Seven months after violent New Year’s Eve riots rocked Berlin, resulting in hundreds of injuries and widespread damage, German authorities have secured only two final convictions related to illegal pyrotechnics.
The low number of prosecutions was revealed in a parliamentary inquiry by Martin Pätzold, a CDU Berlin state MP, who told Tagesspiegel, “A total of 363 people were injured by illegal fireworks on New Year’s Eve, while at the same time, only two people were convicted of crimes. A clear disproportion is evident here, even at first glance.”
According to the state interior ministry, Berlin police recorded 547 crimes involving fireworks or rockets during the night, along with 111 administrative offenses under the Weapons or Explosives Acts. Yet the vast majority of cases remain unresolved or have been dropped.
Among the two people convicted is 23-year-old Atallah Younes, a Palestinian social media influencer born in the West Bank and holding a Jordanian passport. Younes was filmed firing a firework rocket through the open window of a Berlin apartment, an act that started a small fire but caused no injuries. He was arrested at Berlin Brandenburg Airport on Jan. 4 while allegedly trying to flee the country.
Berlin’s district court handed Younes a six-month suspended sentence, a punishment condemned by the Berlin Police Union. Deputy Chief Thorsten Schleheider wrote, “If you walk out of a courtroom with a light suspended sentence for such madness, no one should be surprised that young men organize something like this for a few clicks on social media.”
Critics say the light sentences and limited convictions send the wrong message. “The constitutional state must adapt its investigative capabilities to ensure that criminals can be convicted with reliable evidence,” Pätzold insisted, calling for targeted video surveillance in hotspot areas.
The wider picture is even more alarming. According to Bild, not one person arrested during the 2022 New Year’s Eve riots was sent to prison. Berlin police recorded 3,943 incidents that year, including attacks on emergency services, torched vehicles, and fireworks launched into homes. Fifteen firefighters and 47 police officers were injured. Of 145 arrests, only 45 were confirmed to be German citizens — and even this figure includes dual nationals categorized by the state as “German.”
A leaked list of the first names of 256 suspects of last year’s suspects, published by media outlet Nius, revealed that a large number of the so-called “German” suspects had names such as Abdul, Hassan, and Mohammed, prompting allegations of migrant involvement and public outcry. In total, 670 suspects were arrested, with 264 identified as foreign nationals, while many others classed as “German” had migration backgrounds as indicated by their first names.
The government has provided no clear explanation for the low conviction rate. State Secretary of the Interior Christian Hochgrebe (SPD) pointed to technical limitations in police systems, which do not distinguish between legal and illegal fireworks.
After French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestinian statehood starting in September, the reaction from the United States has been swift and furious.
“The United States strongly rejects Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly. This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of Oct. 7,” wrote U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X.
The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN general assembly.
This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.
Macron announced on Thursday on X that he would officially recognize the Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
“We must also ensure the demilitarization of Hamas and the security and reconstruction of Gaza. Finally, we must build a Palestinian state, ensure its survival, and guarantee that by accepting demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative,” wrote Macron.
Fidèle à son engagement historique pour une paix juste et durable au Proche-Orient, j’ai décidé que la France reconnaîtra l’État de Palestine.
J’en ferai l’annonce solennelle à l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies, au mois de septembre prochain.… pic.twitter.com/7yQLkqoFWC
Rubio’s statement aligned closely with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Macron’s move would reward terrorism.
“A Palestinian state under such circumstances would be a starting point for the destruction of Israel,” Netanyahu’s office wrote in a statement.
There are fears in Israel that France’s move could lead to a wave of other European states recognizing Palestine as a state, which could severely complicate Israel’s efforts to expel Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.
This week, the Knesset of Israel passed a non-binding resolution supporting the annexation of the West Bank, which was backed by 71 members of parliament.
The measure declares that the Jewish people hold ancestral sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley.
The attack by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were kidnapped and taken to Gaza, sparked a war between Israel and the militant group. The United States remains Israel’s closest ally.
It is unclear what forms of retaliation the U.S. might launch against France for recognizing Palestine, but it could include sanctions and other financial penalties.
An employee of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service abandoned his post and fled towards Hungary, leaving his service weapon behind, according to Transcarpathian journalist Vitaly Hlahola’s Telegram channel.
According to his information, 29-year-old Sergeant Vitalij Huga, from Unghvar, left his post without permission near the Transcarpathian border marker 336. The man left his service weapons, an AK-74 assault rifle and a Fort-12R pistol, along with a bulletproof vest, and other equipment right at his position in the forest.
Nearby, in the checkpoint lane, traces were found leading towards Hungary, with all signs pointing to the sergeant having illegally crossed the border, according to Hungarian news outlet Magyar Nemzet.
Thousands have crossed into Hungary over the years, with many risking their lives to do so. Oftentimes, workers in the area use the chance to quickly escape across the border, rather than be used as fodder for the war in the east of the country.
In one instance, a welder working on the bridge near the Transcarpathian border cut a hole in the bridge and crawled through the metal support structure to Hungary on the other side, in what was described as a “window to Europe.“
The border guard’s escape comes at nearly the same time that a new regulation was launched that states all men who have reached the age of 17 must be registered for military service by July 31. According to the Chernihiv Regional Conscription and Social Support Center, after registration, the data is entered into the Unified State Register of Conscripts, Conscripts and Reservists.
The center emphasized that registration is not the same as being drafted into military service. The question is how many people will take this reassuring statement seriously. Ukraine is losing its citizens every day in the senseless war, and there is pressure to recruit younger and younger Ukrainians.
Anyone who does not register by the specified deadline must appear in person at the district or city recruitment center.
Ukrainian men aged 16 to 60 who are abroad must also register.
Since the beginning of 2025, almost 10,00 cases have been initiated in Ukraine for non-payment of fines imposed for violating military registration rules. This is close to the number of cases in the entire year of 2023.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has defended his government’s decision to ban the Northern Irish rap group Kneecap from entering Hungary, citing alleged anti-Semitic hate speech and support for terrorism.
The move prevents the group from performing at the prominent Sziget Festival in Budapest this August.
Speaking from Transylvania in a message to the nationalist Warriors’ Club, Orbán declared, “Hateful racists, anti-Semites, and those who support terrorists cannot come to Hungary. We have clear rules.” He also restated his government’s four foundational positions: “No to war. No to immigration. No to gender. And no to hateful racists.”
The Sziget Festival announced the ban in a statement issued on Thursday that read, “This morning, we received official notification that the Hungarian government is denying the band Kneecap entry into Hungary, preventing the band from performing at the Sziget Festival on Aug. 11. This is an unprecedented step that we consider unnecessary and regrettable.”
The decision followed mounting pressure from Hungarian public figures. A petition signed by more than 150 artists and prominent individuals had called for the group’s performance to be cancelled. The band has been under investigation in Britain for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag and referring to Israel and its allies as “war criminals.” It also found itself in hot water with the Metropolitan Police and counter-terrorism officers after videos emerged allegedly showing them shouting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and “Kill your local MP,” according to The Telegraph.
The Hungarian National Dance Ensemble had reportedly threatened to withdraw from the festival if no action was taken.
Kneecap responded to its entry ban on social media, accusing the Hungarian government of authoritarianism. In a statement posted on their X page, they wrote, “There is no legal basis for Orbán’s actions. No member of Kneecap has ever been guilty of any crime, in any country.” The trio said the ban was an attempt to silence dissent: “We oppose all hate crimes. Kneecap supports love and solidarity and calls attention to injustices wherever we see them.”
They added that Viktor Orbán’s administration was using them as a political distraction, while giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a hero’s welcome.” They concluded their post with a defiant message: “Free Palestine. Tiocfaidh ár lá. Fuck Viktor Orbán.”
The slogan Tiocfaidh ár lá (Irish for “Our day will come”) is closely associated with the Irish Republican Army and is widely understood as a call for the eventual reunification of Ireland. Its use signals Kneecap’s alignment with the nationalist side of Northern Ireland’s political divide, which has historically included support for or sympathy with paramilitary campaigns against British rule.
New data shows that 40 percent of all suspects identified in school violence in 2024 were not German citizens, with Syrians at the top of the charts.
In total, there were 4,254 foreign suspects and 7,309 suspects with German citizenship, the German government announced in response to a parliamentary inquiry from Alternative for Germany (AfD) MP Martin Hess.
Of the 11,558 suspects in total, 1,236 had Syrian passports, representing one in ten violent incidents, according to the data, which was provided to Welt newspaper.
In second place were Afghans, who represented 3.6 percent of all suspects.
🇩🇪🚨German classroom nightmare
Teachers mocked, lessons disrupted, and even physical assaults.
"I am no longer in control of the situation. I feel like a failure. The children here are just 12 years old."
What should be noted is that an extremely large number of German suspects are individuals with a foreign background, but since they have German passports, they are counted solely as “Germans.” Even with those with dual citizenship, they are only counted as Germans. Neighboring Denmark records the data of Danish citizens with a foreign background, giving the country a better idea of integration efforts and trends in foreign crime.
In total, there were 35,570 violent crimes in Germany’s school system last year. That amounts to 97 violent crimes per day. Of those crimes, 740 were knife attacks. That is over two knife attacks per day.
BREAKING: This is German girl Lena (14) along with her mother (32).
Lena was brutally beaten by a gang of migrant girls.
When Lisa Steude came into the school office, her daughter Lena was cryingin a chair.
However, when all crimes are taken into account, they total 94,318. On top of that, 24,292 crimes took place at school events, such as a school field trip or theatrical production, which also included an additional 284 incidents involving a knife.
“These are shocking figures that show that our children are exposed to increasing danger even in supposedly protected areas,” commented AfD MP Birgit Bessin, who submitted the parliamentary question.
🇩🇪🔴"Children no longer want to go to daycare out of fear."
German children in a kindergarten in Bochujm have been trained to flee inside if daycare workers blow crisis whistles if there is danger, all due to asylum shelter right next door.
The number of crimes among young people in general grew by 3.8 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to crime data (PKS), and for children under 14 years of age, they rose by 11.3 percent to 13,755.
AfD domestic affairs expert Hess says the connection between mass immigration and growing dangers inside schools is clear.
🇦🇹🚨Mass immigration DESTROYING Austria's education system
🔺Around 70% of school-age children in Vienna do not speak German in their everyday life. 39%, or nearly 80,000 children, do not have Austrian citizenship,
“These worrying developments are a direct result of the irresponsible mass immigration of recent years,” he told Junge Freiheit. “Anyone who allows millions of culturally alien young men into the country and believes that integration will happen on its own is endangering internal security and social peace.”
Hess told the German news outlet that there needs to be a “rethink” on the issue.
“We need effective border controls, the decisive deportation of criminal foreigners, and an end to the ideologically motivated multicultural experiment,” said the former police instructor. The state must “once again be a sanctuary for citizens, not an educational project of left-wing utopians.”
All at once, it appears that the Zelensky regime is facing potential collapse, as key allies both domestically and internationally turn against it. The quick fall from grace for the Ukrainian president comes in the wake of a controversial law that has allowed him to seize power over independent anti-corruption agencies.
Politico
Politico, often seen as the mouthpiece of Brussels, just ran an article entitled: “Ukraine’s insidious enemy: Its own leadership.”
The website writes: “After gutting two key anti-corruption agencies (NABU and SAPO), Kyiv’s democratic backsliding has finally caught the world’s attention.”
It then goes on to refer to “the country’s own semi-autocratic leadership.”
According to Politico, opposition members and NGOs have been “long warning about this” as the presidential administration seizes more and more power, weakening other government and regional institutions – including the country’s parliament – while intimidating critics, waging smear campaigns against them, and branding them as Russian agents.
In “Brussels speak,” autocrats are the people who should be toppled from power. If Politico is calling Ukraine a “semi-autocratic” government, it may be a clear signal that the EU elite wants him gone.
Kyiv Independent
However, pressure is also coming internally, including from the extremely influential Kyiv Independent, which just ran an editorial entitled: “Zelensky just betrayed Ukraine’s democracy — and everyone fighting for it.”
The influential Kyiv Independent has strongly backed Zelensky throughout the war. The paper wrote that they warned about anti-democratic backsliding, and that it was now happening:
A parliamentary vote, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s lawmakers, today took away the independence of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Zelensky signed it into law the same day.
Under the new law, the prosecutor general, a notoriously non-independent figure, will now oversee anti-corruption investigations — in a complete overturn of the system that was set up to be independent from other law enforcement bodies.
In reality, it means that Zelensky’s office will be able to stop investigations with a phone call.
Germany
One of Kyiv’s main weapons suppliers also seems to be reacting, with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul writing on X that Zelensky “restricting the independence of the Ukrainian anti-corruption agency burdens the path of Ukraine into the EU. I expect Ukraine to consistently continue the fight against corruption. Therefore, I also met with the heads of NABU and SAPO in Kyiv.”
Die Einschränkung der Unabhängigkeit der ukrainischen Antikorruptionsbehörde belastet den Weg der #Ukraine in die EU. Ich erwarte von der Ukraine die konsequente Fortsetzung der Korruptionsbekämpfung. Deshalb traf ich in Kyjiw auch die Leiter von #NABU und #SAPO. pic.twitter.com/Ul3OAOkIm8
Ursula von der Leyen has also come under pressure to react to Zelensky’s power grab, but she fell short of saying anything substantive.
“The president of the European Commission was in contact with President Zelensky about these latest developments,” Guillaume Mercier, European Commission spokesperson, told Politico. “President von der Leyen conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments, and she requested an explanation from the Ukrainian government.”
Marta Kos, the EU enlargement commissioner, has also addressed the issue. Even before the law was approved, she wrote that the situation would harm Ukraine’s accession negotiations.
“Independent bodies like NABU and SAP are essential for Ukraine’s EU path,” she said.
Meanwhile, the G7 ambassadors in Kyiv issued a joint statement expressing “grave concern” about the situation.
So far, the EU seems to be taking the most measured approach, perhaps waiting to see how the situation develops in Ukraine before taking any concerted action.
Ukrainian opposition
Lesia Vasylenko, an opposition MP from the pro-European Holos party, called the dismantling of the anti-corruption agencies a completely wrong decision.
Speaking to Politico, she said: “I am very proud of the Ukrainians who took to the streets to stand up for what is right and for the Ukraine that people really want.” But she also warned that “we are in very difficult times. The last thing we need is a revolution in the middle of a war.”
Opposition MP Mykola Knyazhytskyi also said the main reason for the agencies’ elimination was that they were targeting corruption cases involving people close to the president.
“NABU was close to indicting several extremely influential people, and the authorities urgently needed to defend themselves,” he told Politico.
He added that Zelensky and Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrii Yermak felt they could get away with restricting the agencies’ independence. “They believe that neither the EU nor the United States will be as interested in the activities of anti-corruption agencies as they were before, since they will still be forced to support Ukraine,” the politician said.
Zelensky responds with claims of “Russian agents”
In a speech on Tuesday night, Zelensky assured Ukrainians that he had no intention of undermining the work of anti-corruption agencies, suggesting that the changes were needed to protect the agencies from Russian influence.
“The anti-corruption infrastructure will only work without Russian influence – it needs to be cleaned up. And more justice is needed,” the Ukrainian president said. However, neither Zelensky nor Yermak presented evidence of how Moscow could have influenced any of the agencies.
Will Zelensky survive?
Despite the harsh response from the international press and the EU, as Knyazhytskyi notes, Zelensky knows he has plenty of cards to play due to the ongoing war, which is what enabled him to seize authoritarian powers in the first place.
The EU is likely to walk a tight rope by applying pressure to Zelensky, while still working to avoid undermining the morale of the country in its fight against Russia.
Much may depend on the domestic response of Ukraine’s people. If demonstrators continue to pressure Zelensky on the streets, those who have been waiting for a window of opportunity to remove him from power might take the chance.
Austria’s Muslim community has expressed its anger after the country’s youth and culture minister, Claudia Plakolm, described the Islamic headscarf as a “symbol of oppression” that must not be permitted in schools.
The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ) said it was “deeply disturbed” by the remarks, calling them a threat to religious freedom and a harmful generalization that stigmatizes young Muslim girls.
In a video shared on Instagram, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) minister claimed, “The headscarf is a sign of oppression.” She argued that girls are “hidden” behind it at a crucial stage in their development and concluded, “These extremist tendencies – especially among children – simply have no place in our schools.”
IGGÖ President Ümit Vural strongly criticized the comments in a statement on Monday, warning against using child welfare as a pretext to limit fundamental rights. “The association of the headscarf as an expression of the religious practice of a religious community legally recognized in Austria with ‘extremist tendencies’ unsettles not only many young Muslim women, but also all those who trust in the protection of religious freedom and equal treatment,” he said.
Vural emphasized that child protection must not be used to justify blanket policies that deny religious self-determination. “Child welfare is a valuable asset that must not be pitted against fundamental rights. Anyone who denies girls religious self-determination in general misses the core of child protection,” he said, adding that a modern understanding of child welfare must respect the diverse realities of children’s lives.
The IGGÖ invited Plakolm to a confidential meeting with Muslim educators, parents, and young people, and claimed a public clarification would be necessary if her remarks were “misleading.”
Plakolm’s comments come amid growing national concern over integration challenges and cultural tensions in Austria’s schools, particularly in Vienna. A book published last fall by Viennese school headmaster Christian Klar, titled “What’s going on in our schools?”, reignited debate about the effects of mass immigration and the increasing presence of Islamic norms in the education system.
“Islam is now everywhere in Viennese schools,” Klar told the news portal OE24. He described situations in which girls wear headscarves either out of fear or strict religious observance, while others wear full-body veils, or burqas. Klar reported banning such attire in his school and called for federal legislation to enforce dress codes and uphold secular values. He recounted how five girls began wearing veils after experiencing widespread sexual harassment, reportedly at the urging of their parents as a protective measure.
In his book, Klar described a range of concerning incidents, from demands for Islamic prayer rooms and intolerance toward other religions, to threats of violence against school staff and students refusing to speak with female police officers. “If we want to preserve our secular society, we must take care of it. And intolerance should not be countered with tolerance,” he warned.
The crisis is not isolated to one school. According to a teachers’ union survey in Vienna from last October, language barriers, religious tension, and violent behavior are widespread across the capital’s school system. Teachers reported being assaulted, subjected to religious pressure from parents, and even witnessing mock executions carried out by students. One anonymous headmistress noted that more than 80 percent of her students do not speak German at home, saying, “Immigration has always existed, but this is something completely different now.”
Government figures show that Muslim students have become the largest religious group in Vienna’s schools, making up over 41 percent of the student body, while Christian students now account for just 34.5 percent. In primary schools, Muslim children make up 35 percent, surpassing Catholic pupils. The demographic shift has prompted calls for mandatory civic education and clear enforcement of Western values in classrooms.
Lower Austria has already begun taking legislative action. In April, a new integration package was set to be adopted by the state parliament, which includes a headscarf ban for girls, compulsory participation in school meetings for parents, and sanctions for noncompliance. The law also mandates German as the language of instruction and codifies Austrian traditions in early education. State leaders have framed the measures as a defense of cultural identity and a response to the federal government’s failure to tackle political Islam.
A top politician from Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party believes early elections are possible, and speculates that Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski will run for prime minister in the future.
“I believe early elections are possible. If I had to bet, I’d bet heavily on them being held earlier than 2027,” Przemysław Czarnek, vice president of the Law and Justice party, told DoRzeczy.
When asked whether such elections would benefit PiS, Czarnek replied: “Today, we’re not talking about benefits for Law and Justice, but about benefits for the state. We don’t live in a time of complete peace, where we can wait another two years and then rebuild what was lost. We live in a time of direct external and internal threats. Therefore, every day this government remains in power represents a grave danger for Poles. Therefore, it’s not in the interest of Law and Justice; it’s in the interest of the state,” said Czarnek.
The politician, who is a powerful voice in PiS, already stated this week that his party is open to coalitions with parties further to the right, including MEP Grzegorz Braun’s party.
Tusk’s coalition has steadily dropped in the polls since mid-2024. The latest polling from the CBOS puts the opposition at 48 percent, while the government coalition’s support has held steady at 32 percent. Now, Tusk has reshuffled his cabinet to stave off the clear lead of the right; however, the situation currently looks bleak for the liberal prime minister.
When asked about the government reshuffle, Czarnek replied: “My expectation is that this government will finally collapse and cease to harm Poland. Any changes within the Council of Ministers are insignificant. The fact that Sikorski will become deputy prime minister is irrelevant to the overall assessment of the government, which is harming Poland.”
Czarnek says that Sikorski’s promotion will undoubtedly strengthen his position in the government. When asked if it was setting the stage for Tusk stepping down as prime minister, the PiS politician replied: “Yes, that’s exactly how I see it. This is the direction Sikorski will take to become prime minister in the future.”
However, he does not believe this would help the Civic Coalition government, saying: “No. These are the last twitches (before death) and the sharpest ones.”
Mohamed Galloul, a 30-year-old Tunisian national, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Alice Neri, a young mother from Ravarino whose body was discovered charred in the trunk of her car in the Modena countryside on Nov. 18, 2022.
The sentence was handed down by the Assize Court of Modena on Wednesday, which found Galloul guilty of aggravated voluntary homicide and the destruction of a corpse.
Prosecutors stated that Galloul met Neri for the first time on the evening of Nov. 17, 2022, at a bar in Concordia, where she had spent time with a colleague.
Surveillance footage and witness accounts confirmed that Galloul entered Neri’s car in the parking lot that night. She was not seen again.
When Neri failed to return home, her husband reported her missing. The following evening, her burned-out car was discovered in a rural area between Concordia and Fossa. Firefighters found her body in the trunk. An autopsy revealed she had been stabbed at least seven times before the vehicle was set alight.
At the scene, investigators recovered a used oil canister believed to have been used to ignite the fire. DNA matching Galloul was found on the handle. The prosecution also relied on CCTV footage and witness statements to support its case.
In the days following the killing, Galloul fled Italy and traveled to France. He was arrested in December 2022 under a European arrest warrant. During the trial, he denied killing Neri.
The court rejected his defense and accepted the prosecution’s case that the evidence against Galloul was overwhelming. Although premeditation was not established, the court cited the cruelty of the act as an aggravating factor, which contributed to the length of the sentence.
As reported by the Ansa news agency, Galloul was also ordered to pay €1 million in damages to the victim’s daughter, €600,000 to her mother, Patrizia Montorsi, and €200,000 to her brother, Matteo Marzoli.
The case received widespread media attention in Italy and prompted significant public interest, particularly in the province of Modena and Neri’s hometown of Ravarino.
Galloul’s lawyer confirmed after the hearing that his client will appeal his conviction.
“My client is at peace: the next step will be an appeal,” he told the press. “If there are sentences that are often overturned, they are precisely those of the Court of Assizes, where instinct, not rationality, takes precedence. From a rational standpoint, this sentence cannot stand.”
The victim’s brother, Matteo, refused to call the sentence justice for his sister. “This isn’t justice; justice would be having my sister here. This is the enforcement of the law,” he said.
As rule of law continues to deteriorate in Ukraine, Hungarian media outlets are asking how it is possible the country is in contention to join the European Union, despite having no elections, no free press, rampant corruption, and an ongoing war on its eastern front. However, after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest power grab, the EU appears to be under pressure to finally speak out against his actions.
Zelensky’s move to bring Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies under his rule with a new law has put his country’s EU ambitions in jeopardy, top European politicians are now warning, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“The president of the European Commission was in contact with President Zelenskyy about these latest developments,” Guillaume Mercier, European Commission spokesperson, told Politico. “President von der Leyen conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments, and she requested an explanation from the Ukrainian government.
“The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise,” Mercier added.
However, a host of officials are now raising the alarm as protests spread in Ukraine against the Zelensky regime. The outrage comes after the Ukrainian parliament voted for a change in the law that centralizes the prosecutor’s powers and ends the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Office (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP)
The new law sparked concerns in the international press and from civil organizations like Transparency International.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X on Wednesday that “restricting the independence of the Ukrainian anti-corruption agency burdens the path of Ukraine into the EU. I expect Ukraine to consistently continue the fight against corruption. Therefore, I also met with the heads of NABU and SAPO in Kyiv.”
Die Einschränkung der Unabhängigkeit der ukrainischen Antikorruptionsbehörde belastet den Weg der #Ukraine in die EU. Ich erwarte von der Ukraine die konsequente Fortsetzung der Korruptionsbekämpfung. Deshalb traf ich in Kyjiw auch die Leiter von #NABU und #SAPO. pic.twitter.com/Ul3OAOkIm8
Not only is Zelensky now facing pressure on the streets of Ukraine from demonstrators, but top EU politicians appear to be turning up the pressure.
Nevertheless, EU money is expected to keep flowing to Ukraine, unlike Hungary, which has had its funding frozen for a variety of issues, including so-called rule-of-law violations as well as Orban’s anti-immigration stance.
It is unclear how far Zelensky would have to go to threaten the supply of billions of euros, but Brussels is also determined not to let Russia win the war. Nevertheless, the EU could still take such an action depending on how the situation develops.
“Ukraine belongs in Europe, and our support goes to its people. But our support has never been and will never be a blank check for any actions of the government,” wrote Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on X.
We are closely following the situation in Ukraine. Fighting corruption is a vital part of the EU accession path. Ukraine belongs in Europe and our support goes to its people. But our support has never been and will never be a blank cheque for any actions of the government. I…
The Ukrainian government justified the current amendment by saying they could now eliminate alleged “Russian influence” in these anti-corruption bodies, but according to its critics, the move is actually a political power play that enables Zelensky to protect his inner circle.
As previously reported, NABU and SAPO did indeed launch an investigation into Zelenskyy’s associates, including investigations against Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov. Once the corruption probe targeted one of his top advisors, Zelensky’s regime was undoubtedly shaken. Now, they are partaking in a march towards centralization against independent anti-corruption structures in their effort to maintain control.
Hungarian Nation reported that Zelensky’s men allegedly embezzled $40 million, which was uncovered by the Ukrainian security service. Employees of a Ukrainian arms company, Lviv Arsenal, and the Ministry of Defense, also allegedly participated in the fraud.
Other corruption cases have also been launched in recent months, including last month in Lviv, with Ukrainian prosecutors stating that technical equipment for the army worth €1.5 million was stolen due to irregular public procurement.
Despite all of these issues, von der Leyen said in a statement that if Ukraine continues the necessary reforms, the country can join the EU before2030.
A senior Congolese diplomat based in Brussels has been arrested in Bulgaria after allegedly attempting to smuggle over 200 kilograms of cocaine in a van bearing diplomatic license plates.
The arrest has triggered international scrutiny due to the suspect’s diplomatic status and the scale of the drug haul.
Jean De Dieu Mutebwa Mulumba, second secretary at the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) embassy in Brussels, was detained on Friday at the Kapitan Andreevo crossing on the Bulgarian-Turkish border. According to police reports reviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP), his vehicle was carrying five suitcases packed with cocaine, each weighing approximately 40 kilograms.
As reported by Le Parisien, authorities believe this was not an isolated incident, with investigators believing Mutebwa had made the same journey between Western Europe and Turkey five times over the past year. Prosecutors describe the operation as a “well-established modus operandi,” with increasingly large shipments exploiting the immunity granted to diplomatic vehicles, which are “generally not checked.”
Mutebwa claimed during questioning that he was traveling to Sofia to shop for his wife and was unaware of the suitcase contents. He was accompanied by a 54-year-old Belgian woman — identified as the widow of a diplomat — who initially said the suitcases contained gold. A 43-year-old Bulgarian man, alleged to be the organizer of the operation, was also arrested.
All three face charges that could lead to up to 20 years in prison under Bulgarian law.
The cocaine, thought to have originated in Latin America, was likely intended for Western European markets. Bulgaria’s position along key trafficking routes linking Turkey and the European Union has made it an increasingly strategic location in the booming global cocaine trade, which is reaching record highs.
Mutebwa’s arrest has also drawn attention in the DRC, particularly because of his previous marriage to the daughter of François Beya, the former special security adviser to President Félix Tshisekedi. In a statement issued following the news, as cited by French-language Congolese news site Le Potentiel, the Beya family clarified that Mutebwa has not been married to their daughter for three years and strongly condemned the alleged crimes.
#RDC: 🚨🛑C'est avec effroi que la Famille Beya a appris l'arrestation de Monsieur Mulumba Jean de Dieu pour des faits graves qu'elle déplore avec la plus grande fermeté. La Famille Beya précise que Monsieur Mulumba n'est plus marié à leur fille depuis maintenant trois ans.… pic.twitter.com/CYIrDRHnwv
“The Beya family deplores this arrest for serious offenses with the greatest firmness,” the statement read, while also objecting to any attempt to associate them with the incident.
Bulgaria has launched a full investigation into the trafficking operation, with authorities working to determine the extent of the smuggling network and the role played by diplomatic channels in facilitating it.
The Netherlands may no longer return single male asylum seekers to Belgium, following a landmark ruling by the Dutch Council of State.
The decision overturns a previous judgment and cites “systemic failure” in Belgium’s asylum system, raising concerns about potential human rights violations.
The case centered on an Afghan national who first arrived in Belgium before applying for asylum in the Netherlands. Under the Dublin Regulation, EU countries are permitted to return asylum seekers to the first country they entered. Dutch authorities attempted to do just that, arguing Belgium remained responsible for the man’s asylum claim.
While earlier court decisions acknowledged that shelter conditions in Belgium were substandard, they allowed returns on the basis that emergency and homeless shelters, along with basic legal and medical assistance, were theoretically available. The Council of State now disagrees, stating that single men are structurally excluded from adequate reception and that Belgian authorities are failing to uphold their obligations.
According to the Court, the situation in Belgium has become so dire that returning asylum seekers risks leaving them homeless and without access to basic necessities. As reported by NOS, it noted that Belgium “does not comply with court rulings” and fails to pay court-imposed penalties for these violations. The ruling described the Belgian government’s approach as marked by “indifference” toward the worsening conditions.
Despite assurances from Belgian officials in March that reception facilities would improve, the Court found no evidence of meaningful change. As a result, the Council concluded that deporting individuals to Belgium under current conditions would violate Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits inhumane or degrading treatment.
While the Court acknowledged the ruling could undermine EU cooperation on asylum matters, it emphasized that legal obligations to protect individuals must take precedence when member states fail to meet basic standards.
Daarom moeten we onze grenzen bewaken en deze profiteurs meteen aan de grens tegenhouden. Net zoals Duitsland al doet. Wat Nederland niet in komt hoeft er ook niet uit! Omdat de slappelingen van VVD/NSC/BBB dat niet meteen wilde invoeren viel het kabinet. #PVV#PVVOP1#StemPVVhttps://t.co/TGNNRn5hhg
Responding to the ruling, Dutch right-wing leader Geert Wilders wrote on X: “That’s why we must guard our borders and stop these profiteers immediately at the border. Just as Germany is already doing. What doesn’t come into the Netherlands doesn’t have to leave!”
Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) recently exited the governing coalition, citing frustration with the other parties’ unwillingness to implement what he had promised would be “the toughest asylum policy ever.”
The coalition’s collapse has prompted snap elections scheduled for October.
A North African man with a criminal record may face homicide charges following the death of a Spanish restaurant worker he assaulted in Barcelona’s Ciutat Vella district.
The victim, a man in his fifties, was returning home with his son in the early hours of June 29, Saint Peter’s Day, when the incident occurred in the busy Barceloneta neighborhood.
The suspect, a 25-year-old known to local police, was riding a bicycle when he nearly ran over the man and his son. After being reprimanded for his reckless behavior, the attacker responded with sudden violence, drawing a knife and attempting to stab the father without saying a word.
During the altercation, the victim fell to the ground and struck his head, losing consciousness.
He was hospitalized in critical condition and died this week from his injuries, according to El Caso. The suspect was initially arrested for assault and battery but was later released.
The Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, have now reopened the investigation and are awaiting forensic results to determine whether the assault directly caused the man’s death.
If prosecutors believe causation can be proven in court, the attacker could face the upgraded charge of homicide.
Investigators have not yet established a clear motive, though robbery has not been ruled out. For now, the death has not been officially added to Barcelona’s homicide tally.
Should it be confirmed, it would mark the city’s eighth homicide in 2025, matching the number recorded during the same period last year.
In a similar recent case nearby, two young men, also of Maghrebi origin, fatally attacked a homeless man with a single blow. They were arrested by city police and are under investigation by the Mossos for homicide.
Catalonia has become the epicenter of violent crime in Spain, with foreigners vastly overrepresented in serious offenses.
According to the Ministry of the Interior’s crime statistical portal for 2023, the ten Spanish cities with the highest rates of violent robberies and intimidation are all located in Catalonia, with Barcelona leading the list.
The Catalan capital, governed by Socialist mayor Jaume Collboni, recorded an alarming rate of 823.9 violent robberies per 100,000 inhabitants — six times the national average.
Two women in their thirties were hospitalized with stab wounds in Vaulx-en-Velin, near Lyon, on Tuesday evening after being attacked by an Afghan man whose romantic advances they had rejected, according to police sources.
As reported by Le Progrès, the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Avenue des Canuts and quickly escalated into chaos as bystanders intervened.
According to witnesses, the man approached the women and, after being rebuffed, assaulted them with a knife, injuring one in the arm and the other in the thigh. Both women sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at the hospital.
The attacker, described as an Afghan national in his forties riding a scooter, attempted to flee but was pursued by around 20 members of the public.
He was eventually caught, thrown to the ground, beaten, and was reportedly stabbed himself during the confrontation. Emergency services responded quickly and transported the suspect and both victims to hospital.
All three were in relatively serious condition but are expected to survive.
Local media reported that the suspect was legally residing in France and had no prior record with the justice system. He has since been placed in custody.
Authorities have not ruled out further arrests as investigations continue into the exact circumstances and the involvement of all parties present.
Despite 18-year-old Mohammad I. being found guilty of torturing and assaulting a 13-year-old boy, the convicted man will only receive probation for two years.
Judge Rüdiger Baumann of the Dresden District Court condemned the act as “sadistic and inhumane,” noting the public outrage that the attack on the 13-year-old invoked.
According to the details of the case, Mohammad I. held the victim, identified as 13-year-old Tobi S., captive and forced another 13-year-old to film the horrific torture. Tobi’s name was changed to protect his identity.
The incident stemmed from prior verbal altercations between Tobi and other teenagers, including Mohammad I., in the border towns of Schmilka, Germany, and Hřensko, Czech Republic.
On Jan. 18, 2025, Mohammad I. ambushed Tobi, who was with another Syrian acquaintance in Hřensko, after Mohammad was informed in advance where Tobi would be from the Syrian. He grabbed Tobi’s phone and headphones, and then threatened him with a telescopic baton, firecrackers, and a taser purchased from a local store.
Mohammad I. then demanded €1,500 for the return of Tobi’s cell phone before releasing him to get the money.
During the trial at the Dresden District Court last week, Tobi S. testified against his tormentor in a closed session. Mohammad I., through his lawyer, read a confession and apologized, stating, “I know that was inhumane.”
The defendant, a nursing trainee with German citizenship who completed his secondary education in Germany, claimed to be facing financial difficulties.
Although he clearly has a foreign background, all of the crimes recorded in this case will be listed under “German” since he has German citizenship.
He was sentenced under juvenile law to two years’ probation, with additional requirements for restitution and therapy. He had already spent six months in pre-trial detention.
The traditional conservatives in Poland, Law and Justice (PiS), may only have a path to power if they join forces with the right-wing Confederation party, as well as the highly controversial MEP Grzegorz Braun and his quickly growing party. Now, some within PiS believe such a coalition will be possible, with PiS MP Przemysław Czarnek explaining what unites them.
Czarnek, in a morning interview with Polsat News, was asked about a possible agreement between the three parties. The politician admitted that his role within the party is to encourage right-wing voters to vote for Law and Justice, with the goal of an independent government. He emphasized, however, that such an agreement with rival parties is possible if necessary.
He emphasized that Braun is not currently in the Sejm, and that he has good relations with members of the Law and Justice party.
“When it comes to Mr. Grzegorz Braun, I agree with him on many issues, I have identical views on many issues, but on some, especially in the way he expresses them, I am on a completely different path,” Czarnek said on Polsat News. “Saying that the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau are fake is simply anti-Polish stupidity, considering geopolitics – an alliance with the United States is absolutely necessary to maintain our security,” he added.
“If this coalition were to happen today, there is no Grzegorz Braun in the Sejm, there are three MPs, some of whom I am even friends with, like MP Zawiślak, there is MP Fritz and MP Skalik, with whom I have good relations, so it is always possible,” he said.
In the context of the coalition with the Confederation, the politician was asked about “Mentzen’s social Darwinism.” He admitted that there were issues that absolutely would not fit into a coalition agreement.
“Here, whenever a coalition is formed, if one is necessary, we will negotiate our coalition agreement and certain elements of Mr. Mentzen’s program certainly cannot be implemented, because if they were implemented, I agree with Chairman Kaczyński, we would fly as a state and society into space and never come back,” he said.
“This is the domain of those who have never governed and can present various economic fantasies. But this is natural, and also necessary […] Sławomir Mentzen and I have far more in common than differences, and in this sense, a coalition is always possible,” he said.
A coalition with Braun would be especially explosive for PiS, but the electoral math may leave PiS with no other choice. However, such a coalition may prove unstable, especially with Braun known as an impassioned provocateur who maintains a hard line on a number of issues.
Recent polling, however, shows a right-wing coalition is the more likely outcome than any other scenario.
In the German city of Munich, an Eritrean migrant was arrested for sexually assaulting and physically attacking an 18-year-old girl, and then subsequently breaking a bottle over her male friend’s head when he tried to intervene.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning, at 2:50 a.m., in the district of Ludwigsvorstadt on Sonnenstrasse.
“Here, an unknown male person suddenly approached them and grabbed the 18-year-old on the chest. The unknown perpetrator also immediately punched her in the face,” a police source said, according to German news outlet Tag24.
When the 17-year-old intervened, the Eritrean hit him in the head with a glass bottle.
🇩🇪🚨 "Your ass. Boom. I saw it and I just had to speak to you. Let's have a date, your man doesn't have to know. Just one kiss."
🗣️ "No, I am with my children. Can you please leave me alone?"
It just so happened that a police patrol was located in the area. When the 18-year-old victim approached the police, they worked quickly to find the perpetrator and arrest him.
The police identified him as a 29-year-old Eritrean with no permanent address. Both victims were injured, and the 17-year-old was treated at hospital.
🇩🇪‼️ "Gold help me."
A thief stole a young German woman's phone and then tells her, "in a mixture of English and German, that he would only give it to me if I had sex with him."
It all happened in Berlin's famed Görlitzer Park, where migrants gang raped a woman last year. pic.twitter.com/wt0j674bji
Women are increasingly targeted in many crimes, making it more difficult for them to walk freely at night, take public transport, and enter clubs and bars.
An incredible 73 percent of all crimes were committed by non-Germans in the city.
🇩🇪‼️ Young German woman explains why voters are turning to the AfD
"I’m afraid to travel by train, afraid to go into town, afraid to do anything in public. And they talk about people being afraid of the AfD. The AfD has done nothing to anyone, unlike other people." pic.twitter.com/hYlQVKXb1Q
For the first time since the war in Ukraine broke out, President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing widespread protests, which have erupted across Ukraine in response to a controversial law that significantly curtails the power of anti-corruption authorities.
Despite the public outcry, Zelensky’s regime is not backing down and signed the bill into law yesterday, which threatens to trigger a deeper crisis if the protests begin to spiral.
After years of war, the Ukrainian public may finally be growing fed up with widespread corruption from the Zelensky regime. On Tuesday evening in Kyiv, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential office holding signs like, “Corruption loves silence,” and “Stop the law.” Among the crowd were students and soldiers in uniform.
Once the law was signed, the crowd began to chant, “Shame!” The protesters also ignored the curfew in place and remained on the street into the night.
🇺🇦🚨Ukrainian protesters in Kyiv mobilize against Zelensky.
They chant, "Shame, shame!"
Ukrainians are enraged after Zelensky signed a bill removing the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
In an interview with the New York Times, 29-year-old veteran Oleksandr Teren, who lost both his legs in combat, said that the government’s measures are an insult to all those who sacrificed so much in the war.
“We are fighting for a transparent government, and this decision undermines the motivation of European soldiers fighting for Ukraine,” he said.
Similar protests broke out in Lviv and Odessa, marking the first major public demonstrations since Russia’s invasion three and a half years ago.
The protests also come at a time when Russia is slowly gaining ground along the entire front and sending ever larger waves of drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities.
The law, known as No 12414, brings the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the associated Special Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the authority of the Prosecutor General, who is appointed by Zelensky.
🇺🇦 In Kyiv, protesters are gathering against the law that reduces the powers of NABU and SAP, which has already been signed by the dictator Zelensky.
Judging by the video, at the moment several hundred people have gathered in the square near the Franko Theater, among whom people… pic.twitter.com/ufeeER2yai
Critics say the move, especially under martial law, allows the government to direct and influence corruption investigations. Considering the ongoing allegations of corruption swirling in Ukraine and the steady arrest of officials over corruption charges, it is certain to raise further questions about the integrity of the Zelensky regime.
Using martial law, Zelensky has banned numerous press outlets, banned opposition parties, and indefinitely delayed elections.
There were hopes that Zelensky would veto the law, however, he signed it late Tuesday evening. In a video message Zelensky released after midnight, he defended his decision, claiming the anti-corruption agency must be purged of Russian influence — a catch-all claim that may be being used to stifle dissent and purge opponents of Zelensky’s authoritarian government.
🚨🇺🇦 KYIV ERUPTS IN PROTEST OVER ZELENSKY’S POWER GRAB
Thousands flooded Kyiv’s streets after Zelensky signed a law putting anti-corruption agencies under his prosecutor general.
Protesters called it a betrayal, the biggest since Russia invaded.
“The anti-corruption structure will continue to operate – but without Russian influence. Everything must be freed from it,” he claimed.
He also stated that the two agencies, NABU and SAPO, were not moving fast enough on corruption cases.
However, numerous organizations are lining up to condemn Zelensky’s actions, including international organizations like Transparency International, which says the new law is designed to deliberately weaken independent organizations.
Zelensky’s move also comes shortly after the Ukrainian secret service (SBU) conducted mass raids against anti-corruption officials. NABU reported 70 house searches targeting 15 employees, which were conducted without court orders and based on unsubstantiated and vague allegations.
Speculation is rife in Kyiv with the belief that these raids are tied to anti-corruption investigations into former minister Oleksiy Chernyshev, a close ally of Zelensky, who is accused of illegal enrichment during his tenure. In other words, Zelensky’s circle is now being targeted, and he may be moving to cut off any challenge to his power.
The non-governmental Anticorruption Action Center (AntAC) stated on X that the goal is to “silence NABU and SAPO – precisely at the moment when they are getting dangerously close to Zelensky’s inner circle.”
AntAC further warns that the law is “a direct threat to Ukraine’s EU course.”
EU Commissioner Marta Kos called the law a “serious step backward,” and a spokesperson for the EU Commission reiterated that financial support for Ukraine is contingent on democratic governance.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been making headlines in recent weeks for his country’s refusal to accept Ukraine as a member state, arguing it will cost Hungarians billions, harm farmers, and increase the threat of war with Russia — just to name a few issues.
“They are currently ruining our democracy,” said 36-year-old Marie, who expects Zelenskyy to “hear us and repeal this quasi-Russian law.”
Matthew, a 21-year-old wrapped in a Ukrainian flag, echoed this sentiment: “I am very afraid that we are losing our democracy. Our government has today abolished the most important institutions that fought against corruption.” A recurring chant at the protests was “Ukraine is not Russia!”
As Welt notes, embezzlement of state funds remains a significant problem in Ukraine. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks Ukraine as the most corrupt country in Europe, only behind Russia, and 105th out of 180 countries worldwide.
Guests with prior bookings at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf were turned away without warning on Tuesday after the U.K. Home Office acquired the property to accommodate asylum seekers.
Footage circulating online showed foreign tourists being denied entry at the door, while security guards were seen posted behind locked glass doors.
Major hotel booking platforms have since suspended reservations for the four-star hotel, located in one of London’s wealthiest areas.
A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council confirmed the rumors on Tuesday evening, stating, “We are aware of the government’s decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. It is important that the government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.”
🇬🇧‼️ Guests with prior bookings were denied access to the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, London, today after the U.K. Home Office took over the hotel to house asylum seekers.
Booking websites are no longer accepting new bookings for the hotel in one of the most affluent areas… pic.twitter.com/afBdu5wDYs
Police officers were also stationed outside the hotel entrance amid a heightened security presence.
The Home Office denied speculation that the move was linked to unrest in Epping, where hundreds of protesters gathered outside another hotel last week in response to the arrest of an asylum seeker accused of multiple sexual offenses.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 41-year-old Ethiopian migrant who arrived in the U.K. by boat on June 29, was arrested on charges including three counts of sexual assault and one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
🇬🇧‼️ Guests with prior bookings were denied access to the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, London, today after the U.K. Home Office took over the hotel to house asylum seekers.
Booking websites are no longer accepting new bookings for the hotel in one of the most affluent areas… pic.twitter.com/afBdu5wDYs
The allegations sparked protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, where asylum seekers are being housed. What began as a gathering of concerned local families, with chants of “Protect our kids,” escalated into violent scenes as self-proclaimed anti-fascist activists arrived and riot police were deployed. Bottles were thrown, and video footage showed a protester appearing to be struck by a police van that subsequently drove away without stopping.
Essex Police initially denied reports that they had escorted the counter-protesters to the site, but reversed their position after video evidence surfaced, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday evening. Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper confirmed that officers had accompanied Stand Up to Racism activists to the hotel, saying: “We have a reasonable duty to protect people who want to exercise their rights. Officers took all factors into account before making their decisions.”
🚨🇬🇧 UK Police BUSTED transporting & escorting Far Left Renta-Protestors tonight in Epping. pic.twitter.com/oq4xg0wEnZ
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) July 17, 2025
The ongoing unrest has attracted national political attention. The Times reported that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for urgent action to avoid further outbreaks of unrest, reportedly telling his left-wing cabinet it was vital to repair Britain’s “social fabric” and manage the social impacts of immigration more effectively. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner acknowledged that migration was having a “profound impact on society” and stressed the need to confront “real concerns” about rapid demographic changes.
This rhetoric, however, is contradicted by Labour’s actions in its first year in office, with illegal immigration continuing at a considerable pace across the English Channel, and legal immigration still operating at astronomical levels.
Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, whose party is currently polling ahead of Labour, strongly defended the Epping demonstrators. Speaking to The Times, he said: “Do I understand how people in Epping feel? You bet your life I do… Don’t underestimate the simmering anger and disgust that there is in this country that we are letting in every week, in fact, some days, many hundreds of undocumented young males, many of whom come from cultures in which women and young girls are not even treated as second-class citizens.”
Farage also criticized the presence of masked counter-protesters, questioning why groups like Antifa are allowed to operate while others are swiftly labeled far-right. “Most of the people outside that hotel in Epping weren’t far-right or anything like that. They were just genuinely concerned families,” he said.
“I don’t think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale in this country,” he warned.
Slovakia has announced a record-breaking investment in nuclear energy, selecting American firm Westinghouse to build a new nuclear power plant at Jaslovské Bohunice at an estimated cost of €13 to €15 billion.
The deal, one of the largest in the country’s history, is being finalized through an intergovernmental agreement with the United States, which Economy Minister Denisa Saková confirmed is now awaiting final approval from Washington.
Prime Minister Robert Fico abandoned earlier discussions with South Korean firms in favor of an American partnership. “I told my American colleagues that for me, the most expensive nuclear power plant is the one that is not built. A nuclear power plant is not a money-making machine,” Fico said, expressing enthusiasm for the long-term economic potential of the project, which is expected to be completed by 2040.
But opposition parties have sharply criticized the government for moving forward without a public tender. Saková acknowledged that no tender would be held, a decision that has sparked protests from several parties.
Progressive Slovakia (PS) condemned the lack of transparency, stating, “It is unacceptable that there is no public, and especially expert, discussion on this topic.”
The party also accused the governing coalition of refusing to explain its decisions either in parliament or to the public.
“This investment will be implemented for at least 15 years and is expected to be in operation for 80 years,” noted the Freedom and Solidarity Party (SaS), expressing concern that parliament had been left in the dark about an investment of such significance.
Despite the backlash, the Slovak government appears committed to the plan, arguing that the deal with Westinghouse secures a strategic energy future and strengthens ties with the United States.
No matter how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatens, Hungary does not support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Tuesday.
According to the ministry’s statement, the minister, responding to Zelensky’s speech at the Ukrainian ambassadors’ meeting the previous day, highlighted at his press conference that “the president of Ukraine has an extremely hostile view of Hungary, the Hungarian nation, and the Hungarians living in Transcarpathia.”
“He clearly treats Hungary and the Hungarian people as enemies. This has become clear to everyone over the past many years, as the rights of the Hungarians of Transcarpathia have been taken away and trampled on for many years,” he said.
“These legal provisions have led to the fact that today a church is being burned down, a Hungarian person is being beaten to death because he does not want to go to war, does not want to participate in a senseless killing. From this perspective, this threat from President Zelensky only confirms that he views us as an enemy,” he continued.
The video of the Hungarian man, József S., who was beaten to death after being conscripted into the Ukrainian army, has shocked Hungary. The incident has only worsened tensions between the two nations in recent weeks.
One of the main points of conflict is Hungary’s continued refusal to allow Ukraine to be admitted to the EU.
“I would like to make it clear that no matter how President Zelensky threatens, Hungary does not support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. No matter how much he threatens, no matter how much he blackmails, no matter how much he tries to blackmail Brussels, the vote of two million people in Voks 2025 represents an obligation for the Hungarian government,” said Hungary’s foreign minister.
A video of an American male beating a Turkish app-sharing Bolt driver on the streets of Warsaw has gone viral, leaving many Polish politicians lamenting what they say is a growing influx of migrants and related crime issues.
In the footage, a Black male from the United States is seen knocking the Turkish driver to the ground outside the Warsaw Central Station and then beating him unconscious.
The Polish police have responded to the incident, writing:
“The surveillance footage that recorded the incident has been secured. The event took place on the evening of June 21 this year. Both men are foreigners,” the Warsaw police wrote.
Został zabezpieczony monitoring, który zarejestrował zajście. Zdarzenie miało miejsce wieczorem 21 czerwca br.
Obydwaj mężczyźni to obcokrajowcy. Jeden z nich to kierowca przewozu osób „na aplikację” i to on pierwszy miał fizycznie zaatakować drugiego, a finalnie zostać… https://t.co/4Gu8BA8xpl
In a follow-up post, the police provided more details, stating that “based on the information currently obtained, it appears that the Turkish citizen, who was a driver for an app-based transport service, was the first to attack the other man, but ultimately, he was struck and knocked to the ground by the U.S. citizen.”
Both men did not want to file a complaint.
A number of Polish politicians responded to the incident on X, according to Polish news portal wPolityce.
“But Warsaw has become culturally rich thanks to Rafał (Trzaskowski). It’s clear the mayor favors Soros over Orbán. It’s evident in the streets. It’s getting safer,” wrote Law and Justice (PiS) MP Dariusz Matecki sarcastically on X.
The claim that the Warsaw mayor favors Soros over Orbán is a clear reference to Trzaskowski’s liberal leanings, which prioritize open borders and a weak response to crime. At the same time, conservatives consider Orbán to be strict on border security and immigration, as well as tough on crime.
“Warsaw. Here you can feel like you’re in Europe. And even an engineer will always lend a helping hand, especially when you need cultural enrichment,” wrote Jan Molski on X.
Warszawa Tu możesz poczuć się jak w Europie. I nawet inżynier poda ci zawsze pomocną dłoń.
In Berlin, immigration officials are reportedly being rewarded with perks like remote work for processing as many naturalizations as possible, as the city’s State Office for Immigration (LEA) pursues an ambitious target of 40,000 new German citizens in 2025.
Internal protocols obtained by Bild show employees in the LEA are expected to handle eight naturalizations per week, with incentives offered for meeting or exceeding those numbers.
One employee described mounting pressure to deliver, “We need to produce high naturalization numbers.” The office had already reached 20,600 naturalizations by the end of June, putting it on track to meet its record target by the end of the year.
The motivation behind the push appears strategic. By naturalizing more residents, the city reduces its administrative burden — shifting people out of the foreigner registry and cutting down responsibilities tied to non-citizenship status. By naturalizing foreigners, migrant crime stats are also significantly distorted, as offenders are then classified as German suspects.
The drive has triggered a wave of criticism, with insiders and political leaders warning that standards are being compromised.
Speaking to Focus, one LEA employee described approving a citizenship application from a woman whose German language skills were so poor that he initially refused to hand over her certificate. It was only after internal pressure that he delayed the handover rather than rejecting the case.
Others raised alarms about the lack of proper ideological screening: while applicants are required to sign a commitment to Germany’s democratic order, there is often no personal interaction or substantive evaluation. One employee stated, “The declaration of commitment is often just lip service and a signature on paper.”
The digitalization of the process means that most applicants are not seen in person until they collect their certificates. Officials defend this approach as efficient and secure. LEA director Engelhard Mazanke even pointed to a recent corruption case, where a staff member is under investigation for allegedly naturalizing a Macedonian family outside proper procedure, as proof of the system’s safeguards. But critics argue it reveals deeper flaws.
Some critics claimed the unprecedented naturalization surge will help left-wing parties regain ground in elections. Current polls show the Left Party candidate for Berlin mayor would now win among Muslim voters in the German capital, with the Left Party and the Social Democrats (SPD) garnering 57 percent of the vote.
Danke @CDU! Die besten Wahlhelfer für die Linke☭. Hundertausende neue Wähler werden dieses Jahr einbürgert. Und er hier wird wohl der nächste Bürgermeister von Berlin.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has condemned Berlin’s methods, stating that personal interviews are essential to ensure applicants truly support Germany’s constitutional values. “I can hardly imagine that this will work without a personal interview,” Dobrindt told Bild, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding Germany’s democratic order and historical responsibilities. He warned that the “accuracy of the examination” should be the priority, not “an alleged quota achievement.”
The naturalization surge is not limited to the capital. Cities across Germany are also recording major increases. Hamburg approved 5,900 naturalizations in the first half of 2025, up 55 percent from 2024; Munich processed 3,953, an 18 percent increase; Cologne reached 3,083, nearly matching 2024’s full total; while naturalizations in Frankfurt have shot up 59 percent from last year, with 2,223 already approved.
Some cities, however, show declining figures, including Bremen (-26 percent), Dortmund (-25 percent), and Duisburg (-37 percent).
Germany reached a record 291,955 naturalizations in 2024 — a 46 percent jump from 2023 — driven in part by legal reforms that shortened the required residency period. Syrians made up the largest group at 28 percent, followed by Turks (8 percent), Iraqis (5 percent), Russians (4 percent), and Afghans (3 percent).
Despite Chancellor Merz’s calls for fewer asylum applications, more deportations, and tighter borders, local dynamics in Berlin and other major cities reveal the opposite trend.
The highest crime rate of any German city is Bremen, and it just so happens that this city state also has the highest share of residents with an immigration background, at least compared to other states.
“Data from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) now show that, relative to population, no major German city has a higher crime rate. 15,424 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants are the highest, ahead of Frankfurt am Main (14,600) and Berlin (14,252),” writes Weser Kurier.
The Free Democrats (FDP) recently labeled the city the “most dangerous city in Germany.”
Bremen clearly ranks first in terms of robberies, with 194 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
In second place is Frankfurt am Main with 14,600 registered crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. Frankfurt was in first place last year.
In third is Berlin with 14,252 registered crimes per 100,000 inhabitants.
Bremen also tops the charts with theft statistics, with shoplifting and theft from vehicles also extremely high.
However, it should be noted that all of this data is for 2024, and already Bremen is seeing a decrease in some crimes this year, including a 20 percent drop in robbery so far in 2025. Critics also contend that Bremen’s crime rate, while still extremely high, is not actually the highest due to a backlog of cases being included in the 2024 statistics. Even if that backlog is removed, Bremen remains at the top of the list for a broad range of crimes.
No matter which way the data is analyzed, the share of migrants involved in crimes in Bremen still remains incredibly high.
In fact, non-German suspects are responsible for 73 percent of all crime in Bremen in 2024, compared to 57 percent in 2023. As Buten an Binnen notes, “Young men from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria stand out as suspected perpetrators. This group of people continues to be kept in mind, and many of the perpetrators have been imprisoned.”
What all Germany’s cities with the highest crime rates have in common is that they all have the highest shares of migrants in the country.
According to bpb, “the proportion of migrants in Bremen is very high, at 45.1 percent of the population. This makes Bremen the most migrant of all German states.”
Berlin and Bremen are unique in Germany, as they are both states and cities. However, among cities, Bremen still tops the list of one of the cities with the most foreigners as a percentage of the population, in close competition with Frankfurt.
There may be arguments that Bremen, Berlin, and Frankfurt are dangerous merely because they are cities. However, in Germany, there are some useful reference points. For example, Bremen and Dresden have nearly the same population size of around 500,000 people. Meanwhile, Dresden only features residents with a migrant background, numbering only 10 to 12 percent. The crime rate is drastically lower in Dresden, despite Dresden being in the much poorer eastern part of Germany.
Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki has expressed alarm at growing threats to Poland’s cultural heritage and historical memory under the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
In a live broadcast on Telewizja Trwam and Radio Maryja, Nawrocki thanked his supporters and promised to stand as a firm counterweight to ideological pressure on Polish institutions, while also warning of growing dangers to national sovereignty.
“I am concerned about what is happening in Polish institutions and museums under Donald Tusk’s government,” Nawrocki said. “Historical pressure remains a crucial front in the defense of our sovereignty as a state.”
He strongly criticized recent developments at the Pilecki Institute and the Museum of the Second World War, accusing them of erasing Polish heroes and attempting to rewrite historical truth. In particular, he condemned the controversial description of Poles conscripted into the Wehrmacht as “our boys,” calling it a disgraceful distortion. In contrast, he praised the Museum of Poles Saving Jews as an example of proper remembrance.
“I will not allow Polish cultural heritage to be forgotten,” Nawrocki declared. “I will be a counterweight to many of the things that outrage public opinion, including in the context of artistic life and historical memory. A reinterpretation of historical truth is emerging, and I will safeguard Polish culture and national memory.”
As reported by wPolityce, Nawrocki also reaffirmed the president’s role as a guardian of the national community and Poland’s cultural legacy, which he said had been built over centuries and is now under ideological pressure. “Without our language and our cultural heritage, we would not exist as a nation,” he said.
In response to questions from viewers and listeners, including Poles living abroad, he thanked them for their prayers and support. “I am glad that Poles abroad feel responsibility for their homeland,” he said. “Thank you for praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit.”
He further promised to address the mounting problems faced by Polish farmers, who have been hit hard by rising costs, foreign competition, and European Union environmental regulations. “We need a broad package of solutions for Polish farmers, who are under pressure from the Green Deal,” Nawrocki said. “My office will review all agricultural-related legislation.”
The rhetoric cements concerns expressed by Tusk that his liberal coalition government will face stiff opposition from the presidency, which has considerable power in Poland to veto legislation that can only be overturned by a super parliamentary majority, a majority Tusk does not have.
Beyond cultural and agricultural issues, Nawrocki pointed to a growing concern among ordinary Poles: mass illegal immigration, increasingly spilling over from Western Europe. In recent months, local citizens’ initiatives have sprung up along Poland’s western border with Germany. These self-organized groups are now patrolling border areas, claiming to act in defense of national security and cultural identity amid a perceived vacuum of state response.
The Tusk government has responded with hostility, accusing the volunteers of promoting extremism and warning of legal consequences. Some officials have even suggested these groups could face prosecution. However, supporters of the patrols argue they are filling a critical gap, as Poland becomes increasingly exposed to the consequences of what they describe as Western Europe’s failed migration model.
Critics warn that the Tusk administration’s failure to act — and its apparent crackdown on citizen-led responses — signals a broader erosion of national sovereignty.
Nawrocki did not mention the patrols directly but spoke to the broader sense of civic responsibility among his supporters. “Thank you for being with me, for supporting me during the campaign. Thank you again for your prayers, your votes, and for the issues you raised during nearly 400 campaign meetings,” he said. “Be with your president on Aug. 6, if you can — and throughout the next five years as I serve Poland and the Polish people.”
Despite claims of the alleged grave threat of “right-wing extremism” presented by the media and the political left in Germany, the data tells another story. In the first half of 2025, a staggering 99 percent of new proceedings initiated by the German Federal Prosecutor General targeted Islamist or foreign-related extremism.
As for right-wing extremism, there were only two cases, and for left-wing extremism, there were zero.
The German Federal Prosecutor General tends to handle high-level cases involving “state security,” and according to the office, “this includes criminal acts of terrorism and espionage, as well as crimes under the German International Criminal Code.”
From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2025, a total of 146 proceedings were opened, reported German media outlet Nius. Of these, 144 had a migration-related background. The extremist perpetrators are mostly Syrians, Iraqis, and Afghans.
Specifically, 84 investigations focused on Islamist terrorism, and 60 cases involved foreign-related extremism. In stark contrast, only two cases were initiated for right-wing extremism in the same period.
The data was made available in response to a parliamentary inquiry by AfD interior politician Martin Hess. He said he views these figures as confirmation that “imported terrorism and imported extremism continue to pose by far the greatest threat to our internal security.” He criticized what he termed an “ideologically driven debate” that he believes disproportionately focuses on right-wing extremism while downplaying or ignoring Islamist and foreign-related extremism.
Hess advocates for a significant shift in migration policy, prioritizing Islamism as the top security threat and implementing a zero-tolerance approach, including the consistent deportation of criminal foreigners and foreign threats.
The cases are primarily linked to terrorist organizations like the Islamic State and the Taliban, with connections to extremist elements in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
In other words, despite making up only a tiny fraction of the population, foreigners are responsible for nearly all the serious state security prosecutions in the country.
Compared to the first half of 2024, these serious cases have increased. During that time, between Jan. 1 and June 14, 2024, the Federal Prosecutor General initiated 56 investigations related to foreign-related extremism and 51 related to Islamist terrorism. During that period, there were two left-wing extremism cases and no right-wing extremism cases.
Self-proclaimed Islamist, 24-year-old Saudi national Ahmad A., has shocked Germany after he expressed glee in an interview with public media outlet MDR over the horrific Magdeburg Christmas market attack and openly laments that “more people didn’t die.”
Ahmad A. is not just anybody, but an actual friend of the 50-year-old Saudi Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, who killed six people and wounded 300 during the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg on Dec. 20, 2024. Like Al-Abdulmohsen, Ahmad A. came from Saudi Arabia to live in Germany, and like his friend, he worked in clinical psychology.
🇩🇪He should have "killed even more," said Saudi national Ahmad about the Christmas market terror attack in Magdeburg last year.
Ahmad said the attack was "completely ok."
Now, Ahmad is in hiding after his interview with German media outlet MDR, who reported his comments. pic.twitter.com/aoR4h2B2rs
MDR was so startled by Ahmad A.’s comments and later reported them to the police. Now, the suspect is in hiding since the interview.
He also told MDR the attack was “completely OK.”
Ahmad A. told the MDR team that “if you feel persecuted by the authorities, by society,” then what options did Al-Abdulmohsen have left?
Ahmad A. also made baseless claims that German authorities were waging a “war against Saudis.” He announced his intention to the MDR team to extract revenge because his asylum application was rejected.
🇩🇪‼️ "He was a known terrorist. Nobody did anything about it."
The parents of the youngest victim killed in the Magdeburg Christmas market terror attack, 7-year-old André, have released a video condemning the government and pleading for help.
Ahmad A. and Al-Abdulmohsen met via X all the way back in 2016, and both resided in Halberstadt.
The MDR team expressed “shock” about the comments and informed the Erfurt police, but police say the man has already vanished.
The threats follow a pattern seen with Al-Abdulmohsen, who threatened terror attacks for years, all while maintaining his medical license and facing little in terms of law enforcement action. Due to police and government failures, the terror attack happened.
🇩🇪🚨 99% of the cases are directed against Islam or foreign extremism from the German Federal Prosecutor General so far this year.
In the first half of 2025, 144 out of a total of 146 suspects also have a migration-related background.
Ahmad A. is apparently also known to police, and even left-wing politicians are lamenting the situation. SPD politician Rüdiger Erben said his “mouth was open” with shock when he saw the parallels between Ahmad A. and Al-Abdulmohsen, who both seem to be open to promoting their terror ideas to the public. However, instead of blaming the open borders policies of his own party, he is blaming a “lack of awareness” from police.
“It is not enough to address threats and then tick the box,” he stated.
🇩🇪 Germany's Christmas market terror attack could've been prevented, and the proof is now overwhelming.
Taleb Al Abdulmohsen presented a clear threat and authorities were warned dozens of times, says AfD politician @GottfriedCurio, who attended an interior ministry briefing on… pic.twitter.com/47aalyDqdJ
Other players in the open borders political sphere, who have allowed thousands of Islamic extremists into Germany and Europe, are also now feigning surprise at the case of Ahmad A.
Konstantin von Notz of the Greens said that the situation is “completely crazy when you look at this at the European level.” He claimed the bureaucratic danger is “unacceptable.”
The city of Nîmes has become the first major French city to implement a nightly curfew for minors under the age of 16, as authorities scramble to respond to an intensifying wave of gang violence, largely linked to drug trafficking in the city’s poorer districts.
The curfew, which comes into effect on the evening of Monday, July 21, runs from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for an initial two-week period, with the option to renew it for another 15 days.
This move follows a growing trend in France, where at least ten municipalities, including Béziers, Triel-sur-Seine, and Saint-Ouen, have implemented similar measures in recent weeks. In Nîmes, the curfew specifically targets six districts hit hardest by drug violence: Pissevin, Valdegour, Mas de Mingue, Vistre, Clos d’Orville, and Chemin Bas.
Announcing the curfew on Friday, the city cited “a succession of shootings, score-settling, and gang tensions” as justification for the draconian measure. One such incident occurred just days earlier in Place Léonard de Vinci, where another shooting left local residents shaken. “The fear is there,” said 63-year-old caretaker Mohamed Ali Bedja, cited by L’Independant, who lamented the lack of visible police patrols.
The community center Les Mille Couleurs shut its doors out of concern for staff and children. “Even after the death of little Fayed, I hadn’t felt so much tension,” said director Raouf Azzouz, referring to the 10-year-old killed in August 2023 by a stray bullet in a gang shooting.
Fear among locals has grown further by threats from gangsters circulated on social media, warning, “We’re going to kill even 5-year-olds,” and promising to gun down anyone who crosses a man in black. Videos posted online show armed men sprinting through Pissevin with Kalashnikov rifles in broad daylight.
Despite the curfew, many residents and community leaders remain skeptical. A local grocer, originally from Pissevin, recalled better times when the youth had access to leisure centers and summer programs. “Rather than a curfew, we need more money for neighborhood associations,” he said.
Deputy mayor for security Richard Schieven defended the curfew as a necessary measure: “It aims to protect minors who have nothing to do with trafficking, but also those, sometimes as young as 12 or 13, who are used by drug traffickers.” The Prefect of Gard has promised around 60 additional police officers to bolster local security efforts.
The underlying crisis, however, is far from over. In recent months, violence typically associated with Marseille has spread to smaller cities like Nîmes and Avignon. Last Tuesday, a 19-year-old man from Seine-Saint-Denis near Paris was found partially burned and murdered in a village outside the city — a killing linked to the drug wars in Nîmes, according to prosecutors. In 2023, a teenager and a 10-year-old were killed in similar contexts.
According to police union Unité, while the curfew might be “useful,” it’s not a solution. “Young offenders are shooting people with impunity, in broad daylight,” said union official Wissem Guesmi. “A curfew is certainly not going to stop them.”
“For me, a child needs to be with his parents. This avoids spiralling into delinquency,” said police officer Stéphane Brigadier in a France 24 report on the issue.
“What’s changed is the scope of the drug trafficking. It’s across the nation, and not just in the projects of big cities,” added Nicolas Prisse, head of MILDECA, the French state’s anti-drugs mission.
France 24 reported the French interior ministry’s estimation that there are over 10,000 French minors involved in drug trafficking.
A 15-year-old boy who plotted a terrorist attack at Vienna’s Westbahnhof train station will be released in just three months, despite being convicted of preparing a jihadist terror attack to kill “Kuffah” (“unbelievers”).
The Vienna Regional Court sentenced him on Monday to 24 months in prison, with 16 months suspended. But, he is likely to be released far earlier than the eight-month custodial sentence, subject to conditions.
The teenager, who had drawn up plans to murder as many “unbelievers” as possible using a machete, was found with detailed sketches of the station, ISIS propaganda, bomb-making instructions, and several knives in his bedroom. His crude drawings showed stick figures being stabbed, labeled “Kuffar.”
🇦🇹 A 15-year-old boy goes on trial in Vienna next week for plotting an Islamic State terror attack on Westbahnhof station.
The then-14-year-old is accused of pledging allegiance to IS, building a pipe bomb, and threatening to "slaughter" his teacher.
As reported by Heute, the judge said the partial suspension of the sentence took into account the boy’s confession and the fact that the attack had not been carried out. “You still need some time to win the fight against your ideology,” the judge said. “That’s why we’re keeping you here for another three months,” adding that the court wanted to respond appropriately rather than punitively.
Conditions have been imposed for his release, including mandatory participation in a deradicalization program, a ban on using TikTok, compulsory schooling or vocational training, and probation. “We want you to be occupied, and to stop having stupid ideas,” the judge said bluntly.
In court, the teen claimed he had abandoned his violent intentions after encountering kindness from psychologists and probation officers. “I planned a bloodbath, but they were good to me,” he said. “I never felt accepted before. Now I am.” He expressed a desire to pursue an apprenticeship in electrical engineering and said he wanted to regain the trust of his disappointed parents.
The Court heard that his radicalization began via TikTok and was deepened by watching extremist preachers online, including German-language sermons that praised Osama bin Laden.
The prosecutor warned that youth and size should not obscure the risk: “He may be slight, small, and young, but precisely such people can be very dangerous under the influence of IS.”
Defense attorney Anna Mair insisted that the boy was not a monster but a manipulated child. “It’s not just about punishment, but about his future,” she said.
The teen was convicted of participating in a terrorist organization, preparing a terrorist offense, and assault. He was acquitted of threatening a teacher due to a lack of evidence.
The verdict is not final and may be appealed by either side.
Hungary announced plans to build a new crude oil pipeline linking it with Serbia, bypassing European Union restrictions on Russian energy and challenging Brussels’ energy strategy.
The project, unveiled on Monday by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, is being carried out in cooperation with Serbian and Russian partners and is expected to be operational by 2027.
“A series of wrong decisions made in Brussels has put Europe in a very difficult position on the international energy market,” Szijjártó said.
“Today, energy prices in Europe have increased several times more than in the rest of the world. This is not a miracle, as Brussels forcibly disconnects energy connections, bans the use of Russian energy carriers, and shuts down transport routes.”
The new pipeline is planned to carry 5 million tons of crude oil annually and will span 180 kilometers on the Hungarian side. According to the minister, the aim is to secure stable, affordable energy supplies and to resist what he described as harmful EU policies that have led to higher costs for households.
“This situation can be solved by attracting more energy sources and developing more transport routes,” Szijjártó said, calling the project a way to protect Hungary’s energy sovereignty.
Zoltán Kovács, the Secretary of State for International Communication and spokesman for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, reinforced the government’s position on social media, declaring: “Brussels wants to cut us off from Russian oil and gas, forcing Hungarian families to pay 2–4 times more. We won’t allow it.”
🇷🇸🤝🇭🇺 Hungary and Serbia will build a new oil pipeline to safeguard affordable energy, announced @FM_Szijjarto in Budapest. The pipeline could be operational by 2027 with a 5 million ton annual capacity.
He added that Hungary is committed to “building new sources, not shutting them down,” and that the pipeline would safeguard the country’s decade-long policy of utility cost reductions.
The move sets up another confrontation between Budapest and Brussels, as Hungary continues to resist the EU’s sanctions on Russian energy and pursues bilateral infrastructure deals with countries outside the bloc’s common strategy.
Energy security in Central and Eastern Europe has been jeopardized by its reliance on pipelines running through Ukraine. On Jan 1., Kyiv halted the transit of gas from a major Russian pipeline, sparking criticism from both Hungary and Slovakia.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiations over the matter. However, Kyiv’s refusal to play ball led to Fico accusing Zelensky of “begging and blackmailing” European nations for financial aid while simultaneously cutting off gas supplies.
Slovakia has also sought alternative energy supplies this month, meeting with the Croatian government over the potential use of its LNG terminal on the island of Krk to offset the loss of Russian gas.
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini met with his Croatian counterpart, Zoran Milanovic, at the beginning of the month, and confirmed discussions with Croatian officials are underway.
“We are trying to find solutions to buy gas as cheaply as possible,” Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková stated, noting that Slovakia is now relying on a mix of Russian supplies and imports from other European partners, prioritizing price above all.
In Berlin’s multicultural Wedding neighborhood, violence broke out over the weekend from Saturday into Sunday, with one large-scale brawl leading to a murder.
There were three separate incidents near Gesundbrunnen, but police believe the incidents could all be connected. The incidents produced one murder, a shooting, and a stabbing attack.
At 8:00 p.m. there were several shots fired at Prinzenallee, with an unknown perpetrator firing several times, who struck a man in his legs. The victim suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital for emergency surgery, according to Welt newspaper.
An hour later, a 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, 40 to 60 people began brawling in the street as Bastianstrasse, when one man suffered life-threatening stab wounds and was transported to the hospital, where he died shortly afterward. Police believe that the fight began people who did not know each other beforehand.
These are apparently members of certain criminal circles,” a police spokesperson said about the incidents.
“Young men in particular carry knives everywhere these days because they are prepared to use them and thus seriously injure or kill others,” Stephan Weh, Berlin state chairman of the German Police Union (GdP), warned. “The fact that knives are repeatedly used as an extension of the arm in group confrontations is a development that has grown over the years, and the rule of law must finally set a clear and transparent limit for everyone.”
🇩🇪‼️ "Germany is no longer a safe country… The migration crisis is first and foremost a crime crisis."
German police union (DPoIG) chairman Manuel Ostermann makes a major statement following the Solingen terror attack by a Syrian Islamist. pic.twitter.com/ZolmrLnMHa
Police secured the area and a homicide unit has taken over the investigation.
A police spokesperson said: “We are currently investigating a connection between the two incidents.”
Berlin police are asking for witnesses to come forrward.
Two hours later, at 11:00 p.m., a man with multiple stab wounds was discovered by police at Brunnenstrasse, who was then transported to the hospital for surgery. The attacker had already fled the scene.
Reports indicate the man was walking with his girlfriend near Humboldthain Par when he was attacked, but police are working to clarify the circumstances of the stabbing.
Wedding is known as a hotbed for crime and violence.
Two weeks ago, a 29-year-old German-Turkish man was stabbed by a 37-year-old Cameroonian migrant with a knife right near Gesundbrunnen during an argument, resulting in a death of the victim.
The two were apparently arguing over a parking spot. After the murder, friends and family of the victim clashed with police at the scene.
New polling shows that Germans are firmly against a ban of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), with one historian even warning in the wake of the results that a ban of the AfD would lead to a civil war.
The poll, which was conducted by the prestigious Allensbach Institute for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), is sure to come as a shock for the liberal wing of the German elite promoting a ban of the party.
It shows that 52 percent of Germans are against a ban of the AfD, while only 27 percent are in favor. Among East Germans, two-thirds are opposed to a ban, while in the West, 49 percent are opposed to a ban.
There are now even warnings that a ban could lead to a civil war, and not from an AfD politician. CDU member and historian Andreas Rödder told Euronews that an AfD ban represents a serious threat.
“A ban procedure that leads to the loss of all votes for the AfD and thus to red-red-green parliamentary majorities across the board would be the sure path to civil war,” he warned.
The Allensbach poll results also come despite a concerted media and government spy campaign to demonize the party. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has already labeled the AfD as having “right-wing extremist elements.” In some German states, the AfD is “confirmed right-wing extremist.”
"I think it's really too late for a ban. The AfD is already too strong."
Despite ongoing fears of an AfD ban, @Dieter_Stein, the EIC of the influential @Junge_Freiheit, says it would be "ludicrous."
In fact, he predicts an end to the firewall against the AfD within 1-2 years. pic.twitter.com/We7hIQZrjS
One of the main reasons why Germans are against an AfD ban is that many Germans know an AfD supporter in their social circle. The poll shows that 67 percent of West Germans say they know an AfD supporter, and 88 percent of East Germans say they know an AfD supporter. These acquaintances are viewed differently from the party itself. While 54 percent of Germans believe the AfD is right-wing extremist, only 5 percent believe their AfD supporter friends and family are also right-wing extremist.
Another reason is that many Germans view the banning of the AfD as anti-democratic. They hold the belief that parties advocating for a ban are looking to eliminate the political opposition.
In fact, these were the words of the chancellor of Germany, with Friedrich Merz stating that efforts to ban the AfD are essentially undemocratic.
Speaking to Die Zeit in May, Merz said, “Working ‘aggressively and militantly’ against the free democratic basic order must be proven. And the burden of proof lies solely with the state. That is a classic task of the executive branch. And I have always internally resisted initiating ban proceedings from within the Bundestag. That smacks too much of political competition elimination to me.”
The poll also shows that banning the party in Germany would not solve the country’s political problems, with 54 percent saying that the AfD party would just reform under a different name with the same ideology.
However, the poll results are not deterring the left. In fact, they may only serve to hasten the left’s anti-democratic efforts as the AfD grows in popularity. A number of recent polls show the AfD is supported by 25 percent of the population, including a YouGov poll from last week.
Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) said he remains in favor of preparing a ban procedure against the AfD. He told Welt am Sonntag, “I’m for preparing ban proceedings against the AfD, and I am against quick fixes, so I hope that it is well prepared and not set in motion too quickly.”
He emphasized that “our state must be able to defend itself against those who want to abolish it,” and that AfD approval ratings are not an argument against a ban, but rather about “consolidating and protecting our democracy. You can’t say there are many, so we’d rather leave it alone.”
So far, the CDU, the SPD’s coalition partner, is against the ban. In fact, the CDU may have good reason to be against such a dramatic move. For one thing, with the AfD eliminated, the left will then set its sights on the CDU, potentially even labeling the CDU the “new right.” Furthermore, the CDU may want to leave the door open to future cooperation with the AfD, or at least keep the threat open against left-wing parties like the SPD, which helps the CDU drive its own agenda.
A normally tranquil seaside town on France’s Normandy coast was rocked by scenes of shocking violence last week after a gang of around 30 teenagers attacked a family-run restaurant in the middle of the night.
The owner, 60-year-old chef Elie Lebaïf, was stabbed in the buttocks and his wife, Isabelle, assaulted as they tried to defend their establishment, “La Promenade,” from the rampaging gang.
The incident took place shortly after midnight on July 16 in Jullouville, a popular resort town on the English Channel. According to Lebaïf, he was alerted by the sound of banging and breaking glass. Outside, dozens of teenagers — described as drunk, armed with knives, and between 15 and 18 years old — were hurling stones and attacking the restaurant’s windows and doors.
No further description of the attackers has been published.
“They broke everything: doors, tables, windows, chairs, menu racks,” the restaurant later wrote on its Facebook page. “They tried to destroy what years of labor had built.”
When the couple attempted to intervene, Isabelle was slapped in the face, and Elie was stabbed with a knife, resulting in a 10-centimeter-deep wound. “What hurts me the most are the kicks to the ribs and the head,” Elie told TF1 news, standing visibly wounded but back at work just three days after the attack.
Photos later showed bloodstained clothing and extensive damage to the premises.
According to the restaurant, the attack may have been an act of retaliation. Just days earlier, Elie had confronted the same group for throwing tables and chairs onto the nearby seawall. When he told them to leave, they fled upon the arrival of the police.
The gang returned in force on the night of July 16, “in packs,” the restaurant noted. “Because alone, they immediately feel less strong.”
The restaurant condemned the attackers and the broader social context that allowed the violence to unfold:
“They stabbed a man defending his restaurant. It happened in Jullouville, and it will not go unpunished. This message has nothing to say. It is a scream. A cry of anger, of pain, but above all of dignity. An act of resistance against cowardice and the destruction of what is built with honesty and sweat, at a small beach resort in Normandy.”
The statement went on to describe how the chef, bleeding and injured, fought alone for 30 minutes until his son and son-in-law arrived to help him. The gang then reportedly fled. The couple later barricaded themselves inside until police arrived — though according to witnesses, the assailants even briefly confronted officers before escaping.
The post sharply criticized the French justice system, the sale of alcohol to minors, absentee parenting, and the failure of authorities to prevent such violence. “They are not worth the sidewalk they stomp on,” the restaurant wrote. “Not one is working. Spectres without purpose or honor, who spend their days hanging around, their nights getting drunk, and their frustration hitting those braver than them.”
Local mayor Alain Brière assured residents that the town’s 14 CCTV cameras, along with personal video footage taken that night, would help police identify those responsible. “The police will know the truth quite quickly,” he told TF1.
Despite the attack, the couple has returned to work, receiving an outpouring of support from residents, tourists, and fellow business owners. The restaurant remains open.
“The view of the sea is still so beautiful, even through a few broken windows, which will be replaced very soon. And our resolve is intact,” the statement concluded. We will not give in.”
The prosecutor’s office in Coutances has opened an investigation. As of now, no arrests have been made.
Greece has launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal migration from North Africa, detaining 247 migrants intercepted at sea and vowing to jail future arrivals as part of a sweeping overhaul of its asylum and border policies.
At 10 a.m. on Sunday, a Coast Guard vessel carrying the migrants — apprehended off the coast of Crete and Gavdos — docked at Lavrio, where the individuals were handed over to police and transferred directly to detention facilities.
One person among the group reportedly died in hospital after suffering injuries during the crossing, according to public broadcaster ERT.
🇬🇷 Greek authorities arrested 247 illegal migrants who arrived from Libya in small boats on Sunday.
This follows a government decree that saw all asylum requests from North Africa suspended for at least three months.
In a statement posted on X, Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris declared that the group “do not have the right to apply for asylum and they will not be taken to reception centers.” Instead, he said they would be held in custody until deportation procedures are initiated. “We arrest them, put them in detention in closed structures, we start the process of their return,” Plevris said. “The message is clear.”
Οι 247 που εισήλθαν παράνομα συνελήφθησαν και ήδη οδηγούνται από την αστυνομία σε δομές κράτησης. Αντιστοίχως σε στενή συνεργασία με το λιμενικό και την αστυνομία μετατρέπουμε δομές του υπουργείου μετανάστευσης σε κλειστές δομές κράτησης για να οδηγηθούν σε καθεστώς εγκλεισμού…
Earlier this month, the Greek government suspended asylum application processing for all migrants arriving by sea from North Africa for the next three months. The decision, which mirrors emergency measures invoked in March 2020 during a similar crisis, was announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a speech to parliament.
“The path to Greece is closing,” Mitsotakis said. “It sends this message to all traffickers and all their potential customers, that the money they spend may well be entirely wasted.”
He described the recent influx — more than 2,000 people intercepted in just a few days — as a “surge” that required immediate and decisive action. “These are events that clearly highlight the European dimension of the problem. Soon, there will also be a reaction from Brussels,” he added.
The new legislation goes even further. The Ministry of Migration has confirmed that migrants who refuse to leave voluntarily will face prison sentences of at least two years, and repeat offenders could face up to five years behind bars. Additional police facilities have already been converted into closed detention centers to accommodate the new policy.
Greek officials say the government’s stance is clear: illegal entry will no longer lead to processing in reception centers or access to asylum procedures. The measures aim to deter both traffickers and would-be migrants by removing incentives and tightening legal consequences.
Mitsotakis said a formal notification had been sent to the European Commission.
Will Poland become the new Norway of Europe, enjoying billions in oil proceeds? At least, that is the hope after Central European Petroleum discovered the largest oil deposit in the nation’s history.
“This is a historic moment for the Polish energy sector,” said Rolf G. Skaar, CEO of Central European Petroleum, while announcing the new discovery.
The company discovered the oil deposit approximately 6 kilometers off the coast from Świnoujście, using the Wola East 1 (WE1) well drilled in the Baltic Sea.
The announcement stated that the discovered field could contain 22 million tonnes of recoverable hydrocarbons in the form of crude oil and condensate and 5 billion cubic meters of commercial-grade gas.
According to estimates, the total resources of the Wolin concession include over 33 million tonnes of recoverable crude oil and condensate and 27 billion cubic meters of commercial-quality gas.
The company noted that this is the largest conventional oil discovery in Polish history, and at the same time one of the largest in Europe in the last decade.
The CEO emphasized that his company views this discovery as a foundation for the long-term, responsible development of Polish marine resources.
“Wolin East is more than just a promising deposit—it’s a shared opportunity to unlock the full geological and energy potential of the Baltic Sea,” said Skaar,.
Krzysztof Galos, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Climate and Environment and Chief National Geologist, believes that the Wolin East discovery could prove to be a breakthrough in the history of hydrocarbon exploration in Poland.
“If this discovery is ultimately confirmed, the Wolin East field could become the largest deposit of crude oil and associated natural gas ever discovered in Poland,” he pointed out.
According to Galos, the future development of this deposit could significantly contribute to strengthening Poland’s energy security and reducing its dependence on external hydrocarbon suppliers. However, he emphasized that this is conditional upon the prior fulfillment of all necessary formal requirements for its exploitation.
The Wolin concession was issued by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. It covers an area of 593 square kilometers.
Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel has accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government of political theater after just 81 Afghan nationals were deported to Kabul, despite over 11,000 Afghans still officially required to leave Germany.
At 8:35 a.m. on Friday, a Qatar Airways Airbus A330-200 took off from Leipzig Airport carrying 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes including theft, drug dealing, and assault.
According to Bild, the flight was quietly organized by the federal government and departed under tight secrecy to avoid disruption by left-wing protesters. Passengers were brought in from multiple deportation centers across Germany.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt declared the operation a success and described it as part of the governing coalition’s shift in migration policy. “There is no right of residence for serious criminals in our country,” he said. Deportations to Afghanistan, he added, must be able to “take place safely” in the future.
But critics were quick to denounce the move as inadequate. AfD co-chair Alice Weidel wrote on X: “Every year again: 81 criminals are deported to Kabul in a show of deportation, while 11,000 other Afghans who are required to leave the country remain there for the time being. And Merz spouts empty phrases at the summer press conference. Migration turnaround? Only with the AfD!”
Alle Jahre wieder: Show-Abschiebung nach Kabul für 81 Kriminelle, elftausend weitere ausreisepflichtige Afghanen bleiben erst mal da. Und Merz drischt leere Phrasen in der Sommerpressekonferenz. Migrationswende? Nur mit der AfD!https://t.co/hJXVzwRzBU
According to the Central Register of Foreigners, as of June 30, 2025, 11,172 Afghan nationals who are under orders to leave remain in Germany, including 9,462 whose deportations are temporarily suspended. While this is a decline from 29,245 in 2020, critics argue that progress is cosmetic and far too slow.
Further complicating the picture is a recent ruling by the Berlin Administrative Court, which requires the government to uphold its commitments under the federal admission program for Afghans stranded in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The ruling effectively means that those being deported may soon be replaced by others brought in under humanitarian schemes.
In theory, these new arrivals are meant to be thoroughly vetted. In practice, they are not. Reports from earlier this year revealed that only one in eight Afghans who entered Germany through special protection programs — such as those for local staff and human rights activists — were fully vetted by German security authorities prior to arrival. More than 31,000 Afghans, including family members, reportedly entered without full security checks.
“The current procedure, in which, despite the identity not being determined without any doubt, travel ID cards are issued for foreigners, is highly risky and irresponsible,” warned Germany’s federal police union (DPolG) president Heiko Teggatz in an open letter to then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz in March. “Against the background of the currently highly tense security situation in relation to Islamist terrorism, I think such a procedure is unacceptable.”
The deportation ban to Afghanistan had been in place since August 2021, when the Taliban seized power. It was lifted in mid-2024 under then-Interior Minister Nancy Faeser when a flight saw 28 criminals and potential threats returned to Kabul.
Friday’s flight marked the first such removal under the Merz administration.
A new Council of Europe report has revealed mounting pressure on prison systems in Western Europe, where overcrowding is increasingly tied to the presence of large numbers of foreign nationals.
The 2024 SPACE I survey, which collects prison data from 51 prison administrations across 46 European countries, found that one in three European prison systems is now officially overcrowded, with Western countries bearing the brunt.
As of Jan. 31, 2024, the average prison population density in Europe stood at 92 inmates per 100 available places. However, the report notes that this average masks wide disparities. A total of 16 prison systems were operating above full capacity. Among the most overcrowded were Cyprus (166 inmates per 100 places), Romania (120), France (119), Belgium (115), and Italy (112).
🇩🇪 In many German states, half the prison population is now made up of foreigners.
🔺Germany spends €1.8 billion a year on its exploding foreign prison population, out of a total of €4.1 billion.
While immigration is naturally not the sole cause of overcrowding, with each administration experiencing its own issues in relation to infrastructure and capacity, it draws a clear connection between overcrowding and high shares of foreign inmates, particularly in Western Europe.
“At one end of the spectrum, prison administrations like Switzerland (72 percent), Greece (54 percent), Austria (53 percent), Catalonia (50 percent), and Germany (49 percent) report extremely high proportions of foreign inmates. In contrast, several prison administrations in Eastern Europe — such as Romania (1.1 percent), the Republic of Moldova (1.3 percent), and Azerbaijan (2 percent) — register some of the lowest shares of foreign prisoners,” the report notes.
“This geographic pattern broadly mirrors European demographic shifts since the early 2000s: Western European countries have seen immigration-fuelled population growth, while Eastern European nations often face population decline through emigration.”
Across Europe as a whole, foreign nationals make up 25 percent of the prison population on average, but the median figure is only 16 percent, indicating a heavy skew toward certain Western jurisdictions. The Council of Europe report caveats this figure by noting that not all foreign prisoners are long-term immigrants but include asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, tourists, and individuals linked to cross-border criminal networks. Most prison data, however, does not distinguish between legal statuses.
The SPACE I findings strongly suggest that the overcrowding crisis in Western European prisons cannot be addressed without considering the role of immigration and foreign inmate populations. The efficiency of infrastructure cannot be guaranteed without knowing the number of individuals it must cater to, and prisons are no exception.
As the proportion of foreign nationals behind bars continues to rise in several countries, the pressure on infrastructure, staffing, and public services is set to intensify.
Several European nations are now exploring alternative measures to address overcrowding. Remix News reported last month how Sweden had struck a deal with Estonia to rent 600 prison places in the Baltic state to ease pressure on its domestic operation.
Some facilities in Sweden are operating at over 140 percent capacity following a spike in crime in recent years.
Italy, on the other hand, revealed this week it was exploring the early release of more than 10,000 prisoners as a response to severe overcrowding — an unprecedented move for the Meloni government, which has until now opposed any so-called “prison-emptying” measures.
“There are 10,105 inmates who, by law, could be serving their remaining sentence outside prison,” Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said in a statement, acknowledging that while this right is enshrined in law, it has not been respected in practice due to the lack of adequate housing and support structures for released inmates.
In May, the U.K. announced sweeping prison reforms that could see prisoners in England and Wales, including some serious offenders, eligible for release after serving just one-third of their sentence, subject to approval by the Parole Board.
Poland is grappling with a significant rise in youth unemployment, prompting a national discussion among experts about the rapid escalation of this trend.
Poland saw the highest increase in youth unemployment in the entire EU, even though Poland enjoys some of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire bloc.
Eurostat data from May 2025 reveals that the unemployment rate for individuals under 25 in Poland hit 13.5 percent, marking a staggering 27.4 percent year-on-year increase.
There are at least three factors, according to the analysts at ManpowerGroup, that are driving this trend.
The first is the shifting labor market, heavily influenced by the economic slowdown impacting many countries, especially Poland’s key trading partners. Tied to this is the second reason, which has to do with growing geopolitical tensions, such as tariffs and trade conflicts with China. These global pressures are translating into reduced demand for staff.
The other factor is the accelerating pace of automation and digitalization, including the rise of artificial intelligence. This technological shift is diminishing the need for routine and simple tasks, which are often seen in entry-level jobs. As a chorus of headlines out of the United States demonstrates, young people are increasingly struggling to find work. As the New York Times reports, “For Some Recent Graduates, the A.I. Job Apocalypse May Already Be Here.“
Piotr Skierkowski, a labor market expert at ManpowerGroup, highlighted to Bankier.pl that the primary challenge is a mismatch between the requirements and expectations of both employers and young job seekers. This discrepancy extends to salary levels, preferred working methods, and the nature of tasks.
Zuzanna Ilków, an analyst at Useme, emphasizes that young individuals are entering a job market that demands skills they haven’t yet had the chance to acquire. Even entry-level positions frequently require prior experience. Simultaneously, Poland’s education system is struggling to adequately develop practical skills and prepare students for collaborative or project-based work. This deficiency is leading more young people to consider freelancing as an alternative career path.
Ilków, quoted in an article by Katarzyna Wiązowska in Bankier.pl, stated, “According to our report ‘Freelancing After Hours 2025,’ people aged 18-25 most often work in the IT, design, and multimedia industries. For many, this is an alternative way to enter the job market. However, its growing popularity among this age group may signal a deeper problem: the difficulty in finding a first job within traditional forms of work.”
Analysts from Personnel Service are urging proactive measures to prevent a repeat of two decades ago, when a lack of domestic opportunities forced young Poles to seek employment abroad, resulting in a significant talent drain. They note that younger generations, Generation Z and Alphas, are ambitious and eager for professional development.
However, this optimism is clashing with genuine concerns about career progression, securing suitable employment, and even competition from foreign workers. Personnel Service analysts caution that if Poland fails to provide concrete development paths and accessible entry points into the job market, these young workers will not hesitate to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Piotr Skierkowski of Personnel Service suggests that a crucial solution involves increased investment in education and vocational training to equip young people with the necessary skills. He believes this is a critical area for government and non-governmental organizations to address.
Zuzanna Ilków adds that to improve the situation for the youngest adults in the labor market, there’s a need for entry-level positions that incorporate a learning phase, rather than expecting immediate proficiency. She also advocates for “real career counseling, mentoring, and a new approach by employers—one more open to potential than to a ready-made CV.”
The European Union has adopted its 18th sanctions package against Russia following a last-minute deal with Slovakia, which lifted its opposition after receiving energy-related guarantees from the European Commission.
The agreement was reached during an emergency meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels on Friday morning, clearing the way for what EU officials hailed as the bloc’s toughest sanctions yet.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the new measures as “one of the strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date,” saying it would “cut the Kremlin’s war budget further” by targeting more than 100 additional shadow fleet vessels, Russian banks, military-industrial suppliers, and Chinese institutions involved in sanctions evasion. The sanctions also introduce a stricter cap on Russian oil and extend export bans on dual-use technology and drone components.
“We’re going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks’ access to funding,” Kallas said. “For the first time, we’re designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India. Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children. We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed that sentiment, declaring, “We are striking at the heart of Russia’s war machine. The pressure is on. It will stay on until Putin ends this war.”
Slovakia had previously blocked the package due to its opposition to a separate Commission proposal, REPowerEU, that would phase out Russian gas imports by 2028. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced Thursday evening that he had received sufficient assurances from von der Leyen regarding Slovakia’s energy needs and the economic impact of phasing out Russian gas.
“The confirmed guarantees relate to the price of gas and its potential shortage, transportation fees, as well as the possibility of triggering a crisis situation,” Fico said in a video address, calling the Commission’s initial gas proposal “imbecile.” While allowing the sanctions vote to proceed, he made clear that Slovakia would now enter a new phase of resistance to the REPowerEU gas plan.
“The second stage of our fight with the European Commission on the issue of Russian gas begins immediately after that,” he said.
Fico’s decision to lift the veto came after a series of negotiations with EU leaders and a personal letter from von der Leyen, offering cooperation on energy security, reduced gas prices, legal protections, and potential compensation from European funds.
In a post on Facebook, he insisted his opposition was not “extortion,” but a “defense of Slovak interests.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the sanctions and thanked EU leaders for their determination in pushing them through.
“This decision is essential and timely, especially now, as a response to the fact that Russia has intensified the brutality of the strikes on our cities and villages,” he said, emphasizing that the updated oil price cap would reduce Russia’s revenues and praised the ban on all transactions related to the Nord Stream pipeline system, which he said had been a critical part of Moscow’s long-term preparations for war.
He added that Ukraine was working to synchronize its own sanctions regime with the new EU measures and would introduce additional penalties under Ukrainian jurisdiction.
The European Commission’s seven-year budget is already facing backlash, with Ursula von der Leyen’s request for €2 trillion from member states being slapped down by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other leaders.
One of the main voices against the budget is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who says it is designed to bring Ukraine into the EU as a member and hand Kyiv billions of euros.
“If we look only at financial aspects, we should see that in addition to the 20-25 percent of budget resources allocated to Ukraine, 10-12 percent of previously taken out loans go to loan repayments,” said Orbán in an interview with Kossuth Radio’s “Good Morning, Hungary” program.
Adding up money to Ukraine and debt repayments, 30 percent of the budget goes to areas that were not included in the previous seven-year budget, said the Hungarian prime minister.
“That’s why everyone in the European Union is shouting,” he added.
“The budget is a great science to understand, you have to be able to read not only what is written in it, but also what is hidden behind the lines,” Orbán said.
The Hungarian prime minister said the problem with the budget is that it does not have a clear strategic basis.
“If we do not know what it is for, then it cannot be good, because we must first answer what goals we want to achieve with it,” he said.
As far as Orbán is concerned, the main goal of the budget is to admit Ukraine into the EU.
⚠️🌾 A shocking new EU budget leak reveals a dangerous gamble: Ukraine would get a massive funding boost, while European farmers lose out. This plan risks sidelining rural Europe and threatening families across the continent. Brussels must not abandon Europe’s farmers to bankroll… pic.twitter.com/J74f27q1ND
“The EU budget has only one obvious purpose: to bring Ukraine into the EU, and these funds are transferred to Ukraine,” he said.
According to the prime minister, the right move would be not to accept the Ukrainians but to instead develop a kind of cooperative relationship with them.
He also said that not only is there uncertainty about Ukraine, but money is also being lost for agriculture. The prime minister asked the question: “What will happen to farmers if the EU does not support them in the future?”
The budget will not survive
According to Orbán, this budget will not survive, with EU countries lining up to reject it. This may be much more than bravado, as it is widely reported at the moment that a number of key EU leaders are coming out against the budget, most notably German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“A comprehensive increase in the EU budget is unacceptable at a time when all member states are making considerable efforts to consolidate their national budgets,” said Stefan Kornelius, spokesperson for Merz’s government. “We will therefore not be able to accept the Commission’s proposal.”
A path forward will not be easy, as Orbán notes that any EU budget agreement requires unanimous approval from all member states.
Given that the Commission is trying to tie rule-of-law sanctions to a variety of expanded areas, which countries like Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia are certain to reject, negotiations are expected to be intense.
During the last seven-year budget, many conservatives and those on the right criticized the previous Orbán government and their then Polish conservative allies for agreeing to the rule-of-law sanctions in exchange for signing off on the budget. The move turned out to be a bad one for Hungary, Poland, and other sovereignist-minded political parties. The EU froze tens of billions for both nations, and for Poland, only unfroze the money once the left-liberal Tusk government came to power. For Hungary, approximately €10 billion still remains frozen.
Violent scenes unfolded in the Essex town of Epping on Thursday evening as hundreds of residents and anti-mass migration protesters demonstrated outside a hotel housing asylum seekers. The protest, initially described as peaceful and involving local families, escalated when masked counter-protesters arrived, prompting the deployment of riot police.
The protests were triggered by the arrest earlier in the week of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 41-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker, on multiple charges, including three counts of sexual assault and one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. The incidents allegedly occurred in Epping town center on July 7 and 8, just days after Kebatu arrived in the UK by boat on June 29.
Kebatu had his first hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. According to prosecutors, Kebatu tried to kiss a schoolgirl eating pizza near Epping High Street, and the next day approached her again and allegedly attempted to kiss her. He is also accused of touching a woman near a fish and chip shop and calling her “pretty.”
Kebatu, who gave his address as High Road, Epping — home to The Bell Hotel where he had been housed — denied all charges. He has been remanded in custody pending a two-day trial scheduled for Aug. 26.
News of his arrest ignited public anger. On Thursday evening, demonstrators gathered outside The Bell Hotel, chanting “Protect our kids.” Among the crowd were parents, grandparents, and children, joined by anti-immigration campaigners with banners and loudspeakers.
🇬🇧🚨 BREAKING: Unrest breaks out in the English town of Epping, clashes with police caught on video.
Residents are outraged after reports that a young girl was sexually assaulted by an immigrant. pic.twitter.com/uyXnivoGc5
However, tensions flared when self-proclaimed anti-fascist activists arrived, resulting in confrontations and a heavy police presence. Bottles were reportedly thrown at police vans, and video footage circulated online showing officers clashing with protesters. One protester appeared to be struck by a police van, which then left the scene without checking on his welfare.
🧵 1/2 There was two very different situations tonight in Epping.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Bell Hotel to protest the migrant hotel in town, one that has seen numerous incidents against local women and children.
— Adam Brooks AKA EssexPR 🇬🇧 (@EssexPR) July 17, 2025
Essex Police confirmed one person had been arrested on suspicion of affray and that one officer suffered minor neck injuries. The force also confirmed it had requested support from the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police to manage the unrest.
Epping Forest District Council leader Chris Whitbread echoed local frustration about the use of the hotel as an asylum center, telling GB News: “It’s an inappropriate location… just around the corner from a school. We were never consulted; it was dumped on us by the Home Office.”
🚨 Epping Forest Council Leader calls for asylum hotel closure:
‘It’s an inappropriate location… just around the corner from a school. We were never consulted, it was dumped on us by the Home Office.’
Adam Brooks, a broadcaster and GB News commentator who attended the protest, wrote on X: “I’ve now left the scene, absolute chaos in Epping. This started as a peaceful demonstration with parents, grandparents, and school kids, but then the so-called ‘anti-fascists’ turned up in masks, and it all kicked off. A sad day for this area. These migrant hotels must be closed.”
I’ve now left the scene, absolute chaos in Epping. This started as a peaceful demonstration with parents, grandparents and school kids, but then the so called ‘anti fascists’ turned up in masks and it all kicked off.
— Adam Brooks AKA EssexPR 🇬🇧 (@EssexPR) July 17, 2025
Local MPs Neil Hudson and Alex Burghart have also called for the closure of the hotel, citing community safety concerns and the proximity to local schools.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: “Disruption and offending is never an appropriate response, no matter the strength of feeling in this case, and on this issue. People protesting peacefully, lawfully, and responsibly cause us – and the wider public – no concern. However, we can never and will never tolerate criminal behavior of any sort.
Essex Police said their response would continue in the days ahead, and that anyone involved in criminal conduct during the protests would be identified and prosecuted “robustly.”
A 17-year-old girl is in critical condition after being doused in fuel and set alight by her 20-year-old boyfriend, a Moroccan illegal immigrant, in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the La Isleta neighborhood of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
The teenager, who is under the guardianship of the Canary Islands Government, suffered burns to 95 percent of her body and remains in intensive care at a specialist burn unit in Seville.
As reported by Canarias7, the suspect, identified as Abarrafia Hader, arrived in Spain approximately six weeks ago aboard a migrant boat and was picked up by Salvamento Marítimo, the Spanish search and rescue agency, near Arrecife. He lacked legal documentation and was placed under a deportation order, with instructions to be returned to Morocco.
While awaiting deportation, he was housed in temporary accommodation at the Canarias 50 military facility, just a short distance from the scene of the attack.
The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday on Angostura Street. Forensic officers and national police remained at the scene into the morning, inspecting the fire-damaged building, which the suspect and victim had reportedly been squatting in together.
Authorities say the girl frequently absconded from her state care center to spend time with Hader, despite the center having filed missing person reports in the days prior to the attack. The full nature of their relationship is still under investigation, and police are exploring whether a third person may have been involved.
“The Canary Islands government claims to have no evidence that the two were a couple, although they have detected signs of it,” a Spanish government spokesperson said, as cited by El País. “The focus must be on the despicable act of what appears to be gender-based violence, regardless of whether the boy was her partner or not.”
After setting the girl alight, Hader reportedly suffered from smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital under police supervision. He remains in custody as the investigation continues.
The attack has shocked the local community. “It’s a shame that the neighborhood is remembered for events like this,” one café owner told local media.
Another local shopkeeper said: “They showed me images of the girl while she was being treated… it was terrible; I felt so sorry for her.”
The infamous Phoenix district in south Hamburg is grappling with a multitude of issues, including drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and frequent violence, with mass immigration transforming the neighborhood in recent decades.
It is not a right-wing conspiracy theory that the district is crime-ridden. German state media outlet NDR recently reported a surge of police in the area, writing: “A fatal balcony fall, mass brawls, knife stabbings, and repeated drug incidents: the Phoenix district in Hamburg-Harburg has often been in the headlines in recent weeks. Now, the police want to show an increased presence there.”
However, the neighborhood was not always a cesspit of crime. An interview conducted by Welt involving a kiosk owner in the area shows the deleterious and slow-motion disaster that multiculturalism and mass immigration all too often bring about.
“Everyone comes to me,” says Marlies Kurtz, a Thuringian native who opened her convenience kiosk shop on Maretstrasse 35 years ago. “The nice people, the junkies, and even those I usually avoid – they still show me respect.” As Welt reports, her kiosk sits at the western edge of the Phoenix district, below an old cemetery now transformed into a park where children play among tombstones.
🇩🇪 Hamburg, Germany
40 police cars and riot officers were needed to break up a massive street battle between Chechens and Kurds in the Harburg district.
"Those involved rushed towards each other with whatever they could get hold of – chairs, broomsticks, wooden poles." pic.twitter.com/WJXUXpV1Pj
However, the testimony of this working-class member of the community shows that the changes in her neighborhood have been far from good. It is a story that has played out in countless neighborhoods and cities in Europe.
Kurtz says she has seen it all. “My house was broken into. I was attacked, threatened with firearms.” Despite the welcoming atmosphere of her shop, her hospitality has strict limits.
Nobody is allowed in anymore; instead, she serves customers through a narrow window. If danger rears its head, she is forced to barricade herself inside the shop.
Welt writes that Kurtz has witnessed the neighborhood’s evolution for nearly four decades.
“In the beginning, it was quiet and pleasant. Many older people lived here, and I was able to build my shop in peace.” Since then, she’s observed a “wave of crime activity,” with positive developments becoming increasingly rare. “Now, I have to secure everything; my shop has become a small fortress.”
In other words, the high-trust and safe neighborhood she once belonged to has given way to mistrust and fear.
Despite being a neighborhood institution, she avoids going out alone in the evenings due to safety concerns. “More order needs to be restored,” Kurtz insists, “but the police are understaffed, and politicians are doing too little. This is making people increasingly dissatisfied.”
Welt writes that the kiosk is a microcosm of the problems seen in the neighborhood.
“The kiosk represents the contradictions that define the district: Kurtz and the many people who want to make it a more livable place. And the social conditions that are difficult to break down. Each problem alone would be a challenge. In the district, they combine to form a critical mass: illegal gambling in cultural clubs and betting shops, drug trafficking, excessive rents, youth gangs, illegal waste disposal. Many negative manifestations are converging in the Phoenix district – the victims are the residents, who can do little to counteract the negative spiral.”
A 2022 analysis reported 9,500 residents in the small neighborhood, making it one of Hamburg’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Thirty-one percent of residents are under 18, and 86 percent have a migration background.
Seventeen percent of households have three or more children, with a disproportionate number relying on state support. Nearly a quarter of residents received basic social security benefits (now called a citizen’s allowance) in 2022, with almost half of children under 15 receiving it.
The report also mentions that the population may be much larger than official reports, as many of the apartments are full of tenants who are not legally registered. In fact, the number of residents may have doubled since 2019. Many of these children do not attend daycare, and trust in German authorities is low.
Harburg CDU city council member Birgit Stöver says the area has become increasingly multicultural since the 1960s.
“The owners, many of whom no longer lived in the neighborhood, took advantage of this: properties with density increasing, narrow backyards filled with apartments, and too small, unrenovated apartments rented out to many people at high prices. Money was extracted but not reinvested.”
She adds that “at some point, certain nationalities gained a sort of dominance and began to dominate the neighborhood.” This began with Albanians, then Romanians, and now perhaps Bulgarians. Today, 26 nations are reportedly represented here, but many people come and go in the neighborhood, adding a transient nature to the district.
Britain’s left-wing Labour government has announced plans to lower the voting age in time for the next U.K. general election, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in what it described as sweeping electoral reforms to “modernize democracy.”
Ministers say the move is designed to rebuild public trust, but critics have accused the government of trying to tilt the electoral playing field in its favor, with recent polling suggesting Labour would benefit from a third of the votes.
The voting age reform is part of a broader Elections Bill that will also ease voter ID rules by allowing bank cards as accepted identification and introduce tougher regulations on foreign donations, campaigner abuse, and digital voter registration.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the plan would “break down barriers to participation” and deliver on Labour’s manifesto promise to extend the vote to young people who already “work, pay taxes, and serve in the military.” Minister for Democracy Rushanara Ali called it a “generational step forward.”
But Nigel Farage, leader of Reform U.K., responded: “I’m not in favor of it, but I’m really encouraged by the number of young people that are coming towards us. It’s an attempt to rig the political system, but we intend to give them a nasty surprise.”
Farage doesn’t support lowering the voting age to 16, despite 20% telling ITV News they’d vote Reform
As the government confirms it'll let 16 year olds vote in the next general election, @Nigel_Farage said: ‘I’m not in favour of it, but I’m really encouraged by the number of… pic.twitter.com/kXDwHJQtzu
Polling by Merlin Strategy suggests the issue is divisive even among teenagers. Of 500 16- and 17-year-olds surveyed, 49 percent said they did not believe they should be allowed to vote, while 51 percent supported the move. When asked how they would vote, 33 percent backed Labour, but Reform U.K. came in second with 20 percent. Only 10 percent of respondents said they would vote Conservative.
BREAKING: The UK is set to lower the voting age to 16 in landmark electoral reforms.
Julia: "Just when you think things couldn't get any worse… we're going to let kids vote over who runs the country – completely and utterly insane!"@JuliaHB1pic.twitter.com/xXaRoOH2px
Shadow Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake told the Daily Mail the move risks undermining democracy: “Even 16- and 17-year-olds don’t think they’re ready to vote. With only 18 percent saying they’d definitely take part in an election, it’s clear this is more about politics than principle.”
Former editor of The Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie, was blunter: “In a desperate attempt to find anybody to vote Labour, Angela Rayner has announced 16-year-olds can vote. At 16, they know nothing of life and finance and therefore make great socialist fodder.”
In a desperate attempt to find anybody to vote Labour Angela Rayner has announced 16-year-olds can vote at the next General Election. At 16 they know nothing of life and finance and therefore make great socialist fodder. Older voters sick of subsidising teenagers born with their…
In a European context, the U.K. now joins Austria and Malta in allowing 16-year-olds to vote in all elections. Germany, Wales, and Scotland permit voting at 16 for local or regional elections, but most European countries still set the national voting age at 18.
The move could backfire for the Labour government. Just 43 percent of young people are supportive of the two legacy parties in Britain, Labour and the Conservatives, with the data suggesting they are sympathetic to left and right-wing causes.
With talk of a potential splinter party from Labour in the pipeline being set up by far-left MPs Zarah Sultana and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and the indisputable success Reform U.K. had at the last general election through its use of social media targeting young people, Keir Starmer’s party could find itself being squeezed from both sides.
Ethnic Germans are having fewer and fewer children, with new data showing that predictions of German minority status could become true much sooner than originally predicted.
Germany’s birth rate is plummeting, reaching a concerning 1.35 children per woman in 2023; however, the situation is even more critical for women with German citizenship, whose fertility rate has hit a 30-year low. The new data closely aligns with new predictions from Thilo Sarrazin, the former Bundesbank board member who authored the 2010 book “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (“Germany Is Abolishing Itself”). He now predicts that by 2070, 80 percent of births will be to non-German mothers.
The Federal Statistical Office’s data shows that only 677,117 children were born in Germany last year, a 2 percent drop from the previous year. This ongoing decline paints a stark picture for Germany’s future demographics, especially for German citizens.
For women with German citizenship, the fertility rate now stands at just 1.23 children, a level not seen since 1996.
Meanwhile, for women with foreign citizenship, the fertility rate is 1.84, which is close to replacement. However, there is a continued decrease for foreign women as well, which has been consistent since 2017.
Despite the falling birth rate and record deaths, Germany is seeing its population continuously increase due to mass immigration, which is radically shifting the demographic situation.
Ethnic Germans account for only about 40% of births, by 2070, 80% of births will be non-German
Thilo Sarrazin, the author of “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (“Germany Is Abolishing Itself”) sparked controversy this month with a revised edition of his bestseller.
As reported by Remix News, Sarrazin reflected on his earlier work in an interview with Czech media, noting that while he was broadly right in his projections, the scale and pace of immigration — particularly since the 2015 crisis — have outstripped his original calculations.
He noted that his demographic model had assumed annual net immigration of between 50,000 and 100,000 people, based on official forecasts at the time. In the decade since, however, Germany has averaged 500,000 new arrivals per year, a majority of whom come from outside the European Union and from predominantly Muslim-majority countries.
“Back then, I predicted that within a few decades, Germans would become a minority in their own homeland,” Sarrazin said. “But it will come much sooner.”
“While in the group of people over 65, 15 percent have a migration background, among 15-year-olds it is 45 percent, and among newborns it is over 50 percent,” Sarrazin said. “Ethnic Germans account for only about 40 percent of births. I quote from the 2020 yearbook of the statistical office. These are the figures that are decisive for what the German population will look like in 2070, given that we are only about two generations away from it.”
He predicts that by 2070, roughly 80 percent of all births will be to non-German mothers, with the majority being Muslim. “That is my estimate today, but… the situation could get even worse. For example, if another sudden wave of mass immigration comes,” he warned.
Policies to boost the birthrate?
Those living in Germany still want more children than they are having. Researchers have a variety of policy proposals and prescriptions to boost the birthrate, but falling birthrates are seen across the globe, not just in rich Western countries.
“The desire to have children remains constant at just under two, but the framework conditions for starting or expanding a family are not right for many,” Martin Bujard, research director at the Institute for Population Research, told Bild newspaper, while discussing the current figures.
“Uncertainty is poison for family planning – be it political or economic. Or, as is currently the case, both,” said Bujard.
Since 2022, many citizens put off family planning, “but from a certain age, too often postponement is no longer an option,” he warned.
The researcher said, “more support for families is needed – such as reliable childcare, all-day schools, and more housing for families. Simply paying more money, on the other hand, hardly leads to more births.
In the new data release, regional differences highlight the severity of the issue, with Lower Saxony having the highest birth rate (1.42) and Berlin the lowest (1.21).
While the pace of this annual decline of births in Germany has somewhat slowed, the long-term trend remains deeply troubling.
The total fertility rate serves as a key indicator of demographic health, showing the average number of children a woman would have based on current fertility patterns. The latest figures suggest a significant challenge for Germany’s population sustainability.
A prominent German Salafist influencer who preached a strict interpretation of Islam online has been sentenced to three years in prison after a Düsseldorf court found he had systematically defrauded his followers out of nearly half a million euros in donations.
Dehran Asanov, known to his followers as “Abdelhamid,” was convicted on Wednesday of more than 30 counts of serious fraud. The 34-year-old had amassed a large following on Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify by promoting a lifestyle of religious discipline and self-purification, often dressed in casual sportswear and speaking directly to younger audiences.
As reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, authorities found that he had diverted at least €496,000 from dozens of donation campaigns to finance an extravagant lifestyle that included luxury cars, designer handbags, and expensive watches. A single campaign advertised as raising funds “for Palestine” brought in €78,000, which Asanov used to purchase a sports car.
In their ruling, judges described his actions as a “betrayal of the community and his faith,” and noted that many victims still believed their donations went to charitable causes.
Investigators initially suspected the funds may have been funneled to terrorist groups, but instead discovered a scheme of self-enrichment. The court ruled the fraud was “particularly serious” and committed commercially over a long period, though prosecutors’ claims of gang-related activity were not upheld.
At the time of his arrest, Asanov had amassed 600,000 followers on TikTok and, according to Welt, had been calling for donations on Instagram since 2021.
He had been known to authorities since 2018 for his fundamentalist preaching at mosques across Germany, and had been an active member of Ansaar International — an organization that presented itself as an Islamic relief charity but was shut down by the German government in May 2021 over suspicions that it had diverted donations to Islamist terrorist groups including Hamas and the al-Nusra Front.
Asanov’s Islamic-law wife and accomplice, Gjulten I., appeared in court alongside him and confessed to helping manage the fraudulent accounts. Though deemed to have played a lesser role, she was sentenced to a suspended prison term of one year and nine months. The court also ordered the full confiscation of the €496,000 in proceeds.
Asanov had previously claimed in his sermons to have left behind a troubled past on “the street” and used this narrative to justify his transformation into a moral guide.
A 53-year-old teacher from Dordrecht was seriously injured in a stabbing on Wednesday evening during a school musical for eighth graders at Het Palet elementary school in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands.
The attack took place as children and parents gathered at the De Haven Cultural Center, where the performance was being held.
According to De Telegraaf, citing eyewitness accounts, the teacher was trying to calm an escalating argument between three men when one of them pulled a knife and stabbed him. Witnesses say the teacher was not involved in the dispute and was likely acting to prevent violence.
Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital with serious injuries. An air ambulance was also at the scene.
“He wasn’t the target,” said one person at the scene. “He came between two men who were about to fight.” Another described the alleged attacker as “not right in the head” and known for being aggressive. Sources also said another man involved had a criminal background.
One man sitting near the victim told Algemeen Dagblad, “I didn’t realize it at first. Suddenly, there was blood all over the hallway, and the teacher was lying on the floor. This was premeditated; otherwise, you wouldn’t bring a knife to a musical.”
Another eyewitness told Alblasserdams Nieuws, “I saw two men enter. One of them buttoned up his jacket. I thought that was strange, because you’d expect to take your jacket off on a night like this. They walked away to the front, and then suddenly there was a blow. Those two came in deliberately to grab a father. They must have been alerted by another parent, I think. They knew exactly where he was. One man immediately punched the father in the audience. The other guy was still standing next to me, and he stayed put. He suddenly grabbed a big pot and threw it.”
The stabbing occurred at around 8:40 p.m. during the school’s end-of-year celebration. In addition to the school musical, other events such as a bingo night were taking place in the building at the time. One woman recounted seeing police outside while playing bingo. “This isn’t the Netherlands anymore,” she said.
After the stabbing, police locked down the building and questioned witnesses. Attendees were only allowed to leave in groups. An ambulance and multiple police units were seen at the scene, and a section of the road was closed off.
Police initially arrested one man who walked out of the building calmly in handcuffs. Later in the evening, two more men were taken into custody. Authorities confirmed that all three are adults who were involved in the original dispute and are now under investigation to determine their roles in the incident.
NEW: 🇳🇱‼️ A teacher was stabbed at a school musical in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands, this evening.
The attack happened in front of the children at around 8:40 p.m.
Eyewitnesses told Dutch media that the teacher wasn't the target, but had come between two men when one pulled… pic.twitter.com/SknvlKZtYn
Dutch police posted on X: “Tonight, one person was seriously injured in a stabbing incident in Alblasserdam during a performance at De Haven. He was rushed to the hospital. Police are investigating the incident.” In a later update, they confirmed that three suspects had been arrested.
In a statement on their website, police wrote: “A school’s end-of-year musical was taking place at the cultural center. It’s suspected that an argument broke out between three men. A teacher got involved, possibly to calm things down. He was stabbed in the process.”
Alblasserdam Mayor Jan Willem Boersma offered his thoughts and condolences to the victim and his family. “This is also terrible for all the children, parents, family, colleagues at school, and staff at the cultural center where the musical was performed. An evening like this should be a celebration. It is deeply saddening that this happened. Arrests have been made, and the police investigation is ongoing.”
After all foreigners were banned from a Swiss swimming pool in Porrentruy over violence, sexual harassment and constant disturbances, Swiss visitors to the pool and employees are generally expressing happiness with the move.
The ban, which came about after “French youths with a migration background” continuously caused problems at the pool and in pool bathrooms, including sexual harassment of young girls. The situation even sparked international headlines.
However, the Swiss paper 20 Minuten reported a surge in season ticket sales after the ban was put in place.
“It went very well. Citizens have rediscovered the bathing establishment with the peace and quiet that comes with it,“ said Lionel Maître, the municipal councilor for tourism and leisure in Porrentruy. “We have seen an increase in season ticket sales as citizens have finally regained the long-awaited sense of security. There have been no problems and no new bathing bans since then.”
Maître said that it had become increasingly noticeable that the perpetrators had Arabic names.
Apollo News also reported that the need for security has suddenly disappeared since the ban on foreigners.
“People were climbing over the fence. They didn’t respect us – not even the security guards,” said Luna Lando, a lifeguard at the Porrentruy outdoor pool. She said her daily routine is now transformed.
“It’s much quieter now,” said Luna in an interview. “There’s no need for security anymore.”
“We wouldn’t have been able to come here anymore if the measures hadn’t been introduced,” Vieira da Silva Aurelie, a swimming instructor from another pool in Switzerland, told German newspaper Welt.
According to Welt, there were repeated thefts at the location, women were whistled at, and boys and men touched girls inappropriately. One mother stated she had forbidden her daughter from visiting the pool due to safety fears.
Before the ban, the pool itself had already issued 20 “house bans” on specific individuals from entering the pool area, but this proved insufficient to keep the peace. The problem? The pool is located only a few kilometers from the French border and the city of Belfort. Although the town itself is described as a classic Swiss village, complete with rolling hills filled with grazing cows, the suburbs of Belfort feature troubled foreign youth who consistently cause problems in the neighboring Swiss village.
One 17-year-old student, Alexi, told Bild it is now quiet and thefts have ended.
“It’s better this way. Sometimes we Swiss couldn’t get in at all. Now, it’s quieter, you can swim and there are no more thefts, it couldn’t go on like this, that we Swiss couldn’t go into our own swimming pool anymore,” he said.
A 68-year-old pensioner, Chantalle, agreed, saying: “There were a lot of problems with 15-year-olds that caused stress. The police were there almost every day.“
Foreigners can still enter the pool, but only if they have a work permit in Switzerland or if they are guests at a local hotel that provides pool cards to its guests. However, they have to pay double the price as Swiss citizens, which also serves to restrict the number of foreign guests.
Although the ban targets all foreigners, Bild indicates the true target was the French youths who ruined the peaceful atmosphere at the pool and participated in various crimes.
A 51-year-old teacher, Melanie (51), told Bild: “The problem is that people are simply afraid of large groups that don’t follow the rules in the swimming pool. They come from the suburbs of Belfort in France. These are people who cause problems there, too. Of course, that’s a shame for everyone else who can’t get in anymore, who aren’t criminals.“
However, a cleaning specialist, 38-year-old Said, who has a migrant background, said: “This discriminates against our families. They’re stereotyping all the French now. This is a minority that has sometimes made a bit of a splash here. That’s not good. I’ve been here a lot, and I’ve never experienced much stress here.“
One Swiss woman, Marie, said she did not like the ban. “I go to the swimming pool every day and regret the decision. I saw a lot of French people here and never noticed any problems. I think the decision was made because it was often very crowded here. Maybe too crowded. But you shouldn’t solve this problem like that,” she told Bild.
However, the police in Porrentruy tell a different story, telling Bild that since the start of the season in mid-May, they have been called to the pool several times, including in instances where they had to come “sometimes two or three times an hour.”
There were no criminal complaints ever recorded, only oral complaints. But since the ban came into place, the police have not been called once, although it has only been in place for a short time.
The police would not comment on allegations from the community that French migrant youth were harassing girls. “We’re not allowed to talk about it.” He told the reporter that the media attention to the subject had grown too large, and there were efforts to “muzzle the community.”
Could this type of ban work elsewhere?
The reality is that German newspapers are so interested in this swimming ban due to the crisis at German swimming pools, which have seen young girls sexually assaulted and harassed in large numbers over the years. In addition, thefts, assaults, and general disorder have been prevalent, as Remix News has reported numerous times.
However, while some swimming pools with the unique issue seen in Porrentruy could implement such a ban on foreigners, the widespread issue seen in Germany will not vanish with such a ban. This is due to the fact that the crime and harassment problem presented by foreigners is coming from those who live in the cities and towns already, not from outsiders.
In many cases, these are youths born to foreign parents, and many of them already have German citizenship.
However, an end to the problems involving swimming pools would mean fewer security staff are required, which would lower ticket prices and contribute to a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere within swimming pools. In addition, the appearance of police crisis teams at swimming pools, such as seen in Berlin, would also disappear. Police would then be freed up to handle crime in other areas of the cities of Germany.
Only fundamental changes at the federal level in regards to immigration and crime enforcement will make European swimming pools peaceful and family-friendly places once again.
An American tourist was stabbed in the chest while traveling on a regional train from Melegnano to Milan, in the latest of over 260 violent incidents reported on Italy’s rail network so far this year.
The 27-year-old victim was attacked on Tuesday morning near San Giuliano Milanese train station by a group of three or four young men described as of North African origin, who reportedly attempted to steal his gold necklace before fleeing the scene.
The attackers, armed with a knife, stabbed the tourist in the neck and chest before escaping at the next station. Footage from the San Giuliano platform shows the victim, covered in blood, crying out, “I don’t want to die.” Emergency services transported him to Melegnano Hospital, where he is understood to be in a stable condition.
🇮🇹🇺🇸 An American tourist was stabbed in the chest by a gang of four North Africans trying to steal his gold necklace on a train in Italy.
The 27-year-old told emergency responders, "I don't want to die," as he lay on the floor of San Giuliano station, near Milan, covered in… pic.twitter.com/w4ndpXcTQI
The attack, reported by Il Giorno, comes amid an alarming rise in violence on Lombardy’s public transport. According to figures reported by Open, 267 violent assaults have been recorded so far this year on trains and in stations — more than one per day. Of the 113 cases where arrests have been made, 122 suspects were foreign nationals and just 32 Italian, further fueling concerns about migrant-linked violence in the region.
Local officials expressed outrage at the growing insecurity. Marco Ballarini, mayor of Corbetta near Milan, reshared a video of the incident and wrote: “This is no longer an isolated incident. Boarding a train today could mean risking your life. This is no longer unsafe: it’s an emergency!”
The San Giuliano attack is one of a series of high-profile cases to occur in Milan in recent times. In April last year, a 21-year-old woman was raped by an Egyptian man on a commuter train. More recently, a 16-year-old Italian boy was stabbed by a North African gang outside a shopping center, and a 19-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by 10 men, also identified as North Africans, after leaving a Milan nightclub.
Data from Milan reveals a stark reality: The city reports 128 robberies per 100,000 inhabitants — nearly triple the national average. It leads the country in reported crimes, thefts, robberies, and drug trafficking, and ranks second nationally for sexual assaults, muggings, and property damage.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi acknowledged the scale of the issue last November, revealing that 65 percent of crimes in Milan are committed by foreign nationals, who make up only 20 percent of the population. While denying that Milan faces a Paris-style urban breakdown, he admitted to deep integration failures.
NEW: 🇮🇹‼️ A huge 65% of all crimes in Milan are committed by foreign nationals, despite representing 20% of the population, damning new stats from Italy's Interior Minister @PiantedosiM have revealed.
Mayor Beppe Sala, a figure of Italy’s political left, also conceded the capital of Lombardy can no longer be called safe. “I won’t claim Milan is a safe city,” he said, while maintaining it is “making an effort” like other international metropolises.
Other recent incidents include the murder of 82-year-old Emma Teresa Meneghetti, allegedly killed by a 15-year-old Dominican boy; the fatal stabbing of a Filipino housekeeper by an African migrant during a burglary; and the mass sexual assault of Belgian students on New Year’s Eve in Piazza Duomo by a group reportedly carrying Middle Eastern and North African flags.
Investigations into Tuesday’s stabbing continue, with railway police reviewing surveillance footage to identify the assailants.
Protests against mass migration have intensified in the Spanish town of Torre Pacheco following the arrest of three Moroccan men accused of brutally attacking a 68-year-old local resident last Wednesday.
The victim, named as Domingo Tomás Domínguez, was walking near the town cemetery when he was thrown to the ground and beaten. He suffered extensive injuries, as seen in images circulating widely on social media.
One of the suspects, believed to be the main perpetrator, was arrested while trying to flee to France and has been placed in custody. Authorities confirmed he is a resident of Barcelona. Police say the motive for the attack is still unknown, and Domínguez reported that the men did not attempt to rob him and spoke in a language he did not understand.
The assault has ignited protests in the town, some of which have escalated into violence. Over the weekend, groups of hooded youths attacked vehicles and businesses, and confrontations were reported between nationalist demonstrators and residents of North African origin. On Sunday night, journalists saw dozens of young men hurling bottles and other projectiles at riot police. CCTV footage also showed masked individuals vandalizing a kebab shop with bats and sticks. Several arrests were made on both sides, including Spaniards and foreign nationals.
Mayor Pedro Ángel Roca urged migrants not to leave their homes and to avoid confrontation. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the violence, posting on X: “What we are seeing in Torre-Pacheco challenges us all. We must speak out, act firmly, and defend the values that unite us. Spain is a country of rights, not hate.”
While mainstream media such as El Mundo and El País described the events as far-right riots targeting migrant communities, others framed the protests as a response to rising crime and an increasingly volatile situation tied to Spain’s immigration policy. A group called “Deport Them Now” organized Thursday’s protest, urging its followers to carry out a “hunt” to find the attackers and deliver what it called “direct justice to reunite them with Allah.”
Videos circulating on social media painted a more visceral picture of public anger than mainstream reports, including one clip in which a woman said, “This will end when I walk out into the street with peace of mind… when my daughter comes out and I’m not afraid of being raped.”
⚔️🇪🇸 Una mujer española en Torre-Pacheco:
"¡Esto va a acabar cuando salga tranquila a la calle, cuando salga de mi casa sin miedo a que me metan en una furgoneta. Cuando me salga la niña y no tenga miedo de que me la van a violar!".
Other footage showed TV reporters being heckled and accused of siding with the government. During a live broadcast, a journalist from La 2’s Malas Lenguas program was surrounded by protesters shouting, “manipulator,” “bitch,” and “sellout to the government.” Another reporter was asked, “Aren’t you ashamed?” as protestors criticized her employer’s framing of the narrative.
Los vecinos de Torre Pacheco se hartan de las manipulaciones de TVE y echan a la reportera que criminaliza a los españoles: “¿no te da vergüenza? ¿Tú no eres española? fuera, fuera, fuera”. pic.twitter.com/YI5akgprk5
Santiago Abascal, leader of the right-wing Vox party, denied any responsibility for the violence but stood by his party’s hardline stance. “I don’t know if we’re bringing tension or not. If the truth brings tension, there will be tension,” he told the media, insisting that Spain’s immigration model is to blame for recent incidents. He has called for a referendum on mass deportations, arguing that all other parties support the regularization of migrants and that only Vox reflects the will of the Spanish people.
Abascal accused Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska of bearing political responsibility for violent crimes by immigrants, saying his policies “bring these things.” He denounced the minister as “miserable” for deflecting blame after a recent rape case and said, “It’s a majority position in defense of our security… we’re not talking about Torre Pacheco; that’s an example of what’s happening all over Spain — it’s a real plague.”
MADRID, SPAIN – JULY 14: The president of VOX, Santiago Abascal, shows an image of the aggression to an elderly man in Torre-Pacheco (Murcia) during a press conference, at VOX headquarters, on 14 July, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Alejandro Martinez Velez/Europa Press via Getty Images)
The Murcia branch of the Socialist Workers’ Party (PSRM) has filed a legal complaint against regional Vox leader José Ángel Antelo, accusing him of inciting hatred. PSRM-PSOE spokesperson Isabel Gadea said the far right has spent years “criminalizing and dehumanizing migrants with the support of the PP.”
Public opinion, however, is changing rapidly in favor of the hardline approach advocated by Abascal’s Vox. According to polling by Sigma Dos for El Mundo, 70 percent of Spaniards support deporting illegal immigrants.
The party has now launched a petition for a national referendum on immigration, asking citizens: “Do you want illegal immigrants, criminals, violent people, and fundamentalists in your neighborhoods?”
The Italian government is weighing the early release of more than 10,000 prisoners as a response to severe overcrowding in the country’s prison system — an unprecedented move for the Meloni government, which has until now opposed any so-called “prison-emptying” measures.
According to Il Giornale, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio has launched a task force to address a long-standing failure to apply existing legal provisions that allow certain prisoners to serve the remainder of their sentences outside prison.
These provisions apply to inmates with less than 24 months left to serve, convicted of non-violent offenses, and who have maintained good behavior while incarcerated.
“There are 10,105 inmates who, by law, could be serving their remaining sentence outside prison,” Nordio said in a statement, acknowledging that while this right is enshrined in law, it has not been respected in practice due to the lack of adequate housing and support structures for released inmates.
If all eligible individuals were transferred to alternative measures, Italy’s prison population — currently at 62,728 — would fall close to the maximum capacity of around 51,000, significantly easing overcrowding.
While stopping short of calling it a new policy, Nordio emphasized that “no exceptional measures are being proposed,” only the enforcement of regulations that already exist but are routinely ignored. The ministry has already begun coordination with supervisory judges and penitentiary officials and expects the task force to conclude its work by September.
The Nordio initiative marks a significant departure from the Italian right’s traditional approach to penal policy and its principle of incarceration as a punitive measure.
Prison overcrowding is a growing problem across much of Europe, with the Council of Europe’s Annual Penal Statistics on Prison Populations’ latest report revealing that 12 nations had more inmates than places available in January 2023.
Cyprus heads those struggling to find room with 166 inmates per 100 places available, followed by Romania (120), France (119), Belgium (115), Hungary (112), Italy (109), and Slovenia (107).
Other nations with more inmates than permitted places available included Greece (103), Sweden (102), North Macedonia (101), and Croatia (101), while Turkey, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Denmark, and England and Wales are all close to full capacity.
Earlier this year, Sweden sought to address the saturation of its own penal system by striking a deal with Estonia to rent 600 prison places amid reports that its overcrowding issue has soared to over 140 percent capacity in many facilities following a spike in crime in recent years.
Three men, two from Palestine and one from Lebanon, have been arrested for kidnapping a Syrian man off the streets of Stuttgart in Germany. In a joint operation between Polish and German police, the three men were arrested on Polish territory after a three-day manhunt.
The suspects are accused of beating the 25-year-old victim, dragging him to a car, and fleeing the scene in Stuttgart on July 6 at 12:45 p.m. in the Bad Cannstatt district.
Shortly after the incident, a friend of the victim reported him missing.
“The kidnappers demanded a ransom of several hundred thousand euros from the victim’s family. They threatened to inflict serious injuries and kill the 25-year-old,” said Daniela Treude, a police spokesperson.
A Lebanese man (24) was arrested in the apartment in Warsaw, photo source: Centralne Biuro Śledcze Policji – Policja.pl.
Stuttgart police determined that the perpetrators were following the Syrian before they kidnapped him and brought him to Poland.
“In a police operation lasting approximately 75 hours under the direction of the Stuttgart Police Headquarters, officers from a Polish special unit arrested three men, aged 24, 28, and 39, on Wednesday evening, July 9, 2025, on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of a 25-year-old,” wrote the police in a press release.
In Katowice, a third kidnapper, a Palestinian, was arrested by Polish police, Source: CBsup – Centralne Biuro Śledcze Policji – Policja.pl
“The background to the kidnapping is still unclear. According to initial findings, the perpetrator and victim knew each other,” said police spokeswoman Treude.
German police operations manager Carsten Höfler praised Polish police forces.
“We dovetailed all our forces in a special operation lasting several days. This is how we were able to save a human life,” he said.
“The violence caused by the most serious crime of kidnapping is unbearable for the victim and undermines trust in our security. I am all the more pleased that we were able to interlink all of our forces in a goal-oriented manner at the European level in a special operation lasting several days in order to successfully save a human life. We are keeping pace in the fight against serious crime and doing so successfully across borders,” added Höfler.
A Ukrainian national has been detained in the city of Dnipro, Ukraine, in connection with a wave of bomb threats that disrupted schools across the Czech Republic and Slovakia last September.
The arrest was part of a joint investigation involving Slovak, Czech, and Ukrainian police forces.
On Wednesday, Slovak police announced via social media that the man was taken into custody during coordinated raids, during which computer and mobile equipment were also seized. The arrest was carried out in collaboration with the Czech National Headquarters against Terrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime (NCTEKK) and Ukrainian authorities.
“We do not care about the nationality of the perpetrator, we care that the perpetrator is brought to justice and held accountable for his actions,” the Slovak police stated. They also thanked their Czech and Ukrainian counterparts for their cooperation in what they called a serious threat to public safety.
Úspěšná mezinárodní akce @PolicieCZ (NCTEKK) a BIS. Speciální tým dnes zadržel na Ukrajině mladíka podezřelého z loňských výhružných e-mailů stovkám škol v ČR. Podle prvotních informací ČR nebyla jediným jeho cílem a útočil v řadě států Evropy. Aktivity zadrženého s největší… pic.twitter.com/dSpRMJj2Oi
Czech counterintelligence service BIS confirmed the arrest and said the suspect is believed to have sent threatening emails not only to Czech schools but also to targets in other European countries. According to BIS, “the activities of the detainee were most likely financed by an actor from Russia,” though it did not elaborate or provide evidence to support this claim.
The threats, received at the start of the last academic year, prompted evacuations and major police responses across hundreds of schools in both countries.
The emails falsely claimed that bombs had been planted in the buildings. Slovak authorities treated the incidents as acts of terrorism, a charge which can carry a life sentence under Slovak law.
It is believed that up to 270 schools in Slovakia were targeted with threats in addition to other educational facilities in neighboring Czechia.
Investigations are ongoing, and authorities in all three countries are continuing to analyze the suspect’s digital equipment.
No further details have been released about the individual’s identity or the potential Russian involvement.
Rue Tiranty in the heart of Nice will be closed to the general public between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., as authorities attempt to regain control of a street increasingly described as an open-air drug zone.
As of Tuesday, July 15, access will be permitted only to residents, customers of shops, and those with medical appointments, under a new municipal decree enacted for reasons of “sanitation and public order.”
Mayor Christian Estrosi, of the centrist Horizons party, justified the unprecedented measure by citing a situation that had become “intolerable,” with the street overrun by drug addicts injecting in public view and leaving syringes strewn across the pavement. “Public order disturbances” and “proven health risks” were among the reasons listed in the city’s official statement.
“We will be uncompromising with those who do not respect the laws of the Republic, who cause disturbances to public order, and who impose, by their behavior, proven health risks,” he added on X.
The first deputy for security, Anthony Borré, who personally supervised the measure’s first day of implementation, described the situation as one of “major health risks” and “omnipresent insecurity,” adding, “The local residents are right. This is unacceptable.”
Depuis des années, la rue Tiranty est marquée par une consommation de drogues en pleine rue, à la vue de tous. Les risques sanitaires sont majeurs, l’insécurité omniprésente, les riverains ont raison. C’est inacceptable!
Rue Tiranty is a small street just steps from the Notre-Dame Basilica and Place Masséna, but in recent years, it has come to symbolize the chronic failure of public authorities to address France’s worsening drug crisis. Residents report years of violence, threats, open drug use, and trafficking in plain sight. “We’ve been fighting these people since 2008,” one resident told Le Figaro. “They’re untouchable and insolvent, and we just have to take it,” his wife added.
Images shared by city officials show emaciated individuals lying across the sidewalk with syringes in hand or slumped against walls surrounded by suitcases, blankets, and makeshift bedding — a scene that residents say has become part of daily life.
Despite the street’s prime location, many locals now go out of their way to avoid it. Shopkeepers say they are losing customers, and hotel owners report growing concern from tourists. A planned drug support center intended to provide sterile equipment and safe-use services was scrapped in 2022 after strong opposition from the town hall and local residents, who rejected the possibility of “cohabitation” between drug users and families.
À 10 mètres de l’avenue principale de #Nice06 (Jean Médecin), les toxicomanes se piquent à l’héroïne et jettent les seringues.
Éric Ciotti, UDR MP for Alpes-Maritimes and former leader of the center-right Les Républicains, called the move a “PR stunt” that will do nothing to fix the underlying problems. “It penalizes local residents even more. For years, the town hall has done absolutely nothing, other than making announcements and cosmetic changes. It doesn’t address anything. It simply moves the problem a few meters away.”
A German citizen with an Iranian migration background was arrested last month for leading an alleged cyber-sadist gang while operating under the username “White Tiger.” Now, other parents are coming forward stating they feared their children were also victims of the 20-year-old.
The suspect was arrested at his parents’ home in Hamburg in June and was charged with murder and various other serious crimes while leading a group of cybercriminals. Based on sexual motivations, the group forced eight children between the ages of 11 and 15 to self-harm, and in some cases, even commit suicide online.
Investigators state the victims are from the United States, Germany, Canada, and England. Two victims are from Hamburg and one in Lower Saxony, according Welt newspaper.
The cyber sadist group, an international group known as “764” reportedly has other members, but prosecutors say there is no evidence anyone else from the group is operating out of Hamburg.
A 13-year-old American reportedly committed suicide because of the group, while the 14-year-old victim from Canada attempted suicide, according to the Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office
The case has been met with shock in Germany, and highlights the growing threats young children and teens face online, where sadists and sexual abusers operate with little oversight.
Now, other parents are coming forward, although details remain murky about how many children may have been targeted.
“We can confirm that parents have reported the incident as a result of the arrest,” said Senior Public Prosecutor Mia Sperling-Karstens. Investigations are ongoing.
The German-Iranian has been charged with murder, attempted murder, previous bodily harm, sexual abuse of children, and possession of child pornography.
It is unclear from media reports how the gang operated, but often cybersadists preying on children use blackmail and intimidation to convince children to get nude or perform other sexual acts on the web. Once these criminals record video of the act, they then tell their victims they plan to spread the material to friends and family members if they do not perform more depraved acts. In some cases, they can also threaten to release the videos if the victim does not harm themselves, driving the young victims into a psychological state that can quickly push them towards suicide.
The 20-year-old suspect studied medicine at a private university for a certain period of time, but reportedly stopped his studies. He denies being the leader of the ring of pedophiles.
He is currently incarcerated at the youth prison on Elbe Island of Hahnöfersand, which is located in Lower Saxony.
Investigators are still going through evidence seized during the arrest.
“This includes the evaluation of seized evidence and the examination of the accused,” said Sperling-Karstens.
Since the suspect is a German citizen, all of these criminal acts will simply be recorded as a “German” suspect, including murder and sexual offense charges. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party argues that the migration background of suspects must be recorded as well in order for Germany to gain a clearer picture of the suspects in serious crime cases, as well as ascertain how integration efforts are proceeding.
The High Court has lifted a super-injunction obtained by the UK government that had concealed a massive £7 billion secret resettlement program for thousands of Afghan nationals, following a damning judgment that accused ministers of suppressing democratic accountability and misleading Parliament.
The injunction, originally imposed in September 2023, blocked not only media reporting on a major data breach involving thousands of Afghan collaborators with British forces, but also the very existence of the injunction itself. Now, nearly two years later, Mr. Justice Chamberlain ruled that the order must be discharged, citing “serious interference” with press freedom and a failure to justify continued secrecy.
The leak, which occurred in early 2022, exposed personal details of tens of thousands of Afghans who had applied to relocate to the UK following the Taliban takeover. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) learned of the breach more than a year later, in August 2023, when names appeared on Facebook. Instead of acknowledging the error, the government initiated a covert admissions scheme to bring thousands of affected individuals — and their families — to Britain, while silencing any media inquiry under the cover of national security.
With the approval of family reunification for all those affected, the true number of Afghans imported into Britain could be significantly higher than the number directly affected by the data breach.
During closed hearings, Mr. Justice Chamberlain expressed alarm over the scale of the deception. At a behind-closed-doors hearing in November 2024, reported on Tuesday by The Telegraph, he remarked, “When you are dealing with public expenditure of that magnitude — £7 billion — it’s not possible to lose that amount of money down the back of the sofa.” He went on to highlight internal communications in which government officials discussed using a statement to Parliament as “cover” for the scheme, rather than providing full disclosure.
“Am I going bonkers? This is a very, very striking thing,” the judge said. “The statement to Parliament will ‘provide cover’. It is a completely unprecedented situation.”
The judge condemned the use of the courts to facilitate what barrister Jude Bunting KC called a deliberate effort “to mislead the public.” The super-injunction, Bunting argued, prevented public scrutiny on key political issues such as immigration and public spending: “It is corrosive of democracy. It prevents the public from being informed about the reason for billions of expenditure, at a time when immigration is at the forefront of debate.”
Mr. Justice Chamberlain echoed this concern, saying the order had “the effect of completely shutting down the ordinary mechanisms of accountability which operate in a democracy.” He added: “It not only prevents public discussion of the full reasons for the government’s policy. It prevents the public from knowing of the very existence of the policy.”
As reported by The Times, he told the government’s barrister at one of the secret hearings, “You’re going to have to say something about all of this, because you’re spending £7 billion and you’re letting in many thousands of people that you wouldn’t have been letting in before.”
The U.K. newspaper noted: “Almost 24,000 Afghans affected by the breach have been brought to the UK already or will be in the future.”
Despite the magnitude, the government had not informed the public, Parliament, or even many of the individuals whose data was leaked until now.
The judgment published on Tuesday also criticized the way intelligence assessments had been used to justify the injunction. In a review that ultimately led to the order’s lifting, a retired civil servant concluded that the leaked dataset posed only marginal risk to individuals and that the Taliban were unlikely to use it to identify targets. The judge found this “fundamentally undermines the evidential basis” for continued secrecy.
Super-injunctions, usually associated with celebrities, were never intended to shield vast immigration schemes from public oversight. “When the government obtains one,” Chamberlain said, “it is likely to give rise to understandable suspicion that the Court’s processes are being used for the purposes of censorship.”
In the wake of the judgment, the government has been forced to admit that the data leak occurred in 2022 but was not publicly acknowledged until now; that it included a database of 33,000 records; that a new secret relocation program was launched in response, moving thousands of foreign nationals to Britain; and that the individual responsible for the leak has not been publicly identified or disciplined.
In Parliament on Tuesday, Defence Secretary John Healey offered a “sincere apology” and confirmed that affected individuals were only informed this week, over three years after their data had been exposed.
While the government has now applied for a narrower injunction to prevent publication of sensitive personal data, the broader secrecy has been irreversibly broken. As Mr. Justice Chamberlain concluded, “There is no tenable basis for the continuation of the super-injunction. This is particularly so given the serious interference it involves with the rights of the media defendants to freedom of expression and the correlative right of the public to receive the information they wish to impart.”
The Spanish political party VOX has launched a national campaign demanding a referendum on immigration policy, citing a series of violent incidents involving foreign nationals as evidence of what it calls a “failed and suicidal” immigration model imposed by Spain’s main parties.
Party leader Santiago Abascal declared, “Let them ask in the neighborhoods, in the towns, and in the nation if they want illegal immigrants in Spain,” as he called for Spaniards to sign a petition for a direct vote on mass deportations and migration controls.
The campaign, promoted through the party’s website, calls on citizens to take a stand: “Enough of letting them decide for you. Do you want illegal immigrants, criminals, violent people, and fundamentalists in your neighborhoods?”
“If you want to live in peace in your neighborhood… If you don’t want your family to pay the consequences of illegal and maladjusted immigration… If you do not want to live in fear of those who want to impose their law… Sign here!” it adds.
The demand comes amid a string of high-profile violent incidents across Spain in just the past few days, fueling public anger and renewed scrutiny of immigration policy.
In Torre Pacheco, Murcia, several Spaniards — including a local police officer — were injured in a second consecutive night of riots reportedly sparked by North African immigrants. The unrest follows the brutal beating of an elderly man named Domingo, allegedly by an illegal Moroccan migrant, in what some witnesses described as part of a so-called “challenge.” Neighborhood protests erupted into violence involving stone-throwing, knives, and property damage.
In Benamargosa, Málaga, a kiosk owner filed a complaint after being threatened with a knife by a North African resident, following an earlier act of vandalism on the man’s vehicle. The suspect reportedly accused the kiosk owner of racism.
In Lérida, residents have called a demonstration on July 17 to protest growing sexual violence in public spaces. The protest follows the sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman by a Moroccan man at a public swimming pool in the Balàfia neighborhood. The assailant was arrested after reportedly resisting police.
In Madrid’s Montecarmelo district, a 27-year-old Colombian Amazon delivery driver was arrested and brought to court after allegedly sexually assaulting two young girls, aged four and eight, in an elevator during a delivery route.
These incidents, according to VOX, reflect a broader collapse of public safety and social cohesion caused by years of unchecked immigration. Abascal directly blamed Spain’s dominant political establishment — the Pedro Sánchez-led Socialist government and the center-right People’s Party opposition — for implementing Brussels-backed migration policies that he claims have led to “degradation in our neighborhoods, collapse in our social services, and fear on our streets.”
The link between mass immigration and rising crime is indisputable.
A recent Sigma Dos poll published in El Mundo found that 70 percent of Spaniards support VOX’s proposal to deport all illegal immigrants. The policy even garnered majority support among voters of the Socialist Party (57 percent), with backing reaching 92 percent among PP voters.
Despite growing public pressure, the Sánchez government continues its current migration approach. Data released earlier this month showed that the number of immigrants in Spain under family reunification permits has increased by more than 650 percent in five years — from 43,848 in March 2020 to 328,841 in March 2025.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has unveiled a comprehensive plan for sweeping financial reforms designed to tackle the nation’s burgeoning budget deficit. However, the National Rally’s Marine Le Pen is already threatening to topple the government after the details were announced.
A key component of these reforms involves the elimination of two public holidays: Easter Monday and Victory Day (May 8th). Additionally, the government plans to introduce a new solidarity contribution for its wealthiest citizens.
“We must as a nation work more,” Bayrou said.
Le Pen has been propping up Macron’s minority government over the last weeks, which requires at least one party to vote alongside it to pass laws. However, she was quick to trash the budget proposals, noting that there are no cuts to the billions flowing to France’s exploding foreign population.
“After seven years of catastrophic mismanagement, Emmanuel Macron and François Bayrou are incapable of making real savings and present yet another bill to the French: nearly 20 billion euros in taxes and deprivations. No savings on the cost of immigration, subsidies for uncontrolled intermittent energies, seven billion in increased contributions to the European Union, nothing on bureaucracy in hospitals or education,’ she wrote.
“This government prefers to go after the French, workers and retirees, rather than hunt down waste. As for boosting production, apart from eliminating regulations in collaboration with grassroots stakeholders, as proposed by the National Rally, these are mere pious wishes. If François Bayrou does not revise his approach, we will censure him,” she added.
Après sept années de gabegie catastrophique, Emmanuel Macron et François Bayrou sont incapables de faire de vraies économies et présentent une énième facture aux Français : près de vingt milliards d’euros d’impôts et de privations.
During his announcement, Prime Minister Bayrou issued a stark warning about the nation’s rapidly growing debt, stating it was increasing at a rate of €5,000 per second. He described the current financial situation as “the last stop before the abyss,” stressing the urgent need for France to curb its public spending, which he believes has become excessive.
The government’s austerity measures are projected to generate a total of €44 billion. This will be achieved through various initiatives, including reducing public employment as well as implementing spending and cuts across numerous sectors.
In 2024, France’s public deficit reached 5.8 percent of GDP, significantly surpassing EU limits. The government’s objective is to progressively reduce this deficit to 5.4 percent in 2025, 4.6 percent in 2026, and ultimately below 3 percent of GDP in subsequent years.
However, the implementation of these reforms faces potential obstacles due to a divided parliament. The National Rally has already voiced its opposition to Bayrou’s proposals and is calling for another no-confidence motion against his administration. The prime minister has successfully survived eight such votes to date.
President Emmanuel Macron is urging parliament to take responsibility and support increased defense spending by at least €6 billion. These changes are expected to be incorporated into the draft budget for 2026. This initiative likely stems from France’s defense and security doctrine, which anticipates the possibility of a large-scale armed conflict in Europe by 2030, namely over claims that Russia could invade further into Europe. France, however, acknowledges that a full-scale war with Russia on its own territory is unlikely.
A new poll has just been released, and like many others, it shows that a conservative Polish government would win power, but only if Law and Justice (PiS) created an alliance with the right-wing Confederation party. The left is celebrating the PiS’ large drop in support in the polls, but that celebration could prove short-lived if the left loses power in the upcoming national elections next year.
The new poll from National Research Group shows that Law and Justice (PiS) actually saw a massive drop in support, falling to 26.9 percent, amounting to a 6.9 percent drop since the last poll.
However, PiS would still have enough voters to form a government if it joined with Confederation, which stands at 16.7 percent.
Meanwhile, the Civic Coalition, at 31.7 percent, is in first place, but would not have enough votes to stay in power with other existing parties, namely the Left.
The poll also shows another massive development bubbling under the surface of Polish politics, which is the rapid rise of Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun’s party, The Confederation of the Polish Crown (KKP), which would currently receive 7.3 percent of the vote. That means Braun would be a serious power player in Polish politics. His anti-Semitic statements, headline-grabbing stunts, and strict immigration policy seem to only be endearing him to more and more Poles, even if this remains a small share of the population.
Numerous parties fell below the 5 percent threshold, namely the Razem party, at 4.4 percent, Poland 2050 at 3.4 percent, and PSL at 3.1 percent.
In the distribution of seats, the Polish parliament would look like the following. Civic Coalition would receive 175, PIS would receive 153, Confederation 84, KKP 28, and the Left Party 20.
Poland’s left senses a growing crisis for PiS. Roman Giertych, the MP from Donald Tusk’s party, expressed joy on social media with the poll results.
“The Law and Justice party (PiS) has already welcomed the goose, and now it’s slowly becoming clear that the far right is consuming PiS. The electorate is evenly matched. If the right wing goes in three blocs and we in two, we’ll win the election,” he said.
However, based on the math, PiS and Confederation would have enough votes to secure a majority without Braun’s party. That, however, could change if Braun grows in popularity and begins siphoning more votes from rival conservative parties. The chance of a splintering of the right remains a serious prospect.
Even without the ultra-right Braun, a PiS and Confederation government could bring major changes to Poland, including a stringent anti-immigration program and even more conflict with Brussels.
The vast majority of Spain’s citizens want mass deportation of illegal immigrants, and there are even majorities for this policy amongst left-wing voters, according to a new poll.
This time, Sigma Dos, which conducted its poll for Spanish newspaper El Mundo, found that 70 percent of Spaniards support the deportations of illegal immigrants from Spain. The pollsters referenced the “flagship” Vox party proposal which called for mass deportation of all illegal immigrants, with the pollsters asking respondents whether they would support such a proposal.
For voters of the conservative PP party, 92 percent supported the proposal, which shockingly, is even higher than amongst Vox supporters, who support the proposal at a rate of 89 percent. Even among Socialist party (PSOE) supporters, 57 percent said they backed mass deportations.
However, for the far-left Sumar party, 67 percent reject the proposal, the only party which saw majority support against mass deportations. However, the party is far smaller than the other major parties in Spain.
In recent years, Spain has become a gateway for mass immigration. The country is no longer primarily a transit country, and on many Spanish streets, the impact of mass immigration has become apparent. The demographic profile of Spain is also shifting rapidly. As Remix News reported, Spain has seen a 650 percent increase in family reunification visas since 2020.
In 1991, Spain’s foreign-born population was still under 1 percent, but this has jumped to 20 percent in 2025. While 75 percent of Spain is still made up of ethnic Spaniards, by 2039, this is expected to drop to 60 percent unless immigration restrictions policies are implemented.
El Mundo writes that the issue has become a flashpoint for Spain:
“The enormous complexity of immigration policy and the failure of the formulas implemented to try to regulate it have become a major problem for countries like Spain, which are gateways to the EU. Citizens are revolting against illegal immigration, viewing it as a source of inconvenience rather than a potential driver of opportunity. So much so that an overwhelming 70% of Spanish voters support the proposal of far-right parties, in Spain’s case championed so far solely by Vox: mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and all those who, despite having them, commit crimes.”
The paper further writes that the most striking aspect of the poll is that traditional conservative and center-right voters, along with more left-leaning socialist voters, appear to be rapidly shifting towards the ideas usually presented as “far right,” namely mass deportations and a strict immigration policy.
“This is the most striking conclusion emerging from the survey conducted by Sigma Dos for El Mundo, which highlights how citizens, at least on paper, seem to prioritize negative consequences over positive ones, and criminal cases, even if they are a minority, over the arguments of solidarity and humanity that, paradoxically, the population does apply when faced face-to-face and in person with the problem.
The migration phenomenon and its lack of regulation have thus become a powerful electoral issue that the far right has been quick to champion.”
As a result, the center-right PP party is looking to shift towards a strict immigration policy in order to head off Vox. A year ago, Vox was at 10 percent in the polling, and now is averaging 15 percent. Meanwhile, PP’s support has remained steady, going from 35 percent to 34 percent within a year.
Across Europe, poll after poll shows a desire for mass deportations of illegal immigrants and immigration restriction, yet the political class and the court systems remain either powerless to implement this desire or actively working against it.
The poll found that 71.1 percent of respondents believe immigrants from countries with a strong Islamic influence pose a “security risk for Germany.” On the contrary, only 9.1 percent answered in the negative. Another 19.8 percent gave no answer.
According to the 2022 Europe Project poll conducted by the Századvég Foundation based in Budapest, almost four in five respondents (78 percent) are concerned about the continuous influx of illegal immigrants into Europe, while a smaller majority of 56 percent think it’s important to preserve Europe’s Christian heritage.
A 51-year-old Moroccan migrant has been convicted for an arson attack that destroyed four acres of forest last week, on July 8, in Saint-Gilles. However, despite the severe arson attack and a lengthy criminal record, he was only given a suspended sentence and will serve no jail time unless he reoffends.
At 1:45 p.m., four villas in the area were evacuated as flames spread, and the fire department attempted to put out the fire. News reports indicate that the homes came dangerously close to catching on fire. Notably, the arson attack occurred during a heatwave and the area was experiencing drought. As the New York Times notes, wildfires have been blazing across Europe due to the ongoing heatwave.
However, in this case, the convicted Moroccan claimed he was only trying to put out the fire.
“I was trying to put it out,” the Moroccan migrant told the Nîmes Criminal Court on Friday, July 11.. “I went into the forest to sleep, and I saw the flames, the fire had barely moved, so I approached. I threw my water bottle and tried to block it with branches.”
However, according to a witness, the man was not acting in a heroic manner, as reported in French news paper Midi Libre.
“He explains that he saw you fanning the flames with branches and, when he shouted, you ran away,” said judge Alexia Bouchon to the suspect.
The Moroccan man responded: “I didn’t see anyone,” adding he was “traumatized by the fire.”
The fire department determined the flames were man-made and intentional.
The witness who spotted the suspect said he was wearing a blue T-shirt, crouching near a fire he had started and moving planks over it to build up the flames.
The 51-year-old Moroccan was at the scene of the fire when it started and lives in Saint-Gilles. In November 2024, he was already arrested for starting an illegal fire. At the time, he was prosecuted for “destruction of other people’s property.”
The prosecutor in the case wanted jail time, deportation, and a ban from French territory for the suspect.
“According to the report, it was a deliberate fire. And the only person closest to the fire was the gentleman. I ask you to sentence him to one year in prison with continued detention. I think it’s right that he’s incarcerated during this period of red alert and heatwave,” the public prosecutor, Stéphane Bertrand, said.
“I am also requesting a 10-year ban from French territory,” he added.
However, the judge declined those requests and instead gave the man a one-year suspended prison sentence, with a mandatory requirement for treatment and work.
The man has been convicted three times between 2018 and 2020, including a fire set last November, “which was quickly extinguished by the request of the police.”
The person stated that he “made a small fire to warm myself. It’s my way of life.”
The public prosecutor said the man represents a threat to public health and has numerous convictions for assault with a weapon, indecent exposure, contempt, sympathizing with terrorists, and disorderly conduct.
However, this is far from the only arson attack involving a foreigner in France. In fact, in one case, a Sudanese migrant burned down 16 apartments, multiple cars, and part of a church, and was still never deported. He also seriously injured one student.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is advocating for improved prison conditions for Simeon T., a German citizen accused of left-wing extremist violence in Hungary’s Budapest. However, calls to bring Simeon T. to Germany are not going to happen, notes Wadephul in a new interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
The German foreign minister notes that the German citizen faces “the most serious charges” in Hungary and that Hungary intends to proceed with its own prosecution. Wadephul stated that even if Simeon T. were brought back to Germany, he would still face criminal proceedings.
However, the foreign minister stated that the German government is participating in “intensive efforts” to “achieve improvements in the detention situation.” He plans to “appear again in Hungary” and discuss this matter in the coming weeks.
Simeon T., who identifies as nonbinary and uses the name Maja, was extradited to Hungary in June 2024 to face charges related to a series of violent attacks in Budapest in February 2023. These attacks, allegedly perpetrated by masked individuals from the left-wing extremist scene, targeted perceived political opponents and resulted in serious injuries.
Known as the Hammer Gang, some of the brutal attacks were caught on camera.
During the attacks, masked individuals attacked eight people from behind. Victims suffered concussions, fractured noses, broken bones, and other serious wounds.
The suspects are from the left-wing extremist scene, predominantly from Germany, but also from Hungary and Italy. They apparently identified their victims simply by the clothing they were wearing, which they associated with the right-wing scene, such as camouflage pants and black boots. However, Hungarian authorities stated that a number of innocent victims were beaten and suffered “life-changing” injuries.
Germany’s top court, the Constitutional Court, eventually ruled that the extradition of Simeon T. from Germany to Hungary was unlawful; however, Simeon T. had already been extradited.
Simeon T. has conducted a hunger strike over the allegedly poor conditions in Hungarian prison, which has since ended. Hungarian authorities contend that the prisoner is being afforded all rights and necessities required under the law. Simeon T. has since identified as “non-binary” while in Hungarian prison and changed his name to “Maja.”
Other German politicians, including Green Party MP Katrin Göring-Eckardt, have also lobbied on behalf of Simeon T.
There is growing radicalization among supporters of Simeon T. in Germany, according to some German security experts.
“In my opinion, the goal of the campaign is to reverse the perpetrator-victim role,” stated Denis Kuhne of the Saxon State Criminal Police Office in an interview with the Saxon newspaper Leipziger Volksstimme.
“Simeon T. is “a projection screen for many different current political issues,” he added.
Czechia’s possible adoption of the euro in the future may emerge as an issue in the upcoming parliamentary elections this October. While most parties in the current governing coalition have expressed support for adopting the common European currency, the opposition ANO movement — widely expected to win the largest share of the vote — remains firmly opposed.
ANO leader Andrej Babiš has repeatedly dismissed the euro as economically dangerous and politically unwise. “I do not support it,” he said bluntly, warning that if the current coalition retained power, “they will introduce the euro.”
He argued that adopting the euro would lead to higher prices and force Czechia to take on the financial liabilities of heavily indebted eurozone members. Instead, he advocates keeping the Czech crown, following the example of wealthy non-euro EU states such as Denmark and Sweden.
Czechia committed to adopting the euro when it joined the European Union in 2004, but remains one of only three countries from that enlargement round — alongside Poland and Hungary — that have yet to join.
Other opposition parties are similarly critical. Kateřina Konečná of the far-left STAČILO! movement said, “The euro means higher prices,” citing Croatia’s experience. “I am against giving up the Czech crown, which would, among other things, give up another part of our sovereignty.” Her party has called for any future decision to be made by referendum.
The populist Motorists, led by Petr Macinka, and the right-wing SPD under Tomio Okamura also reject euro adoption. “We would be giving up another part of our sovereignty and submitting even more to Brussels,” said Macinka. Okamura’s SPD warned of a forced sharing of debt burdens with large Western states and added, “The Czech crown is also a national symbol.”
The fledgling Motorists are seen as a possible coalition partner for Babiš’s ANO should the parliamentary arithmetic not allow it to govern on its own; however, such an alliance would be subject to the party reaching the threshold to enter parliament. Okamura’s SPD is less likely to be seen as a viable partner, given its more hardline approach, but it is not impossible.
While political resistance remains strong among right-leaning and nationalist parties, much of the current government coalition takes the opposite view. STAN leader and Deputy Prime Minister Vít Rakušan has declared, “The Czech Republic should adopt the euro as soon as possible,” calling for a parallel public education campaign to dispel what he termed myths about the currency. Pirates vice-chairman Zdeněk Hřib also supports swift adoption, claiming it would boost economic stability, strengthen Europe, and save the state up to 30 billion crowns annually in debt servicing costs.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala has struck a more cautious tone, acknowledging that the Czech Republic now meets key Maastricht criteria but warning that public opposition remains too high. “Majority public support is key to the decision to launch the process of adopting the euro,” he said. “This condition has not yet been met.”
A Median poll from early 2024 found that more than two-thirds of Czechs believed adopting the euro would not be beneficial, with three in five wanting a referendum on the issue. Students and entrepreneurs were somewhat more supportive, with 45 percent and 40 percent backing the euro, respectively.
This heavily contrasts with support among businesses, with a PwC survey showing nearly 70 percent of CEOs see euro adoption as beneficial to their companies, citing savings on transaction costs, elimination of exchange rate risks, and greater investor confidence. “Seven out of ten bosses convinced of the positive impact of the euro on their company is already a very strong signal sent to the new government,” said PwC partner Jan Brázda.
Claims that were spread across social media that an 11-year-old German student, who already graduated from high school, was actually from Afghanistan have turned out to be false.
The claims received millions of views on social media, with a number of influencers stating that the girl, Lina Heider, was actually from Afghanistan. These influencers claimed that out of racism and envy, her origins were concealed.
Now, a report from German public news, ZDF Heute, shows that these influencers were spreading false information.
The young girl graduated from high school in the German city of Bonn, but when the story broke in German media, claims started circulating on Instagram and other platforms that the German media was keeping her true origins a secret.
ZDF notes that it spoke with the parents and there is no truth to the claims that she is from Afghanistan. Her family has no refugee background, and Heider was born in Germany. They asked for the family’s privacy to be respected.
It is unclear how the rumor first spread, but Islam influencer Tarek Baé, who has approximately 400,000 followers, certainly helped popularize the theory.
ZDF reports that on July 6, he published an Instagram post where he stated: “Her parents fled from Afghanistan to Germany. No media outlet mentions this.”
The post generated 50,000 likes, and afterwards, numerous channels began sharing similar claims. The news then spread to an international audience, wtih English-language channels dedicated to Afghanistan reporting on the news, helping spread the information to hundreds of thousands of more people outside of Germany. The accounts celebrated the belief that the girl was Afghan and criticized the German media.
After ZDF contacted Baé, he did not answer, but adjusted the description of the post. It now reads “Correction: The parents did not flee Afghanistan. I apologized to the family for re-posting this post.”
However, the post remains up. Other outlets that reported on the girl being from Afghanistan have not corrected their posts. The account “SOS Balkan Route” had written: “The European media shouts the name Afghanistan whenever an Afghan makes a mistake. But when an Afghan girl like this one graduates from high school at 11, they don’t even mention her country of origin.”
In fact, TikTok is full of posts from the Muslim and Afghan community mocking Germans for hiding the girl’s “true background.”
Under the original ZDF post covering the girl’s graduation, which received over 2 million views, many negative comments are present.
As ZDF notes, they include: “Lina Heider is a Hazara girl from Afghanistan!”
Another one reads: “If there are negative headlines or agitation against migrants, you from public broadcasting don’t hesitate to point out the origin.”
One user stated: “Sure, you can’t stir up hatred with that…because the German media bursts with envy when they find out that a foreigner is better than them.”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has firmly rejected a request from his Czech counterpart, Petr Fiala, to unconditionally support the European Union’s 18th sanctions package against Russia, citing Slovakia’s national interest and energy security.
In a formal letter dated July 14, Fico acknowledged receiving Fiala’s appeal, but noted that Slovakia would only agree to the new sanctions if the European Commission provides concrete guarantees that the country will continue to receive sufficient supplies of natural gas at reasonable prices after Jan. 1, 2028.
“We have linked the proposal of the 18th sanctions package with the European Commission’s proposal to halt all deliveries of Russian gas starting from Jan. 1, 2028,” Fico wrote. “We are requesting that the relevant stakeholders provide the Slovak Republic with the necessary guarantees… This is a matter of Slovak national interest. I ask that you respect this.”
Dear Prime Minister, dear Petr
I acknowledge receipt of your letter in which you request that the Slovak government unconditionally approve the 18th sanctions package against the Russian Federation.
The Slovak Republic is a democratic and sovereign country. We have linked the… pic.twitter.com/92ShnfjkW8
Slovakia and Hungary have long frustrated the majority of EU member states’ desire to hit Moscow with fresh sanctions in response to its continued aggression against Ukraine, and while the Czech government has pushed for unwavering alignment with Brussels, Fico has taken a more pragmatic line, balancing opposition to Russian aggression with economic self-preservation.
Energy security for Central and Eastern European nations was threatened at the beginning of this year when Ukraine ceased the gas flow following the expiration of a contract with Russia, leaving Slovakia and other European nations scrambling to secure supplies.
“The resumption of gas flow through Ukraine should be in the interest of the entire European Union, including Slovakia, of course,” Fico said at a press conference in Croatia back in April, during a visit to Zagreb to seek alternative energy sources.
On Monday, Fico acknowledged the Czech Republic’s importance to Slovakia and proposed a bilateral government meeting to de-escalate tensions. “The best response to the unnecessary tension in the international arena would be a joint meeting of the governments of the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic,” he wrote, inviting Fiala to Slovakia for direct talks.
Pakistan has begun detaining Afghan nationals who were supposed to be resettled in Germany under a controversial federal admission scheme, Welt am Sonntag has reported.
Around 2,500 Afghans were left in legal limbo in Islamabad after Berlin failed to process their cases within the agreed time limits, prompting Pakistani authorities to begin arresting them en masse.
According to the German newspaper, Pakistan had warned Germany repeatedly since late 2023 that it could no longer tolerate the presence of Afghans with expired visas awaiting resettlement. Germany had promised asylum to tens of thousands of Afghans since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, but instead of flying them directly to Europe, had them wait in Pakistan while the German authorities conducted background checks.
Berlin claims these security and visa procedures have taken far longer than expected — often up to eight months — while the Pakistani visas granted to the Afghans are valid for only three. The effectiveness of such vetting procedures has already been scrutinized in Germany amid reports from April this year that just one in eight Afghans who have arrived through the process were fully checked.
Islamabad initially gave Berlin until March 31 to resolve the issue and vacate the reception centers used to house the Afghans. That deadline was extended to June 30, but with no resolution in sight, Pakistani authorities began arresting migrants days before the second deadline passed.
German officials have reportedly attempted to prevent deportations, and in some cases were able to return detainees to their temporary accommodation. Still, according to Welt am Sonntag, around 150 Afghans with legal assurances of German asylum have been taken to deportation camps. Their current whereabouts are unknown in many cases.
On July 2, the German Foreign Office acknowledged that at least two Afghan families were arrested. The ministry is now in “close, high-level contact” with Pakistani counterparts to try to stop deportations of individuals who had already been promised asylum in Germany.
Germany’s diplomatic staff have reportedly resorted to extraordinary measures to protect those caught up in the chaos — such as having couriers deliver passports to the Afghan side of the Pakistan border, where deported Afghans can be formally re-processed and sent back to Islamabad, effectively restarting their wait for German visas.
Germany’s new CDU-led coalition pledged to shut down the admission programs entirely during February’s election campaign, though courts have ruled that previously issued guarantees must be honored.
The Berlin Administrative Court held last week that the government must issue visas to Afghans who had received written assurances of resettlement. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that Germany would stand by legally binding commitments already made.
For Pakistan, however, the patience has run out. In October 2023, Islamabad tied the mass deportation campaign to national security, citing data that 14 of the 24 suicide bombings that year had been carried out by Afghan nationals. The Pakistani government ordered the estimated 1.73 million Afghans living in the country illegally to leave or face forced removal.
Then-Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti justified the crackdown, saying at the time, “There are no two opinions that we are attacked from within Afghanistan and Afghan nationals are involved in attacks on us. We have evidence.”
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel praised Pakistan’s actions, saying on X, “Pakistan is deporting Afghans to their homeland, whom the conservative coalition government wanted to bring to Germany, thus thwarting these plans. A good thing! The German government must finally end the voluntary admission of Afghans.”
Ukrainian officials and military analysts are urgently calling for a radical shift in Western support, warning that Russia’s intensified air strikes involving mass-produced drones could lead to a critical turning point in the war.
The continued strikes on Ukraine’s industrial heartland are hindering its domestic arms production, making Western support even more critical, especially given Europe’s relatively low stock of arms and ammunition. German military analyst Gustav Gressel stresses that hits on Ukrainian industrial facilities are “crucial for the situation on the front,” warning that without immediate action, Ukraine’s “organized military resistance will collapse.”
In recent weeks, Russia has significantly escalated its aerial attacks on Ukraine, deploying an unprecedented number of long-range drones and missiles, according to German newspaper Welt.
Last Wednesday, Russia launched 728 long-range drones, followed by 597 more on Saturday night. These “mopeds,” as they’re known in Ukraine due to their distinctive whirring sound, are Shahed (Geran-2) kamikaze drones carrying up to 90 kilograms of explosives. With a range exceeding 1,500 kilometers, these drones can strike targets anywhere in Ukraine, from Kyiv to Odesa and even into western regions.
That being said, these drones are not particularly advanced technology. Instead, military analysts like Colonel Markus Reisner, head of the Institute for Officer Training at the Theresian Military Academy, note that Russia’s strategy involves overwhelming Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses with swarms of drones, combined with ballistic and cruise missiles. The aim, according to Russian calculations, is to cripple Ukraine’s energy supply, armaments industry, and civilian morale.
Now, experts are emphasizing the need for Ukraine to obtain both advanced defensive systems and long-range offensive capabilities to avert a collapse of its military resistance.
Russia is successfully targeting Ukrainian industrial facilities and residential buildings, and while Germany, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is in discussions with the U.S. to acquire additional Patriot anti-aircraft systems for Ukraine, confirmation is still pending.
“We are approaching a multi-stage agreement on new ones Patriot (anti-aircraft) systems and the associated rockets,” said Zelensky in a video message.
However, the relentless attacks are already having tangible effects on the ground. Russian forces have been making slow but steady advances, capturing approximately 550 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in June, the highest monthly gain this year, according to the “Deep State” open-source platform. To put this in perspective, Munich is about 300 square kilometers in size.
The effectiveness of Russia’s current air campaign is underpinned by its significantly expanded production of long-range weapons. Estimates suggest Russia is now manufacturing around 2,500 long-range kamikaze drones per month, with each Geran-2 drone costing between €30,000 and €60,000. The faster and longer-range Geran-3 model is already in production.
Russia’s success is also bolstered by strong support from its allies. The Geran attack drones are evolutions of Iranian Shahed models, and most components for Russia’s drones come from China. North Korea is reportedly sending thousands of workers to Russia to assist with arms production and, according to Ukrainian intelligence, could soon send up to 30,000 more soldiers. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his unconditional support for Russia.
Russian drone tactics are evolving, with some drones now navigating at altitudes over 2,000 meters, beyond the reach of many mobile fire units Ukraine has relied on. Additionally, swarm attacks from multiple directions are designed to bypass defenders. Gustav Gressel warns that even Europe and Germany are unprepared for such concentrated attacks.
The core issue remains that existing Western weapon systems and their ammunition, such as Patriot defense missiles and German Iris-T systems, are too expensive and scarce to effectively counter Russia’s mass production of cheap drones in a war of attrition. For example, an Iris-T SLM short-range missile, costing several hundred thousand euros, can only engage targets up to 40 kilometers away, and only a few hundred are produced annually for both systems.
Despite these challenges, new defensive measures are emerging. Interceptor drones, like those from Ukrainian companies such as “Wild Hornets,” have shown initial success against Shahed kamikaze drones. Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, recently highlighted Ukrainian “AI” interceptor drones on X.
There are also new systems being designed, such as Germany’s Skynex, which is already shooting down high numbers of combat drones in recent days. The system can fire up to 1,000 30mm programmable rounds a minute. These systems do not use expensive interceptor missiles but instead rely on cheaper rounds, which release a spiral pattern of tungsten shrapnel upon explosion.
Ukrainian forces released a video showing Rheinmetall's Skynex anti-aircraft artillery system successfully intercepting Russian Shaheds. pic.twitter.com/hXVqt4qPyV
Experts like Colonel Reisner suggest that “massive disruptive measures (e.g., spoofing navigation systems with fake GPS signals) and cheap but effective interceptor drones seem more promising than anti-aircraft tanks and expensive defensive missiles.”
Analyst Nico Lange adds that Western support with radar systems, acoustic, and optical sensors, along with the rapid expansion of combat capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum, could significantly aid in defending against drone swarms, as 40-50 percent of drones are already electronically repelled.
Beyond defense, there’s a growing consensus that Ukraine needs the means to strike offensively. Colonel Reisner emphasizes that key production facilities, such as the Geran-2 plant in Alabuga, 1,000 kilometers from Moscow, need to be disrupted through widespread attacks. However, Gustav Gressel believes the chances of such strikes are slim, as Russia has moved many production facilities beyond the reach of current Western weapon systems.
Military analyst Fabian Hoffmann advocates for a fundamental shift in Europe’s approach, arguing that “Western missile defense cannot keep pace with Russian missile production in all categories.” He suggests that Europe should adopt a “conventional, ‘countervalue’ strategy” by enabling Ukraine to target thousands of cruise and ballistic missiles at high-value targets deep within Russia.
Thilo Sarrazin, the former Bundesbank board member whose 2010 book “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (“Germany Is Abolishing Itself”) sparked controversy, has returned to the spotlight with a revised edition of his bestseller — arguing that his original predictions about mass migration and demographic transformation in Germany have been dramatically surpassed by reality.
In an interview with Czech news outlet Echo24, Sarrazin reflected on his earlier work, noting that while he was broadly right in his projections, the scale and pace of immigration — particularly since the 2015 crisis — have outstripped his original calculations.
He noted that his demographic model had assumed annual net immigration of between 50,000 and 100,000 people, based on official forecasts at the time. In the decade since, however, Germany has averaged 500,000 new arrivals per year, a majority of whom come from outside the European Union and from predominantly Muslim-majority countries.
“Back then, I predicted that within a few decades, Germans would become a minority in their own homeland,” Sarrazin said. “But it will come much sooner.”
Originally a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party, Sarrazin was forced out of both the Bundesbank and the SPD after his book’s publication. Though accused by critics of xenophobia and fearmongering, he now argues that the data vindicates his warnings. Germany, he said, now has more foreign-born residents as a proportion of the population than even the United States. But the raw number, he claims, is less important than the age distribution.
“While in the group of people over 65, 15 percent have a migration background, among 15-year-olds it is 45 percent, and among newborns it is over 50 percent,” Sarrazin said. “Ethnic Germans account for only about 40 percent of births. I quote from the 2020 yearbook of the statistical office. These are the figures that are decisive for what the German population will look like in 2070, given that we are only about two generations away from it.”
He predicts that by 2070, roughly 80 percent of all births will be to non-German mothers, with the majority being Muslim. “That is my estimate today, but… the situation could get even worse. For example, if another sudden wave of mass immigration comes,” he warned.
Sarrazin also claimed his predictions of educational decline have proven accurate. He argued that international benchmarks such as PISA now show a marked drop in student performance across the board, a trend he attributes largely to immigration-related demographic changes. While acknowledging that digital distractions like mobile phones also play a role, he maintained that the growing share of students from lower-performing backgrounds is the primary driver.
“The fact is not only that the decline of primary education has progressed much further than I expected, but also that there remain roughly the same differences in performance between groups of pupils based on their background,” he said.
Further harrowing details have emerged from French media about Pierre-Alain Cottineau, a 32-year-old far-left LGBT activist and former candidate for Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise party, who was indicted last year on charges of raping and torturing a disabled toddler placed in his care.
According to an investigation published by Le Parisien, authorities believe Cottineau may have operated at the center of a sadistic pedophile ring for years, one that exploited his position as a foster caregiver in the Loire-Atlantique department.
The case, described by investigators as pushing “all the limits of horror,” first came to light in September 2024 when Dutch police discovered an appalling video depicting serious child sexual abuse of a very young child on the darknet. The child, who was believed to be around three years old, appeared to be disabled and reliant on a gastric feeding tube.
The discovery prompted an emergency alert by France’s Office for Minors (OFMIN), which circulated a photo of the girl’s face to nursery schools across the country in a bid to identify the victim. Just over a week later, a headmistress in Couffé, near Nantes, recognized the child as one under state care who had been placed with Cottineau.
Although Cottineau had no prior criminal record and passed standard background checks before being approved as a foster caregiver in December 2023, police now suspect he had a long history of predatory behavior. Upon learning that authorities were closing in, he briefly fled to Tunisia, but returned to France and was arrested at Nantes airport. He was charged with rape accompanied by acts of torture or barbarity.
Subsequent digital forensics led police to additional footage posted in a Telegram group allegedly administered by Cottineau. One video reportedly showed the abuse of a five-month-old baby boy, identified as the first foster child placed in his care. Other footage featured multiple men participating in the abuse of a toddler, with one scene showing the child crawling on all fours, wearing a collar and leash.
Investigators identified two men, Guillaume (37) from Cholet and Frédéric (38) from Seine-Saint-Denis, who had stayed at Cottineau’s house on at least two occasions and were allegedly involved in the abuse. Frédéric, a web designer, had previously been reported for downloading child pornography. A third man, Kevin (32), a Belgian national with a prior conviction for child rape, was also later arrested and charged.
According to Le Parisien, one of the accused claimed that Cottineau sedated the children using Xanax, sleeping pills, and poppers hidden in yogurt before the abuse took place.
In online forums, Cottineau reportedly lured abusers by stating, “I have children available.” He allegedly coordinated visits from accomplices, including trips to local restaurants with victims shortly before suspected abuse took place.
Cottineau had previously run as a La France Insoumise (LFI) candidate in 2021 and was involved in LGBTQ+ and domestic violence prevention activism. His carefully maintained public image shocked investigators, who later learned from his own mother — also a child caregiver — that he had allegedly subjected a four-year-old child to a serious sexual assault when he was in his teens, shortly after coming out to his parents as a homosexual.
Manuel Bompard, the national coordinator of LFI, announced Cottineau’s immediate expulsion from the movement following news of his alleged depravity. “We discovered this with horror. This person has been excluded from La France Insoumise,” Bompard told AFP.
All references to Cottineau’s affiliation with the left-wing party were swiftly deleted from several social media accounts and political websites.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked,” said Andy Kerbrat, an LFI MP from Nantes. “We support the victims and are all the more affected as child protection is a priority of our movement.”
“I feel a deep disgust because this horror affects me most deeply,” he added.
In the German city of Krailling, located in Bavaria, a migrant out of Yemen stabbed his wife to death, the mother of six children. The family had only recently arrived in Germany when the murder took place, all because the woman wanted a divorce.
The suspect, 36-year-old Danon G., came to Germany in 2022 and managed to get his entire family into Bavaria two months ago. However, it was not long before he was arrested for the murder of his wife. It remains unclear from the reports if any of the children were his or not.
Police say he repeatedly stabbed her in the back and delivered fatal neck wounds inside their home on June 15, according to Bild newspaper, which described it as a “cowardly attack..”
Now, the suspect is standing trial.
The victim, Hezam S., had already frequently contacted the police regarding her husband’s violence since she arrived in Germany.
Despite a police restraining order and a subsequent court order, Danon G. reportedly continued to appear at the family’s address. Hezam S. had decided to pursue a divorce.
Danon G. then showed up at the family home and one of the woman’s sons opened the door for him. Once inside, he stabbed his wife to death. After the murder, Danon G. ran out onto the street covered in the woman’s blood.
The other five children were not present at the scene of the murder. They were at an apartment in Munich, where Danon G. had been staying with his brother.
Foreign nationals are significantly more likely to be identified as suspects in Bavaria than German citizens, according to a report from the Bavarian state government in response to a parliamentary inquiry by AfD member Martin Böhm.
The suspect burden number (TVBZ), a key metric, indicates the number of suspects per 100,000 people within a population group aged eight and over. This figure allows for a comparison of crime levels across different demographic segments.
Overall, despite making up approximately 18 percent of Bavaria’s population, which amounts to 2.4 million people, foreign nationals accounted for almost half of all suspects in criminal cases in 2024.
When it comes to sexual offenses, foreigners account for 43 percent (532 out of 1,223) of the alleged perpetrators were non-German nationals.
For robbery, they make up 49 percent of all suspects.
For serious bodily harm and violent crime, they make up 47 percent of all suspects.
For murder and manslaughter, they make up 40 percent of all suspects.
Certain populations were extremely problematic.
For violent crimes, individuals of Turkish, Ukrainian, or Romanian nationalities were about four times more likely to be suspected than Germans.
🇩🇪🔴 Foreign youth in Germany commit significantly more crime compared to German youth, new data shows.
🔺Algerian youth show a TVBZ crime rate that is an incredible 56X higher than German youth (age 14 to 18) 🔺Moroccans have a rate 19X higher than Germans in the same age group… pic.twitter.com/bsk7aVKnOe
AfD parliament member Böhm noted that these trends were consistent across various crime categories.
The Bavarian state government did not provide suspect figures for all nationalities, citing potential inaccuracies if the population group was under 100,000. This meant that Syrians (93,360), Afghans (61,656), and Iraqis (34,478) were all kept out of the report.
However, Böhm highlighted that data for Poles and Italians were also withheld, despite their populations exceeding 100,000.
Böhm did his own calculations and found the Syrians and Afghans were 13 times more likely to commit a violent crime than a German citizen.
For sexual offenses, Afghans were 18 times more likely and Syrians seven times more likely to be suspects than Germans.
For murder and manslaughter, Afghans were almost five times and Syrians almost 10 times more likely to be suspects than Germans.
In cases of dangerous and serious physical injuries, both Afghans and Syrians were 13 times more likely to be suspects than Germans.
It should be noted that German citizens with a foreign background are not counted separately in the statistics, as neighboring Denmark does. Foreigners who received German citizenship, or migrants who had parents or grandparents who were migrants, are counted in the statistics as Germans. In cases where suspects have a dual passport, they are always counted as only “German” in the crime statistics. This is also no small number, amounting to approximately 3 million people in Germany, and this group may account for a substantial share of criminality.
“We will not accept the increase in crime, even if it is a nationwide trend for which foreigners and immigrants are particularly responsible,” Herrmann said in a press release on Monday.
“We have commissioned the State Criminal Police Office and our police headquarters to analyze crime developments in detail in order to adapt operational concepts and police presence if necessary,” he added.
“The crime statistics make it clear that uncontrolled immigration also has a negative impact on the security situation,” Herrmann said.
Despite all of Hermann’s calls for action, however, the crime crisis shows no signs of slowing down.
A Cameroonian migrant accused of carrying out a series of brutal attacks across Europe, where he would slam heavy concrete slabs onto the heads of his unsuspecting victims, will face prosecution in France, Dutch prosecutors have confirmed.
A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service confirmed that the investigation into a case from Rotterdam, amplified considerably by CCTV footage of the gruesome attack that went viral on social media, has been completed and that the proceedings will be transferred to France, where the suspect is already facing serious charges for similar crimes.
“The suspect is also being prosecuted there for a number of capital crimes. It would be more efficient if France handled all the cases together,” they said, as cited by RTL Nieuws.
The suspect, identified as Levis E., is accused of attacking at least seven people in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland over the past year. In each case, the victims were struck with paving stones or concrete blocks, often while they were sleeping or unaware of the danger. Many of the victims were homeless individuals, but others included passersby and even a nurse. Several of the attacks resulted in serious injuries, and at least one man was killed.
The attack in Rotterdam took place on the night of Nov. 5, 2024. Benjamin, a 37-year-old homeless man, was sleeping outside near a museum when he was attacked without warning. A paving stone was slammed on his head, leaving him in a coma and requiring major facial reconstruction surgery.
🇳🇱❗️ In Rotterdam this week, a man dropped a concrete slab onto the head of a homeless man while he was sleeping.
The 37-year-old victim remains in hospital in a serious condition.
Dutch authorities have released CCTV of the horrific attack. The suspect remains at large. pic.twitter.com/Kk9xFC90Qe
The suspect was arrested just one week later, on Nov. 12, in the French city of Toulon. He had allegedly attacked a woman aboard a train, leading to his arrest by French transport police. DNA samples collected following his arrest linked him to several other unsolved attacks.
Following his arrest, authorities uncovered a pattern of similar assaults. French media began referring to him as “the murderer with the cobblestone.”
One of the earliest cases linked to the suspect occurred in July 2024 in Dijon, France, where a nurse was struck on the head with a large concrete stone. Despite being identified as a suspect in that case, he remained at large and continued to move freely across Europe, even though he had previously been served with a formal deportation order in France.
In October 2024, the suspect allegedly committed a series of attacks in Switzerland and France. On Oct. 8, a man named Marco was seriously injured in Bern, Switzerland, after a 10-kilogram concrete slab was dropped on his head from a height of over six meters. Later in October, two homeless men were attacked in separate incidents in Évry and Strasbourg, both suffering serious injuries after being struck with concrete blocks while sleeping.
The Rotterdam attack occurred less than two weeks later, followed by the murder of a Moldovan homeless man in Lyon on Nov. 10, who was also killed with a concrete block. French investigators believe the same suspect may also be connected to a 2020 murder case in Colmar, where an 80-year-old homeless man was beaten to death with a stone. New forensic evidence reportedly links the suspect to that unsolved crime.
Dutch prosecutors said that transferring the Rotterdam case to France is the most efficient option, given the serious charges the suspect already faces there.
Beer consumption in Germany has dropped to its lowest level since reunification, prompting concerns about the future of the country’s brewing industry.
According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, German breweries sold 34.5 million hectoliters of beer between January and May 2025. This marks a decrease of nearly 7 percent compared to the same period last year.
The decline continues a long-term trend, with consumption falling consistently over the past decade. In 2013, Germans drank an average of 107 liters of beer per person annually. By 2023, that figure had dropped to 88 liters.
Industry leaders warn that the current drop poses a serious threat to breweries. Volker Kuhl, CEO of the Veltins brewery, told Welt newspaper, “This is a historic fact. It’s worrying and means a real struggle for survival for many breweries.” Germany currently has around 1,500 breweries, but this figure could drop drastically over the next decade.
“Lots of sun, warm, and dry — the weather in the first half of the year should have helped brewers and the restaurant industry. But it didn’t,” he noted.
“As with the restaurant and retail sectors, the poor consumer sentiment is having a major impact on breweries’ business,” added Holger Eichele, CEO of the German Brewers’ Association.
Even large-scale events such as the 2024 European Football Championship, which had been expected to boost sales, failed to reverse the decline.
Eichele suggests that health concerns and an aging population are major factors behind the shift in drinking habits. He notes that young people are drinking less as well, supported by a 2023 Statista survey that found just 24 percent of Germans aged 18 to 28 regularly drink beer, compared to 38 percent of the previous generation.
Industry leaders make no note, however, of the changing demographic in the country due to mass immigration.
Among people aged 20 to 39, more than one in three (34 percent) had a migration background in 2024. Among children, that figure is even higher. In 2021, the percentage of school children in Hamburg who have a migration background surpassed half (51.4 percent) for the first time.
Nearly 6.5 million people living in Germany in 2024 immigrated after 2015, many of whom arrived from predominantly Muslim nations where alcohol consumption is actively discouraged or considered haram.
Brewers say traditional drinking customs are fading. Veltins sales director Rainer Emig told Welt that while beer with meals remains common, people are no longer drinking additional rounds during social events.
Non-alcoholic beer sales have increased sharply, but not enough to arrest the slide. Deutsche Welle reported that production of alcohol-free beer in Germany has more than doubled in the past decade. However, attempts to replace traditional beer culture with alcohol-free alternatives have had limited success. In 2023, Munich’s first alcohol-free beer garden, Die Null, opened but closed at the end of the summer and did not reopen.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has forcefully condemned forced conscription in Ukraine, citing the recent death of a Hungarian citizen from Transcarpathia who was reportedly beaten by Ukrainian recruiters.
Speaking on Kossuth Radio, Orbán linked the tragic incident directly to the ongoing war, asserting that a country where such events occur due to forced conscription is unfit for European Union membership.
“A country where this could happen cannot be a member of the EU,” said Orbán, referring to the beating death of József Sebestyén, a 45-year-old ethnic Hungarian from Transcarpathia,
“We are talking about a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen. This entitles us to avoid using cautious language. They beat a Hungarian citizen to death, that’s the situation. And this is a case that we need to investigate, as this cannot happen,” Orbán stated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He highlighted that while the front lines might seem distant to many Hungarians, “the war is taking place in our neighboring country. The threat is directly here.”
A video post on this topic from Remix News was immediately flagged by X and censored, meaning that EU censors may be jumping on this report due to its sensitive nature.
Other X accounts, however, appear to be hosting the video without problems.
🇭🇺 🇺🇦 József Sebestyén, a 45-year-old ethnic Hungarian from Transcarpathia, was brutally beaten with iron rods by Ukrainian recruiters, leading to injuries that caused his death three weeks later. In Berehove, he was seized on the street by TCK (military recruitment office)… pic.twitter.com/vDYKQMnE4J
Regarding the man beaten to death, Orbán said that Hungary is working to aid the family, as the man left behind two children.
“Citizenship means that if you are a citizen of a country, you are protected by your own state. You have obligations that you have to fulfil to your community, and the community has an obligation to protect you. So we have to take care of the family, it’s ongoing, we have to look into what happened, it’s ongoing, and we have to ask the Ukrainian authorities. It happens, so it has to be taken seriously, because the one who is beaten is one of us. Clearly, the root of the matter lies in the war,” Orbán said.
Orbán reiterated his belief that “Voks 2025,” a reference to Hungary’s domestic referendum on whether Ukraine should join the EU, was a justified step, arguing that admitting Ukraine into the EU would mean “taking the war and all its consequences.”
He described the conflict as a “devastating war” and a “bloodbath,” drawing parallels to World War I, where “this type of war has no solution on the battlefield.”
Hungary’s prime minister stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire and peace talks, asserting that the war “cannot be won on the front lines.”
Orbán also dismissed the notion that Ukraine has met the conditions for EU membership, particularly regarding corruption and the rule of law. He called claims of Ukraine’s readiness “utter nonsense,” given the ongoing conscription, widespread deaths, lack of a modern economy, and absence of any clear intention to end the war.
“If we take Ukraine, we take war,” he concluded, advocating for an end to the conflict rather than its continued support.
Hungary’s leader framed Hungary’s domestic political landscape around two opposing views on the war. He identified “war parties” in Hungary, such as DK and Tisza, as supporters of the “Brussels war coalition,” while positioning his own party, Fidesz, as an “anti-war, peace party.”
He also voiced strong opposition to proposals for European member states to jointly borrow money to aid Ukraine, arguing that Europe should instead focus on investing in its own economy.
Police in Germany are searching for a man described as having a “southern appearance” after a brutal knife attack in Hamburg on Wednesday evening.
The stabbing took place around 8:10 p.m. on Thursday at Hamburg’s Jungfernstieg, a well-known affluent shopping area in the port city.
According to police, an argument broke out between two groups of about eight youths before the situation escalated. The 31-year-old victim was left with severe stab wounds and cuts to his upper body and left arm.
Bild newspaper reported that a brawl preceded the stabbing, during which the attacker suddenly pulled out a knife and inflicted serious injuries before fleeing.
Emergency services responded quickly, and several police patrols secured the scene. The bleeding victim was treated by paramedics and rushed to the hospital. Although he was seriously injured, police later confirmed that his life was not in danger.
Authorities detained several men at the scene on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. However, the primary suspect remains on the run despite an extensive manhunt.
The suspect is believed to be between 33 and 37 years old, approximately 1.75 meters tall, with what police described as a “southern appearance.” The term is commonly used in German media to indicate individuals of African or Middle Eastern descent.
Police have urged witnesses or anyone with information about the incident to come forward immediately.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has long been known to sell out every last so-called value the party is supposed to represent, but it appears that backing controversial far-left candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf is now a bridge too far.
The CDU/CSU has now decided that a special session on the election of Brosius-Gersdorf should now be removed from the Bundestag agenda. The reason? Civil war in the CDU/CSU is causing serious chaos in the party over her candidacy.
However, the party is stating that the reason is not her stance on abortion — which her detractors claim show she allegedly backs until the last moment of pregnancy — but instead allegations of plagiarism. Notably, Brosius-Gersdorf said that human dignity only applies at the moment after birth.
During an ongoing meeting, sources within parliament revealed that the parliamentary group executive and Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) informed the SPD that plagiarism allegations against the candidate compromised her professional expertise. This was allegedly problematic because her expertise was the primary justification for her election as a constitutional judge, a role that demands individuals be beyond reproach.
However, the real reason might have to do with Merz’s historic answer in the Bundestag less than 48 hours ago. Responding to a question from AfD MP Beatrix von Storch, he said he has no moral qualms about backing a candidate who believes human dignity only applies after birth, which may lead to a rewriting of Germany’s abortion laws.
BREAKING: 🇩🇪🔴A historic moment unfolded in German parliament.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz blew up what his CDU party has represented for decades with a single word — all in support of late-term abortion.
“Can you reconcile it with your conscience to vote for Mrs. Brosius Gersdorff, for whom the dignity of a human being does not apply if he is not yet born? Mrs. Brosius Gersdorff has said that a child that is 9 months old — 2 minutes before birth — has no human dignity. Can you reconcile it with your conscience to vote for this woman, knowing that presumably this lady will shortly be voting on the abolition of Article 218 (of the criminal code)?” asked von Storch in parliament.
“The scope and extent of Article 1, sentence 1 of our Basic Law, Mrs. von Storch, is something I would like to discuss with you on another occasion. But my very simple answer to your question is: yes,” replied Merz.
His answer was like a stick of dynamite being thrown into his parliamentary group. The CDU has historically been opposed to abortion due to its Christian roots. Not only did the AfD go on the attack following Merz’s answer, but CDU MPs came out against Merz, which has shaken the party’s foundations.
“Friedrich Merz offered me yesterday to discuss Article 1 of the Basic Law with him: “The dignity of man is inviolable.” I gladly accept this offer, Mr. Merz. I will therefore gladly await your proposed date. Deporting rejected asylum seekers and warning against Islamization does not violate human dignity. Frauke Brosius Gersdorff, on the other hand, wants to suspend Article 1 of the Basic Law for an entire category of people, namely all unborn humans. If someone like that becomes a constitutional judge, it threatens the core of the value system of the Basic Law, and you bear the responsibility for that.”
Friedrich Merz hat mir gestern angeboten, mit ihm über Artikel 1 Grundgesetz: „Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar“ zu diskutieren. Das Angebot nehme ich sehr gerne an, Herr Merz. Ich warte also gerne auf Ihren Terminvorschlag. Abgelehnte Asylbewerber abzuschieben und vor der…
— Beatrix von Storch (@Beatrix_vStorch) July 10, 2025
According to former Karlsruhe court judge Peter M. Huber, Brosius-Gersdorf’s election could damage the institution’s reputation.
“Such a polarizing personnel proposal poses a risk to the court’s reputation,” Huber told Focus magazine. “The positions that Ms. Brosius-Gersdorf has raised and are hotly debated do not command majority support, either in society or among constitutional lawyers.”.
“Karlsruhe has always stood for balance and reliability – including in the selection of constitutional judges,” he said. Unlike in the United States, judicial appointments in Germany “have never been so personalized, so that the Federal Constitutional Court is generally perceived as a single entity.” He said that the debate around the candidate could radically transform Germany’s views on the courts.
The influential editor of NIUS and the former top editor of Bild newspaper, Juilan Riechelt, predicted on X that Merz’s answer would have historic implications for the CDU.
“Prognosis: This thoughtless, unequivocally revealing answer is a turning point in the history of the CDU. No CDU member should ever answer such a question so decisively with ‘Yes!’ Merz could have talked his way out, he could have said he understood or interpreted the left-wing activist Brosius-Gersdorf differently. But he goes All-In AGAINST the core brand of his party,” he wrote.
BREAKING NIUS: Der historische Moment im Video! Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz stellt mit einem einzigen Wort das komplette Selbstverständnis der CDU infrage. Auf die Frage, ob er es mit seinem Gewissen vereinbaren kann, eine Frau zu wählen, die einem Baby im neunten Monat der… https://t.co/KnBXnauoPepic.twitter.com/2mIpz1W7ou
As Remix News previously reported, the election of Brosius-Gersdorf represents a serious threat to democracy in Germany, as the activist lawyer has called for a ban on the AfD.
🇩🇪🔴Is she the German Right's worst nightmare?
Germany's next likely top court justice for the Constitutional Court has pushed for a ban on the AfD.
Lawyer Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf had also speculated that it was a "constitutional duty" for mandatory vaccination during the… pic.twitter.com/SUiKwRMLpZ
(Editor’s correction: The original text of this article indicated that Brosius-Gersdorf backed abolition until the last moment of abortion. However, her exact words were that she only believes that human dignity applies until after birth for the child. In a new article, she states that this does not mean she supports late-term abortion, however, she does not clarify at what point she believes abortion applies and at what point in the pregnancy it should be restricted.)
A 42-year-old Egyptian man, legally residing in Italy and employed at a hotel on the Amalfi Coast, has been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old American tourist who was vacationing in Ravello with her family.
According to investigators, the assault took place on Tuesday while the girl’s parents were briefly away.
As reported by Corriere della Sera, the man, who worked at the hotel where the family was staying, reportedly took advantage of the situation to attack and rape her.
After the assault, the girl called her father and told him what had happened. He rushed back to the hotel and, upon encountering the alleged attacker, physically assaulted him. Police arrived shortly after, alerted by the father himself, and arrested both men — first the father for the assault, then the hotel worker on suspicion of rape.
Authorities said the alleged rapist was taken into custody due to the risk of flight and because investigators had already gathered clear evidence against him. He has been transferred to Salerno prison and faces charges of sexual assault against a minor.
Medical examinations at Salerno’s Ruggi Hospital confirmed the assault, with doctors stating the girl had not previously had sexual intercourse.
She was provided with medical and psychological support and spent a night in the hospital before returning to the United States with her family.
Investigators are continuing their inquiries under strict confidentiality to protect the victim’s identity. The girl’s clothing has been seized for forensic analysis, and surveillance footage from the area has been collected as evidence.
The small German town of Harsefeld is grappling with a severe breakdown of public order, as a youth gang’s reign of terror has led to hospitalizations, extortion, and drug dealing. The situation has become so desperate that citizens are being forced to form a vigilante patrol group, highlighting a perceived failure of the state to protect its own people.
What was once a tranquil Lower Saxon town has now become a hotbed of controversy after a youth gang’s actions led to the formation of the patrol group.
Videos of the gang in operation have shocked the town and led to national headlines in Germany. In one video, the suspects’ faces are blurred, but one teen is severely beating his victim. There are also apparently other videos the group has uploaded online, in what some believe is an effort to boast of their acts and intimidate others.
The gang has been active for at least six months, with incidents ranging from beatings and threats to near-fatal attacks at the train station. These are not acts of youthful exuberance but brutal violence, seemingly with no regard for human life.
🇩🇪‼️ Two migrant teens living in Germany have been charged with murder more than three months after 30-year-old Martin K. was kicked to death in the street.
The 18-year-old Tunisian national and 16-year-old Moroccan set upon their victim in the city of Paderborn in the early… pic.twitter.com/Uyb1uk1oBh
The official response, so far, has been silence, denial, and victim blaming.
The extensive list of crimes—extortion, drug trafficking, and violent assaults—reads more like a major city crime report than a situation in a town of 14,000. Local media outlets, including the Stader Tageblatt and NDR, have reported on the crisis. In addition, national outlets Focus Magazine and Bild have reported on the story.
The police response has been criticized as dismissive, with authorities citing staffing shortages. The Harsefeld police station is reportedly closed intermittently, forcing emergency calls to be rerouted to Buxtehude.
This 15-kilometer distance means patrols often arrive long after perpetrators have fled. A police spokesperson’s statement, “We are responsible for everyone,” does not appear to hold up to scrutiny, as parents and citizens are forced to form their own patrol groups.
🇩🇪🇦🇫"That was for Afghanistan!"
An Afghan migrant smashes a bottle over a young German teen's head, leaving him screaming in pain.
The German appears unprepared for the blow, standing nonchalantly before the attack.
The police spokesperson, Rainer Bohmbach, labeled these patrol groups as “quite creepy” while simultaneously appearing unable to stop the violent thugs operating in the town.
“Yes, of course, we find that quite creepy. A vigilante group doesn’t help anyone. It’s more likely that we’ll end up in the realm of vigilantism,” said Bohmbach. He is warning against the formation of such groups.
School administrators and the youth welfare office have raised alarms about the gang, resorting to warning letters and calls for discussion groups and social workers, but when it comes to minors, legal action is often difficult in the German system.
🇩🇪 2 young Germans were brutally attacked with bottles by 2 Tunisians in Dresden.
The victims are seriously injured.
Young people are bearing the brunt of mass immigration on the streets, in the clubs, and in the parks.
One key perpetrator, a known repeat offender, reportedly even engaged in a “pleasant conversation” with the mayor before the holidays. The mayor, who has known the boy for years, expressed shock at the violence but chose to “listen calmly,” an approach that appears to have no effect.
Police are reportedly well aware of who the two gang leaders are, both of whom have been known since 2023, with approximately 15 reported crimes each — a number likely lower than the true figure due to victims’ fear of reporting.
Despite known perpetrators and clear video evidence, no court cases have been initiated. The official explanation: “Investigations are ongoing, but it’s taking time.”
This lack of action has driven citizens to form a vigilante group, conducting their own patrols and recording incidents — exactly what authorities publicly warn against. Yet, authorities say they lack the resources to combat the group.
The nationality and names of the suspects have not been released, as no court cases have been initiated. Even if convicted, both teens are minors, and their identities are unlikely to ever be released.
As countries like Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and the United States see an ongoing revolt against mass immigration from India, Germany is opening its doors to the Asian country of 1.5 billion. In particular, the city of Berlin has been a top spot for migration from India, and it is the group that has seen the highest level of immigration to the city in the last ten years.
Official statistics indicate the number of Indians went from 3,579 in 2014 to 41,472 in 2014. That represents a 1,059 percent increase in 10 years, and accounts for the largest immigrant influx to the city during that time in terms of growth. However, in terms of raw numbers, Turks are still the largest group of citizens with foreign citizenship overall, representing 109,585, while Ukrainians are in second with 70,501, according to RBB.
Unlike immigrants from the Middle East and Africa, Indians are not routinely featured in the daily barrage of murders, rape, stabbings, and robberies. However, that does not necessarily mean that a massive influx of Indians is not going to be met with anti-immigration sentiment — at least if it continues at its current pace.
Germany may have to confront the issue of mass immigration from India very soon, as the previous government signed the German-Indian migration agreement of December 2022 to promote tens of thousands of Indians coming to the country every year.
Outside of Berlin, Indians also make up a huge number of newcomers, totaling 274,910 nationals as of November 2024, according to the Central Register of Foreign Nationals. India is ranked fifth overall in terms of countries where more people immigrated than emigrated, ranking behind Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey. Many of these immigrants work in the IT and healthcare sectors; however, many also come to study or for family reasons. In 2024, the number of Indian students surged 40 percent compared to the average seen in previous years, meaning that a soaring number of university spots are going to this demographic group.
What can Germany expect from mass immigration from India?
Other countries, and their reaction to mass immigration from India, may showcase what is in store for Germany and other European countries that head down this path, which has mostly been an Anglo phenomenon.
Canada is a good example. Indians are the top non-European group that has immigrated to the country, but there, anti-immigration sentiment is soaring. Competition for jobs is now fierce, with an influx of foreigners now competing for dwindling jobs.
Three job seekers for every job vacancy in Canada in February 2025. Make of that what you will. pic.twitter.com/EgpmStA47I
The chart documenting Canada’s net immigration totals from 1952 to 2025 highlights the incredible surge of immigration into Canada in just the last few years, with the lion’s share of newcomers arriving from India.
🇨🇦Updated Canada's immigration chart based on Liberal government targets for 2025.
2.5 million is the largest peacetime influx of immigrants relative to population size in world history.
This influx of immigrants, while not necessarily a point solely against Indians, has made the Canadian housing market extraordinarily unaffordable. Indians just so happen to be the largest group, and their numbers, left unchecked, appear to grow nearly exponentially due to family reunification and other measures. Canada is not the only one, but also the U.S., the U.K., and Australia have all seen incredible demographic transformation in recent years, with Indians playing a key role. In London, for instance, Indians are now the top property holders, even pulling ahead of native Brits.
In Australia, Indians are the top buyers of housing in new estates, outpacing Australians by a large margin. The situation is so bad that experts are calling for a “wartime response” to the housing crisis.
“The future of our country in terms of our economics is based upon whether we can house a growing population and we can’t,” said Metricon Homes CEO Brad Duggan.
“I think we need a wartime response. When we look back over the last three years of this government, we’ve not had a wartime response,” he added.
If Germany continues on the path of Indian immigration, housing prices will continue to soar and the property that is available will be bought up by Indians en masse, if Britain and other Western countries are any guide. In fact, Indian media openly writes that real estate is by far the most favored form of investment by Indians, which is very unlike Germans, who have historically been very adverse to buying their own property. Germans have the highest share of renters in the entire EU. This model worked for many decades because renting was so affordable, but that has quickly changed in the last two decades.
Indians are not to blame for this development, but increasing numbers of Indians will only greatly exacerbate the problem that already exists. Germans will be increasingly priced out of the market and will find it harder to own property, have children, and raise families, at which point, the government will claim it needs more immigration to fix the native labor shortage.
Indians are pros at taking advantage of grants and benefits
In fact, the internet is rife with videos making “tutorials” on how to take advantage of these special loan programs, which are often targeted at minorities. These programs offer low-interest loans, and sometimes even outright grants, to start businesses. Straight White people are often excluded from these programs or do not have as good loan conditions as groups such as Indians.
🇨🇦 Indian guy explains how to get free money in Canada.
There are currently 192 programs in a SINGLE category.
It is important to note that even previous waves of refugees are calling out what they say are people now coming to Canada who are just taking advantage of the system, and are not actual refugees.
The Sudanese refugee immediately points to an Indian influencer talking about the Canadian government handing out money “for doing nothing.” These types of videos are rampant across the web, and not only do they showcase blatant opportunism at the expense of Canadian taxpayers, but also highlight how these programs for marginalized people are exploited by very recent newcomers.
India’s divisions also migrate West
India is a country with incredible poverty, racism and discrimination, both through its caste system, and due to religious hatred — often between Hindus and Muslims but also Sikhs. In many cases, these divisions carry over to Western countries.
"Indians, we do not welcome you on land of Vancouver. Go back to your country."
As the Guardian writes: “The Hindu caste system, which is assigned at birth and determines occupations and social status, is made up of four tiers, with Brahmins or priests and teachers at the top and Dalits at the bottom. Dalits are often tasked with scavenging and street cleaning, are considered ‘untouchable’ and are outcasts from Indian society.”
In fact, the situation is so prevalent in the United States that caste-based discrimination now has to be banned in American cities, such as Seattle. A BBC special documents its prevalence in the United States.
India also features a number of ethnic and religious groups, with tensions growing between Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and others. This tension often leads to explosive violence outside of India as well. In one case, for example, an Indian student was ordered to leave Australia for a series of attacks on Sikhs. In return, he was greeted as a hero upon returning to India.
“International student Vishal Jood was asked to leave Australia after being linked to a series of attacks on Sikhs. Rather than opprobrium, on his return he was greeted by a roadshow and politicians calling him a patriot. Critics who accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party of fuelling Hindu nationalism in India warn Jood’s case shows how the problem has spread to overseas diasporas,” wrote the SCMP.
Germany and other continental European countries that embrace immigration from India will likely see these same conflicts, on top of the already existing rivalries between other migrant groups, whether it is Russians versus Ukrainians, or Turks versus Kurds.
Will Indians fix the Western healthcare system?
Governments across the Western world see India as a solution to the lack of labor, including the healthcare sector. The reality is that the “immigration solution” for national healthcare crisis seen in Western countries has been a mirage.
Canada is perhaps the best example of this, as it has seen the highest rate of Indian immigration in the West, with many of these Indians heralded as a solution to a healthcare worker shortage. One out of ten doctors is now Indian in the country. However, Canada’s hospitals are experiencing their worst crisis yet, with wait times hitting a record high.
“This is 222 percent longer than the 9.3 week wait in 1993,” reads one report.
All of the Indian doctors and healthcare workers, not to mention all the other immigrant groups, were supposed to improve the system, but it only appears to be getting worse. This all comes at a time when the number of doctors per 100,000 has actually soared higher
“Per 100,000 residents, there are now nearly twice as many doctors in Alberta and across Canada compared to 50 years ago. From 1971 to 2022, Canada’s number of physicians (per 100,000) has grown from 125 to 247, while Alberta’s has grown from 123 to 244,” according to the Business Council of Alberta.
Undoubtedly, Canada is a much older population now, but the massive increase in doctors per capita should, in theory, mean this older population is well cared for. It could be that doctors in previous decades were more competent, more efficient, and better able to handle patient volumes, but the exact reason remains unclear.
As one report notes, Canada has more doctors than ever before, and then tries to explain “why it doesn’t feel like it.“
However, poor communication between diverse groups, including a lack of native-language skills, can cost valuable time and lead to serious patient treatment mistakes. As one major study from Britain’s NHS notes, as reported by the BBC, language barriers between staff and patients are adding up to half a working day per week to working hours, and also reducing to quality of care.
Statistics Canada released its report Deaths, 2022 on Monday, showing that the life expectancy of Canadians fell to 81.3 years in 2022 from 81.6 years in 2021. The decline was more prominent among females than men, the data showed.
“This is the first time this has ever happened,” Dr. Doug Manuel, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, told Global News. “We’ve hardly had any declines, we have had a recession, but never like this, not three years in a row. It’s a pretty big event.”
“This is a measure of how our health is doing as Canadians. And it means that we’re doing worse.”
In a list of 20 OECD countries, Canada ranked second to last. In fact, Denmark, which is notorious for its strict immigration policies, was in first place, tied with the Netherlands, which also features a relatively smaller share of non-EU migrants compared to many other Western EU countries, amounting to 11.7 percent.
Another report from this year states: “A new report says Canada’s healthcare system has fallen behind international peers in access to care, equity and wait times, outperforming only the United States.”
Canada is not the only example. Australia also provides ample warning to any Western country that wants to take in more Indians..Australia now has some of the worst medical metrics in its history, all at a time when Indians increasingly make up a larger and larger share of the country’s medical workforce. As the Australian Medical Association (AMA) notes:
Australian Medical Association President Professor Steve Robson said a lack of capacity in hospitals had led to people waiting years for essential surgery, long waits in EDs and ambulance ramping.
“Australia’s public hospital performance is at its worst since the AMA started tracking the data 20 years ago,” Professor Robson said.
“Public hospitals are inadequately funded and resourced. The outcome is ambulance ramping, patients spending far too long in EDs and a surgery waiting list that is nudging close to one million people.”
“We are seeing more and more Australians die waiting for these essential surgeries, with more than 12,000 deaths in 2022–23, up from 9,000 the year before. While these deaths may not have been because of delayed surgery, it is an alarming increase.”
This all comes despite record immigration to Australia, of which Indians make up a significant percentage. They are now the second-largest immigrant group in the country and by far the largest contributor to doctors with a foreign background, making up approximately 22 percent of all doctors from a foreign country.
It should also come as no surprise that an influx of Indians to a country to work in healthcare is not a panacea, as India’s own healthcare system is in shambles. This is not a racist screed against Indians, but simple data. Some 2.4 million Indians die of treatable conditions every year, meaning India is facing the worst outcome among all 136 nations studied for a report published in The Lancet.
In addition, “poor care quality leads to more deaths than insufficient access to healthcare–1.6 million Indians died due to poor quality of care in 2016, nearly twice as many as due to non-utilization of healthcare services (838,000 persons).” reads a report from the Independent.
If anything, those qualified workers who are arriving in the West are essentially being robbed from India’s own struggling population. Even if one were to acknowledge that Indians are a net benefit to the Western healthcare systems, and that is far from clear, there is no doubt that the most qualified of these doctors are being taken from people who are dying by the millions.
In short, Western countries like Germany may be better off slightly lowering the admissions standards for their own population for medical schools rather than allowing more foreigners to arrive, often with questionable certifications and a worrying command of the German language.
Concerns about diploma mills and fraudulently obtained diplomas are rife in India, including for medical diplomas, as has been documented. Many cases, however, likely go undetected. India is a chaotic country, where often anything goes for the right price, including masses of underage girls trafficked and sold into sexual slavery, all conducted relatively out in the open.
Undoubtedly, many Indians will come to Germany, and many of them will work hard, but the sheer numbers that have arrived in Western countries present a major challenge going into the future. Many Western nations see India as a solution, including Germany. The population is enormous while European populations are shrinking. Most European leaders, even on the right, are dead-set on more immigration, as long as its legal, as they try to prop up GDP, boost the pool of consumers, boost housing prices and construction, and keep the ponzi scheme going that represents much of what the modern economy has now become.
A man who claimed he could not be deported to Morocco because of his atheism has been convicted of sexual assault in France after groping a woman at a popular lake.
The defendant appeared in the dock at the Libourne Criminal Court on Monday, July 7, facing charges over an incident at Lac des Dagueys. The assault occurred last July, when a mother felt a man grope her buttocks while in the water.
She initially dismissed it as accidental due to poor visibility, but quickly became suspicious when the man nearby started harassing her, striking up a conversation.
A lifeguard later approached her and informed her that the same man had been reported earlier in the day for similar behavior.
In court, the man denied the accusations, claiming in broken French, “I didn’t touch anyone. It’s a conspiracy. There were many people in the water.” However, the woman later identified him at the police station, where officers noted that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of his arrest. “My eyes were red because of the water,” he insisted through his interpreter, but the presiding judge reminded him that police had placed him in a drunk tank after his detention.
His defense lawyer criticized the prosecution’s case, calling for his acquittal in this trial.
As reported by Sud Ouest, the Moroccan national is already known to authorities for another case involving sexual assault on a minor.
During the proceedings, it emerged that the man had been subject to an Obligation to Leave French Territory (OQTF) since Sept. 26, 2023, and had repeatedly failed to report to the Bordeaux police as required. In his defense, he told the Court, “I can’t return to Morocco, I’m an atheist.”
The Court sentenced him to a six-month suspended prison term and banned him from Dagueys Beach and all public swimming areas for one year. He is scheduled to stand trial again in September over the separate case of sexual assault involving a minor.
It is unclear whether the man will be forcibly deported following the conclusion of any subsequent custodial sentences.
The EU is launching an investigation into X over Grok’s recent racist comments, while Poland’s government is considering shutting down the service entirely, which would represent a massive form of censorship.
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski wrote a letter addressed to EU tech boss Henna Virkkunen that Grok’s “offensive remarks” and “erratic and full of expletive-laden rants” on social media X could be a “major infringement” of the EU moderation law, the Digital Services Act.
However, Gawkowski is also considering shutting down the entire service in Poland. He stated that the country must have the legal authority to shut down platforms like X if they fail to comply with regulations regarding hate speech generated by artificial intelligence. This comes after the Grok chatbot, available on the X platform, reportedly insulted Polish left-liberal politicians, according to Polish outlet wPolityce.
Gawkowski expressed his dismay over the incident on RMF FM radio, stating, “I read with disgust what is happening and I have the impression that we are entering a higher level of hate speech, which is controlled by algorithms.”
He emphasized the danger of ignoring or downplaying such issues, asserting that it could have future consequences.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs plans to officially report the violation to the European Commission for investigation, which could lead to fines for X.
Gawkowski underscored that while artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent, freedom of speech remains a human right, not one belonging to AI.
He highlighted the current legislative gaps in both the EU and Poland, noting that existing regulations might not be sufficient to address algorithmic errors that fuel hate speech.
“If we report violations, and we will, and large platforms fail to comply, we must have legal options, but also the power to decide, for example, whether these platforms will be shut down,” Gawkowski said.
He stressed the need for future considerations to include the ability to disable platforms like X if they fail to combat hate speech or if AI gains more control than humans in fueling it.
Gawkowski’s remarks have ignited a strong reaction online, with many accusing him and the government of seeking to impose complete censorship.
PiS MP Paweł Jabłoński criticized Gawkowski on X, writing, “Yesterday, Comrade Krzysztof Gawkowski wanted to eliminate border defense groups. Today, he’s adding his intention to shut down social media because artificial intelligence insults Tusk.”
Wczoraj towarzysz @KGawkowski chciał likwidować grupy obrońców granic.
Dzisiaj dorzuca zamiar wyłączenia mediów społecznościowych – bo sztuczna inteligencja obraża Tuska.
— 🇵🇱 Paweł Jabłoński (@paweljablonski_) July 9, 2025
Adam Czarnecki also commented on the perceived double standard, stating, “Mr. Gawkowski says politicians should be able to shut down Twitter because we have ‘hate shows, like the one with Grok.’ So yes, publicly funded, daily hate shows on TVP, where Poles are referred to as ‘uneducated cattle,’ and Dorota Wysocka_schnepf constantly pushes new boundaries of propaganda, are no problem for the Minister. But Grok’s malfunctioning is reason enough to shut down the entire platform.”
Pan Gawkowski mówi, że politycy powinni móc wyłączyć Twittera, bo mamy "seanse nienawiści, takie jak z Grokiem" 🤡
Czyli tak – opłacane z publicznej kasy, codzienne seanse nienawiści w TVP, gdzie o Polakach mówi się "niewykształcone bydło", a @DorotaWSch co rusz przekracza nowe… pic.twitter.com/6WF9vW0Usr
Max Hübner, an internet user, echoed similar sentiments, calling Gawkowski a “Communist apparatchik” and stating,” X is one of the last places on the internet where total freedom of speech and exchange of opinions prevails. The communists and Tusk’s government hate it – so they want CENSORSHIP. We warned you.”
Hungary has summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to Budapest after the death of József Sebestyén, a 45-year-old ethnic Hungarian man from Transcarpathia, who was allegedly beaten by Ukrainian recruiters during a forced conscription attempt.
According to family members and local sources cited by Mandiner, Sebestyén was ambushed by recruiters near the Kossuth Lajos Lyceum in Beregszász after trying to evade capture. Witnesses say he was caught, beaten, and transported to a recruitment center before being conscripted into military service. He was allegedly beaten again with iron rods in Munkács, then sent to a training camp, where he collapsed.
A disturbing video later surfaced showing Sebestyén crawling in a military camp, visibly injured, as others mocked him. He was later hospitalized and died after reportedly being transferred to a mental hospital used for wounded soldiers.
“The lizard is crawling,” one officer could be heard saying on the video.
The cause of death is disputed, with some suggesting internal injuries from the beatings may have been involved.
“My brother, who loved and cared for his family and sacrificed his life for them, fought for exactly three weeks with the satanic forces attacking him with iron rods,” Sebestyén’s brother wrote on social media.
His death has sparked outrage in Hungary and among the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia. Family members say they were misled about his condition and only learned of his death on July 6.
Hungarian neurosurgeon András Csókay confirmed that the family had reached out weeks ago about the case. State Secretary Levente Magyar called the incident “outrageous and unacceptable,” adding, “It is outrageous to beat someone to death — especially a Hungarian — because he did not want to go to war.”
⬛️ A Hungarian man in Transcarpathia was beaten to death in Transcarpathia during forced conscription by Ukrainian officers after refusing to fight in the war. He was captured, assaulted with an iron rod, shoved into a van, and taken to a recruitment center. He later died from…
Magyar announced that Hungary has summoned Ukraine’s ambassador, stating, “A Hungarian man was killed in Ukraine just because he did not want to take part in the war.” He extended condolences to the family and vowed support.
Government spokesman Zoltán Kovács also condemned the incident, describing it as “brutal” and confirming Hungary’s diplomatic action. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán offered his condolences to the family of the man “who died as a result of forced conscription in Ukraine.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has survived a no-confidence motion in the European Parliament, avoiding the first-ever collapse of the EU’s executive body.
The motion, brought by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, was rejected by 360 votes against, 175 in favor, with 18 abstentions. Out of 720 MEPs, 553 took part in the vote. The motion would have required a two-thirds majority — 357 votes — to pass.
This was the first no-confidence attempt against a Commission president since 2014, when Jean-Claude Juncker survived a similar effort led by Eurosceptic lawmakers.
Throughout the week, MEPs from across the political spectrum voiced frustration with the Commission’s handling of various issues, including foreign policy in the Middle East, military aid to Ukraine, energy security, and migration. However, despite their grievances, many lawmakers ultimately lined up behind von der Leyen.
Several left-leaning groups, including Renew, had initially been critical but ultimately sided with von der Leyen, citing reluctance to align with right-wing factions. The Socialist bloc also backed her after she offered a key concession — agreeing to maintain the European Social Fund at its current level in the EU’s upcoming long-term budget proposal, preserving funds aimed at fighting poverty and supporting regional development.
BREAKING: 🇪🇺‼️ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has survived a no-confidence motion in the European Parliament.
Surprisingly, some center-right parties, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, backed her, while others such as Matteo Salvini’s Lega voted for her removal, dividing the domestic Italian coalition government.
Piperea, who initiated the motion, posted a video shortly before the vote criticizing von der Leyen’s alleged disregard for a court ruling from the EU’s General Court, which had ordered her to disclose text messages with Pfizer’s CEO regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement. He accused her of violating judicial authority and betraying both left- and right-wing allies.
In his remarks, Piperea said, “Ursula von der Leyen has shown she doesn’t care about justice or the separation of powers. Yesterday, the Socialists held a major internal meeting to decide whether to abstain or vote against the motion, because Ursula has broken many promises to them. In the end, they chose to back her because she agreed to keep the European Social Fund untouched in the next budget, despite having promised military spending increases to others.”
Piperea went on to accuse von der Leyen of “lying to both sides” to secure her survival, calling it a “Pyrrhic victory.” He added, “She told both sides what they wanted to hear. It is the kind of victory where, after winning, you realize you have nothing left.”
The vote was triggered largely by the Commission’s ongoing refusal to release text messages between von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO during the pandemic, which Piperea labeled an “abuse of power” and a breach of EU transparency rules.
Commenting on the vote, French MEP Fabrice Leggeri, previously head of the European border force Frontex, wrote, “Despite Pfizergate, despite the Green Deal, despite the authoritarian opacity of the Commission… This afternoon, the right, the left, and the Macronists saved Ursula von der Leyen either by voting against her or by abstaining. Ideology once again comes before the people!”
Hungarian MEP Andras László added, “The EPP, Socialists, Liberals, and Greens defend her after the court ruling on the Pfizergate corruption scandal. What makes matters worse for Europeans is that this coalition has led the EU into a dead-end street: migration crisis and rising crime, competitiveness crisis and green overregulation, high energy prices, and a cost-of-living crisis. Only the Patriots for Europe group calls for real change in Brussels.”
In the city of Bochum, an accommodation housing migrants and homeless people is located directly next door to an AWO kindergarten at Höntroper Straße, sparking a major scandal that the city is trying to downplay. The situation is so bad that daycare workers are armed with whistles, with the children trained to run inside their kindergarten if there is another incident involving residents of the nearby asylum/homeless center.
Daycare workers and children are terrified due to a range of incidents, including “massive verbal assaults,” stones being thrown at the kindergarten, and individuals climbing onto the daycare property. The homeless people at the shelter are known to suffer from mental issues and drug addiction problems.
🇩🇪🔴"Children no longer want to go to daycare out of fear."
German children in a kindergarten in Bochujm have been trained to flee inside if daycare workers blow crisis whistles if there is danger, all due to asylum shelter right next door.
As Welt reports: “Since the beginning of the year, teachers at a local daycare center have been threatened and even had stones thrown at them. Parents and children are now afraid….As an initial measure, the daycare center has drawn up an emergency plan with the children and equipped all teachers with whistles.
“The children were trained. Theoretically, this happens when an incident occurs and a whistle is blown. The children should leave everything and then run into the daycare center,” said Nicola Heiland, the father of a child in the daycare center.
The city is offering no long-term solution because the German government itself has no solution to the migration crisis or the deteriorating crime crisis. Instead, daycare workers are simply armed with whistles.
One mother, Romy Keller, told Welt: “That makes me angry. I can’t understand how a city can be responsible that an emergency shelter for drug addicts is right next to two schools and a kindergarten.”
Parents complained that police have been repeatedly sent to the location to deal with interventions, including when daycare staff were subjected to verbal harassment.
In a report from German public media station WDR, a mother said she witnessed a woman climbing the fence between the two facilities and then running on the property of the kindergarten. The woman said she immediately feared for her daughter’s safety and informed the management of the daycare. The daycare staff found the intoxicated woman and escorted her off the daycare grounds. The woman was unable to explain why she was there and appeared confused, according to sources involved in the case.
Welt reported that a man came to the property several times. “Once he tried to climb over the fence. He has verbally threatened educators. And this man was here several times, for example, he opened the door to the kindergarten, but didn’t go in.”
The children are so terrified that they are asking: “Is the bad man back?”
Other parents said they saw similar incidents, but so far their complaints have gone unanswered by the city government.
“The city, the mayor, the police – they have asked everywhere for help, seemingly without success,” reads an article on WDR.
Radio Bochum reported on the incident as well, noting in an article: “The children no longer want to go to daycare; they’re scared and have nightmares. It’s difficult for parents when children talk about naked men or wake up in the night.”
The radio station noted that the city has not even installed a privacy fence between the daycare and the refugee/homeless center. That means tenants of the center are free to stare at the children from their windows or from the grounds of the facility if they so please. Now, the parents are requesting a “climb-proof fence” with a privacy screen to be built to protect their children at the very minimum.
However, WDR writes that parents “wish the city to find alternative accommodation for the homeless residents of the collective shelter. If possible, not directly next to a daycare center.”
In 2019, WDR indicates that the building next to the kindergarten only housed refugee families, but since then, homeless people have also been occupants.
WDR notes the city of Bochum refused to conduct an interview regarding the woman who climbed her way onto daycare grounds, but released a statement stating it was an “isolated case.”
After the incident, public order officers patrolled near the fence, but only for a limited time. However, there were other incidents at the daycare, including men from the center approaching the children on the street outside the daycare.
The parents’ wish to move the shelter does not appear to be happening anytime soon. Instead, the The Workers’ Welfare Association (AWO), which operates the collective shelter, says it will implement more security measures. However, there are already security staff operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Still, the incidents keep occurring.
There is now an urgent motion put forward by the Christian Democrats (CDU), the Free Democrats (FDP) and the Free Citizens council groups to revert the facility back to only refugees.
“We believe this is the only viable option,” wrote CDU council group leader Karsten Herlitz in a statement. “It is a sign of respect to address the needs of each individual group. What happened here should serve as a warning to us. The incidents are not excusable, but they are explainable.”
A German police task force stormed multiple locations in the early hours of Wednesday, arresting a suspected Islamist terrorist accused of using fraud proceeds to finance an attack in the country.
At around 5:00 a.m., elite police officers from the Special Forces (SEK) stormed an apartment building in Essen, arresting a 27-year-old suspect of Bosnian origin. The suspect, who is also reported to be a trained soldier, is believed to have been plotting an Islamist-motivated terror attack.
As reported by Bild, the operation followed weeks of surveillance by state security officers and mobile task forces, working under the direction of the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office. A police spokesman explained, “Through the investigations of the Essen police headquarters under the direction of the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office, there were indications, in addition to the suspicion of joint commercial fraud, that the proceeds of the fraudulent acts were intended to finance an Islamist terrorist-motivated attack.”
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung reported that the suspect had been wiretapped by the authorities for a fortnight prior to his arrest and was imminently planning to purchase a firearm.
According to Senior Public Prosecutor Alexandra Wiese, the alleged fraud scheme involved ordering expensive electronic devices without payment and reselling them to generate cash. “We assume that the intention was to raise money through resale and that at least five-figure sums have already been collected in this way,” she said.
Authorities suspect the funds were intended for a planned assassination attempt. In response, heavily armed units searched several properties and individuals to prevent any possible attack. The suspect’s exact plans, including when and where the attack was to take place, remain unclear.
During the raid, police began a thorough search of the Bosnian suspect’s residence in Essen, using sniffer dogs specially trained to detect data storage devices. The suspect’s alleged accomplice, who lives in Dortmund, is also under investigation.
In total, six apartments across Essen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, and Soest were searched, and multiple other persons of interest are being questioned.
“Our police didn’t hesitate — they stopped potential terrorist activities before it was even a second too late,” noted North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul.
“This case shows us: There are people out there who disregard and want to destroy our values and our way of life. Our security authorities are doing everything they can to stop these people. Anyone pursuing terrorist plans here must expect the Special Forces to be at their door in the morning,” he added.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told investigators that he did not know who had shot him or from where during last year’s assassination attempt, according to a recording of his police interrogation played in court on Wednesday.
The testimony was presented during the trial of 72-year-old Juraj Cintula, who is charged with carrying out the attack and faces life in prison for committing a terrorist offense.
“I heard sounds that I did not identify as gunfire. At the same time, I felt a sharp blow to the abdomen. I absolutely did not register any person who resembled the accused,” Fico said in the recording, which was played during the second day of the main hearing. The prime minister is not attending the trial in person.
Fico described how the shooting occurred after a government meeting in the town of Handlová in May last year. He recalled going outside to greet people gathered in front of the meeting venue, where an elderly woman caught his attention. He added that the shooter was among those present.
According to the indictment, Cintula, fired five shots at close range with a pistol, striking Fico multiple times and inflicting serious injuries that required surgery. During questioning last summer, Fico also said that he would likely need a hip replacement in his left leg because of the attack.
The defendant, however, denied harboring personal hatred toward Fico, insisting he had only been angry, particularly over comments made by the prime minister. He referred to remarks Fico made last spring when he labeled critics of his culture minister, Martina Šimkovičová, as “spiritually homeless.” That phrase, according to Cintula, angered parts of Slovakia’s cultural community.
In court, recordings from city surveillance cameras and television footage showing the shooting were also played.
The court heard additional evidence on Wednesday, including forensic reports related to the weapon used — a CZ 75B pistol — and transcripts of Cintula’s earlier statements. In social media posts and emails, Cintula had criticized Fico and expressed discontent over the results of the 2023 parliamentary elections, which Fico’s Smer party had won. He had also written about withdrawing from public life.
In a letter following the attack, Cintula wrote that he felt no remorse, adding that the prime minister “should be in a wheelchair.”
Cintula originally faced charges of attempted premeditated murder, carrying a sentence of 25 years to life. His defense offered a plea deal for a 12-year sentence, but prosecutors rejected it, citing the legal requirement of a minimum 20-year sentence under the terrorism charge.
The trial is set to continue in August, with additional hearings scheduled for September and October.
In his first public statement after the shooting last year, Fico said, “It’s time for forgiveness. I have no hatred for the assassin, I don’t want to take revenge or seek compensation. I forgive him and leave him to sort out his thoughts.” However, he also blamed political opponents, saying, “It is clear that he was only a messenger of evil political hatred from the failed and frustrated Slovak opposition.”
The shooting was not the only threat against Fico last year. In October, security services stopped another individual armed with a loaded gun at a public event at Dukla. “We captured a very militant person who hates me because of my stance on Ukraine,” Fico said at the time. “He had a gun. Luckily, he didn’t get into the zone where we politicians were, and he went to the zone where the people were. There, he passed through the frame to the metal detector, it was found that he had a fully loaded weapon.”
NEW: 🇸🇰 "I'm even more afraid now than I was before."
A year ago today, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was the subject of an assassination attempt by an opposition activist.
On the anniversary of the shooting this May, Fico told an interviewer that he believed the threat of politically motivated violence had grown worse. “I’m even more afraid of these groups now than I was before, not personally but generally,” he said. “I thought that this event would calm society down a little, but it’s worse than it was before the assassination attempt.”
A violent migrant from the African country of Eritrea has been granted permission to remain in Sweden by the Court of Appeal for Western Sweden despite a history of violent behavior and multiple criminal convictions. The higher court even overturned a previous deportation order from a lower court.
This individual, 27-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed, has been sentenced to prison six times and is known for attacking prison staff with urine and feces, according to a news report from Swedish outlet Samnytt.
Despite his series of crimes, the Court of Appeals ruled that these crimes were not “extremely serious crimes” and are not grounds for deportation.
Ahmed came to Sweden in December 2018 as a quota refugee from an Ethiopian refugee camp, at the age of 20. He claimed to have converted from Islam to Christianity, seeking protection from potential retaliation. He then settled in a community in Värmland.
However, upon settling in Sweden, he embarked on a serious spate of violent crimes.
In August 2019, Ahmed was reported for assaulting a relative, an altercation reportedly stemming from a religious disagreement over Islam and Christianity in defense of the Pentecostal Church.
In March 2020, he assaulted the same person again, seemingly in revenge for the police report, and then a third time in June of that year.
Following these repeated violent incidents, Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for assault. He was conditionally released in November 2021.
However, significant issues arose during his time in prison. He displayed extreme aggression toward staff, leading to his transfer to the high-security Kumla prison. He developed a method of throwing urine and feces at staff members.
One Kumla employee described his consistent violence, noting, “Every single time he has been taken out of the room, he has been violent towards us.”
His behavior was so problematic that he could not be in the same room as staff during visits. These attacks led to a growing list of convictions.
In April 2022, he received a six-month prison sentence for assault, unlawful threats, violence against an official, attempted violence against an official, and violent resistance.
In June 2023, he was sentenced to three months for four counts of attempted violence against an official.
In February 2024, he was hit with a one-year prison sentence for violating the Knife Act, violence against an official, and attempted aggravated violence against an official.
In February 2025, he was sentenced to four months for two counts of molestation, violent resistance, and attempted violence against an official
By March of this year, various institutions had documented 196 different charges attributed to him, including violence or threats against officials, inappropriate behavior, damage, and violence or threats against fellow inmates.
Although not all were prosecuted, the sheer volume of charges he has faced underlines what role he has played in Swedish society since arriving.
In December of last year, Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed was conditionally released from his fifth prison sentence. Yet, just months later, in March 2025, another incident occurred. After being greeted by neighbors in the stairwell of his apartment building in Munkfors, he confronted them with a knife, threatening to kill them.
When police arrived, he attacked them with a large stone, leading to his arrest after officers ran over him with their patrol car.
This latest incident resulted in charges and another prison sentence of one year and eight months for gross unlawful threats, assault on a civil servant, attempted violence against a civil servant, threats against a civil servant, violence against a civil servant, and violent resistance.
Additionally, the Värmland District Court had ruled that Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed should be deported for life to Eritrea, citing the serious danger he posed to public order and security due to his violent crimes, especially against police and correctional officers.
However, the Court of Appeal for Western Sweden overturned the deportation order based on his refugee status.
Their reasoning stated that because the 27-year-old Eritrean is a refugee, he would need to have committed an “extremely serious crime” for deportation to be justified.
The court concluded that his actions, including throwing urine and feces at prison staff, attacking police with a stone, or threatening neighbors with a knife, were simply not considered “extremely serious” enough. Therefore, the court stated, “Ahmed Ahmed is therefore a refugee in need of a sanctuary in Sweden.”
As a result, Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed is permitted to stay in Sweden, though he is ordered to pay damages to the neighbors and prison guards he assaulted.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Wednesday the suspension of asylum application processing for migrants arriving in Greece by sea from North Africa, declaring that Greece will take strict legal measures to prevent further arrivals.
Speaking before parliament, Mitsotakis warned that the recent surge in migrant arrivals on Crete and the nearby island of Gavdos demanded immediate action.
“Mr. President, allow me, before I enter the main part of my speech, to make some initial comments regarding the migration issue and the recent events concerning Libya,” he said. “These are events that clearly highlight the European dimension of the problem. Soon, there will also be a reaction from Brussels.”
Mitsotakis then announced the key decision, stating, “The Greek government has decided to inform the European Commission that with a legislative provision to be submitted tomorrow to parliament, it is proceeding with the suspension of asylum application examinations for three months for those arriving in Greece from North Africa by sea.”
He explained that this temporary suspension uses the same legal basis that the government applied in March 2020 during a previous migration crisis. “This is a necessary temporary response, based precisely on the same legal reasoning that the Greek government successfully invoked when dealing with the migration invasion of March 2020.”
“Those migrants who enter the country illegally will be arrested and detained,” he said.
He cited a recent rescue operation in international waters south of Crete as an example of the government’s new approach. “Yesterday, in international waters south of Crete, a rescue operation was conducted by a commercial vessel,” he said. “The direction of the Greek government is that the rescued individuals will not disembark in Crete. They will head to Lavrio, and from there they will be transferred to guarded structures of the Ministry of Migration.”
Mitsotakis also announced the creation of at least one permanent closed migrant facility on Crete, with the possibility of a second, saying, “Our second decision concerns the creation, initially, of one and potentially a second permanent closed facility in Crete so that we can address this phenomenon locally, detaining those who enter illegally, whose asylum applications cannot be examined.”
He further stressed that the Greek armed forces are prepared to prevent boats from leaving Libya’s shores.
“The Greek armed forces, the navy, and the Greek coast guard are ready to cooperate with the Libyan authorities to prevent, preferably, the departure of these boats or vessels from the coasts of Libya,” he said. “Or, when this happens, in cooperation where feasible with the Libyan authorities, for these boats to return back to where they started before entering international waters.”
Mitsotakis issued a blunt warning to human traffickers and migrants considering the journey, declaring, “The path to Greece is closing. And it sends this message to all traffickers and all their potential customers, that the money they spend may well be entirely wasted, because it will now be much more difficult than it has been until today to reach Greece by sea.”
“Our response and stance will be legal, but also very strict,” he concluded, making clear that the government would proceed immediately with its plan and would update Parliament with further details once the legislation was submitted.
A Dutch imam has been suspended from his mosque after visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog as part of a European delegation of Muslim leaders.
Youssef Msibih, imam of the Moroccan Bilal Mosque in Alkmaar, was among 15 preachers who traveled to Jerusalem on Monday to meet Herzog, an event that included singing an Arabic version of the Israeli national anthem.
The Bilal Mosque announced on Tuesday that Msibih had been suspended “effective immediately” and declared that it had “no relationship with him” at present. The mosque explained that it had no prior knowledge of the visit and publicly distanced itself from Msibih’s participation.
In a statement posted to Instagram, cited by De Telegraaf, the mosque condemned the imam’s decision to take part, saying, “His choice to allow himself to be used for normalization with a regime that sheds Palestinian blood daily is not only misguided — it is a moral disgrace. While children are being pulled from the rubble, he chooses to join a propaganda campaign.”
The visit was organized by ELNET, the European Leadership Network, which aims to strengthen ties between Europe and Israel. During their trip, the group visited Israel’s parliament, the Old City of Jerusalem, and planned stops at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and other sites, including areas struck by Iranian missile attacks and Hezbollah rockets.
President Herzog praised the visit, calling the delegates “children of Abraham” and describing their presence as courageous. He said, “By your visit and your courageous action, you embody the majority of those in the Middle East and throughout the world who aspire to a common life.”
“You represent the world of brotherhood, humanity, and liberty”. The words of Imam Hassen Chalghoumi from France to me today.
I was moved and inspired to meet him and a delegation led by @elnet_global of Imams and Muslim community leaders from across Europe. They stand bravely… pic.twitter.com/gpJja2tQne
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 7, 2025
French Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, who led the delegation, has been a prominent critic of Hamas and Islamist extremism. He told Herzog, “What we’ve seen since Oct. 7 is not just a conflict between Israel and Hamas, nor between Israel and Hezbollah — the ‘Party of Satan.’ It’s a confrontation between two fundamentally different worlds. You represent the world of brotherhood, of humanity, of compassion. You stand for the values of democracy and freedom.”
Chalghoumi has repeatedly condemned anti-Semitism and defended the visit, arguing that Muslims and Jews must work together for peace. He previously took part in demonstrations in France opposing Hamas and Islamist radicalism.
“In these difficult times, we affirm our friendship, our Jewish-Muslim brotherhood. Against hatred, we choose dialogue, peace, and living together,” he said last month during a meeting with the leader of his local synagogue in Créteil.
Herzog praised the group’s stance, saying, “In these difficult times of tension between Jews and Muslims, some choose to act differently.”
A Turkish court has blocked access to certain content from Grok, the AI chatbot associated with X, after it generated responses deemed insulting to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This ban, as reported by Reuters, cites a violation of Turkish law, which criminalizes insulting the president with penalties up to four years in prison.
According to Turkish media, Grok produced responses that allegedly contained insults not only directed at President Erdoğan but also at Mustafa Atatürk, the revered founder of modern Turkey.
Jaman Akdeniz, a cyber law expert at Istanbul Bilgi University, stated that Turkish authorities identified approximately 50 of Grok’s posts as the basis for a prosecutorial investigation. This led to the access ban and the removal of content, justified as necessary to “protect public order.”
German Turks vote mostly for pro-immigration, left-wing parties in Germany, but these same Turks, which number approximately 1.8 million, vote for Islamic hardliner Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkish elections. What accounts for this paradox? pic.twitter.com/F7EwNdN0oO
Akdeniz highlighted that Turkey is now the first country globally to impose censorship on Grok.
Reuters notes that Turkey has significantly intensified its oversight of social media and streaming services in recent years. New laws grant authorities more control over online content, leading to arrests, investigations, and restrictions or blocks on various websites.
While the government asserts these regulations are crucial for protecting the dignity of public office, critics argue the current law is frequently used to suppress dissent.
🇹🇷🔥Mass street protests continue to rage in Turkey for a week now following the arrest of Istanbul's mayor, who is also the main electoral rival of President Erdoğan
Police continue to deploy tear gas and water cannons. Hundreds have been arrested, but there appears to be no… pic.twitter.com/0lM9ezpC2G
However, Grok itself has been facing criticism in recent days for generating other controversial content, including posts glorifying Adolf Hitler and anti-Semitic comments.
Additionally, Grok, when prompted by X users, published a series of vulgar comments targeting Polish politicians, including Donald Tusk, Roman Giertych, and Jarosław Kaczyński.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has begun taking action to address these problematic outputs. In a statement, xAI acknowledged the “inappropriate content posted by Grok” and affirmed that they are “actively working to remove it.” The company also stated, “We have blocked Grok from publishing hate speech. We are training the model to seek truth, and thanks to X’s millions of users, we can quickly respond to undesirable responses.”
A man of North African origin has been arrested in Spain, accused of groping a 10-year-old girl and attempting to kidnap another during the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona.
The suspect was seen by witnesses sexually assaulting the first victim before forcibly carrying another child before he was stopped and questioned by passersby.
According to El Diario Vasco, the incidents occurred at around 10:40 p.m. on July 5 on Descalzos Street in the Navarrese capital.
The perpetrator has been placed in pre-trial detention without bail and faces charges of sexual assault against a minor under 16, illegal restraint, and bodily harm. He was reported by the mothers of the two victims, both 10 years old.
According to reports, the man picked up one of the girls and groped her. The complaint filed by the mother of the first girl alleged the man “touched the buttocks of a minor with lustful intent and groped her when she was near the elevators that go up to Descalzos Street.”
Shortly after, at the exit to the carnival, he was seen carrying another girl in his arms, who was visibly distressed and crying.
The second girl suffered back injuries during the incident. A medical report confirming her injuries was submitted as part of the complaint.
The man has no known address, claiming to live on the streets despite stating that he works in Navarra.
“Given the two victims are 10 years old, and the sentences that may apply, it is appropriate to order the detainee’s provisional, communicated, and unbailable detention,” the judge ruled at a provisional hearing, as cited by Estella Digital.
She noted that pre-trial detention was essential, not only due to the perpetrator’s elevated flight risk, but also given the nature of the offenses and the fact that the suspect is accused of reoffending immediately after the first incident.
“It is highly foreseeable that if the interested measure is not adopted, he may act in the same way with underage victims,” she added.
The Stuttgart Regional Court has ordered lifelong psychiatric confinement for an Afghan refugee who fatally stabbed a jogger in Hochdorf last year, ruling him mentally ill and highly dangerous.
The Court delivered its verdict on Tuesday, finding that while there was no doubt the 25-year-old defendant committed the crime, he should be acquitted due to his mental illness. Judges ruled that his ability to control his actions could not be conclusively proven to have been intact at the time of the attack.
He will, therefore, not be sent to prison for murder. Instead, the Court ordered his indefinite placement in a psychiatric hospital. “He will remain where he is: in a psychiatric hospital,” the presiding judge stated. According to the Court, the man from Kabul has displayed clear signs of psychosis since early 2024.
As reported by SWR, the killing occurred on Nov. 15, 2024, when the defendant randomly encountered a 56-year-old jogger during his lunch break in the Esslingen district of Hochdorf. He stabbed him four times in the chest with a knife-like object, puncturing his heart and causing him to bleed to death at the scene. Prosecutors described the attack as an act of insidious murder, fueled by the defendant’s general frustration. There appeared to be no specific motive why the victim was targeted, with prosecutors deeming the jogger to have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
During the trial, the prosecution, supported by the attorney for the victim’s widow, argued that the defendant’s psychiatric state made him a continued threat to the public and called for his detention in a psychiatric facility. However, the victim’s lawyer questioned whether the defendant was truly psychotic at the time of the killing.
The defense did not request a specific sentence, claiming there was no clear motive for the crime and insisting that the defendant was not mentally ill. The defendant himself denied guilt, stating in court that his clothes were not bloodstained and alleging that the evidence against him was fabricated and had been tampered with.
Court records revealed that the man arrived in Germany from Afghanistan in 2022 and had been transferred shortly before the killing from an asylum shelter in Hochdorf to an accommodation in Wernau, which he reportedly disliked. On the day of the crime, he returned to Hochdorf, clashed with the caretaker, and was thrown out. He then allegedly threatened to kill others before encountering the jogger.
Witnesses described a heated argument between the two men and alerted police. By the time officers arrived, the attacker had fled.
He was found about an hour later at his Wernau accommodation, where he was arrested.
A German court has sentenced an immigration officer to prison for accepting bribes in exchange for issuing fraudulent residence and citizenship documents.
As reported by Bild, the Lüneburg Regional Court ruled on Tuesday that the officer from the district of Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony illegally issued permanent residence permits, settlement papers, and naturalizations to foreigners in at least 16 cases between January 2022 and July 2023, in return for cash payments.
Among those who obtained papers were individuals from Turkey, Georgia, Albania, and several Arab countries. Many had presented forged residence documents from other EU states, such as Greece, when applying for legal status in Germany. In some cases, requirements such as language proficiency certificates were waived.
The court found that the official became known for his ability to process cases “without complications,” a reputation that spread across the country, according to a district councilor. He was consequently jailed for six and a half years.
The scheme involved a co-defendant, 32-year-old Kastriot G., who knew the official from a local football club. He acted as an intermediary, arranging “customer orders” for the fraudulent documents. Kastriot G. was sentenced to nine years in prison, with his term including a previous conviction for kidnapping for ransom.
The court stated that both men had received around €154,000 from their dealings, which they are now required to repay in full. Both defendants partially admitted the charges, though they did not fully confess.
“They were only interested in the money; they wanted to split the proceeds equally,” said presiding judge Christoph Paglotke, according to the German press agency dpa.
The verdict is not yet final and can still be appealed.
Illegal immigration means big money for some, and fraudulent activity has been known to occur in several European member states.
And in January of this year, a French civil servant from the foreigners’ admission service in Nancy was referred to the public prosecutor’s office to face allegations of corruption and fraud after being accused of facilitating the stay of illegal migrants in exchange for cash.
Following an Islamist march in Berlin that an administrative court allowed to go through at the last moment, Freedom Party of Germany (FDP) deputy federal chairman Wolfgang Kubicki slammed free speech double standards in the country.
He specifically noted that while Jews are threatened at such demonstrations, police raids are being launched against Germans for “hate and incitement” online.
“One and a half weeks after the action day against ‘hate and incitement,’ another Islamist rally took place in Berlin over the weekend, where ‘Death to Jews’ was chanted and the establishment of a caliphate was demanded,” Kubicki, known as a prominent free speech advocate in Germany, wrote on X.
“A state that flexes its muscles over online insults against politicians while being unable or unwilling to counter the growing antisemitism on the streets has lost its bearings. Each of these incidents is, moreover, a glaring signal of a completely failed migration and integration policy. If we continue to shrug off the rise of such totalitarian and inhumane groups, the liberal foundation of our republic will crumble,” he continued.
Anderthalb Wochen nach dem Aktionstag gegen „Hass und Hetze“ fand in Berlin am Wochenende mal wieder eine Islamistenkundgebung statt, bei der „Tod den Juden“ gerufen und die Errichtung eines Kalifats gefordert wurde. Einem Staat, der bei Netzbeleidigungen gegen Politiker die… pic.twitter.com/kH5eXXHKoF
Kubicki is referring to the “Day of Action,” which saw 170 citizens have their homes raided over “hate speech” comments and “insults” to politicians.
Kubicki has said these house raids represent an extreme state response, and has criticized them in the past as the most brutal intrusion of privacy.
He is now comparing the state response to the raids to Islamic demonstrations in Germany. The Welt article he cited, entitled “Ban overturned on short notice: Islamists demand the establishment of a theocracy at Gaza demonstration,” details the pro-Palestinian march over the weekend.
The article notes that “Berlin police prematurely halted a pro-Palestinian demonstration with around 300 participants on Saturday. 18 people were arrested for insults, chanting banned slogans, and resisting police.”
The article further describes how Berlin police wanted a ban on the Islamist demonstration, but a higher regional court overturned the ban.
Among the demonstrators were supporters of a caliphate. The demonstration itself was separated by gender, and there were calls for the Egyptian government to intervene in Gaza against Israel. Police noted that the demonstration was peaceful.
The demonstration, which saw 1,500 people gather in front of the Egyptian embassy on Saturday, was organized by YouTuber Ahmad Tamim, who is known as an Islamist.
Black-and-white shahada flags were on display, and there were chants of “Death to the Jews” and “Death to the IDF.”
The Jewish Forum in Germany wrote: “Islamist Power Demonstration: Call for the unification of the ‘Ummah’ against Israel, strict gender segregation & caliphate slogans at #b0507 in #Berlin. Ahmad Tamim (“Generation Islam”) mobilized up to 1500 Islamists in front of the Egyptian embassy.”
Islamistische Machtdemonstration: Aufruf zur Vereinigung der „Ummah“ gegen Israel, strikte Geschlechtertrennung & Kalifat-Parolen am #b0507 in #Berlin. Ahmad Tamim („Generation Islam“) mobilisierte bis zu 1500 Islamisten vor die ägyptische Botschaft. #Islamismus… pic.twitter.com/EMH4Qo20cZ
— Jüdisches Forum (JFDA e.V.) (@JFDA_eV) July 6, 2025
Tamim regularly reports on the war in Gaza and the suffering of the civilian population. He points to Israel’s role in the conflict, which he says has led to tens of thousands of Gazan civilian deaths.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) lists Tamim as an Islamist actor with the group “Generation Islam,” which is connected to the international organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir,” which seeks to establish a caliphate state.
Hizb ut-Tahrir, is classified as extremist by the German Interior Ministry and is banned in Germany.
During the demonstration, he called for “intervention by regional forces in Gaza.” He appealed to the “honor” and “manhood” of Muslims, saying: “Aren’t you ashamed? Are there no men left.” Specifically, he believes Egypt and other Muslim nations should intervene on behalf of Gaza.
Kubicki was not the only one criticizing the march.
“Once again, Islamists are marching through the streets of Berlin – under the protection of the democracy they deeply despise,” wrote Islam critic Ahmad Mansour on X. “They call for the caliphate, dream of a theocracy – of a political Islam that the majority of Muslims want neither here nor in the Middle East.”
Wieder einmal marschieren Islamisten durch die Straßen Berlins – unter dem Schutz jener Demokratie, die sie zutiefst verachten. Sie rufen nach dem Kalifat, träumen von einem Gottesstaat – von einem politischen Islam, den die Mehrheit der Muslime weder hier noch im Nahen Osten… pic.twitter.com/gP0pCOQqYx
In previous incidents, Tamim has made questionable remarks at Alexanderplatz, saying: “Ya Allah, destroy every unjust person, wherever they may be in this world, who stands by Israel.”
A Berlin court has ruled that Germany must uphold its prior commitments to accept an Afghan family awaiting transfer to the country from Pakistan, reigniting debate over the country’s controversial refugee admissions programs.
In an expedited case, the Berlin Administrative Court found in favor of an Afghan woman and her 13 relatives, whose government pledge to bring them to Germany was revoked under the new federal government. The Court held that the government’s previously issued admission approvals are legally binding and cannot be withdrawn.
According to the ruling, the government is obligated to follow through on its promise, as the admission notices were final and remain in force. The woman and her family, who are currently in Pakistan, had filed an urgent application seeking enforcement of their right to resettlement. The German foreign ministry is now required to act immediately, though the government may appeal to the Higher Administrative Court.
The case is just one of around 40 similar legal challenges over Germany’s halted Afghan admissions program. The Kabul Airlift aid group has indicated it plans to file additional lawsuits on behalf of those awaiting transfer to force the government to continue the program, arguing that many Afghans trusted Germany’s promises and are now stranded in Pakistan, which is seeking to expel large swathes of Afghan migrants.
Germany’s admissions program was originally launched after the Taliban seized power in August 2021, offering refuge to Afghans such as judges, journalists, and human rights activists. Those accepted into the program must first travel to Pakistan for visa processing and security checks at the German embassy in Islamabad before entering Germany.
According to the German foreign ministry, about 2,400 individuals are currently awaiting visas in Pakistan. However, in May, the new CDU/CSU-SPD coalition government suspended all admission programs for Afghans.
While the court acknowledged the government’s right to end future admissions, it underscored that existing commitments must be honored.
The ruling has intensified the political dispute over Germany’s Afghan admissions. The CDU/CSU had pledged during the last election campaign to halt Afghan transfers from Pakistan, citing security concerns and alleged weaknesses in the screening process.
A report published by Bild in April revealed that only one in eight Afghans admitted under special protection programs — intended for former local staff and activists who collaborated with the Bundeswehr — underwent complete security vetting by German authorities prior to arrival. The report claimed over 31,000 Afghans and their family members had arrived in Germany without full background checks.
Despite official claims that the program mainly assists former collaborators with the German military, many of those admitted reportedly did not meet these criteria. In one case, a chartered flight carrying 157 Afghan nationals included only two former Bundeswehr collaborators and their 13 relatives, with the rest selected under broader humanitarian categories focused on “democratic values.”
Germany’s federal police union (DPolG) has repeatedly demanded a suspension of Afghan refugee flights, citing security and identity verification failures. In March, the union’s leader, Heiko Teggatz, sent a letter to then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz urging an immediate halt.
“The current procedure, in which, despite identities not being fully verified, travel documents are issued to foreigners, is highly risky and irresponsible,” Teggatz warned. “Given the heightened threat level of Islamist terrorism, such a process is unacceptable.”
New German federal government statistics indicate that young foreigners are disproportionately represented as suspects in numerous crimes, with particularly significant differences in street crime and shoplifting.
The suspect burden figure (TVBZ) has been compiled by the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) and published in the Police Crime Statistics (PKS) starting this year. This ratio shows the total number of identified suspects over the age of eight, and is calculated per 100,000 inhabitants per population group. It examines all crimes except for immigration law violations, and the data presents a concerning trend.
For German suspects across all age groups, the TVBZ is 1,878.
In contrast, Syrian suspects have a TVBZ of 8,236, and Afghan suspects are at 8,753 — more than four times higher.
🇩🇪🚨German classroom nightmare
Teachers mocked, lessons disrupted, and even physical assaults.
"I am no longer in control of the situation. I feel like a failure. The children here are just 12 years old."
However, when the data is compared among young people, the disparity is even more pronounced. Syrians between 14 and 18 years old are five times more likely to commit a crime than Germans in the same age bracket.
However, in regard to other groups of young people from North Africa, the difference is even more astronomical. Algerian youth feature a TVBZ rate that is a tremendous 56 times higher than Germans.
For Moroccans, it is 19 times higher.
Differences are also notable across specific offense categories. In street crime, which includes offenses like bodily harm, robbery, sexual harassment, and pickpocketing, the TVBZ for German suspects is 168. For Syrians, this figure jumps to 1,291, and for Afghans, it’s 1,218—nearly eight times as high.
The data was released after a parliamentary inquiry from AfD domestic policy spokesperson Martin Hess, who criticized the findings, stating, “This is the predictable result of a migration policy that has been completely failed for decades and has given up all control since 2015 at the latest.”
Hess had previously requested detailed data on crime rates among foreigners, broken down by nationality and age group, in a small inquiry in June.
This data also needs to be considered from another perspective. Many of these German citizen suspects have a foreign background; however, there is often no way of knowing how many of these suspects have a foreign background because Germany does not record this information.
A top Berlin prosecutor has indicated that up to three out of four clan members have German citizenship.
Any time any of these suspects commit a crime, it is recorded as a German suspect. If Germany kept data on the crime rate of German citizens with a foreign background, as Denmark does, it would likely reveal an incredibly high crime rate among this group of German citizens. This policy has been promoted by the AfD, also to help measure the integration rates of foreigners even after generations have resided in Germany.
The new TVBZ data will also pop a myth from the left, which is that foreigners are committing such high rates of violence because they are mostly young men. However, as the data shows, German suspects, when compared to foreign suspects from the same exact age group, often feature dramatically lower crime rates. Germany also has an extremely strong welfare state, which means these foreign youths have access to food, shelter, and consumer goods.
A principal has sent out a letter to the parents of 1,200 German schoolchildren telling them to ensure their daughters “only use well-lit paths and streets” when walking to school.
The number of immigrants living in Spain under family reunification permits has surged by more than 650 percent in the past five years, according to data from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, obtained by The Objective through Spain’s Transparency Portal.
The figures show that such permits rose from 43,848 in March 2020 to 328,841 by March this year.
The ministry clarified that the data refers solely to permits granted, not applications or rejections. These permits are granted to foreigners with close family ties to Spanish citizens or legal residents and typically allow for temporary residence that can be renewed.
The growth has been continuous over the period. In 2020, permits remained around 43,000 throughout the year. By December 2021, the figure had increased to 73,625. In 2022, the number rose sharply, ending the year at 148,938. The upward trend continued in 2023, with the total reaching 238,991 by December. In 2024, they reached 312,995 at the end of the year, and by March 2025, there were 328,841 such permits in effect.
The rapid growth of family-based permits comes as Spain’s left-wing government moves forward with even more liberal immigration reform. In November 2024, the government approved a plan to regularize the status of 900,000 illegal immigrants over three years, with a target of 300,000 regularizations per year. The reform aims to simplify immigration procedures and promote integration into Spanish society and the labor market. It was described by Migration Minister Elma Saiz Delgado as the most comprehensive revision of Spain’s immigration law since 2011.
This move comes despite growing anti-mass migration sentiment across the country. A poll conducted by the 40dB Institute for El País and Cadena SER last autumn found that 57 percent of Spaniards believe there are “too many immigrants” in the country. The same survey showed that 75 percent of respondents now associate immigration with negative issues such as crime, insecurity, and pressure on public services. Public concern has risen by 16 percentage points over the past year and a half, coinciding with a surge in migrant arrivals.
With the recent corruption scandals at the highest echelons of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government, such practices have also been found within the immigration process. In February, police uncovered a criminal network arranging sham marriages between Spanish women and foreign men seeking residency.
Three people, including a lawyer, were arrested for their involvement in the scheme, and authorities seized documentation that prevented 13 fake marriages. Investigators reported that the ringleader charged around €10,000 per client and registered the men at addresses in northern Spain.
Somali refugees living in Germany are reportedly playing a leading role in fueling Somalia’s civil war, according to an investigation by ARD’s Kontraste and Deutsche Welle.
These individuals are accused of inciting gang violence, calling for armed attacks, and raising funds for militias — all while living under German protection.
The investigation found one of the most prominent provocateurs to be Ayub A., a Somali influencer with over half a million followers on TikTok. In a widely circulated video from December 2022, filmed apparently in Germany, Ayub urged his viewers to take up arms, saying: “Take your guns and fight. Go to the rooftops and shoot everyone in uniform.”
In his videos, Ayub openly calls for armed struggle and offers money to those willing to form militias. “I swear, I’ll give you $20,000 if you form a militia,” he reportedly said in one clip.
Despite his asylum application being rejected in 2020, Ayub’s deportation was halted due to the security situation in Somalia. He has, nonetheless, traveled to Somalia several times. Videos show him alongside armed militias, including footage of him firing a heavy weapon during clashes in northern Somalia in 2023.
Security expert Moustafa Ahmed warned of the growing threat posed by such influencers. “We are witnessing digital warfare here,” Ahmed said, as cited by Tagesschau, stressing that online provocateurs are helping escalate violence by spreading propaganda and inciting conflict from abroad.
According to Kontraste, Ayub was involved in Somali piracy during the early 2010s. Former hostages from the freighter MV Iceberg 1 — hijacked in one of the longest hostage situations in modern maritime history — identified Ayub as one of the pirates.
A former crew member, Jewel Ahiable, told reporters: “Without a doubt, the man in the picture is Ayub.” Somali sources confirmed he was once a leading figure in a smaller pirate group.
Ayub’s dual life — a refugee in Germany and militant backer in Somalia — has attracted the attention of German authorities. While the Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, Kontraste confirmed that inquiries are underway.
Ayub is not alone. Another Somali hate preacher based in Germany, Yacqwub Siyaad, has over 500,000 Facebook followers. He is known for inflammatory videos targeting rival clans and minorities. In one video, Siyaad declared: “Kill these beasts. Remove them from society. Whip them.” He also encourages armed violence between Somali clans, shouting, “Go to war!” and has openly solicited donations for Islamic militia groups attempting to overthrow the government.
Siyaad also arrived in Germany as a refugee and has benefited from the suspension on deportations to Somalia. Despite this, he returned home in 2023, where he was filmed alongside armed fighters in Puntland. He later returned to Germany. German authorities are now reviewing his residency status, and Kontraste reports that police in Düsseldorf have launched investigations into possible hate speech offenses. Meanwhile, Siyaad was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison by a Somali court for online Islamist propaganda.
Ayub has recently been seen in Somalia, reportedly working as an adviser in Puntland. However, just last week, he posted a video showing himself on a highway in France.
The data, published after a parliamentary request by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), showed that, of the 47,000 Somali nationals living in Germany in 2020, more than 5,200 of them had been suspects in criminal proceedings, equaling just over 11 percent.
Late last year, the former German government led by then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a deportation deal with the Somali government for the repatriation of illegal migrants or those convicted of serious offenses.
While deportations of Somalis can theoretically now be enforced, there is no public data on how many have actually returned since the agreement was signed.
The events of recent weeks have shown that introducing mass immigration to Poland will not be easy. This reality represents a serious problem for the left-liberals and open-borders crowd that dominate Europe. There appears to be no easy solution for the left.
Poland has long been one of the most homogenous nations in all of Europe, featuring over 95 percent of the population identifying as ethnic Polish. Now, the EU wants that to change. They want Poland to become multicultural and embrace mass immigration.
The only problem?
Poland is filled with Poles.
They are known as a “stubborn” people. On top of that, years of chaos in Western Europe due to mass immigration is not exactly a secret news item. Poles apparently do not want all that in their own country, even many Poles who vote for the left.
Immigration is currently dominating the headlines in Poland. A recent series of murders, along with the growing border crisis with Germany, have driven Poles into the streets and to the borders in the form of the Border Protection Movement.
Donald Tusk’s government in Poland is walking a tight rope, and Tusk’s political rivals smell blood on the issue of immigration. Starting yesterday, he implemented border checks for 30 days with Germany, seen as a measure to stymie the growth of the citizen-organized Border Movement, which has greatly embarrassed his government and raised questions about the functioning of the Polish state.
Tusk has responded to this loss of control by calling the border protection groups “militias” run by his right-wing rivals in Law and Justice (PiS) and Confederation. Meanwhile, Tusk’s interior ministry has begun issuing dozens of tickets against these grassroots defenders.
The border crisis with Germany for the Polish government accelerated shortly after the victory of the conservative candidate, Karol Nawrocki, at the beginning of June, which itself raised an existential crisis for the government.
Since then, two notable murders occurred. First, the 24-year-old PhD student, Klaudia K. was killed by a Venezuelan after being raped and stabbed 12 times in her head, neck and chest while she fought for her life. Protests broke out over that murder, but then the German border crisis accelerated at the same time.
🇵🇱 A photo of 24-year-old Polish murder victim Klaudia has been released.
She has now passed away in hospital after being raped and stabbed by a Venezuelan migrant in Torun weeks ago.
Large protests broke out after the stabbing as Poland's immigration crisis intensifies. pic.twitter.com/JbPt2TMtpW
Then, during a fight over the weekend, a Colombian migrant stabbed a 41-year-old Pole to death in Świecie County. The residents of the town are furious and protests have already broken out. During the stabbing attack, 10 people were detained, including five Colombians. Why are there so many Colombians in a small Polish town? Residents of the Polish town would also like to know.
🇵🇱🚨"F**k off! F**k off! F**k off!"
Polish citizens demonstrate in Nowe nad Wisła today after a Pole was stabbed to death by a Colombian migrant following an argument.
It follows a series of demonstrations against mass immigration in recent weeks. pic.twitter.com/BCfLEVRngB
In response, former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on X: “Poles deserve safety. The only acceptable policy towards such cases is a policy of zero tolerance.”
On X, Maciej Naskręt wrote: “A march of angry residents in connection with the tragedy has just taken place through the streets of Nowy. They want order from the authorities in the country.”
Even Tusk’s move to restore temporary border controls is being questioned, and it may do little to restore faith in the government.
“Decisions regarding the ban on drone flights near the border, the establishment of a ban on photographing border crossings, and aggressive rhetoric toward Poles monitoring the situation at the border unfortunately form a coherent whole,” wrote Confederation leader Krzysztof Bosak on X.
“The government does not want to fight against German abuses, but against Poles concerned about the situation. This is an unwise decision—no one has yet won against the grassroots mobilization of Poles. Enforcing these decisions will escalate social conflict and strengthen suspicions that the government is quietly capitulating to German pressures and abuses. And what is happening at the border ultimately cannot be hidden anyway,” he wrote.
Decyzje ws. zakazu lotów dronami przy granicy, ustanowienia zakazu fotografowania przejeść granicznych i agresywna retoryka wobec Polaków monitorujących sytuację na granicy układają się niestety w spójną całość: rząd chce walczyć nie z nadużyciami Niemców, ale z zaniepokojonymi…
— Krzysztof Bosak 🇵🇱 (@krzysztofbosak) July 7, 2025
The leaky border with Germany, combined with migrant murders, is a problem that is not going away for the government. Under the EU’s migration pact, Poland is expected to receive tens of thousands of migrants every year, with the EU building 49 integration centers across the country for this purpose.
However, this likely cannot happen without Tusk and his government collapsing. This reality is creating a serious conundrum for not only Tusk, but those in the EU who want to ensure conservatives stay out of power in Poland — especially conservatives like those represented in the Confederation.
Poles do not seem to be backing down either. Many of these groups are showing up near the border and filming promotional videos, and unlike Western Europeans, a large segment of the Polish public seems to be receptive to this “muscular” approach to the border crisis.
🇵🇱 Polish ultras near the German border are coming out in a show of force.
The citizen-organized Border Movement wants to stop German police from pushing migrants into Poland.
PM Tusk's government has labeled these groups "militias" and slapped them with "dozens of tickets." pic.twitter.com/rUo6LH5GzK
While many migrant crimes have become run-of-the-mill occurrences in countries like Germany, Sweden, and France, they certainly are not in Poland. A large part of the Western European public is desensitized to the brutality. Due to ideological reasons, many Western Europeans cannot process these events, so they either ignore them or incorporate them into their preferred narrative.
However, it is also fair to say that a majority of the populations of the West are no longer on board for mass immigration. Polling from Germany and France, for instance, shows a majority against it. Even a majority of women in France, 53 percent, want zero migration to the country — that means a complete and total halt to immigration. Nevertheless, this reality has not translated into the right winning elections.
🇫🇷 FRANCE: 48% of French people want ZERO immigration, including zero legal migrants.
Women favor zero immigration even more than men:
🔺 53% of women 🔺 44% of men
Young people (18-24) favor zero immigration more than any other age group:
In many of these countries, the migrant communities are so large, like in France, that they now represent a powerful voting bloc that can counter growing anti-immigration sentiment. This does not apply to Poland though. A large foreign voting bloc does not yet exist in Poland, which means the left-wing parties have nobody to turn to if anti-immigration sentiment rises even further in the country.
Many have argued that the Eastern European countries are intrinsically more conservative due to their Slavic culture. However, when it comes to immigration, this theory has not been truly put to the test. Few foreigners speak Polish or Hungarian, which means fewer want to enter these countries. Many simply pass through Poland on their way to Germany. Those Eastern countries have always been poorer than Sweden and Germany, making them less attractive.
In other words, Poland has never truly been put to the test — until now.
Nothing is set in stone. Protests may peter out, Poles may shift their attention to other issues, and immigration may develop in Poland just as it has in the West.
However, that is probably the losing bet.
The Polish left will likely find that using the same immigration template in Poland as seen in the West is not going to work. The angry response of Poles so far shows they do not appear eager to follow the same path as the West. The Polish left may soon find itself in the opposition once again if it cannot find its way out of this mess.
As of this moment, more anti-immigration protests are planned, and the Polish conservative opposition is unlikely to let the issue drop anytime between now and the next national elections.
An Afghan migrant has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison and will be deported from Sweden after brutally raping a woman who was in Gothenburg to serve as a bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding.
The 25-year-old man lured the intoxicated woman to a park, raped her while choking her until she lost consciousness, and then fled with her credit card.
The victim, who had travelled to Gothenburg for the wedding last May, had gone out to a bar the night before the ceremony. After drinking heavily, she was unable to find her hotel. A man approached and offered to help guide her back. Instead, he led her into a nearby park where he attacked her.
As reported by Expressen, surveillance footage confirmed the sequence of events, showing the man following her from Gustav Adolf Square into the park. The victim told the court in a statement how she froze in fear when she realized there was no one around, fell backward onto gravel, and was violently raped. The attacker bit her, choked her until she could no longer see, and went through her belongings afterward, taking her credit card.
Despite the assault, the woman managed to call her girlfriend and an Uber. She went to the hospital for emergency treatment and left with just one hour to prepare for the wedding, covering her bruises with makeup.
She contracted a sexually transmitted disease, and the attack left her with a panic disorder that disrupted her work and ultimately caused the end of her relationship.
The attacker denied the accusations, claiming the sex was consensual. But the court found the woman’s account credible and consistent with physical evidence. Medical evidence showed neck injuries that were absent in footage taken just before the attack and consistent with the victim’s version of events. Further surveillance footage showed the man trying to buy cigarettes with the woman’s blocked credit card shortly after the assault.
A toxicology report revealed the woman’s blood alcohol level was 2.7 per mile, considered to be dangerously high and resulting in severe impairment. The court ruled that the man had clearly exploited her vulnerability and that the strangulation amounted to “violence of a particularly dangerous nature,” classifying the crime as aggravated rape.
He was also convicted of sexual assault for a separate offense involving groping and filming another woman while she slept.
The Afghan had arrived in Sweden alone in 2015 at the age of 15 and was initially denied asylum; however, he was later granted a temporary residence permit under the High School Act, which allowed him to stay in Sweden temporarily to complete his high school education, despite his asylum claim having been rejected. He reapplied for asylum and was again rejected.
The Migration Board issued a deportation order, which had not been enforced.
At the court hearing last week, the court confirmed the deportation order in connection with the rape conviction, noting that he committed an extremely serious crime, had failed to integrate after 10 years in the country, and had no family ties in Sweden.
