Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has resigned, and will step down as leader of the Conservative Party in the UK. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has become the new prime minister. He told Volodymyr Zelensky that the Labour government will provide unwavering support for Ukraine.
In other news, in a radio appearance President Joe Biden said: “I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice-president, first black woman… to serve with a black president.”
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Fjordman, JW, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Vlad Tepes, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
‘Forget About Interest Rate Cuts,’ Says Polish Central Bank Chief
During a press conference following the two-day meeting of the Monetary Policy Council (RPP), Adam Glapinski, the president of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), announced that the council decided to keep the current interest rates in place, with the main NBP rate holding steady at 5.75 percent.
He emphasized that any potential reduction in rates is not foreseeable until inflation begins to decline, which is predicted to occur around 2026. “We can forget about the interest rate cuts with rising inflation,” stressed the president of the NBP.
Glapinski highlighted the council’s decision to keep rates unchanged as “obvious,” stating that this approach aims to stabilize inflation at a lower level. He anticipates that inflation will reach the target rate of 2.5 percent (+/— 1 percent) by 2026.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Government Clinches 2025 Budget Deal in Line With Debt Brake
Germany’s coalition government has clinched an agreement on the budget for 2025 that will adhere to the country’s strict spending rules following months of negotiations, government sources told Reuters on Friday.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), Economy Minister Robert Habeck’s Greens and Finance Minister Christian Lindner’s Free Democrats (FDP) have been battling to resolve differences over future cuts and spending plans.
Lindner had stressed the importance of returning to the nation’s constitutional enshrined cap on spending, known as the debt brake, and called on a number of ministries to find cuts.
The SPD and Greens, on the other hand, had called for leeway to allow funds for investment.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Homebuyers Despair: Poland Has the Most Expensive Mortgage Rates in the EU
In 2023, reports began to surface that Poland had the highest mortgage rates in the European Union. However, at that time, Hungary held the top spot with a slightly higher average interest rate. Now, the situation has changed. Analysts from RynekPierwotny.pl have taken a closer look and researched why Polish mortgages are currently considered the most expensive in the EU.
A previous analysis in December 2023 showcased the shifting landscape. However, significant changes have since occurred, and in April of this year, among the 27 EU countries, Hungary no longer claims the highest rates, having been overtaken by Poland, whose April rate of 7.72 percent is a slight increase from December’s 7.67 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
June Jobs Report: Economy Creates 206,000 New Jobs, But it’s Not as Strong as it Looks
The U.S. created a solid 206,000 new jobs in June, but the latest employment report also showed signs of deterioration in the labor market that could influence the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates soon.
The increase in new jobs last month slightly exceeded the 200,000 forecast of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.
Yet the government also said 111,000 fewer jobs were created in May and April than originally reported.
What’s more, one-third of the new hires in June were in government. Private-sector employment rose by a softish 136,000.
The unemployment rate, meanwhile, rose to 4.1% for the first time since November 2021. The jobless rate had been as low as 3.4% just 14 months ago.
Wages rose again in June, but the increase in worker pay over the past year slowed to 3.9% from 4.1%. That matches the lowest level in three year and is likely to reassure the Fed that wage growth is slowing to more sustainable levels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) is back in the headlines big time — what with the recent decision of X to rejoin the group, and now, as anticipated, the US Congress is stepping up its attempts to shed more light on what GARM actually does, censorship-wise.
Once again it is House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan who is trying to hold Big Tech — and in this case, “the advertising industrial complex” as it were — accountable.
GARM is a World Economic Forum (WEF)-affiliated initiative, launched by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA); the latter by its own admission represents more than 150 biggest brands and over 60 advertiser associations around the world.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Armed robbers have been targeting prominent New York City establishments, holding up wealthy patrons at gunpoint and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry and luxury watches. The thieves have mainly targeted affluent restaurants in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan that attract celebrities and socialites.
Most of the robberies have occurred between 6:30 and 9:30 pm, and police have not made any arrests, The New York Times reports. Local New Yorkers appear to be on edge as armed robberies like these are rare in the area. All of these heists have occurred within the past month.
The robberies follow a similar pattern, surveillance video footage and witness interviews revealed. Two men arrive at a glittering restaurant, with one carrying a gun. They steal belongings from restaurant patrons and then flee either on a mopedor dirt bike, police said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Biden’s High-Stakes ABC Interview With George Stephanopoulos Will Only Last 15-25 Minutes: Report
Joe Biden will be sitting down for an interview that could last only 15 minutes on Friday. The interview will be with George Stephanopoulos, a news anchor who was once the press secretary for President Bill Clinton, and is the first major interview since CNN’s presidential debate.
With Biden’s poll numbers down after his dismal debate performance against Donald Trump last week, the interview is widely seen as the Biden camp attempting to quell fears over the incumbent president’s age and health. The interview could be as short as 15 minutes and likely not more than 25 minutes, three people familiar with negotiations told the New York Times. It is set to air on ABC News at 8 pm Eastern, with some clips being aired ahead of time during ABC’s World News Tonight at 6:30 pm.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Biden Claims He ‘Will Beat Trump Again in 2020’ in Wisconsin Rally
Biden on Friday delivered a speech at a middle school in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, telling the crowd that the CNN debate on June 27 wasn’t his “best performance.” He declared that he thought he could beat Donald Trump again in 2024 despite increasing calls for Biden to end his campaign from Democrats.
“You probably heard, we had a little debate last week. I can’t say it was my best performance,” Biden told the crowd, which was met with shouts of “we love you Joe” and “It’s okay.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In a desperate effort to correct or perhaps erase his miserable debate performance against President Donald Trump last week, President Joe Biden moved up a planned interview you ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. The interview, which was shot on Friday afternoon in Wisconsin and aired in the prime time hour of Friday night, likely did little to reverse voters’ perceptions of his lack of mental fitness to hold office for another four years.
Biden attempted to deflect, saying he was working with Israel and had “shut Putin down.” The US is still funding Ukraine’s war against their neighboring aggressor, and there is no end in sight.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dozens of Anti-Israel Protesters, Including Flag Snatcher, Arrested at July 4th Rally in NYC
More than three dozen anti-Israel protesters were busted in Manhattan Thursday night during a rally in which a hateful group burned an American flag and a man snatched someone’s Israeli flag, police said.
Cops say they cuffed 37 people at the “Flood July 4th for Gaza” demonstration — organized by radical anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime — which began at Washington Square Park and gradually made its way to Hudson Yards, just in time for the iconic Macy’s fireworks display.
Othman Belhamdounia, 36, was nabbed just after 7 p.m. for allegedly snatching someone’s Israeli flag at the corner of Washington Square East and Washington Place, police said.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
From presidential election to another election, to Covid — to another election. That is how members of particular, mostly flying-under-the-radar power centers in the US have been moving over the last decades.
From time to time, however, circumstances demand that they show their faces: one is James “Jim” Baker, a former FBI lawyer whose “censorship portfolio” includes the infamous case of endorsing the Hunter Biden laptop story suppression — while he was on Twitter’s payroll.
And while there — Baker also wanted to know how come President Trump was not censored for a post saying — “Don’t fear Covid.”
Well, Baker also seems to be staying true to himself — unfortunately, his “truth” appears to be to never miss the chance to support the wrong thing (the “RussiaGate” saga happens to be among them). Right now, he has joined something called “the National Task Force on Election Crises.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Head of Chase Bank Warns Customers: Era of Free Checking is Likely Over
The ‘problem-solving’ elites in Washington, DC, who advocate interventionist policies and overregulate the economy into oblivion, often cause unintended consequences. The latest example comes from the head of America’s largest retail bank, which has a warning for its 86 million customers: The era of free checking is likely over.
Marianne Lake, head of Chase Bank, a division of JPMorgan Chase, was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying the bank is preparing to charge customers for now-free services, including checking accounts and wealth-management tools, if new rules pushed by politicians in Washington are enacted. These rules include capping overdrafts and late fees.
“The changes will be broad, sweeping, and significant,” Lake said, adding, “The people who will be most impacted are the ones who can least afford to be, and access to credit will be harder to get.”
Agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have proposed an $8 cap on late credit card payment fees and a $3 cap on over-drafting fees. There are also talks of placing limitations on debit card fees and the amount banks can charge CashApp and Venmo for accessing and using their customers’ data.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
It’s Time for the Biden Campaign to Embrace AI
After the president’s dismal debate performance, he noted that he “might not walk as easily or talk as smoothly as I used to.” AI could help with this.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Joe Biden Announces He is ‘Proud’ to be a ‘Black Woman’
Amid age-related concern relating to US President Joe Biden’s competency, the current president and presidential hopeful baffled his words and mistakenly described himself as a proud “black woman” while speaking to Philadelphia station WURD on Thursday according to international media reports and recordings of the incident.
Biden had announced “By the way, I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice-president, first black woman… to serve with a black president,” seemingly confusing his own biography with that of Kamala Harris’s.
Harris, who is Biden’s vice president is the first African-American and first woman to hold the role.
Biden’s mistake is one of a series of fumbles as of late. Earlier on Thursday, Biden was speaking to military families on the White House lawn when he stumbled and referred to his competitor, former US president Donald Trump, as “one of our colleagues.”
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
A man has been charged in the killing and dismemberment of a 14-year-old Pennsylvania teen who reportedly identifies as transgender. DaShawn Watkins, 29, has been charged with murder in the first degree, aggravated assault, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and abuse of a corpse. Watkins reportedly met the teen on Grindr before the incident.
According to Your Erie, 14-year-old Paul “Pauly” Likens went missing on June 25. Likens’ remains were then found days later around the area of Shenango Lake in Clark Borough, Pennsylvania. Liken’s body had been dismembered and pieces of him were found in several locations around the lake. During the course of the investigation, police arrested suspect DaShawn Watkins.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
McDonald’s Sues Homeless Man for Alleged Customer Attack in Los Angeles
Via City News Service
McDonald’s Corp. has filed a cross-complaint against an unidentified homeless man who allegedly attacked a customer at one of its stores near Los Angeles General Medical Center in 2023, asking that the assailant and other possible defendants compensate the fast-food chain for any damages it may be ordered to pay.
McDonald’s filed the legal action for indemnity and contribution in Los Angeles Superior Court on June 28, identifying the defendants only as “Roes.”
The court papers state that McDonald’s denies any liability or negligence toward the plaintiff, Donald Wilson, but that the company should be indemnified by the defendants for any monetary damages assessed against McDonald’s.
Mr. Wilson filed his underlying case on May 31, alleging negligence and premises liability, asserting that McDonald’s failed to ensure safety for customers, including Mr. Wilson. According to the complaint, Mr. Wilson and his son went to the McDonald’s on Marengo Street on Feb. 4, 2023, to await his spouse’s completion of a night shift as a shift supervisor at the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mississippi’s Age-Verification Digital ID Law is Declared Unconstitutional
A Mississippi state law (introduced as House Bill 1126) that, among other things, requires platforms to implement age verification, has been declared as by and large unconstitutional by the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.
The law was challenged by Big Tech trade group NetChoice in the NetChoice v. Fitch lawsuit. As the law was to come into force on July 1, the plaintiff asked for a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement.
This has now been granted in part and denied in part by the district court, which found that “a substantial number, if not all, of H.B. 1126’s applications are unconstitutional judged in relation to its legitimate sweep.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
MIT Grew Staff Size by 1,200 While Enrollment Barely Budged
ANALYSIS: University hired 6 new DEI deans in 1 year
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology added more than 1,200 new administrative/support staff positions in less than a decade — including six “diversity, equity, and inclusion” assistant deans in one year, a College Fix analysis found.
Meanwhile, between 2013 and 2022, undergraduate student enrollment remained basically flat.
The administrative hiring increase coincides with concerted efforts by the research university to “advanc[e] diversity, equity, and inclusion” throughout its programs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
NASA to Retire International Space Station
NASA has set a 2031 target date to de-orbit the International Space Station (ISS), which was historically established in Oct. 2000 in partnership with Russia after the two countries agreed to merge their separate space stations in 1993.
The International Space Station is the largest structure to be built in space so far. NASA scientists have to prepare for its de-orbit far in advance since its large size poses a threat to Earth. Scientists said not all of the ISS would burn up once it entered the Earth’s atmosphere and officials have to prepare for the remaining debris landing, which they hope drops in the southern Pacific Ocean.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The U.S. Department of Defense conducted a covert campaign during the coronavirus outbreak to raise doubts about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and other life-saving aids supplied by China, according to an investigative report by Reuters news agency on June 14.
One senior military officer involved in the propaganda efforts was quoted in the bombshell Reuters saying: “We weren’t looking at this from a public health perspective. We were looking at how we could drag China through the mud.”
The Pentagon’s aim with the operation was to limit China’s influence in the Philippines and other countries during the epidemic, according to the news outlet’s analysis.
During the pandemic in Hungary, there were numerous articles criticizing Chinese vaccines in the press, which were financed by foreign actors, primarily from the United States. However, there is currently no evidence these articles were directly connected to the Pentagon’s efforts.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Several suspects have been arrested after at least thirteen Asian senior citizens were brutally attacked or robbed at a senior living facility in Oakland in less than one week, resulting in broken bones and emergency room visits. Leaders at the facility said the number of attacks is closer to 30, but some elderly victims did not want to report out of fear and shame.
Among the victims was an Alzheimer’s patient who was unable to grasp what was happening when she was being badly beaten, ABC 7 reports. “It was happening every hour on the hour,” said Sister Marie Taylor, president of the Westlake Christian Terrace resident council. Taylor said she documented nearly 30 violent attacks and robberies on elderly Asian residents in less than a week.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Poll: Donald Trump Leads Kamala Harris by More Than He Leads Joe Biden
A post-debate poll, published Friday, shows former President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris by more than he leads President Joe Biden as talk among Democrats has turned to replacing Biden with Harris at the top of the 2024 Democrat presidential ticket.
The poll shows Trump leading Harris by seven percentage points in a general election.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Several Arrested After Participating in Pro-Palestinian March, Protest in Philly on July 4
Several people were arrested on Thursday evening while participating in a pro-Palestinian protest outside of City Hall.
NBC10 cameras captured some of the protest where a large group of people could be seen carrying Palestinian flags while marching through Center City.
The large group of people were first seen blocking streets and marching near Ludlow and 18th streets.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A PAC funded by George Soros that devoted millions to electing liberal district attorneys in California has yet to spend any money this election cycle, even as some of Soros-backed prosecutors face uncertain futures.
California Justice & Public Safety PAC spent well over $5 million between 2018 and 2020 to elect Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, campaign finance records show. With these prosecutors now facing tough elections that could boot them from office, however, Soros’ PAC has ceased its spending with $0 in expenditures recorded from 2023 to the present.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chancery Judge I’Ashea Myles has determined that the writings of trans school shooter Audrey Hale will not be made public. Hale shot up the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn. in March 2023. Hale left behind journals, diaries, and detailed plans of how she intended to carry out the massacre. Myles cites copyright claims of the victims’ families as a reason to block release, saying that “materials created by Hale are exempted from disclosure based on the federal Copyright Act.”
“Prior to her ruling,” the Tennessee Star reported,” Myles first controversially allowed parents from the Covenant School, the Covenant School, and the Covenant Presbyterian Church to intervene in the case after Hale’s family claimed they assigned them the copyright of her written materials.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Challenges Biden to a ‘No Holds Barred’ Debate to ‘Prove His Competence’
Donald Trump has challenged Joe Biden to another debate, but this time with no moderators, in order for the incumbent president to “prove his ‘competence,’ or lack thereof” for the American people. This comes just ahead of Biden’s planned interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday, which Biden allies are hoping will reverse the trend for their party’s leader after he botched the debate so badly.
Trump posted the challenge to Truth Social as the prospect of Biden as the Democratic nominee has come under great scrutiny from many Americans after his terrible debate performance against Trump last week. “I have the answer to the Crooked Joe Biden Incompetence Puzzle—Let’s do another Debate, but this time, no holds barred,” Trump said on Truth Social.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Leads Biden 43 to 41% in New Jersey in Head-to-Head Race: United 2024 Poll
Donald Trump leads incumbent President Joe Biden 43 to 41 percent in New Jersey, according to a new poll in the Garden State. The poll results come after Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week.
According to the poll conducted by Republican super PAC United 2024, Trump is up two points in the state when there is a two-way contest between him and Biden. When the poll included third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Jill Stein, Trump and Biden were tied at 38 percent.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
American President Joe Biden was spotted arriving in Wilmington, Delaware following his campaign appearance in Wisconsin. Thus, reports that he was experiencing a medical emergency are UNTRUE, Colin Rugg reported, using a video by Forbes. Biden was spotted leaving Air Force One in video that Forbes released, and he seemed fine.
The White House has also confirmed that the reports surrounding Biden’s medical emergency are 100% FALSE, according to BNO News Desk. After arriving in Delaware, the President will spend some time at his house.
| — Hat tip: Roger | [Return to headlines] |
Washington Post Editorial Board Runs Proposed Draft of Biden’s Drop Out Speech
The Washington Post editorial board penned a hypothetical speech for President Joe Biden if he were to announce in an Independence Day address that he was dropping out of the presidential race. The article from the left-leaning outlet comes as Biden has faced increasing pressures from Democrats to drop out of the race for president.
“What if Biden spoke these words?” was released by the outlet on July 3 ahead of the July 4 holiday. The Washington Post’s editorial board wrote that Biden could compare himself to George Washington, with one line from the hypothetical speech reading, “I have decided to withdraw from the campaign for president of the United States.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Wisconsin Supreme Court Reinstates Use of Ballot Drop Boxes After Most Were Banned
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court on Friday ruled to reinstate the use of most ballot drop boxes in the state. The 4-3 ruling from the court overturns a previous decision it made that banned the use of most of these boxes. This comes around four months before the 2024 election.
“Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes,” the justices wrote, according to NBC News. “It merely acknowledges…that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily-conferred discretion.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Woman Fabricates Rape Story After Allegedly Killing Man With Table Leg in NYC
A woman with a lengthy criminal history has been arrested for allegedly beating a man to death with a wooden table leg in New York City on Tuesday. Sabrina Charles, 39, was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon. Charles claimed that the victim, who has not yet been identified, had raped her. Those allegations were revealed to be fabricated after security camera footage contradicted her version of events.
According to the New York Daily News, the incident took place shortly before 4:30 am on Hancock Place and 124th Street in Harlem. Charles and the victim smoked crack together before moving in between two parked cars, where they proceeded to engage in a sex act that appeared to be consensual. She then asked him to pay more for the drugs they had consumed. After that, Charles picked up a discarded wooden table leg and approached the victim from behind as he was lighting his crack pipe, smacking him over the head nearly 30 times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In May, I published an interview with Slovenian opposition leader and former prime minister Janez Jansa. I have maintained a good relationship with the Slovenian politician since 2021, when I first interviewed him, and subsequently translated into Spanish his book We Got Up and Survived, in which he tells the story of how Slovenia achieved independence. However, I did not meet him personally until recently, when I went to the headquarters of his party, the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), in Ljubljana.
Jansa speaks very clearly and is not, like so many politicians, a straw man. He stood up to the Yugoslav government and suffered persecution under the communist regime. He later became Slovenia’s defence minister and was the commander of its army in the 1991 war of independence. His life experience, and his three terms as prime minister, make him a down-to-earth politician who is very aware of the world around him. In this interview, held on June 20th, we discuss the results of the European elections, the role of the EPP and the need for change in Europe.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungary, as the holder of the revolving presidency of the Council of the European Union, has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU, European Council President Charles Michel warned Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday.
This comes fresh on the heels of reports that Orban is scheduled for a visit to Moscow this Friday, after visiting Kyiv earlier in the week.
“The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine,” Michel posted on X.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
On Wednesday, Warsaw witnessed a tense scene as prosecutors from the National Prosecutor’s Office entered the headquarters of the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), accompanied by police. They demanded the release of documents related to disciplinary spokesmen who were not present at the time, according to a statement released by the KRS on social media.
The spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office, Anna Adamiak, clarified the reasons behind the prosecutors’ entry. She assured that the actions “have nothing to do with the operations of the KRS, nor do they include the premises occupied by it.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chancellor Scholz “Guarantees” Germany Will Not Enter Ukraine War
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has assured his country’s citizens that Germany will not become a party to the war in Ukraine. In a reply to a question by an opposition lawmaker on whether he would guarantee that Germany would not be drawn into the war, the chancellor said: “Yes, I give this guarantee. As chancellor, I stand by that.”
The question was justified, seeing how Germany’s military approach has changed within a matter of years. Berlin was initially only willing to send helmets to Ukraine at the beginning of Russia’s invasion more than two years ago. However, pressure from NATO allies and the hawkish Greens within the government has persuaded Social Democrat Olaf Scholz to allow the delivery of anti-aircraft systems and battle tanks. Germany recently gave its consent to Ukraine using German weapons against targets inside Russian territory.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czechia Will No Longer Recognize Non-Biometric Russian Passports
Effective Wednesday, the Czech Republic will no longer recognize non-biometric passports issued by the Russian Federation. Russian citizens holding such passports will be considered illegally present in Czechia, the country’s Foreign Ministry told CTK.
Denmark has already taken a similar step. Czechia announced the decision at a meeting of the relevant EU body and called on other states to adopt the same measure.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dutch Cities Pushing Through With No-Emission Zones Despite New Coalition’s Disapproval
The four large Dutch cities will implement their emission-free zones as planned on 1 January 2025, despite the new government’s coalition agreement stating it wants to investigate delaying the implementation. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht confirmed their determination to proceed, NOS reports.
The emission-free zones mean that, from next year, all commercial vehicles with combustion engines will be banned from part of the involved municipalities’ city centers. In practice, diesel vans and trucks will be unwelcome, except for a few exceptions for which an exemption applies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Euro 2024 ‘Wolf Salute’ Sparks Turkey-Germany Diplomatic Spat
A two-handed “wolf salute” given by a Turkish football player during the Euro 2024 football tournament sparked an escalating diplomatic spat between Ankara and host nation Germany.
Merih Demiral appeared to have made the gesture during his country’s 2:1 victory over Austria on July 2, sparking condemnation from German politicians due to the salute’s links with the hard-right Turkish nationalist movement, the Grey Wolves.
“The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums,” Germany’s Antifa-linked interior minister Nancy Faeser wrote online after the game.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Farage’s Reform UK to Put Brake on Labour Moves to Cosy Up to European Union
Nigel Farage said his Reform UK party, with 14.3 per cent of the popular vote in the national elections, would act as a check on any moves by new Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s victorious Labour Party to develop too cosy a relationship with the European Union.
The Brexiteer’s party performed surprisingly well in the UK ballot on July 4, coming second in 98 constituencies. It is now the main challenger in seats such as likely Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner’s constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne, and pushed the Tories into third and occasionally fourth place across England’s North East.
The party’s strong showing marked “the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party”, Farage told reporters, promising the result marked “the first step of something that is going to stun all of you”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Government Braces for Unrest During Second Round of Elections
The second round of the French parliamentary elections is about to take place in an atmosphere of high tension. Police are being deployed throughout the country in fear of outbursts of protests and violence. Emmanuel Macron, the architect of the situation into which the country has been plunged for nearly a month, is trying to keep as low a profile as possible.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced the deployment of 30,000 police and gendarmes for the second round, which is due to take place on Sunday, July 7th. Paris alone is planning to deploy 2,800 police officers, compared with 1,700 for the first round. The situation is similar in the country’s other main cities. These resources have been justified to “prevent the risk of public disorder and urban violence” and should be mobilised “until at least July 16th”, in addition to the security arrangements already in place for the Paris Olympic Games.
This is a precautionary decision, given that no call for demonstrations has yet been received from any political force. The prediction of riots has still been fanned and provoked by the parties of the Left and Centre, who are crying fascist danger in the event of a Rassemblement National (RN) victory.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Left and Right Urge Voters to Ignore Polls
The French Left and the hard-right party National Rally (RN) both dismissed the latest projections for the next parliament, instead urging the electorate to vote for them to establish a clear majority in the next parliament to avoid deadlock.
Recent polls indicated that neither the left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NPF) nor the RN was on track to secure the 289 seats required for an absolute majority in the French Parliament.
Despite that, leaders from both factions remained optimistic.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Minister Accused of Hiding the Identities of Gang Who Attacked Her Campaign Team
A French junior minister and her team were attacked while putting up posters on the campaign trail on Wednesday, resulting in her ending her ground campaign.
Government spokesperson and candidate Prisca Thevenot was accosted by four individuals in the western Parisian suburb of Meudon located in Hauts-de-Seine.
Thevenot was uninjured, but a member of her team suffered a broken jaw while her deputy Virginie Lanlo was also beaten. Both were taken to Percy Hospital in Clamart for treatment.
Speaking to Le Parisien, the Macronist spokesperson revealed her campaign team “found themselves next to a small group of young people” who had been “defacing posters.”
When one of her group called out the youths on their vandalism, they were “immediately attacked.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
French Elections: End of Macron Era Will Redefine EU Politics
As French President Emmanuel Macron’s party faces a likely defeat in the snap legislative elections and the hard-right and left-wing opposition forces inch closer to power, the implications for European Union politics are profound.
With three days to go to the second round of the French parliamentary ballot on July 7, Brussels is nervous about post-election results and possible coalition scenarios.
Should the Left or the hard-right gain power, France could be on the path to a form of “Frexit.”
Macron, who since 2017 positioned himself as a hero of the EU, may now be seen as responsible for the impending crisis.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s BSW Lacks MEP Numbers to Form EP Bloc
Germany’s Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) party will not form a new alternative left-wing European Parliament bloc.
This is after “it became clear that we would not reach the criteria” of 23 MEPs from seven countries needed for a group to be recognised, its lead MEP candidate Fabio de Masi told Brussels Signal.
“Our Plan A was to form a new group with the Five Star Movement” from Italy, said de Masi, who was elected as an MEP in the June 6-9 EP ballot along with five other BSW candidates.
“We had around 20 MEPS from six countries secured at some point,” falling just short of the 23 required, he said.
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German Schwedt Refinery to Receive Oil Via Poland Despite Russia’s Rosneft Still Being a Shareholder
The Schwedt refinery in Germany near the Polish border is set to continue receiving shipments of non-Russian oil via the Gdansk Naftoport, even without the removal of Russian influence from its operations. This decision emerged from an intergovernmental consultation held in Warsaw on July 2.
The consultation underscored a collaborative effort between Poland and Germany to foster joint initiatives in oil infrastructure and fuel supply stability. A key focus will be coordinating oil deliveries to the PCK Schwedt refinery, determining the required supply levels, and managing the refinery’s ownership status, which currently includes a significant share held by Russian oil company Rosneft.
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Hungary Steps Up Airline Probes After Systemic Delays
The way airlines treat passengers during the summer season is unacceptable, according to Hungarian officials. As a result, Hungarian Justice Minister Bence Tuzson has launched new consumer protection investigations, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) told national news agency MTI on Thursday.
It said that Tuzson had ordered eight more investigations into the extreme flight delays and cancellations in recent days, bringing the total number of investigations to 11. The procedures now underway concern flights operated by Ryanair and Wizzair.
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Le Pen’s ID Group Prepares to Merge With Orban’s Patriots Next Monday
The national leaders of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group are planning to have their constitutive meeting on Monday, July 8th, right after the second round of the French elections has concluded. Sources suggest their plan is to rebrand under the umbrella of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban’s new outfit, the ‘Patriots for Europe.’
As we reported, the new right-wing sovereigntist political alliance between Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, the Czech ANO, and the Austrian FPÖ was launched last Sunday in Vienna. The Hungarian prime minister promised that it would “very quickly” grow into the third largest group in the European Parliament (EP), prompting a flurry of speculation about prospective additional allies.
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Majority of Europeans Do Not Think Ukraine Can Win
A 14-country study by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a Berlin-based think tank, reveals that the majority of Europeans do not believe Ukraine can win the war against Russia.
It turns out that Europeans are more likely to believe that Ukraine will not defeat Russia on the battlefield. The poll shows around a third to a half of respondents think the war will end in a negotiated settlement, while 31 percent of respondents think a Russian victory is likely.
Of the EU countries surveyed, only Estonia had a higher proportion of respondents (38 percent) who think Ukraine will win.
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NATO Members Vow to Support Ukraine to the Tune of €40 Billion Per Year
NATO member states agreed on Wednesday to aim to provide Ukraine with at least €40 billion a year in military aid, but refrained from making explicit pledges for the coming years, business news portal Vilaggazdasag reports.
The alliance seeks consistency for Kyiv in terms of funding. However, despite initial enthusiasm, several member states have found it politically and legally difficult to commit to a specific amount for several years.
Instead, according to Bloomberg, the 32 members of the alliance have set a target of €40 billion, but with the proviso that it will be reviewed every year. The target could therefore increase or decrease depending on the situation.
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Netherlands: Prime Minister Schoof, PVV Ministers Survive No Confidence Votes During “Circus” Debate
Prime Minister Dick Schoof and his Cabinet survived their first “circus” of a parliamentary debate. Motions of no confidence filed against Schoof by DENK and PvdD and against PVV Ministers Reinette Klever and Marjolein Faber by GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, SP, and PvdD received no majority support.
The debate made clear that the non-partisan Schoof was very much standing alone. He received fierce criticism from opposition parties, who wanted him to speak out clearly against past statements by PVV Ministers Klever, Faber, and Fleur Agema about the racist repopulation conspiracy theory for the former two and against headscarves for the latter two. He also got attacked by Geert Wilders. The leader of the PVV, the largest coalition party, wanted Schoof to be angrier about the racism accusations against PVV Ministers.
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Patriots for Europe Set to Absorb Identity and Democracy Group in European Parliament
Viktor Orban’s Patriots for Europe project appears set to absorb the Identity and Democracy (ID) group within the European Parliament.
It appears that the merger is the latest step in a carefully calculated strategy, with the party carrying the most weight in ID, Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN), having been waiting for the right moment to unite.
According to internal sources, it now looks almost certain that the entire ID group will join the Patriots for Europe project on Monday, July 8.
When Orban announced the launch of the group on June 30, starting with just his Fidesz party, Austria’s hard-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and ANO, Czechia’s main opposition party, he said it would soon grow to be the strongest right-wing bloc in the EP.
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Plans for ‘Anti-Woke’ Leftist Group Fall Through at EU Parliament
Left-wing populists were unable to form a new parliamentary group in the European Parliament (EP), having failed to reach the minimum number of affiliated parties when the pre-existing Left group successfully poached prospective members.
German MEP Sahra Wagenknecht and her left-wing populist, anti-woke, anti-mass migration Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) party scrambled to meet the seven-party requirement to register a new group, but their potential ally, Italy’s Five Star Movement, opted instead for the Left group.
Having kept her alliances under wraps before Tuesday, Wagenknecht admitted that her prospective faction was not going to materialise. Party spokesman Fabio de Masi blamed the recruitment shortfall on the “powerful levers” exercised by larger EP groupings.
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Polish Defense Ministry Denies Military Budget Will be Cut by Billions of Euros
Conservative media outlet TV Republika reported on Thursday that the Polish Ministry of National Defense (MON) is considering significant cuts to the defense budget. This announcement triggered a wave of criticism from the opposition members of the Law and Justice (PiS).
The MON was quick to refute these claims, but lawmakers continue to present new evidence supporting the initial report.
TV Republika revealed a document indicating that the MON plans to reduce defense spending by 25 percent — approximately 57 billion zlotys (€13.30 billion) — between 2025 and 2028. This proposal was negatively reviewed by General Wieslaw Kukula, the chief of the general staff.
The Ministry of National Defense strongly denied TV Republika’s claims, stating, “These claims are completely unfounded and mislead the public.”
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Polish Media Unite Against EU Digital Single Market Directive
Media companies from across Poland have united in protest against the country’s proposed implementation of the EU’s Digital Single Market directive.
More than 350 outlets held a joint protest against EU-backed changes to copyright law which they fear will favour tech giants such as Google and Facebook.
On July 4, print front pages and online homepages were covered with a protest message reading: “Politicians, don’t kill Polish media!”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Ambassador Recalled Amid Scandal, Derailing NATO Deputy Secretary-General Bid
According to internal correspondence from NATO Headquarters obtained by Onet news outlet, Tomasz Szatkowski, before being recalled as Poland’s Ambassador to NATO, was on the shortlist for the position of deputy secretary-general of the alliance. Szatkowski had a strong chance but lost it when the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled him amidst a cloud of scandal.
Within NATO’s leadership, beyond the secretary-general, there is the so-called first deputy secretary-general and eight deputy assistant secretary-generals, each with very specific areas of responsibility. The first deputy position is prestigious but holds less power compared to the assistant secretary-generals who oversee distinct strategic areas.
Szatkowski was a candidate for the assistant in charge of defense investments, a key role given its influence over financial allocations within the alliance. Onet reports that he entered the competition with the knowledge and, if not outright approval, at least without opposition from the leadership of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Slovakia’s Prime Minister Makes First Public Appearance Since May 15 Shooting
A gunman shot the Slovakian prime minister five times as he greeted supporters in the town of Handlova in May.
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has made his first public appearance since he was shot on May 15 in an apparent assassination attempt.
He spoke at an event at Devin Castle in the capital Bratislava to mark Saint Cyril and Methodius Day, a national holiday in Slovakia to commemorate the day the two Christian missionaries arrived in what was then Moravia.
He made only one reference to his shooting, referring to it only as an “unfortunate event”, and used his speech largely to talk about the need to build a barrier against progressivism which he said is spreading “like a cancer”.
“They are ideologies that are damaging this country. They are ideologies that were created perhaps only the day before yesterday. I do not want Slovakia to be one of the countries that make a caricature of Western civilisation. We are a proud nation,” he said.
He also used his speech to caution against the war in Ukraine spiralling into a broader regional conflict.
“If we do not do something in the coming days and months, the situation that is developing in Ukraine could get out of hand and we could see an uncontrolled war,” he warned.
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Spain’s Vox Makes Shock Exit From ECR to Join Patriots for Europe
Preparations for a new right-wing sovereigntist faction in the European Parliament (EP) are gaining momentum, with the Spanish populist party VOX announcing that it would join the nascent group, bringing with it six MEPs.
VOX leader Santiago Abascal made the announcement on Friday morning after meeting with Fidesz political director Balazs Orban. The Spaniards are the latest European populist faction to join the grouping, following Portugal’s Chega, the Czech ANO, and the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ).
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Spain’s PM Unveils Controversial Think Tank to Battle Media “Hoaxes”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has inaugurated a think tank to combat “hoaxes” in the media, particularly aimed at alleged “far-right” media.
In his speech launching the Avanza Foundation on Wednesday, Sanchez said the Socialist Party-linked organization would “contribute to dismantling narratives based on hoaxes and falsehoods.”
Senior staff from his party attended the event, including several regional ministers and general secretaries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Spain’s Vox Leaves ECR for Orban’s Patriots Group in European Parliament
Spain’s Vox party, led by Santiago Abascal, is leaving the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group to join the Patriots for Europe spearheaded by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The announcement on July 5 came after the Spanish delegation met with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni in Sicily.
Speaking to Brussels Signal, sources within the party insisted that the decision “has nothing to do” with a possible confrontation with Fratelli D’Italia or the leadership of the Italian party.
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UK: Farage Gets Another MP as Close Recount Finds in Reform’s Favour
Long after the other counts in Britain’s General Election closed, James McMurdock has been elected in Essex after the race went down to the wire with three recounts ordered.
“He’s won! He’s an MP! Go on my son!” celebrated Nigel Farage on Friday afternoon after a surprise extra victory for his Reform Party was announced, when a hotly contested seat declared for James McMurdock.
McMurdock was elected for South Basildon and East Thurrock with 12,178 votes, only fractionally ahead of Labour with 12,080 votes. The Conservatives also performed well in this three-way marginal, and were only slightly behind on 10,159.
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UK: General Election 2024 in Maps and Charts
The Labour Party has won a landslide majority in the 2024 general election.
The party is set to take 412 seats with a majority of 174, with one result yet to be declared.
It is the worst Conservative result in terms of seats in history, with the party forecast to win as few as 122. The Liberal Democrats have their highest tally since 1923, taking 71 seats.
The SNP is forecast to finish with 10 seats. Reform UK have five and Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have four each.
Some 23 seats were won by other parties, all in Northern Ireland, and independent candidates.
The biggest gap on record has emerged between the share of the vote won nationally by parties and the number of seats they have gained.
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UK: Labour Wins Major Majority, But Lacks Popular Support
Labour has won the general election and will hold a significant majority of around 170 seats.
Its leader (and next prime minister) Sir Keir Starmer says he has “earnt the mandate” because the electorate saw “that we can serve their interest.”
This is total nonsense.
No matter how many times Starmer repeats the lie that this election “could only be won by a changed Labour Party”—it will still be a lie.
Labour actually won because voters have come to loathe the Conservative Party so much that they decided either to stay at home (just 59.6% of the electorate voted—the second lowest level since 1885—and in 59 seats, less than half the electorate turned out) or to vote Reform.
Indeed, the millions of votes for Reform across the country might have only secured Nigel Farage’s party four seats (still an impressive number for such a young party under the first-past-the-post electoral system, and one from which it hopes to build upon at the next election), but they stopped the Conservatives from winning dozens and dozens of their own, handing them instead to Labour.
Starmer was also helped massively by the near-total collapse of the SNP in Scotland.
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UK: Rishi Sunak Resigns, Announces He Will Quit as Tory Leader
The defeated leader of the Conservative Party, which suffered its worst election result in well over a century overnight, has said he is stepping down from power and will also give up control of what remains of his political faction.
“I have heard your anger, disappointment and I take responsibility for this loss,” said Rishi Sunak on Friday morning at the podium in front of Downing Street. The Prime Minister acknowledged the country has given a clear signal that it wants change, and said he would go to King Charles III to tender his resignation.
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Sectarian politics is officially here to stay in Britain as a schism on the left saw multiple independent candidates best the Labour Party in Thursday’s general election after running on a pro-Palestinian platform.
While the left-wing Labour Party has traditionally been able to count on the overwhelming support of the Muslim community in the UK, this support appears to be fracturing as new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to move his party away from the antisemitism scandals and accusations of supporting radical Islamists that bedevilled his socialist predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.
According to an analysis from the BBC, Labour saw its vote decline by an average of 11 per cent in constituencies with at least a ten per cent Muslim population.
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UK: Ukraine War Briefing: Starmer Assures Zelenskiy of ‘Unwavering’ Support
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, has said after the election of a new UK government: “I am grateful to Keir Starmer for his assurances that Britain’s support for Ukraine will remain unchanged in principle.” Starmer’s office said he told Zelenskiy in a phone call that the Labour government would keep providing “unwavering” support for Kyiv in its war against Russia. Zelenskiy said he had wished the new PM success in fulfilling the expectations of the British people. Zelenskiy also thanked the outgoing Conservative PM, Rishi Sunak, for his steadfast support.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Vatican Excommunicates Pope Francis’s Harshest Critic for ‘Schism’
ROME — The Vatican’s doctrinal office has found former papal nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò guilty of “schism,” declaring him excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
Viganò’s “public statements manifesting his refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the Church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council are well known,” Vatican statement reads.
“At the conclusion of the penal process, the Most Reverend Carlo Maria Viganò was found guilty of the reserved delict of schism, it states, for which the Vatican “declared the latae sententiae excommunication.”
Excommunication is the Catholic Church’s most severe penalty, imposed for particularly grave sins. The excommunicated person no longer belongs to the Church and is forbidden from receiving the sacraments.
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Gaza’s Biggest Soccer Stadium is Now a Shelter for Thousands of Displaced Palestinians
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza have sought refuge in what was once the territory’s biggest soccer arena, where families scrape by with little food or water as they try to keep one step ahead of Israel’s latest offensive.
Their makeshift tents hug the shade below the stadium’s seating, with clothes hung out to dry across the dusty, dried-up soccer field. Under the covered benches where players used to sit on the sidelines, Um Bashar bathes a toddler standing in a plastic tub. Lathering soap through the boy’s hair, he wiggles and shivers as she pours the chilly water over his head, and he grips the plastic seats for balance.
They’ve been displaced multiple times, she said, most recently from Israel’s renewed operations against Hamas in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City.
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Farah Pahlavi, Empress of Iran, is the widow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Before her marriage, she studied architecture at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, she continued in her deep and abiding devotion to charitable work. Today, she divides her time between Paris and Washington, DC.
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Hungary’s Viktor Orban Arrives for ‘Peace Mission’ in Russia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Moscow, days after a similar visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Kremlin offered Orban a cordial reception, just as Kyiv did less than a week ago, but leaders in the European Union issued statements appearing to indicate disapproval of Orban’s travels. Orban, who currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, has described his travel as a “peace mission” intended to “clarify the facts” between Zelensky and Putin, hoping to carve out space for direct talks between the two countries.
In his public remarks alongside Orban, Putin described his decision to invade Ukraine as “the largest European crisis” and declared himself at Orban’s “disposal” to help him in his capacity leading the European Council.
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Kyiv Visit Was Scoping Mission on Zelensky’s Red Lines to Peace, Says Hungary PM Orban
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that his visit to Kyiv was not to convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but to find out “where the limits are” regarding Kyiv’s position on the peace process.
In an interview with the conservative Swiss newspaper Die Weltwoche, the Hungarian prime minister said that he had not intended to make any concrete proposals to Zelensky and that his task had been to gain a better understanding of the Ukrainian president’s position and his red lines in the peace talks.
Orban confirmed that, as head of government of the country currently holding the rotating EU presidency, his aim is to prepare a report for the European Council on the possibilities for peace. Several proposals for peace talks and for a solution to the conflict have already been made, he recalled, but their adoption could take months, which is not very timely, as people are dying every day. For this reason, he asked Zelensky to change the order of this process, to think first about a ceasefire, and then about negotiations on the peace process.
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Moldovan Dissidents Meet in Russia to Plan Opposition to EU Referendum in October
Russian officials and their Moldovan allies discussed the EU accession referendum to be held in October at a conference in Moscow, referring to an “annexation” by Romania.
Former and current Russian officials discussed in Moscow with the Chisinau opposition and other guests, including from the Transnistrian region and ATU Gagauzia, about an “annexation” of Moldova by Romania at a conference entitled “In Moldova or in Romania: Will Moldova remain on the map in 2025?” reports Free Europe Moldova.
Socialist MP Bogdan Tîrdea, fugitive oligarch Ilan Sor and the Bishop of Balti and Falesti, Marchel Mihaescu, were among the guests. The event was organized by the Institute of CIS countries, headed by Konstantin Zatulin, which takes a special interest in Moldova.
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War Transforms Russia’s Economy Into a ‘High-Income Country’ Despite Sanctions
Despite round after round of sanctions, Russia has now joined the ranks of high-income countries of the World Bank classification.
The World Bank updates the income classification of the world’s economies on July 1 each year. The financial institution divides countries into four groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle and high income. The calculation is based on gross national income per capita, or GNI.
This year’s report shows economic growth in Russia has jumped higher, which has moved from upper-middle to high income, according to World Bank data, after reaching a GNI level of $14,250, with the war economy dragging Russia upwards.
In Russia, which has switched to a war economy, the military sector and soaring trade has boosted the economy despite sanctions. According to the World Bank analysis, trade expanded by 6.8 percent, the financial sector by 8.7 percent and construction by 6.6 percent. As a result of these components, real GDP grew by 3.6 percent, nominal GDP by 10.9 percent and gross national income per capita by 11.2 percent.
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Man Who Stabbed South Korean Opposition Leader Gets 15 Years in Prison
July 5 (UPI) — The knife attacker who stabbed Korean opposition leader and Democratic Party Chair Lee Jae-myung in the neck in January while posing as a supporter in Busan was given 15 years in prison Friday.
An alleged accomplice in the stabbing attack received 1 1/2 years in prison.
| — Hat tip: MM | [Return to headlines] |
Australia’s Chief Censor to Force Online Digital ID Within Six Months
It’s really a no-brainer both for politicians and those crafting the wording and perception of their policies.
Namely — if you want genuinely complex and controversial initiatives (such as those related to mass surveillance and privacy infringements) fast-tracked both in legislatures and the media/public, just frame them as geared toward “child safety.”
Job done. Not many will even attempt to stand up to this, even if arguments in favor are patently disingenuous.
One gets the sense this is what Australia’s “chief censor” — eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant — is there to do — and she seems to understand her assignment well. Whether she succeeds, though, is a whole different question.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Labor’s Fatima Payman Defects to Crossbench as Government Worries About Muslim Vote
Senator Fatima Payman, who announced on Thursday she was quitting her party, has now officially joined that well-known club of “Labor rats” — those who have been thrown overboard or jumped ship.
Notable past members include then prime minister Billy Hughes, expelled during the first world war conscription crisis, and Joe Lyons, a minister during the great depression, when Labor fractured.
But the “club” has never had someone like Payman, a religious, hijab-wearing young Muslim woman who reflects one slice of the modern, increasingly diverse Australian community.
Payman, now a crossbencher, said she had been “deeply torn”. She’d had “immense support” from rank and file Labor members urging her to “hang in there” and fight for change within Labor. On the other hand she had been pressured to conform to caucus solidarity and toe the party line.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS Moves on Uganda: Islamic Militants Threaten Christian Majority Countries
June 16 marked the one-year anniversary of a sickening terror attack at a Christian boarding school in western Uganda, in which Islamist terrorists murdered 42 people.
On June 16, 2023, the Islamist “Allied Democratic Forces” (ADF), based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), invaded the compound of the private Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School in Uganda’s Kasese District.
Islamic militants firebombed student dormitories; students fleeing the fire were either gunned down or hacked to death with machetes. Students trapped in the dormitories burned to death as the terrorists shouted “Allahu akbar!” (“Allah is the greatest!”). Some of the victims’ bodies, burnt beyond recognition, required DNA testing to identify them. Six students were kidnapped.
During the 90-minute attack, 42 people were murdered, including 38 students, a school guard, and three local residents. According to the police, the victims’ ages ranged from 12 to 95.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Suspected Chinese Spy Bases in Cuba Have Undergone Expansion
By Frank Fang of Epoch Times
Cuba has upgraded and expanded four electronic surveillance facilities, including one near the Guantanamo Bay naval base, amid growing concern about China’s spying efforts in the United States’ backyard, according to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
“While China’s activities on the island remain shrouded in secrecy, satellite imagery analyzed by CSIS provides the latest and most comprehensive assessment of where China is most likely operating,” the report reads.
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A new poll reveals a German public overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the left-liberal ruling government’s migration policy, with the vast majority of Germans clearly turning against mass immigration.
The Insa poll shows that 74 percent of respondents say the government is failing to take enough action against immigration, while only 17 percent of voters say the government is taking “sufficient’ action.
In addition, 72 percent of respondents say it is right to carry out asylum procedures outside the EU’s external borders, while only 16 percent say the measure is wrong.
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An illegal immigrant wanted on child rape charges in Ecuador has been arrested in Boston, according to a press release from US Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). He had escaped to the US as a fugitive from Ecuador.
The fugitive Ecuadorian and wanted child predator suspect was hiding out in the United States after illegally entering the country on June 4, 2021, near San Luis, Arizona. He was captured by Biden’s border patrol agents but was released and given an order to appear in court at a later date, the press release stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Iranian Migrant Who Was Shot and Killed by Police Officer Stabbed a Police Intern
After a police officer shot and killed an Iranian migrant in the German city of Lauf an der Pegnitz, located close to the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, public prosecutors are releasing more details of the case, which revealed just how dramatic the encounter was for the police officers involved.
The attack, which occurred on June 30, made headlines in Germany after dramatic footage showed the attacker lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. The incident also forced the scenic city to shut down its entire train station.
The facts now reveal that the attacker had stabbed a police trainee who was reportedly looking to become a police sergeant, according to Bild. The only thing that saved him from serious injury or potential death was the protective vest he was wearing at the time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Plans for Migrant Deportation Center Near Polish Border Spark Protests
Germany is planning to establish a deportation center on an island on the Oder River, right next to Kostrzyn on the Polish border, according to reports from Deutsche Welle. This proposal has already sparked protests in the German town of Küstrin-Kietz.
“As Germany expresses concern, so should Poland, and they have grounds to do so. With 48,000 migrants waiting in Germany for years for readmission, Germany should be deporting these individuals back to their countries of origin instead of building camps,” said Law and Justice (PiS) MEP and former conservative Deputy Justice Minister Maciej Wasik, who spoke with Gazeta Polska.
The construction of such a camp on the border is a clear threat to the Polish side, according to Wasik.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lukashenko: We Won’t Protect the EU From Growing Waves of Migrants
Minsk will not do anything to protect the EU’s external borders from the ever-increasing waves of Middle Eastern illegal migrants trying to get inside the bloc from the territory of Belarus, the country’s president Alexander Lukashenko said earlier this week. The president even accused the West of trying to “exploit” the migration crisis against Belarus, even though his government has been directly behind the phenomenon for years, employing a tactic of ‘hybrid warfare’ meant to destabilize Europe.
Lukashenko’s remarks were made during a speech on Tuesday night in anticipation of Belarus’ Independence Day (July 3rd)—an ironic holiday, given that Lukashenko, who’s been in power for 30 years, is Europe’s last true dictator, and that Belarus itself is little more than just an extension of Russia.
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Media Exposes German Government’s Obstruction of Afghan Deportation Plans
The Afghan embassy in Berlin is still operational and able to help with deportation orders—despite claims to the contrary by Germany’s green-party-controlled foreign ministry—according to the tabloid Bild. Reports indicate that the authorities are being deceptive, rather than admit that the former Afghan ambassador still works in Berlin. In fact, he retains diplomatic recognition and may sign off on deportation documents for Afghans in Germany illegally.
Germany and most European countries not recognising the resurgent Taliban regime in Kabul has been a major sticking point for returning failed asylum seekers. Berlin is currently negotiating with Afghanistan’s northern neighbour Uzbekistan as an intermediary, aiming to help start deportations rather than deal directly with the Taliban.
It is not the first time Germany’s foreign ministry has been accused of turning a blind eye to asylum abuses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Labour Government is poised to scrap the Rwanda scheme just as it was finally ready for take-off, to the delight of migrants waiting to cross the Channel.
In a tent encampment in woodland near Dunkirk last night, migrants said it was ‘amazing news’ that the new UK Government will abandon the programme.
Loni, 17, from South Sudan, said: ‘I’ve been here for seven months with my sister and her children, and all the time we’ve worried we could get sent to Rwanda.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
New York City Giving Taxpayer-Funded Debit Cards to Over 7,000 Migrants
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) is expanding his program that rewards newly arrived migrants with pre-loaded debit cards for food — paid for by New Yorkers who remain some of the most tax-burdened residents of the United States.
Adams started the debit cards-for-migrants program in February, noting that it would cost about $53 million to provide roughly 500 migrant families with the prepaid cards meant only for food. The program came even as a study recently found that 56 percent of New Yorkers live near the poverty line.
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A Nation of Free People or Free Things
A few centuries ago, some young men refused to have their property and their political autonomy redistributed to an elite thousands of miles away.
The very idea of having a revolution over such a thing seems entirely absurd to today’s wokes.
Or as another Englishman once again, “Imagine there’s no countries”. It’s easy if you live in the EU.
All that the Crown really wanted was for the colonists to pay their “fair share” of taxes, the same demand constantly put forward by Democrat millionaires like Sen. Elizabeth Warren or Sen. Bernie Sanders, a share that was determined thousands of miles away. All that the colonists wanted was the rights of Englishmen that they believed they were entitled to. After a great deal of bloodshed, the colonists won the right to be Americans instead—an odd series of consonants and vowels having to do with an Italian explorer but meaning personal freedom and limited government. Now we have free things, unlimited government, and our freedom shrinks in proportion to the growth of our free things and of the government that hands them out.
To the denizens of public housing watching the fireworks burn briefly in the sky, who get a free ride on everything from food to housing by taking away everyone else’s freedom and future, the fireworks are just one more free thing in the sea of free things that they swim in.
To the Democrat voters of the welfare state, this is Fireworks Day. Every country has its fireworks days and this is the day that this one chooses to light up the night sky. The day means nothing to them because though they are surrounded by free things, they aren’t free. The difference between freedom and free things has been progressively erased so that many think that the American Revolution was fought because the British were racists or weren’t providing free transgender surgery to the colonies.
There is a big difference between a free country and a country of free things. You can have one or the other, but you can’t have both.
| — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield | [Return to headlines] |
A man is accused of attacking a “transgender woman” with a sword inside a Pittsburgh hotel around 1:00 a.m. Thursday.
The incident happened inside the Wyndham Grand Hotel when the victim, a man reportedly living as a woman, was found bloody and calling for help, WTAE reported Friday.
Police officers made contact with the victim in the hotel’s lobby and found blood on the floor and walls of the fifth floor. The victim suffered a severe laceration to his hand and later went to the hospital on his own.
A witness told officials he, the victim, and the suspect were in the city for the Anthrocon Convention, which is “Pittsburgh’s Premier Furry Convention,” according to its website.
So-called “furries” appear to be people dressed as animals. “Join us for our annual convention every summer as we celebrate anthropomorphics, which are human-like animal characters, such as have fascinated mankind since the dawn of human imagination,” the website stated.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
I am glad Joe Biden finally came out as a non- binary penguin, whatever that is.
I am still waiting Justin Trudeau to admit that he is a communist, moslem pig.
As for the space station, which is actually more my concern.
Why are you going to dump this $100,000,000 etc, expensive, very cool machine into the ocean, when it is still working well?
I would like to know.
It’s like my old truck. It’s old but still running well…
that is a good question
how much is it to bring a kilogram of “stuff” into the orbit, and now they just throw all that orbiting material away? Even if the space station was old and beyond recovery – with unlimited solar power – and 3D printing technology…
they could make some good use even of the decomissioned equipment – or keep it in orbit as a sort of scrap yard…
So – either it is the common “government logic” which does not care about burning taxpayer’s money just like that…
…or there is more to the story then “they” tell us.
…or both?
I am convinced that there is a “black space program” that is the true space program, and NASA is basically a front cover.
My deep analysis of the British election results is now complete. The new guy has lighter skin than the old guy. Did I miss anything?
Neither guy the new guy or the old guy the pale guy or the dark guy will do nothing to stop the illegal invasion of the third world into England. Neither guy will stop pouring billions into the Ukraine to fund an unwinnable war. I am sure both guys families make a lot of money in the green new scam deals. Meet the new Boss same as the old Boss!