% are against it. 58% of respondents support permanent border controls between EU countries, while 33% do not want this. Only 27% of Germans trust the EU authorities to be able to reduce the number of illegal refugees arriving in Europe. 62% of citizens do not believe that the measures being taken in Brussels will curb illegal migration.
Overall, Germans have a positive attitude towards the EU. 62% of German citizens believe that membership in the European Union is beneficial for the country, while 25% think it is harmful. 37% of respondents believe that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is doing a good job, while 44% are dissatisfied with her performance over the past five years.
33% of respondents are in favor of the EU no longer accepting new members. 23% of Germans would like Ukraine to become a member of the European Union. The figures for other countries, such as Turkey, Georgia, and Serbia, are even lower.
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Netherlands: VVD Leader Yesilgöz Personally Did Not Want Coalition With PVV, NSC, BBB
VVD party leader Dilan Yesilgöz believes the negotiations for a new Cabinet with PVV, NSC, and BBB were “really tough.” “But we succeeded. Not because I personally wanted this collaboration, that is not an issue,” she said during her speech at the general membership meeting of the Liberals in Nieuwegein.
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Poland and Greece Urge the EU to Create an Air Defense Shield
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have called on other European Union countries to establish an air defense shield for their protection due to concerns about Russia, BILD reports.
Tusk and Mitsotakis believe that such an air defense shield should be a project that addresses “significant vulnerabilities in European security.” The prime ministers hope to present their proposal at the next EU member state summit in June.
According to the initiative’s authors, this air defense shield should be a project that addresses “significant vulnerabilities in European security.”
Tusk and Mitsotakis plan to present their proposal at the next EU member state summit in June.
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Polish Farmers to Block Road on the Outskirts of Warsaw in Protest
On Friday around noon, Polish farmers will block National Road No. 2 in Zakret near Warsaw, reports TVN24. This is yet another current protest against the provisions of the European Green Deal. Additionally, farmers want to draw attention to the losses they have suffered due to drought.
The protest was set to begin at 9:30 AM in Trzebuc, from where the farmers will move onto National Road No. 92. A convoy of tractors will pass through the villages of Janów, Osiny, Nowe Osiny, and Stojadla, heading towards the outskirts of Warsaw in Zakret, where the blockade is planned.
Lukasz Komorowski, one of the protest organizers, stated that this time the farmers are protesting not only against the provisions of the European Green Deal.
“We want to draw attention to the drought. There is no assistance system for farmers affected by weather anomalies. Moreover, there are still no direct payments for last year, leading to destabilization,” said Komorowski.
He added that about 150 people are participating in the protest. The blockade is expected to last until 6:30 PM. The police have warned about the planned farmers’ protest and advised taking alternative routes.
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Tajani Says Never Italian Missile Against Russians From Italy
Not at war with Russia says FM
Italian missiles will never be fired against Russians from Italy, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday.
“We are against sending Italian troops to Ukraine and there is a commitment to use the military equipment we send to Ukrainian in Ukrainian territory, never into Russian territory,” he said during the recording of an episode of the ‘Porta a Porta’ talk show on Raiuno.
“We will never fire a missile at the Russians from Italian territory: we are not at war with Russia”.
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UK: Watch: Iranian Govt Supporters Clash With Anti-Raisi Protesters in London
LONDON (AP) — British police say four people were hurt and one was arrested when supporters of Iran’s authorities clashed with anti-government protesters at a London event marking the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.
The Metropolitan Police force said officers were called Friday evening to “reports of disorder” at a venue in the west London area of Wembley, where an event was being held to mark Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash. Protesters had gathered outside the venue and clashes broke out, police said.
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Von Der Leyen Endorses Polish and Greek Push for EU Air Defense Initiative
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has thrown her weight behind a proposal championed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, calling for the establishment of an EU-funded air defense shield. Von der Leyen emphasized the necessity of a unified defense mechanism to safeguard Europe’s airspace against evolving threats such as aircraft, missiles, and drones.
In a letter obtained by POLITICO and initially reported by Bloomberg, Tusk and Mitsotakis underscored the inadequacy of the current fragmented defense landscape, advocating for a cohesive European air defense system. They stressed that the security of Europe hinges upon the safety of its skies, emphasizing the imperative need for collective action.
Speaking at a debate among contenders for the next Commission presidency, von der Leyen echoed her support for the proposal, stating, “We have to have a common air defense shield for all of Europe, like it was proposed by Mitsotakis and Tusk.”
Against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, the EU has intensified its efforts to bolster joint defense initiatives and provide increased military aid to Ukraine, including air defenses. The envisaged establishment of a unified European defense project serves as a clear demonstration of Europe’s unity and determination in safeguarding its interests.
Presently, Germany spearheads the European Sky Shield Initiative, with a focus on jointly procuring air defense systems from Germany, the United States, and Israel. Concurrently, France and Italy are advancing their own air defense system, known as SAMP/T, in a bid to rival the German-led initiative.
European leaders have slated discussions on joint defense efforts for the forthcoming EU summit in June. A leaked draft Strategic Agenda, anticipated to be deliberated upon during the summit, identifies “an EU air defense shield” as a prospective flagship project, signaling a potential paradigm shift in European defense cooperation.
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Biden’s $320M Gaza Pier Has Detached & Drifted Onto Israeli Beach
A section of the $320 million floating pier built and erected off Gaza’s coast has broken off and floated onto an Israeli beach. The Saturday mishap is the latest setback for the US humanitarian aid project, after three US troops were reported injured aboard the pier two days prior, including one critically.
The Times of Isreal’s military correspondent Emanuel Fabian has reported that “An American vessel used to unload humanitarian aid from ships into the Gaza Strip via a floating pier disconnected from a small boat tugging it this morning due to stormy seas, leading it to get stuck on the coast of Ashdod, eyewitnesses say.”
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Gaza War: Israel Says World Court Order Doesn’t Rule Out Entire Rafah Offensive
Israel considers that an order by the World Court to halt its military offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza allows room for some military action there, Israeli officials said.
In an emergency ruling in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide, judges at the International Court of Justice ordered Israel on Friday to immediately halt its assault on Rafah, where Israel says it is rooting out Hamas fighters.
“What they are asking us, is not to commit genocide in Rafah. We did not commit genocide and we will not commit genocide,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, told Israel’s N12 TV on Saturday.
Asked whether the Rafah offensive would continue, Hanegbi said: “According to international law, we have the right to defend ourselves and the evidence is that the court is not preventing us from continuing to defend ourselves.”
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Netanyahu Should Give Self Up to ICC Says Ex Registrar
No one is above the law Silvana Arbia tells La Stampa
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should give himself up to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Italian former ICC registrar Silvana Arbia told La Stampa daily in an interview on Tuesday a day after the court’s prosecutor requested war crime indictments for Israeli and Hamas leaders.
“It would be a good thing for Netanyahu and the other suspects to give themselves up,” said 71-year-old Potenza-born Arbia, also a former prosecutor at the United Nations Rwanda Tribunal.
“As long as the international community organises with laws, no one cam consider themselves above them,” Arbia told the Turin daily.
“Neither Netanyahu, nor Biden, nor any soldier, commander, civilian leader.
“Of course, now Bibi is n longer a person free to move like before.
He is most definitely more isolated.” If ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s indictment requests for crimes against humanity are upheld, the Israeli prime minister will no longer be free to travel to most allied countries except the United States, which has not signed up to the court for fear of losing legal sovereignty and for fear of its citizens being prosecuted for war crimes.
Arbia said she thought the ICC justices would uphold Khan’s requests.
“I expect so.
The Pre-Trial Chamber has to assess whether the crimes in question come under the ICC’s competence, and they clearly do.
“Then, it must examine the evidence presented by the prosecutor.
“And it has to evaluate whether an arrest warrant is necessary to ensure the presence of the defendant at the trial, it must prevent the defendant creates obstacles and hampering the investigation, and it must avert the reiteration of the crimes”, said Arbia.
The ICC prosecutor on Monday requested the arrest of top Hamas figures, including the group’s leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, over the horrendous October 7 attacks, and for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its defence minister over its relentless war against Hamas and the impact on civilians in Gaza.
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Rough Seas Force 4 US Vessels to Break Free Near JLOTS Pier
Four U.S. Army vessels that were part of the JLOTS temporary pier mission bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza broke free Saturday from their moorings because of rough seas and ended up beached near the pier in Gaza and near Ashkelon, Israel, U.S. Central Command said.
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A bomb attached to a car exploded early Saturday in the western part of the Syrian capital that is home to several diplomatic missions, killing one person and causing material damage, state media reported.
Damascus’ Mazze neighborhood houses the Iranian consulate, destroyed last month in a strike blamed on Israel. The attack at the time killed seven people including two Iranian generals and a member of Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah, and triggered a direct Iranian military assault on Israel for the first time, sparking fears of a regionwide war.
Several airstrikes have hit the tightly-secured neighborhood over the past months, mostly targeting Iranian officials.
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Ukraine’s Western backers are sending new tranches of weapons and supplies to keep the nation in the fight, but Russia attempts to taunt the effort, insisting no weapon can overcome their invasion.
Boast and bluster from Russia on the Ukraine war as it attempts to persuade Western nations their continuing support for Ukraine is pointless and only leads to people being killed. The remarks come from Russian diplomat Maxim Buyakevich, per Moscow government media, in an apparent bid to persuade that resisting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is pointless.
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Putin Decree Allows Seizure of US Property & Assets if Russian Funds Taken by West
On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree which paves the way for the government to conduct legal seizure of any US assets in Russia, including property and real estate.
This in retaliation and in order to compensate for any Russian assets that are taken by the US, at a moment Washington is forging ahead with a joint plan with the EU to generate profits for Ukraine and its defense, utilizing frozen Russian assets.
However, this new initiative by the Kremlin is reportedly only being prepared in the instance that the US and Europe outright steals (or fully seizes) the currently frozen funds.
In preparation for initiating the retaliatory measure, the government has moved many of the assets of foreign investors to special accounts from which funds cannot be moved outside of Russia without direct Kremlin approval.
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Russian Attacks on DIY Store, City Centre in Ukraine’s Kharkiv Kill Six, Injure Dozens
KHARKIV, Ukraine (Reuters) —Russian strikes on a crowded DIY hardware store and a residential area in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Saturday killed at least six people and injured dozens, local officials said.
Six people were killed after two guided bombs hit the DIY hypermarket in a residential area of the city, Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television.
At least two of the dead were store employees. Forty people were injured, with at least three in serious condition. Sixteen people were still unaccounted for, Syniehubov said.
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Russian Spy Chief Says More Than 20 Arrested Over Deadly Concert Attack
MOSCOW (Reuters) —Russia has arrested more than 20 people in connection with an attack claimed by Islamic State that killed more than 140 people at a concert hall near Moscow in March, the head of the FSB security service said on Friday.
Alexander Bortnikov repeated Russia’s assertion, for which it has not provided evidence, that Ukraine was behind the attack. Kyiv has dismissed the allegation as absurd.
“The investigation is ongoing, but it is already safe to say that Ukrainian military intelligence is directly involved in this attack,” state news agency TASS quoted Bortnikov as saying.
Four attackers gunned down concertgoers at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow on March 22 and then set fire to the venue, in the deadliest attack in Russia for 20 years.
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The US Gave Ukraine Glide Bombs — But They Keep Missing Because Russia is So Good at Jamming Them
Ukraine’s US-provided glide bombs are struggling against sophisticated Russian electronic jamming, Reuters reported.
The Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb is a relatively new guided bomb with a range of about 100 miles thanks to small wings that extend from its body.
Ukraine received the bombs in early February after months of requesting long-range munitions in the hope of striking distant, strategic targets in places like Crimea.
But three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the bombs’ guidance systems are running into Russian jamming, causing many of the launches to miss their targets.
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Watch: Killer Robots Set to Change Ukraine War, But Expert Remains Skeptical of Long-Term Success
Russia has shifted some of its military focus from using air-based drones to using land-based “robots,” but an expert told Fox News Digital that such a weapon has limited chance of long-term success and is proving more opportunistic than revolutionary.
“It’s just a really difficult problem,” said Christopher Alexander, Chief Analytics Officer of Pioneer Development Group and a U.S. Army vet with experience in Strategic Operations Command.
“To supervise the engagement of targets is a massive difficulty — up in the sky or underwater, open space is easy to maneuver, but you don’t have the tight control and spaces you get on the ground. It’s a mess.”
“Collecting casualties? Yes. Breaching a door … yes, they already have that technology, and it does well, and those are usually semi-autonomous or remotely controlled, but it’s a hard problem to solve: The cost per unit is high, [and] it’s the hardest, most difficult challenge from a technology perspective all the way from a manufacturing to planning perspective.”
The new Russian kamikaze robot Scorpion-M, which resembles an old R.C. race car toy, has seen heavy use in recent months, particularly in the Donetsk region. The robot can carry up to 55 pounds of explosives and can reach areas that might otherwise escape aerial bombardment.
In video obtained earlier this month by news agency East2West, a Russian brigade uses the robot to destroy underground hideouts of Ukrainian forces, according to pro-war Russian accounts.
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Georgia’s Ruling Party Accuses US of ‘Blackmail’ Over Visa Restrictions
Georgia’s ruling party accused the United States on Friday of pursuing a policy of “threats and blackmail” after Washington announced new visa restrictions over a draft law on “foreign agents,” Civil Georgia reported.
The bill, which would require organisations receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents”, has sparked a political crisis in the South Caucasus country and threatens its historically strong ties with Washington, a major aid donor.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday Washington was launching a review of cooperation with Georgia and imposing visa restrictions on individuals “responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia”, as well as their family members.
Blinken said the draft law, which has triggered large street protests in Georgia for over a month, would “stifle the exercise of freedoms of association and expression” and impede independent media organizations’ work.
The ruling Georgian Dream party said on Facebook that the visa restrictions were “nothing but a gross attempt to restrict Georgia’s independence and sovereignty.”
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Why do Muslims take Hindu names?
Swapna Gurung | HENB | Siliguri | May 23, 2024:: The police of Siliguri Mahila Police Station arrested a Muslim youth from Cooch Behar on the charge of hiding his Muslim identity and having a physical relationship with a Hindu young woman giving her the false promise of marriage.
It is known that about 1 year ago, Nazrul came to Siliguri from Cooch Behar in search of work. At that time, the young man met a young Hindu woman. Nazrul told the young woman that his name was Krishna. Later, a love relationship developed between the two. With the promise of marriage, the two started living together and had physical relations. Meanwhile, a few days ago, Nazrul alias Krishna suddenly disappeared from Siliguri. After that, the young woman went to Cooch Behar in search of the young man. There, the young woman came to know that her lover Krishna’s real name is Nazrul Hussain and that he is married and has two children.
Knowing all these the victim Hindu girl lodged an FIR in Siliguri Mahila Police Station alleging ‘rape’ and ‘sexual exploitation’ against Nazrul, as sources said.
After that, the young woman filed a complaint against Nazrul at the Siliguri Women’s Police Station on the 19th. On the basis of that complaint, the young man was arrested from Cooch Behar on Wednesday and brought to Siliguri. The arrested person was produced in the Siliguri court today.
With such false false promises of marriage and hiding their Muslim identity after taking Hindu names, the Muslim ‘Love Jihadis’ used to trap the Hindu girls and women and finally exploited them in various ways.
In some cases, the victim girls are blackmailed by the Muslim perpetrators and eventually thrown to the prostitution and even murdered in order to avoid any further row of tussle.
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EU Approves Reformed Schengen Border Code
On May 24, the EU Council officially approved the updated Schengen Border Code, a set of EU rules governing the management of internal and external borders, as well as border control regulations for individuals crossing the EU’s external borders. This was announced by the EU Council’s press service.
According to the updated code, in the event of a large-scale public health emergency, the new rules allow the EU Council to implement coordinated temporary restrictions at the EU’s external borders.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU could only issue non-binding recommendations for travel restrictions to member states. In addition to travel restrictions, the Council can now impose testing, quarantine, self-isolation, and other health-related measures for non-EU citizens entering the European Union.
To combat the instrumentalization of migration, the revised Schengen Border Code allows member states to limit the number of border crossing points or reduce their operating hours and to enhance border surveillance measures.
The revised Schengen Border Code clarifies the existing framework for reintroducing and extending internal border control, which is possible in the event of a serious threat to public policy or internal security. Member states will need to assess the necessity and proportionality of such a decision and determine if the objectives can be achieved by other means.
Internal border control, once reported to the Commission, member states, and the European Parliament prior to its reintroduction, can remain in effect for a maximum of two years.
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Haitian National Who Came to US With Biden ‘Parole’ Program Indicted for Child Rape in Massachusetts
A Haitian national that was on President Joe Biden’s “parole” program and was charged in a rape case that took place in Massachusetts at a Comfort Inn in Rockland has been indicted for child rape.
Cory Alvarez, 26, who was arrested in March has been indicted this week by a grand jury with charges of child rape of a disabled 15-year-old girl. He traveled to the US with the Biden administration’s Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan parole processes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In Germany, There Are Plans to Reduce the Influx of Ukrainian Refugees Into the Country
The German Ministry of the Interior is striving to create a pan-European system for distributing new refugees from Ukraine. This was stated by a representative of the head of the department, led by Nancy Faeser, in an interview with Welt.
According to the representative of the head of the Ministry of the Interior, Berlin “strongly advocates solidarity” in the distribution of those seeking protection and believes that it is necessary to discuss and find a solution, particularly regarding secondary migration from other EU member states.
“Therefore, a regime of evenly distributing new arrivals from Ukraine across the entire EU should be sought,” he noted.
In cases of secondary migration, an asylum seeker moves from the country where they first arrived to another country, and negotiations are currently underway at the EU level for further regulation for Ukrainian refugees. The temporary protection under the so-called mass influx directive expires on March 4, 2025. It has not yet been decided what the further regulation should look like.
Additionally, the head of the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann, called for the cancellation of social benefits for Ukrainian men of conscription age.
According to Herrmann, at least 200,000 of the 980,000 Ukrainian refugees received by Germany could be fighting in their homeland, and he proposed canceling all payments and subsidies at least for this category of Ukrainian citizens.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Number of Deportations From Germany Increased by One-Third This Year
In the first quarter of this year, significantly more people without resident status were deported from Germany compared to the same period last year, reports Welt. The number of deportations in Germany increased by more than one-third in the first quarter of this year.
As of the end of March, 4,791 people without residence permits were deported from Germany. Compared to the same period last year, this is approximately a 34% increase. From January to March, North Macedonia led in the number of citizens returned, followed by Turkey and Georgia.
However, deportations often do not occur as planned. In the first quarter of this year, 7,048 scheduled repatriations did not take place. Most of these were due to the inability to locate the individuals or flight cancellations. Medical reasons played a significantly smaller role.
According to information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, as of March, around 234,000 people in Germany were obligated to leave the country, and 46,000 of them did not have what is known as a “tolerated stay” permit. People with a tolerated stay permit are required to leave the country but cannot be deported for certain reasons, such as the lack of identification documents or illness. The duration of a tolerated stay is always limited.
It is worth noting that the number of new asylum applications in Germany significantly decreased in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Special Forces Operator Kills Undocumented Chechen Outside Home in Possible Spy Incident
Two Chechens with no personal identification — and who were in no US national databases, otherwise illegal aliens that likely invaded the nation through the southern border, were ‘taking photos’ — or possibly surveilling — outside the home of an elite US Army special forces colonel near Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, in North Carolina.
Fox News reports the colonel confronted the men, one of which was using a “telephoto lens” and taking “photos of his children” outside his home on the evening of May 3, and that’s the moment when an altercation broke out, with the special forces operator shooting and killing one of the Chechens.
The FBI told Fox News, “Our law enforcement partners at the Moore County Sheriff’s Office contacted the FBI after a shooting death in Carthage. A special agent met with investigators and provided a linguist to assist with a language barrier for interviews.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Globalists Launch New Attack on Food Supply, Threaten to Destroy Farming Worldwide
Unelected bureaucratic globalists have launched a new attack in the escalating War on Food in a move that puts the global farming industry at risk of destruction.
The move seeks to force farmers into complying with the increasingly unachievable goals of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Net Zero” agenda.
The WEF, the United Nations (UN), and other globalist interests claim that farming “emissions” are contributing to the alleged “climate crisis.”
As a result, they are pushing to decimate the global farming industry, putting the worldwide food supply at risk.
Meanwhile, the WEF and its allies are demanding that governments ban traditional meat and dairyproducts and replace them with synthetic, plant-derived, and insect-based “foods.”
The latest attack on the food supply was revealed in a recent report from the World Bank titled: “Recipe for a Livable Planet: Achieving Net Zero Emissions in the Agrifood System.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Man Fined for Standing Silently Outside UK Abortion Clinic, Officers Couldn’t Tell Him His Crime
Sebastian Vaughan-Spruce, a 44-year-old landscape gardener and pro-life activist, was fined on May 16 in Birmingham, England over suspicion of his silent thoughts in violation of the “buffer zone” regulations enforced by local authorities, according to a video and press release provided to Fox News Digital by March for Life UK.
He carried no sign and remained completely silent until approached by officers, in which he clarified he was not praying silently in his head.
Police officers asked Vaughan-Spruce if he was “praying for the lives of unborn children” when he was found standing on a public street near the abortion facility in Kings Norton, Birmingham. When he asked officers what his alleged crime was, they asked him to move elsewhere.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Decline in Small General Stores Continues in Czech Republic…
There is one way this could be excused – that is – ok, big supermarket chains can operate on smaller margins and buy big – making them cheaper than local small town shop.
But then – there is the war on private entrepreneurship, waged by the rich of the world, whose strategy is simply being the biggest fish in the pond and eating everyone else up.
Free Trade Economy can’t deal with cartels and monopolies – yet – cartels and monopolies are the name of the game, today, and the government will do nothing about it.
…and, the government will do nothing about it – because it is in cahoots with the big cartel monopoly businesses.
What is absolutely outraging, however, and extreme example of injustice done in the world today – it is when the big business, in cahoots with the government, wage war together against the small stores.
It was most obvious during Corona Madness – all big supermarket chains were “allowed to stay opened” even during the heaviest lockdowns – while each and every small private shop could not open or trade or make money – for months. Utterly criminal abuse of power, I tell ya…
And when there is no corona madness going on – the government will make stupid laws and audit tax returns and in all possible ways fight the small private shops, while at the same time giving tax breaks to the big corporates…
The government war on small business plays itself out in many ways.
It is an absolute nightmare to be a pub owner, or a shop keeper, in the Czech Republic these days… Also because thanks to our special position – and our great tax burden – and our highest energy prices per capita in Europe – everything is cheaper to buy abroad.
The Czech Republic is such a joke
Barn Swallow: It’s the same story with small businesses in California. The state imposes a multitude of laws, regulations, licensing requiremets, taxes and fees that are a constant and ever increasing drain on business owners’ time, resources and income. The state burden is compounded by all the service providers and product suppliers that raise their prices and tack on extra fees to pass along increased costs for compliance with government regulations. Then, there is the “compliance industry,” which we pay to implement the laws and regulations we are required to follow.
yes seems like the Byzantine Empire is the Utopia of the government people.
I am upset about this because growing up under communism – it was precisely the “freedom to make business” what we wanted.
And now – we are sliding ever deeper into this mud of regulations – that even Communism starts to appear “free”
Just one example of many: Under communism – camping, canoeing down rivers and making campfires, etc – was legal and a major form of “holidaymaking” – in communist czechoslovakia.
But today – you can’t make fire and camp in the forrests, or the Police will catch you with a drone if you do…
…but at the same time, big corporates run these huge harvestor machines with which one man can cut down whole forrest and load it on trucks in one day – so these big harvestor machines are running around and wiping out our forrests – while at the same time “walking” in those areas is prohibited by law under penalty – and if they catch you picking berries over there they will make an example criminal out of you…
Time of trouble is approaching, IMHO, for all this iniquity.
Drones have a bad habit of being shot down with a 10 or 12 gauge with lead short, number 6 works great on full choke, or so I have heard. 😉