Number of hate groups in U.S. jumps
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The number of hate groups and anti-government organizations in the United States jumped sharply in 2015 as political speech became more divisive, violent encounters between police and black men were increasingly publicized, and attacks in Paris and California spurred widespread fears of terrorism, a civil rights advocacy group said Wednesday.
In its annual Year In Hate and Extremism report, the Southern Poverty Law Center said the number of U.S. hate groups increased to 892 last year, up from 784 in 2014. Officials said the number of anti-government groups increased from 874 in 2014 to 998 in 2015.
The nonprofit also noted an uptick in anti-Muslim behavior, which it linked to terrorist attacks in Paris and California, and talking points from Republican presidential candidates.
Pope urges countries to let migrants in
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico – In a moment filled with powerful political symbolism, Pope Francis prayed Wednesday at Mexico’s dusty northern border for the thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach the United States and appealed for governments to open their hearts, if not their borders, to the “human tragedy that is forced migration.”
“No more death! No more exploitation!” he implored.
It was the most poignant moment of Francis’ five-day trip to Mexico and one of the most powerful images in recent times: History’s first Latin American pope, who has demanded countries welcome people fleeing persecution, war and poverty, praying at the border between Mexico and El Paso, Texas, at a time of soaring anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. presidential campaign.
Francis stopped short of calling for the U.S. to open its borders during a Mass just 800 yards from the frontier. But in his homily beamed live into the Sun Bowl stadium on the El Paso side, Francis called for “open hearts.”
Car bomb in capital of Turkey kills dozens
ANKARA, Turkey – A car bomb went off in the Turkish capital Wednesday near vehicles carrying military personnel, killing at least 28 people and wounding 61 others, officials said.
The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of Ankara, in an area close to parliament and armed forces headquarters and lodgings. Buses carrying military personnel were targeted while waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the “contemptible and dastardly” attack.
“We believe that those who lost their lives included our military brothers as well as civilians,” Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said.
Associated Press
