Gates of Vienna News Feed 4/20/2021

The former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all counts today by a Minneapolis jury after being tried for the death of George Floyd. Mr. Chauvin will be sentenced for the charge of second-degree murder.

In other news, as many as 70,000 restaurants all across Italy will reportedly close permanently as a result of the Wuhan Coronavirus lockdowns.

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

Thanks to Dean, LP, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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.

Financial Crisis
» 400K Fewer Young People Employed in Britain Since the Lockdowns Began
» Coronabucks: Now UK ‘Conservatives’ Want to Give All Young People £500
 
USA
» 2 Charged With Breaking Oregon Historical Society Windows During Downtown Protest Last Friday
» Austin Shooting Suspect’s Estranged Wife Accused Him of Raping Their Daughter Before He Killed Them Both
» Daily Mail Owner Sues Google, Says the Tech Giant Retaliated After it Sought Non-Google Monetization Options
» Democrats Block McCarthy’s Motion to Censure Maxine Waters for ‘Confrontational’ Remarks in Minnesota
» Democrats Push Facebook and Twitter to “Address” 12 Prominent Vaccine Skeptics
» Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict: Ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Found Guilty on All Charges in George Floyd’s Death
» Federal Judge: L.A. Must House Every Homeless Person on Skid Row by Oct. 18
» Former Virginia Tech Soccer Player Sues Coach, Says She Was Forced Off the Team for Not Kneeling Before Game
» George W. Bush: Online “Misinformation” Is “Really Troubling”
» Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Traveled to Florida to Visit Her Ill Father
» In Countersuit, MyPillow Alleges Defamation by Dominion Voting Systems, Seeks $1.6 Billion
» Man Arrested After Calling Police, Admitting to Fatally Stabbing Wife
» Maxine Waters Requested Police Escort to Anti-Police Rally in Minnesota
» Minneapolis Mayor Praises George Floyd: ‘His Life Bettered Our City’
» NY Bail Rules Stop Judge From Holding Man Accused of Attacking Undercover Asian Cop
» NYC Teacher Suspended After Article Critical of “Woke” School Teachings, Suggests There’s a Culture of Fear
» Oscar Producers Admit People Tune Out When Celebrities Talk Politics
» Pelosi Thanks George Floyd for ‘Sacrificing Your Life for Justice’ After Chauvin Guilty Verdict
» Planned Parenthood CEO Says the Organization is “Done Making Excuses” For Founder Margaret Sanger’s Racist Views
» Protesters Will Dump Cow Poop in Front of the White House for Earth Day
» Vehicular Jihad in Brooklyn? Minivan Driver Deliberately Backs Up Over Five Hasidic Jews, Then Drives Away
» Video: Trump Says He’s “Beyond Serious” About 2024 Run
» Video: Kamala Harris Can’t Stop Laughing, No One Else Finds it Funny
 
Canada
» Canada’s Heritage Minister Says Internet Censorship Bill is Imminent
 
Europe and the EU
» ‘Conservative’ Armin Laschet Will be German Ruling Party’s Candidate to Succeed Merkel
» France Should Change Coming Elections to Prevent Right-Wing Victory Says Veteran Civil Servant
» Furious UN Says UK Govt Report Denying Systemic Racism ‘Normalises White Supremacy’
» Hungary’s Fidesz Joins Council of Europe’s Conservative Ecr Group
» Hungarian Secretary of State Criticizes CNN for Manipulating US Election Results
» ‘I Am Disgusted’ — Father of Terrorist Victim Demands Justice After Brother of Tunisian ISIS Attacker Cleared in French Court
» Internal UK Government Job Ad Confirms COVID Passports Are in Development
» Lockdown Impact: 70K Italian Stores May Never Open Again, But Online Retailers Surge
» Netherlands: Over 6,200 Fined for Violating the Curfew Last Week
» Orban, Johnson and Macron Are All Against European Super League
» Scotland: Extinction Rebellion to Protest Off Findhorn Beach Tomorrow
» Slovakia Considers Reducing Pensions to Former Representatives of Communist Regime
» So Far Germany Seeing Coldest April in 104 Years, Second Coldest Since 1881, Snowiest Since 1986
» UK Still Won’t Accelerate Re-Opening Despite COVID Deaths Dropping Below Road Accident Fatalities
» UK: ‘Illegal and Unsafe’ — Rave Attended by 100 Revellers is Shut Down
» UK: COVID: Derbyshire Man Fined £10k Over M1 Crash Fireworks Tribute
» UK: Muslim Convert Tasered at Flat in Cornwall After Threatening to Shoot Jewish Group
» UK: NHS Hospital Pleads Guilty Over Baby Death in Prosecution First
» UK: Teacher: War on Pubs is About Silencing Dissent
» UK: Youth Try to Set 10-Year-Old on Fire in ‘Unprovoked Attack’
 
Russia
» Russia’s Expulsion of Czech Diplomats is Unacceptable, Says Czech PM Babis
 
South Asia
» Pakistan’s PM: ‘There Will Come a Time When People in the West Will Think Twice Before Disrespecting the Prophet’
 
Far East
» China Launches App for Citizens to Report Anyone Who Has ‘Mistaken Opinions’ Or ‘Denies the Excellence of Socialist Culture’
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Suspected Islamic Militants Kill 19 People in Niger Village
 
Immigration
» Delivery Man Who Refused to Service French Jews Deported Back to His Native Algeria
» German Spy Agency Says Islamic Terrorists Have Infiltrated Europe Disguised as Refugees
» Up to 100 More Migrants Arrive in UK Including 20 Who Land Boat on Kent Beach as People Smugglers Make Most of Improving Weather Conditions After 113 Made Crossing on Monday
 
Culture Wars
» Disney Entertainment Chief Says ABC Passes on ‘Incredibly Well-Written Scripts’ Because They Don’t Meet New Diversity Standards
» Nextdoor Launches Anti-Racism Notification to Prevent Discriminatory Language
» Richard Dawkins Cancelled as 1996 Humanist of the Year After Tweets About Transgenders 25 Years Later
 

400K Fewer Young People Employed in Britain Since the Lockdowns Began

LONDON (AP) — The number of workers on U.K. corporate payrolls dropped by 0.2% in March as young people were hardest hit by coronavirus restrictions that closed bars, restaurants and hotels, according to the latest government statistics.

Company payrolls fell by 56,000 last month, pushing the decline since March of last year to 813,000, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday.

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

Coronabucks: Now UK ‘Conservatives’ Want to Give All Young People £500

Two groups of liberal-progressive Tories are pressuring Boris Johnson to “follow President Biden’s lead” and give all young people £500 in coronavirus recovery funds, which would cost the taxpayer an estimated £2.8 billion.

Last month, the U.S. Congress passed the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, which contains the third round of $1,400 stimulus cheques.

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

2 Charged With Breaking Oregon Historical Society Windows During Downtown Protest Last Friday

Prosecutors announced Monday that they filed charges against two people in connection with a protest last Friday night that left windows smashed downtown.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said he has charged Theodore Matthee-O’Brien, 22, and Cameron Millar-Griffin, 24, with one count each of felony riot and criminal mischief. Both were arrested during the Friday night protest.

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

Austin Shooting Suspect’s Estranged Wife Accused Him of Raping Their Daughter Before He Killed Them Both

Broderick spent 16 days in jail before posting a bail of $50,000.

Stephen Broderick, the former sheriff’s detective charged with killing three people, including his estranged wife and teenage daughter in Austin, Texas Sunday, was accused by his wife in a protective order of raping their teenage daughter and she warned that he was dangerous and said the family did not feel safe, according to court documents obtained by Fox News.

The shocking allegations were outlined in a protective order that Amanda Broderick, 35, filed in a Travis County court on June 25, 2020 — about three weeks after the alleged rape occurred…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Daily Mail Owner Sues Google, Says the Tech Giant Retaliated After it Sought Non-Google Monetization Options

UK-based news outlet The Daily Mail has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, citing among many other things, the coverage of the Royal Family. The tech giant, which has a monopoly in the search engine and ads market, is facing antitrust lawsuits by the Justice Department and several state attorneys general.

“This lawsuit is to hold Google to account for their continued anti-competitive behavior including manipulation of ad auctions and news search results, bid-rigging, algorithm bias and exploiting its market power to harm their advertising rivals,” a Daily Mail spokesperson said in a statement.

The lawsuit, filed at a Manhattan federal court, accuses Google of manipulating search results depending on how much a publisher spends on ads through the search giant.

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

Democrats Block McCarthy’s Motion to Censure Maxine Waters for ‘Confrontational’ Remarks in Minnesota

GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy introduced a privileged resolution on the House floor Tuesday to censure Rep. Maxine Waters for her controversial comments to Minnesota protesters over the weekend urging them to “get more confrontational” if ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin is not found guilty of the death George Floyd.

But Democrats moved quickly to table the resolution in a 216 to 210 party-line vote and avoided taking a vote directly on whether to formally reprimand the longtime California congresswoman.

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

Democrats Push Facebook and Twitter to “Address” 12 Prominent Vaccine Skeptics

Despite the First Amendment preventing lawmakers trying to silence citizens, Democrat senators are pushing Facebook and Twitter to take action against 12 vaccine skeptics that they call “superspreaders” of misinformation.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) wrote a letter addressed to the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter, urging them to take more action against vaccine misinformation on their platforms.

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

Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict: Ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Found Guilty on All Charges in George Floyd’s Death

A panel of jurors has found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty Tuesday on all three charges in connection with the May 2020 death of George Floyd, after one of the most closely watched criminal trials in recent memory.

Chauvin, 45, was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. With Americans on edge as they awaited the verdict, the jury announced that it has found him guilty across the board.

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

Federal Judge: L.A. Must House Every Homeless Person on Skid Row by Oct. 18

U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday ordering the city and county of Los Angeles to ensure that every homeless person living in the notorious Skid Row district has housing by October 18 this year.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

Judge David O. Carter granted a preliminary injunction sought by the plaintiffs in the case last week and now is telling the city and county that they must find single women and unaccompanied children on skid row a place to stay within 90 days, followed by helping families within 120 days and finally, by Oct. 18, offering every homeless person on skid row housing or shelter.

“Los Angeles has lost its parks, beaches, schools, sidewalks, and highway systems due to the inaction of city and county officials who have left our homeless citizens with no other place to turn,” Carter wrote in a 110-page brief laced with quotes from Abraham Lincoln and an extensive history of how skid row was first created.

Elsewhere in the decision, the Judge Carter — a Bill Clinton appointee — cited claims of “systemic racism,” and argued that homelessness is partly a result of historical racial discrimination.

In an unusually complex set of instructions, Judge Carter also ordered $1 billion earmarked by the city for spending on the homeless, announced Monday evening as part of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s “Justice Budget,” to be placed in an escrow account. He also ordered a 90-day audit of city and county spending on the homeless, and a 30-day “audit of any funds committed to mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.”

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

Former Virginia Tech Soccer Player Sues Coach, Says She Was Forced Off the Team for Not Kneeling Before Game

A former player for the Virginia Tech women’s soccer team is suing the team’s coach, saying that he launched a campaign of abuse against her and forced her off the team after she would not kneel before games.

Kiersten Hening has filed a federal lawsuit against Coach Chugger Adair.

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

George W. Bush: Online “Misinformation” Is “Really Troubling”

During an appearance on the Today show, former President George W. Bush responded to a question about the January 6 storming of the US Capitol by lamenting the amount of “misinformation” and the “kinds of untruth” that spread online.

Bush said the events on January 6 made him feel “sick” and “ill” but he was optimistic that America would survive because of his strong belief in the institutional stability of the country. He then steered the conversation to something he finds “really troubling” — online misinformation.

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

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Traveled to Florida to Visit Her Ill Father

FOX 2 — Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office is responding to a report she traveled out of Michigan to Florida about a month ago to visit her father in a report by Michigan Information and Research Service published Monday.

According to spokesperson Tiffany Brown, Whitmer’s father is battling a chronic illness and has a home in Florida. Brown said he is vaccinated against COVID-19 and that the governor is tested regularly and has never tested positive for COVID-19.

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

In Countersuit, MyPillow Alleges Defamation by Dominion Voting Systems, Seeks $1.6 Billion

MyPillow, Inc., the company owned by Trump-supporting CEO Mike Lindell, is suingDominion Voting Systems for $1.6 billion in damages. The lawsuit was announced Monday.

Dominion had already filed its own lawsuit against MyPillow and Lindell for $1.3 billion. Both suits allege defamation tied to Lindell’s claims that Dominion’s election machines were compromised to benefit the candidacy of Joe Biden in the recent presidential election.

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

Man Arrested After Calling Police, Admitting to Fatally Stabbing Wife

Man says he was upset over the current relationship with his wife

A man is in custody after Dallas police say he admitted to cutting his wife’s throat and stabbing her to death in their kitchen after she dropped her children at school Monday morning.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by NBC 5 on Tuesday, 28-year-old Yoni Vasquez-Velasquez called 911 Monday morning and told operators he’d killed his wife.

Vasquez-Velasquez then began walking toward a nearby Dallas police substation where he was stopped by patrol officers. Police said he had blood on his arms and clothing and a bloody folding knife in his pocket.

Meanwhile, officers were sent to the couple’s residence on the 4500 block of Lizzy Drive where they found the man’s wife, identified as 23-year-old Irma Bonilla, dead from apparent “homicidal violence…

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Maxine Waters Requested Police Escort to Anti-Police Rally in Minnesota

Documents have surfaced that show the same day she participated in a street rally to advocate resistance to law enforcement in the event of a not-guilty verdict for the officer accused of killing George Floyd, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) requested a police escort to the event.

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

Minneapolis Mayor Praises George Floyd: ‘His Life Bettered Our City’

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised George Floyd following the guilty verdict on Tuesday against former police officer Derek Chauvin for Floyd’s murder.

“George Floyd came to Minneapolis to better his life. But ultimately his life will have bettered our city,” the Democratic mayor wrote on Twitter. “The jury joined in a shared conviction that has animated Minneapolis for the last 11 months. They refused to look away and affirmed he should still be here today.”

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

NY Bail Rules Stop Judge From Holding Man Accused of Attacking Undercover Asian Cop

Queens Supreme Court Justice Louis Nock said he had to release the man accused of attacking an undercover Asian NYPD cop without bail due to New York’s new bail rules:

Suspect Ricardo Hernandez, 32 — who faces three hate-crime charges in the attack on the unnamed cop on a Long Island City train platform around 5:30 p.m. Saturday — has at least 12 prior arrests under his belt.

At Hernandez’s arraignment over the attempted push onto the tracks, Queens Supreme Court Justice Louis Nock said the state’s bail-reform measures barred him from holding Hernandez in jail.

“My hands are tied because under the new bail rules, I have absolutely no authority or power to set bail on this defendant for this alleged offense,” the judge said.

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

NYC Teacher Suspended After Article Critical of “Woke” School Teachings, Suggests There’s a Culture of Fear

A teacher at a Manhattan private school who lost his job for questioning the controversial “antiracism” curriculum claims the school’s head also has doubts. The teacher was removed from class for the rest of the year because some students said they were uncomfortable with him after an online article he wrote, highlighting the inherent racism in the so-called “antiracism” teachings.

Last week, Paul Rossi, a teacher at the Manhattan private school Grace Church School hit the headlines after publishing an essay accusing school’s administrators of fixation on race.

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

Oscar Producers Admit People Tune Out When Celebrities Talk Politics

As its viewership ratings continue to decrease, producers of the Oscars appear to be doubling down on the political approach of the program.

An anonymous former producer interviewed by the New York Times said Oscar producers know that the political opining of stars is causing a disconnect with the audience, but are firm in providing the platform for award presenters and recipients to share their views.

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

Pelosi Thanks George Floyd for ‘Sacrificing Your Life for Justice’ After Chauvin Guilty Verdict

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tuesday praised the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trialand offered thanks to George Floyd for “sacrificing” his life for the pursuit of justice in policing.

“Thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice,” Pelosi said Tuesday outside the Capitol where she was joined by the Congressional Black Caucus.

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

Planned Parenthood CEO Says the Organization is “Done Making Excuses” For Founder Margaret Sanger’s Racist Views

Planned Parenthood’s president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson authored an op-ed in the New York Times that addressed the racist views of the organization’s founder, eugenicist Margaret Sanger. Saying her group was “done making excuses” for Sanger, Johnson acknowledged “her association with white supremacist groups and eugenics.”

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

Protesters Will Dump Cow Poop in Front of the White House for Earth Day

Earth Day is this Thursday, and President Biden has invited 40 world leaders for a virtual climate summit on April 22 and 23. Climate activists are planning to show up and demand their voices and interests be heard. Here’s what to expect over the next few days.

Climate Clock to the White House

On Wednesday morning, various climate change groups and leaders will join together to deliver a smaller version of New York’s “climate clock” to the White House. The original clock in Union Square counts down the amount of time left for the world to prevent the effects of global warming from becoming irreversible. The group will meet at Union Station at 10 AM, and will deliver the clock and petitions to stop fossil fuel projects to the east side of the White House at 11 AM.

A Load of Crap

Activists with Extinction Rebellion DC will dump “heaps of cow s***” from bright pink wheelbarrows in front of the east side of the White House “in response to Biden’s bulls*** climate plan.” The group will convene at 7:30 AM Thursday on the east side of Freedom Plaza, and is demanding Biden “acts in line with the science by declaring a climate and ecological emergency under the National Emergencies Act,” and sets a net-zero emissions target for 2025.

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

Vehicular Jihad in Brooklyn? Minivan Driver Deliberately Backs Up Over Five Hasidic Jews, Then Drives Away

The video makes it extremely likely that this was a deliberate act. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) has called it a “horrific antisemitic attack in Williamsburg.”

The driver’s name is Shokhobiddin Bakhritdinov. Shokhobiddin is a name that is common in Tajikistan, which is 98% Muslim, and Uzbekistan, which is 88% Muslim. The name itself may have an Islamic meaning, if the “din” ending is from the Arabic word for religion, as in the name “Salahuddin,” which means “the righteousness of the religion.” Shokhobuddin Bakhritdinov is wearing a shirt that says “God is good,” which recalls “Allahu akbar,” that is, “Allah is greater,” the ubiquitous battle-cry of jihadis.

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

Video: Trump Says He’s “Beyond Serious” About 2024 Run

President Trump again strongly hinted that he is preparing for a 2024 run Monday, and urged that the GOP must run on the MAGA agenda if it is to win back Congress next year.

Trump spoke with Fox News host Sean Hannity, noting “I am looking at it very seriously, beyond seriously.”

“From a legal standpoint, I don’t want to really talk about it yet, it’s a little too soon,” Trump added.

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

Video: Kamala Harris Can’t Stop Laughing, No One Else Finds it Funny

Kamala Harris, who is effectively the President of the country at this point, cannot stop laughing at totally inappropriate times.

The latest example came on Monday as Harris spoke in North Carolina about the Administration’s much maligned jobs plan.

Harris attempted to crack a joke, suggesting that opportunities are “equally available to women as well as men” like hard hats… or something.

“Because there’s an interesting fact,” Harris said, struggling not to laugh at her own speech, “In case you didn’t know, hard hats are actually unisex.”

Despite the fact that literally no one knew what the hell she was laughing at, or found what she was saying funny, Harris felt the need to blurt out loud “everybody’s laughing.”

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

Canada’s Heritage Minister Says Internet Censorship Bill is Imminent

Canada’s Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault, a Liberal Party member, said a new internet censorship bill will be tabled within two weeks. To Liberals, the bill will protect Canadians from online abuse — but to those concerned about freedom and civil liberties, it is a law that will have a chilling effect on free speech.

We previously reported details about its inception here.

“My job is to ensure the safety and security of the Canadian population. That’s what I am here for,” said Guilbeault.

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

‘Conservative’ Armin Laschet Will be German Ruling Party’s Candidate to Succeed Merkel

Following a series of disappointments that has seen a string of would-be successors to Chancellor Angela Merkel rise and fall, Germany’s Christian Democratic Union, the dominant party in the country’s ruling coalition, has finally chosen a successor to the long-ruling Merkel.

On Monday, Conservative Armin Laschet put an end to a messy standoff over the future of Germany’s most powerful political party when he clinched the nomination to run for the chancellorship, signaling that, after 16 years of Merkel’s centrism, Germany might be heading in a more conservative direction.

Laschet, who, as leader of the CDU, is firmly entrenched within the party establishment, fended off an upstart challenge by Markus Soder, the minister-president of Bavaria and leader of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, which serves in a ruling coalition with the CDU.

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

France Should Change Coming Elections to Prevent Right-Wing Victory Says Veteran Civil Servant

A former senior French civil servant has recommended that France change the order of coming elections to prevent a potential victory for populist-nationalist Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

Philippe Lazar, a former senior civil servant, admitted that there is a possibility for a victory for Ms Le Pen in next year’s presidential elections and said a way to prevent such a victory could be to have the French parliamentary elections held before the presidential election.

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

Furious UN Says UK Govt Report Denying Systemic Racism ‘Normalises White Supremacy’

The United Nations has slammed a black-led report on British race relations which found that “institutional” or “systemic” racism does not in fact exist, claiming it normalised “white supremacy”.

“In 2021, it is stunning to read a report on race and ethnicity that repackages racist tropes and stereotypes into fact, twisting data and misapplying statistics and studies into conclusory findings and ad hominem attacks on people of African descent,” read the astonishing intervention by the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, attached to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights), against the findings of Britain’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.

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

Hungary’s Fidesz Joins Council of Europe’s Conservative Ecr Group

Fidesz’s delegation to the Council of Europe has joined the Council of Europe’s European Conservative and Democratic Alliance faction, said Zsolt Németh, chairman of the Hungarian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, on Monday during a week-long session of the Strasbourg-based Parliamentary Assembly.

Speaking by telephone, Zsolt Németh emphasized that joining the European Conservatives’ Group is an important step towards establishing cooperation within the European right within the Council of Europe forum.

According to him, the dominant force of the faction is, among others, the British Conservative Party, the Polish Law and Justice Party (PiS) and two Italian parties, the League and the Brothers of Italy party (Fratelli d’Italia).

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

Hungarian Secretary of State Criticizes CNN for Manipulating US Election Results

During a radio interview, Hungarian Secretary of State for International Communication, Zoltan Kovacs called out US left-wing media network CNN after one of their directors admitted in secret recordings that the network manipulated its news coverage to remove Donald Trump from office.

Kovacs, a member of Viktor Orban’s conservative Fidesz party, reacted to the revelations from activist news outlet Project Veritas, which recorded CNN technical director Charles Chester admitting “that if it wasn’t for CNN, I don’t know that Trump would have got voted out”.

Kovacs criticized the CNN for a campaign during which they have “implanted doubts, discredited and undermined a democratically-elected political leader” on a daily basis. Kovacs said the footage obtained by political activist James O’Keefe unveiled the fact that the media was actively conspiring in the United States to achieve certain ends, yet he indicated that CNN has been employing similar tactics worldwide for decades.

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

‘I Am Disgusted’ — Father of Terrorist Victim Demands Justice After Brother of Tunisian ISIS Attacker Cleared in French Court

The younger brother of a Tunisian man who murdered two cousins on Oct. 1, 2017, in a terrorist attack at the Saint-Charles station in Marseille, has been cleared of being connected to the attack his brother carried out.

For the father of one of the victims, it is an incomprehensible decision on the part of the judge to dismiss the case. Therefore, he has decided to appeal the verdict, France Info reported.

“I am disgusted,” said Dominique Harel, Mauranne’s father, after learning that the last person accused in the murder of his daughter and his niece will not be prosecuted.

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

Internal UK Government Job Ad Confirms COVID Passports Are in Development

Less than a week after the UK government walked back its plans to trial vaccine passports at the FA Cup final at Wembley, an internal job ad has revealed that the invasive tech is still being developed.

The job ad, which was obtained by Guido Fawkes, states:

“We are developing solutions that will prove people’s vaccine and test status in order to allow the reopening of the economy.

NHSX is developing both digital and non-digital options to enable UK residents to assert their Covid status, including both vaccination history and test results.”

It also notes that applicants will be required to start on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 and that the employment length will be six months.

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

Lockdown Impact: 70K Italian Stores May Never Open Again, But Online Retailers Surge

The Italian business association Confesercenti has warned that as many as 70,000 shops across the county face closure due to the Wuhan coronavirus lockdown restrictions implemented by the government.

Despite the planned easing of restrictions on April 26th, the association has sounded the alarm over the potential closure of tens of thousands of stores this year due to a collapse of consumption and penalties for shopping centres.

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

Netherlands: Over 6,200 Fined for Violating the Curfew Last Week

Police last week handed out a total of 6,287 fines to people who did not adhere to the curfew, a 13 percent increase compared to the previous week. People caught breaking the curfew are fined 95 euros.

Additionally, 105 people received a warning for violating coronavirus restrictions and 36 illegal parties were broken up, the police confirmed.

The government’s initial plan to take the country out of lockdown in six stages suggested that the curfew could be abolished on April 28. Though Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the date was highly uncertain just this past Friday, by the weekend the Cabinet was “slightly more positive” about loosening restrictions on that date.

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

Orban, Johnson and Macron Are All Against European Super League

Three heads of state and government — Britain’s Boris Johnson, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Hungary’s Viktor Orban — have all expressed their opposition to the planned European Super League soccer competition announced last week.

Twelve leading European soccer clubs announced last week the formation of the league which would consist of the 12 founding members — with another three expected to join them shortly — while the full complement of the 20-team competition will be open for clubs to qualify. Discussions regarding creating the European Super League began as far back as the early 1990s, and now the league is planning to kick off its inaugural season in 2023-24.

The new league’s plan triggered strong opposition from many existing European football federations, the UEFA Champions League chief amongst them.

[Comment: I think soccer is boring, so I don’t care what happens here. But others might find this article interesting.]

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

Scotland: Extinction Rebellion to Protest Off Findhorn Beach Tomorrow

Local environmentalists will stage a protest in the sea tomorrow to highlight the need for urgent action on climate change.

Extinction Rebellion (XR) Forres and other concerned citizens are taking part in a socially-distanced wild swim while carrying placards bearing messages such as ‘Act Now or Swim Later’.

The event is being staged the day before US President Joe Biden’s Climate Summit on Thursday, to which 40 world leaders have been invited to take part online.

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

Slovakia Considers Reducing Pensions to Former Representatives of Communist Regime

A group of Slovak deputies submitted to the parliament a proposal to reduce pensions for those who were representatives of the communist regime and members of the state security forces before 1989. According to deputies, the pensions for these individuals are highly above average, while the pensions of those persecuted by the communist regime are disproportionately low.

According to the proposal, the period when the representatives of the communist regime and members of the state’s security forces before 1989 worked for the totalitarian regime and its repressive apparatus would not be counted in the calculation of the pension. If approved, the law could take effect on Aug. 5, 2021, and the first withdrawal of benefits could occur in early 2022.

The authors of the proposal argue that cutting the pensions is primarily about ensuring justice.

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

So Far Germany Seeing Coldest April in 104 Years, Second Coldest Since 1881, Snowiest Since 1986

Reposted from The NoTricksZone

By P Gosselin on 18. April 2021

It’s been a really frosty April this year across Central Europe. Germany so far has seen it’s second coldest April since records began in 1881.

Hat-tip: Snowfan

Coldest since 1917

April across much of Europe has been unusually cold, frosty and even snowy, and the media have been awfully quiet about it. The following chart shows the mean temperature anomalies with respect to the 1991-2020 reference period so far (up through April 17).

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UK Still Won’t Accelerate Re-Opening Despite COVID Deaths Dropping Below Road Accident Fatalities

Despite new figures showing the daily number of COVID-19 deaths in the UK dropping below those from road accidents, the government is still refusing to accelerate the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

The average number of daily deaths now stands at 25 a day with COVID cases dropping 94 per cent from the peak. On Monday, the UK recorded just four total deaths.

“By comparison, the UK records an average of around five deaths from road accidents daily,” reports the Telegraph.

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UK: ‘Illegal and Unsafe’ — Rave Attended by 100 Revellers is Shut Down

Police have slammed revellers after shutting down an illegal rave on a village field that was attended by up to 100 people.

Officers discovered an unlicensed music event in Kessingland, near Lowestoft over the weekend.

The unlawful event is understood to have started on Saturday evening (April 17) in an area “in the vicinity of Coopers Lane” in Kessingland.

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UK: COVID: Derbyshire Man Fined £10k Over M1 Crash Fireworks Tribute

A man has been fined £10,000 after organising an illegal gathering as a tribute for a friend who died in a crash on the M1, police said.

Derbyshire Police said the 23-year-old, from Shirebrook, Derbyshire, advertised the event on 5 April on social media.

More than 400 people attended the gathering, which featured fireworks, on land near Shirebrook Leisure Centre.

Police said thousands had lost loved ones and had been unable to grieve as they wanted due to obeying Covid rules.

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UK: Muslim Convert Tasered at Flat in Cornwall After Threatening to Shoot Jewish Group

A Muslim convert threatened to carry out an atrocity against Jewish people before being tasered by armed police at his home in Cornwall.

Adam Mark Burgoyne, 31, contacted another Muslim man in attempt to get him to help him but was quickly told it was not the way of the religion.

Burgoyne, of Trelawney Road in Helston, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to sending malicious communications.

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UK: NHS Hospital Pleads Guilty Over Baby Death in Prosecution First

A National Health Service hospital group has admitted in court the failure to provide safe maternity care to Sarah Richford and her baby son Harry, who died seven days after delivery, in the first prosecution of its kind.

Representatives from East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust pleaded guilty to the charge at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, in relation to the inadequate care at Margate’s Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, which resulted in the “wholly avoidable” death of baby Harry in 2017.

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UK: Teacher: War on Pubs is About Silencing Dissent

A university teacher has published a fascinating article in which he argues that the shut down of pubs in the United Kingdom is about silencing dissent.

The article by Sean Walsh, which was carried by LockdownSkeptics, questions why pubs are still semi-closed while other “non-essential retail” stores are allowed to fully open despite the fact that the entire hospitality industry was responsible for just 3 per cent of total COVID infections last year.

“It’s tempting to conclude that the SAGE types are not worried that pubs are possible vectors of transmission, but that they are concerned that hospitality venues are potential theatres of dissent,” writes Walsh.

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UK: Youth Try to Set 10-Year-Old on Fire in ‘Unprovoked Attack’

Police in the U.K. are investigating an incident in which a 10-year-old girl was jumped by a gang of children who attempted to set her on fire, according to reports.

The “completely unprovoked attack” unfolded in broad daylight on Sunday afternoon as the child and a friend walked through a park in Wirral, authorities say.

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Russia’s Expulsion of Czech Diplomats is Unacceptable, Says Czech PM Babis

Russia’s response to the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats from the embassy in Prague is stronger than the Czech Republic expected, stated Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek. In the evening after the government meeting, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said that Russia’s response was unacceptable.

Czechia expelled Russian diplomats due to what the government said was a reasonable suspicion of the Czech security forces that members of Russian intelligence services were involved in the 2014 explosion of the ammunition depot in Vrbetice in the Zlin region.

In retaliation, Russia expelled 20 employees of the Czech embassy, including the deputy ambassador. They had to leave the country within 24 hours, which is an unusually short time.

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Pakistan’s PM: ‘There Will Come a Time When People in the West Will Think Twice Before Disrespecting the Prophet’

Imran Khan says he is starting a new campaign to intimidate the West into adopting Sharia blasphemy laws, and this time he is looking for a “permanent” solution. “Otherwise, he added, protests and violence will make no difference to the Western world.”

That’s an interesting statement, acknowledging that the point of the protests and riots in Pakistan is to frighten the West into abandoning the freedom of speech.

More on this story. “Pakistan to launch global campaign against blasphemy,” by Aamir Latif, Anadolu Agency, April 19, 2021.

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China Launches App for Citizens to Report Anyone Who Has ‘Mistaken Opinions’ Or ‘Denies the Excellence of Socialist Culture’

Released by China’s cyber regulator, along with a similar hotline, the app aims to crack down on so-called ‘historical nihilists’ ahead of the Party’s 100th anniversary in July.

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Suspected Islamic Militants Kill 19 People in Niger Village

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Officials in Niger say 19 people are dead in the country’s troubled region near the border with Mali after gunmen aboard motorcycles attacked a village. The government said Sunday that the suspected Islamic extremists shot at worshippers as they prayed at the mosque Saturday evening during the holy month of Ramadan. In a statement, the government called the violence in Gaigorou a “cowardly attack by people who claim to be Muslims.” The West African nation of Niger has faced an unprecedented wave of attacks in the border area this year, leaving hundreds of civilians dead.

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Delivery Man Who Refused to Service French Jews Deported Back to His Native Algeria

French immigration authorities deported a 19-year-old immigrant from Algeria who was jailed for refusing to deliver food to Jews after it was discovered he was living France illegally.

Dhia Edine D. was sentenced in January to four months in jail for declining to deliver food made by a kosher restaurant in Strasbourg while he was working there as a food courier for the Deliveroo delivery company.

Upon his arrest, following a complaint to police by the restaurant’s owner for discrimination, the courier was found to have been living illegally in France.

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German Spy Agency Says Islamic Terrorists Have Infiltrated Europe Disguised as Refugees

The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency said Friday that Islamic State fighters disguised as refugees have crossed into Europe undetected.

Hans-Georg Maassen made the comments after German authorities were able to thwart a potential Islamic State attack in Berlin recently.

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Up to 100 More Migrants Arrive in UK Including 20 Who Land Boat on Kent Beach as People Smugglers Make Most of Improving Weather Conditions After 113 Made Crossing on Monday

Around 100 migrants including a young child are thought to have crossed the Channel by small boats through foggy conditions so far today.

Border Force intercepted several groups who made the treacherous crossing throughout the morning as people smugglers took advantage of improving weather conditions.

The estimated figure includes a group of around 20 who managed to land their vessel on the beach at Dungeness, Kent.

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Disney Entertainment Chief Says ABC Passes on ‘Incredibly Well-Written Scripts’ Because They Don’t Meet New Diversity Standards

Dana Walden, the chairman of entertainment for Walt Disney Television, recently said during a panel discussion that ABC passed on ‘some incredibly well-written scripts’ because they did not meet its new diversity standards.

Walden made the comments during panel discussion titled ‘Women in Focus: Women, Big Tech and the Future of Hollywood’ put on by Chapman University and Glamour on April 9, the Hollywood Reporter revealed.

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Nextdoor Launches Anti-Racism Notification to Prevent Discriminatory Language

Our latest product update takes its inspiration from our most important source: our real-world neighborhoods. While we’ve always seen and celebrated the offline connections that began on the platform, Nextdoor continues to be a leading innovator on improving the daily issues affecting the people in those communities online, too. As part of that work, today we are rolling out the anti-racism notification to prevent language that could be offensive or hurtful to people of all backgrounds. Healthy and productive conversations are key to helping neighbors create stronger, kinder neighborhoods.

The new anti-racism notification detects certain phrases such as “All Lives Matter” or “Blue Lives Matter,” and prompts the author to consider editing their post or comment before it goes live.

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Richard Dawkins Cancelled as 1996 Humanist of the Year After Tweets About Transgenders 25 Years Later

Biologist author Richard Dawkins has been stripped of an honour awarded to him by The American Humanist Association in 1996, following tweets that he says merely called for a discussion on transgender issues.

The AHA issued a statement that claims “Regrettably, Richard Dawkins has over the past several years accumulated a history of making statements that use the guise of scientific discourse to demean marginalized groups, an approach antithetical to humanist values.”

“Consequently, the AHA Board has concluded that Richard Dawkins is no longer deserving of being honored by the AHA, and has voted to withdraw, effective immediately, the 1996 Humanist of the Year award,” the organisation added.

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17 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 4/20/2021

    • I bet terrorists are still coming into the West claiming to be refugees.

      It’s clear why the mad Frau axed the man, too.

  1. I hoped that one person would have voted “Not guilty” but it seems they were all terrified – or they were not allowed to vote “Not guilty”.

    I suspect that Chauvin – regardless of how many years he has to spend behind bars – wont survive more than one year. He is a dead man walking. Every Black / Hispanic / Antifa will fight for the “honor” of being the one that killed him. And I suspect that Senile Joe will pardon the killer. And yes I know that nobody will bet against me.

    I hope that from no on, every white police officer when confronted with a black perp does only one thing: call for black police officers to let them handle any black perps.

      • Not for him.
        And can you really imagine that any prison official would dare stand in the way of “progressive justice”?

        Even if he gets protectice custody I expect it will be full of holes that even a blind, deaf, quadriplegic inmate can come close to Mr Chauvin and kill him.
        Hell, I wouldnt be surprised if they tie him up / straightjacket and then let him loose in the black block (where only the hardest, toughest black killers are). And afterwards they will claim, that the dorr was unfortunately left open and Mr Chauvin walked into this prison area on his own volition.

        And no, Epstein didnt kill himself.

  2. Re. the Chauvin Kangaroo trial I am minded of this:

    “We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.” — Ayn Rand

    • Good one. See also Anarcho Tyranny.
      Anarcho-tyranny is a concept, where the state is argued to be more interested in controlling citizens so that they do not oppose the managerial class (tyranny) rather than controlling real criminals (causing anarchy). Laws are argued to be enforced only selectively, depending on what is perceived to be beneficial for the ruling elite.

    • What this says is, the cops if white, are guilty if they have a run in with a 3rd worlder, so naturally, the police, in fear for their pensions and going to jail for doing their jobs, will find themselves taking lots of coffee breaks and since everybody loves fresh donuts, taking their sweet time (45 min average shooting call now in twin cities) for dealing with 3rd worlders. Think the crime rates are bad now? Just wait, you ain’t seen nuffin yet.
      In white areas of the twin cities, entire blocks are up for sale for whitey can’t leave soon enough.

  3. Oh yeah, every city and town in America would be so much better if they had a bunch of people like George Floyd.

    • Every city and town morgue and crematorium in America would be so much better if they had a bunch of people like George Floyd.

      There, fixed it for ya!

      • my mom always told me that it is wrong to speak ill of the dead.

        George Floyd is dead………………….GOOD

  4. It’s obvious that this is no longer a free country. We are not allowed to speak our minds unless we follow the rules in regard to speech, which is no longer free.

    America, it was nice to have known you!

    One can only hope that eventually there will be a backlash and people will march and protest to bring Freedom of Speech back to life again and get back to making America great again.

    America was great when I arrived as a refugee after World War II. I was five years old and too young to know any of these things. I love this country with all my heart and soul and I am so saddened at this leftward turn where there is NO freedom of speech for the common people.

    I can do nothing much since I’m basically a nobody but I do hope there are people who have influence who will bring freedom of speech back again.

    I hope it is within my lifetime!

  5. I agree and I hope it is, as well, Maria. Be aware that you are not a ‘nobody’ at all.

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