International
Nine people every day were targeted in 2023 by far-right attacks in Germany
An average of nine people each day were subjected in 2023 to extreme right-wing, racist or anti-Semitic violence in 11 of the 16 federal states of Germany, according to the annual report presented on Tuesday by the association of counseling centers for victims of this type of aggression, which spoke of an “alarming balance.”
Thus, 3,384 people were directly affected by the 2,589 far-right, racist or anti-Semitic aggressions (an average of seven per day) in East Germany (Mecklenburg-Antepomerania, Brandenburg, Berlin, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia) and Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.
The increase of more than 20% of aggressions compared to last year constitutes “a very serious development, which illustrates how much the threat situation has become acute, especially for vulnerable groups.”
This was expressed at a press conference by Judith Porath, of the board of directors of the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Far-right, Racist and Anti-Semitic Violence (VBRG) and director of the Association Perspective of the Victims of Brandenburg.
The total number of assaults also includes two crimes of homicide and 18 attempted murder.
“The normalization of anti-Semitism, racism and conspiracy narratives is also reflected in the increase in more than a third of the threats and coercions recorded, up to 1,022 cases,” he said.
He drew attention to the “alarming number of 585 children and adolescents assaulted” and stressed that in this group, very in need of protection due to their age, violence and experiences related to marginalization can have very serious consequences for their further development.
He also referred to the worrying typology of crimes: thus, with 1,402 cases, the crimes of physical assault predominate, which increased by 12.4%, compared to 1,247 in 2022, and accounted for more than half of all the attacks recorded.
Racist-motivated attacks grew by 33% and were the most common reason for crimes, with 1,446 cases recorded compared to 1,088 in 2022.
The report also highlights the worrying increase of a third of anti-Semitic attacks, from 201 in 2022 to 318 in 2023.
Physical assaults for anti-Semitic reasons more than tripled, from 21 in 2022 to 71 in 2023, and threats and coercions for this reason almost doubled, from 121 to 211.
The number of far-right attacks against political adversaries remained at a consistently high level, with 315 cases in 2023 compared to 387 a year ago.
“The alarming dimension of far-right, racist and anti-Semitic violence shows how threatened democracy is,” said the director of the memorial centers of the former Nazi concentration camps of Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora, Jens-Christian Wagner.
He referred to “years of far-right agitation and historical revisionism” practiced by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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