Latest news with #RBB
Russia Today
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Russia Today
German comedian charged with ‘approving' Trump assassination attempt
German comedian Sebastian Hotz has been charged with condoning violence after joking on X about the assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump. In a now-deleted post, Hotz compared the July 13, 2024, shooting at a Trump rally to missing a bus, writing: 'You sadly just missed it.' He later defended his remarks, saying: 'I find it fantastic when fascists die. Absolutely no one forces you to feel sorry for fascists – you can just not do it without the slightest consequence.' A spokesperson for a Berlin court told Der Spiegel on Saturday that Hotz was charged under Section 140 of the German Criminal Code, which bans the 'rewarding and approval of offenses.' If found guilty, the comedian could face up to three years in prison. The trial is set to begin on July 23. Following backlash, the public broadcaster RBB cut ties with Hotz, while its sister channel ARD Kultur canceled a planned event with him. In response to the controversy, Hotz later released a mockumentary on a different network titled I'm Sorry, Mr. President. In 2024, a gunman opened fire during a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the president's ear and killing one person in the crowd. The shooter was shot dead by the Secret Service. Trump and many Republicans have accused Democrats of fostering a political climate that encourages violence against conservatives. Democrats, in turn, have blamed Trump and his rhetoric for escalating tensions.
Gulf Insider
13-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Berlin Sees 1,059% Increase In Indian Immigration In 10 Years
As countries like Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and the United States see an ongoing revolt against mass immigration from India, Germany is opening its doors to the Asian country of 1.5 billion. In particular, the city of Berlin has been a top spot for migration from India, and it is the group that has seen the highest level of immigration to the city in the last ten years. Official statistics indicate the number of Indians went from 3,579 in 2014 to 41,472 in 2014. That represents a 1,059 percent increase in 10 years, and accounts for the largest immigrant influx to the city during that time in terms of growth. However, in terms of raw numbers, Turks are still the largest group of citizens with foreign citizenship overall, representing 109,585, while Ukrainians are in second with 70,501, according to RBB. Unlike immigrants from the Middle East and Africa, Indians are not routinely featured in the daily barrage of murders, rape, stabbings, and robberies. However, that does not necessarily mean that a massive influx of Indians is not going to be met with anti-immigration sentiment — at least if it continues at its current pace. Germany may have to confront the issue of mass immigration from India very soon, as the previous government signed the German-Indian migration agreement of December 2022 to promote tens of thousands of Indians coming to the country every year. Outside of Berlin, Indians also make up a huge number of newcomers, totaling 274,910 nationals as of November 2024, according to the Central Register of Foreign Nationals. India is ranked fifth overall in terms of countries where more people immigrated than emigrated, ranking behind Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey. Many of these immigrants work in the IT and healthcare sectors; however, many also come to study or for family reasons. In 2024, the number of Indian students surged 40 percent compared to the average seen in previous years, meaning that a soaring number of university spots are going to this demographic group. Other countries, and their reaction to mass immigration from India, may showcase what is in store for Germany and other European countries that head down this path, which has mostly been an Anglo phenomenon. Canada is a good example. Indians are the top non-European group that has immigrated to the country, but there, anti-immigration sentiment is soaring. Competition for jobs is now fierce, with an influx of foreigners now competing for dwindling jobs. The chart documenting Canada's net immigration totals from 1952 to 2025 highlights the incredible surge of immigration into Canada in just the last few years, with the lion's share of newcomers arriving from India. 🇨🇦Updated Canada's immigration chart based on Liberal government targets for 2025.2.5 million is the largest peacetime influx of immigrants relative to population size in world this pace, Canada's population of 40 million will grow by over 25% in the next 4 years. — Financelot (@FinanceLancelot) May 31, 2025 This influx of immigrants, while not necessarily a point solely against Indians, has made the Canadian housing market extraordinarily unaffordable. Indians just so happen to be the largest group, and their numbers, left unchecked, appear to grow nearly exponentially due to family reunification and other measures. Canada is not the only one, but also the U.S., the U.K., and Australia have all seen incredible demographic transformation in recent years, with Indians playing a key role. In London, for instance, Indians are now the top property holders, even pulling ahead of native Brits. In Australia, Indians are the top buyers of housing in new estates, outpacing Australians by a large margin. The situation is so bad that experts are calling for a 'wartime response' to the housing crisis. 'The future of our country in terms of our economics is based upon whether we can house a growing population and we can't,' said Metricon Homes CEO Brad Duggan. 'I think we need a wartime response. When we look back over the last three years of this government, we've not had a wartime response,' he added. If Germany continues on the path of Indian immigration, housing prices will continue to soar and the property that is available will be bought up by Indians en masse, if Britain and other Western countries are any guide. In fact, Indian media openly writes that real estate is by far the most favored form of investment by Indians, which is very unlike Germans, who have historically been very adverse to buying their own property. Germans have the highest share of renters in the entire EU. This model worked for many decades because renting was so affordable, but that has quickly changed in the last two decades. Indians are not to blame for this development, but increasing numbers of Indians will only greatly exacerbate the problem that already exists. Germans will be increasingly priced out of the market and will find it harder to own property, have children, and raise families, at which point, the government will claim it needs more immigration to fix the native labor shortage. Indians are pros at taking advantage of grants and benefits Competition for housing is not the only factor; there will also be competition at all levels of society, which is not always guaranteed to be a good thing. Indians have excelled in many facets of business in the West, but in many ways, due to laws favoring minorities, there has not always been a level playing field. At least some of them have been accused of exploiting grants and interest-free loan programs in the United States for minorities, which were originally meant for groups like Blacks, to buy up property, business, and hotel chains. They now own 60 percent of all hotels and motels in the United States. In fact, the internet is rife with videos making 'tutorials' on how to take advantage of these special loan programs, which are often targeted at minorities. These programs offer low-interest loans, and sometimes even outright grants, to start businesses. Straight White people are often excluded from these programs or do not have as good loan conditions as groups such as Indians. 🇨🇦 Indian guy explains how to get free money in are currently 192 programs in a SINGLE you think about that Canada?🤔 — Contrarian (@ContrarianTribe) June 5, 2025 It is important to note that even previous waves of refugees are calling out what they say are people now coming to Canada who are just taking advantage of the system, and are not actual refugees. The Sudanese refugee immediately points to an Indian influencer talking about the Canadian government handing out money 'for doing nothing.' These types of videos are rampant across the web, and not only do they showcase blatant opportunism at the expense of Canadian taxpayers, but also highlight how these programs for marginalized people are exploited by very recent newcomers. India is a country with incredible poverty, racism and discrimination, both through its caste system, and due to religious hatred — often between Hindus and Muslims but also Sikhs. In many cases, these divisions carry over to Western countries. Even the liberal media acknowledges that caste-based discrimination is alive and well in the Indian community after they move to the West. India is one of the most unequal societies in the world, and this mindset is difficult to extirpate even within the West. As the Guardian writes: 'The Hindu caste system, which is assigned at birth and determines occupations and social status, is made up of four tiers, with Brahmins or priests and teachers at the top and Dalits at the bottom. Dalits are often tasked with scavenging and street cleaning, are considered 'untouchable' and are outcasts from Indian society.' In fact, the situation is so prevalent in the United States that caste-based discrimination now has to be banned in American cities, such as Seattle. A BBC special documents its prevalence in the United States. India also features a number of ethnic and religious groups, with tensions growing between Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and others. This tension often leads to explosive violence outside of India as well. In one case, for example, an Indian student was ordered to leave Australia for a series of attacks on Sikhs. In return, he was greeted as a hero upon returning to India. 'International student Vishal Jood was asked to leave Australia after being linked to a series of attacks on Sikhs. Rather than opprobrium, on his return he was greeted by a roadshow and politicians calling him a patriot. Critics who accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party of fuelling Hindu nationalism in India warn Jood's case shows how the problem has spread to overseas diasporas,' wrote the SCMP. TRT World also wrote an entire article about the topic of racism and hatred between Sikhs and Indians in Australia, entitled: 'Sikhs fall victim to rising Hindu nationalism in Australia.' Germany and other continental European countries that embrace immigration from India will likely see these same conflicts, on top of the already existing rivalries between other migrant groups, whether it is Russians versus Ukrainians, or Turks versus Kurds. Governments across the Western world see India as a solution to the lack of labor, including the healthcare sector. The reality is that the 'immigration solution' for national healthcare crisis seen in Western countries has been a mirage. Canada is perhaps the best example of this, as it has seen the highest rate of Indian immigration in the West, with many of these Indians heralded as a solution to a healthcare worker shortage. One out of ten doctors is now Indian in the country. However, Canada's hospitals are experiencing their worst crisis yet, with wait times hitting a record high. 'In a recently published Fraser Institute report, 'Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Healthcare in Canada, 2024 Report,' Canada's median healthcare wait time hits 30 weeks, the longest ever recorded. 'This is 222 percent longer than the 9.3 week wait in 1993,' reads one report. All of the Indian doctors and healthcare workers, not to mention all the other immigrant groups, were supposed to improve the system, but it only appears to be getting worse. This all comes at a time when the number of doctors per 100,000 has actually soared higher. 'Per 100,000 residents, there are now nearly twice as many doctors in Alberta and across Canada compared to 50 years ago. From 1971 to 2022, Canada's number of physicians (per 100,000) has grown from 125 to 247, while Alberta's has grown from 123 to 244,' according to the Business Council of Alberta. Undoubtedly, Canada is a much older population now, but the massive increase in doctors per capita should, in theory, mean this older population is well cared for. It could be that doctors in previous decades were more competent, more efficient, and better able to handle patient volumes, but the exact reason remains unclear. As one report notes, Canada has more doctors than ever before, and then tries to explain 'why it doesn't feel like it.' However, poor communication between diverse groups, including a lack of native-language skills, can cost valuable time and lead to serious patient treatment mistakes. As one major study from Britain's NHS notes, as reported by the BBC, language barriers between staff and patients are adding up to half a working day per week to working hours, and also reducing to quality of care. In fact, much like America, where Indians are the number one source of foreign doctors, Canada is seeing a historic decline in health, with life expectancy now falling rapidly for the last three years. Canadian news outlet Global News writes: Statistics Canada released its report Deaths, 2022 on Monday, showing that the life expectancy of Canadians fell to 81.3 years in 2022 from 81.6 years in 2021. The decline was more prominent among females than men, the data showed. 'This is the first time this has ever happened,' Dr. Doug Manuel, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, told Global News. 'We've hardly had any declines, we have had a recession, but never like this, not three years in a row. It's a pretty big event.' 'This is a measure of how our health is doing as Canadians. And it means that we're doing worse.' In a list of 20 OECD countries, Canada ranked second to last. In fact, Denmark, which is notorious for its strict immigration policies, was in first place, tied with the Netherlands, which also features a relatively smaller share of non-EU migrants compared to many other Western EU countries, amounting to 11.7 percent. Another report from this year states: 'A new report says Canada's healthcare system has fallen behind international peers in access to care, equity and wait times, outperforming only the United States.' Canada is not the only example. Australia also provides ample warning to any Western country that wants to take in more now has some of the worst medical metrics in its history, all at a time when Indians increasingly make up a larger and larger share of the country's medical workforce. As the Australian Medical Association (AMA) notes: Australian Medical Association President Professor Steve Robson said a lack of capacity in hospitals had led to people waiting years for essential surgery, long waits in EDs and ambulance ramping. 'Australia's public hospital performance is at its worst since the AMA started tracking the data 20 years ago,' Professor Robson said. 'Public hospitals are inadequately funded and resourced. The outcome is ambulance ramping, patients spending far too long in EDs and a surgery waiting list that is nudging close to one million people.' 'We are seeing more and more Australians die waiting for these essential surgeries, with more than 12,000 deaths in 2022–23, up from 9,000 the year before. While these deaths may not have been because of delayed surgery, it is an alarming increase.' This all comes despite record immigration to Australia, of which Indians make up a significant percentage. They are now the second-largest immigrant group in the country and by far the largest contributor to doctors with a foreign background, making up approximately 22 percent of all doctors from a foreign country. It should also come as no surprise that an influx of Indians to a country to work in healthcare is not a panacea, as India's own healthcare system is in shambles. This is not a racist screed against Indians, but simple data. Some 2.4 million Indians die of treatable conditions every year, meaning India is facing the worst outcome among all 136 nations studied for a report published in The Lancet. In addition, 'poor care quality leads to more deaths than insufficient access to healthcare–1.6 million Indians died due to poor quality of care in 2016, nearly twice as many as due to non-utilization of healthcare services (838,000 persons).' reads a report from the Independent. If anything, those qualified workers who are arriving in the West are essentially being robbed from India's own struggling population. Even if one were to acknowledge that Indians are a net benefit to the Western healthcare systems, and that is far from clear, there is no doubt that the most qualified of these doctors are being taken from people who are dying by the millions. Those that do come often have questionable English-language skills, and as far as Germany is concerned, the medical system is already facing a complete crisis involving foreign doctors and nurses being unable to speak German properly — not to mention the frightening lack of skills featured among foreign short, Western countries like Germany may be better off slightly lowering the admissions standards for their own population for medical schools rather than allowing more foreigners to arrive, often with questionable certifications and a worrying command of the German language. Concerns about diploma mills and fraudulently obtained diplomas are rife in India, including for medical diplomas, as has been documented. Many cases, however, likely go undetected. India is a chaotic country, where often anything goes for the right price, including masses of underage girls trafficked and sold into sexual slavery, all conducted relatively out in the open. Undoubtedly, many Indians will come to Germany, and many of them will work hard, but the sheer numbers that have arrived in Western countries present a major challenge going into the future. Many Western nations see India as a solution, including Germany. The population is enormous while European populations are shrinking. Most European leaders, even on the right, are dead-set on more immigration, as long as its legal, as they try to prop up GDP, boost the pool of consumers, boost housing prices and construction, and keep the ponzi scheme going that represents much of what the modern economy has now become.
Japan Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
German border police's expulsion of asylum seekers unlawful, court rules
By Kirsti Knolle Germany has acted unlawfully by turning away asylum seekers at the border, a Berlin court ruled on Monday, citing a case in which border police expelled three Somalis who tried to enter the country from Poland. The two men and a woman were sent back to Poland from a train station in the eastern city of Frankfurt an der Oder on Germany's eastern border on the grounds that they had sought to enter from a safe third country, a court statement said. The ruling could challenge the tougher migration stance by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative-led coalition, which was elected in February promising a crackdown that has caused concern in neighboring countries. It is the first such case since Merz was elected, RBB media said, citing a court spokesperson. The court was not immediately available for further comment. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defended the expulsions, saying he would provide the court with justifications for banning entry. "You can see how dysfunctional the whole asylum system is. The numbers are too high. We are sticking to our practice," he told reporters. The court called the rejection of the applicants "unlawful" in a statement, explaining that their asylum application should have been processed by Germany under the European Union's so-called Dublin rules that determine which country is responsible for processing an asylum application. "However, the applicants could not demand to enter the Federal Republic of Germany beyond the border crossing," it added, saying that the application could be processed at or near the border. Migration is among German voters' biggest concerns and a backlash against an influx of new arrivals has contributed to a rise in the popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which came second in a federal election in February. It is a profound shift since Germany's "Refugees Welcome" culture during Europe's migrant crisis in 2015 under Merz's conservative predecessor, Angela Merkel. Merz's government issued an order in May to reject undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, at Germany's borders. GREENS' CRITICISM Monday's ruling was seized on by the Greens party, now in opposition, which said it vindicated their stance that Merz's migration crackdown was unworkable. "This is a severe defeat for the federal government and should serve as a warning to abide by the law in the future and not knowingly exceed its own powers for populist purposes," Greens lawmaker Irene Mihalic told the Rheinische Post newspaper. "The border blockades were a rejection of the European Dublin system and have offended our European neighbors." Dobrindt said last week he hoped the EU can reach a bloc-wide agreement allowing for failed asylum seekers who cannot go home to be sent to safe countries near their original homelands. Karl Kopp, managing director of pro-immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, told the Rheinische Post that Dobrindt's "unlawful practice of national unilateral action in asylum policy" should end and that the three Somalis should to be allowed to re-enter Germany. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, proposed a scheme last month that would let member states reject asylum applications by migrants who passed through a "safe" third country on their way to the bloc. The proposals, criticized by rights groups, have yet to be adopted by national governments or the European Parliament. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
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Business Standard
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
SC upholds ICICI Securities delisting, dismisses plea over valuation
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition by investor Manu Rishi Gupta, upholding the delisting of ICICI Securities and clearing the way for its full merger with ICICI Bank. Gupta had challenged the share valuation process, claiming that the reverse book building (RBB) method could have secured a better price for shareholders, according to The Economic Times. ICICI Securities was officially delisted in March 2024, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of its promoter, ICICI Bank. The move was part of a broader merger scheme that had already received shareholder approval. Allegations of an 'opaque and rushed' process Gupta's counsel argued that the delisting was conducted in an 'opaque and rushed manner' and called the entire exercise 'shocking". He questioned the fairness of the valuation, saying shareholders might have received a better deal through the RBB process. In response, ICICI Securities' legal team told the court that Gupta had continued to trade shares of ICICI Securities—including as recently as August 2024—undermining his claims of unfair treatment. Shareholder backing and tribunal oversight The delisting had strong shareholder backing, with nearly 72 per cent of votes cast in favour of the merger scheme. This came after a National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) directive in February 2024, which mandated a shareholder meeting to approve the plan. The meeting saw participation from 161 equity shareholders and authorised representatives, who voted to support the merger.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
A naked female dwarf Nazi, a lesbian orgy and explicit sex acts: Director whose last show left audience members needing medical attention shocks Germany with new play
The creator of a divisive body horror opera that left audience members needing medical attention has brought out a new production featuring sex acts, blood and an actress with dwarfism playing a naked Nazi doctor. Choreographer Florentina Holzinger, 39, is famous across the German-speaking world for her radical works, which usually feature nudity, dangerous stunts, unsimulated sex and physical violence. She staged Sancta in October last year, describing the show as a 'feminist mass' and angering Christians with its provocative depictions of Jesus and the Pope and naked nuns roller-skating. Now the controversial choreographer has produced her new play, 'A Year Without Summer', which once again, is not for the faint hearted. 'In my new show, I portray monsters from medical history,' Holzinger explained to German news outlet RBB. 'Who are the people who exercise control over the female body? What is happening in the service of scientific and medical progress?' The play tackles issues including cosmetic surgery, anti-ageing and living conditions in nursing homes, and features an all-female cast, many of whom are aged between 65 and 90. It opens with a dance which turns into an orgy between the women, with a giant female torso inflated and performers tumbling out of its vagina in a wild display, according to BILD. Actress Saioa Alvarez - who in Sancta portrayed the Pope on a spinning robotic arm - is said to outrageously portray a naked Josef Mengele, the Nazi regime's 'Angel of Death' who conducted depraved experiments on his victims. A trigger warning for audiences cautions that the play includes explicit sexual acts, blood and bodily fluids, and self-harm. At one point, a dancer is seen having stitches removed with tweezers from a fresh wound on her leg, out of which a miniature baby figurine is pulled out - a metaphor for 'the birth of a musical'. As well as singing and dancing, performers are said to bathe in slime inside a glass box, interact with robot dogs and have their skin pierced. The play ends with a woman receiving what is described in huge letters projected on the stage as 'the ultimate facelift'. Fish hooks are said to be driven through her eyebrows and cheeks, distorting her facial features. The performance was reportedly met with applause from the Berlin audience. The show is meant to be set in 1816 - the year that became known as the Year Without a Summer due to unusually low temperatures in the northern hemisphere following the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia. It was also the year that Mary Shelley wrote the first draft of Frankenstein while holidaying on the banks of Lake Geneva - with the creation of the monster a theme of the play. 'We found it interesting to explore the year 1816 because it shows how environmental events have a profound influence on art and literature,' Holzinger said. 'Especially now, we found it interesting to also address the fear of nature.' The play's description states that Holzinger's 'spectacular and physically intense pieces, she incorporates references from the history of performance and dance and relates them to other disciplines such as kickboxing, artistry, striptease and circus. 'Her works consciously play with the shifting boundaries between high and pop culture and are always feminist manifestos. 'She critically examines the representation of femininity and reflects on body discipline and gender images in dance.' Her previous show Sancta was met with protests when it was staged in Stuttgart, with security personnel needed to guard the performances. A total of 18 audience members at two shows in the city required treatment for nausea and shock, according to German media. Holzinger subsequently suggested that those attending should have known what they were getting themselves in for, telling objectors: 'If you don't want to see it, don't come. 'The performance expressly refers to explicit content,' she went on, seemingly referring to the many trigger warnings on the show's website. She added defiantly: 'Anyone who can't stand depictions of violence shouldn't go to a show that draws inspiration from the Catholic Church.' The show was met with outcry from Church figures in Austria when it was performed at the Vienna Festival last June. Archbishop of Salzburg Franz Lackner said the work went beyond the boundaries of free artistic expression by 'seriously offending believers' religious feelings and convictions.' But as well as sparking outrage, it also received glowing reviews, with one critic writing: 'A scandal? No, joy. Overwhelming joy. 'Holzinger is directing a musical theatre [production] for the first time, and the result is so clever, so funny, so incredibly well put together that you are truly astonished.' A Year Without Summer has also had a positive reception from some, with critics from Germany daily paper Spiegel calling the performance 'fantastic, touching array of images.' A critic from Berliner Morgenpost wrote that Holzinger 'once again demonstrates why she is one of the superstars of the arts.' The upcoming performances of A Year Without Summer are all but sold out, with only a handful of tickets remaining and new dates expected to be announced.
