'Free speech rally' cut short after massive counterprotest

Thousands of demonstrators chanting anti-Nazi slogans converged Saturday on downtown Boston in a boisterous repudiation of white nationalism, dwarfing a small group of conservatives who cut short their planned "free speech rally" a week after a gathering of hate groups led to bloodshed in Virginia.

An estimated 15,000 counterprotesters marched through the city to historic Boston Common, where many gathered near a bandstand abandoned early by conservatives who had planned to deliver a series of speeches. Police vans later escorted the conservatives out of the area, and angry counterprotesters scuffled with armed officers trying to maintain order.

Organizers of the midday event, billed as a "Free Speech Rally," have publicly distanced themselves from the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and others who fomented violence in Charlottesville on Aug. 12. A woman was killed at that Unite the Right rally, and scores of others were injured, when a car plowed into counterdemonstrators.

Opponents feared that white nationalists might show up in Boston anyway, raising the specter of ugly confrontations in the first potentially large and racially charged gathering in a major U.S. city since Charlottesville. But only a few dozen conservatives turned out for the rally on historic Boston Common — in stark contrast to the estimated 15,000 counterprotesters — and the conservatives abruptly left early.

One of the planned speakers of the conservative activist rally said the event "fell apart."

Siberia Stabbing Attack Suspect Fatally Shot After Wounding 7

A knife-wielding man went on a stabbing rampage Saturday in a Siberian city, wounding seven people before police shot and killed him.

The Islamic State's Aamaq news agency hours later claimed the attacker was "an Islamic State soldier." There was no immediate Russian comment and it was unclear if the IS claim was opportunistic.

A statement from Russia's Investigative Committee said the mid-day attack on a central street in Surgut said the suspect had been identified as a resident in his early 20s. It said information was being sought on his psychiatric condition, suggesting authorities did not suspect terrorism as the likely motive.

Former neo-Nazi: Trump’s message parrots my old propaganda

A reformed neo-Nazi says President Trump is partly to blame for legitimizing the white nationalism that exploded in Virginia last weekend.

Chuck Leek, 49, of San Diego, was involved in a number of racist skinhead groups, including the White Aryan Resistance and the Hammerskins, from roughly 1987 until 2001, and spent time in prison for assault with a deadly weapon.

In the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, Va., Yahoo News spoke to Leek about his history with white supremacy, the rise of the alt-right and what he thinks caused it.

“The message [Trump] was putting out during the election cycle absolutely parroted in a lot ways the message that we were putting out when we were Nazi skinheads trying to recruit people to that cause,” he said.

Leek’s old talking points included blaming immigrants for the problems of native-born Americans, pushing for the construction of a border wall and singling out Muslims.

“It was a thinly veiled appeal to that white nationalist sentiment. It’s something that I felt until recently was on the decline,” Leek said.

Barcelona terror gang planned to murder thousands of people using explosive known as the Mother of Satan

The Barcelona terror gang planned to murder thousands of people using an explosive known as the Mother of Satan.

It is thought they intended to simultaneously detonate bombs in vans at three locations in the Spanish city.

Targets included the Sagrada Familia church, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which is one of the most visited attractions in Europe.

The other two locations were the port area of the city and the Ramblas, where a van was deliberately driven into crowds on Thursday afternoon, killing 13 and injuring 130.

ECLIPSE 2017 (Why Scientists Are So Excited About This Solar Eclipse)

On Monday, Aug. 21, a total solar eclipse will be visible from a narrow strip of land that stretches all the way across the U.S., from Oregon to South Carolina. It will be the first total solar eclipse since 1918 to cross the nation from coast to coast.

Breaking News: Turku, Finland Stabbing Attack Leaves Several Wounded: Police

Several people have been wounded in a stabbing in the city of Turku, western Finland, police said Friday, and a hunt was underway for potential attackers.

One suspected attacker was shot, according to police who urged citizens to leave the immediate area in the center of the city while they searched for "possible more perpetrators."The Turun Sanomat newspaper reported that at least one person was killed in the attack.

Runaway Father Allegedly Impregnates 14-Year Old Daughter

The police in Delta State have launched a manhunt for one Mr. Orutebe, who allegedly impregnated his 14-year-old daughter in Ugboroke, in the Uvwie council area of the state. Orutebe, who was said to be in his mid 40s, allegedly fled his home after initially claiming responsibility for the pregnancy. It was learnt that the suspect, who hails from Ogulagha kingdom, in the Burutu Local Government Area of the state, had two wives.