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☆ Jewish groups criticize Pope on 'terrorism' remark, seek clarification
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Pope Francis speaks during the weekly general audience, at the Vatican, November 22, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Jewish groups have criticised Pope Francis and demanded clarifications over his comments that they saw as accusing both Hamas and Israel of "terrorism". Francis made the comments on Wednesday after meeting separately with Jewish relatives of hostages held by Hamas and with Palestinians with family in Gaza. In a toughly worded statement on Thursday, the Council of the Assembly of Italian Rabbis (ARI) accused the pope of "publicly accusing both sides of terrorism". But the AJC added: "Later in the day, he described the Israel-Hamas war as 'beyond war' as 'terrorism.'

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Simon Wiesenthal, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Philip Pullella, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, CITY, Hamas, Gunmen, Twitter, American Jewish Committee, Simon, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, St, Hamas, U.S, Nazi Germany, Ukraine

☆ The scandal over a standing ovation for a Nazi veteran is now raising questions about a cemetery monument in Canada that honors his Waffen SS unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The gaffe rekindled calls for a monument honoring his unit to be removed from a Canadian cemetery. Yaroslav Hunka served in the 14th Waffen SS Division, a voluntary unit of mostly Ukrainians. Now a monument honoring Hunka's unit in Oakville's St Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery is under fire again after his appearance made headlines. It was vandalized with graffiti in 2020, when someone spray-painted the words "Nazi war monument" on its face, reported The Ottawa Citizen. "The bottom line is that this unit, the 14th SS unit, were Nazis," B'nai Brith Canada leader Michael Mostyn told the outlet.

Persons: Yaroslav Hunka, —, Justin Trudeau, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dan Panneton, Simon Wiesenthal, David Marples, Michael Mostyn, Marples, Hunka Organizations: Waffen SS Division, Service, Grenadier Division, Waffen SS, Oakville's St Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Holocaust Studies, Canadian, Global, 14th SS Division, Ottawa Citizen, Russian Embassy, B'nai, Galicia Division, University of Alberta, BBC, 14th SS Locations: Nazi Germany, Nazi, Oakville's St Volodymyr, Toronto, Galicia, Russian, Ottawa, Canada, Russia, Eastern, Ukraine, Polish, Poland

☆ Inviting a former Nazi to Zelenskyy's speech was 'deeply embarrassing' to all Canadians, Trudeau says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Still, Trudeau has not called for speaker Anthony Rota to resign, and Rota is also resisting the calls. Peter Julian, the New Democratic Party House leader, and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet both said Anthony Rota should step down. "This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the Parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians." "I think it's going to be really important that all of us push back against Russian disinformation and continue our steadfast unequivocal support for Ukraine," Trudeau said, per the BBC. "It's been deeply embarrassing for Canada, and I think it was deeply embarrassing for the president of Ukraine," said Gould, who is a descendent of Holocaust survivors.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Anthony Rota, —, Peter Julian, Yves, Francois Blanchet, Julian, Yaroslav Hunka, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rota, Hunka, Zelenskyy, Simon Wiesenthal, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Pierre Poilievre, Will, Karina Gould, It's, Gould, Daria Litvinova Organizations: Service, Nazi, New Democratic Party House, Bloc Quebecois, Kremlin, Liberal Party, BBC, Politico, 1st Ukrainian, Ukrainian, Waffen, SS, SS Galicia Division, Waffen Division, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Holocaust Studies, Ukraine, Liberal, Conservative, Canada, Hunka, Associated Press Locations: Canada, Ukrainian Nazi, Rota, Ukrainian, Moscow, Ottawa, SS Galicia, Ukraine, Tallinn, Estonia

☆ Kremlin says Canadian recognition of veteran from Nazi unit is 'outrageous'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Yaroslav Hunka, 98, received two standing ovations from Canadian lawmakers during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the episode showed a careless disregard for historical truth, and that the memory of Nazi crimes must be preserved. "Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation that does not know who fought whom or what happened during the Second World War. Canadian parliament speaker Anthony Rota introduced Hunka as "a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians" and "a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero." During World War Two, when Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, some Ukrainian nationalists joined Nazi units because they saw the Germans as liberators from Soviet oppression.

Persons: Adolf Hitler's Waffen, Yaroslav Hunka, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Anthony Rota, Hunka, Simon Wiesenthal, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS, Ukrainian, Nazi, Waffen Grenadier Division, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukrainian, Canada, Ukrainian Canadian, Canadian, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Rota, European, Russia, Europe

☆ Canada House Speaker Apologizes for Recognition of Veteran Who Fought for Nazis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Pete SchroederWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The speaker of Canada's House of Commons on Sunday apologized for praising an individual at a parliamentary meeting who served in a Nazi unit during World War II. Two days earlier, Speaker Anthony Rota had recognized 98-year old Yaroslav Hunka as a "Ukranian hero" before the Canadian Parliament. Rota in a statement took responsibility for what was characterized as an oversight, calling the initiative "entirely my own." The recognition came following a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who thanked Canada for its assistance in his country's war against Russia. Since their forces entered Ukraine, Russian officials have drawn parallels with the struggle against Nazism during World War II.

Persons: Pete Schroeder WASHINGTON, Anthony Rota, Yaroslav Hunka, Hunka, Simon Wiesenthal, Rota, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy's, Pete Schroeder, Mark Porter Organizations: Canada's, Nazi, Waffen Grenadier Division, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Canada, Russia, Ukrainian, Waffen, Nazism Locations: Ukraine

Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Rota speaks after being re-elected as Speaker of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada November 22, 2021. Two days earlier, Speaker Anthony Rota had recognized 98-year old Yaroslav Hunka as a "Ukranian hero" before the Canadian Parliament. Rota in a statement took responsibility for what was characterized as an oversight, calling the initiative "entirely my own." The recognition came following a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who thanked Canada for its assistance in his country's war against Russia. Since their forces entered Ukraine, Russian officials have drawn parallels with the struggle against Nazism during World War II.

Persons: Anthony Rota, Blair Gable, Yaroslav Hunka, Hunka, Simon Wiesenthal, Rota, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy's, Pete Schroeder, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Canada's, Nazi, Waffen Grenadier Division, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Canada, Russia, Ukrainian, Waffen, Nazism, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Ukraine

☆ US Senators say Credit Suisse did not review all records when probing Nazi-linked accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Chris Prentice | Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK/ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss lender Credit Suisse did not review all available records when it conducted an internal probe into the historical servicing of Nazi clients and Nazi-linked accounts, according to an investigation published by U.S. lawmakers on Thursday. The logo of Credit Suisse is seen outside its office building in Hong Kong, China, August 8, 2023. “Just under” 1,000 of 65,000 sets of records were available electronically for review, the report said. Neil Barofsky, the former ombudsman, and AlixPartners, the consulting firm Credit Suisse hired to conduct the probe, did not respond immediately to a requests for comment. A spokesperson for Credit Suisse referred Reuters to its April statement defending its review and raising concerns over the ombudsman’s work.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, “, Chuck Grassley, Neil Barofsky, Simon Wiesenthal Organizations: Credit Suisse, Nazi, U.S, REUTERS, Senate, Reuters, Simon, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Bloomberg Locations: ZURICH, Hong Kong, China

☆ Bollywood film ‘Bawaal’ accused of trivializing Holocaust and demeaning victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

They travel to Europe to prominent World War II sites, where their love for one another deepens. And we want what others have.”In another scene in the film, she says: “Every relationship goes through their Auschwitz”. The dialogue and plot has sparked outrage with the SWC calling on the Amazon Prime to stop monetizing the film. Tiwari, Kapoor and Dhawan have not publicly addressed the SWC statement. Dhawan said he respected everyone’s opinion, adding that critics are harder on Hindi movies and give more leeway to Western films.

Persons: New Delhi CNN —, Simon Wiesenthal, Nitesh Tiwari, Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kapoor, We’re, Adolf Hilter’s Nazi, Dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, “ Nitesh Tiwari, India’s, Shantanu Das, “, Tiwari, Dhawan, ”, ” Kapoor Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Amazon Prime, Nazi, SWC, Prime, Global, CNN, Hindustan Times, ” Locations: New Delhi, Indian, Europe, India

CNN —Hundreds of jewels once owned by late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten have fetched a combined 176 million Swiss francs ($196 million) to become the most expensive private jewelry collection ever to appear at auction. Heidi Horten pictured wearing the Briollete of India necklace, which sold for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). The most valuable lot, a ruby and diamond Cartier ring that is “pigeon blood” in color, fetched just over 13 million Swiss francs ($14.5 million), despite Christie’s expecting bids as high as 18 million Swiss francs ($20 million). A 90-carat “Briolette of India” diamond necklace by jeweler Harry Winston also came in below estimate, selling for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). courtesy Christie'sElsewhere, however, a Bulgari diamond ring more than doubled its high estimate to fetch 9.1 million Swiss francs ($10.1 million).

☆ Premarket stocks: The earnings recession is here. There could be worse to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Earnings reports are coming thick and fast, showing how companies fared in the first few months of the year. But even as earnings are forecast to slump to their lowest level in three years, investors fear the worst is yet to come. This left significant gaps in the forensic search for Nazi-linked records, the Senate Committee stated. AlixPartners, according to the Senate committee, has indicated it will conduct a “supplementary review” of Credit Suisse’s connections to ratlines amongst other allegations. Credit Suisse is Switzerland’s second-largest bank by assets and has spent the past few years plagued by scandals and large losses.

☆ Credit Suisse Failed to Probe Nazi Past, Senate Committee Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Margot Patrick | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Credit Suisse Group AG failed to fully investigate recent allegations that it supplied bank accounts to Nazi party members before and after World War II, and pushed aside an outside lawyer it had charged with overseeing an internal probe into the matter, according to a Senate committee investigation. The Senate investigation was prompted by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which in 2020 said it believed that there were accounts at Credit Suisse holding money looted from Jewish victims, based on a list it had of 12,000 Nazi party members and a Nazi-affiliated labor union in Argentina.

☆ Credit Suisse limited investigations into Nazi-linked accounts, Senate Committee alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

This left significant gaps in the forensic search for Nazi-linked records, the Senate Committee stated. The bipartisan Senate investigation follows a March 2020 report by the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) that linked Credit Suisse accounts to a list of 12,000 Nazis in Argentina. Credit Suisse has thus far failed to meet that standard,” said Sen. Grassley in a statement. AlixPartners, according to the Senate committee, has indicated it will conduct a “supplementary review” of Credit Suisse’s connections to ratlines amongst other allegations. Credit Suisse is Switzerland’s second-largest bank by assets and has spent the past few years plagued by scandals and large losses.

☆ Credit Suisse hampered internal probe into Nazi-linked accounts, U.S. senators say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, April 18 (Reuters) - A committee of U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday said troubled Swiss bank Credit Suisse Group (CSGN.S) hampered a multiyear investigation into the servicing of Nazi clients and Nazi-linked accounts. Credit Suisse commissioned an investigation into allegations levied by a human rights organization that the bank held potential Nazi-linked accounts and failed to disclose them, even during Holocaust-related probes decades earlier. Credit Suisse defended its internal review in a statement, saying that the probe turned up no evidence to support key claims from the Simon Wiesenthal Center that dormant accounts serviced by Credit Suisse held assets from Holocaust victims. A representative for AlixPartners, the consulting firm Credit Suisse hired for the probe, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. His report, which the committee obtained via a subpoena, found many questions were left "unanswered" after Credit Suisse decided to halt the review.

☆ AI bot that lets you chat with Jesus, Hitler is latest GPT-3 controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

But this week, it sparked viral controversy online over its inclusion of Hitler, his Nazi lieutenants and other dictators from the past. Historical Figures, which also uses GPT-3, launched the first week of January, and as of Wednesday, it had about 9,000 signups, app creator Sidhant Chadda said in a phone interview. “People expect these historical figures to be truthful, but in reality, people are not always 100% honest,” he said. Asking a question costs one coin, and the app charges extra to get access to high-profile historical figures. The possibility of digitally re-animating historical figures has been gaining ground ever since, from the “The Simpsons” to holograms of dead idols such as Buddy Holly and Whitney Houston.

☆ Amazon removes Nazi and neo-Nazi items after human-rights group protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon has since removed the items, but more related products remain, Gizmodo reported. The Simon Wiesenthal Center blasted Amazon for "monetizing Nazi and Neo-Nazi paraphernalia" on its website in a Thursday blog post. The human-rights organization said Amazon allowed various businesses to market and sell items associated with neo-Nazis, including swastika necklaces and face masks. The Simon Wiesenthal CenterCooper went on to note a letter the SWC sent to Amazon in 2022 for featuring 30 films the organization deemed as Nazi propaganda on Amazon Prime. In 2019, Amazon removed Christmas ornaments featuring the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, according to a report from Insider.

Elon Musk's Twitter account displayed on a mobile with Elon Musk in the background are seen in this illustration. Leaders of major civil rights groups are denying accusations made by Elon Musk, who said they broke an agreement with him by encouraging companies to halt advertising on Twitter . "The main person responsible for the Twitter advertiser exodus is Elon Musk. "We're basically asking Elon Musk, who we all know is a rather creative person, to take leadership in this area," Cooper said. Under Musk's leadership, Twitter rolled out and promptly rolled back a Twitter Blue Verified subscription service, after users who purchased the badges were able to impersonate celebrities, politicians and brands.

☆ Kanye West anti-Jewish posts lead Adidas to cut ties way too late
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Josh Levs | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

After weeks of inaction, Adidas on Tuesday finally dropped its partnership with the proud antisemite Ye, aka rapper Kanye West. But the delay fuels the antisemitic narrative by suggesting Adidas took this step reluctantly and only under pressure. As a company with its own Nazi history, Adidas had every reason to know the dangers of letting antisemitism grow and fester. As a company with its own Nazi history, Adidas had every reason to know the dangers of letting antisemitism grow and fester. It’s a fact that should make Adidas the first business to act against antisemitism on its watch.

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