The far-right deputy mayor of Adolf Hitler's hometown, whose poem comparing migrants to rats sparked uproar, will step down, his Freedom Party (FPOe) said Tuesday.&nbsp;

The poem by Christian Schilcher, deputy mayor of the town of Braunau am Inn in Upper Austria, used the image of foreign rats integrating with Austrian ones to illustrate the dangers of "mixing" cultures and languages.

FPOe leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache said that Schilcher would quit his job and leave the FPOe "in order to avert any damage to the party".

The row overshadowed the FPOe's campaign launch ahead of European Parliament elections next month.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who has led a coalition between the FPOe and his own centre-right People's Party (OeVP) since late 2017, praised Strache's "clear actions".

"The resignation of the deputy mayor of Braunau was the only logical outcome of this abominable and racist poem," Kurz said.

Both Kurz's and Strache's parties have run on anti-immigration platforms but with May's elections looming Kurz has come under pressure to condemn outbursts from FPOe members.

The opposition Social Democrats (SPOe) said the coalition should be dissolved to protect "the country's image".

"There has to be a democratic consensus that human beings cannot be denigrated, insulted or humiliated," SPOe leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner said on Tuesday.

Strache himself was criticised last week for a Facebook post linking to a site which has published Holocaust denial and various anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

The far-right deputy mayor of Adolf Hitler's hometown, whose poem comparing migrants to rats sparked uproar, will step down, his Freedom Party (FPOe) said Tuesday.

The far-right deputy mayor of Adolf Hitler's hometown, whose poem comparing migrants to rats sparked uproar, will step down, his Freedom Party (FPOe) said Tuesday. The poem by Christian Schilcher, deputy mayor of the town of Braunau am Inn in Upper Austria, used the image of foreign rats integrating with Austrian ones to illustrate the dangers of "mixing" cultures and languages. FPOe leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache said that Schilcher would quit his job and leave the FPOe "in order to avert any damage to the party". The row overshadowed the FPOe's campaign launch ahead of European Parliament elections next month. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who has led a coalition between the FPOe and his own centre-right People's Party (OeVP) since late 2017, praised Strache's "clear actions". "The resignation of the deputy mayor of Braunau was the only logical outcome of this abominable and racist poem," Kurz said. Both Kurz's and Strache's parties have run on anti-immigration platforms but with May's elections looming Kurz has come under pressure to condemn outbursts from FPOe members. The opposition Social Democrats (SPOe) said the coalition should be dissolved to protect "the country's image". "There has to be a democratic consensus that human beings cannot be denigrated, insulted or humiliated," SPOe leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner said on Tuesday. Strache himself was criticised last week for a Facebook post linking to a site which has published Holocaust denial and various anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

Deputy mayor of Hitler's hometown to resign over racist poem

Thai teen idol Namsai feared being booted from her band after a photo of her wearing a t-shirt with a Nazi swastika went viral, but without the uproar she says she would have remained ignorant about the offensive implications of her fashion choices.

As Europe battles, a surge in anti-Semitism, including the desecration of graves in France, Southeast Asia is wrestling with a lack of understanding about the provenance of Nazi paraphernalia that casually creeps into public spaces.

From swastika-adorned trinkets on sale at Thai markets to selfies with Hitler statues in Indonesia, Nazi symbols are easy to find -- a problem critics attribute to ignorance and a misplaced fascination with the fascist regime.

"I was shocked," the contrite singer said of the outcry. "But I felt it was my fault. I wasn't aware even though I should have known."

The 19-year-old is a member of BNK48, one of the most popular girl bands in the country, performing choreographed J-pop-style numbers to adoring crowds.&nbsp;

But Namsai, whose real name is Pitchayapa Natha, waded into controversy when she wore a red-and-black top showing a Nazi flag and swastika during a televised rehearsal last month, prompting the Israeli embassy to express "shock and dismay".

Namsai, who has more than 370,000 followers on Instagram, swiftly posted an apology for what she called "my mistake", met with Israeli diplomats, and offered a tearful onstage apology.

Now she says she may join them in conducting seminars on Holocaust education in Thai schools.&nbsp;

In the meantime, she is researching Nazi history on her own.

"It was a bad experience," she said. But it also presented an "opportunity" to learn, she added, citing a visit to the Holocaust memorial at the UN in Bangkok also attended by other band members.

Selfies and shirts

While Hitler's forces carried out atrocities in Europe, his Japanese allies led a scorched-earth campaign across Asia during World War II.

As a result, Japanese wartime actions are the more immediate prism through which many view the region's history.&nbsp;

The Holocaust is covered in high school textbooks in Thailand but it's "a small portion" of the world history sections, said Chalermchai Phanlert, an academic at the Education Ministry.

That means less emphasis on Nazis and their impact on Europe.

Derived from Sanskrit and with roots in India, the swastika is a commonly displayed motif in Hindu temples across Asia.

But Chalermchai said younger Thais do not fully understand the swastika's European context or Nazi history in general. Instead, Third Reich symbols are used to sell fashion and anti-establishment culture.

In September a love motel outside Bangkok sparked outcry after photos online showed a portrait of Hitler hanging in one of its themed rooms.&nbsp;

Red-and-white swastika badges, stamps, flags and other Nazi-themed trinkets are on sale at Bangkok's popular Chatuchak weekend market, while a vendor on tourist hub Khaosan Road hawks t-shirts of a naked Hitler enjoying a beach holiday.

Enthusiasm for Nazi iconography and portrayals of Hitler have earned rebukes in other Southeast Asian countries.

In 2017 an Indonesian museum that allowed visitors to take selfies with a wax sculpture of Hitler removed the exhibit following global condemnation.

But awareness of the offence caused is growing.

In Myanmar's biggest city Yangon shopkeeper Ko Ko Aung said he used to be part of the punk scene where clothes with swastikas were part of a spirit of rebellion.

Now he says he understands that "punk and Hitler are not connected".&nbsp;

'Nazi chic'

It is both "inaccurate and unhelpful" to draw a link between a vogue for Nazi chic and anti-Semitism, says Elliot Brennan of the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm.

"That is not to say that anti-Semitism does not exist in Asia but one could argue these are led more by anti-Israel positions than anti-Semitism," he said.&nbsp;

Thai history lecturer Tul Israngura Na Ayudhya said the fascination with Hitler has to be seen in context, adding that a lack of education is only part of the story.

Many countries in Asia have a complex relationship with strongmen generals and leaders who are sometimes wrongly applauded as nationalist modernisers.

He cited Mao Zedong, a figure whose policies cost countless lives but who has been the subject of nostalgia in some quarters of late.&nbsp;

And so Hitler is not necessarily "associated with the devil" by everyone in the region.

Tul teaches one of the few university courses devoted to Nazi Germany in Thailand at Chulalongkorn University, where his syllabus begins with Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's memoir "Night".

One of his students, German major Thanapon Danpakdee, laments the carefree approach to Nazi symbols in Thailand, even when it is not meant to offend.

"I think they ignore the other side," he said.

Thai teen idol Namsai feared being booted from her band after a photo of her wearing a t-shirt with a Nazi swastika went viral, but without the uproar she says she would have remained ignorant about the offensive implications of her fashion choices.

Thai teen idol Namsai feared being booted from her band after a photo of her wearing a t-shirt with a Nazi swastika went viral, but without the uproar she says she would have remained ignorant about the offensive implications of her fashion choices. As Europe battles, a surge in anti-Semitism, including the desecration of graves in France, Southeast Asia is wrestling with a lack of understanding about the provenance of Nazi paraphernalia that casually creeps into public spaces. From swastika-adorned trinkets on sale at Thai markets to selfies with Hitler statues in Indonesia, Nazi symbols are easy to find -- a problem critics attribute to ignorance and a misplaced fascination with the fascist regime. "I was shocked," the contrite singer said of the outcry. "But I felt it was my fault. I wasn't aware even though I should have known." The 19-year-old is a member of BNK48, one of the most popular girl bands in the country, performing choreographed J-pop-style numbers to adoring crowds. But Namsai, whose real name is Pitchayapa Natha, waded into controversy when she wore a red-and-black top showing a Nazi flag and swastika during a televised rehearsal last month, prompting the Israeli embassy to express "shock and dismay". Namsai, who has more than 370,000 followers on Instagram, swiftly posted an apology for what she called "my mistake", met with Israeli diplomats, and offered a tearful onstage apology. Now she says she may join them in conducting seminars on Holocaust education in Thai schools. In the meantime, she is researching Nazi history on her own. "It was a bad experience," she said. But it also presented an "opportunity" to learn, she added, citing a visit to the Holocaust memorial at the UN in Bangkok also attended by other band members. Selfies and shirts While Hitler's forces carried out atrocities in Europe, his Japanese allies led a scorched-earth campaign across Asia during World War II. As a result, Japanese wartime actions are the more immediate prism through which many view the region's history. The Holocaust is covered in high school textbooks in Thailand but it's "a small portion" of the world history sections, said Chalermchai Phanlert, an academic at the Education Ministry. That means less emphasis on Nazis and their impact on Europe. Derived from Sanskrit and with roots in India, the swastika is a commonly displayed motif in Hindu temples across Asia. But Chalermchai said younger Thais do not fully understand the swastika's European context or Nazi history in general. Instead, Third Reich symbols are used to sell fashion and anti-establishment culture. In September a love motel outside Bangkok sparked outcry after photos online showed a portrait of Hitler hanging in one of its themed rooms. Red-and-white swastika badges, stamps, flags and other Nazi-themed trinkets are on sale at Bangkok's popular Chatuchak weekend market, while a vendor on tourist hub Khaosan Road hawks t-shirts of a naked Hitler enjoying a beach holiday. Enthusiasm for Nazi iconography and portrayals of Hitler have earned rebukes in other Southeast Asian countries. In 2017 an Indonesian museum that allowed visitors to take selfies with a wax sculpture of Hitler removed the exhibit following global condemnation. But awareness of the offence caused is growing. In Myanmar's biggest city Yangon shopkeeper Ko Ko Aung said he used to be part of the punk scene where clothes with swastikas were part of a spirit of rebellion. Now he says he understands that "punk and Hitler are not connected". 'Nazi chic' It is both "inaccurate and unhelpful" to draw a link between a vogue for Nazi chic and anti-Semitism, says Elliot Brennan of the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm. "That is not to say that anti-Semitism does not exist in Asia but one could argue these are led more by anti-Israel positions than anti-Semitism," he said. Thai history lecturer Tul Israngura Na Ayudhya said the fascination with Hitler has to be seen in context, adding that a lack of education is only part of the story. Many countries in Asia have a complex relationship with strongmen generals and leaders who are sometimes wrongly applauded as nationalist modernisers. He cited Mao Zedong, a figure whose policies cost countless lives but who has been the subject of nostalgia in some quarters of late. And so Hitler is not necessarily "associated with the devil" by everyone in the region. Tul teaches one of the few university courses devoted to Nazi Germany in Thailand at Chulalongkorn University, where his syllabus begins with Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's memoir "Night". One of his students, German major Thanapon Danpakdee, laments the carefree approach to Nazi symbols in Thailand, even when it is not meant to offend. "I think they ignore the other side," he said.

Swastikas and statues: Southeast Asia's fixation with Nazi iconography

Five paintings attributed to Adolf Hitler will be auctioned off Saturday in the German city of Nuremberg, sparking anger that the Nazi memorabilia market is alive and well.

Nuremberg's mayor Ulrich Maly has condemned the upcoming sale as being "in bad taste," speaking to Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Among the items to go under the hammer are a mountain lake view with a starting price of 45,000 euros ($51,000) and a wicker armchair with a swastika symbol presumed to have belonged to the late Nazi dictator.

The Weidler auction house is holding the "special sale" in Nuremberg, the city in which Nazi war criminals were tried in 1945.

The auction made headlines days before its start after several artworks were withdrawn Thursday on suspicion they were fakes and prosecutors stepped in.

Sales of alleged artworks by Hitler — who for a time tried to make a living as an artist in his native Austria — regularly spark outrage that collectors are willing to pay high prices for art linked to the country's Nazi past.

"There's a long tradition of this trade in devotional objects linked to Nazism," Stephan Klingen of the Central Institute for Art History in Munich told AFP.

"Every time there's a media buzz about it... and the prices they're bringing in have been rising constantly. Personally, that's something that quite annoys me."

'Ambitious amateur'&nbsp;

In Germany, public displays of Nazi symbols are illegal but exceptions can be made, in educational or historic contexts for instance.

To comply with the law, the auction house pixellated the swastikas on the wicker chair and a blue-and-white Meissen porcelain vase in catalogue photos and has covered them up on-site.

But none of the paintings includes any of the totalitarian party's insignias.

According to Klingen, Hitler had the style of "a moderately ambitious amateur" but his creations did not stand out from "hundreds of thousands" of comparable works from the period — making their authenticity especially hard to verify.

A haul of 26 pieces originally featured in the catalogue have been removed from sale after suspicions were raised that they might be fakes.

The watercolours, drawings and paintings bearing "Hitler" signatures featured views of Vienna or Nuremberg, female nudes and still lifes, the auction house said. They were offered by 23 different owners.&nbsp;

Prosecutors on Wednesday collected 63 artworks from the Weidler premises bearing the signature "A.H." or "A.Hitler", including some not slated to go under the hammer Saturday.

The Nuremberg-Fuerth prosecutor's office said it had opened an investigation against persons unknown "on suspicion of falsifying documents and attempted fraud", chief prosecutor Antje Gabriels-Gorsolke told AFP.

"If they turn out to be fakes, we will then try to determine who knew what in the chain of ownership," she said.

Weidler said in a statement that the paintings' withdrawal from sale "does not automatically mean they are fakes".

Five paintings attributed to Adolf Hitler will be auctioned off Saturday in the German city of Nuremberg, sparking anger that the Nazi memorabilia market is alive and well.

Five paintings attributed to Adolf Hitler will be auctioned off Saturday in the German city of Nuremberg, sparking anger that the Nazi memorabilia market is alive and well. Nuremberg's mayor Ulrich Maly has condemned the upcoming sale as being "in bad taste," speaking to Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. Among the items to go under the hammer are a mountain lake view with a starting price of 45,000 euros ($51,000) and a wicker armchair with a swastika symbol presumed to have belonged to the late Nazi dictator. The Weidler auction house is holding the "special sale" in Nuremberg, the city in which Nazi war criminals were tried in 1945. The auction made headlines days before its start after several artworks were withdrawn Thursday on suspicion they were fakes and prosecutors stepped in. Sales of alleged artworks by Hitler — who for a time tried to make a living as an artist in his native Austria — regularly spark outrage that collectors are willing to pay high prices for art linked to the country's Nazi past. "There's a long tradition of this trade in devotional objects linked to Nazism," Stephan Klingen of the Central Institute for Art History in Munich told AFP. "Every time there's a media buzz about it... and the prices they're bringing in have been rising constantly. Personally, that's something that quite annoys me." 'Ambitious amateur' In Germany, public displays of Nazi symbols are illegal but exceptions can be made, in educational or historic contexts for instance. To comply with the law, the auction house pixellated the swastikas on the wicker chair and a blue-and-white Meissen porcelain vase in catalogue photos and has covered them up on-site. But none of the paintings includes any of the totalitarian party's insignias. According to Klingen, Hitler had the style of "a moderately ambitious amateur" but his creations did not stand out from "hundreds of thousands" of comparable works from the period — making their authenticity especially hard to verify. A haul of 26 pieces originally featured in the catalogue have been removed from sale after suspicions were raised that they might be fakes. The watercolours, drawings and paintings bearing "Hitler" signatures featured views of Vienna or Nuremberg, female nudes and still lifes, the auction house said. They were offered by 23 different owners. Prosecutors on Wednesday collected 63 artworks from the Weidler premises bearing the signature "A.H." or "A.Hitler", including some not slated to go under the hammer Saturday. The Nuremberg-Fuerth prosecutor's office said it had opened an investigation against persons unknown "on suspicion of falsifying documents and attempted fraud", chief prosecutor Antje Gabriels-Gorsolke told AFP. "If they turn out to be fakes, we will then try to determine who knew what in the chain of ownership," she said. Weidler said in a statement that the paintings' withdrawal from sale "does not automatically mean they are fakes".

Germany: Five 'Hitler' paintings to go under hammer in Nuremberg

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday justified taking 'U-turns' in politics. Khan, even cited the example of former German dictator Adolf Hitler to support his argument that a politician who does not take 'U-turns' according to the situation is not a real leader.

"Hitler and Napoleon (Bonaparte) suffered huge defeats and caused losses as they did not take U-turns," Geo News quoted Khan, as saying.

Khan was interacting with journalists here when he made these comments.

"If you are walking and there is a wall in front of you, then you will have to change and find another way and a leader who does not know how to take U-turns is not successful," Khan was quoted by a journalist who attended the interaction.

The Prime Minister's comments have drawn sharp criticism.

"Imran Khan is Hitler and is taking U-turns to avoid losses," said Pakistan Peoples' Party leader Khursheed Shah.

He asserted that the prime minister was sending a message that Hitler had failed because he did not take a U-turn otherwise he would be successful.

On Friday, Khan also talked about his visit to China.

"Concrete results of my visit are beginning to show. We are receiving all forms of aid from China and are satisfied," Khan commented on his recent trip to China.

On the economic condition, Khan assured that situation will start improving from next year.

"The next three to six months are difficult but from next year onward our economic situation is going to improve significantly and we will be on the right track," he claimed.

Recently, Imran Khan-led-government announced the unveiling of a comprehensive package on education, health and poverty alleviation after the completion of its first 100 days.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday justified taking 'U-turns' in politics. Khan, even cited the example of former German dictator Adolf Hitler to support his argument that a politician who does not take 'U-turns' according to the situation is not a real leader.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday justified taking 'U-turns' in politics. Khan, even cited the example of former German dictator Adolf Hitler to support his argument that a politician who does not take 'U-turns' according to the situation is not a real leader. "Hitler and Napoleon (Bonaparte) suffered huge defeats and caused losses as they did not take U-turns," Geo News quoted Khan, as saying. Khan was interacting with journalists here when he made these comments. "If you are walking and there is a wall in front of you, then you will have to change and find another way and a leader who does not know how to take U-turns is not successful," Khan was quoted by a journalist who attended the interaction. The Prime Minister's comments have drawn sharp criticism. "Imran Khan is Hitler and is taking U-turns to avoid losses," said Pakistan Peoples' Party leader Khursheed Shah. He asserted that the prime minister was sending a message that Hitler had failed because he did not take a U-turn otherwise he would be successful. On Friday, Khan also talked about his visit to China. "Concrete results of my visit are beginning to show. We are receiving all forms of aid from China and are satisfied," Khan commented on his recent trip to China. On the economic condition, Khan assured that situation will start improving from next year. "The next three to six months are difficult but from next year onward our economic situation is going to improve significantly and we will be on the right track," he claimed. Recently, Imran Khan-led-government announced the unveiling of a comprehensive package on education, health and poverty alleviation after the completion of its first 100 days.

Imran Khan cites Hitler to defend 'U-turns' in politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to do to India what dictator Adolf Hitler did to Germany, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday said.

The Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka was speaking at a "Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad" organised in Bandra here by the Mumbai Congress.

He said the country was deteriorating under BJP rule but added that the Congress would never let the RSS, BJP and PM Modi succeed in destroying the Constitution the way other institutions were being destroyed.

"The Constitution does not belong to the people of a particular caste, religion or community but belongs to every Indian equally. Which right to freedom has been respected in parliamentary democracy by the BJP government?" he questioned.

"The BJP hasn't been able to walk 4 steps in the right direction in the past 4 years. They don't have any right to point a finger at the Congress and ask us what has been done in the past 70 years," Kharge, Congress general secretary in charge of Maharashtra said.

Kharge claimed that since the BJP came to power, it had destroyed freedom of speech and expression was constantly curbing the press.

"The BJP is trying to bring dictatorship in the country. PM Modi wants to do to India what Adolf Hitler did to Germany. The Constitution is in danger and we need to fight the BJP's attempts to destroy it," he claimed.

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, speaking at the function, said there had been repeated attacks on the principles which formed the foundation of the country.

"Constitution of India is the soul of the country which is being killed today. Since the past 4 years, the BJP has launched a new rule according to its own will which is not in sync with the law and order of the country," he said.

Nirupam said the Congress will ensure that the message of the Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad reaches masses effectively.

Congress MP Hussain Dalwai said the country will be safe only if its Constitution is protected, and urged people to fight and protect it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to do to India what dictator Adolf Hitler did to Germany, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday said. The Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka was speaking at a "Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad" organised in Bandra here by the Mumbai Congress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to do to India what dictator Adolf Hitler did to Germany, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday said. The Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka was speaking at a "Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad" organised in Bandra here by the Mumbai Congress. He said the country was deteriorating under BJP rule but added that the Congress would never let the RSS, BJP and PM Modi succeed in destroying the Constitution the way other institutions were being destroyed. "The Constitution does not belong to the people of a particular caste, religion or community but belongs to every Indian equally. Which right to freedom has been respected in parliamentary democracy by the BJP government?" he questioned. "The BJP hasn't been able to walk 4 steps in the right direction in the past 4 years. They don't have any right to point a finger at the Congress and ask us what has been done in the past 70 years," Kharge, Congress general secretary in charge of Maharashtra said. Kharge claimed that since the BJP came to power, it had destroyed freedom of speech and expression was constantly curbing the press. "The BJP is trying to bring dictatorship in the country. PM Modi wants to do to India what Adolf Hitler did to Germany. The Constitution is in danger and we need to fight the BJP's attempts to destroy it," he claimed. Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, speaking at the function, said there had been repeated attacks on the principles which formed the foundation of the country. "Constitution of India is the soul of the country which is being killed today. Since the past 4 years, the BJP has launched a new rule according to its own will which is not in sync with the law and order of the country," he said. Nirupam said the Congress will ensure that the message of the Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad reaches masses effectively. Congress MP Hussain Dalwai said the country will be safe only if its Constitution is protected, and urged people to fight and protect it.

PM Modi wants to do to India what Hitler did to Germany: Mallikarjun Kharge

Filmmaker Taika Waititi says racists will see red after the release of his upcoming film "Jojo Rabbit".

The "Thor: Ragnarok" director, who has started shooting for his next, a World War II satire, is 'excited'&nbsp;about irking the supremacists, as reported.

"I'm stoked to begin shooting my anti-war satire. We've assembled an incredible cast and I couldn't be more excited to finally ridicule Nazis and their beliefs.

"This film is going to piss off a lot of racists and that makes me very happy," Waititi said.

He has penned the script and is also attached as producer along with Carthew Neal and Chelsea Winstanley.

The film is about a young German boy (Roman Griffin), who finds out that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

The boy, Jojo Rabbit, is a young Hitler Youth recruit whose imaginary friend takes the form of Hitler himself. However, after he forms a bond with the girl, he comes to appreciate their shared humanity.&nbsp;

Rebel Wilson will play an instructor at a Hitler Youth camp, while Oscar-winner Sam Rockwell will play the man running the camp.&nbsp;

Waititi is playing the imaginary Hitler.

The date of release is yet to be announced.

Filmmaker Taika Waititi says racists will see red after the release of his upcoming film 'Jojo Rabbit'

Filmmaker Taika Waititi says racists will see red after the release of his upcoming film "Jojo Rabbit". The "Thor: Ragnarok" director, who has started shooting for his next, a World War II satire, is 'excited' about irking the supremacists, as reported. "I'm stoked to begin shooting my anti-war satire. We've assembled an incredible cast and I couldn't be more excited to finally ridicule Nazis and their beliefs. "This film is going to piss off a lot of racists and that makes me very happy," Waititi said. He has penned the script and is also attached as producer along with Carthew Neal and Chelsea Winstanley. The film is about a young German boy (Roman Griffin), who finds out that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in their home. The boy, Jojo Rabbit, is a young Hitler Youth recruit whose imaginary friend takes the form of Hitler himself. However, after he forms a bond with the girl, he comes to appreciate their shared humanity. Rebel Wilson will play an instructor at a Hitler Youth camp, while Oscar-winner Sam Rockwell will play the man running the camp. Waititi is playing the imaginary Hitler. The date of release is yet to be announced.

'Jojo Rabbit' will make a lot of racists angry, says Taika Waititi

Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to bolster Russia&#39;s image through hosting the World Cup in a similar way to how Adolf Hitler used the Olympics when it was held in Nazi Germany, Britain&#39;s foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.

Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year, and Johnson agreed with a lawmaker who said Putin would use the tournament to improve Russia&#39;s image, comparing it to when Hitler&#39;s Germany hosted 1936 Olympics.

&quot;Your characterisation of what is going to happen in Moscow in the World Cup, in all the venues - yes, I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right,&quot; Johnson replied during a question and answer session with lawmakers.

Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year

Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to bolster Russia's image through hosting the World Cup in a similar way to how Adolf Hitler used the Olympics when it was held in Nazi Germany, Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday. Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year, and Johnson agreed with a lawmaker who said Putin would use the tournament to improve Russia's image, comparing it to when Hitler's Germany hosted 1936 Olympics. "Your characterisation of what is going to happen in Moscow in the World Cup, in all the venues - yes, I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right," Johnson replied during a question and answer session with lawmakers.

Putin will try to bolster Russia's image through World Cup like Hitler: Boris Johnson

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, &ldquo;Next year in Jerusalem.&rdquo; The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the &#39;Promised Land&#39; as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler&#39;s concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem.&nbsp;

For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel&#39;s capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel&#39;s closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;

Battle for Jerusalem

Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel&rsquo;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a &ldquo;battle for Jerusalem&rdquo;. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem&#39;s citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined.&nbsp;

The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod&rsquo;s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade.&nbsp;

Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif.&nbsp;

Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew.&nbsp; He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel&rsquo;s police or armed forces. Saif&#39;s funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews.&nbsp;

My city, your city, our city

President Trump&#39;s announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.&nbsp;

Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way.&nbsp;

But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too.&nbsp;Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman&#39;s decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that &ldquo;armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Whose city is it anyway?

Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time.

Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial.&nbsp;

It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the &#39;sacred heart&#39; of the Christian story.

Jerusalem&#39;s pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian.

President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community.&nbsp;

We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

To fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters, Trump is ready to let an already volatile region go further down the extremist way.?

Every year, at the very end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, and at the end of the Passover Seder, Jews all over the world recite, “Next year in Jerusalem.” The City, older than Bible, is at the heart and mind of all practising Jews. Jerusalem, more than any other city, stands as the symbol of the 'Promised Land' as the Jews survived expulsion by the Romans, slavery in the land of the Pharaohs and the Holocaust in Europe. At the end of the Second World War, many Jewish survivors of Hitler's concentration camps came back to settle in and around Jerusalem. For long, the Jewish stakeholders around the world had been trying very hard to gain a recognition for the Holy City as Israel's capital. But they have faced tough luck so far. Even Israel's closest ally, the US had been refusing to grant capital status to Jerusalem primarily because of the sensitivity of the matter. Battle for Jerusalem Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting over Jerusalem ever since the state of Israel has been established. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has himself asserted that Israel is in the midst of a “battle for Jerusalem”. While political and religious acrimony over the city has caused much bloodshed among members of both the communities, the lives of the Jerusalem's citizens have been almost inextricably intertwined. The primary flashpoint in Jerusalem is the sacred compound in the Old City, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The religious topography there is meaningful for the current conflict. Islamic structures stand on the Haram today and are used on a daily basis. The Jewish holy places exist primarily in archaeology and memory. Worship focuses on a remaining fragment of the Second, or Herod’s, Temple, known as the Western Wall. A fragile modus vivendi has existed since 1967 that enables Jews to pray below at the Wall and Muslims above on the esplanade. Such entwined existence is ubiquitous because the two communities, over the ages, have lived there in harmony as well as in discord. So much so that when violence breaks out it has become impossible to spare anyone community from sufferings such attacks entail. In 2014, for instance, when an attack took place in West Jerusalem at a synagogue, killing four Jewish worshippers, it also resulted in the death of Israeli Druze Zidan Saif. Saif, incidentally, was not an Israeli Jew. He belonged to a distinct branch of Islam whose members often serve in Israel’s police or armed forces. Saif's funeral was attended by the President of Israel and a large number of ultra-orthodox Jews. My city, your city, our city President Trump's announcement in support of making Jerusalem the capital city of Israel will further weaken the fragile balance on which Jerusalem sustains itself. The decision has the potential to embroil the different religious communities in bloody violence. Particularly because just like the Israeli state, in May 2017, the Palestinian group Hamas presented a document that proposed the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Giving to the demand of one community over the other, particularly when one-third of the population of Jerusalem is actually Muslim, and with a large number of Christians living in the area too, tantamounts to playing with fire. But Trump to fulfill his election promises and to pacify a large number of his orthodox influential voters is ready to let an already volatile region go further the extremist way. But as Trump does not seem to care, it seems similar dogged determination has taken over supporters of the Zionist cause living in Israel too. Shumel Rosner, an expert in the Israeli politics and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, writes in the New York Times that the Israelis will not be deterred by threats of violence or by actual violence itself. Indeed as per the words of Rosner, the US declaration in support of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel is a truly Trumansque moment. The author is here referring back to President Truman's decision to support the partition of Palestine, though the C.I.A. warned the President that “armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the U.N. General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.” Whose city is it anyway? Jews, Muslims and Christians all the three communities have very long and intimate association with Jerusalem. For historical reasons, one community might have come before the other, but their histories overlap for a significant stretch of time. Jews had been praying facing Jerusalem for time immemorial. It is Jerusalem that matter most to the Christians, more than Bethlehem and Nazareth. This was where Christ preached, ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, where he was arrested, put on trial, condemned to death, crucified, and died, a man mocked and tortured by the occupying Romans. It is where, Christians believe, his tomb was found empty and he rose from the dead. Jerusalem, they say, is the 'sacred heart' of the Christian story. Jerusalem's pivotal place in the religious and political history of Islam is equally undeniable. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet travelled miraculously from Mecca to Jerusalem and then upwards through the seven heavens, culminating in a direct conversation with, and/or vision of, God. Before his ascension, he led all the previous prophets of God, including all the Biblical and Israelite prophets, in prayer. Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian. President Trump should have shown better judgement on the matter. He needed to have shown more nuanced appreciation towards the shared history of the region. But characteristically to his rash and provocative nature, Trump went ahead without heeding the advice of the world community. We can just hope that Jerusalem in spite of its newfound recognition will continue to be a place of harmony for all peoples. And, instead of being the political capital of nation-state, it will be the emotional center of a multicultural universe. After all, the root meaning of Jerusalem is shalom- a city of peace. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Trump is wrong; Israel alone can't claim Jerusalem

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&#39;s powerful&nbsp;Crown&nbsp;Prince&nbsp;called the Supreme&nbsp;Leader&nbsp;of&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;&quot;the new Hitler of the Middle East&quot; in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals.

The Sunni Muslim kingdom of&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia and Shi&#39;ite&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region.

Mohammed bin Salman, who is also&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;defence minister in the US-allied oil giant kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic&#39;s alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted.

&quot;But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn&#39;t work. We don&#39;t want the new Hitler in&nbsp;Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East,&quot; the paper quoted him as saying.

Tensions soared this month when Lebanon&#39;s&nbsp;Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of&nbsp;Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life.

Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;authorities, an accusation they denied.

Hariri has since suspended his resignation.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in a 2-1/2-year-old war in neighbouring Yemen to defeat the&nbsp;Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that seized broad swaths of the country.

Salman told the Times that the war was going in its favour and that its allies controlled 85 percent of Yemen&#39;s territory.

The Houthis, however, still retain the main population centres despite the war effort by a&nbsp;Saudi-led military coalition which receives intelligence and refuelling for its warplanes by the United States. Some 10,000 people have died in the conflict.

The group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh&#39;s main airport on Nov. 4, which&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabis decried as an act of war by Tehran.

Bin Salman said in May that the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries &quot;is waged in&nbsp;Iran&quot;.

For his part, Khamenei has referred to the House of Saud as an &quot;accursed tree&quot;, and&nbsp;Iranian officials have accused the kingdom of spreading terrorism.

Saudi?Arabia's powerful?Crown?Prince?called the Supreme?Leader?of?Iran?"the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince called the Supreme Leader of Iran "the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals. The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region. Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defence minister in the US-allied oil giant kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic's alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted. "But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn't work. We don't want the new Hitler in Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East," the paper quoted him as saying. Tensions soared this month when Lebanon's Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life. Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by Saudi authorities, an accusation they denied. Hariri has since suspended his resignation. Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in a 2-1/2-year-old war in neighbouring Yemen to defeat the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that seized broad swaths of the country. Salman told the Times that the war was going in its favour and that its allies controlled 85 percent of Yemen's territory. The Houthis, however, still retain the main population centres despite the war effort by a Saudi-led military coalition which receives intelligence and refuelling for its warplanes by the United States. Some 10,000 people have died in the conflict. The group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh's main airport on Nov. 4, which Saudi Arabis decried as an act of war by Tehran. Bin Salman said in May that the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries "is waged in Iran". For his part, Khamenei has referred to the House of Saud as an "accursed tree", and Iranian officials have accused the kingdom of spreading terrorism.

'New Hitler' in Iran should not repeat what happened in Europe: Saudi?Crown?Prince Salman

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