A major change is coming to crime reporting in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, with the interior minister ordering those who commit crimes with multiple nationalities be accurately included in the crime statistics.
Across Germany, dual citizens are only reported as Germans, and their other nationality is not disclosed. However, this widely distorts the crime reporting statistics.
Now, Interior Minister Herbert Reul, of the Christian Democrats (CDU), is the first interior minister to reverse course and include these nationalities in the statistics.
“If we don’t capture all nationalities, we’re in the dark. If you want to see reality, you have to measure it,” said Reul.
“This is the only way we can call a spade a spade and enable our police to identify dangers at an early stage and combat crimes effectively. Security only comes with clarity. When we record multiple nationalities, we create transparency – thus strengthening our police force in the fight against crime,” he added.
The inclusion of foreign nationals, who also happen to have a German passport, is set to provide a more realistic and detailed picture of who is committing crimes.
In 2023, 35.6 percent of all suspects were non-Germans, with this share of the population standing at 16.1 percent.
However, one in six suspects with German citizenship was also recorded with another citizenship, totaling 49,825 crimes.
The new data shows the common dual nationalities are German-Turkish (10,307), German/Polish (6,652), German/Russian (3,484), German/Moroccan (3,125), and German/Syrian (2,185).
The ministry justifies the decision by indicating that multiple nationalities present a risk of absconding from police. In addition, some suspects with multiple identities have presented issues for police in their data collection and identification.
However, the data may also give a clearer picture of how certain groups are integrating. Clearly, the data shows certain foreign nationals are vastly overrepresented in the crime statistics.
The Greens protest
The pro-migration Green Party has protested the decision. Domestic policy spokeswoman Julia Höller said, “Interior Minister Herbert Reul’s decree does not provide any insight into the work of the police and pays into the account of the ethnically minded AfD. The passport says absolutely nothing about why someone is committing a crime or whether they have contacts abroad. This type of portrayal is populism and has a dangerous side effect: people with a double pass are downgraded to second-class Germans.“
Police unionist Rainer Wendt, the federal chairman of the German Police Union (DPolG), backed Reul’s move.
He told Bild newspaper: “In a democratic constitutional state, it is an important achievement that government work is as transparent as possible. This also applies to law enforcement authorities. If we don’t want there to be false interpretations, we always need a clear picture of what’s going on in crime.”
Could more states follow suit?
One of the big fears of the Greens and other left-wing parties is that this decision could spread to other German states. In turn, it could help further reveal the extent of foreign criminals in the crime statistics.
It is important to note that Reul’s new law will not change how crime statistics are reported federally. Due to federal rules, North Rhine-Westphalia will only transmit the data on one nationality for dual citizen suspects, the German one, when a crime is committed by a dual German citizen.
Therefore, North Rhine-Westphalia can only release its own data with both nationalities, but it will not influence the federal data.
If all German states were to begin reporting on the crimes of dual citizens, it could potentially reveal hundreds of thousands of crimes committed by dual citizens across the country, and would dramatically change how the national statistics are viewed. Foreigners already account for nearly six in ten violent and serious crimes in Germany, which means the number is actually far higher if dual citizens were included.
However, one aspect of crimes currently not recorded anywhere is the migration background of suspects. There are many German citizens with a foreign migration background through their parents and grandparents, but which have no dual citizenship.
When police crime data is revealed using first names, it is quickly revealed that many German offenders have foreign names, as gang rape data from North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, show.
🇩🇪🚨 Last year, police in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia arrested 155 suspects in connection with 209 cases of gang r*pe.
A total of 84 suspects were foreign nationals and 71 were German citizens.
A 16-year-old girl who fled Ukraine for Germany was speaking on the phone to her grandfather when she was fatally pushed in front of a freight train in Friedland earlier this month, according to reports.
Police say DNA evidence links a 31-year-old Iraqi migrant, Muhammad A., whose asylum application had already been rejected, to the attack.
As reported by Bild, the victim, identified as Liana K., was walking home from her dental assistant apprenticeship when she dialed her grandfather. According to Geisleden Mayor Markus Janitzki, who has supported the family since they fled Mariupol in 2022, “Her grandfather had to listen to everything. He heard screams, then just the sound of a train.”
Investigators believe the suspect shoved her from the platform with full force. Goettinger Tageblatt reported that DNA traces belonging to the suspect were found on her right shoulder, consistent with a forceful push. It also noted that while there was no CCTV footage at Friedland station, prosecutors confirmed the girl was on the phone when she was struck, and her grandfather heard the incident.
The 31-year-old man was initially questioned at the scene, where police had been called because of reports of a disturbance. Officers described him as “neither agitated nor threatening” and released him after he claimed to have found the victim’s body.
A breath test showed he was intoxicated at the time. He was not arrested until Aug. 29, more than two weeks later, when the incident was finally reported in the national media.
Liana’s family had rebuilt their lives in the German state of Thuringia after escaping the Russian invasion. Both parents found jobs, and Liana had graduated school, started her training, and cared for her younger brothers, aged 5 and 11. “She was loving, ambitious, hardworking, and learned German quickly. She was a role model for her brothers,” Mayor Janitzki said.
The suspect’s asylum claim had been rejected in December 2022 under the Dublin Regulation, with Lithuania deemed responsible for his case. A twisted irony is that, given his country of arrival into Europe, he likely entered via Russia or Belarus.
His appeal was dismissed in February 2025, but deportation procedures stalled. Authorities had even sought detention in July 2025, but the Hanover District Court rejected the application, calling it flawed.
Lower Saxony Interior Minister Daniela Behrens expressed her frustration, saying, “It is incomprehensible to citizens that people can stay in Germany for years even though a completely different EU country is responsible for them.”
The accused has a history of mental illness and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He is currently being held in a secure psychiatric facility while prosecutors examine whether he is criminally responsible.
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign has been launched in Liana’s home community of Geisleden to support her parents and brothers with funeral costs. She is expected to be buried in mid-September.
The British government has won its legal fight against a local council that sought to shut down a migrant hotel in Essex.
The Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that a temporary injunction obtained by Epping Forest District Council against the continued use of the Bell Hotel to house asylum seekers should be overturned.
During the hearing, Home Office lawyers argued that the human rights of asylum seekers outweighed the council’s decision to close the hotel. The council had insisted that Somani Hotels, which owns the Bell Hotel, was in breach of planning law by changing its use to accommodate migrants. But the judges found that the lower court, which granted the injunction, had made errors that “undermine his decision.”
The ruling lifts the interim injunction and scraps a Sept. 12 deadline for asylum seekers to be relocated. A final appeal hearing will take place later this year.
The hotel has been at the center of controversy in recent months after anti-immigration protests erupted in the town, following the arrest of one of its occupants on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
The Court of Appeal’s decision has sparked anger among opposition lawmakers, who accused Labour of prioritizing the rights of illegal immigrants over the safety of local communities.
Robert Jenrick, the Conservatives’ shadow justice secretary, posted: “Starmer’s government has shown itself to be on the side of illegal migrants who have broken into our country.”
Rupert Lowe, an MP and leader of Restore Britain, wrote: “A Government against its own people. No more appeals, court cases, or debates. We must deport the illegal migrants. Not some of them. Not most of them. All of them.” He later called for the Home Office to be abolished.
Abolish the Home Office and start again.
A new department, staffed with British patriots who believe in secure borders and mass deportations.
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, said the ruling was a setback but vowed to keep fighting: “Local communities should not pay the price for Labour’s total failure on illegal immigration. This ruling is a setback, but it is not the end. I say to Conservative councils seeking similar injunctions against asylum hotels – keep going! Every case has different circumstances, and I know good Conservative councils will keep fighting for residents, so we will keep working with them every step of the way.”
Ben Habib, leader of Advance UK, echoed the anger: “He says he wants to shut illegal migrant hotels, but Keir Starmer fights tooth and nail to keep them open. Against the wishes of local residents and the local authority, the Epping hotel will now stay open. So much for democracy and the security of British citizens.”
No surprise Lord Justice Bean, a Labour Party member for 28 years, has in his Appeal Court judgment, stopped the 128 migrants being kicked out of the Bell Hotel in Epping. The law and Labour are in lockstep. A migrant has more rights than a British citizen. A serious moment.
Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun, went further, alleging judicial bias: “No surprise Lord Justice Bean, a Labour Party member for 28 years, has in his Appeal Court judgment, stopped the 128 migrants being kicked out of the Bell Hotel in Epping. The law and Labour are in lockstep. A migrant has more rights than a British citizen. A serious moment.”
A full trial to determine the future of the hotel will take place in October.
A recent amendment to Poland’s Act on Counteracting Sexual Crime Threats and Protecting Minors would have abolished the requirement for parents or guardians assisting at educational institutions, e.g., during school trips, to present certificates of no criminal record.
President Karol Nawrocki has now vetoed this amendment, reports Do Rzeczy, partially due to criticisms from the Ombudsman for Children.
Monika Horna-Cieślak appealed to Nawrocki to use his veto against what she called a move that would lower the standard of child protection in Poland, currently under the “Kamilek Act,” and create a real threat to their safety, especially in the context of sexual offenses.
The Ombudsman highlighted a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Children’s Rights, during which issues related to the situation of children during the separation of their parents were discussed. One of the speakers at this meeting, presented as an “expert,” was none other than a person convicted of sexual offences and listed on the Sex Offenders Register. This sparked outrage and questions about the mechanisms for controlling access by such individuals to places where minors reside and places generally considered safe.
“Under the proposed regulations, there is a real risk that such situations may repeat themselves in practice, and that individuals convicted of sexual offenses, murder, or human trafficking will be able to have contact with children, for example, during classes in kindergartens or schools where they will be guests. In practice, responsibilities related to children’s safety will be transferred to teaching staff,” warned Horna-Cieślak.
The so-called Kamilek Act entered into force on Feb. 15, 2024. It was passed in response to the tragic death of 8-year-old Kamilek from Częstochowa, who died as a result of brutal abuse by his stepfather.
The regulations require the implementation of child protection standards in all facilities that work with children. This includes schools, preschools, childcare centers, educational centers, religious centers, artistic centers, medical centers, recreational centers, sports centers, youth centers, and community centers. Employees in these facilities must provide a certificate of no criminal record from the National Criminal Register.
New figures released by Germany’s federal government have reshaped the rankings of citizen’s allowance recipients in the country, placing Mohammed and its many spelling variants at the top of the list.
A recent government response to an Alternative for Germany (AfD) inquiry originally suggested that Michael, Andreas, Thomas, and Daniel were the most frequent first names among those receiving the allowance, known locally as Bürgergeld. However, the government’s list had separated different spellings of the same name, resulting in distortions.
AfD lawmaker René Springer requested additional data that consolidated all variations of the same name. The government’s updated response, obtained by Bild, shows that Mohammed — counted across 19 different spellings and variants such as Mohamed, Muhammad, and Mahamadou — now ranks first with 39,280 entries.
By comparison, Michael (including Michel, Mischa, and Maik) comes second with 24,660 entries, followed by Ahmad (20,660), Andreas (18,420), and Thomas (17,920). Names with fewer spelling variations, such as Andreas and Thomas, lost ground, while Ahmad, which has multiple common versions including Achmet and Amed, rose to third place.
The federal government stressed that first names cannot be used to directly determine nationality, though they undeniably serve as an indicator of native Germans and those of a migration background.
Three Islamic names, Mohammed, Ahmad, and Ali, were included in the top 10 first names of recipients.
At the end of 2024, a total of 5.42 million people in Germany received a citizen’s allowance, including 2.82 million Germans (52 percent) and 2.6 million foreigners (48 percent).
Critics argue that these numbers understate the role of foreign-born individuals, since many migrants are now naturalized German citizens and therefore counted as “German” in the statistics. Bild also reported that nearly half of Germany’s €17.68 billion housing support budget for 2024 went to foreigners.
The debate comes as the Federal Employment Agency continues to advertise welfare benefits to migrants, with parts of its website dedicated to “people from abroad,” promising financial support to cover living expenses.
Germany’s governing CDU/CSU bloc is finally calling for stricter limits on migrant reliance on welfare. Deputy parliamentary leader Mathias Middelberg argued earlier this week that job centers need to do more to integrate Afghans and Syrians into work. “Just 100,000 more people in work instead of relying on the citizen’s allowance could, depending on wage levels, relieve the federal budget in the low single-digit billion range every year,” Middelberg said.
Government figures show that 52.8 percent of Syrians and 46.7 percent of Afghans in Germany receive a citizen’s allowance, while fewer than 40 percent in both groups are in jobs subject to social security contributions.
“We cannot accept that hundreds of thousands of young asylum seekers here in Germany are unemployed for decades,” Middelberg added.
Earlier this month, two Social Democratic Party district administrators in Thuringia also broke with their party’s national leadership by demanding that non-EU migrants, including asylum seekers and recognized refugees, should receive social benefits only as interest-free loans, repayable once they find employment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Hungary’s entry ban on the commander responsible for the attack on the Friendship oil pipeline is “outrageous.”
Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, announced that the commander of the Ukrainian military unit responsible for sabotaging the pipeline delivering oil to Hungary (and Slovakia) would be banned from entering Hungary and the entire Schengen area.
In his Facebook post, cited by Magyar Nemzet, the Ukrainian head of state said Hungary’s foreign ministry needs to “clarify all the facts and react accordingly.”
“Hungarian officials have gone so far as to try to discriminate against representatives of the Hungarian community in Ukraine for participating in the defense of our state and citizens,” he wrote.
“Ukraine knows exactly that the attacks on the Friendship oil pipeline are not primarily harmful to Russia, but rather to Hungary and, of course, Slovakia,” Szijjártó stated in response.
He noted that the latest wave of attacks almost forced Hungary to “use up the strategic, or emergency, reserve.”
Robert Brovgyi, the commander in question, also reacted to the ban on his social media page, harshly attacking Hungary and sending a message to Szijjártó.
“Shove your sanctions and restrictions on visiting Hungary up your ass, Mr. ‘Dancer on Bones,’” he posted.
He also warned that one day, Szijjártó will “piss off real Hungarians.”
Brovgyi also noted that “by protecting the Friendship oil pipeline, you are not protecting Hungary’s sovereignty, but your own dirty pockets, which are filled with cheap raw materials under sanctions, and by purchasing which you are complicit in multiplying the blood money that flies back with missiles and Shahids over the peaceful cities of Ukraine.”
“As for the populism surrounding the alleged threats to Hungary’s sovereignty, keep selling it to the locals,” he added, before seeming to threaten the foreign minister: “Your hands are covered in Ukrainian blood. And we will remember that. No political agenda here. Just the reaction of a soldier, a citizen of Ukraine, to a public statement.”
In Cologne’s upcoming local election campaign, all major parties except the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have pledged to speak only positively about immigration and avoid linking it to social problems.
The CDU, SPD, Greens, FDP, Left Party, Volt, and Die Partei signed a “fairness agreement” initiated by the “Cologne Round Table for Integration” association.
The pact commits the signatories not to blame migrants or refugees for unemployment, crime, or security concerns. It also promises an active fight against racism and antisemitism, with compliance monitored by Protestant and Catholic church representatives. Citizens are encouraged to report possible breaches of the agreement by party campaigners or candidates.
The agreement explicitly excluded the AfD from the process, with those involved insisting the right-wing party does not share their values and should not be welcomed to sign, not that there was any suggestion that the party would do so.
The deal has sparked sharp criticism from both academics and political rivals. Political scientist Werner Patzelt toldBild that the decision was “tactically stupid,” arguing that leaving migration concerns unaddressed hands the AfD an open goal. “Our parties are so stupid that they don’t see the tactical disadvantage and are so weak-minded that they don’t see that they themselves are damaging our democracy by not wanting to talk about important issues,” he said.
The AfD condemned the agreement as an attempt to silence debate. The party’s Cologne district spokesperson, Christer Cremer, told RTL, as cited by T-Online: “I view this fairness agreement somewhat critically, because I believe it is intended to suppress debate. Especially during the election campaign, it must be possible to address all issues, including issues of migration, but also many other things.”
Taking to X, the local AfD party wrote, “The AfD is not going along with this. We won’t allow the left to forbid us from saying what we say. We address problems and propose solutions.”
The CDU has already been accused of violating the agreement with the distribution of a flyer opposing a planned initial reception center for 500 refugees in Cologne’s Agnesviertel district. While church ombudsmen monitoring the pact stopped short of calling the flyer discriminatory, they warned its wording was misleading. Claus-Ulrich Prölß of the Cologne Refugee Council went further, calling it a “gross violation of the fairness agreement.”
CDU leader in Cologne, Serap Güler, rejected the accusations as “absurd,” adding that the CDU had no intention of stirring hostility toward refugees, but insisted: “At this point, we simply believe a facility of this size is wrong.”
A Focus Online analysis of reader comments found most focused on criticizing the party’s strategy to avoid talking about the issues linked to mass immigration, while others highlighted the security concerns related to the topic, and the third most popular response expressed concern over hindrances to free speech and democratic debate.
The local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Cologne, are scheduled for September 14.
A court in Sweden has sentenced four migrant males for a brutal humiliation robbery in Karlshamn in which a 15-year-old boy was forced to strip naked and dance inside the city mall before being robbed of his belongings.
The attack, which occurred in May 2023, was filmed by the men and later circulated by them to humiliate the victim further.
In the footage, as cited by the Samnytt news site, the boy was surrounded, beaten, and coerced into removing his clothes. He was then ordered to bend down and kiss the shoes of one of the men while they made sexual remarks about his mother.
The court identified 24-year-old Ahmad Dawood, originally from Iraq, as the ringleader. His defense team presented a diagnosis of mild to moderate intellectual disability in an attempt at mitigation, but Blekinge District Court sentenced him to 18 months in prison, convicting him of assault, unlawful coercion, and robbery.
Two others, 20-year-old Syrian Mohamed Harba and 18-year-old Omar Merzi, whose father is Lebanese, were convicted on the same charges. Harba received a suspended sentence with 180 hours of community service, while Merzi was sentenced to youth service and additionally convicted of unlawful threats. A fourth boy under 18, also of Iraqi origin, was given youth service.
All four hold Swedish citizenship and can therefore not be deported.
“It was scary and uncomfortable,” the teenager told investigators.
The men were caught after the sister of one of the perpetrators saw the video and recognized her sibling. When she confronted him, it led to a violent clash in Karlshamn’s main square, which required police assistance to break up.
The light sentences have fueled criticism over leniency in handling humiliation robberies, a crime that is on the rise across Sweden.
Following a spate of humiliation offenses in the city of Umeå this year, local police chief Anna Oscarsson Larsson spoke out about the issue.
“When we talk about degrading violence, it is linked to other types of crime. It can be everything from unlawful coercion, assault, robbery, harassment, and offensive photography. So, degrading violence in particular is not searchable in the police system,” she said, adding that at least 10 cases of such a nature have been recorded in the Swedish city so far this year.
One such incident occurred earlier this month, involving a 16-year-old Somali boy who stopped an 8-year-old boy while he was out cycling and forced him to strip naked. When questioned, the migrant boy claimed he acted because “he looked like a racist, I think he will vote for the Sweden Democrats when he gets older.”
“Most often, when we have come across this material, we have found it on mobile phones connected to other cases. People like to record this, to spread it, so they can show what they have done. It’s terrible,” added Larsson.
Former Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has accused Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński of leaving him exposed to violence by revoking his state protection for political reasons. Speaking after a brutal assault in the city of Siedlce, Niedzielski said the government’s decision was a “purely political move” that left him vulnerable.
“Yes, it was Minister Kierwiński’s decision,” Niedzielski told Polsat News, as cited by wPolityce.pl. “I left office in August 2023, and at that time, it turned out that I still needed this protection. Minister Wąsik’s decision ensured that I retained my protection practically until the end of the Law and Justice party’s rule. Then, one of the first decisions of the new government was, among other things, to revoke my protection, and of course, this was a purely political move.”
He argued that this failure of protection directly contributed to the incident. “Believe me, there are two main reasons why yesterday’s incident occurred. On the one hand, of course, the escalation of hate against me, but on the other, the simple lack of any care or protection from the state,” he said.
He added that he had made no attempt since to reapply for protection from the police, because he knew what the answer would be: “I knew the political attitude was such that I simply had no chance.”
Niedzielski had served under the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government, which has since been replaced by an administration led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s left-wing Civic Platform.
Police in eastern Poland have arrested two men accused of assaulting Niedzielski in Siedlce on Wednesday afternoon. The attack took place outside a restaurant after the men approached the former minister and began criticizing him over restrictions and decisions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. They then punched him in the face and kicked him as he fell to the ground.
Following the attack, Niedzielski wrote on social media: “Several hours ago, I was the victim of a brutal attack. I was beaten by two men shouting, ‘Death to traitors of the homeland.’ I was hit in the face and then kicked while lying on the ground. The whole incident lasted several seconds before the attackers ran away.”
Police later confirmed the suspects had turned themselves in. “The perpetrators of the attack on the former minister of health are already in the hands of Siedlce police officers,” the force said in a statement on X.
Niedzielski, who served as health minister during the pandemic, said threats had been a constant feature of his time in office and were well documented by police and prosecutors. “The issue of threats to me was very well known, both at the police and prosecutor’s levels,” he said, adding that many cases had been dismissed despite the growing risks.
Asked whether Minister Kierwiński should resign, Niedzielski avoided making a direct call. “I try to stay away from politics. Rather, I urge politicians to reflect collectively, because dividing ourselves into tribes and building ever-increasing antagonism leads to precisely this kind of behavior. Our passivity in this regard, for all of us, will ultimately condemn us to nothing but an escalation of violence.”
Major General Sándor Töreki, Hungary’s deputy chief of police for criminal matters, has revealed that the Delta action program launched this year has led to a large-scale, offensive professional action to detect drug-related crimes, reports Mandiner. He highlighted that thousands of procedures have been initiated, significant quantities of drugs have been seized, and significant financial assets and assets have been seized from the perpetrators of the crimes.
The program has been running for six months, and according to Sándor Töreki, professional evaluations are currently underway, and the results will be presented in the near future.
Prevention, noted the general, is also playing an important role, for which a professional program has been developed.
“Not only does the school year start on September 1st, but so does drug prevention.”
At a drug prevention press conference this morning, he noted how drug use and drug distribution destroy the fabric of society, that drugs tear apart human communities, and destroy the security of society as a whole.
Mass consumption of designer drugs has appeared in medium-sized and small settlements across Hungary.
According to the general, the police want to be the driving force behind drug prevention activities. The program will also call upon civilians, as they also need to carry out drug prevention in schools. So far, 3,049 police officers are participating in the REDP program, which school guards are also joining.
With more than 200 million forints available for prevention, Sándor Töreki said that the target audience of the program is students, teachers and parents. They will participate in professional workshops, where the harmful effects of drug use will be presented. Any work done in educational institutions will be constantly monitored and measured via questionnaires.
There will also be joint programs with prisons, and authorities are continuously investigating what drug prevention programs exist in neighboring countries to learn from them as well.
According to László Horváth, the government commissioner responsible for the eradication of drug trafficking, strict action is essential, and strict legislation is needed. The goal is to “protect children and ensure their development,” he said.
According to the politician, drugs now pose a direct threat to all youth, and dealers have also targeted areas around schools. He said that the domestic drug situation has changed recently and a new program is needed, as he highlighted: “The key is to act quickly.”
The deputy head of the German police union, Manuel Ostermann, published this text on X, which Remix News is publishing in English:
Imagine Germany in 2050. Arab clans dominate the big cities. Gangs fight each other in the fight for sovereignty in organized crime. People who don’t belong to the “right side” are murdered on the street. Even the police hardly dare to go to certain areas known as no-go areas anymore. Drug deaths hit an all-time high. In some districts, only Sharia law is recognized as valid law. Women are only allowed to go out on the streets unless fully veiled and accompanied by a male relative. The streetscape in these cities is dominated by Arab shops and traders.
Man stelle sich Deutschland im Jahr 2050 vor. Arabische Clans beherrschen die Großstädte. Banden bekriegen sich beim Kampf um die Hoheit in der organisierten Kriminalität. Auf offener Straße werden Menschen ermordet, die nicht zur »richtigen Seite« gehören. Selbst die Polizei…
You only hear Arabic. Germans have moved to other parts of the city and no longer dare to go back. In schools, lessons can only take place bilingually. The law of the strongest prevails in the playground. Girls and women only dare to be around people with pepper spray in their pockets. Gang rapists and so-called grooming gangs wreak havoc with impunity. Muslim girls, who are still pre-adolescent, like to be married to older men. Genital mutilation is practiced quite naturally in certain circles. German folk festivals only take place sporadically.
Many cities now have Islamist mayors. There is an Islamic right-wing radical party in the Bundestag that is its strongest force. Hundreds of male migrants still cross borders every day. Christmas lights have been abolished. Islamic festivals such as Sugar Festival have been declared a national holiday. Crosses have invariably disappeared from public life. Most churches are closed. The imams can be heard calling to prayer several times a day. The social system has almost collapsed. The pensions can no longer be paid out.
🇩🇪‼️ "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
I hear you shouting again: Now he’s exaggerating again! Such dystopian nonsense! And again I would answer you: No, I’m not exaggerating at all.
Just take a look at the U.K. There, you are already a few steps further and closer to the description above. Why should things be any different here in Germany? Not only will our society continue to Islamize –and at a rapid pace – it will undoubtedly become radicalized in every respect. Acts of violence will continue to increase. If … yes, if we don’t get a 180-degree turnaround in domestic politics right away.
🇩🇪❓"Why don’t you have any German friends?"
🔺"Because they don’t belong to us. I can’t stand the Germans too much."
Thousands of German students now face discrimination and sometimes outright assault from foreigners in their school systems.
We don’t have a second chance, just this one way to stop the development that has been mapped out. Not tomorrow. Not at some point. Now. Germany is no longer safe. This is not a wanton toad. This is not a “populist” battle cry. This is not pessimism. This is reality.
🇩🇪🔴 A young German girl spoke of the nightmare she experiences from her Muslim classmates.
"Sometimes they say to me that I’m German. And yeah, then they laugh at me, curse at me and tease me. Others are always Muslim, and they ask me why I am not a Muslim. I said I am a… pic.twitter.com/gggVOm9IPs
A migrant from Mali has been arrested in Italy for allegedly slaughtering a dog named Merlin in front of a pharmacy and then carrying the dog’s body home in Naro, allegedly to eat, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa. The week before, police say he also tortured another dog by pouring boiling oil over the animal; however, the courts released the man, only for him to almost immediately reoffend.
The case is being widely shared on Italian social media, with Italians in shock over the torture directed at the dogs. In addition, animal rights groups and the Italian parliament have commented on the case.
Citizens reportedly witnessed the gruesome attack on Merlin in front of the pharmacy, and alerted the police. The man, a 27-year-old from Mali, carried Merlin’s corpse back to his home.
“He wanted to eat it,” writes Italian newspaper La Stampa. The incident has also been covered by a range of Italian newspapers, including Corriere Della Sera.
Media outlet Today.it has identified the dog as Merlin, which was well taken care of by residents of Nora.
In addition, Michela Vittoria Brambilla, president of Italian League for the Defense of Animals and the Environment (LEIDAA) and a member of parliament serving in the Parliamentary Intergroup for Animal Rights and Environmental Protection, also commented on the case:
“What happened in Naro, in the province of Agrigento, where a foreigner with an expired deportation order slaughtered a stray dog in the center of the town, in front of the citizens, is an unacceptable, repugnant act of violence. Italy is not a no man’s land and never will be. The Brambilla law has been in force since July 1, all that remains is to apply it. Anyone who has no right to stay and is responsible for similar crimes must be stopped and punished. I thank the police, who intervened promptly, but anger remains at the fact that an individual with a history of assaulting public officials could move freely,” she wrote.
Animal rights activists have also commented on the case, including Enrico Rizzi, who noted that this migrant had already been arrested for pouring boiling oil on a dog just the week before.
“Seven days ago, this non-EU man had already burned a poor stray dog with boiling oil and even attacked the Italian police who intervened,” said Rizzi, an animal rights activist. “The man had been arrested and immediately released by the judiciary. Back on the street, he took another stray and slaughtered it. He must be sent home.”
The Hope shelter in Agrigento shared a photo of Merlin as well, writing on Facebook: “He had been living free and looked after with love from the neighborhood for years. As citizens and as animal lovers, we will not remain silent: We will formalize a regular complaint to the competent authorities, asking for justice for Merlin and safety for all.”
The man is also known to have “wreaked havoc” in the town in recent weeks, including defacing the street Via Rosa, raising the question of why he was not brought to justice long ago.
Meanwhile, Brambilla wants the full force of the law to be used against the suspect.
“Killing an animal with torture not only offends our civilization and our conscience, but it carries a sentence of up to four years in prison and a fine of 60,000 euros. This is the law of a country that protects the weakest, starting with animals,” stated Brambilla.
The mayor of Naro, Milco Dalacchi, wants the man deported after being brought to justice.
“As an Administration, we reiterate that we have put everything within our means in place and assure citizens that we will continue to monitor the matter with the utmost attention so that all necessary measures are undertaken, including the deportation procedure against the individual in question. We trust in justice and the actions of law enforcement, renewing our ongoing commitment to the safety and decorum of our community,” he said.
The mayor also addressed the fate of Merlin, writing:
“Unfortunately, it was a small innocent soul who paid the price for this whole affair: a docile dog that was stationed in via Dante and who fell victim to the incident,” wrote the mayor.
The Mali migrant is currently facing numerous charges related to the numerous crimes he has committed.
The case appears to mirror claims made in the United States that Haitian migrants were eating dogs and other wildlife during the last presidential election.
However, this is not the only time a migrant has been accused of eating dogs in Italy.
Francesa Totolo, an Italian journalist, wrote on X:
Do you remember when, in August 2020, David Puente desperately tried to debunk what was documented by the undersigned, namely that the migrant had killed and eaten Mrs. Rosy’s dogs in Lampedusa? In front of a pharmacy in Naro, in the province of Agrigento, a non-EU citizen slit a dog’s throat and tried to eat it. Let’s also not forget the African who, in Campiglia Marittima, had killed a cat and then roasted it on an improvised barbecue.”
Regarding the last claim regarding a barbecue, she shared a photo of the incident on her X profile.
Vi ricordate quando, nell’agosto del 2020, @DavidPuente cercò disperatamente di smentire quanto documentato dalla sottoscritta, ovvero che i #migranti avevano ucciso e mangiato i cani della signora Rosy a Lampedusa?
This past May, an 8-year-old boy in Umeå who was out cycling was stopped by a threatening teenager and forced to strip naked. A 16-year-old Somali is now being prosecuted for the act.
“He looked like a racist. I think he’ll vote for the Sweden Democrats when he gets older,” said the 16-year-old during questioning.
The boy had been to the Coop Nära store and was on his way home when the older dark-skinned African teenage boy suddenly ran up and stopped him, according to Swedish newspaper Samnytt.
The teenager forced the eight-year-old boy to take off all his clothes so that he was completely naked, and told him to do push-ups. The perpetrator told the boy that if he did not do as he was told, he would call his friends to come see him naked.
🇸🇪🔴 An 8-year-old Swedish boy was forced to strip naked by a 16-year-old Somali because the Somali teen said the boy "looked racist."
Once arrested, the Somali teen told police during questioning the boy was stripped because he "looked like a racist. I think he'll vote for the… pic.twitter.com/DF2oceU6V4
While the young boy did the push-ups, the teenager played rap music and rode around on the 8-year-old’s bike.
Finally, the victim managed to get away and ran naked into the forest, making his way home, which was nearby. His bike and clothes were left at the scene of the crime, along with the perpetrator.
The boy’s father immediately called the police, and a major operation was launched, with the crime scene being cordoned off. Unfortunately, the perpetrator escaped.
The following weekend, the boy was watching a soccer match with his father. There, the boy spotted the teenager who had forced him to strip naked. He was even wearing the same shirt.
The father called the police and told them that they had spotted the perpetrator. The match continued for another half hour, but this time, the police are slow to arrive. By the time a patrol finally arrived at the soccer field, the match is over and even the referee had left.
Nevertheless, the police were able to locate and arrest the suspect based on a description given by the boy.
The perpetrator’s name is Fuad Hassan, he is 16 years old and was born in Somalia. When questioned by the police, he admitted to telling the 8-year-old boy that he wanted his bike and clothes, but denied any crime.
“I thought he would say no, but he didn’t,” the teenager told police.
The grace period provided to the German government that took office in the spring is now over. Germany’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) sent a serious warning to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, arguing that “things cannot go on like this.”
The change of government in Berlin did not lead to an improvement in economic sentiment, even after a hundred days. Now, industry is growing desperate to change the path of the federal government, according to Berliner Zeitung.
The paper cites three recent headlines to illustrate how bad Germany’s situation is: “Germany is threatened by the third year of recession in a row,” “50,000 jobs were lost in the automotive industry in one year,” and “Steel production fell by 12 percent.”
As Remix News reported a week ago, the country has also hit bleak milestones, with both unemployment and bankruptcies hitting 10-year highs.
In its letter, the DIHK made clear demands to the federal government. DIHK CEO Helena Melnikov called on the Merz government to implement sweeping reforms in autumn 2025.
“The German economy is deeper into the crisis than many people want to see,” Melnikov wrote. As a first positive step, Melnikov mentioned investment packages and incentives for infrastructure and security.
However, this is not enough. Since the fiasco over the electricity tax, the confidence of many companies has been declining again. A clear direction is now needed: The tax burden must be reduced, the economic acceleration package must be implemented, and public administration must be modernized.
“As before, it cannot go on,” the head of the DIHK warned. After nearly four months in office, the grace period for the new government expired.
“It is crucial that productivity and economic performance grow faster than social spending,” warns Melnikov.
According to him, “this cannot be achieved through tax increases, but only through structural reforms. In a situation where billions in loans are already being taken out, the tax increase is a completely wrong signal,” said the CEO of DIHK.
He continued by stating that “even mere debate causes a significant loss of confidence in the economy,” he highlighted, giving the reforms of Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark as examples.
“Courage is needed now for such profound changes,” stated the head of the DIHK.
The background to his warning is the ever-increasing structural crisis and growing frustration among companies. After two years of shrinking gross domestic product, Germany is still threatened with recession in 2025, a development that economic experts say will lead to a permanent loss of confidence and an increasing shift of production abroad.
According to a study by the consulting firm EY, the turnover of the industry in the second quarter amounted to slightly more than €533 billion. This represents a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to the previous year. This is the eighth consecutive quarter that a decline has been recorded. In addition, the development of exports was negative in seven of the last eight quarters.
The collapse in German industry has been ongoing for years now.
Since 2019, which predates the coronavirus crisis, 245,500 jobs have been lost in German industry, according to a new report from the Reuters news agency.
Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, also the leader of the smaller coalition party, the Social Democrats (SPD), sees tax increases as an opportunity to fill the huge deficits in the 2027 budget. However, this approach is understandably not to the liking of industrial players.
According to Germany’s business community, energy prices should be reduced, money should be provided for the construction of new gas power plants, the building energy law should be relaxed, and overall, more market and less state is needed.
“Companies are only willing to invest if the framework conditions are right for this, so this fall should be about reforms,” emphasized Melnikov.
The seriousness of the situation was acknowledged by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself when he convened a crisis meeting of the leading politicians of the CDU.
This is not a temporary weakening, but a structural crisis in the economy. Our country is no longer able to keep up with global development, its competitiveness has decreased significantly,” the chancellor said in his speech on Saturday.
“Germany has lost its character as a large and strong economy that drives Europe forward. Currently, it is rather holding it back, due to what are deep, structural problems,” Bence Bauer, director of the MCC Hungarian–German Institute, previously told the Hungarian Nation.
Another round of Ukrainian drone strikes hit key refineries last night, sparking fires in the Krasnodar and Samara regions. Large fires were caught on film.
These drones strikes have been tremendously effective against Russia’s energy industry. Wholesale prices for Russia’s most popular gasoline type, A-95, shot more than 50 percent higher than January levels, hitting a record high, with resulting long lines, disgruntled consumers, and a major dent in Moscow’s reputation as an energy powerhouse.
Gas stations across the country have simply run out, which is especially bad for farmers ahead of harvest season. Remote regions have been the hardest hit.
Krasnodar Krai, Russia ❗ At the Afipsky Oil Refinery, the gas and gas condensate joint processing unit was hit.
The unit was commissioned in 1964, has a capacity of about 3.25 million tons per year, and was reconstructed in 2020.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have been stepping up their drone warfare game, but recent waves have been game-changing.
“The attacks are massive, coordinated, and repeated; they come in waves, and the refineries simply do not have time to repair the damage caused by the previous attack before the next one occurs,” analyst Boris Aronstein told the Guardian.
The paper cites estimates that 17 percent of Russia’s total refining capacity (1.1 million barrels per day) may now be offline.
Good morning sunshines 🌞 Enjoy your ☕ and let's Go 🤩🤙 Samara region, Russia ❗ 🛸🧚♂️💥 Due to a massive drone attack, several strategic facilities are burning in russia! The Kuibyshev Refinery and the Novokuibyshevsk refinery were both attacked and are burning. pic.twitter.com/sfMUVslZl2
This would be a key development, with oil sales fueling Putin’s war chest, and U.S. President Trump looking for any leverage to get Moscow to agree to peace.
One of the major problems for Russia is that much of the advanced technology inside the refineries is actually American. Chinese components have been sent to Russia to replace the damaged units, but they are considered to be inferior to the American products.
The victim of a violent robbery near Milan’s Duomo has spoken publicly about his ordeal, warning others to avoid the city center at night.
Alessandro Briguglio, 25, was ambushed on July 5 while walking with a friend in Piazza Missori and left with severe head injuries after two men attacked him for his €4,000 Tudor watch.
“Just a word of advice: In Milan, don’t turn towards the Duomo because it’s not safe. I had my head smashed in for a watch,” Briguglio said in a video posted to social media. He was treated at Policlinico Hospital, where doctors said another blow “could certainly have penetrated deeper and reached the brain.” Briguglio spent two days in intensive care and a further week in the hospital.
According to Corriere della Sera, authorities have since arrested Claudio Selimovic, 27, and his cousin Conan, 26, known as “Maradona,” on charges of aggravated robbery and attempted murder. Selimovic is a Bosnian surname that derives from Islam.
Prosecutors say the two cornered Briguglio and his friend near Via Zebedia, shouting “On the corner! The watch!” before launching a frenzied attack. Briguglio was beaten with a hammer, punched, and kicked until he collapsed against a wall. His friend managed to escape and raise the alarm, while bystanders recorded the attackers’ getaway car.
The Carabinieri Investigative Unit identified the suspects after cross-referencing CCTV, phone data, witness statements, and wiretaps. Searches of their homes uncovered stolen electronics, a replica pistol, and €13,000 in cash. Investigators also linked them to two other thefts in July, including suitcase robberies in Assago and Bicocca Village.
Judge Patrizia Nobile, in ordering pre-trial detention, cited their “unscrupulous, violent, and unrestrained personalities.” Wiretaps further revealed the extent of their criminal activity, with Selimovic boasting to his wife on July 26: “Today, I made a lot of money with Maradona, I made more than €20,000. He’s more hot-headed than me. He’s younger, and he doesn’t have a family.”
The case has intensified concerns about public safety in Milan’s historic center, where violent robberies have been on the rise.
Last month, an American tourist was stabbed in the chest while traveling on a regional train from Melegnano to Milan. The 27-year-old victim was attacked near San Giuliano Milanese train station by a gang of young men described as of North African origin, who attempted to steal his gold necklace before fleeing the scene.
In November last year, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi revealed that 65 percent of crimes in Milan are committed by the 20 percent foreign population, leading left-wing mayor Beppe Sala to admit, “I won’t claim Milan is a safe city, but it is making an effort to address challenges faced by all international cities.”
An Eritrean asylum seeker has been arrested after beating two women with a metal pole in Horb am Neckar, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
The 27-year-old migrant is said to have severely injured one of the woman and is now facing charges in the Rottweil District Court. The man was previously already wanted by police for an arrest warrant.
Early Monday morning, at the market square in the city, the man became involved in an argument with a 41-year-old woman and her 31-year-old friend. He then took a metal pole that was being used as a barrier and began beating the women.
French politics was thrown into fresh controversy after Jean-Luc Mélenchon launched a blistering attack on the country’s prefects during a rally at his party’s “summer school” in southeastern France.
The far-left leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) accused senior state officials of “intimidation” against his movement’s MPs and warned them they could face prison if his party came to power.
“The prefect’s duty is to serve and obey the law, and the law is that he is the one who keeps quiet,” Mélenchon told supporters, remarks that were met with loud applause from attendees. Referring to a recent case involving Val-d’Oise prefect Philippe Court, who filed a complaint against LFI deputy Aurélien Taché after he alleged that “police are killing everywhere,” Mélenchon blasted the action as an “unacceptable attempt at intimidation.”
“All those who have stooped to these attempts at intimidation will not benefit from a statute of limitations from a rebellious government,” he warned, as cited by Le Journal du Dimanche. The LFI leader then accused another prefect, a senior aide to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, of targeting MP Rima Hassan online. “No prefect has the power to question the nationality of an elected representative of the people. Vichy is over. You have lost. We will put you in prison before you put us there,” Mélenchon said.
The veteran politician also called for an end to prosecutions against LFI figures accused of condoning terrorism, insisting that elected officials should not be dragged before police for their positions on the Gaza conflict. Since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, LFI has made pro-Palestinian messaging a central theme, resulting in multiple legal summonses for its deputies. Most recently, MEP Emma Fourreau was questioned by police after she praised the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a militant convicted of the murders of American and Israeli diplomats in 1982.
“What kind of country are we where an elected representative of the people, with a political position that is not secret, because it is assumed in the Assembly, in the European Parliament, in the street, must respond for hours to a police officer who asks him what his analysis of the conflict is, how he characterizes Hamas… Is that France?” Mélenchon asked, again avoiding any direct description of Hamas as a terrorist group, for which it has been designated across the European Union.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally parliamentary group, denounced the speech on social media. “After the calls for insurrection, the support for rioters, squatters, Islamists, foreign delinquents, and illegal immigrants, after the transformation of the National Assembly into a ZAD (a protest camp), the far left crosses a new and most alarming threshold by threatening state representatives and attacking one of the pillars of the Republic,” she wrote on X.
Après les appels à l’insurrection, le soutien aux casseurs, aux squatteurs, aux islamistes, aux délinquants étrangers et aux clandestins, après la transformation de l’Assemblée nationale en ZAD, l’extrême gauche franchit un nouveau palier des plus inquiétants en menaçant les… https://t.co/1eBzasjfgw
Le Pen blamed the Macron government for enabling LFI, arguing that “the responsibility of the Macron camp in these unacceptable excesses is overwhelming due to its shameful alliances in the 2024 legislative elections with LFI.”
The latest eruption comes just as Prime Minister François Bayrou prepares to call a confidence vote next month in a bid to secure legitimacy for his austerity agenda. With the government weakened and all major opposition groups vowing to vote against it, early parliamentary elections are likely, and both the left and right are already gearing up for another brutal election campaign.
Poland’s minister of health under President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Morawiecki has been hospitalized, following a severe beating by two men shouting “death to traitors of the homeland.”
Adam Niedzielski released a statement, in which he said he “was punched in the face and then kicked while lying on the ground” before his attackers fled the scene.
“This entire incident is the result of tolerating hate speech, but also of taking away my protection by the decision of Minister Kierwiński despite numerous threats against me in public space,” he wrote.
“Within minutes, the police and ambulance arrived and provided first aid, and I was taken to the hospital,” Kierwiński added, saying that luckily his injuries were limited to some bruising and soreness.
The former minister thanked both the hospital in Siedlce and the authorities for their swift action.
“I thank the police for their efficient work and exceptional diligence in collecting evidence,” he noted.
Former PM Morawiecki responded to the incident on X, posting: “This is what hatred in politics leads to! Get a grip! I expectthe police to take immediate and decisive action.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for George Soros and his son to be charged under U.S. anti-corruption laws, accusing them of supporting violent protests and causing widespread harm to the United States.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, Trump claimed the U.S.-Hungarian billionaire philanthropist and his “wonderful Radical Left son,” Alex, should face charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), “because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States.”
“We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more, never giving it so much as a chance to breathe and be free,” Trump wrote.
“Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our country,” the U.S. president claimed, and warned that his office was watching Soros and his left-wing network carefully.
Elon Musk quickly backed Trump’s remarks, posting: “It’s high time action was taken against Soros directly.” The X owner and Tesla CEO has frequently criticized Soros, accusing him of funding left-wing activism that, in his view, undermines stability in Western societies.
Soros, through his Open Society Foundations, has long directed billions into left-wing causes, from immigration advocacy and criminal justice reform in the United States to NGOs across Europe. Critics say this amounts to social engineering and interference in sovereign politics.
In Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been among Budapest-born Soros’s most vocal opponents. Earlier this year, Orbán vowed to begin the expulsion of Soros-backed organizations from Hungary, calling the financier and his Democratic allies in the U.S. “a bunch of idiots” who seek to impose their ideology on other nations
“The Soros network’s presence in Europe is contrary to the interests of the people. If there is corruption, this is it,” Orbán said in a January radio interview.
Orbán, who welcomed Trump’s return to the White House, argued that Brussels itself had fallen under Soros’s influence, warning the EU must “sober up and adapt.”
A 21-year-old American paramedic and model, who was attacked by a Syrian knifeman in Dresden after intervening when a woman was harassed on a tram, has questioned Germany’s commitment to mass immigration and suggested Berlin could learn from U.S. President Trump’s deportation plans.
John Rudat was riding the subway toward Pennrich in the German city late on Aug. 24 when he witnessed a young woman being harassed by two foreign men. The U.S. exchange student stepped in to defend the woman and was attacked by one of the men with a knife.
A 21-year-old Syrian migrant named Majd A. was arrested the following day. He was already known to the authorities for robbery and assault. He is under investigation for grievous bodily harm.
“I immediately saw that one of them was on drugs. He had this completely insane look on his face,” Rudat told the German newspaper Bild. When the man grabbed the woman and shook her, Rudat intervened. At first, it appeared to be a scuffle, but then the situation escalated. “Suddenly, I heard the click of a knife – and before I knew it, he cut my nose. This guy didn’t want to fight. He wanted to kill me,” Rudat said.
Covered in blood, Rudat was helped by his host father, brother, and passersby who alerted police. Surveillance footage confirmed his account, showing the attackers fleeing the tram with the young woman.
The case quickly drew international attention. The U.S. Embassy in Berlin urged German authorities “to bring the perpetrators to justice promptly and punish them to the fullest extent permitted by law.”
Speaking to GB News on Tuesday, Rudat criticized Germany’s handling of violent crime and its migration policy.
'My main priority was the safety of the woman.'
American model John Rudat speaks out after being attacked by a migrant while defending a woman on a tram in Dresden.
“People nowadays tell me that they are afraid to use the tram, and understandably so – look at my face. I completely understand where they’re coming from,” he said, adding that many Germans had contacted him to describe their fears about rising violence linked to immigration.
“The German people would really appreciate being able to feel safe on their own transportation systems, and I hope that Germany and the government of Germany, and the people of Germany push for exactly that. More policy for more safety.”
Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan, Rudat said he had sympathy for people in Germany who might want similar measures. “I think that the German people would really appreciate some policies like that. I think the German people would really appreciate being able to feel safe on their own transportation systems.”
Reflecting on the attack, Rudat said he never expected to face such violence on public transport in Europe. “It was definitely a big surprise. I never expected that any time I got on the tram, I would have to get into a knife altercation with somebody. I know that people don’t do that here – or at least Europeans don’t. But since then, I’ve had to experience firsthand that this problem is only getting worse.”
A 30-year-old French-Arab man from Marseille, Yamine H., is on trial for at least 10 extremely brutal home-invasion robberies, including one where he beat a 90-year-old woman and locked her in a closet.
The man is believed to have preyed on elderly people, a common them Remix News has reported on in relation to France’s foreign population.
The man was active for several months in Var and Bouches-du-Rhône, according to prosecutors.
The man is described as “dangerous” by prosecutors
French newspaper Le Figaro reports that the man was arrested on Aug. 19 just a few hours after committing a robbery against a woman aged 90. According to a police source, the woman born in 1935 was violently attacked, locked in a closet and had her jewelry stolen. Inside the closet, she was given two bottles of water before the suspect simply left her there with no presumable way of getting out.
However, the elderly woman managed to escape by breaking the lock on the door, and then called the police They used video surveillance to trace the crime back to Yamine H., who refused to talk to police. However, house searches conducted in his home led to the police recovering loot from a variety of robberies, including jewelry and a safe.
Prosecutors say the man is a serial burglar connected to at least 10 different home invasions that have been ongoing in southeast France in recent months.
In another harrowing video, an 89-year-old French woman was robbed and beaten on camera for a mere €10. Remix News has covered many more incidents of French elderly women being raped and robbed by migrants in the country over the years, which are contained in our archives.
Germany’s ruling CDU/CSU bloc is demanding stricter limits on welfare, with party leaders pointing to high rates of reliance on the citizen’s allowance among Afghans and Syrians.
Deputy parliamentary group leader Mathias Middelberg said job centers must do more to place these groups into work, stressing there is “still considerable potential for catching up in terms of taking up employment.”
“Just 100,000 more people in work instead of relying on the citizen’s allowance could, depending on wage levels, relieve the federal budget in the low single-digit billion range every year,” the lawmaker told Bild.
According to government figures cited by Middelberg, 52.8 percent of Syrians and 46.7 percent of Afghans in Germany rely on the citizen’s allowance, while only 36.7 percent of Syrians and 37 percent of Afghans hold jobs subject to social security contributions.
“We cannot accept that hundreds of thousands of young asylum seekers here in Germany are unemployed for decades,” he said.
The call comes amid soaring welfare costs, with annual spending on the citizen’s allowance at around €52 billion. Statistics from the Federal Employment Agency (BA) last year showed that of the more than 4 million people who can work but receive social benefits, more than 2.5 million have a migration background, constituting 63.5 percent.
At the start of 2024, of the 2.6 million non-Germans registered for benefits, 706,000 were from Ukraine, 512,000 from Syria, and 201,000 from Afghanistan.
CSU leader Markus Söder and CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann said that those unwilling to work should no longer receive support.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz reinforced the message over the weekend, warning that Germany’s welfare model is no longer sustainable. “The welfare state as we have it today is no longer financially viable with what we are achieving economically,” he said.
Rising unemployment, bankruptcies, and inflation risks are also evidence of the mounting strain.
Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel slammed the Grand Coalition government for continuing to oversee Germany’s economic decline on Tuesday, pointing to figures cited by Welt, which revealed 114,000 industrial jobs had been lost within the last year.
“The politically motivated deindustrialization continues unabated, even more than six months after the new elections. No economic turnaround without the AfD!” she wrote.
In the German capital of Berlin, a massive knife battle broke out on the Karl Liebknecht Bridge at the Humboldt Forum over the weekend, resulting in six men being injured.
Currently, a 24-year-old is in critical condition. A 14-year-old girl was arrested but later released. All of those involved are from Afghanistan.
At around 9:45 p.m., witnesses began reporting a major battle taking place between two groups of men in the area near the bridge and the cathedral at the Humboldt Forum, according to RBB.
Police officers arriving at the location were greeted with a shocking scene, including four men, aged 20, 20, 23, and 24, lying injured with stab wounds on the bridge. Some of them were bleeding heavily.
Then, officers found two more injured people, aged 24 and 26, at the Town Hall Bridge, which is in the immediate vicinity.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene where paramedics were racing to stabilize the victims.
A 24-year-old man suffered life-threatening injuries to his back, according to police spokesman Martin Halweg.
He was transported to a nearby hospital and underwent emergency surgery.
The other victims suffered a range of stab and cut wounds across their bodies, including hands, legs, chest, and pelvis.
A large number of police arrived on scene and sealed off the bridge area.
A 14-year-old girl was arrested, along with two men, both 19, and all Afghan. However, these three were released shortly afterward and are considered witnesses. The 14-year-old was transferred to child emergency services.
So far, police have not provided any motive or background for the knife battle.
“We have imported knife violence. In other cultures, the knife is a kind of status symbol. This is changing the social climate here in the country,” stated criminal attorney Udo Vetter. He further notes that “knives have become an everyday companion for many people. And the barrier to using them is low.”
Notably, he warns that due to the rise of knives and knife crimes, it is creating a problem that is expected to only grow exponentially, with more and more people arming themselves with knives out of fear.
“Because if some people deliberately pack a knife as a murder weapon, more and more people will also resort to knives, supposedly to defend themselves,” stated Vetter.“Young people in particular have knives in their pockets just like their cell phones.”
🇩🇪 For every well-integrated Middle Eastern migrant, you have so many of these guys causing terror across Europe.
Knife crime has skyrocketed in Germany, with nearly 30,000 knife-related crimes taking place last year.
However, this problem has been warned about nearly every week, including by the German police themselves.
Manuel Ostermann, deputy head of the Federal Police Union, stated that “the knife as a means of committing a crime always immediately poses a concrete threat to life and limb. Politicians must now take all possible measures to curb this phenomenon.” Ostermann is the same police union head who said that Germany’s crime problem is actually an immigration problem during a viral speech last year.
The head of the German Police Union, Rainer Wendt, also spoke out about the knife crime problem, saying: “The threshold for violence is getting lower and lower. And the fuse is getting shorter. Knives are being drawn even for trivial reasons and seemingly harmless disputes.”
As Remix News previously reported, violent crime reached a record high in Germany last year, with foreigners responsible for nearly half of all crimes. There were 29,014 cases in total involving a crime where a knife was used, of which 15,741 were knife attacks. Serious and dangerous bodily harm with a knife increased by 10.8 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.
Just last week, an American was brutally stabbed in his face for trying to protect a woman in Dresden from being sexually harassed on a tram by two Syrians, with the incident even leading to criticism from American diplomats.
The leader of the AfD parliamentary group in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament, Anton Baron MdL, has accused Christian Socialist Union (CDU) parliamentary group leader Manuel Hagel of hypocrisy regarding knife crimes in Germany.
“Although the proportion of people without German passports is significantly lower in the population, there is a significantly higher crime rate here,” he told SWR. He said he considered the increased number of knife attacks by foreigners “alarming.”
“Such ‘unpleasant truths’ must be spoken. It couldn’t be more hypocritical: The CDU, above all, has caused this situation since 2015. Has the party distanced itself from it to this day? On the contrary: Hegel has rejected all our draft laws and motions to limit migration and defamed us as more right-wing than right-wing. Hagel can point his bigoted finger at others as much as he wants: His party, under Interior Minister Strobl, believes it can tackle the rampant problem of migrant knife-wielding men with pseudo-solutions like gun-free zones. But this problem no longer needs to be ‘debated in our country’ – it must finally be solved. But apart from the AfD, no one wants or can do that.”
As schools prepare to reopen across Europe, new figures from a major French teachers’ union reveal that nearly three-quarters of French teachers surveyed say they no longer feel recognized or respected by the state, and most would not recommend their career to others.
“Schools are running out of steam,” declared Se-Unsa general secretary Elisabeth Allain-Moreno as she presented the results of the union’s latest annual barometer, which surveyed around 40,000 teachers, education advisors, school psychologists, and assistants.
The findings revealed that over half of respondents are considering leaving the profession, and nearly 77 percent say they would never recommend it. While 91 percent of respondents say they still love their work, nearly 36 percent are considering a career change within the public sector, and 26 percent are looking to leave it altogether.
As 20minutes reported, low pay is the most frequently cited problem, with 87 percent describing their salaries as inadequate. A category A teacher in France earns, on average, €1,000 less per month than other category A civil servants. Teachers with more than 15 years’ experience continue to earn around 16 percent less than their OECD peers, while France also remains among the countries with the largest class sizes.
Support staff for students with disabilities face even harsher conditions. Known as Aesh, they are often employed at just 60 percent of full-time hours and earn around €950 net per month, below the poverty line. “The state is the primary provider of precariousness,” said Gilles Langlois, national secretary of Se-Unsa, who demanded civil servant status for these workers.
The survey also highlights dissatisfaction over poor working conditions, the impact of continuous reforms, heavy workloads, and a lack of professional training. The overwhelming sentiment, however, is that of neglect. More than 70 percent of teachers said they feel a lack of recognition and respect from the state.
This discontent is not confined to France. In Vienna, teachers have warned of worsening classroom conditions, citing language barriers, violence, and cultural conflicts linked to mass immigration. Local unions report incidents ranging from assaults on teachers to demands that staff wear religious clothing, as well as cases of mock executions staged by pupils.
In Berlin, teachers at the Friedrich Bergius School late last year described “untenable” conditions in a seven-page letter to the district council, warning of violence, aggression, and students lacking even the most basic academic skills. With more than 80 percent of pupils speaking a language other than German at home, teachers say they are overwhelmed and unsupported.
There have been several high-profile attacks against teachers in France in recent years, including the beheading of Samuel Paty by a Chechen Muslim refugee in 2020, and the fatal stabbing of a 31-year-old teaching assistant in June.
Similarly, in the Netherlands, a 53-year-old teacher from Dordrecht was seriously injured in a stabbing last month during a school musical for eighth graders.
Ukrainian experts are now openly acknowledging the deliberate nature of the attacks on the Friendship oil pipeline, which supplies Hungary with oil, and are saying that Hungary cannot cause serious damage to Ukraine’s energy market. Yet, a single decision in Budapest could put Kyiv in serious difficulties this winter.
Regarding the attacks on the Friendship oil pipeline, the Ukrainian side has already openly admitted that they were deliberately carried out against Hungary and Slovakia, and they are urging Ukrainians not to worry because the Hungarians cannot interfere. Even if Hungary wanted to cut electricity exports to Ukraine, the Ukrainian side said EU mechanisms would prevent this, which is what energy expert Olena Lapenko wrote on the Yevropeyska Pravda news portal.
Ukrainian attacks on the Hungarian energy system
In recent years, the oil pipeline supplying Hungary has been attacked several times, mostly by Ukraine. Géza Sebestyén also wrote that Hungary has few options to hinder electricity transfer to Ukraine.
“If Budapest actually carries out its threats, it will be a serious challenge, but not a catastrophe. Thus, the ‘Druzhba’ case proves once again that excessive energy dependence is becoming a factor. Ukraine has long understood this, as have most EU member states. However, the shutdown of Russian oil pipelines offers Brussels an opportunity to put more pressure on Budapest and Bratislava to accelerate diversification and permanently abandon Russian resources.”
On the other hand, a recent study suggests that even a single Hungarian decision would indeed cause serious difficulties for Ukraine. The shutdown of Hungarian electricity supplies would be a problem, especially in winter, although Ukrainian experts say there is no chance of a complete collapse.
In the case of oil, the loss of supplies via the Friendship oil pipeline could also be compensated, but this would lead to higher fuel prices.
In connection with the Ukrainian threats, it is also worth mentioning that Slovnaft is the contracted partner for the transport of diesel oil to Ukraine. The diesel oil comes to Hungary from Bratislava and goes to Ukraine via a product pipeline from the Tisza Refinery.
In terms of electricity exported to Ukraine, it is carried out through four pipelines in an amount of approximately 680 megawatts, which represents approximately 40 percent of Ukraine’s electricity imports. The weight of this becomes increasingly significant in the winter period.
Hungary may decide to limit daily exports, but as an option, a coordinated separation could also be implemented.
Ukraine has not purchased Russian natural gas directly since November 2015, and natural gas is imported to the Ukrainian market from Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Over the past three years, the amount of natural gas transported from Hungary to Ukraine has increased several times.
If Hungary were to close the taps, Ukraine would be forced to buy the missing volume from other suppliers at a higher price, which would be another nail in the coffin of the Ukrainian economy.
However, Ukrainians appear confident that they can weather such a crisis.
Lopenko also said that the fact that cross-border capacities have been built in the field of electricity trade also provides some protection for Ukraine, pointing to capacities built in Slovakia, Poland, and even Romania.
She says the missing Hungarian deliveries can also be replaced, at least on paper.
French bond yields rose sharply on Monday as news of the political crisis unfolded, according to Hungarian outlet Portfolio.
The current French coalition government is expected to fall after opposition parties turned away from a confidence vote called by the prime minister in September, and its high deficit and debt have triggered a major bond sell-off. Investors are already pricing in country risk that is higher than Portugal and Greece, but only 10 basis points lower than Italy, making fiscal consolidation increasingly inevitable.
The markets in France also moved on the news of the government crisis that unfolded on Monday. We have previously reported on the stock market drop, but the bond market was not left out, which also plummeted due to the events.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced on Monday that he will seek a vote of confidence from parliament on Sept. 8 after his minority government seeks to achieve savings of nearly €44 billion in the 2026 budget. However, the government’s future is in serious jeopardy as the largest opposition parties — including the National Rally, the Greens, La France Insoumise, and the Socialists — have publicly announced that they will vote against the prime minister.
Bayrou warned that France was “in danger” as the country teetered on the brink of excessive debt. The government presented its 2026 budget on July 15, which aims to reduce public debt, which now stands at 113 percent of GDP — one of the highest in the European Union. France also has a significant budget deficit of 5.8 percent, also among the highest in the EU.
The French government bond market moved sharply on the news of the confidence vote and the opposition parties’ announcement. The benchmark 10-year bond yield rose 8 basis points on Monday and is currently at its highest level since mid-March (after another 3 basis point increase, it is now at 3.52 percent). The last time it did so was in November 2011.
At the same time, the premium of French bond yields over German ones rose to 77 basis points, also a nearly six-month high.
All this clearly reflects the sudden increase in French country risk.
According to Andrea Tueni, head trader at Saxo Banque France, “The markets are clearly reacting to the political crisis, which is also accompanied by serious economic uncertainty.”
The French government crisis has also shaken the currency markets. The dollar weakened after Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech last week, suggesting a rate cut, but on Monday it strengthened by nearly 1 percent against the euro. Yesterday’s and today’s exchange rate data are more indicative of a market correction and another attack on the Fed’s independence.
Thomas Zlowodzki, a strategic analyst at Oddo BHF, said the French prime minister’s request for a vote of confidence was a particularly risky move, as the September vote could easily bury the minority coalition government. Bond investors share the concerns, as after Monday-Tuesday’s sell-off (which pushed prices down and yields up), French yields have already surpassed those of historically risky countries such as Portugal or Greece.
“The next step is to surpass Italian yields, but that would be a very serious milestone,” Tueni stated. This would require another 10 basis points increase.
According to Nour Al Ali, a strategic analyst at Bloomberg, the current political crisis is eroding the traditionally dominant status of French government bonds, and the austerity measures that are dividing parliament are currently holding both bond and stock markets in a bind.
French stock prices began to fall on news of the unfolding political crisis, and the stock index of the largest companies fell by about 2.2 percent in the first two days of the week.
According to Vincent Juvyns, chief investment strategist at ING Bank in Brussels, a very interesting situation has arisen in Europe at the moment, as there is now only one country, Germany, that is clearly able and willing to spend more than before. Meanwhile, for the others, budget consolidation is becoming increasingly urgent.
At today’s cabinet meeting, the draft budget for 2026 will be discussed, and tense exchanges are expected between Prime Minister Tusk and President Nawrocki.
“It will certainly be a difficult budget,” says Karol Pogorzelski, economist at Bank Pekao. “Please remember that we are starting from a high deficit level this year. It’s unlikely to be lower next year. And in my opinion, it will clearly exceed PLN 300 billion (€70 billion),” he adds, according to Do Rzeczy.
Adam Antoniak, economist at ING Bank Śląski, concurs. “The situation is tense, the state budget will be difficult to manage, and I would be surprised if the deficit didn’t exceed PLN 300 billion next year, estimates,” he says.
This would be the largest deficit ever. Estimates call for a 2025 deficit of PLN 289 billion, compared to PLN 211 billion in 2024 and PLN 85 billion in 2023.
The government has thus announced higher taxes for 2026, including higher excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products and a higher “sugar tax.”
Banks are being targeted, too, and will face a higher corporate income tax.
A couple of days ago, Poland Daily 24 wrote that the Tusk government plans to first up the tax on alcohol, but sources say President Nawrocki will veto any higher excise duty.
Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods has been at the White House discussing a possible return of the oil giant to Russia. At the center of his talks with President Trump has been the resumption of the Sakhalin Island project, Sakhalin-1, long ago abandoned by Exxon, according to a report out of the Wall Street Journal.
The company was reportedly in Alaska, secretly negotiating with Moscow to make its move back into Russia part of the Ukraine peace process. This would explain why Putin told press that more Russian-American deals could happen in the future.
Exxon’s vice chairman, Neil Chapman, led the negotiations on Exxon’s behalf, with the U.S. government agreeing to support the initiative. The company had a massive presence in Russia ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, including Sakhalin-1, a deal struck in 1995, right up until Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the spring of 2022, Exxon sought to sell its 30-percent stake in Sakhalin-1, worth some $4 billion. However, Moscow froze its investment and transferred ownership to a Russian entity later that year.
Sakhalin-2 was also transferred to a domestic operator and encompasses Russia’s first LNG-producing plant. In the wake of Putin’s invasion and Europe’s decision to diversify away from Russian oil, the U.S. picked up the slack. American LNG exports to the continent jumped to comprise nearly 50 percent of total European LNG imports in 2023.
Interestingly, Sakhalin-1 was never directly sanctioned by the U.S., and Sakhalin-2 was exempted from sanctions by both the UK and U.S. governments until the summer of 2024.
A move back into Russian energy may seem surprising, as there has also been talk of upping sanctions on Russia and specifically cutting off its energy revenues. Then again, Trump has also been open about the possible Russian business opportunities that await America if a peace deal in Ukraine can finally be achieved.
Quiet and prosperous Switzerland also now has its migrant riots to contend with. In the Swiss city of Lausanne, riots have now broken out for a second night after a 17-year-old Congolese youth died during a police chase. During the first night of unrest, a right-wing politician was targeted by a large group of youths, who nearly lynched him.
At 10:00 p.m. last night., approximately 150 to 200 people set up roadblocks and began burning containers and garbage cans. They also severely damaged a bus.
Officers were hit with Molotov cocktails, paving stones, and construction fences, along with other objects, according to police.
Police hit the rioters with tear gas and rubber bullets to control the unrest. No injuries were reported.
🇨🇭On August 24, 2025, at around 4:00 a.m. in the Prelaz area of Lausanne, Switzerland, Marvin, a suspected migrant, was driving a stolen electric scooter and died when he crashed into a wall while being pursued by police. Riots subsequently broke out in the Prelaz area. pic.twitter.com/WO28jYr02V
The unrest followed similar attacks the night before, which saw a smaller crowd of about 100 youths, who partook in the rioting.
During that night, a Swiss People’s Party (SVP) politician, Thibault Schaller, was targeted in a lynching attack, which was caught on video.
He wrote on X that he approached the unrest because he was curious what was going on. Upon getting closer, some individuals, whom he said he believed to be Antifa, recognized and confronted him.
“They ordered me to leave. I refused and asked what was happening. One pushed me, I pushed him back then stepped back. Someone shouted something, and 10, 15 people came running at me from everywhere. I ran away, took hits. They blocked my path, I fell, protected myself. I got up, ran, got surrounded again against a wall, then took blows. Then, I managed to get away by running. I’m fine, but we really need to take back this city,” Schaller wrote.
In the video, Schaller is seen being chased by a large group of individuals, who kick him on the ground. Schaller continuously gets up and is able to elude the group and eventually get away.
One of the individuals called him “a fascist” during the attack.
🇨🇭During riots in Switzerland, a mob recognized a local SVP politician, @Thibauuuuuult in Lausanne, and nearly lynched him.
Riots broke out after an African teen slammed a stolen a scooter into a wall during a police chase and died.pic.twitter.com/fK5IGqcojY
The riots began after the death of 17-year-old Marvin M., a Swiss citizen with Congolese roots. Police say they pursued him while he drove a stolen scooter on Sunday night. He died when he crashed his scooter into a garage door.
Marvin M.’s mother claimed her son is “not a scooter thief,” and “not a bandit,” in an interview with 24Heures.
She said he was a passionate rapper, with his group stating it does not condone the violence taking place in the city after his death.
Schaller wrote on X that the police were not to blame for the teenager’s death and that “this tragedy could have been avoided. He just had to listen to the police.”
The city was “held hostage by a handful of thugs,” he further wrote.
The Syrians had high hopes for the rebel alliance that overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime last December. Unfortunately, the events of recent months have dramatically verified these expectations. “Our families survived seven years of war, and did not survive a few months of their rule,” comments a Pole of Syrian origin.
The country, under the rule of Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jaulani, is increasing chaos. Christians are murdered in broad daylight, and the specter of religious purge threatens minorities who have inhabited Syria for centuries. In recent weeks, there have been many attacks on the Christian residents of the region.
Currently, the Syrian minority in Poland is in mourning. Many Syrians who emigrated to Poland years ago and started families here look at the situation in their former homeland with horror and disbelief.
Syrian HTS forces, belonging to the countries new government, round up dozens of civilians and force them to cower on the ground prior to execution.
745 civilians have been massacred within the last 48 hours by the regimes forces.
“Christians, mainly Orthodox but also Catholics, die for their faith. Al-Sharaa soldiers enter apartments and houses, murder people in broad daylight,” explains a Polish lawyer, whose father emigrated from Syria many years ago, in an interview for DoRzeczy.pl.
“Last month we lost five members of our family. My dad’s brother was murdered after he managed to get his wife and children out to a safe place. He wanted to return to their apartment for a few personal belongings,” adds my interlocutor, who prefers to remain anonymous.
On Dec. 8, 2024, a coalition of rebel groups led by Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized power in Damascus, overthrowing the dictatorship of Assad after more than 13 years of war. The interim president of the new Syria was Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jaulani, the emir of the HTS, an organization originating from the former Syrian Al-Qaeda, known as Al-Nusra.
Al-Sharaa quickly tried to give himself a more moderate image of a “Syrian nationalist.” He assured tolerance for religious minorities and an inclusive government, hoping, among other things, to lift Western sanctions. The reality of the following months has brutally gone against these declarations.
The new authorities do not control the whole country; the northeast is still ruled by the Kurds from the SDF, and part of the north is controlled by Turkey. However, where the HTS administration goes, a strict order based on strict Sharia law is introduced. In the still multi-ethnic regions, anxiety is growing. Many HTS activists with a dubious reputation, compromised by numerous war crimes, entered the transitional administration. This raises fears that the promised protection for Christians, Alawites, Druze or Kurds will remain only on paper.
Already in the first months after the seizure of power, there was a series of bloody religious purges. In March 2025, a wave of violence against the Alawites was unleashed in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus. The clashes claimed more than 1,400 victims, mainly civilians. Armed gangs plundered Alawite villages, murdering residents and kidnapping women for ransom.
In the spring and summer of 2025, the Druzi also became victims of purges. In April, at least 10 civilians of this group were killed in sectarian clashes in the city of Suwayda. Even bloodier events occurred in early July, when armed Sunni Bedouin militias, supported by government troops, entered several villages in the province of Suwayda under the banner of “holy war” against the “unfaithful” Druze. According to Syrian activists, more than 1,000 people were killed. Among the victims was, among others, Evangelical pastor Khaled Mezher with his family, a clergyman with Druze roots. The attackers also burned the Greek Catholic church of St. Michael in the village of Sura and razed to the ground dozens of houses belonging to Christian families in the region.
The violence has also not bypassed Christians, who are among the most vulnerable groups in post-war Syria. The turning point was the bomb attack on June 22, 2025, in the heart of the capital. During Sunday’s liturgy in the Greek Orthodox church of Mar Elias in Damascus, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive charge among the assembled faithful. At least 25 people were killed and more than 60 injured. It was the bloodiest attack on Syrian Christians in many years. The newly formed extremist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack tragically confirmed that despite the formal end of the civil war, the followers of Christ are still not safe and have become the target of a new wave of fanaticism.
The explosion in the church of Mar Elias shook the Christian community of the country. Orthodox Patriarch John X condemned the attack as an “attack on every Syrian and the foundation of the nation” and stated that “the government bears full responsibility” for this tragedy, as the authorities did not provide the promised protection to the faithful.
Only one minister from the government visited the site of the massacre: Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, the only Christian in the cabinet and serving since just this year. No other official, including Al-Sharaa himself, appeared to show support for the victims.
In response to this indifference, hundreds of Christians took to the streets of Damascus a few days later, chanting under the churches: “Christ is risen! Lift up the crosses: We are not afraid of your threats!” With this desperate manifestation of unity and faith, the community has shown that it is impossible to intimidate, although it feels abandoned.
Christian fears are intensified not only by acts of violence, but also by systemic changes introduced by the new authorities.
Ahmed al-Sharaa and his entourage are pushing the Idlib government model developed by the HTS throughout the country. This means the gradual Islamization of the law and public space. Even in Christian schools, compulsory Islamic religion lessons are imposed, and principals must have Sharia diplomas. The “morality police” has appeared in state institutions and on the streets: it confiscates alcohol, closes stores with stimulants, and monitors women’s clothes.
Radical preachers publicly call on “infidels” to convert to Islam through their speakers. Such changes hit all non-Sunni communities, marginalize them and perpetuate the atmosphere of intolerance.
Christian clergy warn that this is a blow to the centuries-old legacy of the coexistence of faiths in Syria. More and more families are considering emigration as the only way out. “If I ask Syrian Christians today what they want, they all answer: to leave the country. They are afraid for the future of their children,” admits one of the bishops.
For the average Syrian, the realities of everyday life today are extremely difficult. The war has devastated the infrastructure: Entire city districts are in ruins, the power grid and water supply are barely functioning, and the economy has collapsed.
Syria’s GDP has shrunk by 83 percent compared to pre-war levels. The World Bank estimates the current value of the economy at only $21 billion. The material damage is enormous. The UN estimates the cost of rebuilding the country at more than $250 billion: an amount that many times exceeds the capabilities of the Syrian budget.
Meanwhile, international sanctions and regime isolation make the inflow of investments minimal. The bulk of the burden is borne by UN aid agencies and charities trying to patch up the most urgent needs.
The living conditions of the population are among the worst in the world. More than 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line, and about 12.9 million, out of just over 17 million remaining residents in the country, suffer from food insecurity. There are constant shortages of electricity and fuel: iIn many regions, electricity is only available for a few hours a day, and families have nothing to heat their homes in winter. Inflation is galloping: the prices of food and basic goods are out of control.
Syria has pushed millions of refugees out. More than 5.4 million Syrians are abroad as refugees, mainly in neighboring countries: Turkey (about 3.4 million), Lebanon (over 800 thousand), Jordan (about 660 thousand), as well as in Iraq and Egypt.
The weight of this diaspora is heavily burdened by the host countries: In Lebanon or Jordan, camps for Syrians have been in existence for a decade, and social tensions are growing. Some refugees risk a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea, seeking asylum in the European Union.
“It is important not to generalize immigrants. So as not to put them all in one bag. Syrian Christians are a small minority in Poland,” explains the lawyer.
“They are well-educated and hardworking people, they easily assimilate with Poles and often form common families. Often, these people do not want to leave Syria at all, but they do it for the safety of their loved ones. Maybe if they know that they are welcome here, more people will be saved,” he adds.
Before the war, Christians made up about 10 percent of the Syrian population, over 1.5 million people. Today, there are maybe 300,000 of them left – less than 2 percent. The decade-long war and ISIS terror led to the mass emigration of this community. The fall of Assad did not stop this trend; on the contrary, since the end of 2024, the exodus has gained strength again. Many families flee abroad, not seeing a future in the country. Those who stay feel vulnerable and abandoned.
The international community has responded to the increasing violence against minorities. On July 10, 2025, the European Parliament called for urgent protection of Christians and other threatened groups in Syria, condemning the attack on the church of Mar Elias. The resolution stated that the new authorities did not guarantee security, and their administration was filled by former HTS fighters with a dark past. An independent investigation into the massacres and the punishment of the perpetrators was called upon, threatening sanctions against the perpetrators of persecution.
NGOs are also sounding the alarm. The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) warned in a document provided by the UN that with the coming to power of Al-Sharaa, there is an “accelerated disappearance of religious pluralism.” The new regime, according to the ECLJ, is imposing an Idlib-style government that is Islamist and only tolerant of minorities on the surface. The organization called on the international community to investigate cases of pogroms and impose sanctions on the perpetrators.
Eight months after the overthrow of the dictatorship, Syria continues to choke on violence and division. Instead of the expected peace and revival, the country is plunged into more attacks, and Christian families are plunged into mourning.
The fate of Christians, one of Syria’s oldest communities, has become a test for the new governments For now, the result of this test is gloomy. If the current trend continues, Syria may soon become an almost unified religious state, from which the minorities that have co-created its history for two thousand years will disappear.
The young murdered police officer, Simon B., left two young children and a wife behind in a case that has once again shocked Germany. Now, more details are emerging about the suspect, an 18-year-old German-Turk named Ahmet G., whose family has been in Germany for approximately 30 years.
Ahmet G. is accused of conducting a robbery, armed with a kitchen knife, at a gas station in Völklingen last week on Thursday. During an ensuing police pursuit, police say he struggled with 34-year-old Simon B., managed to grab Simon B.’s service weapon, and fired six shots into his body, killing the officer.
The autopsy of the officer reveals he suffered injuries to his head and torso and died from massive blood loss. The public prosecutor stated that the German-Turkish man continued shooting the officer even after he lay on the ground.
🇩🇪🔴 JUST IN: First video recorded of a German police officer shot to death in Völklingen, Saarland,
"People, you won’t believe this, we’re in Völklingen and people are being shot."
Following a gas station robbery, the perpetrator grabbed the officer's gun and shot him. pic.twitter.com/URNqRwrOpT
Another officer was apparently shot and only survived thanks to his protective vest.
German outlet Nius reports that Ahmat G.’s family is known for speaking very little German and had gambling debts due to the father’s gambling addiction.
Ahmat G. graduated from secondary school in 2023, but an acquaintance claimed he suffered from depression and was receiving treatment.
Bild also reported that his family lived in Germany for 30 years, and even until this day, the father barely speaks German. The family survives from odd jobs, and the father is addicted to gambling to the point that he has gambled away the family’s money.
JUST IN: The 18-year-old who killed a German police officer has been identified as a German with Turkish citizenship.
After robbing a gas station in Völklingen, he grabbed an officer's pistol during a struggle and killed him.
There are also reportedly frequent arguments at the family home.
“I saw Ahmet only a few days before the crime. He seemed depressed. Apparently, there was another row at home because his father had gambled away the money again,” said a friend of the family.
Some social media users, such as popular German commentator Tim Kellner, are already pointing to the media building up a sob story around the perpetrator.
“The 17-year-old Turk Ahmet G. murders police officer and family man Simon B. And immediately the victim-perpetrator reversal begins. ‘Depression,’ ‘family problems,’ gambling-addicted father (in Germany for 30 years, speaks hardly any German) The murderer probably just wanted to get money for the family… Enough!” he wrote on X.
Der 17-jährige Türke Ahmet G. richtet Polizist und Familienvater Simon B. hin. Und sofort beginnt die Opfer-Täter-Umkehr: "Depressionen", "Familienprobleme", spielsüchtiger Vater (seit 30 Jahren in Deutschland, spricht kaum Deutsch) Der Mörder wollte wahrscheinlich nur Geld für… pic.twitter.com/7n2y7XVSHi
There is speculation that Ahmat G. committed the gas station robbery, which only netted him a few hundred euros, before he was arrested.
Notably, for those without any money in Germany, even those who have lost money gambling, there is still free food and free social assistance. Nobody starves on the street. There are also numerous charities, and Muslims can even benefit from Christian charities.
Ahmat G. is also hospitalized
It still remains unclear how the suspect obtained the officer’s pistol during the struggle.
New information also revealed that Ahmat G. remains hospitalized and suffered life-threatening injuries during the shootout.
He has been charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.
Notably, poor integration from the Turkish community is commonplace in Germany, despite this community having spent decades in the country in many cases. Despite numerous individual success stories, Remix News detailed in a long-form piece the various ways the Turkish community has failed to integrate as a whole.
In response to the murder of the police officer, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has stated that “this tragedy shows once again” that “our police face life-threatening danger every day, the state fails to guarantee law and order,” and that “dual citizenship and failed policies have created enormous security risks.”
Notably, due to the suspect having dual citizenship, the murders will be counted as having been conducted by a German, as that is how the law operates in the country.
Yet another poll has found the AfD to be the top party in Germany, with an RTL/ntv poll putting the party at 26 percent.
In response to the AfD’s soaring popularity, many of the top left-wing parties, and even members of the “moderate” Christian Democrats (CDU), are calling for a party ban against the AfD.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he felt vindicated in his economic strategy after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted in a landmark speech that Germany’s welfare state can no longer be financed at current levels.
“The German Chancellor’s speech confirms everything that we Hungarians have done in the economy over the past 15 years,” Orbán wrote in response to Merz’s address in Osnabrück on Saturday. “The Western welfare state is bankrupt, so it was right for us to switch to a labor-based economy in 2010.”
Orbán argued that while Germany is only now waking up to the crisis, Hungary anticipated it and acted accordingly. “It was right to stand on more legs and start the Eastern opening. It was right to embrace the most advanced Chinese technology, it was right to lead Europe in electromobility, it was right to maintain economic cooperation with Russia, it was right to stick to cheap Russian energy sources, and it was right to support Donald Trump against migration and for peace,” he said.
He contrasted Hungary’s “nation-building” approach with Germany’s belated “crisis management.”
“Our perspective is nation-building: tax revolution, own home, 10-year development plan. What a difference! We fight for the truth! We fight against lies!” Orbán declared.
In Osnabrück, Merz acknowledged the depth of Germany’s problems. “The welfare state as we have it today is no longer financially viable with what we are achieving economically,” he said. The warning follows growing concerns over bankruptcies, rising unemployment, and inflation risks.
Migration has become a central factor. Figures from the Federal Employment Agency last year showed that of the 4 million employable people on social benefits, more than 2.5 million have a migration background, nearly 64 percent. Bild also reported that almost half of Germany’s €17.68 billion housing support budget for 2024 has gone to foreigners.
Yet despite the mounting strain, Remix News reported earlier this month that Germany’s Federal Employment Agency was continuing to promote the “citizen’s benefit” (Bürgergeld) welfare system to migrants. A section of its website, written in English for “people from abroad,” featured smiling models — including a woman in a hijab — and promised financial support for migrants unable to cover living expenses.
The NGO ship Mediterranea was seized in the Italian port of Trapani after its operators ignored direct instructions from Italy’s interior ministry and docked migrants at an unauthorized port.
The move, which violated the government decree of 2023 that regulates NGO activity in the Mediterranean, carries a fine of up to €10,000 and leaves the vessel detained until the prefect decides its fate in the coming days.
The interior ministry had designated Genoa as the port of safety for the 10 migrants picked up in the Sicilian Channel. Instead, the NGO diverted to Trapani and disembarked the group without authorization.
Authorities point out that the assignment of ports is coordinated nationally to ensure fairness across regions, relieving pressure from Sicily and the southern coast, where the majority of arrivals occur.
The government claims that unauthorized actions undermine both security and the state’s ability to manage migration in an orderly way. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stressed that “it is the state that fights human traffickers and manages and coordinates rescue operations at sea, not NGOs.”
È lo Stato che contrasta i trafficanti di esseri umani e gestisce e coordina i soccorsi in mare. Non le ONG. pic.twitter.com/XY63ss2HAi
The seizure of the Mediterranea was carried out jointly by the police, the Guardia di Finanza, and the Coast Guard. Officials noted that the NGO had admitted it knowingly acted outside the rules. By defying lawful orders, the group exposed itself to sanctions and put itself in direct conflict with Italian law.
Left-wing parties and activists criticized the decision to sanction the vessel, with the Mediterranea calling it an “obscene measure.” The NGO’s president, Laura Marmorale, claimed the Italian government was “taking revenge and attacking us because we saved 10 children from certain death.”
Oggi pomeriggio Questura, Guardia di Finanza e Capitaneria di Porto di #Trapani hanno notificato alla nave #Mediterranea le misure previste dal Decreto Legge #Piantedosi: sanzione pecuniaria fino a 10mila euro e fermo amministrativo.
Government sources, however, noted that the actions of the NGO encourage irregular crossings and fuel the human trafficking networks that profit from sending migrants across the Mediterranean in unsafe boats.
The interior ministry reiterated that all rescued individuals received medical assistance and proper care, in line with Italy’s legal and humanitarian obligations.
German schools are dealing with “hell.” That’s the conclusion reached by Die Welt newspaper, as cited by Hungarian outlet Mandiner. Based on numerous case studies, it is clear that “far too many children are being sent to school who can barely concentrate and, above all, who do not speak German.”
Families, children, and teachers are suffering the consequences of the bad policies from politicians. In short, they “have failed.” One major issue is the death of the German language itself, across Germany.
In the Hemshof district of Ludwigshafen, for example, barely a word of German is heard. The students in the district’s Gräfenau elementary school are 98 percent migrants.
Welt indicates that plenty of Asian, African, and Slavic languages present, but as Germany has become a nation of migrants, the German language recedes.
“Italian, Greek, Turkish guest workers since the 1960s, and since 2015, the rest of the world,” Die Welt writes about the progression of immigration waves in the country.
The school principal in the Hemshof district, Barbara Mächtle, has been vocal about the issues.
For example, some 40 first-year students, a third of the year, may not be ready to enter the second grade. According to the newspaper, Mächtle “knows the tricks to cover this up, but he doesn’t use them.” For example, these children are enrolled in the second grade, but then “voluntarily drop out” on the first day of school. Machete refuses to play these games and will force these students to repeat the grade – “not to punish them, but to save them.”
Mächtle also dispels the illusion that being surrounded by German, migrant kids will “absorb it on their own.” She says there is no “language immersion” because children “hear everything except German.”
“No child here is swimming in German waters, they remain in their Arab, Turkish, Afghan pools,” and “at best they develop a basic slang, a German of 50-100 words, which is enough for the street and the schoolyard, but not for a profession that can be understood even partially,” Welt reports.
And then there is the violence inflicting schools, which the paper calls a widespread fire, not just here or there. In 2024, the authorities registered 35,570 school violence incidents, an average of 97 per day; 743 of these involved a knife. Students also express their religion, Islam, “aggressively” in the classroom. As Remix News has reported, 40 percent of all violent crime in the German school system is from foreigners. In addition, many of the German students have a foreign background.
This has created a situation where teachers are expected to be social workers first, taking immense time away from their actual work as teachers. With these students, the parents are not doing their jobs in preparing children to behave properly in the classroom.
It is no wonder teachers are leaving the field, and many are discouraged from entering, which is yet another major issue: a massive teacher shortage.
In Germany, it is no longer possible to provide the current student population with trained teachers. In the countryside, people are not applying for teaching jobs, and in the cities, teachers cannot afford to pay the rent, so many people apply for teaching positions immediately after graduating, only to quickly fail.
“In the past 20 years, fourth-grade maths assignments were often purely text-based. Today, books are full of pictures to make understanding possible at all,” bemoans Andreas Baudisch, the principal of the Humboldt primary school in Mannheim.
“Basic operations are a great deal of work for many children. Many cannot formulate a complete sentence,” says the principal. There are some bright spots. Children from Indian families learn German better in four months than those born here because ‘they practice at home, they are interested in it,’ and this is something that is lacking in many other people who are second or third generation Germans living here.”
Die Welt warns that no so long ago, these issues could only be found in troubled neighborhoods of Berlin, a situation that “horrified” people in the rest of the country.
“That’s over, Berlin is everywhere,” the paper writes.
A storage unit belonging to a Parisian immigration lawyer was robbed last month, with thieves walking away with two suitcases containing luxury watches, cash, and confidential legal documents worth an estimated €1.3 million.
As reported by Frontiéres, an Algerian national broke into the Une Pièce en Plus storage center on Rue Paul Dautier in Vélizy on July 3, which advertises top-level security with cameras, alarms, and controlled access.
However, surveillance footage shows the thief moving calmly through the premises, dressed in black with a cap and sunglasses. In less than three minutes, he bypassed a faulty elevator sensor, forced open a single cubicle, and walked out with the targeted suitcases.
BREAKING: An Algerian migrant stole €1.3 MILLION from a Paris lawyer specializing in immigration law.
The suspect is the lawyer's Franco-Algerian female employee, who left with 2 suitcases full of loot from a safe.
The alarm system triggered three times during the theft, but no guard intervened, and no calls were made. Suspicion quickly focused on Sherasade M., a Franco-Algerian employee on duty at the time. According to the victim, she was the only person aware of the cubicle’s contents and location.
In the days after the heist, she failed to log the burglary during routine rounds and soon vanished from her post altogether. Social media posts placed her in luxury resorts, including Mykonos and Saint-Tropez, before she left France for the United States, where she remains untraceable.
Investigators describe the burglar as tall and thin with a mustache. They are apparently Algerian.
Authorities believe the theft was premeditated and likely linked to an organized North African network. “We’re talking about a perfectly executed theft, facilitated from the inside. And today, it’s a lawyer who’s been targeted. The networks will stop at nothing, not even stealing from one of their own,” a source close to the case told the French news outlet.
The victim, a lawyer specializing in immigration law, confirmed that the stolen files contained sensitive information related to ongoing cases involving foreign nationals. Steps have since been taken to protect remaining data and notify affected clients.
Frontiéres noted that this is not the first scandal to hit Une Pièce en Plus. In a separate case, nearly €5 million in gold bars were stolen from another branch, with investigators again pointing to insider collusion. That theft also led to the arrest of an Algerian national illegally residing in France.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki is looking to dramatically increase the amount of time foreigners are eligible to apply for Polish citizenship with a new law. The law would only provide foreigners with a pathway to Polish citizenship 10 years after receiving a permanent residence visa.
However, this could result in non-EU foreigners having to wait up to 15 years to receive citizenship, as it usually takes three to five years to first receive a permanent residence visa in the first place.
In a speech addressing his recent vetoes directed at a number of new laws, Nawrocki said that he is looking to propose a draft law on granting citizenship, not only to “guests from Ukraine, but also from other regions of the world who come to Poland.”
According to TVN 24, he noted that the granting of citizenship is the prerogative of the president, “so I recognize that the process of granting citizenship should be extended from three to ten years and such a proposal will be included in the bill.”
“Polish citizenship isn’t just a great honor. Someone who receives Polish citizenship also has an impact on the future of our national community, not only for years, but for decades, and perhaps for generations,” he added.
The news comes after Nawrocki vetoed an amendment to the Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens. The Polish government was looking to extend a law that provided healthcare to unemployed Ukrainian refugees and their children. He said that he could not extend the social benefit, which is set to expire in September, arguing that it should only apply to Ukrainians who work.
At the beginning of May this year, Poland’s Rzeczpospolita newspaper wrote about a Law and Justice (PiS) proposal to extend the time required to obtain Polish citizenship from three to ten years.
“In response to the growing immigration, especially Ukrainian immigration, PiS wants the requirements for foreigners to be increased, following the example of other European countries,” wrote the paper, adding that “the idea is to extend the minimum period of uninterrupted stay in Poland from three to ten years.”
Last month, Remix News wrote an analysis of why it is likely going to be more difficult for the EU, and the Polish left, to impose mass immigration on Poles. Nawrocki’s new law is a clear sign that the fight to impose open borders on Poles may be significantly more difficult. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk may be put in a difficult position if he opposes Nawrocki’s proposed law, as he then may appear soft on this key issue, especially with national elections approaching.
A man who claimed to be a 17-year-old Libyan has been arrested after the rape of a 32-year-old Ukrainian woman near the Eiffel Tower in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
As Le Parisien reported, the attack occurred around 2:40 a.m. on the Champ de Mars, when the suspect, reportedly intoxicated, dragged the victim into the bushes and raped her. The woman’s screams quickly alerted a police patrol from the Night Crime Squad, which intervened and arrested the suspect.
He was taken into custody at the 14th arrondissement police station, with the case transferred to the judicial police by the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The suspect had no identification and has yet to present any, leaving authorities at a loss to verify his claims. The case highlights a recurring tactic among migrant offenders, who often present themselves as minors to secure more lenient treatment from authorities.
The assault is the latest in a troubling series of sex crimes around the Eiffel Tower. Previous incidents include the rape of a Mexican tourist in the summer of 2023, the rape of an English police officer later that year, and the assault of two Latvian women last fall.
Several men were arrested in connection with the attack on the Latvian women, including two Algerians and two Egyptians, while three other suspects managed to escape undetected.
Security at the site has become a political issue. In March, borough mayor Rachida Dati told residents that sexual assaults, “not to mention rapes,” were taking place “every day” at the Champ de Mars, accusing authorities of under-equipping the area.
The authorities insist that heavy surveillance of the area has been installed, with more than 100 cameras covering the lawns and the nearby Trocadéro gardens, but critics say the measures have not prevented repeated attacks.
After a number of Ukrainians were arrested in Poland for showcasing the red-and-black symbols of war criminal Stepan Bandera, including Bandera-inspired flags, Poland’s president now wants to ban them, as Nazi and Soviet communism symbols already are, in the criminal code.
Kyiv has reacted with anger; however, Law and Justice (PIS) MP Radosław Fogiel said Kyiv’s response is nothing more than “saber rattling.”
He now backs President Karol Nawrocki, who announced new legislation aimed at equating the Bandera symbol with Nazi and communist symbols, which are banned in Poland.
The move comes after Ukrainians displayed Bandera flags in Poland earlier this month at a concert by Belarusian rapper Max Korzh at the National Stadium in Warsaw. During the performance, fans from Ukraine unfurled the UPA flag.
🇵🇱🇺🇦🇧🇾 W sobotę na Stadionie Narodowym w Warszawie odbył się koncert białoruskiego rapera Maxa Korzha. Podczas występu jego fani z Ukrainy rozwiesili banderowską, czerwono-czarną flagę UPA. Przed rozpoczęciem wydarzenia doszło również do przepychanek z ochroną.
“In order to eliminate Russian propaganda and put Polish-Ukrainian relations on the right track, based on real partnership and respect, we should also clearly say “stop Banderism” and equate the Banderite symbol in the penal code with symbols that correspond to German National Socialism, commonly called Nazism, and Soviet communism, as well as make corrections to the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance in relation to the crimes of the OUN-UPA,” Nawrocki said on Monday.
Stepan Bandera is glorified by many Ukrainian nationalists and reviled by Poles. He led Ukrainian nationalists during the Second World War, and an army created by his militant party slaughtered 100,000 Polish civilians during the Volhynian massacre.
Radosław Fogiel commented on the president’s activity on Polsat News. The politician admitted that Polish-Ukrainian relations are no longer as good as they were a few years ago, and that this is not Poland’s fault.
“Our Ukrainian partners must understand that partnership should be the foundation of mutual relations,” he said. Fogiel added that warnings coming from Ukraine regarding a possible ban on the use of Bandera symbolism are “saber rattling by Kyiv.”
Radosław Fogiel stated that “Poland has shown great patience” regarding the commemoration of the victims of the Volhynian massacre, while the Ukrainian side has long avoided the topic.
“I understand that the situation was different in the first months of the war, but today there is nothing to prevent us from addressing this issue,” he said.
The PiS MP also noted that for years, Ukraine had assured that the issue of Bandera symbolism was marginal, and that black-and-red flags were merely rare grassroots initiatives, unrelated to state policy.
According to official data compiled by the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht party, 22.4 percent of tenants were at risk of poverty last year, an increase of two percentage points over 2023, reports Frankfurter Rundschau.
This means that poverty among renters is increasing, even though the poverty risk rate among the overall population has declined slightly compared to 2021.
Among homeowners, the risk of falling into poverty dropped to 8.3 percent in 2024 compared to 10.9 percent in 2021.
“If almost one in four renters is now at risk of poverty, this is a shameful indictment of the housing policy of recent years. The new federal government is also doing far too little,” BSW chairwoman Sahra Wagenknecht told the NOZ newspaper. The rent control is having almost no effect. “Rent is increasingly becoming a risk of poverty,” Wagenknecht told the paper.
According to a study by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW), for the second quarter of this year, new lease rents increased by an average of 3.8 percent compared to the same period last year and up .8 percent versus the first quarter.
FR mentioned Chancellor Merz’s new construction program that streamlines permitting procedures to get new housing on the market fast. Construction has picked up, with the number of building permits growing by 2.9 percent year-over-year to 110,000 apartments in the first half of the year.
However, the comparable period from 2024 saw Germany’s lowest construction figures since 2010 due to years of higher interest rates and expensive building materials.
Wagenknecht also pointed out that the rent cap introduced in 2015 and now extended until 2029 has been “almost completely ineffective,” Mandiner notes. She has also regularly noted the incredibly high housing costs for all Germans, renters and homeowners alike. Germans spend every fourth euro of income on housing, one of the highest rates in Europe.
One teacher in Munich commented under an article in the left-liberal Die Zeit that he earns a lot, but even his very small rented apartment consumes a third of his net salary. He also added that, among his students, it is not uncommon for a family, even with six members, to live in a tiny apartment, even though both parents work.
Meanwhile, commenters in the more right-wing and conservative Die Welt blame the housing shortage on large-scale immigration, as well as strict and expensive climate-related building regulations; they also point out the sacrifices they have made to be homeowners instead of renters, giving up travel, entertainment and other expenses for years, and accepting high interest rates to own their own property.
WATCH: 🇩🇪🇪🇺 Mass immigration is fueling the West's housing crisis.
Here's how it's happening in Germany.
In a powerful speech in the German Bundestag, @AfD politician Carolin Bachmann slams the ruling government for allowing 2 million migrants into the country while families… pic.twitter.com/DMEqiV316S
As for German landlords, they claim they cannot make any profit without an increase in rent, given the surge in energy prices and the costs of mandatory renovations.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has warned that the country is facing its gravest financial crisis in decades, announcing plans for sweeping austerity measures and calling for a vote of confidence in parliament. But with opposition parties already lining up against him, the government risks collapsing before its budget plan is even debated.
Speaking at a press conference after talks with President Emmanuel Macron at Bregançon, Bayrou declared that parliament would convene in an extraordinary session on Sept. 8, two weeks before its scheduled reopening, to test confidence in his government.
“The most important budget in our history awaits us,” he said, outlining a €44 billion deficit reduction plan over four years to prevent what he called the “certain risk of over-indebtedness.”
Bayrou claimed that weakened international law, rising geopolitical tensions, and unfair economic competition had led to the crippling austerity measures being necessary, warning that “the dream of a Europe that matters in the world has vanished.”
The measures under discussion include cuts to unemployment benefits and the abolition of two public holidays, both of which are highly unpopular. Bayrou insisted that nothing has been finalized and that details would emerge during the autumn budget debate.
Yet the confidence vote he has requested is not on specific reforms, but on whether his fragile centrist government should survive at all.
Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National has already rejected the government, demanding a dissolution of parliament.
“François Bayrou clearly has not understood that the French are fully aware of the economic and financial crisis in which our country is plunged after eight years of Macronism, a crisis that adds to so many other failures jeopardizing the very survival of our nation,” Le Pen wrote on X.
“It is precisely because they have understood the gravity of the situation that our compatriots reject the Prime Minister’s measures, as unjust as they are ineffective,” she added.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Insoumise has also pledged to vote against. He told France Inter on Tuesday morning that the country is in crisis and is experiencing a democratic deficit, as Emmanuel Macron was defeated in the latest parliamentary elections but still governs.
“The 5th Republic has reached its limit. It entrusts excessive power to a person who can govern without any majority. We must face up to the need to move to the 6th Republic, without worsening the deadlock,” he told the broadcaster.
Green leader Marine Tondelier dismissed the very idea of confidence, saying, “A vote of confidence equals resignation.”
With the opposition united and mass demonstrations planned for Sept. 10 reminiscent of the yellow vest movement, new French elections could once again be on the horizon.
The worst nightmare of any parent came true in Germany after a 6-year-old girl, wearing only her bathing suit and swim shoes, was lured from the Europa Theme Park Resort in Rust into a forest and sexually assaulted by a 31-year-old Romanian national.
The girl was with her parents when she became lost at the Rulantica adventure pool and then found hours later, miles away from the park.
The Romanian is accused of first finding the little girl while she was alone, and then, instead of helping her find her parents, he snuck her out of the park and brought her to the nearby forest. There, she was sexually assaulted for nearly two hours.
She was discovered alone by a nearby pedestrian in the forest at 10:20 p.m. If it were not for this person, the girl could have become lost in the forest and left to fend for herself through the night.
The suspect was identified thanks to surveillance camera footage but remained on the run for days, only to be arrested in his home village of Lugasu de Jos in Romania.
He is now being extradited back to Germany.
The man is known for breaking the law in the past, including fraud and theft offenses.
Europapark boss Michael Mack told Bild newspaper: “We are very affected and of course immediately took care of the child’s parents when they contacted us.”
“Our park pastors were also there for the parents. We handed over our camera recordings directly to the police. This video material ultimately made it possible to identify a suspect,” he added.
However, German authorities are coming under criticism for not releasing photos of the suspect or details of the case to the public, despite the man being on the run.
“A 6-year-old child is torn from the care of his parents and secreted away from Europa-Park Rust… The greatest happiness: The child survived the horror. What are the police doing?
First of all, good work, thanks to the Europa Parks: The perpetrator can be identified using cameras. That was at the beginning of the week. And since then?
The Police force does NOT warn the public for days.
The name of the Perpetrator is KEPT SECRET.
NO photo of the child molester will be published.
This means: No one can recognize the child molester at the bus stop or in front of the daycare center, no parent can warn their children about the man with this appearance. If there are regulations that prevent the police from conducting a public search, this madness should be abolished. As soon as possible.”
Notably, when it comes to doxxing right-wingers, including when they have not yet been convicted of any crime, the German media has no issue publishing photos, such as when police raids were conducted against the Compact Magazine. A photo of Jürgen Elsässer was published in his bathrobe, after press photographers were tipped off about the raids in advance, a clear violation of the law.
Germany’s court system later ruled that the entire raid and banning of the publication was illegal. However, when suspected child molesters are on the run for days, the media remains silent, the police do not publish a photo of the suspect, and not even a first name is given.
🇩🇪BREAKING NEWS:
Massive crackdown on the press in Germany
In what may be the most aggressive move against press freedom since the Second World War, Germany has banned Compact Magazine and raided the office of the publisher, Jürgen Elsässer.
Notably, there have been numerous cases in Germany where women were sexually assaulted or young girls molested, where the police kept quiet about the case for weeks and even months.
As Remix News reported last year, a 12-year-old girl is alleged to have been raped by a Syrian in a Braunschweig swimming pool, but the police kept the case quiet for several weeks. No measures are being taken against the alleged perpetrator.
Police and public prosecutors in Braunschweig are investigating a Syrian teen who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl in a local swimming pool called the Wasserwelt (Water World). The 15-year-old foreigner first molested the child in the pool and then raped her in a changing room, reports the Braunschweiger Zeitung. The crime is said to have taken place on Aug. 10, at 5 p.m., but details are only being made public now, as the police kept mum about the case for three weeks.
After vetoing a bill extending aid to Ukrainian citizens in Poland, President Nawrocki explained that Polish public finances and “political and social emotions have changed.” He then offered his precise reasoning for his veto, as cited by Do Rzeczy.
“The law proposed three and a half years ago should be amended today. I am convinced that all major political circles clearly declare that the 800+ benefit should only be granted to refugees from Ukraine who work. (…) The bill I received on aid for Ukrainian citizens does not make this correction. I remain unchanged and intend to fulfill my obligations. The 800+ benefit should only be granted to Ukrainians who make the effort to work. The same applies to healthcare,” he noted.
“If we look at healthcare and notice a certain preference for Ukrainians compared to Poles, and the fact that Ukrainians are entitled to healthcare regardless of whether they take up employment and pay health insurance contributions or not, then we find ourselves in a situation in which Polish citizens are treated worse in their own country than our guests from Ukraine,” the president stressed.
Nawrocki did clarify that Poland is still supporting Ukraine on the ground in its fight against Russia.
“We are still a nation open to help. And that remains unchanged. Nor does our strategic goal – Poland’s interest is to militarily support Ukraine in this conflict, because the Russian Federation is a threat to the world,” said the president.
Nawrocki received praise from Law and Justice (PiS) MP Janusz Kowalski, among others. “Respect, Mr. President Nawrocki, Poland is for Poles! No privileges [for] temporary guests in our Polish home. There is no consent for a Pole to be treated worse than a Ukrainian,” the parliamentarian wrote on X.
“Bravo! President Nawrocki vetoed the bill on aid for Ukraine in the form presented to him by the Coalition on December 13. It cannot be that Ukrainians are allowed more than Poles. The president will submit his own bill on this matter,” commented another PiS politician, Kazimierz Smoliński.
Confederation’s Michał Wawer also spoke positively about the head of state’s decision. “It’s high time to end the privileged treatment of Ukrainians in healthcare (access to healthcare services even if a Ukrainian doesn’t work, doesn’t have National Health Fund insurance, or doesn’t pay contributions). It’s high time to end the 800+ benefit (the pro-demographic program!) for citizens of other countries,” he said.
Wawer further stated that supporting refugees in the manner implemented by Mateusz Morawiecki and Donald Tusk, i.e., treating them better than their own compatriots, is pathological.
“Assistance to refugees should be rational, well-thought-out, and well-targeted,” he said.
However, concerns were raised over Ukraine’s access to Starlink, as Poland’s aid included paying for the service used by troops fighting Russia on the ground.
Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzystof Gawkowski posted on X: “This is the end of Starlink internet, which Poland provides to Ukraine as it wages war.”
However, the obvious solution is to include the Starlink access in a separate bill which is not connected to Ukrainian social benefits in Poland.
A 22-year-old Syrian man, identified as N., is on trial in Brussels for the rape of two minors. One of the victims is his current pregnant wife, who is 14. He has justified his behavior in both cases that in his home country of Syria, it is accepted that such age differences exist.
The prosecution is seeking a four-year prison sentence, while the defense argues that the situation should be viewed within a different cultural context.
The first case dates back to November 2023, when a 14-year-old Syrian girl, accompanied by her mother, reported a rape to a sexual violence treatment center (CPVS). The girl, who did not speak much French, told a nurse that she had been raped and had lost her virginity, according to Belgium news outlet DH.
While an official complaint was filed, it was withdrawn just two days later.
Despite the withdrawal, the Brussels public prosecutor’s office opened a case after receiving a copy of the suspect’s residence permit, which identified him as N.
However, police did not question him about the alleged rape until June 2024. N. denied the charges and stated that the age difference was “not a problem” in his culture. His lawyer, Nathalie Gallant, noted that the victim later said she felt caught between her parents and N., who wanted to leave her for another person.
The prosecutor’s office chose not to pursue criminal charges at that time, instead issuing a formal reprimand.
He is caught with another minor just month’s later
Several months later, police officers spotted N. kissing a girl in a parked car and noticed their significant age difference. This led to a new investigation.
It was discovered that N. was now religiously married to a different Syrian girl, also 14, who was pregnant with his child. He was detained for a week before being released.
At a hearing, the prosecutor countered claims, made once again, that it was part of his culture to have sex with underage girls, stating, “I accept that there is a cultural context, but it cannot override the laws of the country in which we are hosted.”
The prosecutor cited a Belgian legal precedent that prohibits sexual relations between an adult and a 14-year-old if the adult is more than three years their senior. Given that N. had already received a reprimand, the prosecutor requested a four-year prison sentence.
N.’s lawyer, Ms. Gallant, did not dispute the law said the prosecutor’s office, had previously opted for a simple reprimand rather than a criminal prosecution. She argued for a suspended sentence instead of prison time.
The case has been adjourned until early September for an expert report to be submitted.
A tragic accident occurred on Tuesday morning on the A1 highway between Bucharest and Pitești. Two young people died after they threw themselves in front of a truck while hugging each other, news outlet Maszol reported.
According to the reporting, the two young people threw themselves into traffic because their parents did not want them to have a relationship.
The portal learned that the girl was 14 years old and from Giurgiu county, and the boy was 18 years old and lived in Buzău county.
Due to the young age of the girl, authorities were contacted about the relationship months ago.
Daniel Badea, the mayor of Crevedia Mare, the locality from which the minor child came, stated to Digi24 that the authorities were notified of this case “in May or June” by the police.
According to the mayor, following investigations, the Buzău IPJ found that the young man, an adult, had intimate relations with the girl, who, at the time, was 13 and a half years old.
“It was automatically reported and the IPJ was notified, as it was a rape, as it was a minor. We automatically started a social investigation report through which we monitored the entire situation and we did this weekly. We also talked to the young woman’s parents. They told me that the girl had taken a pregnancy test and was not pregnant,” said the mayor.
The young man had been charged with sex with a minor because of this relationship, which would have made it more difficult for him to continue seeing her.
Police believe they both took their lives.
The families of the young people are expected to identify the bodies on Wednesday.
The young people suffered such severe injuries that the ambulances arriving at the scene confirmed immediately that they were dead.
The driver was tested for drugs or alcohol, but the results were negative.
He recounted to the police that both victims were hugging each other when they flung themselves into his vehicle.
A Tunisian migrant has been arrested in connection with four corpses found floating in the River Seine outside of Paris. Although he is currently only a suspect, police have tied him to the murder of four homosexual men in just 16 days.
The first body was found by a passerby in the river in Choisy-le-Roi, a commune in the suburbs of Paris. Police subsequently found three additional bodies.
The victims, according to the prosecutor’s office, are a 48-year-old Frenchman living in Créteil, a 21-year-old Algerian resident of Choisy-le-Roi, and two homeless men: another 21-year-old Algerian and a 26-year-old Tunisian.
The current suspect had his first hearing in front of a judge on Rue du Bastion in Paris (17th arrondissement) in the presence of his lawyer, Antoine Ory, who was unwilling to comment on the case.
🇫🇷🚨 Has a serial killer been stalking gay men in Paris?
An Algerian migrant has been arrested in connection with 4 corpses found floating in the River Seine, however, he is currently only a suspect.
According to Le Parisien, the first corpse to be identified is a gay man, with… pic.twitter.com/W2nJg7FooO
At first, he tried to pass himself off as an Algerian named Ahmed Ben Ali, but authorities now know he is from Tunisia and is named Monji—”savior” in Arabic.
In France illegally, last week Le Parisien confirmed he was taken to the administrative detention center in Plaisir (Yvelines), where the police arrested him on Wednesday morning, and is subject to an OQFT.
A second person has also been taken into custody in relation to the case and is being questioned.
Presently, the authorities are pursuing the theory that the perpetrator is a serial killer and is targeting homosexual men. Le Parisien has confirmed that the first corpse identified, a 40-year-old male from Créteil, was a gay man.
“In the absence of confessions, it is impossible to be definitive. But the most plausible theory is that of serial crimes committed because of the victims’ real or perceived sexual orientation – homosexuality. A possible hatred against this community, the motives of which could be linked to the suspect’s thwarted sexuality, but also to his strict practice of Islam, discovered during the investigation,” wrote the paper.
Le Parisien further states that the police’s reasoning for this theory is that just a few hundred meters upstream from where the bodies were discovered, there is a known spot “where men meet at night for furtive sexual encounters.”
Furthermore, police investigators have connected the murder suspect to the murder victims. Police say one of the victims was even friends with the suspect and both of them were featured in photos together. The Tunisian suspect used the phone chip of one of the victims and then used the debit card of another victim.
The paper speculates that the killer may have taken them to his home, had sexual relations with them, and then dumped their bodies in the river. He has been in France for three years and residing illegally in the country for eight months.
The number of homeless and vulnerable has exploded along the Seine outside of Paris, ever since homeless people were expelled from Paris due to the Olympic Games.
While the first body discovered was “relatively well-preserved,” the other three were in “a very advanced state of decomposition,” the prosecutor’s office specified in a statement on Saturday. Two of the bodies also showed clear signs of violence.
Although all the victims were located in the same area, authorities are unsure if the corpses had been tossed into the Seine further upstream.
A 21-year-old American tourist suffered serious injuries at the hands of two Syrian migrants in Dresden, and his impassioned video about the attack and Germany’s spiraling migrant crisis has gone viral. Now, the story, which was published in both German and American media, has prompted a rebuke from Richard Grenell, presidential envoy for special missions of the United States under the Trump administration.
Grenell was responding to a video released by the victim of the attack, which has already been censored on the Remix News X page. When Remix News attempts to embed the video, the below message is received, which typically means German or European authorities have tracked the video and censored it.
The same error message is being received for larger accounts that shared the video, including Visegard24, which posted the same video. Notably, the Visegard24 account was the one Grenell responded to.
It appears the censors in Europe are very concerned about this video spreading.
The horrendous attack took place on a Dresden tram, and photos of the crime scene showed blood splattered everywhere. The incident was reported in the New York Post along with other American newspapers, and occurred at 12:25 a.m. on tram line 7 between Weixdorf and Pennrich.
The victim, according to the New York Post, is John Rudat, an American model in New York. It is very possible the man will suffer life-long scars. He also posted the video to his Instagram page.
In the video, Rudat says: “If they could do this to the people of Germany and then just get released 12 hours later, even less at this point, where’s the law? Where’s the structure? If Germans are held to that law and that structure, but these people can just come in, swing knives, hurt, abuse and terrorize the citizens of Germany, then?”
“If ya’ll didn’t think that Europe didn’t have an immigration problem, especially Germany, let me drop some knowledge on you,” he warns viewers while recounting his harrowing experience.
The fleeing stabber is known to police and remains on the run. His accomplice, a Syrian citizen, Majd A., was arrested after the attack about 700 meters away from where the stabbing took place and then quickly released.
“We are investigating him and the still unknown man for, among other things, dangerous bodily harm,” said a police spokesperson, Lukas Reumund.
Notably, the American was attempting to keep the men from harassing women on the tram.
According to police, “two men from a group were harassing female passengers.” The American stepped in to help the woman.
Police spokesperson Reumund told Bild: “A 21-year-old U.S. citizen intervened and was stabbed by one of the perpetrators in the ensuing altercation. The two perpetrators then fled the scene.”
Another police spokesperson, Thomas Geithner, told Bild: “The U.S. citizen suffered multiple cuts to his face with a knife.”
According to police sources, Majd A is not the stabbing perpetrator but did initially attack the U.S. citizen with punches. He is known to the police for previous bodily harm, robbery, and illegal entry.
Police spokesperson Geithner said: “He was provisionally arrested and released by decision of the public prosecutor’s office.”
Senior public prosecutor Jürgen Schmidt told Bild: “According to the assessment of the on-call public prosecutor, there were insufficient grounds for detention. The knife attack cannot be attributed to him.”
Apparently, despite assaulting the American with punches, the prosecutor did not believe they could obtain an arrest warrant from the judge. He also fled a crime scene and presumably obstructed justice, and yet, no arrest.
After the beating, the second suspect returned on the tram, this time armed with a knife, at which time he inflicted serious injuries on Rudat.
Rudat notes in his Instagram video that the attacker was released almost immediately.
Police allegedly have surveillance footage of the suspects, but once again, have not released any photos or videos, as is often the case in Germany. Often, only months later, after a judge has approved, will the police release surveillance footage or photos if a case remains open.
Knife crime has soared in Germany, in tandem with mass immigration, as Remix News reported earlier this year. According to the Police Crime Statistics (PKS), in 2024, approximately 29,000 crimes in Germany were recorded as knife attacks. In the area of dangerous and aggravated bodily harm, the number increased by approximately 10.8 percent.
In May, German criminal lawyer Udo Vetter warned that the country has “imported knife violence” following several high-profile incidents, including a Kosovar man injuring a 12-year-old girl and two others, a Syrian asylum seeker stabbing five people outside a student bar, and a rioter wounding a police officer. He pointed to cultural norms where knives are carried as status symbols.
Manuel Ostermann of the Federal Police Union also called for urgent action, warning that the knife “always immediately poses a concrete threat to life and limb” and that politicians must use all available measures to curb the trend.
While European nations like France, Norway, Germany, and Italy have raced to take in hundreds of patients from Gaza over the last year, Denmark stands alone in its refusal to take in Palestinian patients. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen justifies her position with fears of more Palestinians coming through family reunification applications.
“The issue of family reunification could very quickly arise,” she told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on Aug. 15.
The move means Denmark once again is showcasing its strong anti-immigration policies, a move firmly backed by Danes. Remarkably, Frederiksen is not a right-wing politician, but firmly in the camp of left-wing socialists. Yet, time and time again, she has shown she is willing to protect her country from mass immigration. Denmark has one of the lowest shares of migrants of any Western European country, even if the country’s right says much more needs to be done.
Nearly half the Danish population supports Frederiksen’s stance, with 46 percent of Danes supporting blocking sick patients from Gaza, according to an Epinion poll conducted for DR. Only a third of Danes believe the borders should be opened to Gazan patients.
A year and a half ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) requested that EU countries accept patients from Gaza for treatment, with 11 EU countries doing so.
According to a report from Le Monde, Frederiksen refuses to bow to pressure in her country, “which she has now explicitly justified by the ultra-restrictive migration policy pursued by her coalition government. The fact that most patients are children makes no difference,” she explained.
Notably, she referred to the issue of more migrants arriving, using the Gazan patients as a backdoor.
Frederiksen says her country is investing in hospitals and treatments in neighboring countries to support the wounded from Gaza; however, some humanitarian organizations say these countries are not equipped to handle the influx of patients.
“It is our clear belief that we can help more people if we help in the immediate area,” said Frederiksen in May.
“The nearby areas cannot take more and not at all cope with these very complicated cases, which are on the WHO list,” said Vibeke Brix Christensen, who is a consultant at the Rigshospitalet and medical advisor at Doctors Without Borders.
However, as with all calls for humanitarian sympathy, in many cases, it has turned into nothing more than a call for more mass immigration. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians, for instance, are now citizens in European countries. Despite Assad falling from power, they have no plans to return home. Crime from this group has exploded, leaving countless Europeans maimed, raped, and killed over the years.
It appears Denmark does not want to go down that path.
Other parties are supportive of the Danish prime minister’s stance, including the Liberal Alliance (LA) and the Danish Democrats.
“It needs to be done in the immediate areas where there are plenty of good hospitals at a smaller distance than 3,000 kilometers,” said the foreign rapporteur for LA, Lars-Christian Brask.
“It doesn’t belong in Denmark at all. We are miles away from Gaza, and there is no cause at all,” said Charlotte Munch, foreign rapporteur for the Danish Democrats.
Meanwhile, SF is ready to bring five to ten sick children from Gaza into Denmark on a trial basis. However, the party also believes the main focus should be on efforts in the immediate area.
“We think there is more logical to massively support the hospitals in Cairo, Amman and East Jerusalem, and perhaps some of the other neighboring states that we can help support the healthcare system in the areas so that they can accept more Palestinians,” said the party’s foreign rapporteur, Karsten Hønge.
Of course, Europe’s pro-migration left shoulders much of the blame for Denmark’s current stance. Over the years, it has become clear that migrants fleeing war zones cross through many “safe” countries on their way to social welfare systems like Denmark, where they receive lavish benefits and then never leave.
Once these migrants enter the country, these same leftist groups fight tooth and nail to make sure no migrant is ever sent home. In many cases, what was first a form of aid to refugees becomes life-long resettlement programs, citizenship, and more mass immigration through family reunification.
In short, Denmark has little incentive to accept migrants, with history serving as a guide. Many Europeans have grown wise to this scheme, which is why more Danes support Frederiksen’s stance than oppose it.
In the wake of Ukraine attacking yet again the Druzbha or “Friendship” pipeline on Aug. 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has come out with a not-so-subtle warning of his own.
According to the Ukrainian Interfax, the Ukrainian president told press on Sunday that Ukraine has always supported friendly relations with Hungary, but that “friendship” really depends on the position of the Hungarian government.
Zelensky did not specify if he was referring to relations between the two countries or “friendship” as in the Friendship pipeline, but Ukrainian media state he was talking about the latter.
Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, posted a clip of Zelensky’s threats on X, writing: “Zelensky used Ukraine’s national holiday to threaten Hungary. We firmly reject the Ukrainian president’s intimidation.”
.@ZelenskyyUa used Ukraine’s national holiday to threaten Hungary. We firmly reject the Ukrainian President’s intimidation.
We regard sovereignty and territorial integrity as fundamental values of international politics. That is why we respect every country’s sovereignty and… pic.twitter.com/oUsgKNgqcV
Kyiv would then be clearly threatening Budapest that they will continue sabotaging the oil pipeline if the Hungarian government does not support Ukraine in its efforts against Putin, and potentially change its stance on Ukraine’s EU membership, which the Hungarian government opposes.
The Druzbha carries vital energy supplies to both Hungary and Slovakia, and Hungary’s foreign minister, Szijjártó, has repeatedly warned Kyiv not to strike again. After the latest damage, Hungary expects repairs to take a few days.
Heading into the cold winter months, this issue is sure to escalate, and U.S. President Trump has already expressed his displeasure, saying he was “very angry” about it.
Hungary is also a major supplier of electricity to Ukraine.
New reports indicate that Russia may be building a kind of intelligence station that will allow the Russians to intercept NATO military communications in Eastern Europe. Satellite images clearly show that Moscow is constructing a large installation in the Kaliningrad Oblast, just 100 kilometers from the Polish border.
Experts from the Tochnyi Investigative Project, cited by the Do Rzeczy news portal, believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is creating a large electronic intelligence center.
“Although the new installation in the Königsberg region is still under construction, it likely represents a key node in Russia’s strategic electronic intelligence and communications architecture,” analysts from Tochnyi say.
The analysts say such a center would “bridge the gap between Cold War-era technology and modern military doctrine, which relies on denial, surveillance, and information dominance.”
Moscow assures that it will not allow its territory in Kaliningrad to be threatened and is prepared for a decisive response.
After threats made by General Christopher Donahue, commander of the Allied Land Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa, that U.S. troops and their allies will be able to “wipe this enclave from the face of the Earth,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov issued a warning to NATO.
Donahue has emphasized that Kaliningrad is a key element of the North Atlantic Alliance’s strategy on the eastern flank.
On Monday, Estonian media reported GPS signal disruptions in areas including the Gulf of Finland. The source of the disruptions appears to be in the Königsberg Oblast. The Russian “Tobol” system in question is a strategic electronic warfare network designed to protect Russian satellite communications systems from NATO attacks and disrupt the Alliance’s intelligence capabilities.
Ukraine is one of the biggest wheat, corn and sunflower oil exporters in the world, but drought has hit the country’s production hard this year.
Between January and July 2025, agricultural production was 18.5 percent lower than the same period last year, according to official data, which was reviewed by Kárpáti Igaz Szó.
Estimates indicate that up to 500,000 hectares of production were destroyed through drought, according to the deputy chairman of the VAR (All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council), Denys Marchuk.
The decrease mostly hit crop production, which fell to 74.5 percent compared to last year’s production — so far.
Meanwhile, animal husbandry was less hard hit, remaining at 95.3 percent of production.
The greatest losses were seen on agricultural enterprises, which include large-scale monocrop producers, which fell to 77.7 percent of production.
However, backyard farms, which many Ukrainians have, fell only to 89.7 percent, meaning individual and hobbyist producers were less hard hit.
Certain areas saw dramatically reduced production, including Donetsk, which met only 47.8 percent of its production figures compared to last year, and Khmelnytskyi, which saw only 46.3 percent of its 2024 production.
However, there is still some hope that Ukraine may break even compared to last year, depending on how weather and production develop over the coming weeks.
“Compared to last year, this season we are about two weeks behind in terms of harvest due to weather conditions — both drought and significant precipitation in July. Despite crop losses in some regions, in other regions the yield indicators are higher, which gives reason to hope for a harvest no worse than last year, about 56 million tons, of which at least 40 million tons can be exported,” Marchuk, noted.
Other areas fared better, and some even exceeded 2024’s production levels, including Zaporizhia, Zakarpattia and Odessa.
The best result was seen in the Mykolaiv region, which produced 106.7 percent of its production compared to last year.
According to official statistical data, the overall volume of agricultural production in Ukraine between January and July 2025 was 18.5 percent lower than the same period last year.
Ukraine is considered one of the major breadbaskets of the world, and many of its crops help feed nations in Africa, the Middle East and beyond.
During the spring of 2025 and the early summer, many parts of Europe experienced the worst drought conditions in decades. Germany, for instance, was especially hard hit. A number of EU countries saw crop yields decline significantly.
U.S. President Donald Trump is warning that his country may have to “change tactics” regarding Ukraine if Russian leader Vladimir Putin does not end the war within two weeks.
Trump estimated that the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine would be known “within two weeks.” He added that if there was no progress, a “change of tactics” might be necessary.
Trump has previously presented various deadlines for ending the war, but those timelines have shifted depending on the situation.
On July 14, he spoke of 50 days, but later shortened that period, citing frustration with Putin. Russia has continuously hit Ukraine with waves of missile and drone strikes, often shortly after speaking with Trump.
On July 29, Trump issued a new ultimatum, giving Moscow 10 days to end the war or face 100 percent tariffs, along with Moscow’s trading partners, which could include countries like India and China.
However, before the deadline expired, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, arrived in Moscow, where, according to the White House, Putin requested a personal meeting with Trump, which took place in Alaska on Aug. 15.
After the talks, the U.S. president again postponed the announced sanctions.
Would could different tactics mean?
One thing is also clear. The U.S. and its Western allies have withheld numerous weapons from Ukraine over the years, including the most advanced Western weapons, such as the F-35 stealth fighters. Some analysts believe that armed with certain weapons, Ukraine could quickly turn the tide against Russia, but the threat of nuclear war has kept Western allies from making such a move.
In addition, long-range Western missiles could be deployed in large numbers against Russian forces, including against weapons factories deep in Russian territory. Again, there are extreme risks present that have kept countries like Germany, for instance, from supplying weapons such as the Taurus weapons system.
So far, Western allies of Ukraine have supplied the Ukrainian army with just enough weapons to keep it stable, but steady territorial losses have also emboldened Russia.
Trump so far has not outlined what these “different tactics” could include, whether they are economic or military.
Peace talks appear set for failure
Since the peace talks in Alaska, it remains highly unclear whether the planned Zelensky-Putin meet will ever happen.
On Aug. 18, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, Trump said an agreement was possible within “a week or two.” He suggested there were “no exceptionally difficult issues” that would prevent a deal that would provide Ukraine with guarantees against future aggression.
Following these talks, Trump personally called Putin to discuss the possibility of a meeting with Zelensky. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made it clear that such a meeting was unlikely in the near future.
On Thursday, the British newspaper The Guardian, citing sources in the US administration, reported that Trump had abandoned attempts to arrange a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky. According to the newspaper, the U.S. president concluded that Moscow and Kyiv should independently take the initiative to organize face-to-face talks, which he believes could be another step toward ending the war.
A shocking case in Austria is making headlines across the country after a seven-member youth gang raped a teacher, abused her, burned her apartment down, and even beheaded a dead animal on video with a machete, according to prosecutors.
The youths are now standing trial, accused of abusing the teacher for months. Aged 14 to 17, they appeared in Vienna district court of Liesing.
🇦🇹🚨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,
The Austrian media is running multiple stories on the case, including in Der Standard and Kronen Zeitung. The victim is a teacher in her late twenties.
The list of charges is shocking, including aggravated extortion, gang rape, rape, sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and arson.
The victim told police that she had consensual sex with one of the underage students in April 2024. He was only 16 at the time.
Prosecutors say the teen later showed up to the apartment with other youths, who called themselves the Liesing gang. They then said they had blackmail material on the teacher after she had sex with a minor, at which point they leveraged that information for more sex, as well as drugs and other items from the teacher.
The youths also began filming her and taking more photos, which the teacher says they used to build more blackmail material.
Armed with the blackmail material, she says they forced her to buy them drugs, food, and tobacco.
A 15-year-old Iraqi is accused of putting an extreme amount of pressure on the victim, demanding her pay for a variety of items. The 15-year-old also obtained the ATM details of the woman and paid for 31 taxi rides with Uber and Bolt, which resulted in €545.28 worth of fees.
However, the more serious charges relate to the sexual abuse allegations. The woman says she was continuously forced to have sex with the teens, who the press has identified as having migrant background in most cases.
The gang also showed her intimidating videos of the gang’s actions, including a video where they beheaded a dead animal with a machete. It is unclear if they are charged with any crime related to the beheading, as the animal was already dead.
In January, the youth are believed to have burned down the woman’s apartment, according to prosecutors. The woman was away on vacation when the youths broke in through a back patio, hosted a party, and then burned down her apartment afterward, according to prosecutors.
Four members of the youth gang were identified getting off near a tram right before the blaze began. The 15-year-old Iraqi was tracked down to being inside the woman’s apartment the night it burned down. He was logged into the apartment’s Wi-Fi right before the arson. One of the woman’s watches was also recovered from the teen’s sister after he gave it to her.
Once the teacher returned to her apartment, she contacted authorities about the details of the case.
“During the police investigation into the cause of the fire, she finally told officers about her months-long ordeal,” according to the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Police found DNA evidence of two of the youth gang members on cigarette butts at the crime scene. The teenagers deny all charges and refuse to testify in the case.
One 15-year-old youth admitted to taking taxi rides, which the teacher paid for. They all say the woman consensually had sex with them.
The youths potentially face up to seven and a half years in prison if convicted, according to Kronen Zeitung.
🇦🇹 Great Replacement in Austria's school system
More than 3 quarters of students in Vienna’s middle schools do not speak German at home, according to new statistics.
According to Statistics Austria's STATcube, only 8,479 of Vienna’s 26,816 middle school students use German as… pic.twitter.com/4Vf20aaLLt
In the city of Völklingen in the German state of Saarland, a young officer has lost his life after being murdered by an 18-year-old German with Turkish citizenship.
The 34-year-old police sergeant became engaged in a foot pursuit with the suspect, at which time, a scuffle ensued. The suspect grabbed the officer’s service pistol and shot him multiple times, killing him.
Dramatic video showed individuals in the area responding to the sounds of gunshots.
🇩🇪🔴 JUST IN: First video recorded of a German police officer shot to death in Völklingen, Saarland,
"People, you won’t believe this, we’re in Völklingen and people are being shot."
Following a gas station robbery, the perpetrator grabbed the officer's gun and shot him. pic.twitter.com/URNqRwrOpT
A photo of the alleged suspect has been circulating on social media. The suspect sustained minor injuries and was treated at the hospital.
Another video of the shooting in Völklingen.
After a foot pursuit, the German-Turkish suspect struggled with the 34-year-old police sergeant, grabbed his service pistol, and shot him to death with it. pic.twitter.com/pfh5cGDQUF
The incident began at 6:01 p.m., when the suspect robbed an Aral gas station at the Karolinger Bridge, threatened the staff with a knife. He grabbed cash from the victims and ran outside.
Two police officers pursued the suspect and caught him just a few minutes later. The suspect managed to grab a pistol and killed the police sergeant.
Notably, because the suspect is a dual citizen, the crime will be listed as being committed by a German. That is the way police statistics work in the country, which lists anyone who is a German citizen, even if they have another citizenship, as “German.”
Remix News wrote just yesterday on how wildly this distorts the police statistics into fitting a left-wing narrative about crime and foreigners in the country.
The police sergeant suffered serious injuries and died shortly after the shooting at Homburg University Hospital. His partner was not harmed but is in a state of shock, according to news reports.
Interior Minister Reinhold Jost, of the left-wing Social Democrats (SPD), arrived on scene and spoke of “darkest days for Saarland.”
State Premier Anke Rehlinger, also of the SPD, stated: “A young police officer has been taken from his life – my thoughts are with his family and colleagues.”
Notably, the last police officer killed in dramatic fashion in Germany involved an Afghan radical Islamist, who killed an officer in a terror attack in Mannheim.
Deputy head of the German police union, Manuel Ostermann, wrote on X: “The world stands still. I am infinitely sad and speechless. Rest in peace, my colleague. My thoughts are with the family, friends, and my colleagues. We will never forget you!”
Die Welt steht still. Ich bin unendlich traurig und sprachlos. Ruhe in Frieden mein Kollege. Ich bin in Gedanken bei der Familie, den Freunden und bei meinen Kolleginnen und Kollegen. Wir werden dich niemals vergessen! #Einervonunshttps://t.co/GW7J5duINn
One witness told Bild: “At first, I thought they were firecrackers. Then I realized, those were real gunshots. People were running around everywhere – pure panic.”
Hundreds of police officers descended on the scene, secured evidence, and cordoned off a wide swath of the city.
The incident is sure to be a major news story in Germany for days.
Poland’s Central Statistical Office has released its latest employment data. The average gross monthly salary in the enterprise sector, those employing more than nine people, was PLN 8,906 (€2,903), up 7.6 percent year-over-year in July.
This was slightly better than the 8.6 percent jump expected, while employment fell 0.9 percent year-over-year, a tad more than the .8 percent estimated drop.
Average employment in the enterprise sector was 6,431,800 full-time equivalent positions.
“The labor market is definitely entering a cooling phase. The rising unemployment rate among young people – according to Eurostat data, constantly shrinking employment and the decreasing number of reported job offers are causing the labor market to slowly lose the resilience it gained immediately after the pandemic,” commented Mariusz Zielonka, economic expert at the Lewiatan Confederation, quoted in a press release cited by ISBnews.pl.
The expert assessed that employers have begun to respond to rising labor costs.
“The largest reduction in employment (-2.5 percent year-over-year) is occurring in trade, an industry that is quite fragmented and, at the same time, vulnerable to rising costs amid lower-than-expected consumer demand,” the report noted. At the same time, rising labor costs meant that companies were less willing to raise wages in July.
According to Zielonka, companies are pursuing a “survival strategy,” which probably means not extending expiring temporary contracts or hiring new people for vacant positions.
An economic contraction has been ongoing in Poland, with new manufacturing orders falling for the fourth consecutive month in July. The S&P Global Poland Manufacturing PMI also registered 45.9 in July, up from 44.8 in June, but still below the 50 level required for indicating growth in the economy.
Poland’s PMI, struggling below 50 since 2022, had enjoyed a short-term blip into growth territory in March and April of this year, but fell back in May.
“Poland’s 2025 manufacturing recovery was derailed in May, as a sharper drop in new orders impacted output, purchasing and hiring. The PMI recorded its steepest one-month fall in nearly three years, with only suppliers’ delivery times having a positive contribution,” said Trevor Balchin, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Still, some companies believe things will still improve, with Reuters reporting that one-third see growth ahead, up from 24 percent in June.
The OECD currently projects GDP growth for Poland of 3.4 percent in 2025 and 3 percent in 2026; however, these estimates may not have taken into account Trump’s tariff war.
The head of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Lublin, Grzegorz Trusiewicz, has released new information regarding the unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed into a cornfield in the village of Osyny, some 100 kilometers from Warsaw, on Aug. 20.
An official from the Polish prosecutor’s office, cited by RMF24, has said that “there is a high probability” that the drone “came from Belarus.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz indicated the drone was Russian. Belarus and Russia are known allies, and back in 2021, concerns were raised during the Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2021 war games, including drone warfare, that Moscow was preparing to invade Ukraine. Moscow denied any such intention and accused the West and Ukraine of their own plan of aggression.
“Combined with the records we have, there is a very high probability that the object probably came from Belarus,” he said.
Aside from some broken windows in homes near the crash site, no further damage or injuries were reported.
The drone was largely damaged, shattering upon impact, but investigators have retrieved one large intact piece of the drone. It has an inscription, presumably in Korean. Previously, Rzeczpospolita reported that the drone was an Iranian-made Shahed-131 or Shahed-136.
TVP reported earlier that the drone was meant to divert anti-aircraft defense systems from actual combat drones and thus contained only a small amount of explosives.
Despite having to deploy their air force twice in recent days in response to threats from long-range Russian missiles and Russian aircraft, including UAVs, the Polish military says no drone was ever detected by their radar systems.
Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incident, stating on X: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the event to be another deliberate provocation, fitting into the pattern of hybrid actions undertaken by Russia. We strongly condemn all actions that pose a threat to civilian populations and the safety of air traffic.”
In order to reach an agreement to end the war, Ukraine will probably have to give up territory, even if that would violate international law, said Czech President Petr Pavel in an interview published by the CTK news agency on Thursday.
“The surrender of territory would reflect the situation on the battlefield and represent the lesser evil, as opposed to continuing the war, which would result in numerous new casualties and material losses,” said the Czech leader.
He also acknowledged this may only end up being a temporary agreement.
“If peacekeeping forces were to be deployed to Ukraine under such a “temporary” agreement, the Czech Republic should also participate, because it has been an active participant in the peace process from the beginning,” he added.
“This would be more or less an acknowledgement of reality, because Russia has some regions firmly under its control. If we recognize that they are temporarily occupied, then we should call them that, and not Russian territories,” Pavel added.
According to the Czech president, any agreement regarding possible territorial changes is solely the right of Ukraine and Russia.
“I don’t dare to give an opinion on what the agreement on the territories should look like, this is really only a matter for Ukraine and Russia. It would not be good to give advice on what to hand over and what to leave. This is clearly outside our jurisdiction and competence,” the president explained.
Pavel believes that Western sanctions against Russia should have been more decisive and stronger from the beginning, which would have helped Ukraine defend itself more effectively, reducing human and material losses.
“However, several countries were clearly afraid of a possible escalation of the conflict,” he noted. According to him, if Ukraine had received more effective and greater assistance earlier, it is possible that the situation on the battlefield would look different today.
According to Pavel, the Czech Republic’s possible participation in peacekeeping depends on the form of the future agreement.
Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochová previously ruled out sending Czech soldiers to Ukraine. The head of state called it positive that negotiations between the West and Ukraine on security guarantees for the latter have begun.
“Now, we must do everything we can to ensure that the negotiations continue. We must act constructively, willing to compromise, but firmly. We must not allow a situation to develop in the end in which the aggressor is rewarded while the victim is punished,” the Czech president underlined.
A Syrian and Bulgarian, both 14 at the time of the crime, are on trial for allegedly raping a 13-year-old schoolmate in an empty house in Königslutter, Lower Saxony, where he was also tortured and beaten. They even filmed the horrifying act and circulated the video amongst classmates.
Now, the two migrants have appeared in a Braunschweig Regional Court. Investigators say the victim was repeatedly bullied, and at the end of September 2023, they encountered the victim and his friend, at which point they led them to a basement in an empty building.
There, the horror began.
Prosecutors in the case say that the 13-year-old was forced to kiss the two suspects’ shoes, and then he was beaten and humiliated on video.
However, approximately a week later, the mother learned that there was a video circulating amongst schoolchildren of the horrid torture and assault. She filed a police report in response.
The two teens, now 16, are standing trial for child abuse, grievous bodily harm, the production of child pornography, coercion and threats.
Due to the fact that they are minors, they are likely to receive far lighter sentences than if they were adults.
As Remix News has reported in the past, Germans are now increasingly the targets of bullying in German schools from migrant groups, often with deadly consequences.
🇩🇪🔴 A young German girl spoke of the nightmare she experiences from her Muslim classmates.
"Sometimes they say to me that I’m German. And yeah, then they laugh at me, curse at me and tease me. Others are always Muslim, and they ask me why I am not a Muslim. I said I am a… pic.twitter.com/gggVOm9IPs
While extreme incidents often capture the headlines, daily bullying and harassment are also commonplace. In schools where Germans are a clear minority, the situation can be even worse.
🇩🇪❓"Why don’t you have any German friends?"
🔺"Because they don’t belong to us. I can’t stand the Germans too much."
Thousands of German students now face discrimination and sometimes outright assault from foreigners in their school systems.
Berlin’s clan crime statistics have been released, and they highlight how crime reporting is vastly distorted in Germany, which fails to account for the migration background of suspects. Instead, more and more serious crime is attributed to Germans, which fails to provide a comprehensive picture of crime trends in the country.
There were 851 registered clan crimes in Berlin in 2024, according to the “Clan Crime Situation Report,” which is released by the Senate Department of the Interior and the State Criminal Police Office.
These clan statistics are important for a variety of reasons, but they also offer a window into how many serious crimes are attributed to Germans without any context about the migration background of suspects.
The data shows that there were 616 clan crime suspects. Of these suspects, 324 have German citizenship. Another 108 are “stateless,” 94 are Lebanese, 28 are Turkish, 15 are Syrian, and 47 have multiple nationalities. That totals 292 foreign suspects.
This means that in Berlin, more than half of the clan criminal suspects are listed as Germans in the crime data, totalling 52.6 percent.
What is well known is that all of these clan members have foreign backgrounds, and nearly every single one is from a Middle Eastern country or has a family background from a Middle Eastern country. Taggeschau writes: “The families – as a rule they have Turkish, Lebanese or Arabic roots – usually operate regionally.”
Yet, the German left looks at this same data, and they say, “Look, it is not just foreigners committing crimes, Germans also do it!” Anyone who has even a rudimentary understanding of the data knows the truth, and the clan crime data only helps confirm it.
This reality is that of the clan crimes across Germany, a significant percentage, perhaps even a majority, is committed by German citizens. These are often serious crimes, assaults, murders, robberies, and serious organized crime methods. Each time one of these clan members commits an offense, it goes into the “German” category. The left nods their heads with glee. It fits their narrative that “Hans” and “Georg” are just as much a problem as anyone else.
This does not just apply to clans either, but to a vast array of crime in the country. Germans of course commit crimes as well, but when it comes to certain data points, such as gang rapes, the simple statistics do not tell the whole story. In Germany’s most populous state, half the suspects in gang rapes are foreigners, but when the names of the suspects are revealed, at least half of the suspects with German citizenship have clearly foreign names.
🇩🇪🚨 Last year, police in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia arrested 155 suspects in connection with 209 cases of gang r*pe.
A total of 84 suspects were foreign nationals and 71 were German citizens.
As more and more people with a foreign background are made German citizens in the country, more and more crime suspects will be listed as Germans. The left again will nod their head, as it confirms what they allegedly knew all along.
The left has weaponized citizenship to mislead voters on the role of foreigners and crime. They have been working to naturalize as many foreigners as possible, for various reasons of course, including building up their voting bloc. However, they also know that the problem of foreign crime has been a boon for the AfD. The solution? Make the foreigners German citizens, and all that foreign crime will eventually be greatly reduced. Instead, it will then be the Germans committing the crimes.
The matter is pressing because foreign crime is at a record share at the same time that violent crime reaches record levels. Right now, despite many of the Germans committing crimes having a foreign background, and being counted in the statistics as German, the explosion in crime from foreigners in Germany is still so enormous that it cannot be hidden or explained away.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has called for criminal statistics to represent the foreign background of suspects, even if they have German citizenship. If they had foreign parents, for example, the AfD advocates that the crime statistics recognize this and report on it. It is not just the AfD though, as many are advocating for such a policy.
Doing so will not only provide a more accurate picture of who is committing crimes in Germany, but it will also give a window into how integration is developing for Germany’s migrant communities over the course of decades.
Neighboring Denmark keeps such statistics, and they paint a sobering picture. The data shows that Danish citizens with a migration background actually have higher rates of criminality than their first-generation migrant parents, who already had vastly higher rates of criminality than Danes with no foreign background.
However, it can be assumed that if this reporting was actually changed in Germany, it would be a disaster for the claims that mass immigration has been a net benefit for Germany. As a result, no government made up of left-wing parties is going to change the law to track this data.
The new data does show some promising signs, with 20 percent fewer crimes tracked than the previous year. However, as BZ notes, this could have something to do with Berlin police being tied up with other operations.
BZ writes: “Due to the European Football Championship and numerous demonstrations related to the Gaza conflict, the police were unable to take action against clan criminals as frequently last year (74 operations) as in the previous year (2023: 126 operations).”
In other words, there might not be fewer clan-related crimes, just fewer police operations targeting clan members for arrest. Only time will tell if clan crime is actually seeing a long-term downward trend.
🇩🇪‼️ "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
BZ points to a number of extreme examples, including “a 29-year-old criminal without citizenship… Last year alone, he committed 22 offenses, including several assaults, three threats, three illegal motor vehicle races, three driving without a license, four acts of property damage, and various violations of the Violence Protection Act.”
“Assaults, robberies, drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, threats with weapons, traffic offenses, theft, and embezzlement – the spectrum of criminal clan activities is broad: The legal violations range from administrative offenses and general crime to gang crime and organized crime (OC),” writes the paper. “The scene now also typically operates shisha bars, buying and selling shops, jewelry businesses, construction businesses, and car rental companies in order to channel criminally obtained proceeds into the legitimate economy – in other words, to launder money.”
The report recorded 246 cases of bodily harm, 3 murder cases, 48 cases of serious bodily harm, 81 cases against personal freedom, 14 illegal motor races, 21 weapons and explosives violations, 112 cases of forgery or fraud, 21 robbery cases, and a variety of other offenses.
Berlin is also only one city in Germany. In states like North Rhine-Westphalia, clan criminals are thriving. “Most recently, 7,000 crimes within a year in North Rhine-Westphalia were attributed to the clan milieu. This is clear from the state government’s current picture of the situation. Seven years after NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) declared war on criminal clans, this is a rather sobering conclusion,” writes Tagesschau.
Despite big promises from the ruling government, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s economy is overseeing an economy increasingly in shambles, with bankruptcies jumping 20 percent in July and unemployment reaching just shy of 3 million, with both figures representing 10-year highs.
The level of bankruptcies in July have not been so high since October, with district courts counting 4,007 bankruptcies, a 19.2 percent increase compared to July of the previous year, announced the Federal Statistical Office. Bild indicates that this represents a 10-year high.
Unemployment soars
The unemployment situation is also worsening. The Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft indicates that 125,000 layoffs have been announced since July 1, and unemployment stands at 2.98 million, which is an increase of 170,000 compared to a year ago.
Federal Employment Agency head Andrea Nahles expects the 3 million mark to be surpassed in August, which would represent the most unemployed Germans in the last ten years.
Economic output falls sharply
The Federal Statistical Office also revised down economic output from previous yeas. In 2023, the figures were revised down to -0.7 percent compared to -0.1 percent. In 2024, output was revised to -0.5 percent from -0.2 percent. Now, in 2025 in the first quarter, Germany is still seeing negative growth.
Industrial production fell by 1.9 percent in June – to its lowest level since the coronavirus pandemic. Particularly affected were the chemical, mechanical engineering, and automotive industries.
All of this comes after Merz promised a turnaround in the summer after winning office.
“I want us to feel this summer: Things are slowly changing for the better. We’re making progress.” Merz said in his first government statement on May 14.
CEOs seem to rate Merz’s first 100 days poorly
Merz unleashed nearly a trillion euros in debt to ensure this turnaround, and promised reduced bureaucracy and tax relief. This included billions for infrastructure and defense, which was supposed to jumpstart the German economy.
However, a report from Bild indicates that without serious reforms, Germany’s economic situation will continue to deteriorate. In fact, there are already signs that the situation is growing worse.
Belén Garijo, CEO of pharmaceutical giant Merck, told Bild that “politicians must create the right framework. We must become more proactive: smarter bureaucracy, fewer concerns, but more agility and more courage.”
The CEO added, “Either Europe adapts to current realities or it risks sacrificing its industrial leadership – for overregulation and stagnation.”
Clemens Fuest, the president of the ifo Institute, also told Bild: “Individual measures don’t achieve much; what’s needed is a comprehensive and well-thought-out reform concept that must be designed across departments.”
He is calling for deregulation in the capital markets, more financing for startups, streamlined tax law, and digitization of government administration.
Wolfgang Große Entrup, head of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), also called for the government to quickly enact real reform.
“Use the second 100 days for real reforms. Cut the paperwork madness by 25 percent. Now. The country continues to falter. The world isn’t waiting for us,” he said.
Big disappointment in the CDU
In many circles, including pro-CDU circles, Merz is quickly being seen as a disaster, but there are hopes he can somehow change course. The pro-CDU Welt newspaper has been trashing his performance. In a recent discussion between Welt editor Ulf Poschardt and Daniel Stelter, they rated Merz’s first 100 days as highly negative.
Poschardt first points to France, where he says similar rage has been building from those who are working. He asks Stelter, “A bourgeois protest movement against the welfare state has emerged in France: ‘Nicolas qui paie.’ How do you perceive that?”
Stelter responds: “Translated, this means something like ‘Nicolas pays the bill.’ Nicolas was the most common given name in France in the 80s – the German equivalent would be Christian, Sebastian, Julia or Stefanie. The idea behind this is that the middle-aged man or woman works diligently and pays for the pensioners and the social welfare recipients. This can be applied to Germany. Here too, the middle class pays, the redistributive state takes money away, and the burden is enormous. Nicolas feels this in France, and Christian and Julia feel it the same way in Germany.”
Poschardt points out that many apologists for Merz and the ruling government are pointing to tariffs as the issue, but the structural issues have been taking place for years. In many ways, tariffs are being used as a scapegoat.
“We have anti-performance taxation of labor in our country. That has to go… Germany’s industrial production is at its lowest point since 2020. The Department of Economic Affairs justifies part of the problem with US tariffs. But the weak growth is also structural. The NGOs, media, universities and churches prevents a sensible economic policy discussion,” he said.
A new Forsa survey shows that 62 percent of Germans fear the economy will continue to decline. Meanwhile, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) continues to strengthen in the polls, often with arguments that it can vastly improve the economic situation in Germany. In some polls, the party is rated as the most popular in the entire country.
The traditional parties have responded with ban threats against the party
A 24-year-old Dutch woman was allegedly raped in the middle of a drug den by Moroccans in the multicultural neighborhood of Seine-Saint-Denis in Paris. The men are accused of being major drug dealers, with the woman rescued after a police geolocated the woman’s brief phone call to a friend.
The woman was allegedly raped amidst large stockpiles of narcotics and prescription medications, and was only saved once she alerted her friend on WhatsApp that she was being held captive by the men. A large quantity of anxiolytics were seized during the police raid.
On Sunday morning, police officers raided the apartment and found the woman in the bedroom of a building very close to the Clignancourt Flea Market. Police officers arrested two Moroccan suspects, according to the Bobigny prosecutor’s office.
At 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, a young woman called the police and told them that her friend had contacted her via WhatsApp and said several men were holding her captive. The phone call only lasted a few seconds, but apparently the Moroccans realized the phone call was being made and quickly seized the woman’s phone.
Police specialists were still able to geolocate the telephone call to the exact building on Rue Mathieu, but were unable to determine which apartment the phone call was made from. However, a local resident pointed the officers to one apartment inside the building.
When the police knocked, it turned out to be the wrong apartment, but one man peeked his head out of a nearby apartment to observe the police. He then quickly shut his door and went inside. This aroused the suspicion of the police. They then proceeded to knock on his door, with the occupant telling them to go away and refusing to open the door.
The police then decided to enter through a back window and burst into the room, only to find the victim inside with her shorts still pulled to the ground. Police immediately arrested one suspect and then found the other one behind a door before arresting him as well.
Inside, police find a massive stash of illegal drugs. According to Le Parisien, there were “1,746 blister packs each with 14 Lyrica tablets, 584 blister packs each with seven Brieka tablets, and 279 blister packs each with 14 Pregabalin tablets.”
These drugs, known as anxiolytics, are routinely used to treat epilepsy, but are also known to produce euphoria for users and are now the drugs most often obtained through prescription forgeries in France. The street value of all the drugs is estimated at €80,000.
“The police came across a veritable stockpile that was supposed to supply the Puces area and probably part of northern Paris,” one police source told Le Parisien.
The victim then told police through an English interpreter that she met the attackers near a store, at which time they took her to her apartment and confiscated her passport and keys. She was then raped by the men.
One of the Moroccans is in the country illegally. Both remain in police custody.
An air raid alert was declared in Transcarpathia at 2:49 a.m. due to the threat of a missile attack, reports Karpatalja.
Russian missiles ultimately hit Munkács, western Ukraine, a city some 50-60 kilometers from the Hungarian border. Smoke could be seen billowing from Beregszás, just 10 kilometers from the border. Transcarpathia is home to many ethnic Hungarian communities, with close to 10 percent of the population of Munkács being of Hungarian descent.
The Munkács City Council reported on its social media page that a Russian airstrike hit a commercial on Wednesday night, causing a fire in a warehouse.
Mukachevo City Mayor Andriy Baloga also posted that “the target was a civilian enterprise that provided jobs for thousands of residents of our community and district.”
“Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the strike caused a large-scale fire and there are victims who are receiving all the necessary assistance,” the mayor added before thanking all parties “helping the city and its people overcome the consequences of Russian terror.”
❗️In #Mukachevo: two Kalibr missiles hit a civilian factory producing household appliances. 12 people hurt, two critically 😢😢😢#ruZZian fuckers! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 pic.twitter.com/lDAIaajKsd
Emergency services were immediately called to the scene. Twelve people were injured in the attack, with 10 of them having to be taken to the hospital by ambulance, while two went to the hospital themselves. Five of the injured people are now being treated at St. Martin’s Hospital, and one patient was transferred to the county hospital. According to the statement, all of the injured are in stable condition.
The Munkács authorities are asking the public to close their windows tightly and not go out into the streets unless absolutely necessary due to the fire caused by the missile strike.
Authorities are asking the public to remain calm and not share any footage of the incident.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is pushing a proposal that is the equivalent of collective guarantees in the spirit of NATO, but without Kyiv’s actual membership in the Alliance.
A report out of Bloomberg states that proposed security guarantees for Ukraine would mandate that the country’s allies in Europe decide within 24 hours whether to provide military support in the event of a renewed Russian attack.
The concept, dubbed “NATO-light,” departs significantly from the collective defense provisions of NATO Article 5. Instead, it assumes that countries that have concluded bilateral agreements with Ukraine will be obligated to provide a rapid response in the event of an attack.
This option involves providing Kyiv with defense support, economic aid, and imposing sanctions on Russia. It is unclear whether this plan would involve sending troops to Ukraine from European countries.
U.S. President Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, as well as key European leaders and NATO heads, focused on peace negotiations with Russia and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Trump has insisted that American troops will not participate on the ground in Ukraine, leaving the U.S. contribution to any security guarantees unclear.
Bloomberg has also reported that some 10 countries are ready to offer up soldiers if boots on the ground are needed.
The Polish Armed Forces are being forced to stay on high alert, with continuous threats along the country’s border from the Russian military conducting attacks on Ukraine.
“Due to the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation, which conducts strikes on the territory of Ukraine – including with the use of hypersonic missiles – aircraft of the Air Force and allied aviation operate in Polish airspace,” the Operational Command of the Branches of the Armed Forces (DORSZ) reported on X early Thursday morning.
All available forces and resources were mobilized, the post stressed. “Duty fighter pairs were scrambled, and air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness.”
“The actions taken are aimed at guaranteeing the security of the territory of the Republic of Poland and its citizens, in particular in regions bordering areas affected by military operations,” they wrote.
DORSZ last scrambled its fighter jets on the night of Aug. 18 to 19. And in this most recent incident, although confrontation was avoided, the Polish Armed Forces assured civilians that it will “remain in constant readiness to respond and is constantly monitoring the development of the situation.”
After Putin’s meeting with Trump last Friday in D.C., Russia has launched a wave of massive aerial attacks across Ukrainian territory, killing 15 and injuring 76, according to the Kyiv Independent. The portal also cites UN reports, which show the number of civilian deaths in July from Russian attacks to be the highest since May 2022.
Pressure has been mounting on Russian President Putin to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky to nail down a possible peace deal. U.S. President Trump has been at the forefront of these efforts, with press reports that the Hungarian capital of Budapest as the location for such a meeting is a top choice of the White House.
Not all agree, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, an ardent supporter of Ukraine, and who also happens to be an ardent foe of Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.
“Budapest? Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK. In Budapest. Maybe I’m superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place,” wrote Tusk on X.
Budapest? Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK. In Budapest. Maybe I’m superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place.
Politico has also come out stating, “Hungary would be an uncomfortable choice for Ukraine,” for the same reason.
The Budapest Memorandum was signed on December 5, 1994, by Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan on the occasion of these countries joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. All three countries eventually gave up all of their nuclear weapons as well.
Per the agreement, Russia, Great Britain and the United States, all also signatories, provided the countries with security guarantees and respect for their borders; they promised not to attack, sanction or threaten any of these countries unless in self-defense or otherwise in line with the UN Charter.
In 2014, Russia violated this treaty with its annexation of Crimea, and in 2022, when it launched a full invasion of Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the chief advisor to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Balázs Orbán, found another reason for Tusk’s comment, which he posted to X.
“Donald Tusk seems upset he wasn’t invited to the Washington talks. In his frustration, he lashes out at a nation with which Poland has shared a long-standing friendship — on the very day we Hungarians celebrate the founding of our state. What would his Polish ancestors think of such behavior?”
Budapest? Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK. In Budapest. Maybe I’m superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place.
A politician from Poland’s Confederation party, which has quickly grown to the third most popular party in the country, says his country’s support for Poland has totally backfired.
“Despite all our sacrifices, Ukraine treats us like an enemy state. It’s tempting to say that our policy towards Ukraine was a failure, and today it’s showing,” said Michał Wawer, a member of parliament for the Confederation, in an interview with DoRzeczy.
When asked about Poland’s absence from peace talks with Trump, Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House this week, Wawer, responded that his country should have been represented.
“Unfortunately, it’s a failure of Polish international policy that, after all the sacrifices Poland has made for Ukraine, and in a situation where we are Ukraine’s main logistical base, we are not allowed at the decision-making table. This is a failure of the policies of both Donald Tusk and, earlier, Mateusz Morawiecki,” said Wawer, referring to both the past conservative government and the current ruling liberal government.
“Both governments assumed that Ukraine must be given everything, and out of gratitude, Poland would have a voice and be taken into account. No. International politics doesn’t work that way. If we want our interests represented, to have a voice in all regional matters, we must consistently and effectively strive for this from the very beginning, and not—as a former spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs put it—be ‘servants of Ukraine.’” he added.
Wawer is not only reserving criticism for the left, but takes shots at the new ruling president, Karol Nawrocki, who belongs to the conservative camp.
“I won’t attempt to judge whose decision it was or who was most at fault. I’ve heard that Donald Trump didn’t want Donald Tusk, and Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t want Karol Nawrocki. If either of these versions is true, and that’s what it looked like, it unfortunately demonstrates that other countries are playing games with our internal affairs and playing off competition between our international policy centers,” the Confederation politician said.
As head of the armed forces, Nawrocki represents Poland in many foreign matters, however, he also represents a different political position than the rest of the ruling government. Wawer says this arrangement, when two competing political powers represent the prime minister and president positions, it has often led to weakness in foreign matters for Poland in the past.
The Confederation politician said that too much was done for Ukraine without looking to Polish interests.
“As a Confederation, we’ve been paying attention to this from the very beginning. We’ve tried to correct this course, proposing amendments and drafting laws that rationalized the approach to Ukraine. Unfortunately, they were consistently discarded – first by the PiS government, then by Donald Tusk’s government. Today we see the consequences – Poland simply isn’t getting anything out of it. Despite all these sacrifices, Ukraine treats us as an enemy state. It’s tempting to say that our policy towards Ukraine was a failure, and today it’s showing,” he said.
He further added that Poland should never offer “unconditional aid” and that aid should always be conditional on Poland’s interests.
“It’s unacceptable for the Polish government to prioritize Ukraine’s interests over the interests of the Polish economy, Polish historical interests, or even its overall sense of self-respect. Any time is right to change this policy and pursue it more rationally and assertively,” said Wawer.
He is calling for an end to social benefits for Ukrainians and stop prioritizing their privileged access to healthcare compared to Poles. In addition, Poland needs to become more assertive in its policies towards Ukraine.
The Confederation policy also told Do Rzeczy that he does not know if the war will end, but he hopes a ceasefire can at least be achieved if not an outright peace deal.
Hungary’s forint exchange rate is getting stronger and stronger, which makes holidaymakers happy and exporters sad, writes Hungarian media outlet Világgazdaság based on Bloomberg’s analysis. The forint is at an 11-month high against the euro and more than two-year high against the dollar. There are several reasons for this.
Monday evening’s Ukrainian-European-American negotiations had a positive impact on the Hungarian currency exchange rate.
Central and Eastern European currencies are the main beneficiaries of growing market optimism that a historic meeting of European leaders at Trump’s White House could prompt Volodymyr Zelensky and his counterpart Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.
The forint has strengthened against the euro at an important level, and the technical resistance levels near 390, which are being monitored in the market, may even be broken.
Even if Hungarian inflation has decreased, there is no sign that the Hungarian central bank (MNB) will cut interest rates anytime soon, which would be beneficial to the forint exchange rate, as interest rate cuts are also being discussed in the United States and many other places.
Andrea DiCenso, a portfolio manager and strategist at Boston-based Loomis, Sayles & Co., a major American player, describes the fundamental situation that is likely to support the forint for years to come as follows.
“For foreign exchange plays, we advocate diversifying. There are many winners from the weak dollar trade. With the European Union spending that’s likely on the horizon, a lot of Eastern European currencies are performing very well — think Romania, Poland, Hungary. Frontier markets have also been doing tremendously well. Countries that look really interesting from a currency perspective are Nigeria and Egypt, which are more esoteric areas that can continue to see growth and be a little more insulated from Washington.”
Behind the trend of the strengthening forint is another trend, the weakening of the dollar. The dollar’s strengthening and weakening cycles usually last seven to nine years, and the previous strengthening cycle, which seems to be coming to an end, lasted more than a decade. American investors also see opportunities in emerging market stocks and certain foreign currency bonds.
In light of the expected spending by the European Union, many Eastern European currencies are performing very well, including Romania, Poland, and Hungary.
It may seem strange, according to the newspaper, that from as far away as the United States, the countries of almost an entire continent are being lumped together from an investment perspective.
However, countries like Hungary and Poland are expected to benefit from Germany’s spending spree, as those countries are closely integrated into the German economy and its export network.
Passenger’s in Italy’s Malepensa Airport were seen fleeing Terminal 1 after a man armed with a hammer smashed check-in screens and set a fire near the check-in desk, with dramatic footage from the incident going viral on social media.
🇮🇹🔴 BREAKING: This morning, an African first smashed check-in monitors with a hammer and then set fire to trash cans in Terminal 1 in the Italian airport of Malpensa in Milan.
In the video, flames can be seen engulfing the check-in area, with passengers running from the scene at around 10:30 a.m.
The suspect tried to strike SEA security personnel before security officials and police restrained the man, according to reports.
The video shows the man being restrained by a group of security officers.
Reports indicate he is a citizen of the African country of Mali who has been granted subsidiary international protection since 2017. The man is a legal resident of Milan and has no criminal record, according to Italian outlet Il Giornale.
Photos posted after the incident showed damage to the terminal. The terminal was shutdown due to the fire.
Italian news outlet Varese News reported that an SEA employee suffered some injuries and was treated by medical services after arresting the man.
A spokesperson for the Lombardy Airport Association stated that the situation “quickly brought under control.” The person added that, “due to the closure of some areas and evacuation of premises, possible delays and cancellations for departures from the airport.”
There is currently no information about the motive behind the attack. The migrant has been charged with property damage and assault.
Oil transport to Hungary via the Friendship II oil pipeline, also known as the Druzhba pipeline, has resumed after the damage caused by the Ukrainian attack was repaired, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced on Tuesday evening.
According to the minister, the restoration of the Friendship II oil pipeline, which also connects to Hungary, was completed quickly.
He personally discussed the issue with Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Pavel Sorokin.
“Oil deliveries to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline have been restored after the Ukrainian attack two days ago. I thanked Russian DepMin Sorokin for the swift repairs. We expect Ukraine not to strike this vital pipeline again. This is not our war. Hungary must be left out of it!” he wrote.
Oil deliveries to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline have been restored after the Ukrainian attack two days ago. I thanked Russian DepMin Sorokin for the swift repairs. We expect Ukraine not to strike this vital pipeline again. This is not our war. Hungary must be left out of it!
Szijjártó announced on Monday that a section of the Friendship pipeline in Ukraine was attacked overnight, causing the supply to Hungary to stop.
The Friendship pipeline is one of the most important oil supply routes for Central European countries, through which a significant part of Hungary’s oil imports from Russia arrive.
The disruption to Hungarian oil supplies prompted a diplomatic spat between Ukraine and Hungary, which have faced numerous conflicts due to the war in Ukraine, however, issues between the two nations also predate the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán to ask about his position on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
The American leader reportedly wanted to discuss the reasons why Orbán is blocking negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
“The call was the result of Trump’s conversations with a group of European leaders who had gathered at the White House to discuss ways to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. At one point, they asked Trump to use his influence with Orbán to persuade the right-wing populist to drop his opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership,” Bloomberg writes.
During a telephone conversation with Trump, Hungary expressed interest in holding another round of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
Orbán, a close ally of Trump, is widely seen as an inspiration for the U.S. president’s political ideology as well as other right-wing politicians around the world.
On Tuesday, Orbán issued a statement suggesting that he understood Ukraine’s request for EU membership but did not intend to back down from his position.
“Ukraine’s membership in the European Union offers no security guarantees. Therefore, linking membership with security guarantees is unnecessary and dangerous,” he said.
Previously, Orbán has repeatedly said that Ukraine should not join the European Union so as not to bring the war to Europe, and should instead become a “buffer” country between Europe and Russia. Instead of accession, he offered Kyiv “strategic” cooperation – “pragmatic, flexible and based on common interests.” Orbán also considers EU sanctions against Russia ineffective. He has repeatedly criticized them as useless and harmful to the European economy, and in the past he has managed to secure the lifting of EU sanctions against several Russians.
Polish media outlets and some citizens are lamenting German real estate investors who are swooping into the Polish city of Wrocław and buying up 1,486 apartments, after an agreement was signed on Aug. 16 of this year. However, Wrocław is only one city, and across the country, these same German investors are buying up 5,300 parents in total, for which the Germans will pay €564 million.
In Wrocław, the major investment involves numerous buildings on Horbaczewskiego, Jaworska, Zakładowa, and Grabiszyńska Streets.
Not everyone is happy about the deal.
“Germans are buying nearly 1,500 apartments in Wrocław. They will take over entire apartment blocks, along with their residents. And this is just the beginning of Western companies entering our real estate market. European companies have many times greater capital, so they will easily outbid Polish companies. Either we introduce appropriate taxation for this type of business, or in a dozen or so years we’ll wake up with our hand in the pot. Once again,” wrote political activist Adam Czarnecki on X.
Niemcy kupują prawie 1500 mieszkań we Wrocławiu. Przejmą całe bloki razem z ich mieszkańcami.
A to dopiero początek wchodzenia zachodnich firm na nasz rynek nieruchomości – europejskie spółki dysponują wielokrotnie większym kapitałem, więc bez problemu przelicytują polskie.… pic.twitter.com/omf6AM0BG8
The case concerns buildings constructed by companies associated with the developer Echo Investment, which house apartments for rent under the Resi4Rent brand. On Aug. 16, a preliminary agreement was signed for the sale of all shares in 18 property management companies across the country.
The purchase was made by developer Vantage Development, which in turn is owned by the German investment fund TAG Beteiligungs und Immobilienverwaltungs GmbHz.
The Polish newspaper wPolityce.pl wrote the “Germans are rubbing their hands.”
In Germany itself, investors have bought up substantial amounts of property in major cities like Hamburg, Berlin and Munich, helping drive up prices for locals. The role of foreign capital flowing into Western countries remains a point of contention. In some nations like New Zealand, a ban on foreign real estate investors was enacted to help tame real estate prices and ensure locals have a chance to afford apartments and homes in their own country.
The outlet for writes, “As for Wrocław itself, the TuWrocław.com website reports that the buildings in question are at Zakładowa 24 (302 apartments); Jaworska 6-8 (681 apartments); Horbaczewskiego 16 (301 apartments); and Grabiszyńska 91 (202 apartments).”
The transaction still needs to be approved by the PolishOffice of Competition and Consumer Protection, but could be finalized by mid-December 2025.
The acquisition of residential buildings by German-based Vantage Development and Robyg, which is owned by the same company, is not the only investment in Wrocław. The company is also invested in Port Popowice.
The issue of investors buying up property in major European cities is not only an issue involving Germans, however, Poles may be especially sensitive to German investors due to the historical conflicts between the two countries.
Three men are standing trial for the gang rape of a 19-year-old woman in a Düsseldorf hotel, with the indictment indicating the men left her in her own vomit after the act. The men, one Turkish man and two German citizens, are now standing trial.
The three men are from Siegen, and they face charges of attempted manslaughter in the case.
The migration background of the German citizens, if any, has not been disclosed. However, there are millions of German-Turkish dual citizens, and if any of them are arrested, they are charged as Germans.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the young woman was completely drunk, high on marijuana, and unable to consent. During the rape, she showed almost no physical reaction due to her highly intoxicated state, according to German newspaper Rheinische Post.
Incredibly, the men filmed the acts, and the videos are part of the proceedings. The case may have never come to light, but police were actively surveilling the suspects, as they were known drug dealers. As a result, the police saw the videos.
The charges were read out in the First Grand Criminal Chamber, but the three men charged in the case had their family and friends there, who screamed their support for them.
“Stay strong, brother,” one chanted with a raised fist, adding that “justice will prevail.”
The case first began when one suspect, who is 29, met the woman at a club at the Düsseldorf Harbor on the night of Aug. 6, 2022, and encouraged her to smoke marijuana. From there, he took her to a hotel and rented a room in cash.
The girl, who will testify at a later date, was extremely intoxicated at that point and could not say no.
The man began raping the woman and kept going even though she vomited. Then, he contacted a second 28-year-old defendant over WhatsApp and told him to come to the hotel to “bang” the woman.
That suspect found the woman lying in her own vomit and sexually penetrated her.
Then, a third defendant, a 32-year-old, arrived and raped the woman orally and vaginally, all while filming his acts.
The first suspect apparently invited a number of other unknown men who entered the room, according to prosecutors. Over the course of three hours, the men raped her, but some perpetrators remain unidentified.
Despite the woman vomiting multiple times, she was left in a “desolate condition.”
With a Zelensky-Putin meeting on the horizon, Magyar Nemzet is reporting that a White House official has indicated that the two leaders could hold their talks in Budapest. The move makes sense given the friendly relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the fact that Hungary has pushed for peace since the war began.
Hungary has also withdrawn from the International Criminal Court, meaning Putin would be under no threat of arrest, given the ICC warrant out on him for war crimes.
However, as has been widely reported on in the past, Zelensky and Orbán have a tense relationship, which would serve as a major roadblock to any potential meeting. Just a few days ago, Hungary accused Ukraine of attacking the Friendship oil pipeline running from Russia, through Ukraine, and on to Hungary.
At yesterday’s meeting in Washington, European leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump agreed that the next step should be a direct negotiation between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. However, there has been no confirmation from Moscow regarding a meeting, despite reports that it could be taking place within the next two weeks.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made it clear in D.C. that the next round of talks must include Ukraine, although “it remains to be seen whether President Putin will have the courage to do so.”
Merz also confirmed that Trump plans to then join Zelensky and Putin for trilateral talks.
On Saturday evening, Austrian police officers arrested a 30-year-old Somali man suspected of stabbing two Romanian men outside Vienna’s Europaplatz train station and then attacking a third victim.
All three victims, aged 48, 51, and 51, suffered injuries, with one victim suffering a stab wound in the neck. Another was stabbed in the stomach, and a third man was headbutted by the Somali man, according to police.
A motive for the attack remains unknown, but according to the victims, they had no previous contact with the suspect and had not known him before the stabbing.
“According to the victims, there had been no prior contact with the suspect; he was completely unknown to them,” police spokesperson Markus Dittrich stated.
Police arrived on scene and successfully overpowered the Somali man before arresting him.
News reports indicate that all three victims were known to be involved in the local homeless scene and are believed to have alcohol addictions, according to OE24.at.
The victims were treated at the hospital. The investigation remains ongoing.
A foreign driver with an unbelievably high blood alcohol content (BAC), one that would routinely kill most people, decided to drive his car at an unbelievable 220 kilometers per hour (137 miles per hour) on the German autobahn. His passenger had an even higher blood alcohol content.
The man was traveling on the A67 in southern Hesse and was so drunk that most medical literature indicates that he should be dead or in a coma.
One witness followed the car and called the police after noticing the man zigzagging between lanes and driving in an erratic manner late one evening.
Officers stopped the car, which had foreign license plates, and checked both occupants of the vehicle in the parking lot of the A5 autobahn.
Incredibly, the passenger of the vehicle had an even higher blood alcohol level.
“A breathalyzer test carried out on the spot showed a blood alcohol level of 4.16 per mille for the driver and no blood alcohol level for the passenger, as the device switches off when the blood alcohol level reaches 5 per mille!” the police wrote in a statement, including an exclamation mark to indicate their shock.
The driver’s license was immediately confiscated, and he was taken into custody.
German media outlet Welt wrote that “The fact that there were no injuries or deaths was likely due to mere coincidence.”
In Germany, drivers are not permitted to drive with a blood alcohol level over 0.5 per mille or higher. At 1.1 per mille, it is a criminal offense, as the law states there is an “absolute inability to drive.”
“A blood alcohol level above 4 per mille poses an acute risk to life,” the ADAC, the German automobile club, the largest in Europe, writes. “Important protective reflexes are lost, those affected fall into a coma, and can suffer shock with progressive circulatory failure, even complete respiratory and cardiac arrest.”
A blood alcohol concentration of more than 5 per mille almost always leads to death.
The fact that the passenger had a blood alcohol level above 5 and did not die is remarkable in itself.
There is speculation about the identity of the foreigners; however, the German media did not indicate their nationality or what country the vehicle was registered under.
Although the 5 per mille level seems remarkable, it is far from the highest blood alcohol level ever recorded. One poorly sourced claim notes a Polish driver recorded an incredible 1.480 percent level, which was recorded after he crashed his car. Despite the level, he survived, only later to die from the injuries from the crash — and not the alcohol. However, the Guinness Book of World Records claims the highest level was 1.374 percent, also set by a Polish man who survived but suffered serious damage to his internal organs.
Last night, Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command (DORSZ) deployed its air force to counter the threat of missile strikes by Russia.
“Attention, on the night of August 18 to 19, 2025, the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation once again launched missile attacks on Ukrainian territory,” DORSZ posted on X.
Poland “has activated all necessary procedures. Polish and allied aircraft have begun operations, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness,” the post continued, emphasizing the need to rally forces fast to defend Polish airspace against Russian aggression.
“These actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing the airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened region.”
An official statement later indicated that no violation of Polish airspace had ultimately been observed and that all forces and resources had returned to standard operational activities.
The post on X nevertheless clarified that the Polish command “is monitoring the current situation, and the forces and resources under its command remain fully prepared for immediate response.”
The war in Ukraine, which has mostly seen two Slavic peoples pitted against either in a World War I-style level of trench warfare slaughter, is likely not coming to an end anytime soon, despite Trump’s best efforts.
Certainly, Trump cannot be blamed for not trying to end the war in Ukraine. He is currently dedicating much of his time and diplomatic resources to this effort. While he undoubtedly wants to score a major political victory by ending the war, he also makes ample rhetorical efforts to humanize both sides, whether Russian or Ukrainian. He speaks of the wanton slaughter on both sides, pointing to the fathers, brothers, and sons losing their lives and limbs by the hundreds of thousands.
This was always a good first step; however, it will not be enough to end this war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was hardly pleased with the mention of NATO-style security guarantees that Trump appeared to offer Ukraine. All sources indicate that Putin met Trump’s proposal with cold rejection after a Monday telephone call.
President Donald J. Trump on the phone with President Putin in the Oval Office. pic.twitter.com/RkWReNAT2b
Trump had reached out to Putin after conducting hours of a one-on-one talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seven other European leaders, who were all in Washington.
The next step was for Zelensky and Putin to meet, and afterwards for Trump to join the meeting with the other two leaders at a later date. All signs point to Putin souring towards Trump’s proposal.
There is no doubt that Trump is actively seeking peace, unlike Biden, but Trump has already wavered in his past attempts to cut funding and weapons for Ukraine, quickly reversing his position when the media confronted him.
Trump is acutely susceptible to such attacks. He certainly does not want to experience an Afghan-style retreat involving Ukrainian forces in the face of the Russians, which the Western media would have a field day with. Biden was greatly embarrassed when the Taliban quickly swooped to victory following the withdrawal of U.S. forces. However, Trump is even more so a man who likes to project an aura of strength. To make matters worse, Trump would be relentlessly attacked by the mainstream outlets that mostly gave Biden a pass on Afghanistan.
Europe’s elite sees the war as an opportunity against Russia
Despite Russian breakthroughs, Europe and Western intelligence networks still believe they can either win or grind away at Russia, potentially for years. As George Soros wrote already in 1993, the Slavs of the East would make excellent cannon fodder for a war against Russia. He did not put it exactly in those words, but readers can decide for themselves what he meant with the following text:
“The United States would not be called upon to act as the policeman of the world. When it acts, it would act in conjunction with others. Incidentally, the combination of manpower from Eastern Europe with the technical capabilities of NATO would greatly enhance the military potential of the Partnership because it would reduce the risk of body bags for NATO countries, which is the main constraint on their willingness to act. This is a viable alternative to the looming world disorder,” wrote Soros in the article.
Soros openly acknowledges that “body bags” would be plentiful in countries like Ukraine, while Western countries would supply the technical support. His prediction was uncanny — coming to pass decades later, almost exactly as he advocated.
Bruno Kahl, the head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) made the comments in an interview earlier this year, saying: “If a war in Ukraine comes to a standstill earlier than (2029 or 2030), then all the means (of Russia) – both the technical and the material – are able much earlier to provide a threat against Europe.”
Ukrainian politicians were outraged, but in a country like Ukraine, which has no real form of democracy left, the war juggernaut continues unabated so long as Zelensky desires.
Zelensky and European leaders know what Putin will not accept, i.e., NATO-style security “guarantees” against further Russian incursions. Putin knows that Ukraine’s constitution will not accept territorial losses, even if Trump is calling for them to reverse their constitution and accept such losses.
What will happen now is that either Russia will take the territories it desires, or Ukraine will eventually push back Russian forces. Either outcome may take years to be decided.
There are some pointing to Ukraine’s manpower shortage, and this is indeed a major weakness. However, the age of drones and artificial intelligence is upon us. Many areas of the frontline are almost entirely guarded by unmanned suicide drones, and they are proving so effective that the need for Ukrainian men has been greatly reduced. Europe believes that Ukraine can hold out and inflict incredible losses on Russia, even if Russia is making territorial gains.
In the meantime, neighboring Hungary has long been a proponent for immediate peace in the war in Ukraine, with Orbán strongly backing Trump’s presidency, calling him the “peace” president. However, the Hungarian media, and the ruling Fidesz, appear to be entering a quiet resignation that Trump may not be able to bring the peace he promised.
That is bad news for Hungary, and it is bad news for Europe. It is even worse news for Ukrainians and Russians.
Undoubtedly, there is still some glimmer of hope that Trump can pull off the impossible. For the millions of Ukrainians and Russian locked in hellish combat, where robotic drones hunt them across a vast battlefield, the horror is set to continue unless a miracle comes to pass.
During the Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the two leaders discussed both an eventual peace, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine.
Many noted the friendly ambiance between the two, who were laughing and joking in front of press, a far cry from the tense meeting held back in February.
They then also held talks with European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
“The conversation with President Trump was very good, perhaps even the best in history. We all want to end this war. We will discuss security guarantees. It is extremely important that the United States sends such a strong signal and is ready to provide security guarantees,” said Ukraine’s head of state at the beginning of the meeting of European leaders, as cited by Poland’s Do Rzeczy.
Zelensky was happy that Trump was seeking trilateral talks and hoped that the American president would be there personally to help finalize any agreement. “If this happens, Ukraine will be very happy,” Zelensky said.
At present, the main priority now is the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped by the Russians from the occupied territories back in 2022, said Zelensky, who also thanked U.S. First Lady Melania Trump for her letter to Vladimir Putin regarding this matter.
Yesterday morning, Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, lashed out at Ukraine for its decision to yet again attack the Druzhba (“Friendship”) pipeline transporting Russian oil to both Hungary and Slovakia.
Calling the move “outrageous and unacceptable,” he reiterated that the war in Ukraine is not Hungary’s war, bemoaning that “for 3.5 years Brussels and Kyiv have tried to drag Hungary into the war in Ukraine.”
After I exposed the Ukrainian attack which cut off Hungary’s oil supply, Ukraine’s FM @andrii_sybiha lashed out at me, saying I should complain to Russia.
He seems to have missed the facts.
Fact 1: Russia has supplied oil to Hungary for decades via the Druzhba pipeline. This is…
Szijjártó also reminded that the imported electricity to Ukraine from Hungary “plays a vital role in powering your country.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha replied, reminding Hungary’s top diplomat of the party behind the war, Russia, which he said Hungary has chosen to continue to be close to and rely upon for its energy needs.
Peter, it is Russia, not Ukraine, who began this war and refuses to end it. Hungary has been told for years that Moscow is an unreliable partner. Despite this, Hungary has made every effort to maintain its reliance on Russia. Even after the full-scale war began. You can now send… https://t.co/yvMq8slTG0
“Peter, it is Russia, not Ukraine, who began this war and refuses to end it. Hungary has been told for years that Moscow is an unreliable partner. Despite this, Hungary has made every effort to maintain its reliance on Russia. Even after the full-scale war began. You can now send your complaints—and threats—to your friends in Moscow.”
The Hungarian foreign minister expressed his displeasure with being told to complain to Putin, insisting that Sybiha had “missed the facts.”
Szijjártó then reiterated that Hungary has relied on this pipeline for decades, Hungary has suffered repeated shutdowns of supply due to Ukrainian attacks, and that Hungary’s “interest” to remain reliant on Russian oil is Hungary’s top priority.
He also again noted that Ukraine imports electricity from Hungary.
In the meantime, while Russia has said it is working on repairing the damage, Hungary’s MOL has publicly stated that “overall regional supply of oil remains guaranteed,” according to Reuters.
Crime soared 65 percent in Lower Saxony’s swimming pools, and foreigners account for a huge share of these crimes, according to German government data released in response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The data shows that crime at swimming pools in the German state went from 780 cases in 2023 to 1,286 in 2024.
For sexual crimes, foreigners make up 41.67 percent of perpetrators in 2024, with 13 Syrian suspects and seven Afghan suspects among the foreigners arrested. In total, there were 116 sexual crime cases in 2024 in Lower Saxony swimming pools.
🇩🇪 "I was at the outdoor pool in Zeitz (Germany) yesterday. What can I say?"
"The obvious migrant guests there, who are perhaps from Syria, Afghanistan or whatever, were always romping around in the children’s pools. The men were lying around in the children’s pools, sitting on… pic.twitter.com/Muih5UqhQv
However, for total crimes, foreigners are also greatly overrepresented. The amount of foreigners in Lower Saxony is estimated to be between 11 and 13 percent of the state’s population, yet they were responsible for 31.48 percent of all crimes in 2024 in the state’s swimming pools.
Despite the statistical increase in crimes, the left-wing government leading the state said in response to the data: “There is generally no noticeable increase in crimes in swimming pools or bathing areas in Lower Saxony… The safety situation in urban outdoor pools is classified as unremarkable. The crime burden is at an unremarkable level relative to overall crime.“
The NIUS media outlet, which exclusively obtained the data, reported that one incident in particular has garnered interest from the AfD and served as the justification for requesting the data.
On June 22, 2025, the outlet notes that “there was a violent attack on a lifeguard in Lister Bad, Hanover, who suffered a facial injury and was on sick leave.”
AfD MP Stephan Bothe also asked about the incident, requesting data on “how many suspects have been identified so far in connection with the incidents (threats and physical attacks) in Lister Bad on June 22, 2025?“
The state government response was as follows: “An investigation is being conducted on suspicion of insult. Four suspects have been identified so far. No suspects are currently identified in another preliminary investigation, including on suspicion of assault.“
The government response noted that “one suspect has Afghan nationality. The remaining suspects are German citizens, although two of them have another nationality.“
The Afghan suspect has had a temporary residence permit in Germany since 2015.
Notably, when it comes to crime data, all suspects with dual nationality are listed in the statistics as “German.” There are an estimated 5 million people with dual citizenship in Germany, and some estimates go as high as 7 million.
In addition, millions have German citizenship because they were born to first- and second-generation migrants in the country. Germany’s crime data does not track the migration backgrounds of German citizens, unlike neighboring countries such as Denmark.
In response to the AfD’s question about the specific incident, the government refused to provide further details, stating: “In order to protect the personal rights of those affected, further details on the allegations made against individuals cannot be made within a response from the state government to a parliamentary question intended for publication.“
The ruling government in the state said there is no connection between migration and an increase in crimes in swimming pools.
“The independent cities with higher proportions of foreigners do not equally have the highest number of cases of violent crimes and crimes against sexual self-determination in swimming pools and bathing areas in 2023 and 2024. A connection between the proportion of foreigners and the number of crimes cannot be derived in this context,” the government argues.
🇩🇪🌊A 12-year-old German girl was raped inside the "Water World" swimming pool in the city of Braunschweig, allegedly by a 15-year-old Syrian national.
Police kept silent about the case for 3 weeks until the information leaked out.
The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) argues that crime is indeed a problem in the state’s swimming pools.
“The security situation in swimming pools in Lower Saxony is not inconspicuous, as the state government claims, but is showing a dramatic development,“ said MP Stephan Bothe. “The number of sex crimes in swimming pools has doubled, especially in larger cities. Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis in particular are the suspects here. Our position is clear: The state government must ensure security. And it does this primarily by expelling criminal foreigners.”
For the first time in more than 30 years, more Poles are moving back to their homeland from Germany than vice versa, with people attracted by Poland’s economic growth, streamlined administration, and lower taxes, writes German media outlet Tagesschau.
Zbyszek Perzyna says the scalding water in their home is one reason he and his wife Gierko no longer want to live in Germany. claiming they have had no cold water for over a decade.
“A lot of little things – all together: one big problem,” says Perzyna, who claims numerous issues with their property management company include no cold water for over a decade.
“But I’m from Poland,” he jokes, telling the portal he created a workaround, using a special hose to bring cold water into their home. Both are self-employed, earn good money, and pay their taxes.
Now, they are looking for a home in Poland, and getting a loan isn’t an issue in Poland, unlike in Germany. Gierko says she hasn’t even been able to get a car lease in Germany. She’s self-employed, financially successful, and pays high taxes and fixed costs, such as health insurance—”and yet I still got the answer that I’m not creditworthy.”
Writer Jacek Dehnel lasted less than five years in Berlin, Tagesschau writes. He left Poland over concerns regarding homophobia in the wake of the presidential victory of the right-wing PiS party.
Openly gay and married to his partner, he had a dire message: “I have the impression that Germany is a ‘failed state’ in terms of everyday quality of life,” he says.
He also criticized what he called an uncooperative and bureaucratic system with very little digitally accessible and often no solution for problems presented.
Dehnel noted that those who request something in English are sometimes simply turned away.
“German society is accustomed to being harassed by the state in this way – and sees it as normal,” he says, with people acclimated to having problems with all the different German authorities. “Everyone takes it for granted as a natural part of life.”
With him and his husband “exhausted,” they will now return to Poland, where they see “constant growth, improvement, modernization, facilitation, and optimization of everyday life.”
The data says they are right, notes Tagesschau. Since 2015, Poland has regularly achieved annual growth rates of around 5 percent, while Germany saw its highest growth this decade (2.7 percent) eight years ago.
Data also shows that the trend of people emigrating to Germany has ended, with the Federal Statistical Office reporting a net decrease of 11,239 people last year.
Since the early 1980s, Germany had experienced a surge in immigration from Poland. Only briefly, in the mid-1990s, did the influx slow somewhat. However, as a rule, several tens of thousands more people came to Germany each year from Poland than the other way around.
Nils Witte of the Federal Institute for Population Research doesn’t see this as a statistical outlier, but rather as a logical consequence of developments in the neighboring country. And that country is economically better than Germany’s:
“That’s actually something that’s so desired in the European Union, that the markets gradually converge,” says Witte. “And that’s exactly what’s happening.”
The Polish economy is catching up with Germany. And a closer look at the figures reveals how much Germany’s attractiveness has suffered. Witte notes that “the number of people leaving Germany for Poland has remained constant. What has changed: fewer Poles are coming to Germany.”
This raises concerns for German employers, as Poles have been helping to alleviate labor shortages in many industries for years, including the nursing sector, construction, and many other areas. For example, Brandenburg has benefited greatly from Polish workers. Some moved to Germany, but many simply commute to work daily.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to recruit Polish employees, says André Fritsche, managing director of the Cottbus Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
In other words, it is becoming more and more appealing for Poles to return to their country or, for commuters, to simply work in Poland.
“Poland is now ranked 20th in the global economy,” Fritsche says, adding: “That’s something we, of course, also want here in the region: for people to return.”
As some of Europe’s most prominent leaders descend on Washington today to meet with President Donald Trump, many are raising the alarm about the lack of a Polish delegation. In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki is appealing for calm, saying he has a direct line to Trump.
Monday is another day that could determine Ukraine’s future. A meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky will begin at 1:00 p.m. local time, and 7:00 p.m. Polish time. Two hours later, talks are scheduled to begin with the participation of European leaders in Washington. Significantly, no Polish representatives are among them. The matter is receiving widespread attention, with some calling it a failure of Polish diplomacy.
Nawrocki addressed the matter on Monday during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace.
“I want to reassure all of you, as well as the public opinion, that last week I took part in two talks with President Trump, but also with European leaders, presenting the clear position of Poland and the Polish state regarding the lack of trust in Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation,” said the president.
The president explained that it was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who invited the European leaders who are to be in Washington today.
“And the President of Poland is the only leader in Europe today, the leader of a state who, on the near horizon, on Sept. 3, has a meeting with President Trump, where security issues, including peace in Ukraine, will be one of the very important points,” said Nawrocki.
“So, thanks to the media that are with us today, I appeal for a certain calm and prudence. We are also in contact with Prime Minister Tusk and the government, because when it comes to matters of Polish security and the international situation, there is no room or time for certain political emotions. Only the interests of the Polish state, which we met (to discuss) today here at the Presidential Palace, are paramount,” he added.
The European delegation that will participate in the talks in Washington includes President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubbs, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Nawrocki, a conservative, is set to make his first state visit to the United States, where he will meet with Trump early next month.
“In an official congratulatory letter delivered on the day of his swearing-in, US President Donald Trump invited Polish President Karol Nawrocki to the White House for an official working meeting on 3 September 2025,” wrote the head of the President’s Cabinet, Pawel Szefernaker, on X.
In the run-up to national elections in Poland, Nawrocki played up his close relationship with Trump.
President Donald J. Trump welcomes Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki to the Oval Office 🇺🇸🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/EzjPgygMxI
Germany is seeing a growing exodus of its own citizens, with new figures from DeStatis showing that more than 93,000 Germans left the country in the first four months of 2025 alone.
That compares with 80,105 departures over the same period in 2024 and 83,109 in 2023, marking a clear year-on-year increase.
The trend highlights how net losses of German nationals are accelerating. Since 2005, more Germans have left than returned each year, and 2025 is on track to set a new record. By contrast, mass immigration from abroad continues at high levels, producing an overall positive migration balance but leaving native Germans a steadily shrinking share of the population.
DeStatis recorded 427,246 non-German arrivals into the country from January to April this year, with net migration of non-Germans for the first third of the year reaching 126,526.
Between May 2022 and April 2025, a total of 2,089,025 more non-Germans have moved to Germany than have left the country, while 262,476 more German nationals have left the country than have returned.
As Handelsblatt recently noted, those leaving are often not retirees or students, but people in their prime working years. Federal statistics show that around half of emigrants are between 25 and 49 — the very cohort most needed in the domestic labor market. Academics, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers are disproportionately represented.
Behind the numbers are personal stories that illustrate the pressures driving the trend. Julia and Philipp Ramjoué, a young couple from Augsburg, sold their house this year and moved in with their daughter, grandmother, and cats to Arusha, Tanzania. “We felt more at home than we’d ever felt in Germany,” Julia told the German broadsheet, explaining that suffocating bureaucracy and pandemic restrictions had pushed them to seek a new life abroad. Her husband Philipp described the German system as “extremely daunting” for anyone trying to innovate.
Emigration consultants say the pandemic was a turning point. Christoph Heuermann of Staatenlos, who helps Germans relocate, said demand has risen sharply since 2020. Manny Schoenhuber, a lawyer in Houston, noted that nearly one in five of his clients are Germans seeking to settle permanently in the U.S. — often investors, freelancers, or consultants in search of lower taxes and greater freedom.
Officially, more than 270,000 Germans emigrated in 2024, compared with around 141,000 in 2010. The figures do not break down motives, but analysts point to recurring themes: frustration with red tape, high tax burdens, concern about political shifts, and a broader desire for personal freedom.
At the same time, foreign arrivals remain strong. Net immigration has been positive for 15 years, but this balance rests overwhelmingly on non-Germans. Migration statistics show tens of thousands of foreign nationals arriving each month, offsetting the steady outflow of German citizens.
The combined effect amounts to a demographic shift: Germany is growing more reliant on immigration to sustain its population, even as increasing numbers of its own citizens — often highly educated and skilled — seek new lives abroad.
Conservative lawmaker Robert Jenrick has called for an investigation into an immigration judge whose ruling allowed a convicted migrant criminal to remain in Britain, despite his record of serious offenses.
Christian Quadjovie, who arrived in the U.K. from France at the age of 10, has amassed 963 days behind bars for offenses including drug dealing and sexual assault. Following his most recent conviction, the Home Office sought to deport him. However, Judge Fiona Beach blocked the order, ruling that he did not pose a sufficient threat to the public to justify removal.
The Sun on Sunday reported that Beach had previously served as a director of Asylum Aid, a charity that provides free legal support to migrants in collaboration with the Bail for Immigration Detainees charity. Her judgment in Quadjovie’s case was later overturned on appeal after government lawyers argued it had been “made against the weight of evidence.”
The revelation of Beach’s past association with a pro-asylum group has prompted questions over judicial impartiality. Jenrick, a former immigration minister, has written to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office demanding to know whether she disclosed her prior role.
“This is the latest example of an immigration judge with open borders views,” he told the newspaper. “The similarity between her decisions and the political views she has broadcast totally undermines confidence in the system. Judges must be independent.”
Beach served on the board of Asylum Aid between 2004 and 2007, stepping down when she was first appointed as a part-time judge. She became a salaried member of the immigration tribunals in 2018. A judiciary spokesman defended the system, saying: “In each case, judges make decisions based on the evidence and arguments presented, and apply the law as it stands.”
Jenrick has pressed further, telling The Telegraph last week: “We have to have a situation where judges who act politically and bring their own personal politics into their job as a judge are held to account and frankly, can be removed.”
His criticism comes as immigration remains at the forefront of political debate. Jenrick, who narrowly lost the Conservative leadership race to current opposition leader Kemi Badenoch, travelled to Northern France last week with his former Home Office colleague Chris Philp. The pair visited migrant camps and recorded videos highlighting the scale of crossings. “I was in Northern France last Saturday to Monday. 1,190 migrants crossed the Channel in that time alone. Is it any surprise, when this is how easy the French make it to break in?” he wrote.
A 21-year-old Moroccan national has been arrested after he broke into and set fire to the historic Church of Santiago Apóstol in El Pozuelo, a town within the municipality of Albuñol, Granada.
The incident occurred just after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, when the man allegedly forced open the front door by breaking a stained-glass window. He then used a hammer to cause damage inside the church before setting it on fire.
While there were no injuries, a section of the church’s interior was heavily damaged by the flames, according to Yabiladi.com. The rapid response of the Spanish police and firefighters helped limit the extent of the destruction.
Local authorities have since condemned the attack. Socialist Mayor María José Sánchez (PSOE) called for calm, calling the incident “regrettable” and warning that it could be used to “create divisions or confrontations” among residents.
“Albuñol is a diverse, supportive, and welcoming municipality, where coexistence and respect are fundamental pillars that must not be compromised. An entire group cannot be criminalized for the actions of a single person,” she insisted.
In a video, locals can be seen inside the partially destroyed church, which is still smoking. A number of Christian figures are smashed as well.
🇪🇸 A Moroccan migrant in Spain has been arrested for smashing up a church with a hammer before setting the place on fire.
The 21-year-old suspected arsonist broke a stained-glass window with a hammer at the Church of Santiago Apóstol in El Pozuelo, Albuñol, on Sunday afternoon,… pic.twitter.com/suOIZKku3T
Both the Archdiocese of Granada and the Union of Islamic Communities of Andalusia (UCIDAN) have also issued strong condemnations.
The Archdiocese called it a “serious intentional arson” and a “grave attack on the most sacred aspect of Christian worship.”
It noted “several people were slightly injured” while trying to prevent damage to the building.
It also called on the faithful to “give thanks to God for this serious incident and pray for harmony and peace among all.”
The Union of Islamic Communities of Andalusia (UCIDAN) stated the attack was “totally contrary to human and Islamic values” and does not represent the Muslim community.
The Albuñol government also noted “strong condemnation” of these “extremely serious” incidents.
Thefts from churches in France have risen dramatically, with official figures showing a 24 percent increase in just two years. In 2024, 780 incidents were recorded, ranging from stolen chalices and statues to collection money amid a growing vulnerability of Christian places of worship.
At Paris’s Notre-Dame d’Auteuil Church, Father Antoine Devienne explained how his parish has been targeted in the past. “There was an attempted theft of a crown given to the Virgin Mary a few years ago. Well, we took it away because we didn’t want to tempt bad intentions,” he told Europe 1. The church has since installed cameras and relies on staff patrols to maintain security, with doors double-locked after Mass.
Parishioners say they are unsettled by the situation. “I find it monstrous, unacceptable,” said Sophie, 83. Louis, 37, who came to pray with his fiancée, said he regretted finding the doors closed. “It’s still unfortunate to see that today in France, we are forced to close churches during the day when, before, all the churches were open. It was a place of prayer where we could go to reflect,” he said.
But the threat extends far beyond theft. Across Europe, churches have been vandalized, burned, and attacked, with clergy and worshippers sometimes coming under direct assault.
In Spain last Sunday, a 21-year-old Moroccan migrant was arrested after smashing a stained-glass window with a hammer and attempting to set fire to the Church of Santiago Apóstol in Albuñol. The Union of Islamic Communities of Andalusia condemned the attack, insisting that it was an isolated act that did not represent the wider Muslim community, but the trend is undeniable.
🇪🇸 A Moroccan migrant in Spain has been arrested for smashing up a church with a hammer before setting the place on fire.
The 21-year-old suspected arsonist broke a stained-glass window with a hammer at the Church of Santiago Apóstol in El Pozuelo, Albuñol, on Sunday afternoon,… pic.twitter.com/suOIZKku3T
In Germany this week, a church in Mainz was vandalized, part of a pattern that Austrian activist Martin Sellner described as “happening every day.” He linked the trend to broader demographic change in Europe, warning that “with the boomers goes our demographic majority.”
A Church in Mainz was a vandalized. It happens every day. And its just the trailers. With the boomers goes our demographic majority. Civil unrest is looming and Europe is pregnant with an islamic state. pic.twitter.com/UgWlFnUO4q
France has suffered some of the most shocking attacks. In 2016, Father Jacques Hamel was murdered during morning Mass in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray by two men who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
More recently, in May this year, a group of around 10 young men stormed the Montfavet church in Avignon, shouting “Allahu Akbar” and threatening to burn the building down. The parish priest, Father Laurent Milan, said the situation turned chaotic. “One of them began running around. They gathered around the priest and started hurling insults. It was chaos. We struggled to get them out,” one parishioner told La Provence. According to Father Milan, the group hurled explicit insults targeting Christianity, shouting, “Jesus, we’re f***ing you,” and vowing to return to burn the church. Police were later forced to guard the church during Mass.
At the same time, Europe’s churches face internal pressures from declining attendance and financial strain. The Catholic Church in Austria saw close to 80,000 departures in 2023 alone, forcing dioceses to sell properties they can no longer maintain.
In Hirschwang an der Rax, a church and former rectory were recently put up for sale, reflecting a wider pattern of decline also evident in France and Germany.
Following Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska, all hope is now on Zelensky’s meeting with Trump in Washington. He will be joined with various leaders from Europe, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
It has not yet been confirmed that a Polish representative will take part in the talks.
“Unfortunately, we are not a significant player in the EU. Even the Finns, who have less military or political potential, were included in this delegation,” noted PiS MEP Michał Dworczyk, according to Do Rzeczy.
“According to media reports, the composition of the delegation was determined by President Zelensky and Chancellor Merz. Apparently, they didn’t see fit to invite Prime Minister Tusk,” Dworczyk added.
The PiS politician added that he would like Zelensky to be accompanied by a representative of Warsaw – Donald Tusk or Radosław Sikorski.
“As a member of the state, I would like our prime minister or foreign minister to be present at this format of talks, but today the EU’s role is more symbolic than a real possibility of assistance,” he said.
Trump has reportedly made it clear that Zelensky can end the war at this meeting by giving up Crimea and refusing to enter NATO.
Poland’s own foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has posted on social media, warning against believing anything Putin says.
“For the record. Since 1994 Ukraine already has guarantees of independence and inviolability of borders, also from Russia. In addition, on 22 April 2004 Vladimir Putin solemnly ratified the Treaty on the Russian-Ukrainian Border,” Sikorski posted on X.
His comments were made on top of reposted video clips of Putin from 2008 and 2013, assuring that he had no interest in Crimea, as any issues there were an internal issue for Ukraine, and that he would not be looking to send troops to Crimea, calling the idea “nonsense.”
The Institute for the Study of War also posted a long commentary on Russia’s failure to seize the Donetsk Oblast and why Putin’s claim that Russia will eventually prevail is false.
Polish press has also reported on comments made by Sikorski’s journalist wife in The Atlantic. Anne Applebaum has claimed in her article “Trump Has No Cards,” how embarrassing the entire summit was for the Americans.
“It was humiliating to watch the American president behave like a happy puppy while meeting the dictator of a much poorer and less important country, treating him like a superior,” she said, adding her surprise at how Moscow treated the entire thing as an opportunity to discuss “business cooperation.”
Applebaum, known for her hawkish stance against Russia, insists that the U.S. must send more weapons to Ukraine, stop Russia’s drones, and increase sanctions to win the war — only then can there be peace.
Meanwhile, French President Macron also does not appear in the mood to bring about peace between Russia and Ukraine.
“During tomorrow’s meeting at the White House, European leaders, including Volodymyr Zelensky, will question the US president about the security guarantees for Ukraine he claims to support,” he told reporters on Sunday.
The French leader noted that Russia’s offer of peace is, in reality, a capitulation by Ukraine. “Putin does not want peace,” Macron stressed, adding that Ukraine needs a strong army to conclude a lasting peace.
Commenting on the issue of territorial concessions insisted on by Russia, the French president stressed that only the Ukrainian authorities have the right to raise the territorial issue in the negotiations.
A 13-year-old girl, suspected of having Islamist ties, has been accused of stabbing a nurse at a psychiatric hospital in East Westphalia in Germany. This attack occurred just days after police had warned the facility about the potential danger the girl posed.
According to the German Press Agency (dpa), investigators had learned that the teenager was scheduled to be given access to the hospital kitchen as part of her therapy. Police then warned the hospital that the knives in the kitchen could be used as a weapon.
Despite the warning, the clinic proceeded with the girl’s therapy as planned, allowing her access to knives.
The nurse, who is 24, was stabbed in the back and was in critical condition. However, police reported that she is now improving.
The news outlet NW.de also indicated that the stabbing occurred during the short-term absence of a guard, who had just left the kitchen, according to the Paderborn prosecutor’s office.
The prosecutor’s office was asked if the clinic had ignored warnings from the police; however, the office only stated that an investigation is ongoing and that “the motive is also the subject of ongoing scrutiny.”
The 13-year-old was taken into custody, but due to her age, pretrial detention was not possible.
A homicide squad has been formed to investigate the case. Authorities have stated there was no danger to the public.
The Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe, which operates the hospital, has not yet commented, stating that a representative would visit the facility to investigate the incident.
According to multiple media outlets, including the Neue Westfälische, the 13-year-old had been under police surveillance for months as a potential Islamist threat.
She had been living in an apartment under 24-hour police watch and receiving educational support. In July, she attempted to escape and injured a police officer, which led to her placement in a secure psychiatric facility.
Spiegel reported that the girl had told others she wanted to kill someone before her 14th birthday —before she reached the age of criminal responsibility. This alleged statement, coupled with her impending birthday in the fall, made investigators especially concerned when they learned of her planned access to the kitchen.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that the opposition’s protests have become so violent that it is “literally a matter of days before they start killing in the open streets.”
In response, he stated that the country’s leadership will make “surprising” decisions within a few days regarding tough actions against anti-government protesters after days of demonstrations that have turned violent.
“They’ve done everything else, all that’s left is for them to start killing. I’m not exaggerating, I’m saying it’s a matter of days for that to happen. It’s literally a matter of days for them to start killing in the open streets,” he stated.
The Serbian president also stated that “the violence is a sign of complete weakness” and promised to “punish the rioters.”
🇷🇸🚨 BREAKING: Massive anti-government protests in Belgrade tonight!
For several months now, Aleksandar Vučić’s regime has been refusing the protesters’ main demand – to call new elections. pic.twitter.com/9h43qOgQfe
Vučić said his government will not back down against what he said was external pressure.
“We will resist external pressure and we will prevail,” he said.
According to the Serbian president, if there are no more decisive measures against the violence on the streets, the moment will come when someone will be killed.
Vučić called an emergency press conference for Sunday after more than nine months of anti-government protests in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Valjevo, sparked by the partial collapse of the Novi Sad railway station, which have turned increasingly violent in recent days. Protesters have clashed with members and supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and police, and have set fire to the SNS party office.
🇷🇸🚨 BREAKING: Clashes on the streets of Serbia! Offices of the ruling pro-EU party are on fire.
Protesters in Serbia are destroying the offices of President Aleksandar Vučić’s party. pic.twitter.com/zKmb6gtxdg
The canopy of the Novi Sad railway station collapsed on Nov. 1 last year, killing 16 people. This sparked nationwide protests that continue to this day.
The demands from protesters included finding and holding accountable those responsible for the accident, as well as the publication of documents related to the renovation of the train station. They are also demanding the release of students and teachers detained during the protests, and increasing the budget for higher education by 20 percent. The government says the demands have already been met, making further protests unjustified.
The competent authorities have charged 16 people with negligence and endangerment, and the Novi Sad High Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into suspicions of possible corruption during the renovation.
The railway station building, which was opened in 1964, was renovated in several waves in 2021-2022, and work continued last year. Minister of Construction Goran Vesic announced last July that the renovation was complete and the entire building could be used again.
The minister has since resigned, but said he does not consider himself responsible for the tragedy. However, the mayor of Novi Sad and the prime minister have accepted responsibility. Milan Djuric and Milos Vucevic announced their resignations at the end of January. The new prime minister and government were elected by parliament on April 16.
Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Lena Kotré has rejected accusations that a remigration conference she attended in Oslo at the weekend was linked to extremism or ethnic cleansing. Writing in response to an article in Norway’s leading daily Aftenposten, she said the newspaper’s framing of the event was driven by “political hatred and targeted disinformation.”
Kotré, who had to be escorted away from parts of the Norwegian capital by authorities after facing threats from left-wing activists and migrant groups, said the Norway Democrats’ conference was a legitimate political gathering. She described it as a forum where citizens, politicians, and intellectuals discussed “solutions to problems systematically suppressed by established politics.”
BREAKING: 🇩🇪❕ AfD politician @KotreLena has had to be evacuated from a meeting with Norwegian politicians in central Oslo ahead of a Remigration conference on Saturday.
"There has been a development where we felt compelled to evacuate the Norway Democrats and the German… pic.twitter.com/jUiLAzZrHw
“The claim that the Norway Democrats conference was a matter of ‘ethnic cleansing’ is not only wrong – it is malicious,” Kotré wrote. “Whoever writes like this doesn’t want to inform – they want to scare.”
The AfD lawmaker compared the controversy in Oslo to what she called the “fabricated scandal” around the so-called Potsdam meeting in Germany last year. That meeting was reported by investigative outlet Correctiv as involving secret discussions of mass deportations, something Kotré said had been “proven false” and weaponized to launch “a political extermination campaign.”
She argued the same tactic was now being deployed in Norway, using “insinuations, guilt by association, and perfidious terms like ‘terror cells’ or ‘neo-Nazi friends’” to delegitimize debate.
Kotré insisted that remigration is not a code word for violence but “a political term for orderly return measures.” She outlined the policy as including the return of people without residence permits, the closure of failed integration projects, and the safeguarding of national identity and social stability. “This is not ‘purification,’ but political pragmatism,” she said, adding that “no other people in the world are labelled extremists when they demand to preserve their identity.”
🇩🇪 German police are bringing Muslim on rock climbing "field trips" to "break down prejudices," while ethnic German teens get nothing.
German AfD MP @KotreLena says it's primarily Muslim youths that are the reason why "German young people are basically dominated and oppressed.… pic.twitter.com/1HL3KsTUQ1
The Aftenposten article by journalist Lasse Josephsen was headlined, “We must understand what is happening: The Norwegian Democrats’ conference is about ethnic cleansing in Europe.” Kotré said such language aimed to “morally forbid” debate on migration and integration, branding it a strategy of intimidation that would not succeed.
Positioning herself and other participants as defenders of free speech, she said: “Those who want to ban remigration in general do not want to protect democracy – but to abolish the opposition.”
Closing her op-ed in Norwegian online magazine Document, Kotré wrote, “I attended this conference not in secret, not in hiding – but publicly, with an open face to speak, listen, discuss. And I stand by all who, despite the media storm, have the courage to hold on to the truth. Oslo spoke. Europe listened.”
Hungary will be celebrating its official state holiday, St. Stephen’s Day, this Wednesday, Aug.20. While the main festivities will be taking place in the nation’s capital of Budapest, there will also be programs in other cities and rural areas across Hungary, writes Magyar Nemzet.
The concept for what is promised to be the best fireworks show ever has been in the works for six months, with Anikó Seres, winner of the Montreal World Fireworks Competition, in charge of the visual design.
The old shepherd (Zsolt Körtvélyessy), who was introduced as the narrator of last year’s fireworks, will return to recount the times after the coronation of King Saint Stephen, including the outstanding events of the reign of the founder of the state, the turbulent times after his death, the early years of the Árpád kings, and the miraculous deeds of King Saint Ladislaus.
Nine barges anchored on the Danube, 65 smaller pontoons, and three bridges will be used as launching points.
Aside from concerts across the capital and the Hungarian armed forces displaying their military might with an air show and other presentations, planned programs include multiple gastronomic fairs, such as the Csárda Festival on Vörösmarty Square, with folk music and traditional activities, and the Street of Hungarian Flavors between Döbrentei Square and the Chain Bridge.
Families can go to Margaret Island to play sports and listen to concerts, which will start on Aug. 19, while the Crafts Festival will open on Aug. 17.
The KultúrKavalkád on Szabadság tér, will host a puppet theater, jazz and children’s songs, and symphony orchestras for kids, while fashion, design and jewelry will be on display at the Creative Festival and the Artists’ Garden in Millenáris Park.
Meanwhile, in the Castle district, on the Tóth Árpád Promenade, visitors can enjoy heroic scenes from Hungarian history and take selfies with the heroes.
As explained by Magyar Nemzet, Aug. 20 commemorates the founding of the state and the founder of the state, King Stephen I (Saint). The day is the main holiday of the Hungarian Catholic Church in honor of one of the main patron saints of Hungary. The memory of Saint Stephen has played a role in Hungarian history since the canonization of the founding king on Aug. 20, 1083.
In the Árpád era, the cult of Stephen served to legitimize the ruling dynasty, which was later transformed into an ecclesiastical one by the veneration of the Virgin Mary.
In 1686, Pope Innocent XI ordered the Catholic world to commemorate St. Stephen annually on the occasion of the recapture of Buda. In 1771, Maria Theresa declared St. Stephen’s Day a national holiday and had the holy relic brought to Buda, thereby expressing that the Habsburgs were legitimate Hungarian rulers. In the Bach era after the suppression of the 1848–1849 revolution and war of independence, the celebration of the first king, who symbolized the independent Hungarian state, was not permitted, but in 1891, Franz Joseph made Aug. 20 a public holiday.
The 1938 Székesfehérvár Parliament enacted the memory of Saint Stephen and the national holiday. The communist government did not abolish this, but from 1950 called it the holiday of the People’s Republic and the Constitution. After the end of the communist regime, in 1991, the parliament declared it a state holiday, separating it from the national holidays.
“Every year, on August 15th, the spirit of victory is awakened within us, within the modern Polish nation. The spirit of a free nation, ready to fight for the values that matter most to us,” said President Karol Nawrocki during the ceremonial parade marking Polish Armed Forces Day.
The new president also posted a message on X, which was clearly very targeted at the upcoming Trump-Putin talks: “The Polish Army, together with Ukrainian forces, successfully repelled the Red Army’s westward march, safeguarding Europe from a communist revolution.”
“For centuries, Russian imperialism has been a mortal threat to our freedom. Poland’s political tradition teaches that Russian expansionism rests on a legacy of domestic despotism, in which the only free man is the ruler himself.
“But precisely because Russian despotism is the enemy of freedom, Russian imperialism can only be defeated through an alliance of free peoples,” Nawrocki wrote, then listing a series of times when Poland stopped Russian advances.
“The Polish people know that resisting Russian imperialism is not merely an economic matter – it concerns the very essence of human and national freedom. Freedom is priceless. It can neither be bought nor sold. It must be defended. This is the Polish tradition, stretching back to the 15th century.”
Inviting all Poles to celebrate this holiday, Nawrocki finished his post by saying: “That is why we will never surrender to Russian imperialism, and why we stand with Ukraine in defending its freedom – to make Europe whole, free, and at peace once again. Russia is not unstoppable. Russia is not undefeatable.”
Aug. 15 marks the anniversary of Poland’s victory in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920. The Polish military’s victory was decisive in preserving the country’s independence and halting the advance of the Bolshevik Revolution into Western Europe. It was also one of the most important elements of the historical memory of the Second Polish Republic.
The date was proclaimed Polish Armed Forces Day in 1923. It remained so until 1947. Since 1992, Polish Armed Forces Day has once again been celebrated in mid-August.
A new report by Austria’s Public Employment Service (AMS) has sparked controversy after suggesting that some refugees are intentionally failing German language courses to avoid being placed in low-paying jobs.
The findings, published in the study “New Refugees from Syria on the Austrian Labor Market,” highlight a growing challenge for integration policy, with concerns that language training, once seen as the key to employment, is becoming a barrier instead.
In the report, one first-hand account from a Syrian woman who studied medicine in her home country and worked as a paediatrician in Turkey, criticized what she sees as a systemic problem: qualified Syrian women being pushed into cleaning jobs without any consideration of their professional skills. She claims that, in response, some refugees purposely fail their language exams to avoid being forced into such low-status work.
Central to her complaint is the issue of inadequate wages, which she says often do not even cover basic living expenses, making social benefits a more attractive option.
The case study appears to be supported by AMS data, which showed that two-thirds of those granted asylum or subsidiary protection require literacy training, and 44 percent are completely illiterate. As reported by Kosmo, the AMS notes that 30 percent of refugees still have no German-language knowledge even 18 months after registering in Austria. Many spent years in transit countries before arriving, and in some cases, they cannot even read in their native language.
In July 2025, the unemployment rate for Syrians in Austria stood at 45.4 percent. Vienna is the epicenter of the problem, with more than half of all unemployed migrants living in the capital. Meanwhile, in other federal states, tens of thousands of low-skilled jobs remain unfilled.
The AMS acknowledges that deliberately failing courses to avoid work may occur, but insists this is not a widespread practice. “There are probably isolated cases, but this does not exist as a perceptible phenomenon,” the agency says. However, it concedes that proving deliberate failure is “hardly feasible in practice.” Sanctions are only possible if it can be clearly demonstrated that a person intentionally sabotaged their course or exam.
The issue is also closely linked to Austria’s welfare system. Some migrants may calculate that low-skilled work pays less than the combined value of unemployment benefits and minimum income support. The AMS does not deny that the financial incentive to remain unemployed exists.
The Austrian federal government is attempting to reform the system to ensure that work pays more than benefits. Starting in 2026, asylum seekers who skip compulsory language courses or fail the final exam will face cuts to their social welfare payments.
In Lower and Upper Austria, such measures are already in place, with reductions of up to 50 percent for those who refuse to participate.
Earlier this week, the reality of mass immigration in Austria was laid bare after new figures from the Statistical Yearbook on Migration and Integration found that women from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq living in Austria have an average birth rate almost three times higher than that of Austrian-born women.
The new generation with a growing Muslim population is having a profound effect in Austria, particularly in education. In October 2024, federal data revealed that more than three-quarters of students in Vienna’s middle schools do not speak German at home, putting pressure on an education system designed for single-language learning.
It has led to teachers leaving their profession — 20 a day on average in 2024 — and other educators speaking out on the “rapid Islamization” of the Austrian capital.
“Islam is changing our society in ways we do not want,” said longtime principal of a Vienna middle school, Christian Klar, in an interview with Christian magazine Corrigenda last year.
German police in the state of Baden-Württemberg are refusing to disclose the nationalities of three men accused of sexually harassing girls as young as 12 at public swimming areas in Stuttgart and Offenburg.
All three incidents took place on Tuesday. As reported by Bild, at the Killesberg outdoor swimming pool in Stuttgart, police say a 28-year-old man approached two 12-year-old girls in the water at around 4:50 p.m. and touched their buttocks.
He was arrested shortly afterwards but released after his personal details were taken.
At the Inselbad Untertürkheim in Stuttgart-Ost earlier that afternoon, a 42-year-old man allegedly indecently touched two 15-year-old girls. Pool attendants detained him until police arrived, but he, too, was released after questioning.
Investigators have not ruled out the possibility of further victims in either case and have urged anyone affected to come forward.
Later that evening at Gifizsee near Offenburg, police arrested a 43-year-old man accused of approaching a group of girls, then entering the water near one girl and a teenager before grabbing their buttocks.
He was detained on the spot but was also later released.
Despite repeated media requests, police have declined to confirm the suspects’ nationalities.
The incidents come after German police launched a Europe-wide manhunt for a 31-year-old Romanian man suspected of sexually abusing a six-year-old girl at a water park in Rust, also in Baden-Württemberg.
That attack occurred on Saturday evening when the girl was lured away from her parents at the swimming complex, led into nearby woodland, and forced to perform sexual acts on the suspect.
She was found an hour later, more than five kilometers away, in the neighboring town of Kappel-Grafenhausen.
Authorities believe the suspect has returned home to Romania.
Polish-Israeli relations hit another snag, this time due to some astonishing behavior by Israeli fans at a soccer match. And yet, the Poles had their own aggressive messaging during a previous game.
Poland, as expressed by President Karol Nawrocki, Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and government spokesman Adam Szłapka, expects a clear response from UEFA regarding the banner displayed by fans.
At the end of a game between Raków Częstochowa and Maccabi Haifa in Debrecen, Hungary, Maccabi Haifa fans unfurled a banner calling Poles “Murderers since 1939.” According to sports journalist Łukasz Ciona, who was present at the match, the Maccabi announcer called Poles Nazis, writes Do Rzeczy.
The Israeli Embassy in Poland published a response on the X platform.
“The disgusting behavior of some Maccabi Haifa fans during the match against Raków Częstochowa. There is no place for such words and actions, from any side, neither at the stadium nor anywhere else. Never! These shameful incidents do not reflect the spirit of the majority of Israeli fans,” they wrote.
„Murderers since 1939” by Maccabi fans is a vile lie and hate speech. In 1939 Poland was the victim of aggression, millions of our citizens, including Jews, were murdered by Germans and Soviets. @FIFAcom@UEFA@MSZ_RP must act. A few facts for historical ignorants 👇 pic.twitter.com/jH7pHt7acv
Polish MPs were quick to point out that the statement contained a significant inaccuracy. “What side? Today, one side behaved shamefully. Your fans, your team’s fans, PUBLICLY insulted Poles as a nation. Even in a post theoretically distancing yourself, you try to whitewash and maneuver. You could have remained silent. It would have ended the same way,” wrote Sebastian Kaleta of PiS.
The banner came as a response to a similar incident during a previous game by the Polish side when Rakow fans held up a banner reading “Israel kills, the world listens,” reports Neokohn.hu. The Israeli fans also sent a message to UEFA with yet another banner, stating: “UEFA – fair play ends where big money begins.”
Konrad Berkowicz, a member of parliament from the Confederation, also commented on the embassy’s post, noting that the foreign minister still hasn’t spoken. “Apologize and, while you’re at it, tell Mrs. Anna Applebaum to wake up her husband. Maybe that will help get him out of bed,” we read.
Mrs. Applebaum’s husband, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorsi, did finally repost the Israeli Embassy’s comment, with his own note: “It’s good that @IsraelinPoland reacted to the scandalous banner,” he wrote, adding: “By the way, I hope that Israeli youth are taught that in 1939, it was Nazi Germany that attacked Poland and began murdering its citizens of all faiths and nationalities.”
Dobrze, że @IsraelinPoland zareagowała na skandaliczny transparent. Skądinąd mam nadzieję, że izraelska młodzież jest uczona, że w 1939 to hitlerowskie Niemcy napadły na Polskę i zaczęły mordować jej obywateli wszystkich wyznań i narodowości. https://t.co/0pYvxSdYUr
Accusations of any Poles being complicit in Nazi atrocities and the Holocaust are untrue and completely ahistorical, writes Do Rzeczy, with Germany’s crimes being the sole responsibility of Germany operating on occupied Polish territory.
Additionally, “No comment,” wrote the Raków Częstochowa spokesman. More and more photos and videos from the stadium are appearing online.
Data for the first half of 2025 shows that the United States and the EU remain key trading partners for China. However, new and emerging markets for Beijing indicate that the Asian power is pursuing its diversification efforts at the fastest possible pace, writes Béla Akos Revesz, an analyst at Makronom, for Mandiner.
Revesz points to an infographic created by Visual Capitalist that clearly shows the shift in direction, especially in North Africa, ASEAN countries, and Hong Kong.
Chinese exports to the United States fell 10.7 percent year-over-year to $215.6 billion, due to the trade war and America’s diversification of supply chains. However, a lot of Chinese goods are now arriving in America through parallel trade, that is, with the help of countries like Mexico or Vietnam, where Chinese goods are “repackaged” or assembled into finished products and then sold across the border.
What is most disconcerting, the analyst notes, is the growth of exports to the European Union.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has pushed for the EU to move away from dependence on China, to diversify and de-risk its supply chains. However, data shows a 6.9 percent jump in EU purchases of products from China, worth $267.5 billion.
Only ASEAN countries imported more than this, increasing the value of their purchases by 13 percent and $322.5 billion. The largest percentage increase was seen in Africa, with Chinese exports to African countries rising to $103 billion, or 21.4 percent more than in the first half of last year.
What is clear, notes Revesz, is that in preparation for continued cuts by the U.S. and greater diversification by the EU, China is doing everything it can to expand its dominance elsewhere.
German police have launched a Europe-wide search for a 31-year-old Romanian man suspected of sexually abusing a six-year-old girl near Europa-Park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, after she became separated from her parents at the park’s Rulantica water complex. Authorities believe the man has already fled to his home country.
According to police, the incident occurred on Saturday evening when the girl lost sight of her parents in the pool area. As reported by Welt, the suspect allegedly offered to help her, gained her trust, and then led her into nearby woodland, where he is accused of soliciting sexual acts before leaving her alone.
Investigators say there is currently no evidence that the girl was raped, but was a victim of serious sexual assault.
The child then wandered alone through the park, still wearing a swimsuit and flip-flops, before being found over an hour later and five kilometers away in the neighboring town of Kappel-Grafenhausen.
“One can imagine that after such a horrific act, a child’s soul is certainly not in a good state,” said Offenburg police spokesman Wolfgang Kramer, who confirmed the girl was not seriously injured externally.
The suspect was identified through surveillance footage from the water park. An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday, but a search of his apartment found no sign of the perpetrator.
Bild reported late on Thursday that the suspect’s passport was missing, and police suspect he has returned to Romania. “According to current information, the prime suspect may have fled to his country of origin,” police said, adding that they are conducting a comprehensive cross-border manhunt.
Initially, investigators pursued another man but cleared him after questioning. A witness later provided the breakthrough identification that led to the arrest warrant. Police describe the suspect as having a full black beard and short dark hair, but warn he may have altered his appearance.
Europa-Park CEO Michael Mack said the park’s owners were “deeply saddened” and had contacted the girl’s family directly. A park spokesperson added that all 700 employees at Rulantica have been briefed on the attack and are on high alert.
The case comes amid several recent incidents of sexual harassment at swimming pools and lakes across Germany. A disproportionate number of perpetrators are foreign nationals.
In June, a group of Syrian migrants was arrested, suspected of sexually assaulting at least nine underage girls, aged between 11 and 17, at the Barbarossabad swimming pool in Gelnhausen, Hesse.
In neighboring Switzerland, all foreigners were banned from an outdoor swimming complex following multiple reports of violence, sexual harassment, and anti-social behavior by “French youths with a migration background.”
A week after the pool was closed to foreigners, the complaints stopped, and a surge in season tickets was recorded. “It’s much quieter now,” said Luna Lando, a lifeguard at the Porrentruy pool 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 local swimming instructor.
London’s Metropolitan Police has been accused of failing to protect the public after an asylum seeker housed at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf entered an elderly woman’s home without permission — and was returned to the hotel without arrest.
The incident took place on Aug. 13, when police were called to Marsh Wall at 6:07 p.m. Officers claimed in a statement posted on social media that the man entered the property through an open door while “being followed by a group of men” in the street.
Police claim no intent could be proven, and the man was not arrested.
🇬🇧‼️ An illegal migrant staying in the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf was caught in an elderly woman's house earlier today and was chased out.
Despite entering the house without permission, the police are not pursuing the matter further, and he was returned to his… pic.twitter.com/qyVBR2JZn0
However, the response was markedly different toward protesters angry about the housing of asylum seekers in the area. Three demonstrators outside the migrant hotel, questioning why the man was not arrested, were themselves detained — including a 22-year-old woman facing multiple charges such as common assault on a security guard, possession of an offensive weapon, and affray. A Section 35 dispersal order was issued in the area, leading to the arrest of a 28-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman for breaching it.
A statement regarding videos circulating online relating to an incident that officers were called to at 18:07hrs on Wednesday, 13 August at Marsh Wall, E14. pic.twitter.com/Wj4nNLrjUL
The police statement has triggered a wave of condemnation from commentators and public figures. Firas Modad, a presenter at Lotus Eaters, posted on X: “Wait. An illegal migrant enters a home. Three people get arrested. But not the trespasser?! And the person who objected to his presence gets the book thrown at her?” He called out Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, asking her if she would be demanding any resignations from the police force over the matter.
British barrister and political commentator Steven Barrett said, “Thanks, Evil Bot 3000, for trying. But do you mind telling your masters at the Metropolitan Police that this is both gibberish as law — and really, deeply, disturbing. Be normal people again.”
Rory Geoghegan, the founder of the Public Safety Foundation and a former police officer, wrote: “A world-class police service would recognize that it needs to do more than pump out statements like this. Why are senior officers and comms teams in the UK so afraid of holding proper briefings for the media and public?
People are openly talking about the prospect of civil war and that the country has ‘had enough’ — but those in HQ think the answer is a few lines of text?”
Conservative political commentator Sophie Corcoran said, “So you’re telling me this demonic-looking man, whom we know nothing about, can walk into a woman’s flat and not get arrested. Women are doomed.”
Met Police confirm that this thing entering your home is NOT a crime.
“Met Police confirm that this thing entering your home is NOT a crime. But being angry about it is. This is the UK 2025,” added nationalist activist Tommy Robinson.
The Met Police say they are reviewing body-worn video footage and other evidence, describing the incident as “a complex set of events.”
Two senior Social Democratic Party (SPD) district administrators in the German state of Thuringia have broken with their party’s national stance by demanding that most non-EU migrants — including asylum seekers and recognized refugees — receive social benefits only as interest-free loans, repayable once they find work.
Matthias Jendricke, district administrator for Nordhausen, and Marko Wolfram, who heads the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district, say Berlin must “finally” overhaul what they describe as an “increasingly dysfunctional” system.
Jendricke told Stern magazine that anyone “who comes to our state and hasn’t paid anything into their accounts so far will only be able to receive social benefits as an interest-free loan.”
The pair argues the model should resemble Germany’s student loan system (BAföG), where repayments can be reduced or partly forgiven for those who quickly secure work and integrate. Wolfram said such an approach would “create a positive incentive to integrate quickly” while easing resentment among German taxpayers. Both stress that benefits for minors would remain non-repayable.
Germany’s “citizen’s benefit” (Bürgergeld) cost €46.9 billion in 2024, with nearly half of the 4 million recipients being foreign nationals. However, data from the Federal Employment Agency published in November last year showed that 63 percent of recipients have a migration background, i.e., they may be naturalized by are foreign-born or first-generation immigrants.
Refugees make up around 30 percent of claimants, with €6.3 billion spent on Ukrainians alone last year. Despite this, only about one-third of working-age Ukrainian refugees are employed.
Current Bürgergeld rules pay single adult claimants €563 a month, plus housing and heating costs. Benefits for asylum seekers are lower, but gross expenditure for this group still reached €6.3 billion in 2023, Stern notes.
Jendricke says repayment incentives could be generous — halving debt for refugees who find work within a year and pass a language test, and even offering repayment bonuses to parents whose children graduate from school.
The proposal faces significant legal hurdles. In 2022, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that a humane minimum standard of living is guaranteed under the Basic Law to all residents in Germany, regardless of nationality.
The opposition AfD has called for foreign nationals to receive basic security only after proving 10 years of social insurance contributions, and for payments to be limited to one year. Co-leader Alice Weidel insists that only those who have paid into Germany’s social system should be allowed to benefit.
Public debate has been fuelled by recent reports showing the disproportionate share of welfare funds going to foreigners. Government data cited by Bild found that almost half of Germany’s €17.68 billion housing support in 2024 went to non-citizens, who make up just 15 percent of the population.
Earlier this week, Remix News reported how Germany’s Federal Employment Agency is actively promoting the country’s “citizen’s benefit” to young migrants, presenting it online as a straightforward and appealing option for those without work.
A dedicated section of the agency’s website, written in English for “people from abroad,” features a smiling young couple — including a man in his early thirties holding a book and a woman in a hijab — under the headline: “If you are unable to finance your own living expenses, under certain circumstances the Jobcenter will support you with the citizen’s benefit.”
A woman in her thirties was left in a life-threatening condition on Wednesday morning after suffering multiple stab wounds in her apartment in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.
Her partner, also in his thirties, was taken into custody shortly after the incident.
The attack occurred in a social housing building on Rue de Vauvenargues. According to Le Parisien, the victim, a mother of one, was stabbed around 10 times during an argument with the father of her child.
Despite her injuries, she managed to call emergency services at around 8:10 a.m. A neighbour initially believed the man had been hurt, but police arriving on the scene found the woman with serious wounds to her face, arm, and abdomen. Early findings suggest she may have been disemboweled.
Emergency responders stabilized her at the scene before transporting her under police escort to Georges Pompidou Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery. Witnesses said they heard screams and repeated cries of “Allahu Akbar” for several minutes before the noise stopped.
Police later arrested the suspect on the fifth floor of the building. He reportedly told officers that the victim had slapped him and that he responded by stabbing her.
The couple, who have lived in the building for about seven months, were not previously known for any public disturbances. Neighbors described the man as friendly and talkative, and the woman as private and reserved.
A 3-year-old child, present during the attack, was temporarily taken into care.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said magistrates have yet to be updated on the woman’s current condition, but upon arrival at the hospital, she was described as critical.
The suspect, already known to police, was taken into custody for questioning.
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