Police have raided 40 hate-speech suspects across 12 German states as probes continue into the murder of pro-refugee politician Walter Lübcke. Internet posts were made before and after he was shot dead in June last year. Frankfurt-based federal prosecutors liaising with investigators in 12 of Germany’s 16 regional states staged raids Thursday on 40 suspects accused of posting “criminally relevant comments” about Walter Lübcke. Source Deutsche Welle
French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday said a block on household gas prices would be extended until end-2022 and that low- and middle-income earners would receive an “inflation premium” of 100 euros to help mitigate the impact of rising energy prices. Source France24
Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia said their EU-wide initiative to expand the bloc’s military units was inspired by recent events in Afghanistan. Germany and four members of the European Union have launched an initiative to establish a bloc-wide rapid reaction force for future military crises, the German news agency dpa reported on Thursday. Source DW
The head of Scottish Power has said Britain’s gas crisis will keep driving energy bills higher until 2023, and could leave only five or six of the strongest suppliers standing.
Keith Anderson, chief executive of Scottish Power, said the UK’s record energy prices could mean households faced another 18 months of rising bills and that even well-run energy suppliers could go bust. Source The Guardian
