The directive is likely to come into effect before next year’s EU elections and facilitate decoupling from regimes such as China on human rights grounds.

Right-wing populists and socialist anti-war MEPs spoke out against the anti-disinformation report.

While the number of reported rapes in North Rhine-Westphalia—Germany’s most populous city—increased 25% in 2022 compared to the previous year, the number of rapes involving more than one perpetrator jumped by 43%.

Although U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has claimed that Beijing may be considering providing lethal aid to Moscow, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU has received “no evidence” from the U.S. that verifies this claim.

Compared to last year, a significantly larger number of Germans fear being pulled into a war with Russia, according to The Security Report 2023.

Several political notables—from Germany and other European states—have been quick to distance themselves from Baerbock’s comments.

AfD MP Martin Sichert said that the Bundestag’s recognition of the genocide was long overdue, and called for the “nice words” to be followed by concrete actions.

He urged lawmakers to seriously consider why New Year’s Eve ‘celebrations’ have become increasingly violent over the years, in the same places with the same participants.

This isn’t the first attack to have been carried out by asylum seekers staying at the housing facility in Illerkirchberg. In 2019, a 14-year-old girl from the community was gang raped by four military-aged asylum seekers from Iraq and Afghanistan on Halloween night.

Ruud Koopmans, a Dutch sociologist, professor at Humboldt University in Berlin, and researcher on migration, social integration, and transnationalization said many of the rioters “grew up in a culture of hatred of the West.”

“There’s a widespread perception in Europe that the real problem is not the EU’s many failures, but the people who point them out.”—Viktor Orbán

The mayor of Cologne said allowing the call to prayer was “a sign of respect.” But some in the Muslim community accuse Henriette Reker of criminal naivety.