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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 / REUTERSPolice 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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People

One in three people in Germany will have migrant roots in only 2 decades, researcher predicts


RT
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 15:35 UTC
Protest
© REUTERS/Hannibal HanschkeParticipants carry flags, a banner that reads, "We are the people!" and printed articles about crimes related to migrants, during a far-right "Pro Chemnitz" group demonstration in Chemnitz, Germany
In as little as 20 years, more than 30 percent of people living in Germany will have foreign backgrounds, a migration expert has calculated, estimating that the percentage could be double in larger cities.

Herbert Bruecker, who heads the migration research department at the Federal Institute for Employment Research (IAB), told German daily Die Welt that about 35 percent of the population will have a migrant background or be a migrant themselves by the year 2040. The figure includes anyone who was not born in Germany or who has at least one parent who is not a German citizen.

The researcher said that in big cities such as Frankfurt, people with migrant backgrounds will make up 65-70 percent of the population. Bruecker argued that Germany's economic viability will depend on drawing in migrants, but cautioned that they should be highly-skilled workers.
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Airplane

US airlines won't immediately bring Boeing 737 MAX back to the skies even if FAA says it's good to go - reports


RT
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 15:11 UTC
Boeing 737 MAX aircraf
© Reuters / Lindsey WassonBoeing 737 MAX aircraf
Aiming to win back public confidence in the Boeing 737 MAX, major US airliners are reportedly planning to hold demonstration flights with senior company officials, but not real passengers, on board to prove the model is safe.

American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines want to hold the additional checks as soon as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing clear the 737 MAX to resume operations after months of worldwide groundings. The plans were revealed by The Wall Street Journal, which cited government and industry officials familiar with the matter late on Sunday.

"Restoring the trust of the traveling public in the safety of the 737 MAX once it's recertified is our top priority," a Boeing spokesman said, the WSJ reports.
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Cross

'We are one church now': Patriarch Kirill rejoices as Western European priests join Moscow Patriarchate


RT
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 15:49 UTC
Patriarch Kirill
© RIA Novosti / Sergey PyatakovOn Monday, Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan John held a mass together, celebrating the reunification.
The Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe has returned to the historic aegis of Moscow, ending several decades of schism and preventing new splits among parishes, Patriarch Kirill proclaimed.

"We are one church now, there are no reasons to be outside of the ecumenical and people-to-people ties," Russia's Patriarch Kirill said on Monday before a grand mass to celebrate both churches' unification. "There are no grounds to lose this coveted and sacred unity that we strived for during decades," he stated.

Governed by Metropolitan John, the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe (AROCWE) historically belonged to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople until the late 20th century when it was granted broad autonomy. However, Constantinople changed its mind in late 2018, ordering AROCWE to dissolve.

The Western European church defied the order and opted instead for joining the Moscow Patriarchate. The AROCWE was officially formed in the early 1930s by the priests and faithful who fled the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Comment: See also: Moscow: W. European Orthodox priests to join in historic Russian Orthodox Church reunification - UPDATE: It's official
Last year, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew decided to recognize a new self-styled schismatic Ukrainian Church, granting it "independence" - that turned out to be full dependence on Constantinople instead.

This decision interfered with the traditional sphere of influence of the Russian Patriarchate, violating the centuries-old principle of non-involvement in each others' affairs, observed by different Orthodox Churches. After having re-joined Moscow's realm, the Western European parishes - now under the newly formed Archdiocese of Western European parishes of Moscow Patriarchate - will retain their broad autonomy, as well as local liturgical and pastoral traditions.


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Cross

Moscow: W. European Orthodox priests to join in historic Russian Orthodox Church reunification - UPDATE: It's official


RT
Sat, 02 Nov 2019 16:14 UTC
Russian priests
© FacebookPriests arrive from Archdiocese of Russian Churches of Western Europe
Over 100 clerics, led by French Archbishop John, have gathered in Moscow to partake in three-day festivities that mark the reunification of the majority of Russian-tradition parishes in Western Europe with their mother Church.

The archbishop arrived late on Friday, accompanied by other high-ranking priests. The upcoming reunification is expected to revitalize the religious life of the Orthodox faithful in Western Europe, he said, expressing great joy over the return. Archbishop John (Renneteau) said:
"We want to tell the Russian people that we're truly happy about this return, which closes the painful chapter in our history. But now it's been overcome thanks to the Moscow Patriarchate and to the understanding and generosity of all our members,"

Comment: See also:
UPDATE: 4th November 2019 @ 16:00

RT provides some historical context and details of the recent history which brought about this move:
Orthodox priests from Western Europe rejoin Russian Church after breaking from Constantinople

Russia's Patriarch Kirill presented the unity charter to Archbishop John (Renneteau) during a ceremony at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Moscow's Patriarchate's largest church. John, who shall remain in charge of the Western European parishes, was previously given the title 'Archbishop of Dubna'.

"We ruled that John, the Archbishop of Dubna, shall be in charge of these parishes," the charter reads, stating that his entity "is now an inherent part of Moscow Patriarchate." At a special Sunday service in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral, the Patriarch also elevated Archbishop John to the rank of Metropolitan.

The exarchate, known as the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe (AROCWE), was first formed by Russian emigrants - priests and faithful - who fled their homeland during the bloody civil war and chaos, which erupted shortly after the 1917 Revolution.

The Western European parishes that fell under the control of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople were united into a single entity back in 1931. At the very end of the 20th century, it was given vast autonomy by Constantinople which it enjoyed until recently.

Late in 2018, Constantinople abruptly reversed its own decision, revoking the autonomy and dissolving the AROCWE altogether. They argued that the reorganization would strengthen the archdiocese's loyalty and ties to its "mother church." The move backfired almost immediately when the AROCWE flatly ignored the orders from Constantinople, deciding to remain a united entity and ultimately seeking to rejoin the Moscow Patriarchate.

Back in September, the majority of parishes, governed by Archbishop John, voted for joining the Moscow Patriarchate. Still, they fell short of getting the two thirds of votes required to win - but Archbishop John decided to go for it anyway, calling upon the parishes to follow his lead. Those who are staunchly opposed to re-establishing a canonical link with Moscow are expected to fall under the governance of several metropolitans subordinate to Constantinople.

The decision was welcomed by Patriarch Kirill, who accepted Archbishop John's offer. It came amid strained ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and Constantinople.

Last year, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew decided to recognize a new self-styled schismatic Ukrainian Church, granting it "independence" - that turned out to be full dependence on Constantinople instead.

This decision interfered with the traditional sphere of influence of the Russian Patriarchate, violating the centuries-old principle of non-involvement in each others' affairs, observed by different Orthodox Churches. After having re-joined Moscow's realm, the Western European parishes - now under the newly formed Archdiocese of Western European parishes of Moscow Patriarchate - will retain their broad autonomy, as well as local liturgical and pastoral traditions.




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Pocket Knife

Ricky Gervais told a joke that made journalists cry

Libby Emmons and Barrett Wilson
The Post Millennial
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:00 UTC
ricky gervais as jessica yaniv
The Manchester Evening News ran a story claiming the comedian Ricky Gervais has suffered "a huge backlash" over a joke. The only problem was that there wasn't that much backlash. Also, it's a hilarious joke.


Comment: The woke crowd continues to try to gaslight the rest of us in telling us something that is clearly funny is not in fact funny. Laugh while you can, folks. It may be outlawed soon.

See also:

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