Far-right politician beaten within an inch of his life in Germany
A local leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany was attacked and seriously wounded by several men in the northwestern city of Bremen, an assault that drew condemnation Tuesday from some of the party’s fiercest opponents.
outline.com
Global warming of oceans equivalent to an atomic bomb per second
Global warming has heated the oceans by the equivalent of one atomic bomb explosion per second for the past 150 years, according to analysis of new research.More than 90% of the heat trapped by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed by the seas, with just a few per cent heating the air, land and ice caps respectively.
theguardian.com
French Prime Minister says masks will be banned at protests amid 'yellow vest' movement
France is planning to jail protesters who wear masks in the wake of weeks of violent demonstrations by the "yellow vest" movement.Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said proposed legislation would target people who try to hide their identities while taking to the streets.
outline.com
German journalist defended over 'Nazis out' Twitter controversy
Prominent German lawmakers and journalists have posted messages of support for a journalist who was virulently criticized for posting "Nazis out" ("Nazis raus") on her personal Twitter account
The phrase — a play on the neo-Nazi phrase "Foreigners Out" — is a well-known anti-fascist slogan in Germany.
dw.com
Trump administration downgrades EU's status in US, without informing Brussels
The Trump administration has downgraded the diplomatic status of the EU mission in Washington, without informing the mission or Brussels, officials confirmed on Tuesday.The downgrade from nation state to international organisation status reverses an Obama administration decision in 2016 to grant the EU an enhanced diplomatic role in Washington.
theguardian.com
20-year-old who lives with his parents and 'is not a computer expert' confesses to data hack that snared Angela Merkel and hundreds of Germany's elite
A 20-year-old German student who lives with his parents, and who police say is not a computer expert, confessed to orchestrating a data hack that exposed personal details of Chancellor Angela Merkel and hundreds of Germany's elite.
businessinsider.com
Foxconn workers stage protest in Zhengzhou, China
Hundreds of temporary Foxconn workers rallied last month in the streets of Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province in central China, over the non-payment of wages by recruitment agencies. The protest began on December 12 and continued the following day before police violently suppressed it.
wsws.org
Taliban call off peace talks with U.S. officials
The Taliban said on Tuesday they had canceled planned peace talks with U.S. officials in Qatar this week over an agenda disagreement.“Both sides have agreed to not meet in Qatar,” senior Taliban members based in Afghanistan told Reuters.The Taliban had rejected requests from regional powers to allow Afghan officials to take part in the discussion.
reuters.com
Trump administration hits Venezuela with new sanctions
The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced a new tranche of sanctions against seven Venezuelan individuals and two dozen business entities over an alleged currency scheme that resulted in $2.4 billion in embezzled or laundered government funds.The U.S. targeted Globovision, Venezuela's largest privately owned broadcaster, which is controlled by Raúl Antonio Gorrín Belisario.
outline.com
'Bye Bye Twitter Und Facebook': German Green Party Chief Quits Social Media
The co-chairman of Germany's Green party says he is quitting Twitter and Facebook after a cyberattack exposed his personal communications and because he committed several gaffes via tweet."Twitter rubs off on me," Robert Habeck writes, announcing his departure from both platforms. "There is no medium with so much hate, malice, and incitement"
npr.org
