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Free Speech Travesty: German Pensioner Who Called Green Economic Minister Habeck an ‘Idiot’ Has Been Convicted

The case of German pensioner Stefan Niehoff became a major international story after police raided his home for calling Robert Habeck an “idiot” while Habeck was serving as Germany’s economy minister at the time.

Now that Niehoff has been convicted — for sepearte offneses — it has become clear how far the German media has gone to create the perception that Niehoff is a Nazi to smear his name, when the exact opposite was true all along.

Elon Musk tweeted about the case. The Economist included the incident in a long list of items showing Germany was walking all over free speech, and Niehoff was publicly outspoken over what happened to him.

Niehoff suffered a house raid early in the morning at his home in Burgpreppach, while his disabled daughter was home, all because Habeck filed a complaint against him for Niehoff calling him an “idiot” in an internet post.

The case looked exceedingly bad, so the German establishment went into damage control.

Numerous news outlets started publishing articles that the main focus of the investigation against Niehoff — the “idiot” comment — had quietly been sidelined. Now, the courts were focusing on “unconstitutional” symbols that Niehoff shared. In other words, after the Niehoff case blew up in their faces, they needed to find an ad hoc justification after the fact to justify their witch hunt against him.

In Germany, any kind of “unconstitutional symbol” basically means you were sharing swastikas or other symbols associated with the Nazi regime. Most people suddenly thought Niehoff was some kind pro-Nazi activist.

The reality is that he was comparing the left-liberal traffic light government, which was in power at the time, to the era of National Socialism. In other words, he was criticizing the Nazis, not praising them.

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Dublin considers introducing tourism tax

Dublin is considering introducing a tourism tax that could bring in ‘significant’ funding. 

At a press conference on Tuesday, Michael Martin, the head of the Irish government, said he was backing the proposal made by the Dublin City Taskforce, which said last year that the city has become ‘less welcoming’ since the financial crash. 

‘It could provide additional revenue raising powers, so that will be examined. Because, let’s be honest, there’s going to be significant investment here’, the Taoiseach said. 

He added that the actual amount of money expected to be brought in varied widely, depending on the rate applied if the tourism tax comes to pass. 

‘It will be examined in more detail. Estimates varies between depending on rate of fee applied, it would range from four million to 41 million.’

But Martin claimed that no matter what rate the city lands on, ‘there’s going to be significant additional expenditure to make the city more attractive.’ 

Dublin is already considered one of the most expensive cities in Europe for eating and drinking, and there are fears that the proposed tax will further burden tourists visiting the already expensive city. 

Simon Harris, the deputy leader of the Irish government, said that the plans were far from set in stone, and that Dublin City Council will have a significant role to play in deciding whether to implement it. 

He said: ‘Fundamentally, I believe, massively in local government, empowering councillors and providing revenue streams, there needs to be a sensitivity around the timing.’

Cities across Europe are beginning to place daily taxes on visitors. Rates vary from just a few cents per day to up to €7 per day in places like Rome. 

In the UK, Manchester is the first and currently only British city to charge a tourist levy, requiring visitors to pay £1 per day in hotels or rented flats in the centre of the city. 

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Alleged co-conspirator in Palm Springs fertility clinic explosion dies in federal custody

A Washington state man accused of providing large amounts of chemicals to make explosives for last month’s bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs has died in federal custody, the U. S. Department of Justice confirmed.

Daniel Park, 32, was taken into custody earlier this month at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport after being deported from Poland, where he’d traveled four days after the bombing, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced. He was facing charges of conspiracy.

According to a statement from the U. S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons, Park was found unresponsive at approximately 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.

“Responding employees initiated life-saving measures. Emergency medical services (EMS) were requested while life-saving efforts continued,” the statement said. “Mr. Park was transported by EMS to a local hospital and subsequently pronounced deceased by hospital personnel.”

Further details about the manner in which Park died were not immediately shared.

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Where is Iran’s Uranium? Top Secret Leaked US Intel Says Core Nuclear Components ‘Intact’

Where is Iran’s Uranium? Truce Highlights Mystery Over Stockpile… that’s Bloomberg’s latest headline over the ‘biggest mystery’ that remains in the war. There’s also the pressing question of whether Trump’s massive airstrikes from B-2 bombers actually truly destroyed the facilities and these stockpiles. 

The Iranians aren’t dumb, and likely took drastic steps to further protect, conceal, or likely move these enriched stockpiles – some 400kg according to most reports – as wave after wave of Israeli warplanes hit Iran, significantly before the US sent its bombers this past weekend. It appears core components are still intact – though Iran has long maintained it is merely for peaceful nuclear energy development. 

The NY Times is currently reporting that the US operation merely set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months.

And early emerging satellite open-source intelligence also points to the stockpile having not been destroyed, which contradicts the current ‘victory lap’ claims being made by President Trump and some of his top officials. Below is fresh CNN reporting based on an assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA):

The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes, one of the sources said.

The analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is ongoing, and could change as more intelligence becomes available. But the early findings are at odds with President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated.”

One unnamed defense official quoted in the report says centrifuges are largely “intact.” And more based on the apparently ‘Top Secret’ leaked DIA intel report:

“So the (DIA) assessment is that the US set them back maybe a few months, tops,” this person added.

The White House acknowledged the existence of the assessment but said they disagreed with it.

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IDF Chief Says ‘Campaign Against Iran Not Over’ But Focus Will Shift to Gaza for Now

Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the Israeli military, said on Tuesday that while a “chapter” in the conflict with Iran is over, Israel’s “campaign” against the country is not and that for now, the IDF will focus on the destruction of Gaza.

“We have concluded a significant chapter, but the campaign against Iran is not over. We are entering a new phase, one that builds upon the achievements of the current operation,” Zamir said after a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran began to hold.

“Now, the focus returns to Gaza, to bringing the hostages home and toppling Hamas rule,” Zamir added. During the 12 days of Israeli attacks on Iran, the Israeli military continued its genocidal onslaught in Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians each day.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also said that Israel will now turn all of its “strength” on Gaza. “Now [we turn] with all our strength to Gaza, to complete the task: to destroy Hamas and return our hostages and to ensure, with God’s help, many years of security and growth from strength for the people of Israel,” he said.

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Top Trump official calls US airstrikes on Iran ‘pointless,’ suggests ‘deep state’ swayed prez

A top staffer in the federal agency overseeing personnel for the Trump administration has denounced the US strikes on Iran as “pointless” and suggested the decision was made by members of DC’s “deep state.”

Andrew Kloster, who serves as general counsel at the Office of Personnel Management, tweeted — and then deleted — a string of posts ripping the US for having sent “handouts” to Israel in the past and for previously downplaying the threat of Tehran getting a nuclear weapon.

Within a half-hour of President Trump announcing successful US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday night, Kloster wrote on X, “I apologize and will never again doubt the power of the deep state.”

In a response to an X user saying that “Iran’s nuclear sites being crushed seems a long-term benefit for the US,” Kloster wrote, “I think it was just kind of pointless.”

He also boosted a post from Vish Burra, disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos’ ex-director of operations, that referred to Israel’s conflict with Iran as a “tribal squabble” after Tehran broke a cease-fire Trump secured Monday night.

The posts — still visible as of Tuesday morning — have since been deleted.

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Iranian army sniper and Hezbollah-linked ‘terrorist’ arrested in US as Trump warns of violent sleeper cells

An Iranian army sniper and a suspected terrorist with ties to Hezbollah are among illegal migrants living in the US who have been arrested by ICE since Sunday. 

Ribvar Karimi, who served as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021, was arrested in rural Alabama, where he has been living with his American wife. 

When ICE agents found in him in the town of Locust Fork Sunday, he had an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card, DHS claimed. 

Karimi entered the country legally on a K-1 visa, for foreigners engaged to be married to Americans, in October under the Biden administration. 

He married his bride, Morgan Gardener, in January this year. However, Karimi failed to adjust his status, making his presence in the US illegal.

In Minnesota, agents nabbed Mehran Makari Saheli, 56, a former member of off the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with admitted connections to Hezbollah, according to the Department of Homeland Security today. 

He already had a conviction for felon in possession of a firearm and served 15 months in prison.

Despite being ordered out of the country by a judge in June 28, 2022, he evaded authorities.

Both men are now in ICE custody pending removal. 

Karimi’s American wife insists he loves America and is a proud immigrant. 

‘This man loves America, the first purchase he made when he got here was an American Flag,’ Morgan Gardner told a local station. 

‘If he was here on bad intentions, he wouldn’t have done that, he wouldn’t be willing to walk around with a flag, knowing he could get deported and sent back to a country where he could be killed for that.’ 

She is seven months pregnant with their first child and fears she’ll have to give birth alone. 

Also arrested over the weekend was Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, who had been ordered to leave the US 12 years ago by an immigration judge. 

He had also been convicted of threatening a law enforcement officer and being an alien in possession of a firearm. 

Eidivand entered through the southern border in June 2012, DHS said, and he was arrested in Tempe, Arizona Sunday.

Armed with a 9mm pistol when ICE agents caught up to him, Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad was arrested in Texas.

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China Reportedly On Verge Of 100 DeepSeek-Like Breakthroughs Amid Aspirations For World Domination

China is preparing to launch a tsunami of domestic AI innovation, with more than 100 DeepSeek-like breakthroughs (more here) expected within the next 18 months, according to former PBOC Deputy Governor Zhu Min, as reported by Bloomberg. This development signals Beijing’s intent to rapidly close the technological gap ahead of the 2030s. 

Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s “Annual Meeting of the New Champions” in Tianjin, China, Min told the audience that 100 DeepSeek-like breakthroughs “will fundamentally change the nature and the tech nature of the whole Chinese economy.”

The emergence of DeepSeek, a low-cost, powerful AI model, has fueled Chinese tech stocks and underscored China’s AI competitiveness despite U.S. restrictions on advanced chips and domestic macroeconomic headwinds. Bloomberg Economics projects high-tech’s contribution to China’s GDP could rise from 15% in 2024 to over 18% by 2026.

Traders are rotating into Chinese equities, with the Hang Seng Index surging 25% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the S&P 500, which is up just 3.3% and effectively flat in real terms. China stocks outperformed soon after DeepSeek’s launch in January. 

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NATO To Take ‘Quantum Leap’ in Military Spending, Pledging 5% of GDP Baseline

Each member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is expected to ink a pledge to raise military spending to 5% of GDP over the next ten years. This is more than double the current 2% goal. Responding to President Donald Trump’s demands for greater spending, member states will agree to the new baseline in the Netherlands during an alliance summit this week. On Monday, the eve before the summit, this proposal was referred to as a “quantum leap” by Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Under the compromise deal, by 2035, each member state will commit a minimum of 3.5% of their GDP to “core military needs,” along with 1.5% to be earmarked for cybersecurity, infrastructure, and other security components.

“The defense investment plan that allies will agree [to] in The Hague introduces a new baseline, five percent of GDP to be invested in defense,” Rutte told reporters.Despite alliance concerns over Madrid’s refusal to commit to the 5% spending figure, which would necessitate a military yearly budget of nearly $90 billion, Rutte emphasized Spain will not be allowed to “opt-out.” He said, “NATO does not have as an alliance opt-outs, side deals, etcetera, because we all have to chip in.”

Moreover, Rutte insists the new spending will go toward producing thousands of tanks and a five fold increase in the production of air defenses. The NATO chief declared, “Our focus is ensuring that we have all we need to deter and defend against any threat.” Rutte added the summit will see strong support for Ukraine and noted the “most significant and direct threat facing this alliance remains the Russian Federation.”

The alliance has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine that has seen hundreds of thousands of casualties with Ukraine losing roughly 20% of its territory.

With the US taking the lead, by 2021, defying Russia’s core security concerns and provoking conflict, Ukraine was being treated as a de facto NATO member. Rutte’s predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, admitted that, under his leadership in the lead up to the war, the Washington-led bloc refused to take potential membership for Kiev off the table in negotiations even though Moscow had made clear that would prevent an invasion.

The policy has not changed. “Last year in Washington, NATO allies agreed… there is an irreversible path of Ukraine to enter NATO. And that is still true today, and it will still be true on Thursday after this summit,” Rutte told reporters.

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Spies For Empire: Beware UN-Affiliated Organisations

On June 13th, the Zionist entity carried out an unprovoked, criminal military strike on Iran. While its impact was limited, with Tehran’s counterattack far more devastating, Israel’s targeted assassination of a number of Iranian nuclear scientists indicates Tel Aviv knew their identities and locations with some precision. Coincidentally, a day prior to the entity’s broadside, Press TV published documents indicating the International Atomic Energy Agency previously provided Israeli intelligence the names of several Iranian nuclear scientists, who were subsequently killed.

Other documents indicate IAEA chief Rafael Grossi enjoys a close, clandestine relationship with Israeli officials, and has frequently acted upon their orders. The files are part of a wider trove obtained by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, containing unprecedented insights into Tel Aviv’s secret, illegal nuclear weapons capability, and its relationships with Europe, the US and other countries, among other bombshell material. The tranche could well shed further light on the IAEA’s brazen, murderous collusion with the entity.

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