Gates of Vienna News Feed 10/9/2019

One or more terrorists attacked a synagogue in the German city of Halle, shooting two people dead and wounding several others. The attacker or attackers also shot up a kebab shop. At least one suspect has been arrested. He is said to be a right-wing extremist.

In other news, according to the latest polls, UK citizens consider the Brexit Party to be the party that is trusted the most to act in the interests of the British people.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Insubria, JLH, Reader from Chicago, RR, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

USA
» Californians Stockpile Booze and ICE as PG&E Imposes Catastrophic Power Outages to Prevent Wildfires
» Hillary Teases 2020 Run: “Obviously I Can Beat Him Again”
» Report: FBI Violated Privacy Rights for Large Numbers of Americans
» San Diego City College Labels ‘MAGA’ As ‘Covert White Supremacy’
» The Lights Are Out in California, And That Was the Plan All Along
» Tufts University Maintains Ties to Confucius Institute Despite Chinese Government Censorship
» University of Nevada, Reno TPUSA Member: Assistant Dean Compared US to ‘White Supremacy’
 
Europe and the EU
» Breaking: Two Killed, One Arrested After Shooting at Synagogue in Halle (Germany)
» Brexit Party Tops Poll in Most Trusted to be on Side of British People
» Britons Back No Deal if EU Rejects Johnson’s Proposals
» EU Must Learn ‘Language of Power’, Needs Army of 60,000: Eurocrat
» Germany: Syrian Terrorist Arrested After Hijacked Truck Rammed Into Traffic, Injuring 9
» Germany: Extinction Rebellion Mocked for ‘Trying to Hide’ Diesel Generator in Protest Camp
» Ideological Purists Adore Dogma Not God Says Pope
» Ireland: Extinction Rebellion Activists Bring Protests to Penneys and Brown Thomas
» Italy: Girl, 13, raped in Como, 2 arrested
» Outrage as Speaker Bercow and EU President Bypass UK Govt to Stop Full Brexit
» Some 250,000 Young People Have Left Italy in 10 Years
» Sweden: Sex Crimes Have Tripled Since 2014
» Sweden Backs Down From Abolishing Ancient History Classes After Huge Backlash
» The UK Supreme Court’s Judgment on Johnson’s Prorogation
» Two Killed, One Arrested in Shooting at German Synagogue
» UK: Child Hospitalized After ‘Masked Thugs’ Armed With Machetes Storm Family Baptism
» UK: New Subversive “Guidance” For Journalists
» Vatican Synod on Amazon Proposes Recognition of ‘Ecological Sins’
 
Middle East
» Flip Flop: AOC Suddenly Thinks Pulling Out of Syria is Terrible
» Kuwait: Tribes Start Preparations for 2020 Elections
 
South Asia
» Fanatic Jihadi Stone-Pelters Attack Hindu Durga Puja Procession in Up’s Balrampur
» India: New Species of Fish Discovered in a Well in Kozhikode
» Meet Siamraptor Suwati, A New Species of Giant Predatory Dinosaur From Thailand
 
Far East
» Apple Removes Taiwan Flag EMOJI From iOS in Hong Kong
» Communist China Says Jump, Corporate America Says How High
» Hong Kong Protesters Stage Peaceful Rallies Calling for ‘Liberation’
» Sasse, Cruz, AOC, Others in Congress Send Bipartisan Letter to NBA: Stop Kissing China’s Ass and Suspend Your Operations There for Now
» Some Blizzard Employees Reportedly Walked Out to Protest the Punishment of a ‘Hearthstone’ Competitor Who Spoke Up in Support of the Hong Kong Protests
» Two Sixers Fans Booted From Game Over ‘Free Hong Kong’ Signs
 
Australia — Pacific
» Extinction Rebellion Protests Begin to Draw Mass Outrage From Residents Around the Country
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Scientists Find Two New Species of Giant Parasitic Wasps in Uganda
 
Immigration
» Nearly 1M Migrants Arrested Along Southern Border During Government’s 2019 Fiscal Year
» OECD: Mass Migration Costs France 10 Billion Euros a Year
 
Culture Wars
» Extinction Rebellion Founder Threatens to “Bring Down” Governments, Says “Some May Die in the Process”
» UK University Forces Students to Attend Mandatory Screening of ‘Consent’ Play
» UK: LGBT Teaching Row: Government Issues Advice on Handling School Protests
» YouTuber Trisha Paytas Announces She is a ‘Transgender Gay Man’ But Says She Will Continue to Live as a Woman — Her ‘Natural Born Gender’ — Prompting Fury From Critics Who Say She ‘Exploiting the LGBTQ Community for Clickbait’
 

Californians Stockpile Booze and ICE as PG&E Imposes Catastrophic Power Outages to Prevent Wildfires

All is not well on the West Coast. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), California’s main supplier of power, is shutting off the grid for nearly a million Californians. This, they say, is necessary because of the high winds and peak conditions for wildfires over the next few days.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hillary Teases 2020 Run: “Obviously I Can Beat Him Again”

Hillary Clinton once again teased a possible 2020 presidential run against Donald Trump by asserting, “Obviously I can beat him again.”

Perhaps someone should remind Hillary of her failure to beat him the first time.

Clinton made the comments during an appearance on PBS Newshour. Her “beat him again” reference was in relation to the popular vote, which isn’t how presidents are elected in the United States.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Report: FBI Violated Privacy Rights for Large Numbers of Americans

WASHINGTON — Newly declassified records with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court revealed the FBI violated privacy rights of Americans by searching their emails.

The improper searches were done under a controversial foreign intelligence program that allows surveillance without a warrant. It is meant to track down foreign suspects.

The report said the email searches involved a large number of Americans but it’s unclear exactly how many American people were affected because it said the FBI was not keeping proper records.

The court found that some Americans were electronically searched without probable cause which violated their Fourth Amendment rights.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

San Diego City College Labels ‘MAGA’ As ‘Covert White Supremacy’

San Diego City College hosted an event allegedly examining “white supremacy” earlier this month, which labeled “Make America Great Again” as an instance of “covert white supremacy.”

An event examining instances of “white supremacy” at San Diego City College referred to the phrase, “Make America Great Again” as an instance of “covert white supremacy” that is currently “socially acceptable,” according to a report by Campus Reform.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The Lights Are Out in California, And That Was the Plan All Along

The power is out in Northern California. More than 1 million Californians are now without electricity, one of modern life’s essentials that is frequently taken for granted. The blackout was done on purpose—to prevent sparks from powerlines that could ignite deadly wildfires.

Before planned blackouts are through in two or three days, as many as 3 million Californians may go without power. On the surface, the blackout and its causes are simple to understand. But the deeper causes are complicated, span decades of public policy, and dozens of overlapping unintended—and intended—consequences of decisions, both related and unrelated.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Tufts University Maintains Ties to Confucius Institute Despite Chinese Government Censorship

Tufts University announced this week that it will maintain its partnership with the Confucius Institute, a controversial organization backed by the Chinese government. According to a report by Inside Higher Ed, Tufts University has decided to maintain its relationship with the Confucius Institute, an off-shoot of the Chinese government that has been accused of bribing American colleges and universities in exchange for control over messaging on China and its government.

“The Chinese government has been clear in its goal and purpose for creating and expanding Confucius Institutes throughout the country, namely to distort academic discourse on China, threaten and silence defenders of human rights, and create a climate intolerant of dissent or open discussion,” Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) wrote in a letter to Tufts in 2018.

Over the past two years, more than 20 American colleges and universities have ended their relationships with the Confucius Institute over bipartisan concern that China was using the organization to exert control on American higher education. For example, Breitbart News reported in September 2018 that the University of North Florida had cut ties with the Confucius Institute.

Tufts University claims that the Confucius Institute has not attempted to censor or suppress speech during its tenure on campus. In fact, administrators claim that the Confucius Institute has provided unique resources and opportunities for students…

           — Hat tip: JLH [Return to headlines]
 

University of Nevada, Reno TPUSA Member: Assistant Dean Compared US to ‘White Supremacy’

University of Nevada, Reno student Kendall Rice told Breitbart News that her Turning Point USA (TPUSA) group received push-back from school’s assistant dean, who sent out an email likening the organization — which recently hosted its annual Black Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. — to “white supremacy.” Rice spoke to SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily host Alex Marlow on Wednesday for the show’s weekly TPUSA campus report.

“The assistant dean sent out an email,” said Rice, “[which] stated TPUSA was a hate group, that we were linked with supremacy groups — that we were definitely not allowed on campus — that we should not be tolerated, and that all students and students and faculty should push back against us.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: Two Killed, One Arrested After Shooting at Synagogue in Halle (Germany)

Two people have been killed in a shooting that occurred outside of a synagogue in Halle, a city in eastern Germany.

The shooting occurred this afternoon in the Paulus district of the city, WELT reports.

Police say that their currently searching for an unknown number of suspects and have told local citizens to remain indoors. One person has been arrested which begs the question as to whether the suspect acted alone or if he was working with others.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Brexit Party Tops Poll in Most Trusted to be on Side of British People

The Brexit Party is trusted more than any other party or politician to be on the side of the British public.

Britons put the Brexit Party ahead of 15 other politicians and parties as the most “on the side of the British people”, with 31 per cent, in an IpsosMORI poll. The party’s leader Nigel Farage was the third-most trusted in that respect, with 29 per cent.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Britons Back No Deal if EU Rejects Johnson’s Proposals

A poll shows a plurality of Britons want Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deliver Brexit on October 31st without a deal if the EU does not agree to new exit proposals.

The ComRes poll revealed 42 per cent of Britons agree with the statement: “If the EU doesn’t agree to Boris Johnson’s proposals for a Brexit deal, the UK should leave on 31 Oct without a deal.” Forty per cent disagree.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Must Learn ‘Language of Power’, Needs Army of 60,000: Eurocrat

The EU’s incoming security chief has said the bloc needs a standing army of 60,000 soldiers that Brussels can deploy around the world.

Josep Borrell said at a European Parliament hearing into his candidacy as vice president for foreign affairs and security on Monday: “The European Union has to learn to use the language of power.”

The 72-year-old Spanish socialist continued that the European lawmakers should “reinforce the EU’s international role and further our military capacity to act”.

[Comment: Those of us a few years ago who warned that the EU sought greater military power were dismissed as conspiracy theorists. ]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Syrian Terrorist Arrested After Hijacked Truck Rammed Into Traffic, Injuring 9

German authorities have arrested a military-aged migrant man from Syria after a hijacked lorry was driven at speed into a line of other cars in Limburg, near Frankfurt, on Monday night.

Nine individuals were injured in the suspected terror attack. The suspect is a 32-year-old Syrian male named ‘Mohammed O.’ who is said to be known to police for previous criminal offenses.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Extinction Rebellion Mocked for ‘Trying to Hide’ Diesel Generator in Protest Camp

Unverified footage has emerged of an Extinction Rebellion camp that appears to be in Berlin using what appears to be a diesel generator for power. The large machine was covered by wooden pallets in an apparent attempt to hide it despite the loud whirring noise. The original footage was posted by German politician Alice Weidel. Sharing the clip, which has been viewed a total of 1.3 million times on Twitter, with her 81.3 thousand followers, she said: “What is #ExtinctionRebellion actually doing in this camp?” She accompanied the tweet with the hashtag “#BerlinBlockieren”, which is being used by the climate activists in the German capital for their demonstration blitz.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Ideological Purists Adore Dogma Not God Says Pope

Ask selves if live faith with hostility says at general audience

(ANSA) — Vatican City, October 9 — Purist ideologues of the Church “adore dogma and not God”, Pope Francis told his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday.

“We must ask ourselves if we life faith with hostility for others”, he said.

Francis also greeted a group of young newlyweds saying “you need courage to get marries today”.

In his catechesis at the weekly General Audience, Francis reflected on how God converted the heart of Saul, the persecutor of Christians, and transformed him into the fearless preacher we know as Saint Paul, Vatican News reported.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Saul was a religious ideologue who persecuted Jesus’ early followers, the pope said.

That same sinful man became Paul after his dramatic conversion to Christianity, offering us an example of the power of God’s love for each of us.

Pope Francis reflected on that model of life-changing love, and he compared St Paul’s unconverted actions to those of modern dictatorships.

He said Saul hunted and captured early Christians, under the authority of the High Priest.

“You who come from those peoples who were persecuted by dictatorships,” said the Pope, “you understand well what it means to hunt and capture people. This is what Saul did.” Pope Francis added that religion, for Saul, had become a religious, social, and political ideology.

Saul’s anger and conflictual attitude, he said, are an invitation to ask ourselves whether we meet other people or set ourselves up against others.

“Do I belong to the universal Church — with the good and the bad, all of us — or do I hold a selective ideology? Do I adore God or a dogmatic formulation?” he asked.

God, said Pope Francis, converted Saul by touching his heart. He was blinded by a light along the road to Damascus, and Saul heard a voice asking him why he was persecuting Jesus.

“An attack against a member of the Church is an attack against Christ himself! And those who are ideologues because they desire the so-called “purity” of the Church are attacking Christ.” After his conversion, Paul’s life is transformed, and what he previously considered his “glory” became “dross” to be discarded in Christ’s name.

Pope Francis said Paul then accepts Baptism, transforming the course of his life.

“Baptism marks — as it does for all of us — the beginning of a new life, which is accompanied by a new view of God, ourselves, and others, who are turned from enemies into brothers and sisters in Christ.”

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Ireland: Extinction Rebellion Activists Bring Protests to Penneys and Brown Thomas

EXTINCTION REBELLION ACTIVISTS brought their protest to Penneys and Brown Thomas stores in Dublin, staging a fashion show on O’Connell Street this afternoon.

Protesters assembled around a mock fashion catwalk outside Penneys on the third day in a global week of action by the group.

The group quickly moved off after they realised they were blocking a bus lane, and someone noted the group are supportive of public transport.

They then entered the store and marched through, singing about fast fashion and playing loud music on a speaker.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Girl, 13, raped in Como, 2 arrested

On Saturday-Sunday night

(ANSA) — Como, October 9 — Two Nigerian men were arrested Wednesday for allegedly raping a 13-year-old Nigerian girl in Como on the night between Saturday and Sunday.

The girl told police she was approached by one of the two in the street at around nine thirty, and he snatched her cellphone.

She allegedly followed him to his flat where he was joined by the other man.

They then raped her, she said.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Outrage as Speaker Bercow and EU President Bypass UK Govt to Stop Full Brexit

The new President of the European Parliament confirmed he has entered into talks with his British counterpart Speaker John Bercow on how to prevent the UK fully leaving the European Union, a move which has outraged prominent Brexiteers.

Speaking to the Parliament plenary session on Wednesday, the newly selected President of the European Parliament David Sassoli revealed that as well as meeting with Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday in London, he had also engaged in apparently secret talks with the notoriously anti-Brexit speaker of the Commons, John Bercow. Far from being a simple meeting of equivalent role-holders from two Parliaments, the President’s comments made clear the two men had come to agreement on working together to stop a full Brexit — what he called a “chaotic exit”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Some 250,000 Young People Have Left Italy in 10 Years

Report says flight of under-35 has cost 1 GDP percentage point

(ANSA) — Rome, October 8 — Half a million Italian people have moved away from the country in the last 10 years, and half of them were aged between 15 and 34, according to a report presented by the Leone Moressa Foundation on Tuesday.

The report said that the departure of these 250,000 young people has cost the nation 16 billion euros in terms of the lost gross domestic product, over one percentage point of GDP.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Sweden: Sex Crimes Have Tripled Since 2014

The number of Swedes reporting to have been victims of sexual crimes has tripled between 2014 and 2018, according to a report by the Swedish Crime Prevention Council Brå.

The report reveals that in 2018, around six per cent of the Swedish population between the ages of 16 and 84 say they had been victims of sexual offences, a total of around 482,000 people.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Sweden Backs Down From Abolishing Ancient History Classes After Huge Backlash

The Swedish Board of Education has backed down from a plan to erase teaching of the country’s ancient history and replace it with “postmodernism” classes after a huge backlash.

Skolverket initially announced a plan to abolish teaching of history prior to 1700, including ancient Greece, the Swedish Great Power era in the 17th century, Rome, and the dark ages.

The classes were set to be replaced by a greater focus on “postmodernism” and the post war 20th century era.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The UK Supreme Court’s Judgment on Johnson’s Prorogation

For the most part, public reactions to the Judgment of the UK Supreme Court to declare Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament unlawful were predictable. Those who opposed Johnson’s Brexit stance were jubilant, while those who supported that stance decried the Judgment as an unwarranted judicial interference in the political realm. So there is no need to record all those reactions, but rather a need to understand how and why the Court reached its conclusions. For sure, the Court issued a summary of its Judgment, but the summary covers so many points with so few words that crucial details lack prominence.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Two Killed, One Arrested in Shooting at German Synagogue

Two people were killed outside a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle as firearms were discharged and, according to reports, a grenade detonated in the building’s cemetery Wednesday morning.

German police are hunting an unknown number of suspects and have instructed locals to remain indoors after the attack, which has claimed two lives. One individual has already been arrested, suggesting police may be unsure whether that suspect worked alone as investigations continue. Security has been increasing at nearby synagogues including in Dresden, the regional capital.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Child Hospitalized After ‘Masked Thugs’ Armed With Machetes Storm Family Baptism

A two-year-old child had to be rushed to the hospital after ‘masked thugs’ who were armed with machetes, crowbars, and other weapons invaded a family baptism in England and stabbed the man holding the child.

The 24-year-old man is now fighting for his life with several stab wounds after a gang of men in balaclavas, brandishing machetes, bats, and crowbars suddenly jumped from a car and attacked him outside of a pub in West Bromwich, the Daily Mail reports.

The man is said to have dropped the child after being stabbed.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: New Subversive “Guidance” For Journalists

The British think-tank Policy Exchange, recently published a report, Eroding the Free Press, about a leaked draft of “Guidance for Reporting on Islam and Muslims”. The guidance was drafted by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)[1], the UK’s independent press regulator, an initiative that IPSO announced in late 2018. In the past, IPSO has, among other issues, published guidance on the reporting of death and inquests, sexual offences, suicides, and transgender people. According to IPSO, its guidance is “designed to support editors and journalists” and “does not limit or restrict editorial decision making, but may inform that decision making”.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Vatican Synod on Amazon Proposes Recognition of ‘Ecological Sins’

ROME — Participants in the Vatican synod on the Amazon region proposed adding “sins against the environment” to lists of traditionally recognized sins in their second day of discussions and deliberations.

Synod fathers called for an “ecological conversion” that would allow people to see “the gravity of sins against the environment as sins against God, against our neighbour, and against future generations,” Vatican News reported Wednesday.

“This would imply a need to produce and spread more widely a theological literature that would include ‘ecological sins’ alongside traditional sins,” the report stated.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Flip Flop: AOC Suddenly Thinks Pulling Out of Syria is Terrible

Trump Derangement syndrome on full display

After months and months of criticizing US involvement in ‘forever wars’, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has had a sudden change of mind, tweeting Tuesday that pulling US troops out of Syria could have ‘catastrophic consequences’.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Kuwait: Tribes Start Preparations for 2020 Elections

Preparations for the 2020 parliamentary elections seem to have started early in the fourth and fifth constituencies, which are dominated by tribes. In this regard, informed sources said tribes have already started preparing for the elections due from mid-October to mid-December 2020. The sources said the Mutair tribe — the largest in the fourth constituency — has started coordination to avoid splitting of its votes like what happened in the previous elections, when 27 candidates from the tribe ran and only Mohammed Hayef won.

The sources added that the Ajmi tribe, Dahmash clan of Eneza tribe and Thafieri tribe agreed to hold by-elections, while Shammar tribe candidates are still arguing about holding by-elections, which also happened in the previous elections when three tribesmen ran and all lost. The sources said the Rasheedi tribe, which is currently represented by four MPs, will not hold any by-elections. In addition, the sources explained that the Azmi tribe controls the fifth constituency and it agreed to field a limited number of candidates for the elections to make sure at least four of them win.

           — Hat tip: RR [Return to headlines]
 

Fanatic Jihadi Stone-Pelters Attack Hindu Durga Puja Procession in Up’s Balrampur

Police arrested eight Allah worshipers and Muhammad followers!

Upendra Bharati | HENB | Balrampur | Oct 9, 2019:: A true Islamic practice to attack idols as per the direction of Quran and Hadith again came to light in India. A shocking video has emerged on social media (from Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur) as uploaded by an Advocate Sushil Vajpayee+ which was shared later by eminent Canadian Islamic Scholar Tarek Fatah+ which exposed the Jihadi mentality of the major section of Allah worshipers and Muhammad followers.

As Navratri and Durga Puja festival came to an end, a procession arranged for the Visarjan (immersion in water bodies) of idols was seen getting attacked by heavy stone-pelting by Jihadi people of all ages near a Mosque.

Available video footage divulged that the Muslim inhabitants of the locality were pelting stones at the truck carrying the Durga idols of a Hindu Mohalla (area). It is being alleged that the attacks happened as the truck was passing by a mosque with louder music in DJ system.

The video clearly indicates the vulnerable situation of the minority Hindus in a majority Muslims area in India where Hindus are a bare majority by 80% of total population. Even the majority political parties in India including BJP and Right wing Hindu organisation RSS teach lesson to the Indian Hindus to be confident and loyal to their Muslim neighbors!!

The Balrampur police responded on social media anxity in twitter+ and confirmed that 8 people have been arrested in connection with the attack+ and stone-pelting on the Durga Puja Visarjan procession and that the police is taking adequate measures to nab the rest of the individuals involved…

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

India: New Species of Fish Discovered in a Well in Kozhikode

A research team led by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) has discovered a new species of miniature well-dwelling subterranean fish from Kozhikode.

The new species which has been named Pangio bhujia is the first species of eel-loach in the world that has been discovered to be living in subterranean environments. Eel-loaches are generally found in fast flowing streams in South and South East Asia.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Meet Siamraptor Suwati, A New Species of Giant Predatory Dinosaur From Thailand

Fossils discovered in Thailand represent a new genus and species of predatory dinosaur, according to a study released October 9, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Duangsuda Chokchaloemwong of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Thailand and colleagues.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Apple Removes Taiwan Flag EMOJI From iOS in Hong Kong

Apple appears to have removed the Taiwan flag from the emoji keyboard of users that have their iOS region set to Hong Kong or Macau, according to a number of local websites, including Hiraku. The change, implemented via a software update, comes not long after the company released its iOS 13 operating system, and highlights the complicated relationship that Apple — and indeed many American companies — have with China.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Communist China Says Jump, Corporate America Says How High

The same ‘woke’ corporations who virtue signal all day long about caring for minorities immediately cave and apologize when China — one of the biggest human rights abusers on the planet — intimidates them.

Communist China says jump, corporate America says how high.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Hong Kong Protesters Stage Peaceful Rallies Calling for ‘Liberation’

HONG KONG (Reuters) — Hundreds of black clad pro-democracy demonstrators chanted “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” outside the High Court on Wednesday as a leading activist appeared to appeal a six-year jail sentence for rioting in 2016.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Sasse, Cruz, AOC, Others in Congress Send Bipartisan Letter to NBA: Stop Kissing China’s Ass and Suspend Your Operations There for Now

You have to screw up awfully badly in America 2019 to forge a coalition of critics that includes Ted Cruz, Ben Sasse, Tom Cotton, Ron Wyden, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, especially at a moment when Democrats and Republicans are at each other’s throats over impeachment. Congrats to the NBA for pulling it off with their fulsome Chinese bootlicking.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Some Blizzard Employees Reportedly Walked Out to Protest the Punishment of a ‘Hearthstone’ Competitor Who Spoke Up in Support of the Hong Kong Protests

A group of some 30 Activision Blizzard employees staged a walkout to protest the company’s punishment of a Hong Kong-based esports competitor who made a political statement during a Blizzard event in Taiwan, according to a report from Blake Montgomery of The Daily Beast.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Two Sixers Fans Booted From Game Over ‘Free Hong Kong’ Signs

A pair of fans holding “Free Hong Kong” signs were booted from a Philadelphia 76ers game against Chinese squad Guangzhou Loong Lions Tuesday night, according to new reports.

Sam Wachs and his wife had attended the preseason game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia when their neon green signs were confiscated by security, NBC Philadelphia reported.

The couple was then escorted out after yelling “Free Hong Kong” during the second quarter.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Extinction Rebellion Protests Begin to Draw Mass Outrage From Residents Around the Country

A man is in police custody after chaining himself to train tracks in Brisbane’s inner suburbs as part of Extinction Rebellion protests.

The arrest is just one of many expected today with activists out in force again after similar chaos across major cities yesterday.

With close to 100 people being arrested yesterday in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne police are warning that any unreasonable disruption to transport, roads and members of the public would not be tolerated.

Brisbane

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has taken the controversial step of fast-tracking legislation to jail activists who lock themselves to concrete drums.

The government has condemned this week’s protests saying activists are putting themselves and others at risk and soaking up valuable police and emergency services resources.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said there was plenty of anecdotal evidence that protesters were “booby-trapping” devices with wire, metal and glass.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Scientists Find Two New Species of Giant Parasitic Wasps in Uganda

Oct. 9 (UPI) — Finnish researchers conducting field studies in Africa have discovered two new species of giant parasitic wasps.

The discovery, described this week in the journal ZooKeys, suggests the group of insects known as Afrotropical rhyssine wasps is more diverse than previously thought.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Nearly 1M Migrants Arrested Along Southern Border During Government’s 2019 Fiscal Year

WASHINGTON DC (NEXSTAR) — Federal agents arrested nearly one million migrants along the U.S. southern border during the government’s 2019 fiscal year that just ended, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection report released Tuesday.

“These numbers are numbers that no immigration system in the world is designed to handle,” said Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan during a rare White House briefing.

However, the number of illegal border crossings has been declining in the past several months.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

OECD: Mass Migration Costs France 10 Billion Euros a Year

Mass migration costs French taxpayers around 10 billion euros per year, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The actual cost of immigration is a highly debated subject in France. The populist National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen, estimates it could be anywhere from 10 billion to 70 billion a year when adding in other linked costs, franceinfo reports.

That could include housing, medical benefits, the care of unaccompanied minors, and other social benefits for migrants, as well as all of the associated costs of asylum seekers and illegals.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Extinction Rebellion Founder Threatens to “Bring Down” Governments, Says “Some May Die in the Process”

Founder of the Extinction Rebellion climate change activist group Roger Hallam says his organization is willing to “bring down” governments and that “some may die in the process.”

Hallam made the statement during an Amnesty International conference.

“We’re going to force the governments to act,” said Hallam. “And if they don’t, we will bring them down and create a democracy fit for purpose. And yes, some may die in the process.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK University Forces Students to Attend Mandatory Screening of ‘Consent’ Play

A university in the UK is forcing students to attend a mandatory screening of a play about “consent.”

Students were sent an email by the University of Essex which stated, “You are invited to a screening of the hit consent play Can’t Touch This.”

Except it wasn’t an ‘invitation’ at all, it was an order.

“Attendance at this screening is MANDATORY,” states the email, before going on to demand that students attend one of the many screenings.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: LGBT Teaching Row: Government Issues Advice on Handling School Protests

The government has issued advice to local authorities on dealing with protests outside schools over LGBT-inclusive teaching.

The 21-page document, seen by the BBC, lays out how councils should support teachers to minimise disruption.

It comes after continued protests outside schools in Birmingham against the teaching of LGBT relationships.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

YouTuber Trisha Paytas Announces She is a ‘Transgender Gay Man’ But Says She Will Continue to Live as a Woman — Her ‘Natural Born Gender’ — Prompting Fury From Critics Who Say She ‘Exploiting the LGBTQ Community for Clickbait’

YouTuber Trisha Paytas has been slammed after announcing she is transgender in a ‘controversial’ video that has seen her accused of ‘exploiting the LGBT community.’

The Celebrity Big Brother star, 31, from California, was born and has been living as a female, but on Monday, she posted a video to her YouTube channel entitled ‘I am Transgender, female to male’ in which she said she actually feels she is a ‘gay man’.

At the end of the 15-minute clip that was shared with her 4.9 million followers she concluded: ‘Do I think I’m transgender? Yes, a thousand per cent. Do I identify with my natural born gender? A thousand per cent.’

Viewers were left outraged by the announcement, with some accusing Trisha of treating the LGBT community as ‘a joke’.

[Comment: My head hurts trying to parse this.]

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

3 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 10/9/2019

  1. This is probably on the very border of interests on the readers of GoV, but it has come to my attention that blackface PC has flooded a cosplay competition in the UK: https://www.dexerto.com/cosplay/eurocosplay-apparently-ban-league-of-legends-cosplayer-blackface-1117787
    This time, however, there seems to be a lot of backlash from other cosplayers, with several participants from all over Europe leaving the competition as a sign of protest.
    There also seems to be a kind of movement to place a black and white “cosplay is for everyone” frame on your facebook profile picture.
    It might be a tiny group overall and the reasons for opposing PC might be different from the regular ones, but I still aplaud them for not just taking the bullying of a fellow participant.

    • Last night I looked into this a bit further and it seems only competitors from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, France and Hungary are protesting the French competitor’s disqualification. Furthermore I found out the local competition that selects our participant is considering to stop all cooperation with the UK competition until they revoke the disqualification or clearly state that PC won’t affect future competitions.
      Wish there was someone from a PC infected country (aside from France, but they’re the ones disqualified and we all know they take every change to take a jab against the British), but at least it shows the state of affairs throughout various groups in certain countries.

  2. right-wing extremist is supposed to be an AfD supporter according to German media, im sure they’ll die to link the perpetrator to the party which is getting more and more support
    i’d not edit it this way dear GateofVienna
    it’s a Nazi terrorist attack

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