#70: GIORGIA MELONI'S IMMIGRATION BETRAYAL
EV batteries suspected to be behind major sea vessel fire + Spanish rapist and murderer demands to be let into women's prison + Norway's communist leader steps down after stealing sunglasses + MORE!
GIORGIA MELONI’S IMMIGRATION BETRAYAL
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was once known for her hard-line nationalist stance on immigration, has softened her tone after hosting a summit of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and African nations on Sunday.
Meloni, who came to power in 2022 after leading the right-wing Brothers of Italy party to victory in the general election, had previously advocated for restoring functioning borders and reducing illegal immigration.
She even once suggested that she would use the country’s Navy to put an end to NGO vessels bringing migrants into Italy.
However, during the summit, Meloni said that her government was open to bringing in more people through legal channels because “Europe and Italy need immigration.”
Earlier this month, Italy also pledged to issue 452,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals until 2025, increasing the number of permits available each year to a maximum of 165,000 by 2025.
Meloni’s shift on immigration has been met with a good share of criticism. Some of her supporters have accused her of betraying her principles and pandering to the EU and the UN.
ELECTRIC CAR BATTERIES SUSPECTED TO BE BEHIND MAJOR SEA FIRE
Early statements by authorities indicate that an electric vehicle could be behind a major fire on a Dutch freighter in the Waden Sea off the coast of the Netherlands.
The burning ship which was carrying more than 3,000 vehicles, including 25 electric buses, has claimed the life of one crew member and injured several others.
A fire broke out on the “Fremantle Highway” on Wednesday night, about 30 kilometers off the coast of Friesland province. The Dutch coast guard rescued more than 20 crew members, who tried to extinguish the fire themselves but failed. Some of them suffered from respiratory problems, broken bones and burns.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but a battery fire in one of the charged e-cars is not being ruled out.
Experts have been warning of the dangers of burning electric car batteries for some time, as they contain lithium, which can react violently with water and air. Additionally, the lithium batteries in the e-cars are currently making it more difficult to extinguish the fire.
Environmentalists have since expressed their fear that the accident could become an ecological disaster for the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The foundation “De Noordzee” warned about the severity of the incident.
"This could mean an environmental disaster for the North Sea and the Wadden Sea,” De Noordze told media.
MALL SCRAPS “GENDER-NEUTRAL” WASHROOMS AFTER WOMEN FELT UNSAFE
Gender-neutral toilets have met with resistance from concerned women in Finland.
The public washrooms, which do not have separate facilities for men and women, have been criticized for being unhygienic, uncomfortable and unsafe forcing one shopping centre in Vassa to re-introduce sex-based bathrooms.
The unisex toilets were implemented after the 2015 amendment to the country’s Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of ethnic background, disability or gender identity. However, some of the customers have complained about the results after encountering urine splashes, unpleasant smells and unsafe situations.
For example, in Vaasa shopping center Rewell, the gender division of the toilets was restored after feedback from mostly female customers.
"Feedback came from mostly female customers that not all customers have behaved very well in the toilets. That's why the gender division of Vesso was restored," said the mall’s CEO Susanna Spak.
In addition to cleanliness issues, some customers have also expressed embarrassment, insecurity and general unpleasantness when using unisex toilets. For instance, some women have felt uncomfortable applying make-up or changing clothes in front of men. Some customers have also reported feeling unsafe or harassed in unisex toilets.
NORWAY’S COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER RESIGNS AFTER STEALING SUNGLASSES FROM AIRPORT KIOSK
Bjørnar Moxnes, the leader of the Norwegian communist party, Rødt, has announced his resignation after admitting to stealing a pair of Hugo Boss sunglasses at Oslo Airport Gardermoen.
He also apologized for lying about the incident and has to pay a fine of 3,000 Norwegian kroner ($294 USD).
Moxnes, who has been the party leader since 2012, posted a message on Facebook on Monday, confessing that he took the sunglasses from the store on Gardermoen in June.
“I made a big mistake and I made it a lot worse by the way I then handled it. I’m really sorry for that, and I want to say sorry for that,” he wrote.
The theft was revealed by the newspaper VG at the end of June, after Moxnes had received a penalty order from the police. Moxnes initially claimed that it was a mistake when he put the Hugo Boss frames in his luggage and did not pay for them. He said that he was in a hurry and distracted by a phone call. However, he later admitted that he lied and that he deliberately stole the sunglasses.
The deputy party leader, Marie Sneve Martinussen, will take over as acting leader of Rødt after Moxnes. She has already had the role since Moxnes took sick leave on July 3 due to the scandal.
SPANISH MURDERER WHO RAPED HIS COUSIN DEMANDS TRANSFER INTO WOMEN’S PRISON
Spain’s gender equality law has led to a controversial case involving a convicted rapist and murderer who wants to be transferred to a women’s prison.
The prisoner, who was born as Jonathan de Jesús Robaina is now demanding to be called Lorena Robaina. Robaina is serving a 38-year sentence for killing and raping his cousin Vanessa Santana in Fuerteventura.
He has been undergoing a voluntary sex change process for some time and has declared himself a woman.
The director of the mixed prison of Las Palmas II, in Gran Canaria, where Robaina is currently held, has signed an order for him to be called by his female name and have an individual cell. He can also only be frisked by female officials. However, he has not yet been transferred to a prison linked to the female sex, as he has requested.
The case has sparked a political debate in Spain, as the leader of the right-wing party Vox, Santiago Abascal, used it as an example to criticize the gender equality laws promoted by the socialist president Pedro Sánchez. Abascal said that the laws are “a danger for women” and that they allow “rapists and murderers” to benefit from them.
The law on social equality and non-discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression and sexual characteristics was unanimously approved by the Parliament of the Canary Islands on July 9, 2021.
