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German politicians in fear as US-linked neo-Nazi group moves Green MPs to top of their 'kill list'


RT
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 08:57 UTC
Ozdemir/Roth
© Reuters/Hannibal Hanschke/Fabrizio Bensch
Cem Ozdemir of the German Green Party • Bundestag VP Claudia Roth
Top members of Germany's Green Party received death threats from a hardcore far-right group unambiguously threatening to "execute" them in public, sending shockwaves through the local political elite.

Cem Ozdemir and Claudia Roth reported receiving threats attributed to the Atomwaffe Division Deutschland (Nuclear Weapons Division Germany), a local offshoot of an American neo-Nazi group. Ozdemir, a former co-chairman of the Green Party and a high profile politician with a Turkish background, said that the email flagged him as the number one target on the AWD's 'hit list'.

"At the moment, we are planning how and when we will execute you; at the next public rally? Or will we get you in front of your house?" German newspapers quoted from the chilling message.

Ozdemir took the letter seriously, although he is no stranger to threats - Turkish nationalists, for instance, once vowed to assassinate him for attacking President Recep Tayyip Erdogan several years ago.

Roth, currently a Vice President of the Bundestag, was listed second on the hit list. The threats are the latest in "a long list of attempted intimidation against local politicians and civil society, against Jews and Muslims, against female artists and immigrants," she said.
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Star of David

BDS panic at a feverish pitch

Barry Trachtenberg
The Electronic Intifada
Wed, 30 Oct 2019 00:00 UTC
Boycott Israel sign
© Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
Protester at Palestinian solidarity event in Berlin
The Czech parliament's decision to pass a resolution condemning the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions movement as anti-Semitic last week is only the most recent example of how the panic over BDS has reached a fever pitch.

This latest round of attempts to stop public criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians began in Britain in May. Jeremy Hunt, at the time foreign secretary and running for the leadership of the Conservative Party, attacked supporters of BDS by declaring that "boycotting Israel - the world's only Jewish state - is anti-Semitic."

Far more unnerving, Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, passed a resolution that same month that condemned BDS as inherently anti-Semitic.

Several days later, Germany's commissioner on anti-Semitism Felix Klein warned that "I cannot advise Jews to wear the kippah everywhere, all the time, in Germany," in a statement made just days before the annual al-Quds march - a Palestine solidarity event - in Berlin.
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Car Black

Border line: Dozens of US vehicles slink out of Syria into Iraq during Trump's partial pullout


Sputnik
Sun, 03 Nov 2019 19:38 UTC
US forces evacuated their positions alongside Syrian Kurdish militia in northern Syria last month, shortly before Turkey started a military operation in the border area, but left several hundred troops behind in the war-torn country, with President Trump recently confirming that the US would be "keeping the oil."

The Syrian Arab News Agency has published footage it says shows US military vehicles leaving Syrian territory and being transferred into Iraq at the Al Waleed border crossing point. According to SANA, the convoy included a total of 55 vehicles.

Syrian media reported that a column of US troops had crossed the border with Iraq last week, with a Pentagon official later confirming that the crossing had taken place, but refusing to discuss the details of the forces' movement "for security reasons."

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Target

US military convoy under fire from Turkey-backed militants in Syria, no casualties


RT
Sun, 03 Nov 2019 19:14 UTC
US troops
© Reuters/file/Murad Sezer
US troops seen behind Turkish border walls during a joint US-Turkey patrol in northern Syria.
American troops heading toward the Iraqi border have been attacked from land held by Turkish-backed militants in northern Syria, Russia's Ministry of Defense has claimed. The attack comes amid a US withdrawal from the region.

The convoy was traveling along the M4 motorway - which runs parallel to the Turkish border through land captured by Turkey during its anti-Kurdish 'Peace Spring' offensive last month - when it was attacked near the town of Tell Tamer, the ministry reported on Sunday. A statement from the ministry:
"As part of deconfliction exchange, information has been received from the US side that on November 3 a convoy of American servicemen...was fired upon from the territory controlled by the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army."
Nobody was hurt in the incident.
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Yellow Vest

Greeks stage protest march against migrant policy - govt takes in 40,000 refugees in last 4 months


RT
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 18:26 UTC
greece protest illegal migrants
© Ruptly
Thessaloniki citizens protest latest wave of illegal migrants coming to Greece
Residents of a Greek city slated to host a fresh wave of asylum seekers took to the streets to protest the move, amid growing anger over the influx of refugees that have poured into the country.

Anti-migrant protesters in the northern city of Thessaloniki called on Athens to expel all illegal immigrants and close the border to migrants. Footage from the march showed demonstrators carrying banners and Greek flags, while an activist at the front of the procession held an icon of the Virgin Mary.

Activists think that their Orthodox beliefs are under siege by an "Islamic threat," according to Ruptly video agency.

Comment: The Greeks, already financially belabored by the EU and IMF, is now being forced by them to deal with caring for thousands of illegal migrants simply because of their geographic location. NIMBY writ large.

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Arrow Down

Weekend #22: Hong Kong vandals set fire to Xinhua news agency office and storefronts, blockade metro stations - UPDATE: Hong Kong city councillor attacked


RT
Sat, 02 Nov 2019 13:06 UTC
hong kong vandalism nov 2019
© Thomas Peter / REUTERS
Police pass burning barricade to break up thousands of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, China Nov. 2, 2019.
Radical protesters in Hong Kong have ransacked the office of the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua, ramping up their months-long campaign of violent disobedience against Beijing.

The office in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district was attacked amid the latest demonstration against the central Chinese government. Images from the scene showed smashed windows in the lobby, a graffiti-sprayed interior and a small fire which was quickly doused.

It is believed to be the first time that the office of the agency was targeted by the radicals since the mass protests started in June over a now-scrapped extradition bill. The news outlet later condemned the vandalizing of its premises, and published a video showing the damage that was done.
hong kong protest
© Global Look Press / Xinhua

Comment: As the Western destabilization campaign against China continues, it's having predictable consequences: UPDATE 03/11/19: The violence continues, spilling over into business areas:
At least six people are injured after a political argument outside a mall in Hong Kong spiraled into a violent knife attack, according to local media. The assailant was beaten by bystanders and is among those hurt.

A tense political dispute is said to have broken out between the suspect and a group of people in CityPlaza mall in the Tai Koo district. A person then took a knife from a bag and assaulted several individuals.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES


South China Morning Post later posted a video where the man is seen clinging to a person described as councilor Andrew Chiu. The screaming mob eventually wrestles the man to the ground. Chiu, seemingly in a state of shock, leans against a wall as he cups his hand over the side of his head.
A video showing a suspect behind a knife assault in Cityplaza allegedly attacking district councillor Andrew Chiu, before being subdued by others. Earlier, people had gathered at the Tai Koo mall for a human chain amid anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
Video: Karen Zhang pic.twitter.com/3rE8nin3kp

— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) November 3, 2019
[The tweet has since been deleted]

Several hundred protesters had assembled at the mall on Sunday, where they chanted slogans and reportedly vandalized a restaurant. Riot police arrived at the scene to disperse the mob. Demonstrators also damaged turnstiles at a Sha Tin MRT train station, and were seen hurling projectiles at police.


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Hourglass

Sir Ian McKellen reckons he'll be 'long dead' by the time Brexit happens - he's probably right!

Emma Kelly
Metro, UK
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 17:57 UTC
Ian McKellen
© Eric Gaillard / Reuters
Whatever your stance on leaving the European Union, everyone has to admit Brexit hasn't exactly been punctual. Following the 2016 referendum, the UK was meant to leave the EU on 31 March, before it was pushed back to 31 October... and now, it's been delayed another three months, until 31 January 2020.

But Sir Ian McKellen isn't too optimistic about that happening either. The 80-year-old reckons he'll be 'long dead' by the time Brexit actually happens - and isn't getting involved with his opinion anymore. The legendary actor told PA: 'I did think the other day, as we battle through Brexit, I thought "Oh good God, when I'm long dead they still won't have the Brexit deal complete, so I think I won't take a view on it".

'I've withdrawn entirely, emotionally, from the race and am now watching it as a bit of chess and all I can say is they are wretched players and don't know a pawn from a queen.' We're sure there's a few people who can relate. While Ian is opting out of the Brexit debate, the Lord of the Rings actor previously made his political leanings known in 2017 when he backed Labour's Wes Streeting in the general election.

Comment: Considering Gandalf's known lifespan, Brexit may be a long time coming.
gandalf brexit


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Star of David

Psychopathic violence: Video leaks of Israeli officer shooting Palestinian man in the back for fun as he follows orders

Yumna Patel
Mondoweiss
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 17:33 UTC
palestinian shot in back

Outrage after leaked video shows Israeli officer shoot Palestinian in the back
Palestinian social media erupted over the weekend as people expressed their outrage over a leaked video showing an Israeli border police officer shooting a Palestinian in the back as the man walked away from the officers, his hands raised in the air.

The video, taken last year, was leaked over the weekend and broadcast to the public on Saturday by Israel's Channel 13.

Footage shows Israeli border police officers ordering an unidentified Palestinian man to turn around and walk away from the officers, who were stationed at a checkpoint between the West Bank and Jerusalem.


"'Run already,' the officers tell the man, who then swiftly turns around, puts his hands in the air, and hastily walks away from the officers.

Seconds later, while one officer films using his phone, another one of the officers fires a sponge-tipped bullet, which can be lethal when fired at close range, hitting the man in the back. He then falls to the ground, and can be heard screaming in pain.

According to Haaretz, the incident came to light last year during an investigation into another incident involving border police officers who beat a Palestinian man for no apparent reason.

The offending female officer, reportedly around 20 years old, was arrested along with four of her fellow officers, and discharged from the border police, only to then be reinstated as a soldier in the army to complete her mandatory service.

Comment: And they call Palestinians subhuman... Israel is a den of vipers.

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Attention

13 injured after driver plows bus into crowd & then attempts to flee with knife in Istanbul


RT
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 17:28 UTC
turkey bus attack
Turkish police have detained a man accused of ramming his bus into a crowded bus stop in Istanbul and then attacking those who tried to stop him from fleeing the scene, injuring 13 people.

According to reports, three Iranian nationals and two children were among those hurt. The 33-year-old suspect also stabbed a man who attempted to prevent him from running away.

Video taken in the aftermath of the attack shows emergency workers and police at the cordoned-off bus stop. Several people are sitting on the pavement, although it's unclear if they were among those who were injured.

Police are still trying to establish a motive for the terrifying incident.

Comment: According to Hurriyet Daily, one man from his injuries:
"An argument erupted when the privately-owned public transport bus was at Beşiktaş. According to the latest information received from the police, the bus driver who rammed into the Beşiktaş-Bahçeşehir bus stop - outside the route [of the bus] - caused 13 people to be injured. And when the driver got off the bus, he injured another person with a knife and then jumped into the sea. The police intervened in the incident and detained the driver," said the statement.

The municipality also said that they had launched a "comprehensive analysis" about the company that operates the relevant private company that runs the public transport buses. "We announce to the public that for Istanbulites not to go through such an incident again, we will take very comprehensive precautions, including analyzing the private public bus system," it said.

Municipality spokesperson Murat Ongun also released a statement regarding the incident on his Twitter account, saying: "Yalçın Tahir Billur, who got injured during the incident that the private public bus driver caused in Beşiktaş, has unfortunately lost his life. We wish God's mercy upon on him and offer our condolences to his family. We are closely following the treatments of the injured. Our only hope is for them to recover soon."


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Chart Pie

In 20 years, 1 in 3 Germans will have migrant roots


DW
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 17:23 UTC
german street
By 2040, about 35% of Germany's population will have a migrant background or be a migrant themselves, according to a German migration expert.

Herbert Brücker, who heads the migration research department at the Federal Institute for Employment Research (IAB), told the Welt daily on Monday that Germany "will become more diverse."

"Currently, about a quarter of the people in German have a migrant background," Brucker said. "In 20 years, it will be at least 35%, but could also be more than 40%."

He noted that in cities, that figure is likely to be higher. "What we see in the big cities today will be normal for the country as a whole in the future," Brücker said. "In a city like Frankfurt, we'll have between 65% to 70%."

Comment: It may be true that Germany needs a steady flow of migrants to keep afloat economically, but does anyone really trust German politicians to manage that effectively? Chances are they will continue what they've been doing: taking in loads of unskilled migrants who are a drain on the economy. Governments have the habit of only making things worse through their interventions.

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