Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
IN late 2018, the newspaper taz and Focus magazine revealed an extensive network of far-right extremists across Germany, connected to, but larger than, the notorious Nordkreuz group.
The network was dubbed Hannibal, after the codename of its Telegram chat-group administrator — a former trainer for Germany’s elite military commandos, the KSK, named Andre Schmitt.
It operated in regional groupings across Germany – west, south, east and north, deliberately mirroring German army structures – with further branches in Austria and Switzerland, and included active soldiers, reservists, police, lawyers, judges, firefighters, civil servants and intelligence agents.
JOHN GREEN argues that the spreading practice of closing bank account without proof of criminality is an infringement of an elementary human right
NICK WRIGHT returns to Berlin and finds a city in darkness and political turmoil
Colombia’s success in controlling the drug trade should be recognised and its sovereignty respected, argues Dr GLORY SAAVEDRA
After NGOs and the EU, UN condemns Germany’s crackdown on Palestine Solidarity, writes LEON WYSTRYCHOWSKI


