Björn Höcke of the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland, Alternative for Germany) has been hit with yet another criminal probe, and had his parliamentary immunity lifted, because he allegedly defamed the State. His alleged denigration of the State occurred during a speech he gave in 2022.
In other news, a suspected illegal immigrant in Wisconsin allegedly stabbed three people, including two children who died from their wounds.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, JW, LP, MM, Reader from Chicago, 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.
“Nearly All” AT&T Customers Are Affected by Massive Data Breach; What to Do Next
AT&T is facing severe criticism following a substantial data breach where hackers accessed the call records of “NEARLY ALL” its mobile subscribers, totaling approximately 109 million individuals.
This doesn’t just affect AT&T customers, it affects everyone those customers have interacted with.
In a statement to Reclaim The Net, the telecommunications giant confirmed that the breach occurred between April 14 and April 25, 2024, involving its Snowflake storage. Snowflake, a provider that facilitates large-scale data warehousing and analytics in the cloud, is now under scrutiny for security lapses in the wake of multiple breaches facilitated by stolen credentials.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case was abruptly thrown out in a stunning development Friday — as a New Mexico judge slammed prosecutors for withholding critical evidence from the defense.
Baldwin, 66, sobbed in Santa Fe court as the charges — stemming from the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” — were suddenly tossed.
The dad of eight hugged his wife Hilaria Baldwin, who was also crying, before climbing into an SUV without speaking to the media.
Following a full day of hearings outside of the jury’s presence, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said “the sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy” and ruled that the charges could not be filed again.
“The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” Marlowe Sommer said in court.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Appoints Social Media Censorship Advocate to White House Digital Strategy Team
The Biden administration reinforces its ranks with what some reports see as yet more ardent censorship advocates.
This time it’s Andy Volosky, whose “claim to fame” thus far has been to wholeheartedly support the banning of President Donald Trump by former Twitter (while Trump was still president).
Unsurprisingly, his other efforts are advocating for even stricter online censorship (“content moderation”) than what social platforms have been doing for almost a decade now.
Volosky has now been given the right to serve this administration as deputy director of platforms for the White House’s Office of Digital Strategy. Serving the people, critically minded cynics might remark, would probably require a different mindset and a different set of skills.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Admin Tries to Stop Anti-Censorship Injunction in Kennedy v. Biden Censorship Lawsuit
Judging by several legal actions taken recently — and the speed at which it reacts (a looming election might have to do with that) — the Biden White House is very interested in making sure there are no hurdles to “communicating” with private social media companies.
The problem is that opponents see this as these companies being put under pressure to suppress or censor online content.
Some of those affected have challenged the practice in court — prompting the administration to counter this by seeking the dismissal of preliminary injunctions prohibiting collusive practices.
One such case is Kennedy v. Biden, a lawsuit alleging removal of content related to COVID topics brought by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and health professional Connie Sampognaro, who said their right to free speech had been violated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Attempt to Build Confidence in His Ability Leaves Democrats Cringing
It couldn’t get any worse for Joe Biden after that debate, could it? Could it?!
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was certainly happy to tell journalists at the NATO summit in Washington yesterday, on June 11th, that the 81-year-old Democrat is not so “senile” as to make him unfit to run for re-election.
But just hours later, ahead of a rare solo news conference (his first in more than seven months), the U.S. president delivered what was soon seen as another effective ‘Trump infomercial.’ Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — “who,” he said, “has as much courage as he has determination” — as “President Putin.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden Forges Ties With New UK PM Starmer at NATO Meeting in Washington
US President Joe Biden warmly welcomed Britain’s new Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer at his first NATO meeting in Washington on the 75th anniversary of the transatlantic military alliance.
Starmer met Biden at the White House on July 11 where they discussed the two countries’ bilateral relations, the UK-EU relationship and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, according to a British Government statement.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Colorado Democratic Sen. Bennet Says Trump Could Win in Landslide: ‘Very Worrisome’
US Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat representing Colorado, said he doesn’t think President Joe Biden can win the November election and called his party’s current trajectory to win the White House “very worrisome.”
“Donald Trump is on track I think to win this election, and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House,” Bennet told CNN in an interview Tuesday night.
Bennet confirmed an earlier report by CNN that he was among three Democrats who expressed doubts that Biden could win during a caucus meeting earlier on Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Democrat Donors Are Withholding $90M to Largest Pro-Biden Super PAC if He Stays on Ticket: Report
A number of donors have told the largest super PAC supporting President Biden that they are keeping their wallets and checkbooks closed while the 81-year-old remains the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The frozen pledges to Future Forward are worth approximately $90 million — and include multiple contributions of $10 million or more, the New York Times reported Friday, citing two sources familiar with the situation.
One donor told the outlet that he had rebuffed approaches by Future Forward for contributions multiple times since Biden shocked the world with his disastrous performance in his June 27 debate with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The report is another indication that Democratic bundlers have soured on Biden since the debate and have been agitating for the party to replace the president with another candidate — likely Vice President Kamala Harris.
As of Friday afternoon, 20 congressional Democrats had called on Biden to bow out of the 2024 race, with many saying they felt he could not beat Trump, 78.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Donates ‘Sizable Amount’ to Trump-Supporting PAC: Report
Billionaire Elon Musk has reportedly donated to a political action committee (PAC) working to support former President Donald Trump’s bid for a second term in office.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the Tesla CEO made an undisclosed “sizeable amount” donation to America PAC. This PAC, which can receive unlimited contributions but cannot directly fund a candidate, is required to disclose its donors on July 15.
Musk, one of the world’s richest men, has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden and has expressed disagreement with many left-wing policies his administration has implemented. He has also frequently engaged with conservative accounts on X, often interacting with and commenting on their posts. However, Musk has not explicitly endorsed Trump or any candidate for the upcoming election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Environmentalists Killed Logging to Protect Owls. Now They Want to Kill the Owls.
Thirty-five years after “save a logger, eat an owl” could be seen across the Pacific Northwest, the government environmentalists at US Fish and Wildlife want to kill half a million owls…to save the owls.
In a world of transgender surgeries, terrorist cryptocurrencies, and senile presidents, the Owl Wars that entered the 1990 presidential election seem implausible. But they cost tens of thousands of jobs, wiped out sizable amounts of the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest, and helped solidify Oregon and Washington as hipster strongholds no Republican could win.
It all started with listing the spotted owls as an endangered species. The northern spotted owls (which to non-owl fanciers look like most other owls except smaller) were listed as endangered by that noted scientist, Judge William L. Dwyer, who apart from destroying logging also helped create the Seattle Mariners which placed two crimes against humanity on his checkered soul.
But Dwyer was doing the bidding of the anti-industrial Sierra Club and decided to block timber sales in national forests to save the owls.
“The timber industry no longer drives the Pacific Northwest’s economy,” Judge Dwyer, whose own job as a government appointee was protected by the mandatory confiscation used to pay his ill-gotten salary, wrote. “Job losses in the wood-products industry will continue regardless of whether the northern spotted owl is protected.”
Over 1,500 loggers and family members staged a protest around Hood River, of the kind that has since become familiar in Europe, against the shutdown of their industry.
President George H.W. Bush in his usual squishy manner tried to split the difference. “All across the country, we have a spotted owl problem. And yes, we want to see that little furry, feathery guy protected and all of that. But I don’t want to see 40,000 loggers thrown out of work.”
Bill Clinton, who did want to see 40,000 loggers thrown out of work, won and held an owl summit in Portland on April Fool’s Day featuring Al Gore and a protest rally led by Neil Young. The result of the summit was that the millionaire hipsters and environmentalists who had funded the Clintons won and the loggers who were just trying to feed their families came out the losers.
Clinton cut 80% of logging. Timber prices rose 70% in the first years of the Clinton administration. Housing construction costs rose with it further hurting the middle class. Seattle and Portland became safe spaces for fans of Neil Young and bad music. Republicans, conservatives, and the working class were squeezed out to make way for the owls.
But a funny thing happened on the way to owl nirvana, the owls kept dying.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
A former Democratic lawmaker who led a last-ditch effort to unseat President Jimmy Carter at the party’s 1980 national convention said Friday that President Biden seeking a second term is “crazy” and predicted the 81-year-old would likely “be out” before next month’s DNC in Chicago.
“I don’t think this is going to go to the Democratic convention in the current posture,” former Rep. Mike Barnes (D-Md.) told The Post in an interview Friday. “I think, I think, Biden will be out probably within the next days.”
The 1980 Democratic convention, held at Madison Square Garden, holds a unique place in political history — as it was the last time moves were made to get delegates released from their voting commitments.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A Florida mom has been charged with inciting a 500-person riot at a skating rink after calling on her daughter’s friends to “tear this bitch up” when her kid’s birthday party was canceled, according to police.
Stephanie Pedroso, 36, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly sparking the chaos at Astro Skate in Brandon in May after the rink canceled her booking for an “after hours birthday party” for breach of contract, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Fourth Amendment Under Fire: Court Deems Google Location Data Fair Game
The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit published its opinion in the United States v. Chatrie case, which concerns alleged violations of the Fourth Amendment.
We obtained a copy of the opinion for you here.
This constitutional amendment is supposed to protect against unreasonable (including warrantless) searches.
At the center is Google, and how the giant’s collection of users’ locations, then accessed by others to locate a person, might constitute a violation.
In a 2-1 vote the appellate court has decided that accessing Google location data is not a search.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Trump Meet at Mar-a-Lago After NATO Summit
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban flew direct from the NATO summit in Washington, DC, late Thursday night to meet with former President Donald Trump at his Florida compound Mar-a-Lago.
The pair convened at Trump’s beachside facility and shared a photo of the moment on social media. The caption said: “We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni Makes Faces Waiting for Joe Biden at NATO Summit
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appeared visibly annoyed on Thursday while world leaders awaited the tardy appearance of President Joe Biden at the NATO summit in Washington, DC.
Meloni checked her watch, appeared to realize she was not wearing a watch, rolled her eyes, looked heavenward in exasperation, and scowled.
International media had a field day with Meloni’s unsubtle expressions of annoyance.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lifelong Chicagoan Speaks Out After Teens Attack Him on CTA Train: ‘A Gauntlet of Fists’
CHICAGO — A 63-year-old man was attacked by a group of more than a dozen teenagers on the Orange Line train in downtown Chicago on Monday night, he told FOX 32.
The victim, Michael Manning, a lifelong Chicagoan, said he was keeping to himself after a 12-hour workday and looking forward to getting home when the group targeted him.
“This was surreal. I think I was just so shocked. I think I kind of went numb,” Manning said.
He recounted that it was after 11 p.m. when the group boarded the train at the LaSalle/Van Buren stop.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta Rolls Back Restrictions to Trump’s Facebook and Instagram Accounts
Meta will lift restrictions on former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts ahead of the 2024 election, the company announced Friday.
The social media giant will ease penalties unique to the 78-year-old former president’s accounts in the event that he violates company rules in the 115 days before Election Day in order to bring Trump “to parity with President Biden,” a Meta spokesperson told The Post.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Meta’s Creepy Skin Deep “Security” Idea
While authentic videos coming out during this US campaign season show some of the leading actors proving with their behavior that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction (in this case, than any deepfake) — Big Tech continues with its obsession with deepfake technology as a serious threat.
A threat of such proportions, as far as the likes of Meta are concerned — or are pressured to be concerned — that it calls for some fairly drastic measures.
Take, for example, a new patent application filed by the giant, detailing a method of authenticating users by combining vocalization — “and skin vibration.”… and what? The filing reveals that this is the kind of biometric data which uses not only a person’s voice but also how speaking causes that person’s skin tissue to vibrate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ossoff Votes With Republicans to Block Controversial Biden Nominee
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) voted with Republicans on Thursday to block the nomination of Judge Sarah Netburn, who garnered significant controversy after ruling a transgender woman convicted of sex crimes should be transferred to a federal women’s prison.
It marked a rare instance of a Democrat breaking with the majority to bottle up one of President Biden’s judicial nominees in committee.
Netburn came under sharp criticism from Republican senators after she told Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, that she didn’t know whether it is possible to determine a person’s sex by analyzing their chromosomes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Raid on Chicago Store Nets $2.4M in Suspected Stolen Goods and 5 Guns
CHICAGO — Cook County Sheriff’s police recovered more than $2 million in suspected stolen merchandise along with five guns after busting a fencing operation at a Chicago store last week, according to a statement from Sheriff Tom Dart.
On July 2, sheriff’s police executed a search warrant at a store in the 2200 block of West Taylor Street in the Tri-Taylor neighborhood where they discovered store employees reselling stolen items to their customers, according to Dart. Dart said officers also learned that employees were instructing people to steal specific apparel, shoes, and fragrances.
Officers recovered thousands of suspected stolen items worth a total value of $2.4 million, which the store was not authorized to sell. The sheriff’s office is working with the manufacturers to determine the authenticity of the recovered items.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt Mocks Kamala Harris for Having ‘Worst’ Approval Rating of VP in History
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) made his third visit of the year to Pennsylvania Wednesday night, aiming to fire up grassroots supporters of former President Donald Trump with a simple message.
“The Biden administration,” Hunt said with a pause, “sucks.”
That quoting of Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) drew laughter from a raucous crowd at Lehigh Valley Tea Party headquarters.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
RFK Jr. Gains Ballot Access in More States, Roadblocks in Others
Authored by Jeff Louderbeck via The Epoch Times
As former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden prepare to receive their respective party’s nomination at their national conventions, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is inching closer to getting on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
On July 10, Indiana county election officials announced they had certified around 39,000 petition signatures to place the independent candidate on the state’s general election ballot.
That same day, through the We the People Party, Mr. Kennedy said he turned in the required number of signatures to get on the ballot in Georgia.
The campaign also announced that the New York State Board of Elections determined the candidate submitted 108,680 valid signatures for ballot access in that state, more than double the 45,000 required.
On July 11, Mr. Kennedy’s campaign announced it had submitted enough signatures to gain ballot access in Colorado. The campaign turned in more than 30,000 signatures, more than double the 12,000 required, according to a statement.
Last week, the Libertarian Party of Colorado (LPCO) nominated Mr. Kennedy as its presidential candidate, though the national party selected Chase Oliver at its national convention in May.
“We hope to place RFK Jr. on two ballot lines in Colorado, where in the tradition of fusion voting, Coloradans will see him running as an Independent and with support from the Libertarian Party of Colorado,” LPCO Chair Hannah Goodman said in a statement.
The Kennedy—Shanahan ticket is officially on the ballot in nine states: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rudy Giuliani’s Bankruptcy Case Tossed Out, Judge Says Ex-NYC Mayor Was Evasive With Assets
“America’s Mayor” has repeatedly been evasive about his assets.
White Plains federal bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane sided with lawyers for two former Georgia election workers who are owed a $148 million verdict from Giuliani that his Chapter 11 case should be dismissed.
“The lack of financial transparency is particularly troubling given concerns that Mr. Giuliani has engaged in self-dealing and that he has potential conflicts of interest that would hamper the administration of his bankruptcy case,” Lane said in a 22-page decision.
Lane said Giuliani failed to turn over any financial information for his companies, failed to accurately and completely submit monthly reports and initially hid that he had penned a deal for an upcoming book.
A group of creditors — including Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shay Moss, to whom Giuliani owes the massive judgment for falsely accusing them of committing election fraud in 2020 — have claimed he’s been hiding assets, submitting error-laden reports and spending frivolously.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Smash-and-Grab Thieves Swipe Thousands in High-End Liquor From River North Store
CHICAGO — Chicago police are searching for smash-and-grab burglars who made off with rare liquor worth thousands of dollars from a River North convenience store.
Surveillance video captured the early morning break-in around 3 in the 0-100 block of W. Chicago Ave.
Hani Falstine-Hurrah, co-founder of the Gold Coast Market, described to WGN News what cameras captured.
“The first time around, they scooped the place, and then they came back around. (It was) three cars, nine guys,” Falstine-Hurrah said. “These guys were in here for about 12 minutes, and that’s not even including the time it took to break the window.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
SpaceX Falcon 9 Malfunction Imperils Starlink Satellite Mission
WASHINGTON, July 12 (Reuters) — A second-stage engine on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffered a malfunction in space Thursday night that imperiled its payload of Starlink satellites, the first failure in more than 7 years of a rocket the global space industry relies on.
Roughly an hour after Falcon 9 lifted off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night, the rocket’s second stage in space failed to reignite and deployed its 20 Starlink satellites into a much lower orbit than planned, where they risk burning up in Earth’s atmosphere.
The attempt to reignite the engine in space “resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on his social media platform X, referring to an industry acronym for Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly that usually means explosion.
The botched mission of the world’s most active rocket breaks a coveted success streak that has maintained SpaceX’s dominance of the industry. Many countries and space companies rely on the privately-owned company, valued at roughly $200 billion, to send their satellites and astronauts into space.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Stamp Prices Skyrocket for Second Time in 2024
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will raise the price of its postage stamps again on Sunday, the second price hike in 2024, with the increase tying the record for the biggest hike ever.
From Sunday, a first-class mail Forever Stamp will cost 73 cents each — a 5 cent, or 7% jump from its current price of 68 cents. The only other 5 cent increase occurred in January 2019, when first-class stamps increased from 50 to 55 cents.
In January 2023, the price of stamps was 63 cents each. That increased to 66 cents in July of the same year and then to 68 cents in January 2024.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Says Biden Should ‘Immediately Take a Cognitive Test’: ‘All Presidential Candidates Should’
Former President Donald Trump is calling on President Joe Biden to take a cognitive test, taking the call a step further by stating that all presidential candidates, regardless of age, should be required to do so.
It is not just Republicans talking about Biden’s apparent decline in both mental acuity and physical stamina, as several Democrats across the board are actively requesting him to drop out of the presidential race, begging him to pass the torch to someone else.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
WATERTOWN, Wis. — In battleground Wisconsin, election law has changed once again.
Unelected state election officials approved unenforceable rules Thursday for the administration of unmanned ballot drop boxes for the November election. More than 1,800 local election clerks will determine whether and how to use such boxes after the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned its 2022 decision banning unmanned ballot drop boxes, thanks to the court’s new liberal majority.
Commissioners disagreed on some of the finer points of the new rules. Republican Commissioner Bob Spindell wanted to include guidelines instructing voters to seal their absentee-ballot envelopes before inserting them into the drop boxes.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US to Remain ‘Liable’ for Climate Funding Under Second Trump Presidency, Says Chief Cop Negotiator
A second Donald Trump presidency would remain “liable” for climate funding, irrespective of any decision to pull the US out of the Paris Climate Change accord, according to the lead negotiator for the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).
Yalchin Rafiyev, who will spearhead talks at the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan in November, said Trump’s return, if it happens, would be unlikely to disrupt climate goals set by COP participants.
According to the negotiator, this is because the US would remain legally liable to hand over cash to fight climate change under the previous COP agreements.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Democrats Downplay Influence of Major Advertising Alliance’s Demonetization Blacklists
During a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing, several Democrats characterized scrutiny of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) (a World Economic Forum-affiliated pro-censorship advertising alliance that blacklists brands, creators, and content from advertising if they’re deemed to violate its “brand safety” rules) as “dangerous” and a “sham.”
GARM has faced growing scrutiny over the way its practices have resulted in certain viewpoints being demonetized. Before this July 10 hearing, House Republicans released a report showing that GARM and its members had “carefully” monitored a number of conservative outlets, placed conservative media outlet The Daily Wire on an advertising exclusion list, and pushed for advertising restrictions on the popular “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canada Allocates $146.6M for New Censorship Commission to Enforce Online Harms Act
Canada’s government has decided to spend some $146.6 million (CAD 200 million) and employ, full-time, 330 more people to be able to implement the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63).
That is the monetary cost of bureaucratic red tape necessary to make this bill, which has moved for a second reading in Canada’s House of Commons, eventually happen.
At the same time, the cost to the country’s democracy could be immeasurable — given some of this sweeping censorship legislation’s more draconian provisions, primarily focused on what the authorities choose to consider to be “hate speech.”
Some of those provisions could land people under house arrest, and have their internet access cut simply for “fear” they could, going forward, commit “hate crime” or “hate propaganda.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maxime Bernier Predicts Trudeau Will Resign Before the Next Federal Election
People’s Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier says he strongly believes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not lead the Liberal Party into the anticipated October 2025 election but “may resign early next year.”
Bernier remains highly critical of Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, whom he says, like Trudeau, is “pandering” to identity politics and too reliant on polls and focus groups.
Unlike President Joe Biden, who is under immense pressure to end his candidacy before the November presidential election, Bernier notes that “Trudeau still has some time. And I believe that we will know [his future] maybe, you know, in February, next year. And if Trudeau resigns, that will be around that time his party will have time to do a leadership contest [and elect] a new leader,” Bernier says.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AfD Forms New Right-Wing EU Parliamentary Group With Smaller Parties
Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has formed a new EU parliamentary group with a range of smaller parties, with the new group known as the “Europe of Sovereign Nations.” It will feature 25 MEPs in total, with the AfD making up more than 50 percent of the new EU grouping.
With the AfD boasting 14 of the party’s members, it will be the dominant party within the grouping, but due to the wide range of countries joining the group, often only featuring one MEP, the new grouping meets the criteria for forming a new EU parliamentary bloc, which is 23 MEPs from at least seven countries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
AfD’s Höcke Hit With Criminal Probe for Allegedly ‘Defaming’ Germany
Senior Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Björn Höcke has been hit with another criminal probe over accusations he “defamed” the State.
The leader of the party’s Thuringia branch announced he had his State parliamentary immunity lifted for the ninth time on July 10.
According to a report by Die Zeit, Höcke is believed by prosecutors to have “denigrated the State” with a speech delivered in 2022.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Cordon Sanitaire’ for Nationalists in European Parliament Committees
The European Parliament will officially convene in its first session in Strasbourg on July 16 but the working committees have already been distributed among the groups.
The cordon sanitaire applied to the Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the last legislature has now been extended to Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations blocs.
The European People’s Party (EPP) has secured the chairmanships of the Industry, Foreign Affairs, and of the Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) committees.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Populist Geert Wilders Mocks President Biden NATO Brain Fade
Geert Wilders, now the power behind the new Dutch government, made a lighthearted reflection on President Biden derailing the NATO summit by misnaming President Zelensky of Ukraine, and even his own Vice President.
President Joe Biden demolished any hopes of getting positive headlines out of the diplomatic work put into the NATO leaders’ conference on Thursday when he struggled to remember the names of some of the key players in a bout of apparently serious brain-fade. Attempting to introduce Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Biden declared to the room: “Now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he does determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EC Warns X Fines Imminent Over Musk’s ‘Blue Check’ Changes
Senior European Commission officials are brandishing the threat of fines over changes made by Elon Musk to the “blue check” system used by his social media giant X.
Europe’s self-styled “digital enforcer” Thierry Breton appears to be particularly angry about the adjustments, which were made shortly after Musk bought the platform, then called Twitter, and now claims they go against European Union law.
In a statement first published — ironically — on X, Breton accused the platform of misleading users with its blue checkmarks in a way that is illegal under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Forces Changes to iPhone Operating System
The European Union is to force through changes to Apple’s iPhone operating system iOS to make it compatible with the bloc’s anti-trust laws.
In a press release published on July 11, the European Commission confirmed that Apple had entered into a binding agreement with Brussels to adjust access parameters to the Near-Field-Communication (NFC) technology on iPhone devices using the operating system.
Apple had previously locked third-party companies out of using the technology for third-party payment systems, with only the company’s own Apple Pay and Apple Wallet being available on the devices.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Leaders Defend Biden as US President Comes Under Pressure to Step Down
European Union leaders have defended Joe Biden amid mounting pressure for the US President to abandon attempts to secure re-election later this year.
Several US Democrats and mainstream media outlets have turned on the leader, with calls for him to abandon his election campaign spiking after he called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky “President Putin” at a NATO meeting late on July 11.
European heads are supporting Biden, with French President Emmanuel Macron insisting his NATO gaffe was just an honest mistake and not a sign of increasing senility.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Using ‘Illegal Secret Deals’ to Censor Social Media, Elon Musk Claims
The European Union is offering to make “illegal secret deals” with big tech companies to enable the censorship of social media, X boss Elon Musk has claimed.
In an X post published on July 12, Musk claims that the Commission is now targeting X due to its refusal to comply with the allegedly under-the-table agreement.
“The European Commission offered X an illegal secret deal: if we quietly censored speech without telling anyone, they would not fine us,” he said.
“The other platforms accepted that deal. X did not.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Leftist Union Threatens Macron With Olympics Strike Chaos
It’s not just terrorist threats that the French authorities have to worry about ahead of the Paris Olympics. The games, which start later this month, could also be hit by crippling strikes, a leading trade unionist has warned.
Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT labour union, hinted that the Olympics could be disrupted if President Emmanuel Macron does not let a left-wing alliance govern following the ambiguous resultof the July 7th legislative elections.
Binet criticised Macron’s decision to postpone the appointment of a new government as risking “plunging the country into chaos.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France’s Biggest Union Threatens Protests Unless Macron Paves Way for Left-Wing Government
France’s biggest trades union, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), has threatened national protests if President Emmanuel Macron refuses to call on the left-wing alliance, New Popular Front (NFP) to govern.
On July 10, the railway workers of the CGT urged rallies across France in front of prefectures and the National Assembly on July 18, when the French Parliament is expected to take office, to demand an NFP-led government.
“The CGT and its organisations solemnly call on Emmanuel Macron to respect the results of the ballot box,” the workers stated.
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French Left Must ‘Face Reality’ Over Infeasible Spending Hikes
François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Bank of France, has demanded left-wing policymakers “face reality” and understand further hikes in French spending are infeasible.
Speaking on July 11, the bank chief said it was time to move away from political discourse and tackle France’s worsening economic situation, cautioning against implementing measures that could lead to “excessive labour costs” for businesses.
“Not everything will be possible right away,” Villeroy de Galhau warned on FranceInfo.
The New Popular Front alliance of Left and hard-left parties has proposed an economic programme that includes a lowering of the pension age, more social benefits and higher minimum wages.
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Germany and the Baltic countries are discussing possible ways to take the presidency of the Council of the European Union away from Hungary, following a “peace” mission to Russia by the country’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.
A move to curtail Hungary’s presidency would require 20 of the European Union’s 27 countries to agree, representing 65 per cent of the bloc’s population. It is not clear therefore that an attempt would succeed, as only 16 ambassadors of EU Member States joined in giving Hungary’s representative a “clear warning” at a July 10 meeting.
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Germany: Albanian Football Staff Member Accused of Rape Against Hotel Dishwasher During Euro 2024
A supervisor of the Albanian national football team is accused of raping an 18-year-old hotel dishwasher during the team’s European Championship game in the hotel of the Kaiserau sports school.
The attack reportedly happened on June 23, with the entire Albanian team leaving the country after their defeat 0:1 to Spain. The alleged rapist also reportedly left with the team members.
The woman told police detectives in the city of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia that the Albanian team staff member forced her into a kitchen, started kissing her against her will, and then proceeded to sexually abuse her.
There are now questions about why the man was allowed to leave the country despite the woman coming forward to the police before he departed.
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Germany’s Plan to Reinstate Conscription Faces Serious Roadblock
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD/S&D) will be forced to soften his new model of conscription, planned for 2025, after senior ministers from coalition partner Free Democrats (FDP) said they do not support conscription.
Pistorius presented his concrete proposal in June, which aims to “prepare German society for war” against the threat from Russia.
As Remix News reported, inspired by the Nordic countries, the model would have obliged 18-year-old male youths to fill in questionnaires about their interests, on the basis of which the most suitable candidates would be selected for medical examinations and possibly six months of service.
However, senior ministers of the liberal FDP have expressed their opposition to the model.
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Germany to Host US Long-Range Tomahawk Missiles
Germany was already the second-largest military donor to war-torn Ukraine after the United States, but the Scholz government made new commitments at the NATO anniversary summit in Washington, including hosting U.S. Tomahawk ultra-long-range missiles for “security” purposes.
At the summit, outgoing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced planned measures to support Ukraine. Among them, German news portals reported that the alliance would create a separate NATO headquarters. In a front-page report in the prestigious conservative daily Die Welt, it was pointed out that support for Ukraine will in the future be coordinated from Germany.
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Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania to Create Eastern NATO Mobility Corridor
An agreement will be signed between Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria on the interconnection of four ports, Greek media reported on Thursday, paving the way for the creation of a military mobility corridor between the three countries and significantly reducing Turkey’s role in NATO operations.
The initiative will mark a significant step forward in strengthening NATO’s defense and deterrence capabilities in the region, according to a press release from Romania’s Ministry of National Defense (MApN).
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Hungary: Liberal Budapest Mayor Wins Race After Second Recount
A second recount of the votes cast in the June 9 Budapest mayoral election left the original result unchanged: Incumbent liberal Gergely Karacsony won a second term in office with another slim majority, but slightly above the one from a previous recount.
Although the official results are yet to be published, political analyst Daniel Deak unofficially announced the result in a social media post.
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Lawmakers Threaten to Boycott Hungarian EU Presidency Over Orban’s Peace Mission
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has left EU lawmakers “fuming” with anger after his peace mission abroad included meeting world leaders on the other side of the Ukrainian conflict in Moscow and Beijing. Despite Orban repeatedly reassuring everyone that his objective is merely to urge for de-escalation on both sides and not engage in negotiation on behalf of the other 26 EU leaders, many in Brussels are scrambling to find ways to shorten or at least boycott the EU Council’s Hungarian presidency.
On Thursday, July 11th, the EU Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (composed of Parliament President Roberta Metsola and the chairmen of the political groups) reportedly discussed ways to neutralize Orban and the Hungarian presidency that is supposed to organize the EU’s political agenda for the next six months, even though few legal options remained now that it’s already underway.
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Macron’s Letter to the French Confirms Political Deadlock
Following the ambiguous result of the legislative elections on July 7th, which sent three opposing blocs to the French National Assembly without any of them achieving a sufficient majority to govern, President Emmanuel Macron published a lengthy “Letter to the French” on Wednesday, July 10th. In it, he explained that he was postponing the appointment of a new government and hoped in the long term to rely on a “plural” compromise majority.
After congratulating himself on the high turnout in the legislative elections—as proof that the French are not losing interest in politics—the president attempted to decipher the messages contained in the election results: a far-right that came out on top in the first round (but he fails to specify that it also came first in terms of number of votes in the second round), which, he claims, the French refused to bring to power (mainly because of the voting system that favours alliances and withdrawals).
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Macron’s Party in Crisis; Hard-Left LFI Splits Ahead of New French Government Formation
Several prominent figures and leaders from the French hard-left party La France Insoumise (LFI) have announced the formation of their breakaway political movement, while President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party is on the verge of collapse following its July 7 election defeat.
Gabriel Attal, soon to be former French Prime Minister, was elected President of Macron’s Renaissance group in the French National Assembly on July 12.
According to Gérald Darmanin, himself soon-to-be France’s ex-Minister of Interior and who was re-elected as an MP in July, Attal at the head of Renaissance does not address the party’s “major problem” with its “political line”.
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More Than 4 in 5 Germans Are Dissatisfied With Government, Damning Poll Reveals
German voters are extremely dissatisfied with the work of the government, according to a July survey by ARD-DeutschlandTREND.
The most dissatisfied with the government are voters of the right-wing AfD, with exactly 0 percent saying they are satisfied with the government’s work, followed by voters of the left-wing BSW party with just a 3 percent satisfaction rate.
The most content are the Social Democrats and the Greens, but they are also extremely divided on the issue, with only half the supporters of both parties saying they were pleased with the current direction the government is taking the country.
No German voters said they were “completely satisfied” with their government.
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NATO Summit: Missiles to Germany, Warning to China
At their summit in Washington, D.C., NATO leaders agreed to bolster Ukraine’s defence, station long-range missiles in Germany, and even called out China for being a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The summit, held on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the transatlantic military alliance, not only aimed to display unity among its 32 members but also tried to send a clear message to Russia and China, which NATO sees as a threat to the alliance’s security.
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NATO Integrates Polish Redzikowo Missile Defense Base Into Alliance System
In Washington during a NATO summit, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, confirmed the operational readiness of the Redzikowo missile defense base, which has now transitioned from a solely American system to a fully integrated NATO defense system.
The base, part of the U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), plays a crucial role in the NATO-integrated air and missile defense system.
“The declaration made at the NATO summit confirms this operational capability and represents a significant success for Poland,” stated Kosiniak-Kamysz. He emphasized the strategic importance of the Redzikowo base, highlighting its unique capability to defend against medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles potentially targeting Europe or the United States.
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NATO Should Return to Being an Alliance of Peace, Says Hungary PM Orban
NATO should return to its original mission of being an alliance for peace, Hungarian Prime Minister said upon arriving in Washington for the military alliance’s 75th anniversary summit.
He was greeted by U.S. President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“NATO started 75 years ago as a peace project. We should remember that today,” Orban said in a Facebook post.
“NATO was launched 75 years ago to protect the security of its members. Today, however, it seems to be moving away from its original purpose and is increasingly behaving like a war organization,” he added.
Orban said that “one sign of this is that NATO is taking an increasingly active role in the Russian-Ukrainian war. In our view, this is dangerous and even irresponsible because no one can see how this will end and where it will lead us,” he warned.
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Netflix Documentary on Dutch Sperm Donor With 1,000 Kids Has a Dozen Parents Concerned
A dozen concerned parents have reported to the Donorkind Foundation after the Netflix documentary The Man with 1000 Kids. They worry that the Dutch sperm donor in the documentary, Jonathan Meijer, also fathered their children. Another 15 to 20 parents have contacted the foundation about another mass sperm donor mentioned in the series, named Leon, the Telegraaf reports.
“We have received questions from Ireland to Spain,” Ties van der Meer, chairman of the Donorkind Foundation, which supports children conceived through sperm donation in the Netherlands, told the newspaper. “Leon’s description rang a bell for several parents.”
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Netherlands: Case Dropped: Deputy PM Not Prosecuted for Saying Jew Hatred is Part of Muslim Culture
The group insult case against Deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer has been dropped, the lawyer representing the complainants told NU.nl. She won’t be prosecuted for saying that “hatred of Jews is almost part of the culture” in countries where Islam is the dominant religion. She made that statement on Sophie & Jereon on May 17th, before being sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning.
Keijzer apologized for the statement after criticism from other guests on the talk show, but a group of lawyers and a historian with a Muslim background still pressed charges against her. They believe that a Cabinet member cannot be allowed to get away with such statements with nothing more than a quick apology after criticism.
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Poland’s Top General Warns: Prepare for Full-Scale Conflict
Poland should prepare its soldiers for an all-out conflict, its armed forces chief of staff has said. General Wieslaw Kukula told a press conference on Wednesday, July 10th: “Today, we need to prepare our forces for full-scale conflict, not an asymmetric-type conflict.”
Tensions have been rising along the borders of Poland and Belarus for the past few years, with security, migration and trade disputes all playing a role.
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Poland Angry as Hungary Blocks €2 Billion ‘Peace Facility’ Payments
Poland has reacted with frustration after Hungary blocked a payment of around €2 billion in European Union funds intended to compensate Warsaw for its military aid to Ukraine over the war with Russia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government is blocking the payment from the European Peace Facility, an off-budget EU instrument designed to reimburse governments that send military aid to Kyiv.
The Hungarians have consistently opposed military aid to Kyiv and Orban has maintained high-level relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Poland Surpasses China as a Major Importer of German Goods
Poland has become a larger importer of German products than China, positioning itself as a critical player on the global trade map for German companies.
According to recent data, imports from Germany to Poland rose by 2.8 percent in the year to May, reaching a total of €7.9 billion. This development places Poland ahead of China, making it more significant for German firms in the competitive landscape of international trade.
However, this increase in imports is not without its challenges. Poland now holds the fifth-worst trade balance in the world with Germany, reflecting a complex relationship characterized by high import volumes but troubling deficits. The situation is further complicated by Germany’s strategic adjustments; the country has increased its exports to Poland while significantly reducing its imports.
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Poland’s Mainstream Parties Dip in Polls as ‘Undecideds’ Soar
Every Polish mainstream party with the exception of The Left has experienced a recent drop in support as those who consider themselves to be undecided see a dramatic rise, recent polling shows.
According to the latest United Surveys poll for the Wirtualna Polska news outlet, if elections were held next Sunday, several parties including Civic Coalition (KO), Law and Justice (PiS), Confederation, and Third Way would all still surpass the electoral threshold but with less support.
The Conservative PiS recorded the largest decline, but KO, the liberal-left coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk is also experiencing significant losses, with both parties separated by just 4 percentage points.
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Priest Detained as Poland’s Progressive Purge Intensifies
Poland’s six-month-long assault on the institutional power of right-wing conservatives affiliated with the Law and Justice (PiS) party is stepping up a gear as PM Donald Tusk prepares legal task forces to go after more of his political opponents on corruption charges.
The arrest of a Polish priest, Father Michal Olszewski, this week on the grounds of allegedly pocketing funds from a PiS-adjacent slush fund has added fuel to the fire. The cleric’s lawyer says that the charges are spurious and entirely politically motivated.
In a speech defending Father Olszewski, PiS’ Jaroslaw Kaczynski warned that the Tusk administration is in the process of attempting to “liquidate the Polish state” and hand over control of Poland to a cabal of European—particularly German-led—liberals.
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‘Serious Inaccuracies’ Discovered in Swedish EU Election Vote Count
A review by Swedish state broadcaster SVT found significant errors in the June EU elections in almost half of the voting districts. The most common problem: the number of votes does not add up with the number of ballot envelopes submitted.
To ensure that each vote is only counted once, each ballot is put into an envelope—one ballot in each. The number of registered voters who submit a ballot envelope is then collated with both the number of envelopes and the number of ballots.
In SVT’s review, 196 of 410 voting districts had discrepancies in this count. A total of 213 errors were found, corresponding to more than one in a thousand votes in the districts audited.
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Slovak PM Fico’s Party Likely to Remain Out of EU Parliament Alliances
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on July 11 that his ruling party SMER-SSD would stay out of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Union parliament and indicated it likely would not attach itself to other alliances.
The S&D had suspended SMER and Slovakia’s junior ruling party HLAS last October after the parties struck a deal with a right-wing party to form a government.
Fico, in a video message on the party’s YouTube page, said his party disagreed with many of the S&D bloc’s views.
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Smartphones to be Banned in Italian Schools
Italian education minister Giuseppe Valditara does not believe “good teaching can be done with a cell phone,” prohibiting them from classrooms across the country.
Valditara announced the measure at an education conference in Rome, highlighting that it “prohibits the use of cell phones for any purpose, including educational purposes.”
The ban will come into effect in September—the start of the next school year—but will not apply to ‘middle schools,’ attended by pupils ages 11-14.
The minister explained that alongside the educational benefits of the ban, it will also help restore authority to teachers and combat bullying. The emergence of artificial intelligence has seen pupils in England—and likely elsewhere across Europe—using their phones to create indecent images of their classmates.
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Spanish Police Search Government Offices in Investigation of PM’s Brother
Intensifying corruption allegations surrounding Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have prompted yet another official investigation.
On Thursday, the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, a body specialized in government corruption, searched the offices of the Provincial Council of Badajoz for information on the employment status and work habits of David Sanchez—younger brother of the Spanish premier—who is under investigation for tax fraud, embezzlement, and influence peddling. The case also implicates the president of the Badajoz Provincial Council, Miguel Ángel Gallardo, and the council’s head of the legal support and inspection service of Human Resources.
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UK: Privacy on the Line: Tony Blair Institute Champions Digital ID
Tony Blair Institute’s Future of Britain Conference 2024 (co-organized with My Life My Say) seems to have gone out of its way to cover (with a positive spin) pretty much all the key contested by rights advocates’ plans and schemes, digital ID being inevitably among those.
One of the panelists, former Indian Minister of State for Electronics, Information Technology, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar was there to praise a major set of goals aimed at ushering in digital ID and payments by the end of the decade.
The “umbrella” for achieving that is what’s known as the digital public infrastructure (DPI) — a buzzword shared by the UN, the EU, the WEF, and Bill Gates’ Foundation.
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UK: Sadiq Khan’s London: Man Stabbed for Saying Feet Off Seats
London bus passenger was stabbed by a fellow commuter after asking his assailant to take his feet off the seats, the latest in a week of knife attacks in the capital.
The victim, who was in his 50s, was attacked on a bus in Croydon, south London, the Daily Telegraph reports. Detectives have issued a picture of a suspect they want to speak about the incident.
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Unilever to Axe a Third of Office Jobs in Europe
Unilever, a leading British multinational in the consumer goods section, wants to get rid of one in three European office jobs, or 3,200 employees.
According to an internal video call, offices in London and Rotterdam are said to be hit hardest, the Financial Times reported on July 12.
Unilever plans to cut the 3,200 jobs by the end of 2025, as part of its “productivity programme” that was initially unveiled in March and involved the elimination of up to 7,500 jobs worldwide. In Europe, the corporation has between 10,000 and 11,000 office-based employees.
Unilever employs approximately 128,000 staff worldwide.
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Von Der Leyen Pledges ‘No Cooperation’ With Conservatives for Leftist Support
With only a week left until the confirmation vote in the European Parliament that is supposed to cement Ursula von der Leyen’s second term at the helm of the EU Commission, the president is now wrapping up coalition talks with nearly everyone to the left of her—completely disregarding the will of the European voters who favored the conservative blocs.
In separate meetings with the liberal Renew group and the European Greens on Wednesday, July 10th, von der Leyen assured the groups of her commitment not to collaborate with anyone on the Right in exchange for their support, as well as pledging to continue with disastrous EU policies, such as the Migration Pact and the Green Deal, despite those being utterly rejected by voters all around Europe.
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Von Der Leyen Faces Tough Task as Metsola Emerges as Possible EC Chief Replacement
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces an uphill struggle to retain her role as some politicians begin to look to Malta’s Roberta Metsola as a possible replacement.
With a week to go before von der Leyen’s future is voted on by the European Parliament, Berlaymont sources expect 15 per cent of her coalition MEPs to vote against her in the secret ballot.
While this number has guided her attempts to assemble a large enough coalition as a “red line”, the estimate may be optimistic as more politicians could choose to defect.
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Albanian Protesters Hurl Petrol Bombs, Demand PM Rama’s Resignation
Opposition protesters have thrown petrol bombs at Albania’s government building and at the office of the mayor of Tirana, demanding the resignation of prime minister Edi Rama.
Thousands of protesters also called for the release of opposition leader Sali Berisha, who is currently under house arrest amid an investigation over alleged corruption while serving as prime minister from 2005 to 2013.
Berisha has denied wrongdoing and accused Rama of pursuing a vendetta to silence his political opponents. Rama has denied this accusation.
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Emergency Workers Uncover Dozens of Bodies in a Gaza City District After Israeli Assault
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Civil defense workers on Friday dug bodies out of collapsed buildings and pulled them off rubble-covered streets, as they collected dozens of Palestinians killed this week by an Israeli assault in a district of Gaza City.
The discovery of the bodies came after Israeli troops reportedly pulled out of parts of the Tal al-Hawa and Sanaa neighborhoods following days of bombardment and fighting there. The Israeli military launched an incursion into the districts earlier this week to fight what it said were Hamas militants who had regrouped.
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Israel to Recruit Ultra-Orthodox Individuals for Armed Forces From August
An Israeli court has ordered that military recruitment from the country’s ultra-Orthodox population can go ahead, spurring an angry response from the sector.
Following an Israeli court ruling, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant announced on July 9 that recruitment of ultra-Orthodox individuals for Israel’s armed forces will begin in August.
The ultra-Orthodox population fear that sending their young men to join the Israeli Defence Forces will mean those individuals will lose their ultra-religious customs and traditions and abandon their community.
In a statement, the defence ministry said Gallant approved the orders after a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi and several other senior military officials.
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Hundreds of Ukrainians in Poland Want to Join New Legion to Fight in Ukraine, Claims Zelensky
Hundreds of Ukrainians living in Poland have already expressed their interest in joining a Ukrainian legion that is set to be trained in the country, according to unofficial sources obtained by a reporter from RMF FM radio.
The high interest in the unit was already present before an official announcement was even made about its formation. The creation of the legion was declared in Warsaw on Monday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The legion, to be established and trained in Poland, will consist of Ukrainian citizens who volunteer to defend their country. This initiative is part of a security agreement signed on Monday by Tusk and Zelensky.
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Kremlin Denies Russian Involvement in Plot on German Arms Chief
A Kremlin spokesman on Friday denied Russia’s involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate the head of German arms maker Rheinmetall, which has provided critical military aid to Ukraine.
Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow that he could not comment on the allegation, which was first reported by US broadcaster CNN on Thursday. “You can’t take such reports seriously,” he said, arguing that the article was unsubstantiated and based on anonymous sources.
According to the report, which has since been corroborated by the German Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, US intelligence earlier this year uncovered Russian government plans to assassinate Armin Papperger, the chief executive of Rheinmetall.
The report has provoked outrage in Berlin, with German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser saying the government is taking Russian threats “very seriously.”
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Putin Ally Warns NATO Underestimates Russia’s Nuclear Threats
Russian official Sergei Ryabkov, who is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has recently warned that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) underestimates Russia’s nuclear threats.
Amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, prominent Russian officials such as Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, and Valentina Matviyenko, a senator from St. Petersburg and the chairwoman of the Federation Council, have made threats of nuclear weapons use if Moscow is provoked.
Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, told Channel One, a Russian state-controlled TV channel, that the Russia-Ukraine war has shown that Moscow’s nuclear doctrine is “insufficient,” adding that NATO member states “ignore our potential in this area,” TASS, a Russian state-owned news agency, reported on Friday.
“The experience gained during the special military operation has also shown that the overly general wording which is enshrined in our core doctrinal nuclear documents is insufficient,” Ryabkov said.
He continued: “The fact that the West, and first and foremost NATO countries, ignore our potential in this area and that this group has some gut feeling that things won’t end in the worst-case scenario, no matter how they mock common sense, makes it necessary to say more clearly, more distinctly and more precisely what may happen provided that they persist in this.”
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Russia Reportedly Planned Assassination of Rheinmetall Boss
Western intelligence services foiled a Russian plot to murder Armin Papperger, the chief executive of Rheinmetall, Germany’s leading arms manufacturer, CNN reported.
Russia is said to plan to kill industrialists in the European weapons manufacturing sector who are involved in delivering weapons to Ukraine.
American intelligence services reportedly discovered plans to assassinate Papperger and informed their German counterparts, who were able to protect the Rheinmetall chief and foil the plot.
“A high-level German Government official confirmed that Berlin was warned about the plot by the US,” CNN said. The German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung also confirmed that according to its sources the information was correct.
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Ukraine Aims to Recruit Nationals Living Abroad
Ukraine has established a new military unit called the “Ukrainian Legion,” members of which will be trained in Poland, to help defend against the Russian invasion.
The primary aim is to recruit Ukrainian nationals living in other European countries to join the armed forces.
Kyiv estimates there are 300,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age in Poland alone and more than 6 million have fled Ukraine since the begining of Moscow’s assault in February 2022.
Ukrainian authorities have ramped up mobilisation efforts thanks to a new law enacted in May.
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Ukraine Has an Ethnic Hungarian ‘Drone Master’ and His Unit is Set to Grow ‘Explosively’
The Ukrainian drone unit set up by ethnic Hungarian Róbert Bródi, aka “Magyar,” is doing such an excellent job in combat that they are now taking it to a new level, with plans to rapidly expand. To accomplish their lofty ambitions, they are looking for new recruits.
Róbert Bródi, a Hungarian entrepreneur from Ukraine, joined the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces shortly before the Russian offensive and was assigned to a command section. He was involved in the evacuation of civilians in Irpin during the attack on Kyiv, as well as in the fighting in Bucha and Borodyanka. He initiated the creation of an air reconnaissance drone fleet, known as the “Hungarian Madarai” after his code name “Magyar,” which was later incorporated into the 28th Mechanised Brigade, according to Hungarian news outlet InfoStart.
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Zelensky ‘Ready for Second Peace Summit With Russia’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be willing to hold a second peace summit, with Russia present this time, according to a leak from a Ukrainian official, Bloomberg has reported.
This meeting would take place before the US presidential elections in November.
Antonio Alonso, International Relations professor at the CEU-San Pablo University in Madrid, described the scenario as “uncertain”.
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Biden Admin Set to Launch App So Migrants Can Bypass in-Person ICE Check-ins: ‘S**t Show’
The Biden administration is preparing to eliminate in-person check-ins for migrants and replace them with an app, The Post has learned — which insiders warn is a “half-baked” plan that will lead more asylum seekers to abscond.
The app — which is set to launch soon in the form of a pilot program in select cities — will let the millions of illegal migrants released into the US to await their asylum proceedings check in with immigration officials on a phone or computer, two sources familiar with the app revealed.
This means the migrants will no longer be required to check in with their local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office every few months while they wait to plead their asylum case in immigration court.
Under President Biden’s leadership, the number of migrants illegally crossing the southern border has exploded, leading to massive lines and backlogs at ICE field offices.
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Finland Passes Controversial Immigration Law
The Finnish Parliament has passed a contentious bill permitting border guards to deny entry to asylum seekers at the country’s eastern frontier, under certain circumstances, without considering their applications.
The temporary law follows a surge last year of asylum seekers arriving at the border with Russia, which Helsinki asserts was coordinated by Moscow, which has denied the claim. The legislation was passed by 167 votes to 31.
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German Plan for Labor Immigration Could Give Migrants ‘Blank Check’
Germany’s ruling traffic light coalition is hard at work to make it easier for foreign workers to enter the country’s workforce. After a proposal to give tax breaks to qualified foreign workers—heavily criticized by opposition parties and questioned even by SPD Labor Minister Hubertus Heil—the government has now proposed reducing the bureaucracy surrounding work permits for immigrants.
The proposal would mean that if an employer submits an application for a work permit to immigration authorities, and the application is not rejected within two weeks, the permit will be seen as granted—a Genehmigungsfiktion, or ‘fictive permit.’
The approximately 700 German immigration authority offices currently handle around 10,000 new asylum applications every month.
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Over the past five years, thousands of people have allegedly traveled to Germany with false documents at the behest of the German Foreign Ministry, with several German embassies and consulates reportedly implicated in the scandal.
Now, prosecutors in Berlin and Cottbus are investigating several employees of the Federal Foreign Office, with the potential for criminal charges. If the prosecutors confirm the allegations, it could mark a major immigration scandal for a government that has been accused of promoting a policy of open borders, including a new law that will accelerate naturalizations and bring in hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of more immigrants through family reunification and other schemes.
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Nearly 100 Rogue Migrants Booted From Tent City Outside Randall’s Island Shelter Site
Close to 100 rogue migrants were forced to tear down a mini-tent city illegally set up on the outskirts of the Randall’s Island shelter Friday after cops and city workers cracked down on the shabby encampment.
The migrant campers were ordered to dismantle the tents and pack up their belongings after the NYPD and city Parks Enforcement Patrol officers descended on the makeshift site mid-afternoon to boot them from the area.
“They were living here. Their time is up,” one city employee overseeing the clampdown told The Post. “They can’t stay here. We can’t have that.”
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Nothing Better to Do? 360 German Police Investigations Over Anti-Migration Song
Official figures show that German police have launched a minimum of 360 separate investigations into the singing of a right-wing rendition of DJ Gigi D’Agostino’s “L’amour toujours”—or, with the new lyrics, “Ausländer Raus!” (Foreigners Out)—since last October. The figures do not include the states of Bavaria and Saxony.
The song first came to prominence when it was sung in a viral video by young German partygoers in May, resulting in participants being fired and facing up to five years in prison, courtesy of tough hate speech legislation.
In Germany, ‘hate speech’ is punishable under the Criminal Code, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment of up to five years.
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Report: ‘Migrants Make Throat-Slitting Gestures at Polish Soldiers’ on the Polish-Belarusian Border
Two-meter spears dipped in feces to cause infection, destruction of barriers with levers, slingshots, and thrown jars. Polish soldiers, Border Guard officers, police, and residents of the border area continue to face the dangerous practice of the illegal crossing of the Polish-Belarusian border by migrants from the Middle East and Africa.
The crisis at the border dates back to the second half of 2021 with around 3,500 illegal crossing attempts recorded in August, doubling in September, and soaring to 17,500 by October. It became evident that a coordinated assault on the Polish border was underway, orchestrated by Minsk and Moscow.
The operation, dubbed “Lock” by the Belarusian KGB, involves pulling migrants from the Middle East and Africa under false promises of easy entry into the European Union, only to compel them to forcibly breach the border, turning them into pawns of a hybrid operation that preceded Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Suspected Illegal Immigrant Allegedly Stabbed 3 People, Including 2 Children, in Wisconsin
ABBOTSFORD, Wis. (TND) — Wisconsin police arrested a man last week they believe stabbed three people, including two kids who died from their injuries.
The Colby-Abbotsford Police Department took Victor Gomez Acosta into custody for allegedly stabbing two children and a woman. He then turned the knife on himself, according to the agency.
Officers said they found Acosta inside a home and booked him at the Clark County Jail after a hospital stay. The woman also checked into a hospital for her wounds, the agency added.
Just the News reports Acosta was residing in the U.S. illegally at the time of the incident, though
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Four migrants have drowned overnight attempting to cross the Channel — sparking calls from Nigel Farage for Britain’s new government to ‘start moving fast’ to tackle the crisis as he warned ‘many more will die’.
A packed boat carrying about 67 asylum seekers capsized at 4.30am on Friday off the coast of Boulogne sur Mer, in northern France.
A major rescue mission was launched involving four ships and a helicopter, with 63 people saved — with a passing fishing vessel pulling 14 of the survivors from the sea.
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Canada: ‘Billboard Chris’ Caught Up in “The Global Spread of Censorship”
Chris Elston—known online as ‘Billboard Chris,’ a Canadian activist often seen wearing a sandwich board reading “children cannot consent to puberty blockers”—has been censored by the Australian eSafety commissioner.
But the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) legal advocacy group is fighting alongside him, insisting that “in a free society, ideas should be challenged with ideas, not criminal penalties.”
Chris shared a Daily Mail article on the “kinky secrets of [an Australian, transgender] U.N. trans expert” (Teddy Cook) on Twitter/X in February alongside what an unnamed delegate of the eSafety Commissioner described as Chris’ own “offensive” comments. When Cook complained about the post to the commissioner, the independent regulator for online safety requested that X remove the content.
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Federal Appeals Court Says There is No Fundamental Right to Change One’s Sex on a Birth Certificate
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal appeals court panel ruled 2-1 on Friday that Tennessee does not unconstitutionally discriminate against transgender people by not allowing them to change the sex designation on their birth certificates.
“There is no fundamental right to a birth certificate recording gender identity instead of biological sex,” 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote for the majority in the decision upholding a 2023 district court ruling. The plaintiffs could not show that Tennessee’s policy was created out of animus against transgender people as it has been in place for more than half a century and “long predates medical diagnoses of gender dysphoria,” Sutton wrote.
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West Virginia and Idaho asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to decide whether states can lawfully enforce bans on transgender students competing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
The two appeals from GOP-led states mark the first time the high court has been asked to decide the question in a substantive way amid a yearslong legal battle waged by transgender students and their advocates against a slew of such bans enacted in more than two dozen states.
The justices have already said they will decide a separate case concerning state efforts to ban gender-affirming health care for transgender minors, but West Virginia and Idaho said that the court’s eventual decision in that matter “will not resolve” the issue at the center of their cases.
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BRICS Announces Plan to Form Parliament
The BRICS group of nations is continuing its development into a geopolitical world power. On Thursday, the bloc announced its plans to create its own parliament to oversee the alliance and its initiatives.
BRICS, originally founded in 2006 as a group for investment strategies for emerging nations by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, has since expanded and now includes South Africa and—since January 2024—Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. An additional 40 nations have expressed interest in becoming members, including Serbia and Turkey. Over 20 countries have formally applied for membership.
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Just one Franz Ferdinand-style shot away…
“Former President Donald Trump was swarmed by Secret Service agents and rushed off stage as bangs were heard during at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.” —ABC News (13 Jul 2024)
https://abc7chicago.com/post/donald-trump-escorted-off-stage-secret-service-during/15056992/
“Secret Service shot and killed a suspected shooter at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, according to law enforcement officials.”
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/trump-rally-incident/card/secret-service-killed-the-shooter-law-enforcement-says-7yRgx93eeJmSNHl3eraJ
Amend that to: “ Secret service allowed shooter to climb ladder onto roof a perfect head-shot away from President Trump, let him fire off at least 8 shots, also killing an audience member and severely wounding 2 others, before “blowing the killers head off”. Seems a bit too convenient after Obiden saying it’s time to put Trump in the cross-hairs ( a group of donors) a few days ago.