Austrian far-right extremist blocked from entering Canada, Germany attributes explosive Leipzig Airport drones to Russia and two injured in blast at German rail station

"Germany and Russia are at war," Politico reports Tuesday. Who knew?

Well, it seems the German government, which is fighting a war for democracy on multiple fronts. At present time, Germany is the biggest single contributor of defensive aid to Ukraine. Germany is also fighting a war at home against Russia, which occupied the eastern half the country from 1945 until 1989, though Germany remains full of Russian agents. As part of that war, Germany is also fighting for democracy at home beginning with elections this Sunday in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, where polls show the far-right Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) is tipped to win—a postwar first for Germany.

For this reason, any praise or disdain for what is to come this weekend needs to be checked by the reality of events as they play out. Polls currently show AfD ahead of the Christian Democrats by 10-15% with anywhere between 40-45% of the vote. It is fairly apparent to see where this can and will go. Certainly Germans are aware of their own history, however much some of that history might actually remind them of what they might be truly capable of yet… again?

A sensation of here we go again certainly tinges the nostalgia that captured so much of the electorate with a sense of foreboding. Perhaps it is naïve to suggest that 80 years is a good time to reflect on the lure of what can charitably be termed history's unfortunate ideas. Yet it is important to recall that some elements in society would be as exhilirated today if things were to go the way of death factories as these elements in society were then. It certainly tinges the much vaunted "historical memory" Germans claim to possess with the realism that we are not and never were all capable of being gutemensch in our time or in any time.

Yes, the forest is full of wolves – or bears these days in Germany – as several of this week's news items below indicate. Is it a good thing that at least the truth is not just out there but spoken, though the reason it was not is because it begs the obvious: what are you going to do about it? Well, as mentioned, aid to Ukraine was the frontline where Germany had hoped to stop the advance.

Now that the German government acknowledges Russia is at war with the country, do the people? Since acknowledging reality, Germany must now be prepared to show strength as Russia only respects strength. But with AfD, the vision of strength put forward and on the table is not only haunted by history but rather it is also the vision of a party closely aligned with Russia.

New methods are needed, or else the flex of historical memory will fold over time itself.

At this stage, Europe is not ready and will not be for a war that began in 2022, or 2014 really, until 2030 – but Russia is. The strategic autonomy Europe needs does not have to hold the line forever, but certainly long enough for the Americans reengage—which will be facilitated by Europe showing strength.

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And now Philipp Wolf will take it away with this week's news items...

TORONTO, CANADA – Austrian far-right extremist blocked from entering country

The Jerusalem Post reports Sunday that "the Canadian Government blocked Austrian far-right extremist Martin Sellner from entering the country".
Sellner wrote on X that he could not board his flight to speak at a Canadian nationalist conference in Hamilton near Toronto. Sellner tagged the Canadian branch of the Jewish human rights organization B'nai Brith which claimed that it was an investigation conducted by the group which led the Canadian government to block Sellner from entering the country. In a statement, the organization pointed out "Sellner is associated with European far-right movements and promotes 'remigration'", a concept advocating for "reversing recent immigration policies and tying Western citizenship to ethnic origins".
Canadian authorities did not offer comment on why Sellner was not permitted in the country or whether it had to do with his speaking engagement at a white nationalist conference in Hamilton.

BERLIN, GERMANY – Government attributes explosive Leipzig airport drones to Russia

Politico reports Tuesday that "Berlin squarely placed the blame for an incursion of explosive-laden drones last month" at the Leipzig/Halle Airport "on the Kremlin and announced a raft of retaliatory diplomatic measures". In retalliation, Russia announced the closure of several German cultural centers on its territory, according to the Associated Press Thursday.
The incident in early August "involved three drones carrying explosive material spotted at or near the Leipzig-Halle Airport in eastern Germany, including one drone that was found near a Ukrainian Antonov plane used to transport munitions". On Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul named Russia as the culprit and said, "Russia's leadership is treating our country with open hostility," adding Russia had "deliberately chosen to further and significantly damage our already severely strained bilateral relationship".
Wadephul "announced a series of domestic countermeasures, including the closure of Russia's Bonn consulate on September 18, stricter entry controls for Russian nationals and the termination of the agreement governing the Russian House in central Berlin — a cultural institution suspected of serving as a hub for espionage operations and whose Russian operator is under EU sanctions". Additionally, Germany will "also propose new EU sanctions targeting Russian individuals connected to hybrid attacks, while pushing to increase measures targeting Russia's shadow fleet".

AUGSBURG, GERMANY – Two injured in blast at train station

Reuters reports Wednesday that "an unknown object exploded near ‌a train station in the southern city of Augsburg" and that "two passers-by aged 17 and 18 sustained ⁠minor injuries".
According to the police "the blast occurred in a building passageway," and "the injured individuals were two Ukrainian citizens". The city’s main train station was closed hours later "after an additional suspicious object was found there, but rail ‌operations ⁠resumed later in the morning".
The police said, "details ⁠on the explosive device remained unclear".

COTTBUS, GERMANY – Improvised explosive devices found near power plant

Euronews reports Tuesday that "a key installation near the Jänschwalde coal plant in Brandenburg was repeatedly targeted with rockets, which emergency crews later found and defused".
Police and a grid operator said, "several improvised explosive devices were found at a substation near a coal-fired power plant on Tuesday and several power lines were damaged" though "no one was hurt". The explosives were apparently aimed "to trigger a large-scale power outage in the area around the nearby coal-fired power plant" which "did not happen".
Authorities have yet to attribute the incident nor has anyone or group claimed responsibility for the incident.

MUNICH, GERMANY – Authorities probe suspected arson at defense firm

Reuters reports Thursday that Germany is "investigating a suspected arson attack outside a defence firm ‌in Munich on Thursday, days after two sabotage attempts on the power grid and a month after an airport drone attack that Berlin and its allies blamed on Russia".
At the headquarters of Rohde & Schwarz, "Police arrested two people suspected of throwing incendiary devices and causing a fire at a construction site". The company's "products include radar systems to detect, track and jam drones". Bavarian police said, "The suspects, a 28-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, both Bulgarian, were arrested at a nearby petrol station".
According to authorities, "the fire caused no significant damage and no one was injured". In the past weeks, "Germany has been the focus of European fears about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure".

PARIS, FRANCE – French LGBTQ rights leader hospitalized after attack

France 24 reports that "Pierre Picavet, a French police officer and head of an LGBTQ rights association, was hospitalised after a nighttime attack in the Marais district in central Paris".
Picavet is president of FLAG!, "a Paris-based association that brings together employees of France's interior and justice ministries and works to combat discrimination against LGBTQ people". According to the prosecutor's office, he "was struck with a bottle and sustained multiple injuries, including internal bleeding and a head wound" after he left a bar. According to Picavet, "the attacker repeatedly directed a homophobic slur at him".
Police took the suspected attacker into custody. According to the prosecutor, "he had no previous criminal record and was intoxicated at the time of the assault".

AVIGNON, FRANCE – Irishman charged with threatening Jewish tourists

Jerusalem News Syndicate reports Friday that "French authorities arrested an Irish man in his 60s who is accused of making antisemitic death threats against an Australian Jewish couple at a supermarket near Avignon".
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez "praised French investigators for identifying the suspect, after he was arrested, and said that Jew-hatred must be fought 'firmly and relentlessly'".
The prosecutor says that "the suspect admitted to the alleged conduct," and "expressed regret". The man "is due to face a fast-track trial before the Avignon criminal court in October". He faces charges which unclude offering an "'apology for crimes against humanity' and conditional death threats". A conviction could result in "up to eight years in prison".

PARIS, FRANCE – Summer 2026 wildfires caused unprecedented carbon emissions

Le Monde reports Wednesday that "as of August 26, more than 1.5 million metric tons of carbon have been released into the atmosphere as a result of the fires since the start of 2026, according to data from the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation service." The carbon emissions are at "the highest level ever recorded since measurements began in 2003, and nearly four times the annual average measured from 2003 to 2025".
These numbers "reflect the unprecedented scale of the 2026 fire season. According to the Copernicus data, more than 96,000 hectares burned in total (across all types of land), compared with an average of 14,000 hectares per year".
Such extreme wildfires "pose a major challenge for France, as the country needs to accelerate its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet its climate targets, all while its forests' ability to act as a carbon sink is declining".

AARAU, SWITZERLAND – Shooter at Swiss rave kills woman, injures six, turns himself in

Swissinfo reports Wednesday that the suspected shooter who killed a woman and injured six at a rave in Aarau last Sunday morning "turned himself in on Monday".
According to the lead prosecutor, "the arrested man refused to make a statement" during an initial interview. The man did, however, "provide his personal details". Authorities currently believe "that the 43-year-old is suffering from a mental health condition".
The woman shot dead at the rave was a 22-year-old Italian national. Of the six injured people, two remain hospitalized.

BERN, SWITZERLAND – Wealth managers urge delay to ownership register

The Financial Times reports last Friday that "Swiss wealth managers are urging the government to halt the launch of a vast new register of company owners after hackers stole similar data on thousands of people from neighbouring Liechtenstein".
The Swiss Association of Wealth Managers "warned the government that concentrating information on the ultimate owners of more than 500,000 companies and other legal entities in one place would create an attractive target for cyber criminals". The Swiss Bankers Association also voiced concerns "regarding the importance of cyber security and data protection relating to the register". Authorities are setting up the register "as part of efforts to strengthen its defences against money laundering and meet international standards".
The Swiss government reacted to the concerns by saying that "the incident in Liechtenstein demonstrates once again the importance of the planned measures to ensure IT security". The law underlying the register will come into effect on October 1.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Thieves steal 600-diamond necklace from Vienna museum

The BBC reports last Friday that "an international manhunt is under way for two men who stole a necklace decorated with more than 600 diamonds from a museum in Vienna."
According to the police, "the two suspects smashed a glass display case at the Vienna Museum of Applied Arts on Thursday afternoon and grabbed the platinum and diamond necklace, which is believed to be worth more than $4m (€3.5m)". The necklace "was designed for the former Egyptian royal family and was worn by Queen Nazli in 1939 for the marriage of her daughter Fawzia to the future Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi".
Austrian authorities released "photos of the two suspects, who were unmasked" and appealed "for the public to come forward with information".

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA – Parliament lifts former PM Golob’s immunity

Politico reports Wednesday that "Slovenia’s parliament allowed prosecutors to pursue a criminal case against former Prime Minister Robert Golob over allegations that he improperly meddled in police staffing after taking office in 2022".
All lawmakers that cast their vote, including Golob, "voted against granting him parliamentary immunity, allowing proceedings to move forward". Earlier, Golob "had told parliament he would not invoke immunity and wanted the case resolved as quickly as possible". The case against Golob is "based on allegations by Golob’s former Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar, who said he pressured her to make personnel changes inside the police".
Ljubljana’s District Court initiated the probe in 2025 and after Golob was elected as a member of parliament this year but "Prosecutors had to ask parliament to lift Golob’s immunity". At present, "Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement remains Slovenia's largest opposition party".

ROME, ITALY – Italy extends Schengen suspension with Spain

Deutsche Welle reports Monday that "Italy's far-right government announced that it will continue to exclude Spanish nationals from the free movement agreement for another 15 days".
The Italian government "had already suspended the arrangement with Madrid for a month beginning on July 31, in response to an influx of migrants who crossed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta". The "incident triggered a massive European Union migration emergency and brought Spain's leftist government much criticism, including from Italy". Now, Italy extended the Schengen suspension "despite the fact that nearly all of the some 70,000 people who had broken through the barrier returned to Morocco in the days after the incident".
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez claimed that an "'international far-right movement' with 'links to Russia and Israel' had created a disinformation campaign on social media that led to the incident at the border fence in Ceuta". In response to Italy's Schengen suspension, Spain introduced its own border controls for passengers arriving from Italy and on Monday reportedly said it was extending this measure by 15 days, in an apparent tit-for-tat move.

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – Police exhume body of postwar foreign minister

Deutsche Welle reports Wednesday that Czech police "began exhuming the remains of former Czechoslovak Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk in an attempt to clear up speculation surrounding his death nearly 80 years ago".
The police wrote on X that they plan to examine Masaryk's remains "using the most modern forensic methods". On March 10, 1948, Masaryk was found dead dressed only in his pajamas, in the courtyard at the Foreign Ministry beneath his bathroom window. His death under mysterious circumstances has "fueled speculation for decades".
The circumstances of his death have "been reviewed several times since the collapse of communism in the 1989 Velvet Revolution". It is unclear when the police will present results from the examination currently under way.

Stay safe and let's see what Sunday in Saxony-Anhalt brings.

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