China expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move
Beijing's move comes after Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat accused of intimidating a Canadian MP.
2023-05-09 14:22
Asia Stocks Rise on China Exports, Finance Sector: Markets Wrap
Asian stocks gained for a fourth day as investors parsed trade data from China, which showed further growth
2023-05-09 12:58
Nazi images, hateful rants and ‘Right Wing Death Squad’: A look at Texas gunman’s alleged far-right social media posts
A social media profile that appears to belong to a gunman who killed eight people in a busy Dallas-area shopping mall on 6 May includes dozens of Nazi-related images and hate-filled rants against women and racial minorities. The profile on the Russian-based platform ok.ru also includes more than two dozen photos of the Texas mall and surrounding areas, including Google location information that shows when the mall is at its busiest. It was posted in the days leading up to the attack. Posts reviewed by The Independent and extremism researchers include photos showing SS and swastika tattoos, praise for Adolf Hitler, misogynistic screeds that echo incel (or involuntary celibate) ideas and forums, and complaints about the state of his mental health. The profile allegedly belongs to Mauricio Garcia, the 33-year-old who was fatally shot by police after he fired an AR-style rifle at the outlet mall, killing eight and injuring seven others. Law enforcement officials have not publicly disclosed or suggested a motive behind the mass shooting. A federal law enforcement bulletin notes that the FBI’s “review and triage of the subject’s social media accounts revealed hundreds of postings and images to include writings with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi materials and material espousing the supremacy of the white race.” The profile did not have any followers or appear to have any engagement from other users. One image on the ok.ru profile includes a picture of his hand which appears to be the same tattoo that belonged to the gunman. Another photo receipt from January has the name “Mauricio” and a phone number that appears to match one that belongs to Garcia. Photos on the profile also include dumped-out boxes of ammunition, posted at the same time with images outside the mall. The profile had appeared to telegraph preparations for violence for years; a photo of a written diary entry in a spiral-bound notebook from 2019 details a dream about racist violence. In what appears to be a final post, the user claims that a psychologist would not be able to “fix” him. A link to a YouTube video posted by the same person on the day of the shooting shows Garcia removing a Scream mask and asking, “Not quite what you were expecting, huh?” During the attack, he was reportedly wearing a patch reading “RWDS,” an acronym for “Right Wing Death Squad” – a flak jacket with the patch appears on the ok.ru profile. This catchphrase has emerged in recent years as both a far-right brand and rallying cry popular with the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist group. Its also often associated with memes and T-shirts praising Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and his extrajudicial killing of political enemies by throwing them from helicopters. “Dissidents, particularly leftists, socialists, and supporters of the previous government, were dropped to their death from helicopters by Pinochet’s regime,” West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center notes in its research of the “Right Wing Death Squad” meme. “Today, the reference often features an image of a helicopter and is often accompanied by slogans such as ‘Right Wing Death Squad,’ ‘Free Helicopter Rides,’ and other iterations.” The phrases are emblazoned on T-shirts and stickers; several members of the Proud Boys who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their actions surrounding the January 6 attack have been photographed with similar patches or T-shirts reading “Pinochet Did Nothing Wrong.” “RWDS” has appeared at neo-Nazi gatherings, far-right protests and other events attracting Proud Boys members and other fascist groups within the years after the 2016 election. The phrase was scrawled on shields during the so-called “Unite the Right” rally white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. At the time, Facebook removed several racist groups from the platform, including one called “Right Wing Death Squad”. In 2019, federal investigators uncovered an alleged plot involving an active-duty US Marine to kill minorities, drug users and members of the Democratic National Committee in a group chat called “Right Wing Death Squad”. Allen is among one of the most diverse suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, home to roughly 105,000 people. Many of the posts allegedly written by Garcia also discuss or reference his Hispanic heritage, underscoring the ways in which white supremacism, fascism and violent extremist ideologies often escape rigid racial or ethnic lines. Virulent antisemite and white nationalist Nick Fuentes has a half-Mexican father, and Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Capitol attack, is Afro-Cuban. Nazi propaganda website The Daily Stormer also began publishing in Spanish in 2017 in an effort to seize on Latin American audiences. The ok.ru profile mentions the website and its founder Andrew Anglin. “I think I even read in the news Hispanics could be the new white supremist [sic],” one of the ok.ru post reads. “Just the other day this black dude told me the line is blurring. He can’t tell the difference anymore. Someone would look white but their [sic] actually Hispanic.” In photographs of his spiral-bound diary entries, he also said he wore an “It’s OK to be White” shirt and that he is Hispanic whether he “likes it or not.” Garcia was heavily armed and armoured when he began firing indiscriminately with an AR-style rifle at the Allen Premium Outlets shopping centre on 6 May. Among the eight victims are a three-year-old boy, an eight-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl, according to the Allen Police Department. An Allen police officer who was already at the scene for an unrelated incident fatally shot him. There have been more than 200 mass shootings, including 21 mass murders, so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. White supremacists are behind the highest number of extremism-related murders in most years, according to an analysis from the Anti-Defamation League. Last year, 21 of 25 extremism-linked murders were committed by white supremacists – but “all the extremist-related murders in 2022 were committed by right-wing extremists of various kinds,” the report found. Read More Allen mall shooting - update: Parents and three-year-old son named among eight killed by Texas outlet shooter Mauricio Garcia: Everything we know about the Texas mall gunman who killed eight Two days, three attacks, 18 dead: Texas reels from horrifying weekend of violence
2023-05-09 07:52
Canada declares Chinese diplomat 'persona non grata' following allegations of foreign influence operation
Canada decided to expel a Chinese diplomat on Monday, following an uproar in the country over allegations of political meddling, which Beijing has fiercely denied.
2023-05-09 07:45
Judge limits Trump's sharing of information from New York criminal case on social media
The New York judge handling Donald Trump's criminal case approved a protective order on Monday that limits the former president's ability to publicize information on social media related to evidence in the investigation.
2023-05-09 06:52
Trump barred from posting on social media about evidence in Stormy Daniels hush money case
A New York judge presiding over the hush money prosecution against Donald Trump ruled Monday that the former president can’t post certain information about the evidence and witnesses involved in the case. Judge Juan Merchan held that Mr Trump “shall not copy, disseminate or disclose” sensitive materials shared with his legal team from the prosecution “without prior approval from the court,” including putting information on social media. The former president, according to the order, can only view “Limited Dissemination Materials" from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in the presence of his lawyers, and "shall not be permitted to copy, photograph, transcribe, or otherwise independently possess the Limited Dissemination Materials,” NBC News reports. In April, the former president was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, related to alleged attempts to pay two women hush money to stop them from coming forward during the 2016 presidential campaign about their alleged affairs with Mr Trump. He has pleaded not guilty. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information. Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-05-09 06:49
Driver in fatal crash outside Texas migrant shelter charged with 8 counts of manslaughter, police say
The man who drove a vehicle into a group of people near a shelter in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, killing eight, is expected to face further charges Monday.
2023-05-09 06:17
Lori Vallow trial - live: Chad Daybell and ‘cult mom’ texted about making children ‘scream’ from pain
The trial of “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow continues for another week at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, where the mother-of-three is accused of killing her two youngest children and her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife. The 49-year-old is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Mr Daybell’s wife Tammy, 49. Tylee and JJ were last seen alive in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Friday’s testimony included a detailed look at text messages between Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell that spanned their affair, referred to their spouses and children as “obstacles”, and grew increasingly romantic following her husband’s death as she ignored his son’s pleas for more information. On Monday even more texts were shown in court as well as the last videos of the two children seen alive which were found on Ms Vallow’s iCloud account. Meanwhile, the court is eyeing June 2024 as a possible start date for Mr Daybell’s trial. Read More Lori Vallow ignored stepsons’ pleas as she exchanged romantic texts with Chad Daybell after husband’s death Lori Vallow trial hears autopsy details that show Tammy Daybell was likely restrained during her murder Lori Vallow’s friend says she threatened to ‘cut up’ and bury her one month after children disappeared
2023-05-09 05:51
How promising are new drugs to treat obesity and who should — and shouldn't — use them? Our medical analyst explains
How do the diabetes drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide work to reduce obesity? How promising are they to treat obesity? What are their side effects? Who is eligible to take them? CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen answers these questions.
2023-05-09 05:50
Deaths raise fresh fears over cow vigilantism in India
The deaths of three Muslim men within weeks brought calls for police to punish Hindu vigilantes.
2023-05-09 05:20
Jury hears closing remarks in Donald Trump civil rape case
Writer E Jean Carroll is accusing Donald Trump of assaulting her in the mid-90s, which he denies.
2023-05-09 04:56
Elementary school sisters are named among eight Texas mall shooting victims
Two more children have been identified among the eight victims who were fatally shot in the Allen, Texas mall shooting - sisters Daniela and Sofia Mendoza. Daniela, a fourth grader, and Sofia, a second grader, were killed while at the Allen Premium Outlets with their mother, Ilda on Saturday, the Wylie Independent School District confirmed. In a letter sent to parents and students, Superintendent David Vinson said, “Words cannot express the sadness we feel as we grieve the loss of our students. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mendoza family, the families of the victims, and all those affected by this senseless tragedy.” "Daniela and Sofia will not be forgotten. Hug your kids, and tell them you love them," Mr Vinson added according to NBC News. Both Daniela and Sofia attended Cox Elementary in Sachse, Texas. Cox Elementary School principal, Krista Wilson, called the girls “rays of sunshine”. Daniela and Sofia’s mother, Ilda, remains in critical condition according to reports. The two young girls are among the three children currently identified as victims of the mass shooting. Three-year-old James Cho was also fatally shot. The mass shooting occurred on Saturday when gunman Mauricio Garcia arrived at the Allen Premium Outlets armed with an AR-15-style rifle and ammunition. Garcia opened fire at people shopping at the outdoor mall, killing eight and injuring seven. A law enforcement officer shot Garcia dead, bringing the horrific shooting to an end. As of now, four other victims have been identified as 20-year-old Christian LaCour, 27-year-old Aishwarya Thatikonda, and Cindy and Kyu Cho - the parents of three-year-old James Cho. Mr and Ms Cho leave behind a six-year-old son who survived the shooting. As of now, six people who were injured remain under Medical City Healthcare’s care. According to CBS News, three people remain in critical condition, two patients are in fair condition and one patient is in good condition. Read More Allen mall shooting - update: Parents and three-year-old son named among eight killed by Texas outlet shooter Texas mall gunman was terminated from US Army training due to mental health concerns Texas mall shooting: All we know about the deadly outlet massacre
2023-05-09 04:19