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Hackers have stolen record $3 billion in cryptocurrency this year – CBS News

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Hackers have stolen more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency so far this year, shattering the previous record of $2.1 billion set in 2021, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

A big chunk of that $3 billion, around $718 million, was taken this month in 11 different hacks, Chainalysis said in a series of tweets posted Wednesday.

"October is now the biggest month in the biggest year ever for hacking activity, with more than half the month still to go," the company tweeted.

In past years, hackers focused their efforts on attacking crypto exchanges, but those companies have since strengthened their security, Chainalysis said. These days, cybercriminals are targeting "cross-chain bridges," which allow investors to transfer digital assets and data among different blockchains.

The bridges hold a lot of cryptocurrencies, providing a larger and more complex arena for hackers to infiltrate, according to cybersecurity experts.

"Cross-chain bridges remain a major target for hackers, with three bridges breached this month and nearly $600 million stolen, accounting for 82% of losses this month and 64% of losses all year," Chainalysis said.

Hackers initially made of with$570 million in cryptocurrency from Binance, but company officials have minimized the losses to under $100 million, its CEO said last week. Hackers also struck Nomad in August, reportedly taking nearly $200 million. Both the Binance and Nomad attackswere instances of hackers exploiting security flaws within the cross-chain bridge transaction protocols.

Crypto.com, known for its recent $700 million deal torename the former Staples Centerin Los Angeles, said in January that hackers managed to bypass its two-factor authentication system and withdraw funds from 483 customer accounts. Harmony lost about $100 million in ahack in June.Crypto platforms WormholeandRoninNetwork were also targets of hackers this year.

All told, Chainalysis said there have been 125 hacks so far this year.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhaosaidin an interview with CNBC last week that the crypto industry is vulnerable to hackers whenever customers move assets from one blockchain to another, but the goal is to learn from what caused the hack and develop extra safeguards in the future.

Cryptocurrency is not federally regulated or FDIC insured like a bank account, which means if an account gets hacked, the government will not work to restore a customer's funds.

Sweatcoin and These 4 Cryptocurrency Investments Can Improve the World and Your Gains – Washington City Paper

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

If you are a crypto investor, you probably are concerned about how cryptocurrency will turn out in the future. Due to its high market price, it may seem that only bitcoin can yield a high profit to investors. The good news is that several other altcoins are also beginning to partake in the market growth, including Sweatcoin.

Among several altcoins, five play an outstanding role in improving the world, yielding investors more significant gains than ever. Foremost, they are most secure and transparent, improving the features of the FinTech industry. Thus, users can carry out transactions with little or no charges, which is more convenient than using financial institutions.

What other features stand these altcoins out among others? Read on to discover more information that will be helpful to you as an investor.

The Initiative for Multipurpose Prevention Technologies project is the greatest presale going on right now. Having sold $4 million in just a few days of launching the event, it is evident that this cryptocurrencys momentum is unarguably high. Thus, crypto investors are looking forward to the next big project. Meanwhile, the IMPT team confirms its future partnership with over 10,000 brands, which would also earn crypto traders some substantial rewards.

How does IMPT improve the world? It contributes to environmental sustainability by allowing users to burn their carbon credits in exchange for some IMPT tokens. Thus, this helps the consumers exhibit greener behavior through their purchasing activities. Meanwhile, this is not always the case for blockchain technology, especially those operating on the Proof of Work mechanism.

The IMPT team has also improved carbon offset transparency by introducing NFTs into its project. NFTs are available for every person who visits the IMPT marketplace, built on the Ethereum blockchain. More so, only the product owner will have access to the NFT while choosing to also sell at will.

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Tamadoge has recently shown good signs of its value in the crypto market. The coin raised $19 million during its presale, which set a hopeful path for other meme coins. Tamadoge was just recently listed on two big exchange platforms, OKX and LBANK. With this, the coin will likely be at the top of the cryptocurrency ranking soon.

The Tamaverse ecosystem has unique features from regular meme coins. These features include rare NFTs and play-to-earn (P2E) games. Thus, investors are more interested in the Tamaverse since these features give it a huge market awareness.

Tamadoge is also sometimes referred to as the Big Eyes meme coin due to its interesting concept. However, the ecosystem is not just fun, as 5% of the total market supply is used to promote sustainable causes, especially in preserving the oceans. With the new launch of the Tamadoge NFT, investors are willing to increase their chances of generating high ROI.

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Sweatcoin token is a health-oriented cryptocurrency that helps people to track their fitness activities. Since many people are now concerned about body fitness, sweatcoin has pulled interested participants into its ecosystem. Thus, it improves the world by encouraging people to shed some sweat while minimizing the risk of emitting toxic substances from vehicles.

Thus, people who sign up on the application will be rewarded for contributing to the growth of the green environment. Although the original sweatcoin concept is not a cryptocurrency, users get their rewards as crypto tokens. The sweatcoin token was launched on the 13th of September, 2022, and it is also built on Ethereum and Near Protocol blockchains.

Meanwhile, investors can expect more features from sweatcoin, such as NFTs; the Sweat Wallet was launched to allow users to buy some digital assets with their fiat currencies. In a few years, the sweatcoin ecosystem would have expanded by incorporating more activities, such as swimming and cycling.

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Lucky Block keeps improving its ecosystem, and a perfect example is the tokens version 2, which was recently released. Every LBLOCK NFT holder can then trade on reputable cryptocurrency exchanges. The LBLOCK second version is built on Ethereums blockchain, improving its scalability and level of security.

The platform also allows users to compete in the NFT marketplace. The higher you play, the higher the potential reward. Traders or players receive the reward in the form of an LBLOCK token. Activities on the NFT are also transparent to ensure every winning participant gets rewarded for their efforts.

Lucky Block is not only profitable to traders but also serves benefits charitable organizations. Meanwhile, no transaction fee is incurred for participating in the lottery games. The Distributed Ledger Technologies also ensures lottery games are accessible from any geographical location, contrary to local financial systems.

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The polkadot project is an innovative crypto that allows a heterogeneous multi-chain framework. While most cryptocurrencies aim to meet the scalability, speed, and decentralization features, only a few successfully combine these three features, including Polkadot. Also, not many cryptocurrencies have been able to ensure interoperability, which Polkadot aims to achieve.

Polkadot connects blockchains, allowing users of different crypto to communicate effortlessly. Interestingly, users also get to exchange actual data through different blockchains. It also helps developers and technicians to build a new network on Polkadots blockchain.

Polkadot functions through the relay chain, which is why the blockchain can accommodate a large network of participants. Despite the large connectivity on Polkadot, it does not consume excessive energy, due to its Proof of Stake mechanism. Even though the price of cryptocurrencies has dropped extensively, Polkadot has not exceeded the 1% price shortage.

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Undoubtedly, cryptocurrency is gradually becoming a crowded field, which is why investors need to understand the prospect of each digital coin. The seven cryptocurrencies discussed above often experience a bullish market, which is usually the best time for investors. They also benefit investors as they serve a significant purpose to the world, especially the green sector. Thus, investors and crypto traders can expect up to 50x gain before the next decade.

Sweatcoin and These 4 Cryptocurrency Investments Can Improve the World and Your Gains - Washington City Paper

How One Can Select The Cryptocurrency Exchange? | Branded Voices | Advertise – Native News Online

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

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There are many ways through which a person can select the cryptocurrency exchange and enjoy doing the transactions because transactions done through Bitcoin are very safe and Secure and do not take a considerable amount of time.

In today's busy life, everybody wants to have a system through which transactions can complete within seconds and they do not need to wait for an extended period. Bitcoin is providing them with that fantastic facility. Furthermore, people are pleased with the amount of support provided by Bitcoin because now it has become straightforward for them to do the transactions at any point anywhere as they do not need to go to a specific place for the transactions. If you are into Bitcoin, you may consider knowing about The five most fantastic things you can buy with Bitcoin.

A person needs to know the different ways of selecting the Bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange because if the person does not select the correct exchange, it becomes tough for them to do the transactions. Many websites can guide users, and they should follow them religiously because all that information will help them in many ways. Prominent experts also recommend to people that they go through the information and knowledge provided in various links and websites to help them select a good cryptocurrency exchange.

It is said that the exchange always works in a very profound and determined way to benefit the users and, along with that, can also give them the best results, which are always their ultimate goal. So below are a few of the points which are going to help the people in searching for the best Bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange for them.

Be cautious

A user needs to check the exchange's reputation before selecting it as one of their payment methods. If the image of the Bitcoin exchange is not good, then the person should never select it as there are various other exchanges they can use. Instead, the person should focus on various elements in the exchange because elements play a massive role in providing a good path for the transactions. It is widespread that people face few difficulties in the beginning but later on, when they get used to adding, it becomes straightforward and convenient for them to exchange through the Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

Beginners should never take risks before using a particular exchange for themselves because if they make the wrong decision, it can lead them to a significant loss that cannot be irreplaceable. So it becomes essential for beginners to take the proper advice from professionals before selecting the Bitcoin exchange. The main thing every exchange should provide to its user is security because nobody wants to keep their money in unsecured places. It is always said that doing the exchange with the help of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency is a very reliable opportunity because it is swift, and the security aspect of the Bitcoin exchange is very high.

Various questions arise in people's minds before researching the Bitcoin exchange, which is prevalent. This problem of the users can be solved by various websites and reviews given by professionals who have already used the Bitcoin exchange. There are various things to be fixed in the cryptocurrency market, and everybody should take one step forward.

Research

Research is the most elementary thing every single investor should do before selecting the Bitcoin exchange for themselves. All the experts also recommend that research is an essential thing to do. It not only helps the invested in selecting a good exchange for themselves but also helps the people to have confidence in what they are going to do. Research plays a significant role in the entire exchange process because it makes the person understand the entire system of doing the transaction.

Various possibilities are to be considered by a person to have a good exchange journey, and people need to select a good exchange platform. In today's time, everybody is intelligent as they know what is good and bad for them, so the possibility of going in the wrong direction is significantly less. While doing the research, the investor should also pay attention to the steps which can help them avoid the adverse effects on the investment.

DISCLAIMER: Branded Voices features paid content from our marketing partners. Articles are not created by Native News Online staff. The views and opinions expressed in the Branded Voices are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Native News Online or its ownership. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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How One Can Select The Cryptocurrency Exchange? | Branded Voices | Advertise - Native News Online

Jaltechs cryptocurrency baskets are the unit trusts of the crypto market – BizNews

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

*This content is brought to you byJaltech

ETFs, unit trusts and investment funds play an important role in the investment market. Their key value add is that they offer the broader investor market access to a wide variety of investments without the investors being required to have the requisite knowledge and experience when selecting the underlying investments.

For example, investing in an ETF means investors do not have to stock pick, they eliminate the need for an investor to conduct his/her own research, to stay abreast of the developments and movements of the market, and most importantly sell an underlying investment which no longer meets the investment criteria.

By outsourcing the investment selection and management process, investors are only required to select the investment themes to which they want to have exposure.

For information about Jaltechs Cryptocurrency Basket,click here.

Within the cryptocurrency market stock picking, for most investors, is akin to gambling as the majority of investors dont have:

Over two years ago, Jaltech took the decision to offer the South African market the first actively managed cryptocurrency basket. Jaltechs objective was to reduce investors risks and broaden their exposure by offering two cryptocurrency baskets which include or exclude cryptocurrencies based on the movements and developments in the market. The inclusion or exclusion of a cryptocurrency(ies) is assessed against a clear set of criteria established by Jaltechs team of cryptocurrency experts.

Jaltechs cryptocurrency team is made up of three cryptocurrency experts, one of whom is Gaurav Nair who joins Biznews Ross Sinclair on theCrypTalkpodcast semi-monthly.

For information about Jaltechs Cryptocurrency Basket,click here.

Jaltech currently offers investors two cryptocurrency baskets which are tailored for investors who are looking for an effortless and convenient investment option providing them with exposure and diversification across:

Investing in Jaltechs managed cryptocurrency baskets have several advantages for investors, including, risk management, ease of access, portfolio diversification, and access to Jaltechs experts and investment team. Through Jaltechs managed approach, the goal is to give investors exposure to the highest growth potential cryptocurrencies over the medium to long term.

Chris McCormick & Jonty Sacks Jaltech Fund Managers

Jaltech offers investors exposure to the cryptocurrency market through two cryptocurrency baskets. These baskets are managed by a team of cryptocurrency experts.

How Can The Music Industry Evolve By Cryptocurrency? – Native News Online

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Details

Bitcoin cryptocurrency is not only accepted by individuals for doing payments or any other important activity, but many sectors have also adopted it as excellent support. Bitcoin has a tremendous amount of potential in it, and many elements and attributes uplift that potential to a great extent.

It is something the people and the various sectors very appreciate. Everyone must understand how it supports them and evolves their scenario, and they can receive this information through a websiteto learn about the fundamental ways to optimize. In this modernized world, everything has become very fast. Hence, it is also essential for people to accept the rapid system, and Bitcoin provides them with that facility. The music industry is one of the big industries which have started using Bitcoin in their system. IF you are planning to trade Bitcoin, you may consider knowing about the 5 Facts About Bitcoin.

Discussing the Bitcoin cryptocurrency in the music industry then, various things come under it. One should know about all those things to have the Crystal opinion about the scenario. According to music, a stray digital currency has changed the entire music industry system, and the market system has also evolved, which is very significant. Many websites provide information about how users perceive Bitcoin cryptocurrency in their life.

Music is therapy for everyone; people have their own choice of music they like to listen to. The people who are working in the music industry are very talented and come with a lot of extraordinary abilities. Below are some points that will show how Bitcoin has evolved in the music industry.

The employment scenario in the music industry

Bitcoin got launched in 2009, and since then, it has been working hard to make its position even more potent. The Bitcoin cryptocurrency is a widespread currency that is working on the right track, and people must understand the concept of cryptocurrency. Only then would they have the sense of confidence to use it in their life. It is also said that if something is not on the correct path, it becomes a challenging situation, and it is essential for the person to break that situation. Some significant decisions will only do it.

Bitcoin cryptocurrency is one topic that everybody can discuss at every point because it is tremendous and provides excellent support. Every person working in the music industry wants to know more about Bitcoin so that they can also know how it is evolving there in the tree, and according to them, it is very supportive. People are getting attracted to the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, and it is expected that every sector will use it in the coming years.

If we talk about the sources, there are many things available in the music industry for the artist to make them feel secure and have a sense of freedom when they do anything. Music directors and producers are also pleased with Bitcoin Cryptocurrency because now they can bring the High Budget project without worrying. Bitcoin is not only supporting the big names, but the directors and producers new to the business are also getting a significant amount of benefits and are pleased with the kind of work they are getting.

How is the process of blockchain implemented in the music industry?

Blockchain is a powerful technology that Bitcoin uses to make the entire system and the investment done by the user safe and secure because security is the top priority. Many music creators in the industry are very passionate about the work they create. They need to have information related to cryptocurrency because it will help them in many ways. It is also recommended that they consider Bitcoin as considerable support for them and approach it so that they can also establish Blockchain Technology.

The music industry uses the blockchain properly and conveniently because it provides them with a platform to create work away from all boundaries. The best thing which is being provided by blockchain technology to the music industry is the transparency that is there in the transactions. Therefore, it is very high time for everyone to understand the digital version. People working in the music industry come with many ideas, so they need a supportive environment. Therefore, they are implementing bitcoin in their space.

How Can The Music Industry Evolve By Cryptocurrency? - Native News Online

Cryptocurrency firm advised by Philip Hammond withdraws UK application – The Guardian

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

A cryptocurrency firm that employs the former chancellor Philip Hammond as an adviser has withdrawn its application to operate in the UK, after struggling to win approval from the financial regulator.

The Guardian revealed earlier this year that Copper Technologies, in which Hammond holds a 0.5% stake, was considering seeking registration in Switzerland rather than the UK.

The company had been given temporary registration by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), pending approval of the controls it had put in place to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

Fintech company Revolut, which had also been placed on the FCAs temporary list, was awarded full registration for its UK crypto business last month.

But Copper Technologies has revealed, in accounts filed at Companies House, that it had withdrawn its application and moved UK customers to Switzerland, after winning approval there.

Hammond, who was chancellor between July 2016 and July 2019, has been critical of the UK for failing to set up a comprehensive regulatory framework governing cryptocurrencies.

Earlier this year he said it was frankly quite shocking that Britain was lagging behind other countries.

The FCAs regime for digital assets currently covers money laundering and terrorist financing but not specific aspects of cryptocurrency trading and investing.

Hammond, recruited by Copper Technologies as a senior adviser in 2021, has growth shares that were thought to be worth up to $15m (13m), based on reports by Bloomberg that the company was seeking a valuation of $3bn in a fundraising exercise.

The accounts show that Copper Technologies has raised $196m so far but the ultimate success of the fundraising and thus the valuation could be affected by a broad global sell-off of digital assets over the past year.

Get set for the working day we'll point you to the all the business news and analysis you need every morning

In the meantime, losses at Copper, which provides digital currency infrastructure to other businesses, have increased from 3.6m to 14.3m, accounts show.

A spokesperson for the company said: Copper maintains open and active dialogue with regulators across the jurisdictions where we are operating, including of course with the FCA. Since gaining our membership to [Swiss body] VQF in May, we are pleased to be able to offer clients services from Switzerland.

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Cryptocurrency firm advised by Philip Hammond withdraws UK application - The Guardian

Grimes & M.I.A. talk spirituality, cryptocurrency, politics and more in new interview – Brooklyn Vegan

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

M.I.A. has been in the news for comparing the Alex Jones verdict to "every celebrity pushing vaccines," and she also just released her first album in six years, MATA. To promote the latter, she talked with another outspoken celebrity who is known for making controversial comments, Grimes, for PAPER Magazine. "Grimes has carved out a place in the music industry that is super unique, and shes sustained it and is strong enough to hold it by herself, M.I.A. tells PAPER. You have to respect that. I know she must have gone through crazy shit to keep that level of identity that she has."

There's no mention of vaccines in their lengthy conversation, but they touch on lots of other topics, including affordable housing, public education, spirituality, cryptocurrency, motherhood, poverty, lobbying, and more. Grimes makes a case for religion as a "social technology" that could help people overcome their problems, saying:

The thesis I've been coming to over time is that the things we need to do to overcome our problems are technological, but that includes both literal technology and social technology, which is something we disregard too often in our culture. When I say social technology, religion is a social technology. It's a thing people used to fill in for mental health before we had concepts of mental health. I still think religion functions better than the mental health system most of the time. Part of our issue is that we haven't been updating our religions or making new religions that are adequate and make sense with the time. Most religions feel somewhat mythological or fantastical in the current cultural landscape, even if they contain really good teaching.

To speak about resources and technology, we have solutions to all these problems, we are just not implementing them. We have carbon capture, we have remineralization of soil and, in fact, we can do those things at the same time. If everybody started composting and we started enriching soil and putting our waste into compost and taking more care, there's ways to take care of our earth that solve our problems that can allow for radical abundance. While I don't think we can have equality of outcome between people, I do think something that is achievable is equality of opportunity.

She also calls for less reliance on the government, saying, "What we need to do is rely less on the government and allow individual companies to start creating the tools we need to power our lives."

"I 100% agree with you," M.I.A. replied. "I'm a full supporter of that and support any independent thinkers and companies who've got the motivation to see a vision and follow it through. But the problem is, say a company like Google, how do you then maintain their value system or ethics so that they don't become politicized and become the government? That's the problem we are living through now. Tech giants have become the shapers of this situation that we are seeing."

Later in the conversation, Grimes says that after she releases the new project she's working on, "I'm probably going to put out one more album and then I'm going to do things that are more helpful to people." She also says she's "literally working on a housing bill in Austin, right now."

"I can't wait for this album to come out and actually go and do that," M.I.A. responds. "There is a part of me that wants to keep going straight and drive through Mexico, through South America and really take in what's happening and what people need and do it instead of saying it. My thing is going to be affordable housing. I want to dedicate my life to that for the next five, 10 years."

Read the conversation in full on PAPER.

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Grimes & M.I.A. talk spirituality, cryptocurrency, politics and more in new interview - Brooklyn Vegan

Hedera: The 1 Cryptocurrency That’s on Fire Today – The Motley Fool

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

What happened

The broader cryptocurrency market has been seeing rather low levels of volatility of late. Whether that's investors believing that much of the macro news that's already impacted markets has been priced in or not remains to be seen. However, with most tokens hovering around flat today, and the overall market down only 0.3% at the time of writing, many are focusing on tokens that are making unusual moves.

One such token that fits this criteria today is Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR -3.86%). The world's 36th-largest token by market capitalization, Hedera has surged 6.2% higher over the last 24 hours as of 1:30 p.m. ET. This is the largest upside move of any token today.

Recent reports that Hedera has seen developer interest in its enterprise-grade network surge may be behind this move. According to recent data fromSentiment, Hedera is currently in third place in terms of development activity, behindPolkadotandCardano.

The race for developer talent to build out decentralized applications on Layer 1 networks like Hedera is on. The fact that so many are choosing this lesser-known (but significant) blockchain is something worth diving into. I intend to do a deep dive on this blockchain project at some point moving forward. My interest has been piqued by this move.

The idea behind Hedera is relatively simple. Via an open-source network, Hedera allows developers to compete for the ability to deploy decentralized applications, with the same competition applying to users vying for transactions on this network. Some level of competition can spur interest among a certain personality type, making this network intriguing, to say the least.

On days like today, when broadly bearish sentiment continues to rein over any indications that bullish catalysts can be on the horizon, upside moves such as the one seen in Hedera are worth noting. This is a crypto project I've yet to explore deeply, but I intend to do so, on the basis of what appears to be relatively strong demand for these tokens.

When times get tough, projects that stand out tend to get even more attention. Such appears to be the case with Hedera today.

Chris MacDonald has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Hedera: The 1 Cryptocurrency That's on Fire Today - The Motley Fool

Plona (PLON), Curve DAO (CRV), and Enjin (ENJ) Which Cryptocurrency is Worth Purchasing In 2022? – Coinpedia Fintech News

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

The year is rounding up, and investors in the blockchain industry have seen the cryptocurrency marketplace value drop exponentially. Although the industry is on a downward slope, there are still some cryptocurrencies that are worth investing in before the end of 2022.

The state of the crypto market has left coins like Curve DAO (CRV) and Enjin (ENJ) struggling to find their feet. However, Plona (PLON) is one of the few tokens moving in a great direction regardless of the state of the crypto marketplace. Curve and Enjin have been in the blockchain industry for many years now. Meanwhile, Plona (PLON), only recently launching into the market, is looking to make a name for itself, doing so effectively.

If you want to simplify the process of exchanging different ERC-20 tokens, Curve Dao (CRV) is the cryptocurrency for you. Curves platform will streamline this exchange process while providing its users with swap support for Bitcoin tokens (BIT) based on Ethereum (ETH) and stablecoins like USDC and DAI.

Curve Dao (CRV), an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency, is a blockchain that powers Curve.fi at a low cost. Curve.fi is a decentralized exchange and automated market maker protocol that uses liquidity pools instead of exchanges that match a buyer and a seller. We saw a 4.40% decrease in Curve Dao (CRV) tokens, leaving Curve token holders in a frenzy. Currently worth $0.91 today, Curve Dao (CRV) is one of the more expensive cryptocurrencies in the marketplaces that isnt performing at its best. Investors in Curve Dao (CRV) are now looking for more affordable tokens like Plona (PLON), which is doing remarkably well.

Enjin, a software providing developers with the ability to create and manage virtual goods, uses blockchain technology to manage in-game items across various properties. The developers of Enjin designed this cryptocurrency on the Ethereum blockchain. They wanted to make it easy for individuals, businesses, and brands to use non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

There are high fees and fraud problems in the virtual in-game goods and collectables industry that the Enjin (ENJ) platform is tackling and trying to use. The team at Enjin (ENJ) wants users to have the ability to design their own assets on the Ethereum blockchain and integrate them into apps and games. So, Enjin (ENJ) released its own software development kits to aid this process. Currently, one Enjin (ENJ) will cost you $0.457 as the coin went down by 0.89% in 24 hours. Enjin (ENJ) is now trading at 0.0003305 Ethereum (ETH), with the potential to drop even more. If you are looking for a more affordable option, consider investing in Plona, which only costs $0.14.

What is Plona (PLON)? Plona (PLON) is a non-fungible token (NFT) project based on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain. The creators of Plona (PLON) are blockchain experts who love exotic cars. They designed Plona (PLON) to be the worlds first fractional luxury car investment platform on the blockchain, enabling users to trade fractional NFTs backed by real-world automobiles. Plona (PLON) token is at the forefront of promoting fractional ownership by tokenization, leading experts to believe the platform will have a 3,500% gain by January 2023.

Investors in the blockchain industry can own a fraction of the luxury cars of their choice after investing $29 in the Plona platform. Plonas starting price at launch is $0.012 but is subject to change, given how much hype this cryptocurrency has received. A unique feature that the team at Plona (PLON) is calling Plona Airdrop will reward Plona (PLON) token holders who hold on to their coins in their wallets. This feature enables users in the community to benefit from a 2.5% transaction fee on all network transactions. As of today, the Plona (PLON) token might be worth purchasing over Curve Dao and Enjin.

Join the Plona presale and find out more below

Presale: https://buy.plona.io

Website: https://plona.io

Twitter: https://twitter.com/plonatoken

Telegram: https://t.me/plonatoken

Disclaimer: This is a press release post. Coinpedia does not endorse or is responsible for any content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products, or other materials on this page. Readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company.

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Plona (PLON), Curve DAO (CRV), and Enjin (ENJ) Which Cryptocurrency is Worth Purchasing In 2022? - Coinpedia Fintech News

Nazi boat sunk by the British during WWII is still polluting the sea – Sky News

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

A Nazi boat sunk by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War is still polluting the ocean floor, scientists have found.

The V-1302 John Mahn is one of thousands of ship and aircraft wrecks at the bottom of the North Sea, which is also home to millions of tonnes of shells, bombs and other munition from both world wars.

Mahn was once a German fishing trawler, before being requisitioned by Hitler's forces for use as a patrol boat.

It was sunk by the British off the Belgian coast during the Channel Dash of 1942, when German battleships needing repairs were escorted from the port of Brest in northwestern France all the way back to their homeland.

While the likes of Mahn were sunk, far more important battleships were managing to get all the way to Germany.

This was considered an embarrassment for British forces and Winston Churchill ordered an inquiry.

Eighty years later and Mahn's demise is still proving costly to the microbiology and geochemistry of the ocean floor where it rests, as it leaks hazardous pollutants such as explosives and heavy metals.

A research team at Ghent University made the discovery as part of its North Sea Wrecks project, to see how the remnants of the world wars are affecting the natural world today.

'We should not forget shipwrecks can be dangerous'

While there is great public interest in the discovery of shipwrecks due to their historical value, researchers say the potential environmental impact is often overlooked.

In the case of Mahn, samples were taken from the sediment nearby and the vessel's steel hull.

Varying degrees of concentrations of toxic pollutants were found, including nickel, copper, arsenic, explosives, and chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil and gas.

Researcher Josefien Van Landuyt said: "While wrecks can function as artificial reefs and have tremendous human story-telling value, we should not forget that they can be dangerous, human-made objects which were unintentionally introduced into a natural environment.

"Today, new shipwrecks are removed for this exact reason."

Ms Van Landuyt warned that the findings, published in Frontiers In Marine Science, were just the tip of the iceberg.

Read more science and technology news:Meta ordered to sell GIF library in 'final decision' by UK watchdogStrict or harsh parenting 'could increase a child's risk of depression'TikTok to introduce adults-only option for live broadcasts

It is estimated that shipwrecks from the world wars around the globe collectively contain between 2.5 million and 20.4 million tonnes of petroleum products.

"Although we don't see these old shipwrecks, and many of us don't know where they are, they can still be polluting our marine ecosystem," added Ms Van Landuyt.

"In fact, their advancing age might increase the environmental risk due to corrosion, which is opening up previously enclosed spaces. As such, their environmental impact is still evolving."

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Nazi boat sunk by the British during WWII is still polluting the sea - Sky News

On the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive | Detroit Jewish News – The Jewish News

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

The Zekelman Holocaust Center is hosting a virtual program on Sun., Oct. 30, at 2:30 p.m. about the life and death of Baron Otto von Wchter, based on Philippe Sands successful BBC radio podcast, The Ratline. Pieced together through two decades of family correspondence, the tale of Wchters life and years evading justice as a devoted Nazi and man on the run will be told during a live virtual discussion with Sands.

Sands is a human rights lawyer and Baillie Gifford Prize-winning author of The Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive. A practicing barrister at Matrix Chambers, Sands appears frequently as counsel before the International Court of Justice and other international courts and tribunals and sits as an international arbitrator.

A CNN and BBC World Service contributor, he is also professor of laws and director of the Centre on International Courts and Tribunals at University College London.

Philippe Sands and his colleagues were able to uncover a great deal of information regarding the mysterious life and death of devoted Nazi Baron Otto von Wchter as he evaded justice for years, said Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO of the Zekelman Holocaust Center. His insights and research should provide for a very informative and spirited virtual discussion.

Sands and his contem-poraries uncovered key details about Wchters life and family history by studying an archive of letters, diaries and other materials that were produced over the course of the tumultuous years between 1929 and 1949.

A tale of Nazi lives, mass murder, love, Cold War espionage, a mysterious death in the Vatican and the Nazi escape route to Argentina, The Ratline delves into the life and mysterious death of Otto von Wchter.

The community partners for the event are the Michigan State University History Department and the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel at MSU.

Registration for the virtual program is available at HolocaustCenter.org/October.

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On the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive | Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News

Norman Lear Rips Donald Trump, Says Former Presidents Recent Appalling Words About Jews Remind Him Why He Enlisted To Fight The Nazis – Deadline

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Norman Lear is 100 years old, yet the five-time Emmy winner still remembers the chilling moment more than 90 years ago when he says he heard the vicious, Antisemitic voice of Father Coughlin railing against American Jews.

Coughlin was a popular radio preacher in the early part of the 20th century who blamed the countrys problems on international bankersthe mediacommunists, all of which were coded references to age-old lies about Jewish cabals out to take over the world. In the days after the 1938 reign of violence in Germany known asKristallnacht, Coughlin defended the Nazi regime.

Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump claimed on social media that American Jews need to get their act together to show appreciation for Israel before its too late. ADL President Jonathan Greenblatt told CNN that Trumps warning sounded like a threat.

The former president went on to say American Jews sense of gratitude should also extend his way.

No President has done more for Israel than I have, Trump wrote on social media, likely referencing in part his decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith.

Today Lear wrote that Donald Trumps appalling words about American Jews took him right back to that moment in the 30s with Father Coughlin.

I am nine years old again, he wrote, before connecting the moment to another seminal period in his life and the life of the country.

Im confident that that horrifying moment resulted in my early enlistment in WWII and the 52 combat missions over Nazi Germany that followed, Lear stated, making the connection between U.S. antisemitism and the Nazi regime.

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Norman Lear Rips Donald Trump, Says Former Presidents Recent Appalling Words About Jews Remind Him Why He Enlisted To Fight The Nazis - Deadline

He Founded an American Neo-Nazi Terror Group. But Will Rinaldo Nazzaro Ever Face US Justice? – VICE

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Rinaldo Nazzaro seen in a 2020 propaganda video. Scr

An FBI official has confirmed the agency is investigating the American founder of an international neo-Nazi terror group who is living in Russiafar from the grasp of U.S. authorities.

Rinaldo Nazzaro, 49, a former Pentagon contractor and Department of Homeland Security analyst, founded The Base in late 2018 as a heavily armed, insurgent force preparing to hasten the downfall of modern government and engage in a race war. Since then, members of The Base have plotted an assassination and several mass shootings, and a number of countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, have designated it as an official terrorist organization alongside ISIS and al Qaeda.

An FBI counterterrorism probe against The Base over the past few years has netted more than a dozen members nationwide (with others apprehended in Europe), who are now serving a combined 100+ years in prison time. Yet Nazzaro, despite being named in U.S. courts as the founder of the group, has never been chargedpuzzling many analysts and government sources VICE News has spoken to about him over the years.

The first three episodes of American Terror are now available on Spotify.

Nazzaros situation also begs the question how a neo-Nazi leader whos well-known to the FBI is living comfortably in Russia, especially after President Vladimir Putin justified his invasion of Ukraine as a de-Nazification plan. Since at least 2018, Russia has provided safe harbor to Nazzaro, whom American authorities would seemingly arrest if he were to step back into their jurisdiction, as there is still no extradition treaty between Washington and the Kremlin. On the other hand, two years ago Ukraine immediately deported a U.S. Marine Corps dropout and former member of The Base, Ryan Burchfield, for alleged far-right terrorist activities there.

The FBI field office in Detroit, which successfully took down The Base cell in Michigan and thwarted a series of alleged terror attacks, said that Nazzaro was the subject of an open bureau investigation.

As far as he's concerned, that's being looked at by another field office, Christopher Tarrant, a supervisory special agent on domestic terrorism, told VICE News in an interview at an FBI office in the Detroit area. I cannot speak on what they're doing specifically when it comes to that.

Though Tarrant wouldnt elaborate on which FBI office he was referring to, Nazzaro did incorporate his security contracting company, Omega Solutions, and had an address in Manhattan, which could point to the New York field office that has successfully handled international terrorism investigations.

The FBI National Press Office said it did not have a comment.

Previously, in 2021, a State Department source told VICE News that Nazzaro was a Department of Justice matter.

In recent months, Nazzaro has complained online to followers that one of his email service providers cut off his account, and he posted a screenshot of an alleged notification from Uber telling him that information from his activities on the platform were forwarded to the Department of Justice. (Uber has yet to respond to VICE News about Nazzaros account.)

In a text exchange, Nazzaro said he was not surprised that the FBI would be investigating him and maintained he had done nothing illegal, claiming law enforcement was targeting him for political reasons.

It is unclear whether Nazzaro is being formally protected by Russian authorities, though he did make a national appearance on the Kremlin-controlled news channel Rossiya-24 (now banned in several countries for its role as a propaganda arm of Putin) in 2020 denouncing his connections to terrorism. (BBC News reported that Nazzaro had also attended a Russian government security exhibition in 2019.) Almost from the outset of The Bases founding, members were suspicious of Nazzaro, who was overseeing the group from his homebase in Russia where he lives with his wife and daughters, even joking that he was an asset of the FSBthe Russian intelligence agency known for its American and foreign spy operations.

Do you have any information about The Base or any other extremist groups? You can reach Ben Makuch by contacting 267-713-9832 on Signal, @benmakuch on the Wire app, or by email at ben.makuch@vice.com.

The Putin government has long cultivated relationships with domestic neo-Nazi militants, sending them to fight as private armies in Ukraine and aiding their networking with global white power groups. The Russian Imperial Movement, for example, which the U.S. State Department lists as a terrorist organization, is based in St. Petersberg and is known for providing paramilitary training to European neo-Nazis.

The Kremlins goal is to destabilize the democracies in the West, and utilizes far-right extremists like Nazzaro to achieve this, said Russia and terrorism expert Mollie Saltskog, a senior intelligence analyst at geopolitical intelligence firm the Soufan Group who has studied the links between the Kremlin and neo-Nazi networks.

According to her, the Putin government has fostered a host of relationships and influence campaigns with the global far-right.

The Kremlin always uses a degree of separation to claim plausible deniability, she said. But we know that Kremlin-backed or aligned actors have amplified white supremacy conspiracies and disinformation online, provided safe haven to American neo-Nazis, allowed sanctioned Russian terrorist entities to train European neo-Nazis, and funded white supremacy groups on European soil.

But since as far back as October 2020, Nazzaro has repeatedly denied he's a Moscow-controlled spook.

I am not a Russian agent, he told VICE News at the time. I have never had any contact with Russian law enforcement, military, or intelligence officials.

Several emails to Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry and a mouthpiece for the Kremlin, asking about Nazzaros status and his connections to an international terror group inside her country, went unanswered.

Nazzaro claimed to VICE News that hes no longer the leader of The Base or in control of it. The Base still exists, but in late 2022, is a shell of its former self following the mass arrests and the high-profile infiltration by an anti-fascist activist. The group is, however, a fixture of hyper-violent, neo-Nazi Telegram networks and recently called for the killing of left-wing government officials in the U.S.

With files from Mack Lamoureux

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He Founded an American Neo-Nazi Terror Group. But Will Rinaldo Nazzaro Ever Face US Justice? - VICE

Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church in Poland – Warsaw Institute

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Date: 17 October 2022 Author: Maciej Bujalski

Although World War II ended the period of Poland being home to many faiths, the country was essentially Catholic-dominated before the war broke out. The 1931 census found that 65 percent of Polands prewar population declared themselves Catholic. Thus, this article depicts the Catholic Church in Nazi-occupied Poland while reviewing some attitudes the Polish clergy would adopt at that time.

The Nazi terror was fierce and protracted in Poland. Chief of the General Government in Nazi-occupied Poland Hans Frank brazenly named priests his deadly enemies. What he said reflected accurately the attitude of the Nazis towards clergymen. Some 2,500 priests from Poland and elsewhere were imprisoned at Dachau during the war. The Nazis struck terror into clergymen on the territories incorporated into the Third Reich, but atrocities knew no limits. Between 1939 and 1945, about 2,000 members of the Polish clergy perished.

Amid Nazi atrocities, the spirits of Polish clergymen proved unbreakable. The Catholic Church bolstered its leading role in suppressing any crushing authorities, probably a driving force behind Polands successful effort to free itself from the Soviet yoke nearly fifty years later.

Most notable figures of the Catholic Church in Nazi-occupied Poland included Fr. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Archbishop Adam Sapieha, and August Cardinal Hlond. The deeds of that last one might indeed stand for the role the Catholic Church played in Polands independence pursuits if to consider its nature worldwide. All the virtues of August Cardinal Hlond prove a role church institutions could serve in geopolitical gamesa quite likely phenomenon to this date.

Hlond, who served as Archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw, was injured as soon as the war broke out and then left Poland, heading for Romania. After the war, he returned to Polandwhere he died sometime laterdespite fierce opposition from the London-based government-in-exile. Politically active as he was, August Cardinal Hlond was even offered to become Polands prime minister. He was also believed to run for president. He made a stay in Rome where he conducted some behind-the-scenes efforts to inform the public about Nazi crimes and improve the living standards of the Polish clergy. He often featured Vatican radio broadcasts, where he defended the Polish case. He also submitted an official account of the persecutions of the Polish Church to the Vatican. Then he moved to France, where he was detained in 1944. However, his remarks on Jews might spark controversy. Yet he was engaged politicallyhe spoke favorably of Polands 1944 land reform, among other domestic topics. He died in 1948 in Warsaw.

What Hlond did for Poland may indeed differ from a heroic sacrifice Fr. Kolbe had made. Nonetheless, it says much about Polish attitudes towards the Nazi occupier. He embodied patriotismand even though his focus was outside politics, he still took advantage of his privileged position to care about his homeland. Other outstanding Poles, including Ignacy Jan Paderewski during World War I, remained devoted to the Polish case, which resonated in the countrys ties worldwide.

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Nazis burned the book and started a riot in theaters when it went to film but now it has its own version from Germany – War Is Boring

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

James Verniere

Boston Herald

(TNS)

All Quiet on the Western Front, a 1928 World War I novel by war veteran Erich Maria Remarque, was banned and burned in Nazi Germany. When the Academy Award-winning 1930 film version from Universal Pictures opened in Berlin, Joseph Goebbels himself entered the theater and started a riot. In 1979, a second version of the film was seen on American TV. Now, we have a version from Germany itself, and the film is the countrys selection for the Academy Award.

I dont know much about director Edward Berger, whose previous film Jack was about a troubled family. But his version of All Quiet on the Western Front is at least the equal of Lewis Milestones early talkie classic.

His lead actor Felix Kammerer, who plays the lead Paul Baumer, has a haunting, terrified, shattered expression on his face throughout most of the film, a look that is going to stay with me for a long time. Several times, that face is caked in mud and resembles a death mask. As in all film versions of this book, Paul is one of a close-knit group of young men, some still adolescents, who are encouraged to join the fight by a teacher who delivers a war-mongering speech resounding with themes and images from the St. Crispins speech of Shakespeares Henry V. Not knowing what awaits them, they sign up and literally wearing the clothes of dead men they are soon in the trenches at the Western Front.

Like all great war moves, All Quiet on the Western Front is fiercely anti-war and frequently repulsive to look at. Man is a beast, someone observes. I want to go home, cries another. The war is a meat grinder, turning human bodies into blown-to-bits bloody rags with bullets, bombs, tanks, artillery shells and grenades. In one scene, French soldiers armed with flame throwers burn German soldiers alive. One by one, Pauls beloved friends are killed in terrible ways. In another horrifying scene, Paul is pulled out of the blasted earth like a man being dragged out of his grave.

How long will this innocent evade Death? Someone in the German High Command says that 40,000 German soldiers were killed in a week. In Champagne, France, a German soldier steals a goose from an angry French farmer, and he and his friends cook it and wolf it down. Camps are full of surgeons in blood-soaked coats, sawing the limbs off the injured without anesthesia. Caskets are piled everywhere. Bodies are thrown into holes in the ground. A maimed friend of Pauls, who dreamed of being a Ranger, stabs himself in the neck repeatedly with a fork. Meanwhile, on a train full of food and drink, diplomats led by a consul played by Daniel Bruhl, who also served as an executive producer, negotiate with an obdurate Marshall Foch. They rightly argue that the French armistice is designed to humiliate and impoverish Germany.

The war imagery in this All Quiet on the Western Front often recalls the work of Otto Dix, the German artist and WWI veteran, whose work realistically depicts the horrors of that war and the horrific wounds inflicted upon its fighters (the Nazis banned him, too).

All Quiet on the Western Front surpasses even Sam Mendes Academy Award-winning WWI epic 1917 (2019) in its realism and immersive quality. The trench warfare scenes are something out of a horror film. We and Paul journey through a bloody, picaresque, rat-infested hell.

We are reminded of the pain Putin inflicts right now in Ukraine. Cinematographer James Friend (TVs Rillington Place) deserves as much praise as Berger. The baleful sonics of composer Volker Bertelmann (Ammonite) are the perfect accompaniment. This new All Quiet on the Western Front takes liberties with the book. But Remarque would approve.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

(In German and French with English subtitles)

Grade: A

MPAA rating: R (for strong bloody war violence and grisly images)

Running time: 2:27

How to watch: Now in theaters and streaming on Netflix Oct. 28.

2022 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit atbostonherald.com. Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC.

They died praying for others: Two Catholic priests martyred by Nazis beatified in Italy – Catholic News Agency

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Twenty-year-old Father Ghibaudo went to confession and offered Mass in Boves, Italy, on the morning of Sept. 19, 1943. Hours later, he found himself rushing to help orphans escape to the countryside as German soldiers burned down 350 buildings in the Italian mountain town south of Turin.

The young priest returned to the town to preserve the consecrated sacred Hosts, offering absolution to people he encountered. As he approached a man who had been shot in the back of the head to give him absolution in articulo mortis, the priest himself was shot with a machine gun. A soldier further stamped on the priests face with his boots and stabbed him, killing him only three months after his ordination to the priesthood.

Ghibaudo died while ministering as a priest, fulfilling the call he felt when he received his First Communion and later wrote about when he was a high school student: Becoming a priest, living as a priest, dying as a priest: this is the synthesis of the dearest hopes I conceive for my life.

After Italy surrendered to the Allies in September 1943, two German soldiers were captured as armed clashes broke out in the mountains of Boves between Nazi soldiers and a group of Italian partisans. German Major Joseph Peiper threatened the destruction of Boves if the two soldiers were not released.

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They died praying for others: Two Catholic priests martyred by Nazis beatified in Italy - Catholic News Agency

Ben Bril: The Dutch Jewish boxing champion sent to Nazi camps by Olympic team-mate – BBC

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Bril was a champion Dutch boxer and Holocaust survivor

Sitting in his boxing gym just outside Amsterdam, former Dutch champion Barry Groenteman is reminiscing about the times he used to visit his grandmother.

When she was living in a retirement home and he would go to see her, he'd often come across an older man "who was always shadowboxing: in the hall, with the nurses".

Groenteman continues: "He'd show me his ring, with the Star of David on it. And my grandmother would whisper: 'That's Ben Bril.'"

For the young Groenteman, it was an introduction to a man who would have a huge impact on him and whose story he feels compelled to tell.

Like him, Bril grew up as Jewish boy in Amsterdam, and - also like him - boxing became his life.

But there the comparisons end. Groenteman was born in 1986. Bril was born in 1912. By the time he reached his 30s, his life had been transformed by invasion, violence and anti-Semitism.

On Monday, the Dutch boxing world will come together to celebrate the return of the Ben Bril Memorial night, at Amsterdam's famous Carre Theatre.

Those gathered will remember how a serial national champion was forced into hiding and then sent to the Nazi concentration camps by a former Olympic team-mate. They will look back on his remarkable survival and consider his legacy today - inside and outside of the ring.

Bril grew up in one of the poorest parts of Amsterdam as the second youngest of seven children.

It was a tough upbringing, according to Steven Rosenfeld, who is a relative of Bril's through his wife Celia and has written a book about his life: Dansen om te overleven (A Dance with Survival).

"They lived in tenements, he didn't sleep in a bed, he slept on straw, they didn't have a toilet, he had to carry buckets down to the street," Rosenfeld says.

For the young Bril, fighting was a part of daily life. There were scraps with friends of course, but also clashes with rival groups from different communities in the tightly packed city, according to Ben Braber, a historian who has written extensivelyexternal-link about Jewish life in Amsterdam during the inter-war years.

But while some of his friends carried on brawling, Bril turned his hand to sport.

"Boxing was very popular in the Jewish quarter before World War II," says Braber.

"For some boys, it was hard fist-fighting for gamblers, but other young Jews joined clubs. They were popular because the training and the matches were an escape from daily routine, also [from] daily poverty.

"And [the young men] built their self-esteem, because the art of self-defence requires courage, stamina, quick reactions but also technical skills."

Bril was one of those young men, and his career sparked into life early when - at the age of only 15 - he was selected to fight for the Netherlands at the Amsterdam Olympics of 1928.

He turned 16 on the opening day of the Games (there are some suggestions he had to falsify his birthdate in order to qualify and was in fact only 15) and reached the quarter-finals in his weight class - flyweight.

As he got older, Bril found work in a butcher's shop, and used his new job to help develop his sport.

"He told me that when he had to chop up meat he always used his left hand, even though he was naturally right-handed, to strengthen his left jab," Braber remembers.

Rosenfeld recalls Ben's "brick-like" hands, toughened, he was told, by dipping it into pickle brine.

Through the late 1920s and the 1930s Bril became a serial champion, winning eight Dutch titles and national fame.

But life in Amsterdam would change dramatically over those years - especially for Jews like him.

Economic crisis, the rise of Nazi Germany and an associated increase in anti-Semitism in the Netherlands made discrimination against Jews increasingly prevalent.

Bril experienced this directly when, despite his domestic success, he was left out of the Dutch team for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

At the time, says Rosenfeld, he didn't fully understand what had happened, but it later became clear that he was blacklisted by anti-Semites on the Dutch national boxing committee.

Despite that, three years later in 1935 Bril claimed what, for him, would always be his greatest success - and the source of that Star of David ring he wore even as an old man.

He travelled to Tel Aviv, in what was then Mandatory Palestine, to take part in the second edition of the Maccabiah Games for Jewish athletes from around the world.

He and a fellow Dutch Jew, his friend Appie de Vries, both won gold medals and returned to a hero's welcome among the Jewish community in Amsterdam.

It was at about this time that Bril started wearing the Star of David on his shorts, to match the ring he had won.

It is something of a tradition among Jewish boxers to wear the Star in that way and Bril was certainly not the first.

The great 1920s American lightweight Benny Leonard, known as 'The Ghetto Wizard', did it in his heyday.

And, much later, as his own career took shape, Barry Groenteman would honour the man who inspired him by himself displaying the Star of David in the ring.

For Braber though, Bril's act of identifying himself in that way, in 1930s Netherlands, is "very significant".

"He clearly identified himself as being Jewish, but he also wanted to be identified [by others] as being Jewish - that was an important matter to him," he says.

Right up to 1939, Bril was still wearing the Star in the ring, and handing out signed publicity photos of himself wearing those trunks.

Rosenfeld, who also interviewed Bril extensively for his book, says Bril's first motivation in wearing the Star was an expression "of his sports accomplishment" in winning at the Maccabiah, rather than a political statement.

But he was clearly well aware of the wider situation around Europe and wasn't afraid to act on his own initiative.

In 1934, Bril went with a Dutch Jewish group to compete in Germany.

The Nazis had been in power for a year. The state had already begun to discriminate officially against Jews. The atmosphere was hostile and daily life was being made increasingly difficult.

Bril was appalled by what he saw.

"We saw brown uniforms everywhere, swastika flags, the word 'Jew' on Jewish people's businesses," Bril told a Dutch newspaper many years later.

"I said then, as long as this regime is in power, I will never go to Germany."

Despite his hurt at being overlooked for LA four years earlier, when the call came in 1936 for the Dutch champion to travel to Berlin for the Olympic Games, he turned it down.

As his amateur career continued and his fame grew, Bril married his wife Celia. They had a son - Abraham - and opened a sandwich shop in the city of Utrecht.

But their lives, and those of everyone in the country, were turned upside down by the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939. In May 1940 Germany invaded the Netherlands.

Initially little changed, but gradually life for Dutch Jews became more restricted, and increasingly under threat.

"In 1941, stricter regulations came in which were clearly an attempt to segregate the Jews in the Netherlands from the rest of the population," historian Braber says.

There were restrictions on which public spaces Jewish people could enter, and in particular an attempt to force bars and cafes to ban Jews from their premises, which often ended in violence.

This sparked the creation of a number of Jewish defence groups, some centred around the sports clubs like the one of which Bril was a member.

On 11 February 1941, Dutch Nazis marched into the Jewish district of Amsterdam.

A previous incursion two days earlier had resulted in attacks on Jewish homes and businesses, and there was a fear, says Braber, that synagogues would be the next target.

So the defenders - armed with bricks, metal bars, anything they could get their hands on - prepared themselves for another confrontation.

This time it was even more violent and bloody, "a ferocious battle", says Braber, that resulted in the death of at least one Nazi and led to repercussions against the Jewish community.

Within two weeks some 400 men had been rounded up and deported - many survived no more than a few months.

Although Braber was told by a friend of Bril's that Bril was involved - and many men he knew certainly were, including his trainer and a number of fellow boxers - it is unlikely that the champion took part directly in the fighting.

Rosenfeld says Bril was told to stay away, because his fame might make him a target.

But the brief confrontation in Amsterdam's Waterlooplein square, with Jewish fighting groups at the core - "a form of Jewish resistance unique in Europe," says Braber - was a stark demonstration of how life in the city had changed.

The intimidation, violence and official discrimination continued to grow in intensity in the months that followed and in July 1942 - shortly after it became compulsory to wear a yellow star - came the first deportations of Dutch Jews.

"At that point virtually nobody in the Netherlands knew exactly what was happening in those camps where Jews were sent," says Braber.

"What we know now about gas chambers and extermination camps only became clear after the war. Nonetheless, some 20% of people who were called up [for deportation] didn't turn up, and went into hiding."

That number included Bril and his family. As Braber points out, the decision to hide was a perilous one: "'Can we stay together, can we get help, are these people trustworthy?' All these types of things you have to think about."

According to Rosenfeld, the Brils were sheltered in a variety of different places and - despite the danger - were often out and about.

But eventually they were betrayed and held in custody - in a bitter echo of Bril's sporting life - by Sam Olij, who had been Bril's team-mate on the Olympic boxing squad of 1928.

Bril had also boxed with Olij's sons in Amsterdam, but the Olij family had become committed Nazis. According to Dutch sports historian Jurryt van de Voorenexternal-link it was Olij's son Jan who arrested Bril and his wife and son.

The Bril family were sent to the camps. First to Vught in the Netherlands, then - up by the German border in the north - to Westerbork, and finally to Bergen-Belsen, where it's estimated 50,000 people died, Anne Frank among them.

De Vooren has described Olij as "a notorious Jew hunter" who committed "the worst kind of betrayal in Dutch sport". After the war, he served nine years' imprisonment and died in 1975, while his son Jan was said to have fled to Argentina.

There is one moment that stands out from Bril's life in the war beyond all others. It was a moment fraught with danger, but one in which he acted instinctively. It came at the Nazi concentration camp at Vught, and we can hear about it through Bril's own words, because he told the story to Braber in the 1980s.

"A boy had attempted to escape [but] they caught him," said Bril.

"They placed him on a rack, and he was to get 25 lashes of a whip. Suddenly the commander called out: 'Boxer - step forward!'

"I had to carry out the punishment, but I refused. The commander said that if I didn't I would get 50 lashes, so I took the whip but when I hit him, I aimed to strike too high.

"The commander got mad: 'Not so!' he cried. He grabbed the whip and started beating like mad. I walked back to my line."

Why Bril suffered no consequences for his refusal to carry out the order is not known, but those who witnessed it were under no doubt as to what they had seen.

"[Ben Bril was] the only man I saw during two and a half years in concentration camps - or heard of - who risked refusing to carry out a formal order of the SS," Braber quotes the head of Vught's Jewish administration as testifying after the war.

It was, says the historian, "a very courageous act".

But Bril would also have to fight in the camps, both in Vught and in Westerbork. As a famous boxer he was a target - someone who the guards might want to see in action.

In 1988, on Dutch television, Bril told of one life-changing moment. "I boxed for my son, who was dying," he said.

He was to fight against a 'kapo' (a camp inmate who was appointed by the Nazis to guard and control the other prisoners) in Vught.

The man asked Bril not to knock him out. He replied that he would comply on condition that the man help him get medicine, and agree not to beat the inmates in his block.

Steven Rosenfeld says the man complied, and Bril's son overcame his illness.

Bril also helped organise fights which were staged for the entertainment of the camp authorities. Those taking part might have got extra rations or other benefits, according to Braber.

Groenteman made a powerful television programme about Bril's story and recalls being shown, by a former inmate, the papers detailing some of the fights in Camp Westerbork.

"I saw such a lot of names I know, I know their grandchildren," he says.

"The scariest thing was that they were so similar to the schedule papers that hang in changing rooms now, when I'm going to an amateur event with my guys. That was hard."

Almost all of Bril's extended family died in the Holocaust, but his son Abraham and his wife Celia survived the war along with him.

In January 1945, from Bergen-Belsen, the family were included in a prisoner exchange that saw them taken first to Switzerland, then to a United Nations camp in Algeria, before making it back to Utrecht.

Bril didn't return to the ring as a fighter after the war, but he couldn't leave boxing.

He became a senior official in the sport, acting as a referee and judge at fights around the world, all the way into the 1970s.

He went to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 (where he once again showed his character by leaping into the ring to protect a fellow referee who had been punched by a competitor), Mexico City in 1968 and Montreal in 1976.

He missed the 1972 Games in Munich, and its own tragic story, only because of a dispute with the boxing authorities in the Netherlands.

Ringside or on the canvas, he played a small role at the start of the careers of some of the greats, officiating in fights involving world champions Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Bril died in 2003 at the age of 91. The first memorial night in his honour was held four years later.

Groenteman made his first appearance at the Carre at the 2011 event. He fought with the Star of David on his trunks, both to honour his family and the man who had inspired him as a youngster.

"I think that day I boxed the best fight in my whole career," he says.

"People get their strength from their religion, from meditation, from mindfulness, from where they come from. I always felt when I was boxing with the Star on my trunks, it gives me more power.

"We're raised up with the attitude: 'Never walk away from where you come from.' Ben Bril stood for who he was."

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Ben Bril: The Dutch Jewish boxing champion sent to Nazi camps by Olympic team-mate - BBC

He Marched At The Nazi Rally In Charlottesville. Then He Went Back To Being A Cop. – HuffPost

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

A Massachusetts police officer attended the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, five years ago and acted in key security and planning roles, HuffPost has confirmed. He also used an alias to post racist and antisemitic comments online. The officer, John Donnelly, was still an active-duty member of the police force until Thursday, shortly after HuffPost inquired about his status with the department and role in the deadly white supremacist rally.

Donnelly, 33, was a patrolman for the Woburn Police Department near Boston, where he has been employed since 2015.

But on the morning of Aug. 12, 2017, Donnelly could be seen on video arriving at the Charlottesville rally with Richard Spencer, a prominent white supremacist for whom Donnelly was apparently acting as a security guard. Spencer, Donnelly and a coterie of other suit-and-tie fascists worked their way into a city park where they held court beneath a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, posing for photos and talking into livestreams.

Donnelly was among hundreds of white supremacists who invaded the university town. His fellow attendees violently attacked counterprotesters, with one neo-Nazi driving his car into a crowd of anti-fascists, killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring 19 others. That evening, Donnelly went to a party at a house near Charlottesville, where he joined in a celebration of the days events.

Donnelly then returned to Massachusetts and resumed his job as a cop.

His white supremacist activism and involvement in the Charlottesville rally has gone unknown for five years, during which time Donnelly while still working as a police officer became the president of a back the blue nonprofit raising money for law enforcement, as well as an award-winning real estate agent whose face is featured on a massive billboard in Woburn, a Boston suburb.

But last month, an anti-fascist collective called Ignite the Right provided HuffPost with evidence showing Donnelly attended the Charlottesville rally and connecting him to a series of deeply alarming messages posted online in which he advocated violence against leftists and minority groups.

HuffPost has verified the collectives research and confirmed Donnellys employment with the Woburn Police Department.

After HuffPost contacted the department about Donnellys extremism, Police Chief Robert Rufo and Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin released a statement announcing Donnelly had been put on administrative leave pending an investigation.

The Charlottesville rally is a dark moment in our history, and deeply disturbing, Galvin said. The City of Woburn is taking these allegations seriously by investigating the incident thoroughly and I will move to terminate Officer Donnelly if the investigation concludes that the allegations are accurate.

Rufo added that if the allegations against Donnelly are sustained, the department will ask the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to decertify Officer Donnelly, ensuring he may no longer serve in law enforcement in the state.

In response to questions regarding whether Donnelly had ever been disciplined for violating codes of conduct, or whether hed been the subject of civilian complaints, Rufo said HuffPosts inquiries would be treated as a public records request and answered within 10 days.

Donnelly did not respond to multiple requests for comment. After HuffPost left him voicemails, emailed him and messaged him, he deleted his pages on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

White Supremacist Johnny OMalley, Patrolman Johnny Donnelly

Ignite the Right is a group dedicated to exposing every single person who participated in the 2017 event. We do not forgive, the groups website states. We do not forget.

The site includes a database of white supremacists who have been identified as attending the demonstration. (HuffPost has not independently verified these IDs.) It also includes photos of the many white supremacists whose names are still unknown, five years later.

One of those photos was of a white man wearing a suit and sunglasses, sporting a high-and-tight haircut favored by fascists at the time.

The anti-fascists with Ignite the Right plugged that photo into a facial recognition tool. The software searched the internet and shot back a photo of an identical-looking man from a profile page on the online real estate marketplace Zillow. It belonged to a Boston-area realtor named John Donnelly, a buyers agent and listing agent catering to clients in the police and the military.

The anti-fascists then went to work finding corroboration that the facial recognition identification was correct to prove Donnelly was really the man in the suit and sunglasses.

They found a video on YouTube, filmed by someone named KK, from the Aug. 12, 2017, rally, showing the man standing beneath Charlottesvilles statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. In the video he introduces himself to KK.

Im Johnny OMalley, he says.

The anti-fascists recognized this name and understood it was likely an alias. Theyd seen a Johnny OMalley in a private message group for white supremacists planning the Charlottesville rally. Most of the groups members used pseudonyms.

The members messages to each other hosted on the instant messaging platform Discord were later obtained and published online by the independent media collective Unicorn Riot.

In a message on Aug. 14, 2017, someone in the group chat told Johnny OMalley hed seen him the YouTube video from Charlottesville. Oh hey OMalley, I saw you on KKs videonice glasses, the message read.

Oy vey thanks lol, OMalley replied, suggesting that the OMalley in the video and the OMalley in the chat were the same man.

As the anti-fascists scrolled through messages from Johnny OMalley, they found him divulging biographical details that matched those of John Donnelly, the real estate agent. OMalley, for example, often talked about being Irish American and living in the Boston area.

And in a message dated Aug. 20, 2017, OMalley wrote, My sister got married to a huhwhite guy today Im trashed. (Huhwhite is alt-right lingo for white, a reference to how some older white nationalists pronounce the word.)

According to the Facebook profile belonging to John Donnellys sister, she was married on Aug. 20, 2017.

Ignite the Right noticed on Donnellys LinkedIn page that he was not only a realtor; he was a cop. Police Officer, City of Woburn, the page said. Acted in support of regular police operations serving arrests, enforcing traffic laws, and providing services to 40,000+ residents of Woburn.

Earlier this week, HuffPost emailed the photo of Johnny OMalley from Charlottesville to Rufo, the police chief, asking him to confirm the name and rank of the man in the photo.

Johnny Donnelly, Rufo responded. Patrolman.

Johnny OMalley In Charlottesville

Donnelly was not some random attendee of the Charlottesville rally, but appears to have been deeply involved in organizing the event.

In the chat logs obtained by Unicorn Riot, where he used the name Johnny OMalley, Donnelly can be seen coordinating flights and carpools to Charlottesville for Unite the Right.

In one message, Donnelly refers to himself as an Identity Evropa member, or at least suggests he is closely affiliated with those who are. Identity Evropa is a since-dissolved white supremacist group.

If anyone heading downtown flying in Friday and has transportation that wants to pick up two IE goys up at the airport, shoot me a [private message], he wrote. Were flying into CVille airport. (The word goy is a Jewish name for non-Jewish people thats been appropriated by antisemites in recent years.)

In the video of Donnelly at the rally, its clear that he is working as a bodyguard for Spencer, the racist and antisemitic leader of the alt-right a term Spencer coined to make his white supremacist movement sound more palatable to the general public.

Donnelly stands next to Spencer in the video. Were you at the torch rally last night? the cameraman asks Donnelly, referring to a demonstration on the evening of Aug. 11, 2017, when hundreds of white supremacists marched across the campus of the University of Virginia carrying tiki torches and chanting, You will not replace us! and Jews will not replace us!

Yeah, I was protecting this guy, Donnelly responded to the cameramans question, gesturing at Spencer.

Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

After the video of Donnelly and Spencer was filmed, the Unite the Right rally attendees broke into various bigoted chants, some targeting anti-fascist demonstrators.

And a short time later, the rally exploded into violence, with white supremacists and anti-fascists trading blows in the streets for hours as police stood nearby, watching.

Police eventually declared the rally an unlawful assembly and started to push the white supremacists out of Lee Park. Photos show Spencer pushing himself against a phalanx of riot police, screaming and not wanting to leave.

Its unclear if Donnelly, a police officer, joined Spencer in pushing the police.

Scattered violence broke out around Charlottesville as the white supremacists made their way out of the city. One fascist contingent beat a Black counterprotester with flag poles inside a parking garage.

And a neo-Nazi named James Alex Fields drove his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of anti-fascists, sending people flying into the air and fatally injuring 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

That evening, Donnelly joined a celebration of this violence.

In a message posted in the Discord group, Donnelly described getting a cab to a party after the Unite the Right rally. And I was redpilling the fuck out of the driver about the JQ, Donnelly recounted. Redpilling means awakening to white supremacist beliefs, and JQ is an acronym for the Jewish Question, a phrase with Nazi roots referring to the antisemitic belief that Jews have undue influence and control over society.

Donnelly wrote that the cab was to Azzmadors house, apparently a reference to Robert Azzmador Ray, an elder neo-Nazi who hosted a party at a safe house for white supremacists the evening of Aug. 12, 2017.

As HuffPost first reported, a video from that party shows Azzmador delivering a fiery speech after finding out about Heyers murder.

This is our war! he howled. This has always been our war. And I wouldnt want it any other way. Death to traitors! Death to the enemies of the white race! Hail victory!

Azzmadors adoring fans responded with their own shouts of Hail victory, the English translation of the German Nazi slogan Sieg Heil.

They then broke into a racist and antisemitic song, set to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic.

My eyes have seen the glory of the trampling at the zoo. Weve washed ourselves in n****rs blood and all the mongrels too. Were taking down the ZOG machine Jew by Jew by Jew! The white man marches on!

Donnelly didnt respond to a HuffPost request for comment about whether he sang along.

Police Officer And Alt-Right Shitposter

Donnellys messages in the chat group are replete with racist and antisemitic slurs, along with appeals to violence.

I wore my physical removal shirt from Right Wing Death Squad apparel to the gym today, Donnelly wrote in one 2017 post. Got some looks. If youre not wearing offensive clothing to the gym, the kikes win.

Right Wing Death Squad is an apparel company that was popular among the so-called alt-right in 2017. Its physical removal T-shirt is emblazoned with the words PINOCHET DID NOTHING WRONG, a reference to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochets penchant for killing leftists by throwing them out of helicopters into the ocean.

An illustration on the back of the T-shirt depicts anti-fascists, or antifa, being thrown out of a helicopter. MAKE COMMUNISTS AFRAID OF ROTARY AIRCRAFT AGAIN, it says. PHYSICAL REMOVAL SINCE 1973.

Elsewhere in the chats, Donnelly wrote: Friendly reminder that if you dont lift today the kikes win.

We have enough fags in Boston we dont need anymore, read another message.

Just call them n*****s, read another.

He also once posted his email address, which contains the word rotors a likely reference to Pinochets helicopters.

That email address is connected to an account on Gab, a white-supremacist-friendly Twitter knockoff.

Finally a place to shitpost without normie intervention, Donnelly wrote on Gab.

REMOVE KEBAB, he wrote a short time later, using a racist alt-right euphemism for ethnically cleansing the U.S. and Europe of Muslims.

A Real Estate Agent, Back The Blue Booster, And Firearms Instructor

Earlier this year, John Donnelly was the subject of a nice profile in Boston Agent Magazine, a local real estate trade publication. It began:

A Massachusetts resident for 32 years, John Donnelly, in his own words, is an agents agent. A Woburn native, Donnelly takes pride in the local connections hes fostered in his three years in real estate and during his career as a police officer.

In addition to providing him an outlet to hone his social skills, Donnelly credits his experience on the police force with giving him a strong eye for detail and a fine-tuned negotiation style that helps him succeed today.

Donnelly now has a team of 15 motivated people working with him as The Donnelly Group, which primarily serves clients in the northern Boston and southern New Hampshire areas. My team consists of a positive and fun atmosphere which promotes synergy, allowing us to get more done, he remarks. In 2021, Century 21 also recognized Donnelly personally with the CENTURY 21 CENTURION production award.

Donnelly got into the real estate business in 2018, according to his since-deleted LinkedIn profile. By November 2020, according to an Instagram post from The Donnelly Group, he had his own billboard in Woburn. The photo shows him standing with his German shepherd in front of the sign which features his likeness and his businesss phone number.

Century 21 did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday about Donnellys white supremacist activism.

Donnellys former LinkedIn profile also described him as being the president of a nonprofit organization called Irish Angel since February of this year.

Irish Angel is a support network for Law Enforcement, EMS, Firefighters, and the Military, the groups website states. We provide education, awareness, and resources about addictions, PTSD, PTSI, TBI, Depression, and anxiety.

Irish Angels social media accounts frequently post images of the Thin Blue Line flag, and messages with the phrase Blue Lives Matter common symbols in law enforcement communities across the country that were developed as a racist retort to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Donnelly frequently posts this type of pro-police propaganda on his own social media accounts.

He also appeared at a fundraiser for Irish Angel as recently as September 2021, according to a photo posted to Twitter that shows him posing with the organizations founder, Amanda Coleman.

A short time after HuffPost emailed Irish Angel about evidence of Donnellys white supremacist activism, the organization removed his picture from its website.

Were absolutely disappointed and appalled in light of this information, Jorey Herrscher, the groups treasurer, told HuffPost on Thursday. We certainly had no knowledge of that going on, or otherwise he never wouldve been in that position. Its a sad thing that groups like the ones he belonged to can infiltrate the best of organizations.

Herrscher said Donnelly was immediately removed as president of Irish Angel and that an investigation has been launched to ensure his white supremacist activities didnt impact the organizations mission.

Before Donnelly was a cop, before he was a real estate agent, and before he was the president of a police nonprofit, he worked with his father at Precision Point Firearms.

The companys website describes it as federally licensed manufacturer and dealer of firearms in Massachusetts. According to the vanished LinkedIn page, Donnelly was a part owner of the company, as well as a lead firearms instructor and expert witness until January 2017.

Photos from Precision Point Firearms show Donnelly attending different gun fairs and posing with big guns.

And one post, from early August 2017 a week before Donnelly flew down to Charlottesville shows a pistol for sale next to a Precision Point Firearms-branded sticker.

BLACK GUNS MATTER, the sticker said.

Anti-Fascists To Unite The Right Attendees: We Will Find You

In the weeks leading up to the Charlottesville rally, Donnelly coached future attendees how not to be doxxed.

If youre worried about being identified, Donnelly wrote to members of the group chat, try to be low key. Dont wear T-shirts with slogans or carry signs that might attract the attention of photojournalists.

He also tried to put the white supremacists at ease.

[Anti-fascists] can review all the footage they want, but unless there is a massive effort, theyre not going to be able to doxx every person there, Donnelly wrote.

Five years later, Donnelly has been doxxed by precisely that kind of massive effort.

Ignite the Right is a coalition of anonymous anti-fascist researchers that formed on the five-year anniversary of the rally in Charlottesville this past August.

When it launched, the coalition implored people in communities across the country to send them tips that could help them ID people who attended Unite the Right.

The coalition now has the photos of 529 people who attended the rally on its website. Two-hundred eighty-one of them have been identified, a spokesperson said, while another 248 still need to be IDd. (Again, HuffPost has not independently verified these IDs.)

Among the dozens of white supremacists the coalition claims to have exposed over the last few months was a computer science professor at Furman University in South Carolina. The professor, Christopher Healy, has been put on leave pending an investigation by the school.

In a statement to HuffPost this week, Ignite the Right emphasized that it will never stop its search to find the fascists who terrorized Charlottesville.

A woman was murdered at Unite The Right by a white supremacist compatriot of neo-Nazi cop John Donnelly, the statement said. The white supremacists who attended Unite The Right are an ever-present danger to their communities. We cannot tolerate Nazi cops and Nazi gun dealers having the authority to execute or imprison people. All his cases must be reviewed.

See the rest here:

He Marched At The Nazi Rally In Charlottesville. Then He Went Back To Being A Cop. - HuffPost

What Is Oceania? – WorldAtlas

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Oceania is a region of the South Pacific Ocean. It is also regarded as a continent in some parts of the world. It consists of 4 subregions, Australia and New Zealand, Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. Approximately 43 million people live in Oceania. The region contains 14 independent countries and 8 dependencies. While Oceania contains countries with large land areas, like Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea, most of its countries and dependencies consist of thousands of small islands.

Australia and New Zealand collectively contain more than 30 million people, which is nearly three quarters of the entire population of Oceania. Australia itself has a population of approximately 25.7 million, while New Zealands population is close to 4.85 million. Most of the people in both countries are of European descent, but there are sizeable non-European populations as well. Australia has an indigenous population known as Aborigines. Some believe that this population is the oldest human population outside of Africa, theorizing that they arrived in Australia by boat about 70,000 years ago. There are 250 distinct language groups among the Australian Aborigines. In contrast, New Zealands indigenous population is composed of one group, the Maori, who are believed to have migrated to New Zealand about 1,200 years ago.

Much of Australia is barren and inhospitable. In fact, most of Australia is low desert plateau. Australia does, however, have more fertile land in areas closer to the countrys coast, especially in the southeast, where much of the Australian population lives. The ecosystem of Australia is also very diverse and includes many plants and animals not seen anywhere else. Australian culture is widely popularized in movies and television. When people around the world think of Australia, they often think of Fosters beer, boomerangs, and kangaroos, though there is certainly more to the countrys culture.

New Zealand has a wide variety of geographic regions. You can find just about any kind of geographical feature in the country, including glaciers, mountains, plains, fjords, subtropical forests, and volcanic plateaus. The countrys two large islands are known simply as the North Island and South Island. As previously mentioned, New Zealand consists mostly of people of European descent and the indigenous Maori. They are equally proud of both the European and indigenous aspects of their culture. All New Zealanders are affectionately called kiwis, after the bird species that is indigenous only to New Zealand.

Both Australia and New Zealand were both British colonies, and are now constitutional monarchies and parliamentary democracies. Australia is a federation of six states and ten territories. Both countries also have developed economies, which is unique in Oceania, as the rest of the regions countries host developing economies. In fact, the Australian economy, valued at over a trillion US dollars, is bigger than all the other economies in Oceania combined.

Polynesia is the easternmost subregion of Oceania. The name Polynesia is a Greek word literally meaning many islands. Indeed, the subregion of Oceania contains more than 10,000 islands. The islands of Polynesia belong to 3 independent countries and 6 dependencies.

About 687 thousand people live in Polynesia. The first humans settled Polynesia between 1300 and 900 BCE. The first European contact with Polynesia occurred in the late 16th century. By the early 1900s, the entire subregion was colonized by European powers. Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu became independent states in 1962, 1970, and 1978 respectively. Samoa and Tuvalu are democratic republics, while Tonga is a constitutional monarchy. The dependencies of Polynesia are French Polynesia, American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the Wallis and Futuna Islands, Niue, and Tokelau.

French Polynesia and the Wallis and Futuna Islands are controlled by France, American Samoa by the U.S., and the Cook Islands, Tokelau, and Niue by New Zealand. French Polynesia is the most populous territory in Polynesia, with a population of approximately 281 thousand, while Tokelau is the least populous with less than 1,400 people.

Many Polynesians still depend on subsistence farming. There are, however, some agricultural exports from the subregion. Coconut, for example, is often exported from Polynesia. Tonga exports vanilla. Fishing is also a common activity among Polynesians. The fastest-growing economic sector in the subregion, however, is probably tourism.

The people of Polynesia speak multiple languages. In fact, nearly all the countries and territories of the subregion have their own indigenous languages. The countries of Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu each have languages of their own, as do the New Zealand dependencies of Tokelau and Niue. The French dependency of Wallis and Futuna has two indigenous languages, Wallisian and Futunian. French Polynesia has several languages indigenous to each island group. Many Polynesians also speak the languages of their territories current or former European colonial power.

Polynesian culture has both indigenous and foreign influences. In Tahiti, for example, people sing himene, which is Tahitian for hymns. These are often Christian hymns that blend both European and Tahitian sounds. Do you like to surf? If you do, you can thank the Polynesians, as the modern sport of surfing was created when Europeans observed the native Polynesians doing it.

Melanesia consists of 2,000 islands stretching east to west from the Arafura Sea in Indonesian waters to the eastern side of the western Pacific Ocean, and from north to south from the island of New Guinea to the waters south of New Caledonia. About 11.2 million people live in Melanesia. Most of them, almost 9 million, live in the country of Papua New Guinea, which is also the largest country in the subregion. The rest live in the three other countries of Melanesia, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, as well as the French dependency of New Caledonia.

The indigenous people of Melanesia are mostly dark-skinned. In fact, the name Melanesia is derived from Greek and means black islands. Human settlement in Melanesia dates back to 70,000 years ago. European contact with Melanesia took place in the 17th century, with colonization beginning in the 18th century. By the late 1800s, European powers controlled all of Melanesia. The independent countries of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu gained their independence in 1970, 1975, 1978, and 1980 respectively. Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are constitutional monarchies, with the British monarch as their ceremonial head of state, while Fiji and Vanuatu are republics.

Hundreds of languages are spoken in Melanesia. In fact, there are 700 languages spoken in Papua New Guinea alone. The Solomon Islands has 120 indigenous languages, and Vanuatu more than 100. The indigenous language of Fiji is known simply as Fijian. The Kanak people, who are the dominant ethnic group in New Caledonia, have 28 different languages and 11 dialects. Many people of Melanesia also speak the languages of the current or former European colonial powers.

Melanesia is rich in natural resources. New Caledonia, for example, has about 10% of the worlds entire nickel reserve. The rainforests of the Solomon Islands provide forestry products. Tourism is also an expanding sector in Melanesia, as is mining and logging, much to the chagrin of some local communities, who wish to preserve their environment and traditional way of life.

Indeed, many Melanesians still live traditional lifestyles. Some, for example, still wear traditional clothing. Melanesians still adorn themselves with tattoos, paint their faces and bodies, and dawn unique headdresses. Nevertheless, Western cultural influences, such as the introduction of Christianity have altered the cultures of indigenous Melanesians.

Micronesia, which is Greek for small islands, is situated in the western Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines, west of Polynesia, north of Melanesia, and south of Japan. About 983 thousand people live in Micronesia. There are 5 independent countries in Micronesia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Nauru. There are also 2 dependencies in Micronesia, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, both controlled by the U.S. Over half of the population of Micronesia lives in the country of the same name. The Federated States of Micronesia has a population of approximately 553 thousand. The tiny island country of Nauru is the least populous, and has just under 11,000 people. The 5 independent countries of Micronesia are all democratic republics.

The first humans in Micronesia arrived about 3,500 years ago. The first Europeans came to the subregion in the 16th century. By the 19th century, Europeans had colonized the entire subregion. Decolonization began in the late 1960s. By the mid-1980s, all the current countries of Micronesia had achieved independence, while Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands remain under U.S. control.

Many Micronesians still engage in subsistence agriculture. Phosphate mining was conducted in Nauru until the late 20th century. Some commercial fishing takes place in Micronesian waters. The U.S. military also provides employment for people living in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Space-launching facilities are located in Kiribati. Tourism is also a growing economic sector in the subregion. Foreign aid, particularly from the U.S., is still a major source of revenue for the countries of Micronesia.

Most of the people of Micronesia are of Micronesian descent, though some have mixed Micronesian and Melanesian heritage. There are many languages spoken in Micronesia. The countries of Palau, Nauru, and Kiribati each have their own indigenous national languages. Several languages are spoken in the Federated States of Micronesia. Chamorro is spoken by the people of the same name in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Indigenous religions are still practiced to an extent in Micronesia, though most people of the subregion are now Christian. Some Micronesians still wear traditional dress, such as loincloths. Traditional dances and music are also still popular, though such entertainment is often mixed with Western customs.

Original post:

What Is Oceania? - WorldAtlas

How Many Countries Are There In Oceania? – WorldAtlas

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Danzig

Oceania is a vast region that encompasses Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Ocean subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. There are a total of 14 countries and 9 dependencies in Oceania. More than 43 million people live in the region. Australia is by far the largest and most populous country in Oceania. The countries of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea also have significant land masses and populations in the millions. Oceanias other countries and dependencies, however, consist of many small islands, and have populations ranging from around 900 thousand to less than 1,500.

The Commonwealth of Australia, as it is known officially, is the largest and most populous country in Oceania. More than 25 million people call Australia home, which means that the country is home to more than half of Oceanias entire population. Australia has the unique distinction of being both a country and a continent. It is the worlds smallest continent, but is also the largest country in Oceania, encompassing more than 7.6 million km2 of land area. Australia is also home to Oceanias biggest economy.

Papua New Guinea is Oceanias second-most populous country, with a population of approximately 9 million. It is also the biggest and most populous country in the subregion of Melanesia. Papua New Guinea encompasses a total land area of 452,860 km2. Most of its territory is on the island of New Guinea, which it shares with Indonesia. Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country in the world. There are more than 700 languages spoken in the country, though English is the countrys official language.

New Zealand is the third-largest country in Oceania by land area. Approximately 4.8 million people live in New Zealand. Most are of European descent, but there is still a large population of the countrys indigenous people, the Maori. Indeed, both English and Maori are official languages in New Zealand. New Zealanders are often nicknamed kiwis, after the bird species that is native only to that country. The country has recently gained notoriety for its effective tackling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it has managed to keep cases of the virus much lower than most other developed countries.

Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands, though just 100 of them are inhabited. The countrys two main islands are Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, the latter of which is where the countrys capital, Suva, is located. The country comprises a land area of 18,270 km2. About 900,000 people live in Fiji. Most of them are of either Indian origin or members of the countrys Indigenous community. Fijian politics is largely dominated by the conflict between these two groups.

The Solomon Islands is a country based in an archipelago of six major and about 900 smaller islands. The country is located to the east of Papua New Guinea. Like Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands are part of the subregion of Melanesia. The countrys total land area is 27,990 km2. Approximately 700 thousand people live in the Solomon Islands. Most of them live in small villages. In fact, less than a quarter of the countrys population is urban. The capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal, which was the site of a famous World War II battle.

Officially known as the Federated States of Micronesia, and consisting of around 600 small islands, Micronesia is north of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Not to be confused with the subregion of Micronesia, in which there are four other countries, the country of Micronesia has a land area of 3,170 km2 and a population of about 553,000 people. As its official name implies, Micronesia is a federation of four distinct island states. These states are the Chuuk islands, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap, all of which have their own languages.

Vanuatu is a country consisting of about 80 islands in the South Pacific subregion of Melanesia, northeast of New Caledonia, southeast of the Solomon Islands, and west of Fiji. The total land area of the country is 12,190 km2. Because of where it is situated, Vanuatu is a hotspot for various natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The country is home to approximately 312,000 people. The official languages of Vanuatu are English, French, and Bislama, which is an English-based creole.

Formerly known as Western Samoa, Samoa is located in the subregion of Polynesia, about halfway between New Zealand and the US State of Hawaii. It has a land area of 2,830 km2, and consists of two main islands, Upolu and Savaii, as well as seven smaller islets. About three-quarters of Samoas population lives on the island of Upolu, on which the countrys capital city, Apia, is located. Nearly 200,000 people call Samoa home.

Straddling the equator, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is the island country of Kiribati. Kiribati encompasses three island groups, the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The countrys total land area is 810 km2, and its population is about 120,000 people. The people of Kiribati call themselves I-Kiribati, and are mostly of Micronesian descent.

Tonga comprises about 170 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, located southeast of Fiji and south of Samoa. The country has a total land area of 720 km2, but the countrys islands are scattered over an area of 700,000 km2, which is about the size of the US State of Texas. Tonga has a population of approximately 106 thousand people, most of whom live on the countrys main island of Tongatapu, where the national capital, Nukualofa, is located.

The Marshall Islands is comprised of 29 atolls and five individual islands. In total, there are 1,225 islands and 870 reef systems in the country. The land area of the Marshall Islands is just 180 km2, but the countrys many islands are spaced out over 1,942,490 km2. The Marshall Islands are located east of the Federated States of Micronesia, north of Nauru, west of Kiribati, and south of Wake Island. The population of the country is approximately 59,000. English is the official language of the Marshall Islands, but there are also two Malayo-Polynesian dialects indigenous to the islands.

Palau is a small island country based in the western Caroline Islands, which are located in the North Pacific Ocean. The country is about 700 km east of the Philippines. Palau consists of 20 large islands and 566 smaller islands. The countrys land area is 460 km2, and its population is just over 18,000. The people of Palau are Micronesian, though the population also has Malayan and Melanesian elements. Palau has its own Indigenous language, known as Palauan, but English is the countrys official language. Palau is in free association with the US, which guarantees the countrys external security. The currency of Palau is the US dollar.

Tuvalu is an island country located about 1,000 km north of Fiji and 2,000 km east of the Solomon Islands. Originally known as the Ellice Islands under British rule, Tuvalu gained independence in 1978. It is the worlds fourth-smallest country, with a population of under 12,000. Most Tuvaluans are of Polynesian descent, though there is also a small population of Micronesians. The official languages of Tuvalu are English and Tuvaluan. There are also some speakers of Samoan and Kiribati in the country. Tuvalu has its own currency, the Tuvaluan dollar, but Australian dollars are also accepted as a form of currency in the country.

Nauru is the least populated country in the Pacific Ocean and the third least-populous country in the world, with less than 11,000 inhabitants. It is also, however, one of the most densely populated countries on Earth. The total land area of Nauru is just 20 km2, and the population density of the country is 635.2 people per km2, making Nauru the 10th most densely populated country in the world. Nauru is also the worlds smallest republic. English and the Indigenous language of Nauruan are the official languages of Nauru. More than half of the countrys population is of indigenous Nauruan descent, but there is also a large portion of the populace that come from other Pacific islands. Nauru has the dubious distinction of being the fattest country on Earth, with 71.1% of the countrys people classified as obese.

In addition to the 14 countries in Oceania, there are also nine dependencies in the region. Three are dependencies of France, three are American dependencies, and three are dependencies of New Zealand. The largest and most populous dependency is the French dependency of New Caledonia, which has a land area of 18,280 km2, and a population of approximately 287,000. The smallest and least populous dependency in Oceania is the New Zealand-controlled island of Tokelau, which has a land area of just 10 km2, and a population of just over 1,300.

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How Many Countries Are There In Oceania? - WorldAtlas

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