#36: MINISTER FACES CRIMINAL COMPLAINT FOR DENYING VACCINE DAMAGE
Transwomen banned from women's track events + Italy wants strict labels for insect-based food + Mexico's president comes to Trump's aid + MORE!
GERMANY’S HEALTH MINISTER FACES CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
A state parliamentary group has filed a criminal complaint against Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach after he recently admitted that the Covid-19 vaccine led to injuries despite alleging they were free of side-effects in the past.
AfD MP and chairman of Brandenburg's Corona investigation committee, Lars Hünich, filed a complaint alleging that the Health Minister violated sections of the penal code which have to do with causing bodily harm through negligence.
“Karl Lauterbach released a tweet in 2021 in which he wrote that ‘a minority of society does not want a side effect-free vaccination, even though it is free and can save their lives and that of many others’,” said Hünich.
“In my opinion, he negligently accepted that there was physical damage.”
In an interview with the outlet PI News, Hünich admitted that Lauterbach will likely evade justice due to parliamentary immunity but must eventually face consequences for his actions.
“Let's not kid ourselves: we have filed a complaint against the Federal Minister of Health, who has a certain immunity,” said Hünich.
“I can imagine that this might be the case. In my opinion, what is generally missing is a certain degree of political liability.”
Hünich has also called on Lauterbach to appear before the state parliament to testify over his comments.
TRANSWOMEN BANNED BY INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ORGANIZATION
World Athletics announced this week that it will exclude transwomen athletes who were born as men from its women’s track events.
The organization governs track and field events at the international level.
"World Athletics conducted a consultation period with various stakeholders in the first two months of this year, including Member Federations, the Global Athletics Coaches Academy and Athletes’ Commission, the IOC as well as representative transgender and human rights groups," explained World Athletics.
"It became apparent that there was little support within the sport for the option that was first presented to stakeholders, which required transgender athletes to maintain their testosterone levels below 2.5nmol/L for 24 months to be eligible to compete internationally in the female category.”
The body cited “more than 10 years of research and evidence” showing the advantages athletes who were born men have over women.
"In these circumstances, the Council decided to prioritize fairness and the integrity of the female competition before inclusion,” wrote World Athletics.
ITALY WANTS STRICT LABELING FOR INSECT-BASED FOOD
On Thursday, the Italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida announced four decrees concerning foods made from insect-based ingredients.
Recently the European Union approved a series of cricket and mealworm products for sale within European markets.
Italy will require products to clearly indicate they contain insect-based products and to be sold on shelves separate from other goods.
“As it regards cricket flour, migratory locust, mealworm and yellow grub, we think we need a labeling that specifies in a timely and visible way which products derive from from these insects,” explained Lollobrigida.
Labeling will also include “origin of the product, risks associated with consumption” and the quantity of insect-based flour within.
“Those who want to choose crickets, larvae and locusts can go there and those who don't want to, as I imagine most Italians, can keep away,” said Lollobrigida.
“(In this way) we guarantee Italian citizens are aware of what they consume and we make Italy a nation at the forefront in this sense.”
MEXICO’S PRESIDENT COMES TO TRUMP’S DEFENSE
As rumors of a potential indictment against former US president Donald Trump circulated, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador rushed to the former president’s defense.
While speaking at a press conference on Thursday, López Obrador said that an arrest would be an attempt to keep Trump out of the 2024 presidential race.
"Right now, former President Trump is declaring that they are going to arrest him,” said López Obrador.
"If that were the case… it would be so that his name doesn't appear on the ballot."
López Obrador also said that it should be up to the American people to decide Trump’s fate citing the fact that he was also subject to fabricated allegations to keep him out of office.
"I say this because I too have suffered from the fabrication of a crime, when they didn't want me to run,” said Mexico’s president.
"And this is completely anti-democratic.... Why not allow the people to decide?"
ICELAND CRACKS DOWN ON FAILED ASYLUM CLAIMANTS
Despite protests from human rights organizations, Iceland’s government has passed a bill which would strip failed asylum claimants of healthcare and housing benefits within 30 days of a failed application.
The bill received 38 votes in support while 15 voted against.
“There have been repeated attempts here for several years to make changes to the immigration law,” said Iceland’s Justice Minister Jón Gunnarsson.
“The situation has changed a lot during this time, and today we are faced with an unprecedented problem when it comes to receiving everyone who comes to us as refugees and seeking protection.”
Gunnarsson cited the fact that Iceland is threatened by taking in a number of migrants well beyond that which it can accommodate.
“Therefore, in my mind, it is quite clear that we need to consider further steps to bring us closer to the regulations that apply in our neighboring countries so that we are not getting a number that far exceeds what is in these countries,” said the minister.