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IMMIGRATION

Pianist James Rhodes just trolled Vox leader in the most brilliant way

Outspoken British pianist James Rhodes, a resident of Madrid, has waded into the political row over the plight of migrants trapped on board the Open Arms rescue ship.

Pianist James Rhodes just trolled Vox leader in the most brilliant way
James Rhodes (left) has trolled VOX leader Santiago Abascal. Photos: Jose Gutierrez/Jamesrhodes.tv and AFP

Outraged at sentiments expressed by Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain's far-right party Vox, over the migrants and the Spanish charitable organisation that can to their aid, the British composer found a brilliant way to troll him.

The 44-year-old musician donated €1,000 to the NGO in the name of the far right leader then twitted the notification with the message: “I hope this generous gesture inspires many of his followers.”

Rhodes was responding to a tweet by Abascal in which he slammed the Spanish rescuers: “Open Arms is not an NGO, it is an instrument of the extreme left…immigrants are their political merchandise. Nothing else.”  

It's not the first time he has taken on Vox in this way. Earlier this month he made a similar donation, also to Open Arms, in the name of Isabel Pérez Moniño, a local councillor for Vox in the Madrid satellite town of Fuenlabrada after her public comments against helping migrants.

The Londoner, who has made his home in Madrid, has endeared himself to Spaniards after publishing a “love letter” to the people of Spain in El Pais, extolling of the virtues of his new home.

He regularly appears on Spanish chat shows and has met with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to campaign to end the statute of limitations on sex crimes against children. 

Rhodes wrote about the horrific sexual abuse he suffered as a child in his book Instrumental.

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CRIME

Germany mulls expulsions to Afghanistan after knife attack

Germany said Tuesday it was considering allowing deportations to Afghanistan, after an asylum seeker from the country injured five and killed a police officer in a knife attack.

Germany mulls expulsions to Afghanistan after knife attack

Officials had been carrying out an “intensive review for several months… to allow the deportation of serious criminals and dangerous individuals to Afghanistan”, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told journalists.

“It is clear to me that people who pose a potential threat to Germany’s security must be deported quickly,” Faeser said.

“That is why we are doing everything possible to find ways to deport criminals and dangerous people to both Syria and Afghanistan,” she said.

Deportations to Afghanistan from Germany have been completely stopped since the Taliban retook power in 2021.

But a debate over resuming expulsions has resurged after a 25-year-old Afghan was accused of attacking people with a knife at an anti-Islam rally in the western city of Mannheim on Friday.

A police officer, 29, died on Sunday after being repeatedly stabbed as he tried to intervene in the attack.

Five people taking part in a rally organised by Pax Europa, a campaign group against radical Islam, were also wounded.

Friday’s brutal attack has inflamed a public debate over immigration in the run up to European elections and prompted calls to expand efforts to expel criminals.

READ ALSO: Tensions high in Mannheim after knife attack claims life of policeman

The suspect, named in the media as Sulaiman Ataee, came to Germany as a refugee in March 2013, according to reports.

Ataee, who arrived in the country with his brother at the age of only 14, was initially refused asylum but was not deported because of his age, according to German daily Bild.

Ataee subsequently went to school in Germany, and married a German woman of Turkish origin in 2019, with whom he has two children, according to the Spiegel weekly.

Per the reports, Ataee was not seen by authorities as a risk and did not appear to neighbours at his home in Heppenheim as an extremist.

Anti-terrorism prosecutors on Monday took over the investigation into the incident, as they looked to establish a motive.

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