Gates of Vienna News Feed 8/24/2021

Australian truck drivers are reportedly planning a strike starting August 31 that will shut down all major transportation arteries in the country. The action is aimed at forcing the government to roll back its draconian Corona restrictions.

In other news, CIA Director William Burns held a secret meeting in Kabul with the leadership of the Taliban. The main topic of the meeting was reportedly to agree on the amount of money that the United States would give the Taliban in return for being allowed to evacuate American citizens from Afghanistan.

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

Thanks to Dean, DV, Fjordman, Insubria, MM, Reader from Chicago, Will Tyson, 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
» 38 Million Records, Including Contact Tracing Information, Were Exposed Online
» Biden Job Approval Craters to 41% Amid Afghanistan Quagmire
» Breaking: Andrew Cuomo’s Honorary Emmy Award Rescinded Amidst Sexual Harassment Scandal
» California Man Found Passed Out in Car With 300 Unopened Recall Ballots and Forged Licenses
» Chicago Shootings: 44 Shot, 7 Fatally, In Weekend Violence Across City
» City Officer Stabbed; Suspect Shot, Killed
» Critical Race Theory Prohibition Measure Advances in NC Senate
» Fauci Dismisses “Freedom” In Call for Vaccine Mandates: “the Time Has Come. Enough is Enough.”
» Fully Vaccinated Woman Dies of COVID After Taking Carnival Cruise to Belize — 27 People Total Tested Positive for COVID Aboard Ship — All Vaccinated
» Gundersen Nurse Leads Protest of Staff Vaccine Mandate, 85% of Employees Inoculated
» House Democrat Introduces Bill to Force Citizens to Show Vaccine Passport to Board All Flights
» Ohio State Representative Al Cutrona Introduces Anti-Social-Media-Censorship Bill
» Oregon Gov. Communist Kate Brown Announces Statewide Mask Mandate in All Outdoor Settings
» Over 200 Guantanamo Detainees Went Back to Terrorism After Release
» Protest Shuts Down Council Meeting at SJ City Hall Ahead of Vaccine Mandate Vote
» Rochester Man Sentenced to Jail for Role in May 2020 Violent Protests Downtown
» US Surgeon General Says Vaccine Passports in Businesses and Schools Would be “Reasonable”
» US Surgeon General Says There’s “Not Nearly Enough” Social Media Censorship
» Video: Biden Suggests Kamala Harris Will be President “Pretty Soon”
» Washington State Employees Required to Verify Religious Beliefs for Vaccine Mandate Exemption
» Woman Seriously Hurt in Car Fire on Indy’s Near East Side
 
Europe and the EU
» Boss of Britain’s Biggest Nightclub Group Attacks PM Boris Johnson’s ‘Ludicrous’ Plan to Make Revellers Show Vaccine Passports to Enter Clubs
» Bus Driver Brutally Attacked by ‘Youth’ In Belgium
» Evacuated Afghan Arrested in France for Suspected Taliban Links as UK Calms Down Similar Report
» Extensive Study Reveals True Extent of COVID-19 Epidemic in Czechia
» Greece to Require Vaccine Passports for 12-Year-Old Children
» Incels: A New Terror Threat to the UK?
» Nearby Planetary System May Have the Right Conditions to Host Life
» UK Sharia Council Scholar: ‘Every Muslim I Know’ Celebrating Taliban Victory
» UK: Dr Anne McCloskey Investigated Over Vaccine Comments
» UK: Extinction Rebellion Blocks Entrance to Selfridges in London
» UK: More Arrests Made at Extinction Rebellion Protests
» UK: Police Arrest Dozens of People During Extinction Rebellion Protests in Central London
 
North Africa
» Tunisia: President Saied Flying High in Polls
 
South Asia
» $10,000 Invested in Defense Stocks When Afghanistan War Began Now Worth Almost $100,000
» Biden Admin Under Pressure to Reveal Number of Americans Still Stranded in Afghanistan
» Biden Finally Does 6-Minute Afghan Presser, Reiterates “Support of Allies”, Takes No Questions
» Breaking: Trump Calls Out Biden for Evacuating Afghans Before Americans
» CIA Director Reportedly Met With Taliban Leader in Kabul
» ‘Deeply Concerned’: World Bank Freezes Aid to Afghanistan After Taliban Takeover
» Finnish Terror Experts Warn of Potential Islamic State Attack on Kabul Airport
» Over 3,350 Afghans Rescued, 1,990 Already in Italy
» Psaki’s Claim That There Are No Americans Stranded in Afghanistan Debunked
» Singapore: COVID-19: Jail, S$15,500 Fine for Man Who Hosted 3 Big Gatherings, Including 40-Person Birthday Party
» Taliban Appoints Former Gitmo Detainee as Afghanistan’s New Defense Minister
» UK: Given Biden and Taliban Comments, Afghan Extension Seems Unlikely
 
Far East
» Kamala Harris’ Flight to Vietnam Delayed Over Alleged ‘Havana Syndrome’ Incident
» ‘No Regard for Religious Freedom’: Chinese Officials Arrest 18 Adults, 10 Kids During Early Rain Church Worship Service
 
Australia — Pacific
» Australian Truck Drivers Vow to Block Every Major Highway in Radical Anti-Lockdown Strike
» Caulfield North Engagement Party Fined $305,312 for Illegal Gathering During Melbourne Lockdown
» Former NBA Star Andrew Bogut Says Celebrities Are Being Paid to Encourage Lockdowns on Social Media
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Bad News for South African Looters as Samsung Moves to Block Their Stolen TVs
 
Immigration
» ‘Afghan Roulette’ UK, France Accidentally Evacuate Security Risk Individuals
» Afghan Criminals Are Sneaking Back to Europe on Board Military Planes
» Belarus Creates Turmoil by Pushing Afghan Migrants to Pass Polish Border
» Deported Gang Member Slips Back Into Denmark by Posing as Afghan Refugee
» EU Prez to Member States: Host Afghan Migrants and Get Cash
» Europe is Building Anti-Migration Fences on Its Borders, Brussels Agrees
» Germany ‘Needs 400,000 Immigrants Every Year’ To Fill Jobs
» Germany: New Data Shows Dramatic Demographic Changes in School-Age Children; Majority of Students in Hamburg Have Migration Background
» Greece Calls on EU to Help Countries Prevent Afghan Migrant Wave
» Hungary Will Continue Defending EU’s Borders, Justice Minister Varga Says
» Lithuania Challenged on Migration Law Changes Amid Belarus Border Row
» Make Yourself at Home: Airbnb Offers to House 20,000 Afghan Refugees
» Migration Minister: Greece Will Not Become a Gateway for Illegal Migration
» Poland to Build 2.5-Meter-Tall Fence on Border With Belarus
» Polish and Baltic State PMs Condemn Belarusian Regime for Inciting Migration Crisis
» Stop Mass Migration or Britain Will Face Societal Breakdown: Report
» Supreme Court Rules in Favor of ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy
» UK: Migrants Celebrate as They Land on Broadstairs Beach in Kent in Front of Stunned Sunbathers in Dinghy Packed With 20 People Including Baby as Record 828 Make Crossing in One Day
» Why Mass Immigration is the Key to American Renewal
» Zapad-2020: The ‘Russian Bear’ Is at Poland’s Borders
 
Culture Wars
» Hungary: Minister: Unwilling to Let LGBTQ Lobby Into Schools
» Pope Francis Removes Young Spanish Bishop Who Questioned Roots of Homosexuality
 

38 Million Records, Including Contact Tracing Information, Were Exposed Online

In this age of constant surveillance and data collection, increased under the guise of COVID protections, stories such as this will become increasingly common.

Microsoft’s Power Apps were recently misconfigured and this resulted in over a thousand online apps being available to anybody who found them.

The research analysts at Upguard, via Wired, found that more than 38 million records from over a thousand web apps using Microsoft’s PowerApps portal platform were left online.

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

Biden Job Approval Craters to 41% Amid Afghanistan Quagmire

As US-friendly Afghans are slaughtered in the streets of Kabul thanks to President Joe Biden’s horribly botched military withdrawal which allowed a lightning-fast Taliban takeover, the 46th US president’s approval numbers are plummeting.

According to a USA Today/Suffolk University Poll, Biden’s overall approval rating now stands at 41%, vs. 55% who disapprove — a massive drop considering his approval rating had been largely above 50% until last week. The drop was led by independents, only 32% of whom say Biden is doing a satisfactory job, while 87% of Democrats still back their president.

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

Breaking: Andrew Cuomo’s Honorary Emmy Award Rescinded Amidst Sexual Harassment Scandal

The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced that it has taken back the honorary Emmy it gave to now-former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for his COVID-19 response in the state.

The organization said in a statement on Tuesday that the rescinding of the award comes after the New York Attorney General’s report found that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women.

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

California Man Found Passed Out in Car With 300 Unopened Recall Ballots and Forged Licenses

Authored by Rick Moran via PJMedia.com

First, this public service announcement: There is no voter fraud in U.S. elections. Thank you for your attention.

A California man was discovered asleep in his car in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store in Torrance with drugs, cash, and several drivers’ licenses, according to ABC7

Oh… I nearly forgot. There were about 300 unopened recall election ballots in the car.

Taken together, it’s an interesting picture, don’t you think?

Having 300 ballots in your possession is suspicious. Having the ballots AND several drivers’ licenses clearly establishes intent to commit voter fraud.

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

Chicago Shootings: 44 Shot, 7 Fatally, In Weekend Violence Across City

CHICAGO — At least seven people were killed and 37 others were wounded in citywide gun violence since this weekend.

One person was killed and two were wounded outside a gas station Saturday morning in Austin on the West Side.

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

City Officer Stabbed; Suspect Shot, Killed

State police are investigating a scene of an officer-involved shooting on the 300-block of West Jefferson Street in Butler on Tuesday morning.

According to state police, a Butler City Police officer had been stabbed by a man, who he then fired upon.

Police said the man died as a result of the gunshot.

According to authorities, the officer has been hospitalized with multiple stab wounds.

Multiple departments are assisting in restricting traffic around the scene while state police investigate. The state police forensic unit is on scene.

The investigation is ongoing. There are no public safety concerns at this time, police said.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Critical Race Theory Prohibition Measure Advances in NC Senate

RALEIGH, N.C. — A North Carolina Senate committee on Tuesday advanced legislation that would prohibit teachers from “promoting” certain concepts related race and sex in classrooms.

Although House Bill 324 focuses on the concept of “critical race theory,” studying history or current times through the lens of race, much of the hour-long meeting of the Senate Education committee focused on whether “indoctrination” was actually happening in schools.

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson presented a report on submissions made to his new Fairness and Accountability in the Classroom for Teachers and Students task force, which solicits examples of indoctrination and hostile classroom environments in North Carolina K-12 schools and colleges.

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

Fauci Dismisses “Freedom” In Call for Vaccine Mandates: “the Time Has Come. Enough is Enough.”

After the FDA fully approved the Pfizer COVID vaccine, Anthony Fauci immediately issued a decree via his permanent CNN propaganda platform that it is time for nationwide vaccine mandates.

Fauci declared that “There was some poll that showed about 30% of people who are not anti-vax, they were just waiting to get what they felt was the real final stamp of approval, which we just got today with the Pfizer product.”

He continued, “And those 30% are saying when that occurs, they will feel very, very comfortable about getting vaccinated. So right away, you’re talking about 30%. I hope they come through with what the survey said.”

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

Fully Vaccinated Woman Dies of COVID After Taking Carnival Cruise to Belize — 27 People Total Tested Positive for COVID Aboard Ship — All Vaccinated

A beloved great grandmother tragically died of Covid after taking a Carnival cruise to Belize earlier this month.

77-year-old Marilyn Tackett, a retired Sunday school teacher from Oklahoma, boarded a Carnival cruise ship on July 31 out of Galveston, Texas.

On August 4th, Tackett, who was fully vaccinated for Covid, began to have breathing problems and decided to stay on the ship as her family disembarked and toured Belize.

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

Gundersen Nurse Leads Protest of Staff Vaccine Mandate, 85% of Employees Inoculated

A group of Gundersen Health System staff and members of the Coulee Region Freedom Fighters stationed themselves along the sidewalk of the hospital’s main building Tuesday afternoon, wielding signs in protest of a vaccine mandate.

Last week, Gundersen joined numerous other health care facilities, including Mayo Clinic Health System, in requiring employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Mayo announced in late July that staff would have until Sept. 17 to receive their shots or complete a declination process with education modules and other restrictions, while Gundersen employees have until Nov. 1. As of Monday, the Pfizer vaccine has full FDA approval, and the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson versions are under emergency use authorization.

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

House Democrat Introduces Bill to Force Citizens to Show Vaccine Passport to Board All Flights

A Democrat House representative is pushing for vaccine passports for domestic and international air travel. Such a policy would mean citizens would have to present a vaccine passport to get on any flight within the United States.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) is behind the proposals. He wrote a letter to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) asking for the introduction of such a policy and also introduced a bill that would make his proposed vaccine mandates law.

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

Ohio State Representative Al Cutrona Introduces Anti-Social-Media-Censorship Bill

Representative Al Cutrona of Canfield, R-59th, wants legislation passed that would forbid social media platforms from censoring their users.

If Cutrona’s bill moves forward, it would prohibit social network sites removing users or editing posts for their views and does not include posts that break state or federal laws, such as encouraging violence or criminal activity.

Rep Al Cutrona had this to say: “These monopolized Big Tech platforms should not have the power to dictate what they deem as acceptable speech, that’s exactly why we have the First Amendment.”

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

Oregon Gov. Communist Kate Brown Announces Statewide Mask Mandate in All Outdoor Settings

In Oregon, masks will be mandated in “all public outdoor settings where physical distancing is not possible, regardless of vaccination status”, effective Friday.

Kate Brown: In addition, the Oregon Health Authority strongly recommends masking in outdoor gatherings at private residences, where people from different households do not maintain physical distance.

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

Over 200 Guantanamo Detainees Went Back to Terrorism After Release

After their release from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, more than 200 former inmates have reportedly reengaged with terrorism following their release, with many still on the run.

According to a declassified Office of National Intelligence report obtained by the Daily Mail, dated December 18, 2020, 229 former Guantanamo Bay inmates have returned to terrorist groups and activities.

Of those 229, 125 are confirmed to have reengaged in acts of terrorism since their release, with the remaining 104 being suspected of reengaging, according to the Daily Mail.

151 of those 229 are listed as being at large, as of August 31, 2020, meaning 66 percent of those who reengage are not in custody.

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

Protest Shuts Down Council Meeting at SJ City Hall Ahead of Vaccine Mandate Vote

Anti-mask activists protested at the San Jose City Council chambers ahead of a vaccine mandate vote Tuesday.

Dozens of anti-maskers, who predictably did not wear masks in the city chambers, reportedly forced the City Council to take a recess as they tried to get unmasked attendees out.

Pictures posted on different social media platforms show attendees holding signs that read “my body, my choice,” or “What next? Mandating Proof of Vaxx to vote?”

Some people started to boo when Mayor Sam Liccardo told them they needed to put on masks or get escorted out.

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

Rochester Man Sentenced to Jail for Role in May 2020 Violent Protests Downtown

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A Rochester man was sentenced Tuesday for his role in the violent protests back in May 2020 in downtown Rochester, federal officials announced.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 27-year-old Shakell Sanks of Rochester was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of rioting. Sanks pleaded guilty in June.

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

US Surgeon General Says Vaccine Passports in Businesses and Schools Would be “Reasonable”

In an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, the Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy said that vaccine passports at schools and businesses are “a very reasonable thing to do.” His remarks came amid the approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the Foods and Drugs Administration (FDA).

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

US Surgeon General Says There’s “Not Nearly Enough” Social Media Censorship

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, criticized social media platforms for not doing enough to stop the spread of “misinformation” online.

“The speed, scale and sophistication with which it is spreading and impacting our health is really unprecedented,” Murthy said during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union. “And it’s happening largely, in part, aided and abetted by social-media platforms.”

The Surgeon General did acknowledge that these platforms were already working to censor but said what they are doing is “not nearly enough.”

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

Video: Biden Suggests Kamala Harris Will be President “Pretty Soon”

The mentally addled mind of Joe Biden blurted out something that should have remained an inside thought Monday as he told a gathering at the White House that “pretty soon” Kamala Harris will be president.

In a PR event featuring 2020 WNBA champion Seattle Storm, Biden read from a script about women realising their dreams, blah blah blah.

Then he broke from the auto squint and uttered the following telling words.

“[Kamala Harris] happens to be in Asia for me right now, but that’s why we have a female Vice President of the United States of America, who’s gonna be, we’re gonna have some [female] presidents pretty soon.”

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

Washington State Employees Required to Verify Religious Beliefs for Vaccine Mandate Exemption

Washington State workers across multiple agencies on Monday received forms for requesting a religious exemption for the now mandatory coronavirus vaccines. The forms asked the state employees to affirm or agree that they “have never received a vaccine or medicine from a health care provider as an adult.”

Since Washington Democrat Governor Jay Inslee’s announcement mandating vaccines for all state workers including teachers and re-imposing indoor mask mandates earlier this month, confusion has swirled around Inslee’s exemption for “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

According to Brandi Kruse of Q13 Fox, other religious exemption forms such as ones from the Capital Region Educational Services District demand a signed statement from one’s religious leader attesting to their faith. Kruse noted that Inslee’s office said this particular form was not issued by the state.

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

Woman Seriously Hurt in Car Fire on Indy’s Near East Side

INDIANAPOLIS — A woman is in serious condition after a car fire and possible explosion on Indy’s near east side, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department.

Fire crews were called to the scene of a crash and fire near 26th and Lasalle Streets at around 8 a.m. Tuesday.

According to IFD, a car crash ignited some welding or metalworking equipment in the back of the woman’s car.

Police told WISH-TV’s Kevin Ratermann that the woman hit a car near Adams Street, the equipment caught fire and possibly exploded, and the car came to a stop at Lasalle Street.

The woman was cut out of her car by firefighters. She was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition, according to WISH-TV.

Police are working with the arson investigators and the bomb squad to determine if the explosion was accidental or intentional, according to Ratermann.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

Boss of Britain’s Biggest Nightclub Group Attacks PM Boris Johnson’s ‘Ludicrous’ Plan to Make Revellers Show Vaccine Passports to Enter Clubs

The boss of Britain’s biggest nightclub group has attacked Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘ludicrous’ plan to make revellers show vaccine passports to enter clubs.

Peter Marks, chief executive of Rekom UK, said young people have flocked back to nightclubs and would not ‘play ball’ with new rules set to be introduced next month. He said many would seek out illegal underground raves instead, where there were no safety measures.

Marks also warned that ordering his staff to be double-vaccinated could trigger employment disputes — particularly from ethnic minorities.

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

Bus Driver Brutally Attacked by ‘Youth’ In Belgium

Police in Belgium have arrested a ‘young man’ suspected in a savage attack that left a bus driver hospitalized, according to reports.

The incident unfolded aboard a De Lijn bus on Friday in Eliksem, a village in municipality of Landen.

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

Evacuated Afghan Arrested in France for Suspected Taliban Links as UK Calms Down Similar Report

French authorities have arrested an evacuated Afghan citizen on suspicion of links to the Taliban.

Five Afghanistan nationals in total were placed under surveillance after they were repatriated to France earlier this month.

On Tuesday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed that one man has been placed in custody over possible extremist links.

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

Extensive Study Reveals True Extent of COVID-19 Epidemic in Czechia

Half the Czech Republic’s adult population contracted the coronavirus from the beginning of the epidemic until March this year. Based on the first phase of a long-term study, these findings were made by scientists from the research center of Masaryk University in Brno. According to official statistics, the infection was confirmed in only 1.7 million people in the country.

The researchers focused on the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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

Greece to Require Vaccine Passports for 12-Year-Old Children

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s government plans to impose new testing requirements and attendance restrictions on people who are not vaccinated against COVID19, the health minister announced Tuesday.

From Sept. 13 until March 31, all private and public sector workers without a certificate proving vaccination or recovery from COVID19 within the last six months will have to undergo one rapid test per week, Health Minister Vassilis Kililias said.

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

Incels: A New Terror Threat to the UK?

Why did Jake Davison kill five people in Plymouth? One of the key questions for investigators right now is what, if any, role his belief in “incel” culture played in his murderous decisions.

The movement has been linked to serious violence around the world but, at the same time, experts in security and ideology say it would be wrong to call it a terror group.

Incel is short for “involuntary celibate”. People who define themselves as incel say they can’t get a sex life despite the fact that they want to be in a relationship.

The idea dates back 30 years and was popularised by a website offering support for lonely people who felt left behind.

But over the years, incel beliefs morphed. Some forums are full of self-pity. Some are now dominated by grievance.

The men taking part express misogyny and an unfulfilled sense of entitlement to sex that women are withholding from them.

Some incels advocate violence against women — and the men who are lucky enough to be in happy relationships.

Florence Keen, who researches incels at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College London, says that one of the biggest forums has 13,000 active members and around 200,000 threads.

“The caveat I would always give is that we can’t say that the whole of the incel subculture is violent,” she says.

“It really varies. Some will glorify violence while others [in these forums] will say ‘this is not what we are’…

           — Hat tip: Will Tyson [Return to headlines]
 

Nearby Planetary System May Have the Right Conditions to Host Life

Authored by Lu Xiao via The Epoch Times

Astronomers researched a planetary system only 35 light-years away that contains rocky exoplanets, and they found that it may have a planet in the habitable zone, the area around a star where conditions are suitable for liquid water to exist.

Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, a team of astronomers studied the planets around the nearby star L 98-59, which has planets resembling those in the inner solar system.

Among their findings is a planet with half the mass of Venus, which is the lightest exoplanet ever measured with the radial velocity technique, according to a statement. They also discovered a planet that could be an ocean world as well as a possible planet in the habitable zone.

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

UK Sharia Council Scholar: ‘Every Muslim I Know’ Celebrating Taliban Victory

UK Islamic Sharia Council (ISC) scholar Khola Hasan told the BBC that “every Muslim” she knows is celebrating the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan.

Hasan, who has appeared in several programmes about so-called “sharia courts” in Britain, serving as a “judge” on what is supposed to be one of the more moderate examples of such institutions, claimed that the Taliban has “grown up” during 20 years of insurgency using hostage-taking, prisoner massacres, child suicide bombers, and insider attacks to retake Afghanistan.

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

UK: Dr Anne McCloskey Investigated Over Vaccine Comments

A Londonderry GP is being investigated over comments she made on social media about the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Dr Anne McCloskey, a former Aontú councillor, expressed concerns about young people being given the vaccine.

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Western Urgent Care (WUC), where Dr McCloskey works, are now investigating, the Belfast Telegraph has reported.

Dr McCloskey told BBC News NI that she stands by her comments.

In the nine-minute video, posted on Sunday, she made a number of claims including that there is not enough evidence that it is safe for young people to be vaccinated.

Dr McCloskey said she was “distraught” by the number of young people “damaged” by “unlicensed and unapproved” vaccines.

She said many young people have been “coerced, bribed or bullied” into being vaccinated and that vaccines are “malevolent”.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Extinction Rebellion Blocks Entrance to Selfridges in London

The environmental activist group took to the luxury department store Tuesday amid wider climate change protests across central London. Four protestors doused themselves in oil and glued themselves to the retailer’s entrance, according to commentary on a livestream of the event posted to Extinction Rebellion UK’s Facebook page.

Speakers at the protest say Selfridges was selected due to its owner the Weston family’s ties to European fast fashion giant Primark, as well as the department store’s stocking of brands that rely heavily on synthetic, oil-based fibres.

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

UK: More Arrests Made at Extinction Rebellion Protests

A further 40 people have been arrested at Extinction Rebellion protests as group’s action in central London continues.

The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were for a variety of offences.

It means that as of 5.30pm on Tuesday, the total number of arrests over the three days of activity by Extinction Rebellion stood at 102.

This includes 10 on Sunday and 52 on Monday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the climate protest group said two women had been arrested for spray painting the floor outside the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

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

UK: Police Arrest Dozens of People During Extinction Rebellion Protests in Central London

Police arrested dozens people during the first 24 hours of Extinction Rebellionprotests in central London.

Demonstrators blocked roads in central London, including around Trafalgar Square, as they demanded the UK Government immediately end investment in fossil fuels that are driving climate change.

On Monday evening officers were continuing to remove demonstrators from under vehicles in Garrick Street.

Scotland Yard said a “significant” operation would be put in place to manage the protests over the busy bank holiday weekend, but acknowledged the activists’ “important cause”.

It later confirmed that as of 10.15pm on Monday some 52 arrests had been made for a “variety” of offences. The force added that 10 arrests were made on Sunday.

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

Tunisia: President Saied Flying High in Polls

94.9% approve president’s decisions

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUG 18 — The honeymoon continues for Tunisian President Kais Saied and the electorate, according to a new poll conducted by Sigma Conseil for Tunisian daily Le Maghreb, in which 94.9% of respondents said they approve of the president’s decisions, compared to 87% in the previous poll.

On July 25, Saied sacked the prime minister, froze the work of parliament for 30 days, and revoked immunity for members of parliament.

The percentage of citizens who would vote for Saied again is also above 90%, at 91.9%, although 23.9% of those polled didn’t respond to this question.

If early elections were held, the poll showed the top party would be the Free Destourian party (PDL) led by Abir Moussi, followed by an unspecified “party” led by Kais Saied (20.1%), the Islamic Ennahda party (11%), the modernist Qalb Tounes (8%) and the Democratic Current (5.9%).

A total of 77.1% of those polled think that Tunisia is currently on the right path.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

$10,000 Invested in Defense Stocks When Afghanistan War Began Now Worth Almost $100,000

IF YOU PURCHASED $10,000 of stock evenly divided among America’s top five defense contractors on September 18, 2001 — the day President George W. Bush signed the Authorization for Use of Military Force in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks — and faithfully reinvested all dividends, it would now be worth $97,295.

This is a far greater return than was available in the overall stock market over the same period. $10,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund on September 18, 2001, would now be worth $61,613.

That is, defense stocks outperformed the stock market overall by 58 percent during the Afghanistan War.

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

Biden Admin Under Pressure to Reveal Number of Americans Still Stranded in Afghanistan

Top Biden administration officials indicated Tuesday they would soon provide long-awaited details regarding the number of Americans still stranded in Afghanistan amid mounting bipartisan pressure to ensure that no American is left behind following the Taliban’s takeover.

While the Pentagon said about 4,000 American passport holders and their families have been evacuated during chaotic rescue operations, the White House has yet to reveal exactly how many Americans have been unable to leave. With President Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline just days away, administration officials have a “political incentive” to keep details vague, according to Nathan Sales, a former ambassador-at-large and counterterrorism coordinator at the U.S. State Department.

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

Biden Finally Does 6-Minute Afghan Presser, Reiterates “Support of Allies”, Takes No Questions

Just four and a half hours after the press conference was initially scheduled for, President Biden stumbled out to a podium, read a teleprompter(barely), and then rushed for the door, taking no questions. He began by discussing the House vote then shifted to Afghanistan.

He spoke on Afghanistan for 6 minutes.

What was of note is the number of times he reiterated “full support, or “full cooperation” or “shoulder to shoulder” with US allies — which is questionable given his decision to stick with the Aug 31 deadline while his G-7 allies are pushing to extend it.

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

Breaking: Trump Calls Out Biden for Evacuating Afghans Before Americans

On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump slammed President Biden for evacuating fleeing Afghan people before American citizens.

“Biden surrendered Afghanistan to terrorists and left thousands of Americans for dead by pulling out the Military before our citizens. Now we are learning that out of the 26,000 people who have been evacuated, only 4,000 are Americans,” said Trump.

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

CIA Director Reportedly Met With Taliban Leader in Kabul

On Monday, CIA Director William Burns held a secret meeting in Kabul with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, as the withdrawal deadline for US forces in Afghanistan looms closer.

According to US officials familiar with the matter who spoke with The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity, the meeting marks the highest-level face-to-face encounter between the Biden administration and the Taliban since they seized control of the capital city on August 13.

While the CIA declined to comment on the Taliban meeting, the discussions were likely to have centered around the August 31 deadline for US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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

‘Deeply Concerned’: World Bank Freezes Aid to Afghanistan After Taliban Takeover

The suspension from World Bank follows the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan, as US forces prepared to complete a withdrawal with a deadline of August 31.

The World Bank has suspended aid to Afghanistan, saying it is “deeply concerned” by the situation there, especially regarding women’s rights, after the Taliban seized power, a bank spokesperson told AFP.

“We have paused disbursements in our operations in Afghanistan and we are closely monitoring and assessing the situation,” the official said.

“We are deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and the impact on the country’s development prospects, especially for women.”

The suspension follows the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan, as US forces prepared to complete a withdrawal with a deadline of August 31.

Washington last week announced it would deny the Taliban access to the country’s gold and cash reserves, most of which is held overseas.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also suspended operations with the country, including an existing $370 million loan program, as well as $340 million Kabul was due to receive from Monday’s release of Special Drawing Rights (SDR), the lender’s basket of currencies…

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Finnish Terror Experts Warn of Potential Islamic State Attack on Kabul Airport

Following U.S. warnings over potential activity in Kabul by Taliban rival group the Islamic State, Finnish terror experts have warned of the possibility of an attack on the city’s airport as evacuations are still ongoing.

Antti Parosen, assistant military professor at Finland’s National Defence University said the threat of an Islamic State terror attack should be taken seriously saying, “ISIS, at least, certainly has aspirations to act in a situational development that is receiving very significant publicity. Their will, [like their rivals the Taliban], is to show their strength. The threat is real.”

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

Over 3,350 Afghans Rescued, 1,990 Already in Italy

Including 547 women and 667 children — defence sources

(ANSA) — ROME, AUG 23 — Over 3,350 Afghans have been rescued by Italy and 1,990 are already in Italy including 547 women and 667 children, defence sources said Monday.

About 1,300 are waiting to depart at Kabul airport, they said.

The sources spoke as Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini visited the interforce operational high command, COVI.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Psaki’s Claim That There Are No Americans Stranded in Afghanistan Debunked

During Monday’s White House press conference, Press Secretary Jen Psaki unequivocally stated that no Americans are currently stranded in the troubled nation of Afghanistan. Yet her false claims ignore the stories of Americans stranded in Afghanistan. Fox News reached out to her office about one such American on Saturday, three days before she made this claim.

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

Singapore: COVID-19: Jail, S$15,500 Fine for Man Who Hosted 3 Big Gatherings, Including 40-Person Birthday Party

SINGAPORE — Despite being arrested for hosting two large parties in an industrial building over two weekends, Joel Ang Yun Nan broke Covid-19 safe-distancing regulations again several months later by organising another large gathering.

By then, new restrictions had just taken effect after a spike in locally transmitted coronavirus infections.

On Monday (Aug 23), the 25-year-old was jailed two weeks and fined S$15,500.

He has to serve about two more months behind bars if he cannot pay the fine.

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

Taliban Appoints Former Gitmo Detainee as Afghanistan’s New Defense Minister

Via AlMasdarNews.com

Afghanistan’s new Taliban government has appointed former Guantanamo detainee mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir as it’s acting defense minister, according to Qatari based Al Jazeera news channel on Tuesday, subsequently reported in Reuters.

He was among the first senior Taliban commanders to enter Kabul last week as the group overran the capital amid the American troop exit, and after US-trained national forces largely fled. Until being named as Defense Minister, Qayyum was deputy to the Taliban’s commander-in-chief, Mullah Yaqoob.

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

UK: Given Biden and Taliban Comments, Afghan Extension Seems Unlikely

The British Defence Secretary has said despite his desire to get more time to effect the Kabul airlift-evacuation, the chances of the deadline for Western withdrawal on August 31st is “unlikely” to be pushed back given the main actors — the United States and the Taliban — are not interested in an extension.

Speaking to UK broadcast outlets on Tuesday, Ben Wallace — a regular on British television since the Afghan government and defence forces collapsing like a house of cards apparently took Western governments by surprise — lamented the state of affairs but concluded ultimately there was nothing the United Kingdom could do about it.

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

Kamala Harris’ Flight to Vietnam Delayed Over Alleged ‘Havana Syndrome’ Incident

Vice President Kamala Harris was unable to depart Singapore for Vietnam according to the schedule of her southeast Asia tour due to an unnamed ‘health incident’. Her plane was delayed for there hours, according to reports.

The State Department has confirmed the delay is due to a possible “anomalous health incident” — after the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam communicated the incident to her office in Washington. Crucially, US officials have typically reserved this term for what’s become known as “Havana Syndrome” — sending observers into a flurry of speculation. Whatever the case, and ambiguous as the reported claims remain, this seems a possible well-timed distraction from the administration’s fumbling of the worsening evacuation situation in Kabul.

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

‘No Regard for Religious Freedom’: Chinese Officials Arrest 18 Adults, 10 Kids During Early Rain Church Worship Service

Chinese police arrested 28 people, 10 of them children, after they raided a worship service Sunday at Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) in Chengdu.

Details about the incident were shared on a Facebook prayer page for the church.

“On the morning of August 22, 2021, during Sunday worship at Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, police illegally raided the Tashui Small Group as they were meeting offline in Chenghua District. The police claimed to have received a call reporting an illegal gathering there,” the post reads.

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

Australian Truck Drivers Vow to Block Every Major Highway in Radical Anti-Lockdown Strike

As Australians take to the streets to protest the country’s lockdown measures — most recently clashing with police over the weekend, Aussie truck drivers are planning to shut down every major highway across the country and have advised people to ‘stock up on groceries.’

One driver, according to the Daily Mail, declared in a video that truck drivers are ‘planning to shut down the country’ to ‘remove the shit government’ on August 31 beginning at 9 a.m.

[Comment: I support this strike.]

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

Caulfield North Engagement Party Fined $305,312 for Illegal Gathering During Melbourne Lockdown

Investigations into the illegal engagement party held in Melbourne’s Caulfield North has ended with partygoers hit with a massive fine.

Victoria Police announced 56 of the 69 party has been slapped with a $5452 penalty infringement notice with the remaining being children who will not be penalised.

“We are satisfied all guests have been accounted for and the investigation has now concluded,” they said in a statement.

Last Thursday Victoria Police’s Chief Commissioner Shane Patton revealed the Jewish Orthodox groom, bride-to-be and her parents were the first from the event to be fined.

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

Former NBA Star Andrew Bogut Says Celebrities Are Being Paid to Encourage Lockdowns on Social Media

Australian NBA legend Andrew Bogut took to social media to speak up against the extreme lockdowns in the country, saying they are unfair to those who have to fend for their families. Interestingly, he said that celebrities are being offered money to support the lockdowns on social media — something he too was offered.

The former NBA star also complained about celebrities not speaking up for their fans who are losing their livelihoods due to the lockdowns.

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

Bad News for South African Looters as Samsung Moves to Block Their Stolen TVs

Authored by Garikai Dzoma via TechZim.co.zw

Last month there was widespread looting and chaos in South Africa as alleged supporters of former president Jacob Zuma protested against his incarceration over contempt of court charges. The protests disintegrated into chaos as people started looting shops and blowing up ATMs. Among the popular items stolen were smart TVs.

A looter loading a stolen TV into his car

Samsung South Africa has now announced that they would be remotely blocking all TVs looted from shops during this period. They will do this using a security feature known as Television Block Function which is found in all modern Samsung Television sets. The block will be activated on all Television sets looted from their warehouses in Durban last month.

TV block is Samsung’s remote security feature which detects Samsung TVs that have been activated illegally and not by their rightful owners. The feature allows Samsung to remotely disable all functions on the affected Television set rendering it useless. Essentially it turns your stolen smart TV into nothing more than a heap of plastic with a screen.

A major weakness of the feature is that it only comes into effect when the culprit device connects to the internet.

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

‘Afghan Roulette’ UK, France Accidentally Evacuate Security Risk Individuals

The French government admitted on Monday that it has repatriated an Afghani man and his four relatives despite being aware of intelligence that he was connected to the Taliban, with similar security failures witnessed in the UK.

As nations across Europe grapple with increased security concerns over the evacuation of asylum seekers from Afghanistan following President Joe Biden’s disastrous military withdrawal from the country, the French government has been accused of helping the Taliban establish a “fifth column” in the nation.

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

Afghan Criminals Are Sneaking Back to Europe on Board Military Planes

In another sign of how chaotic the evacuation of people from Afghanistan has become, it has been reported by multiple media outlets that among genuine refugees there are Islamists and once deported criminals among those flown back to the West in military transport planes.

While all evacuees are supposed to be listed on a predetermined checklist held by military commanders directing the process, it seems that checks are either lax or are impossible to perform amid the complete breakdown surrounding the botched military withdrawal from the country. The only certainty at this point is that it is Western societies that are going to pick up the bill not only for the financial cost of housing and integrating tens of thousands of Afghan citizens, but will also have to deal with the security threat that is being flown in from Kabul due to authorities having little or no idea who they are “rescuing”.

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

Belarus Creates Turmoil by Pushing Afghan Migrants to Pass Polish Border

A group of 32 migrants from Afghanistan have been left trapped between the border of Belarus and Poland for two weeks now as the Polish authorities are not allowing them to enter the country’s territory, and the Belarusian authorities are refusing to let them return back.

As such, Poland is holding Belarus responsible for trapping migrants between the border and creating a humanitarian crisis by calling this a dirty game played by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

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

Deported Gang Member Slips Back Into Denmark by Posing as Afghan Refugee

A convicted gang member has managed to slip onto one of Denmark’s evacuation flights from Kabul and then tried to cheat his way into the country by using his brother’s name to get past the police registering evacuees upon arrival at Copenhagen Airport, Danish Radio has reported.

The 23-year-old man, a member of the notorious Loyal to Familia gang, was deported from Denmark in July after serving a five-year sentence for possession of a firearm.

However, he was discovered and arrested immediately at the airport, whereupon he confessed his true identity.

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

EU Prez to Member States: Host Afghan Migrants and Get Cash

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised financial incentives to European Union member states who take in refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan.

President Von der Leyen made the announcement after a visit to a reception centre for Afghan EU employees at the Torrejon Air Base in Spain at the weekend and called on member states to take in refugees from the country which recently fell to the Taliban.

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

Europe is Building Anti-Migration Fences on Its Borders, Brussels Agrees

A massive barbed wire fence winds its way for 40 kilometers around Greece’s Evros River, which serves as the country’s border with Turkey. The recently completed barrier also features an electronic surveillance system, and has been erected at a time when Athens is deeply concerned about an unmanageable wave of immigration triggered by the unexpectedly rapid takeover of Afghanistan by Islamic militants of the Taliban.

European officials, who do not yet have a credible plan on what to do about the situation in Afghanistan, are not criticizing the Greeks’ border wall construction. This is in contrast to the European mainstream’s stance nine years ago, when its construction began, and also starkly contrasts to the strong backlash Hungary faced when it set up barriers against immigrants six years ago.

Today, everything is different.

Greece is not the only one to recently begin to add to the plethora of border walls and fences that have gone up around Europe in recent years. Lithuania is also preparing to build a fence to prevent another influx of refugees from Belarus. Brussels even said it was a “good idea”.

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

Germany ‘Needs 400,000 Immigrants Every Year’ To Fill Jobs

The head of Germany’s federal Employment Agency has issued an urgent appeal to the government to allow significantly more immigrants with sought-after skills into the country.

“Germany is running out of skilled workers,” Detlef Scheele, chairman of the Federal Employment Agency told the Süddeutsche Zeitung in an interview published Monday.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: New Data Shows Dramatic Demographic Changes in School-Age Children; Majority of Students in Hamburg Have Migration Background

In Hamburg’s general education schools, of the around 257,000 children in the 2020/2021 school year, 51.4 percent had a migration background. While the demographic transformation in Hamburg is significant, the rest of Germany is also undergoing the same transformation, albeit at a slower rate.

The birth rate in Germany has remained constant for years. On average, women currently give birth to 1.53 children. This puts Germany pretty much in the middle of the EU range. The population is considered to be able to reproduce when the birth rate is at least 2.1.

[Comment: Germany abolishes itself.]

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

Greece Calls on EU to Help Countries Prevent Afghan Migrant Wave

The European Union should support countries neighboring Afghanistan to stop a new migrant wave from the Taliban-controlled country, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday.

The return of the hardline group to power in Kabul on Aug. 15 has plunged the future of many Afghans into uncertainty and sparked concern that millions may head to Europe as they flee the war-torn country.

Mitsotakis said, “It is important for the European Union to support the countries close to Afghanistan, in order to make sure that we won’t have additional flows in Europe.”

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

Hungary Will Continue Defending EU’s Borders, Justice Minister Varga Says

“Following the events in Afghanistan, the topic of migration is once again on the European agenda, which is why I have explained Hungary’s position on that matter to the Portuguese weekly Expresso,” Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga wrote on her Facebook page.

“The Hungarian position has been clear and well understood for a long time: we must keep the continent’s interests in mind because help is not possible by bringing the problem on European territory,” Varga wrote.

“We believe it’s not a human right for someone to wake up one morning on the other side of the world and decide to live in another part of the world from now on and thus we would have to let him or her in without any control,” she wrote. adding that despite criticism from the European Union, Hungary remains determined to defend the Union’s Schengen borders.

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

Lithuania Challenged on Migration Law Changes Amid Belarus Border Row

An exchange of letters between the Council of Europe and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyte has revealed growing tensions over the alleged pushback of migrants on the EU’s eastern borders.

Lithuania and Poland have accused neighbours Belarus of sending migrants their way as retaliation for EU sanctions on Minsk following a crackdown on dissent.

Both countries are constructing border walls but it is Lithuania’s migration system amendments that have caught the eye of the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner Dunja Mijatovic. She said the changes “remove, in the case of an emergency situation, significant safeguards in the asylum procedure”.

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

Make Yourself at Home: Airbnb Offers to House 20,000 Afghan Refugees

Airbnb announced Tuesday it is ready to house 20,000 refugees fleeing Afghanistan as it had become “abundantly clear” the Afghanis are facing a “significant humanitarian crisis.”

Temporary housing costs will be met by contributions to the company’s non-profit organization, as well as Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky who will dip into his own pockets.

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

Migration Minister: Greece Will Not Become a Gateway for Illegal Migration

The Greek Migration and Asylum Minister, Notis Mitarachi, said that the country is on “high alert at the sea and land borders”, as a major migration crisis is on its way due to Afghanistan being captured by Taliban forces, which is expected to cause a flux in Afghan refugees.

According to a statement made during an interview with the newspaper “Real News”, Mitarachi said that the country would not become a portal for illegal migration once again, implying the European migrant crisis in 2010’s when 1.3 million refugees entered the European countries, recording the highest number of migrants since World War II.

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

Poland to Build 2.5-Meter-Tall Fence on Border With Belarus

As early as this week, work will begin expanding a border fence between Belarus and Poland made out of barbed wire similar to the one on the Hungarian-Serbian border, announced the minister of national defense, Mariusz Blaszczak.

Blaszczak, who visited the soldiers deployed at the border, announced that work on the fence will begin as early as this week. The fence will be 2.5 meters high and built from the same barbed wire that is currently functioning on the border but layered on top of one another.

In addition to the fence, the minister also declared that the number of soldiers currently stationed at the border to assist the Border Guard will be doubled.

[Comment: ‘Good fences make good neighbors’ — Robert Frost]

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

Polish and Baltic State PMs Condemn Belarusian Regime for Inciting Migration Crisis

In a joint statement, the prime ministers of Poland and the Baltic states called for Belarusian authorities to cease pushing migrants onto their territory.

A joint statement of the four prime ministers follows a video conference organized on Saturday by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The main subject of the discussion between Morawiecki, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Latvian Prime Minister Artus Karins, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was the situation on the borders with Belarus and the flood of migrants to Europe caused by the Belarusian government.

The prime ministers’ statement on Monday condemned the Belarusian regime and called for de-escalation.

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

Stop Mass Migration or Britain Will Face Societal Breakdown: Report

Mass migration to the United Kingdom has resulted in huge demographic shifts which could lead to a breakdown in social cohesion, a report from Migration Watch UK has found.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected President Joe Biden’s bid to avoid reinstating an immigration policy implemented by his predecessor, Donald Trump, that forced thousands of asylum seekers to stay in Mexico awaiting U.S. hearings.

The court, with three liberal justices dissenting, rejected the Biden administration’s effort to block a Texas-based judge’s ruling requiring the government to revive Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy, formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program.

The brief order by the justices means that U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling now goes into effect.

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

UK: Migrants Celebrate as They Land on Broadstairs Beach in Kent in Front of Stunned Sunbathers in Dinghy Packed With 20 People Including Baby as Record 828 Make Crossing in One Day

This is the moment a group of migrants celebrated as they landed on Broadstairs beach in Kent in front of stunned sunbathers.

The group of 20 people — including three children and a baby — had made the perilous 30-mile trip across the English Channel on a dinghy.

Their unexpected arrival surprised beachgoers in Broadstairs on the north east Kent coastline — a further 10 miles from the usual boat landings on the south stretch of the county from Calais.

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

Why Mass Immigration is the Key to American Renewal

Our economy, politics, and culture all need the revitalization only immigrants can provide.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Zapad-2020: The ‘Russian Bear’ Is at Poland’s Borders

Russia and Belarus are preparing to carry out the 200,000 soldier-strong joint military exercises near the Polish border in September.

On Aug. 20, Russian Ministry of Defense representative Andrei Kartapolov explained that the military exercises are meant to show NATO countries that they should not bother the ‘Russian bear’. Kartapolov referred to NATO’s recent activity which, according to him, sent signals towards Russia by concentrating its forces in the Kaliningrad oblast region.

The Zapad-2021 exercises will take place between Sept. 10 and 16 on Belarusian and Russian training grounds.

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

Hungary: Minister: Unwilling to Let LGBTQ Lobby Into Schools

Justice ministers speaks of “indecent attacks”

(ANSA) — BELGRADE, AUG 3 — “Hungary has been attacked on an unprecedented scale only because the protection of children and families is our priority, and in view of this, we are unwilling to let LGBTQ lobby into our schools and kindergartens,” the Hungarian Minister of Justice Judit Varga said on Twitter today.

“The Hungarian government has, therefore, responded to such indecent attacks as well as to the RoL report of the European Commission by a freshly issued Government Decision,” Varga added.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Pope Francis Removes Young Spanish Bishop Who Questioned Roots of Homosexuality

ROME, Italy — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Spanish Bishop Xavier Novell Gomà, who had come under fire for suggesting that male homosexuality can be correlated to “an absent and distant paternal figure.”

The Spanish bishops’ conference released a statement saying 52-year-old Novell had “freely presented” his resignation from the Spanish diocese of Solsona to the pope “for strictly personal reasons.”

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

11 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 8/24/2021

  1. CIA is negotiating with Taliban about how much money they are going to be given for invading their country by infidels.

    If they invade other countries that is halal if . Muslim countries are invaded that is Haram . When are Western democracies going to understand these tenets
    Of Islam. Have been there for 14.5 centuries.

    After spending $9 billion over 20 years Taliban is still there stronger than before plus now they have gained weapons worth one billion .

    Taliban speak 10 minutes but meaningful focused clear-eyed about their future plans and of course they are determined to see them through

    on the other hand America and the West speak incessantly empty talk claptrap confused not based on any ground truth meant for local consumption and to wash brains . Pompous talk meaningless and they are unable to achieve what they say

    Taliban was there when they went Taliban was there when Americans were there for 20 years Taliban is still there stronger with a clearer vision for what they are going to do they have leaders with experience gained over several years while Americans and British change contradict each other fight each other and instead of having one king now we have 100 Kings with multiple parties quarreling incessantly instead of working for the nation all of them work for jihadis

    • Your numbers are way off. They are talking Trillions spent and 85 billion dollars worth of equipment left behind.

  2. There is also a strike by drivers of one of the largest freight companies over wages and conditions taking place on Friday 27th August. Maybe the idiots in charge will get the hint, although somehow I doubt it. They have gone full fascist into a corner and do not know how to get out without admitting their incompetence.

  3. “Why Mass Immigration is the Key to American Renewal”, Ya, illegal immigration (immigration sans law) is the key to rule USA, per dhimmikkkrats. Replacing the Constitutional Republic, with the dhimmikkkrat dhimmocracy. Keep the chaos coming, divide the people into bickering identity communities that only the dhimmikkkrats can arbitrate. Nice tyranny you got there nancy girl.

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