Quebec has launched an official vaccine passport system that will require citizens to show proof of vaccination in order to participate in various indoor activities. Meanwhile, an Italian diocese near Rome requires that people show a “green pass” in order to be allowed to attend the Mass for episcopal ordination.
In other news, more than 500 migrants arrived at the Italian island of Lampedusa, transported in a single boat.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to MC, 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.
Private Payrolls Increase by Just 374,000 in August, Far Short of the 600,000 Estimate, ADP Says
U.S. companies created far fewer jobs than expected in August as the Covid resurgence coincided with cutbacks in hiring, according to a report Wednesday from payroll services firm ADP.
Private payrolls rose just 374,000 for the month, well below the Dow Jones estimate of 600,000 though above July’s 326,000, which was revised downward slightly from initial 330,000 reading.
Most of the new jobs came from leisure and hospitality, which added 201,000 positions in a somewhat hopeful sign that an industry beset by a labor shortage continues to recover.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
12-State Human Trafficking Sting Frees 59 Victims, Including 2 Minors; 102 Suspects Arrested
A twelve-state human trafficking sting dubbed Operation United Front netted 102 arrests and freed 59 victims, including at least two minors, according to investigators in each of the states.
“The exploitation and repeated victimization of our children, our women and our men must end,” Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement, adding that although the operation has been completed, “our work is not over.”
He pledged to continue tracking down and arresting human traffickers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill to Ban Teaching Critical-Race Theory Goes Into Effect in Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Going into effect Wednesday is HB 3979. The bill abolishes teaching critical-race theory in public schools.
So how will this affect your child or your child’s teacher?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bill Written in Response to Critical Race Theory Debates Passes North Carolina Legislature
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans have successfully pushed a bill through the legislature designed to limit how teachers can discuss certain racial concepts in the classroom.
House Bill 324, which passed Wednesday with a vote of 60-41, is a response to recent public discourse about critical race theory. The bill now heads to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office, where it will likely be vetoed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Joe Rogan Successfully Treats Himself With Ivermectin — Alex Jones Responds
Alex Jones reacts to a viral Joe Rogan Instagram video where Joe admits to successfully using ivermectin in his Covid regimen.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Antifa Teacher Set to be Fired by School After Attempting to Radicalize Children
A California school district is planning on firing one of its teachers after an undercover Project Veritas video revealed he was radicalizing the students. According to Natomas Unified School District, “Yesterday, a group released an undercover video that has been covered extensively. In this video, a teacher at Inderkum High School was recorded sharing his educational approach that is disturbing and undermines the public’s trust.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Breaking: Jim Banks Will Introduce Amendment to Ban Critical Race Theory in the US Armed Forces
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) will introduce an amendment to HR 4350, which is the National Defense Authorization Act, to ban critical race theory in the military. It would “prohibit the armed forces from compelling servicemen to believe in race essentialism, collective guilt, and state-sanctioned racism.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Broadway Composer Says Maoist Takeover of Arts is Like Living in a “Totalitarian State”
Acclaimed Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz says that the mob’s takeover of arts and culture feels like something straight out of a Maoist “totalitarian state.”
In an interview with the Telegraph, Schwartz highlights the insanity of the left’s new “cultural appropriation” purity test, where if artists want to avoid retribution from the woke brigade, they are only allowed to write about “someone who is exactly like you.”
“Everyone in the arts in America is talking about the tyranny of cancel culture and cultural appropriation,” said Schwartz. “The funny thing is, no one dares to say it aloud. It’s like living in a totalitarian state.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Chicago Schools Facing Crisis as Vaccine Mandate Forces Bus Drivers to Quit En Masse
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system has been thrown into chaos after more than 70 bus drivers quit in response to demands they receive experimental COVID injections to work, according to reports.
The city recently decreed that all employees and contractors working for public schools must be fully ‘vaccinated’ against COVID by October 15.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Cruel Experiment Forcing Dogs to be ‘Eaten Alive’ by Sand Flies Funded by Fauci’s NIAID
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, was revealed to have funded experiments in Tunisia, Africa, that exposed dogs to cruel conditions.
A watchdog group, the White Coat Waste Project (WCW), discovered that the scientists in the lab used part of a $375,800 taxpayer funded grant to “drug beagles and lock their heads in mesh cages filled with hundreds of infected sand flies,” The Federalist reported.
WCW said that the dogs were being “eaten alive” by the flies.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
George Soros Gives Another $500,000 to Pro-Newsom Effort, Bringing Total Support to $1m
Left-wing billionaire megadonor George Soros gave another half-million dollars to a group supporting embattled California Gov. Gavin Newsom, financial disclosure records show.
Soros gave the organization “Stop the Republican Recall of Governor Newsom” $500,000 in a donation on Monday. Soros had previously given $500,000 to the Democratic group.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Health Care Workers Join Protest Against Vaccine Mandate
Krissy Mann spends much of her time inside St. Mary’s Medical Center, working as a registered nurse in the hospital’s labor and delivery unit.
On Tuesday, however, she stood catty-corner to St. Mary’s on Seventh Street and Patterson Road, sign in hand. Mann was among the roughly a dozen people protesting local hospitals for requiring COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers. Statewide, a similar mandate is to go in effect by Halloween.
Many of the protesters held signs and elicited honks from passing motorists that were in agreement with them.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Illinois Judge Recuses After Allowing Unvaccinated Mom to See Son; Dad Plans to Block Visit
An Illinois judge recused himself Tuesday from a child support case in which he initially barred an unvaccinated woman from seeing her son, then reversed the order Monday after it started to get media attention.
“Although I believe I can be fair and impartial, the Canons of Judicial Ethics speak to the perception of fairness and impartiality as well as fairness and impartiality itself,” Cook County Judge James Shapiro said in a statement, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Public perception may be that I can’t be fair and impartial. Therefore, I am going to recuse myself from further proceedings in this case,” Shapiro continued.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Forces Hospital to Treat Dying Man With Ivermectin
A woman in Cincinnati, Ohio whose husband has been put into a medically induced coma due to Covid-19 won a lawsuit last week, forcing hospital staff to treat her husband with ivermectin.
51-year-old Jeffrey Smith tested positive for Covid-19 on July 9th and was admitted to the ICU on July 15th.
In the hospital, Smith was treated with the only FDA approved drug for Covid-19, remdesivir, as well as plasma and steroids.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Children’s books at a school library addressing topics like white privilege and police shootings have enraged some Whitefish Bay residents, pushing them to urge parents to flood a Wednesday night meeting.
But the parents’ goal isn’t to ban the books — it’s to rally votes against the school district’s annual tax levy, according to an email obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
A group of Whitefish Bay residents raised their concerns in a Friday email sent to some local parents and others with the subject line, “Do you know what books are in our WFB school libraries?” The email listed “some examples of inappropriate books in Cumberland School library, where kindergarteners to 5th graders can read this indoctrination material.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Portland Police Release Photos of Suspects From Aug 22 Antifa Riot
Police in Portland, Oregon, have released photos of suspects from the August 22 Antifa riot. Posted to their Twitter Wednesday, police are asking the public for help finding suspects who are predominately wanted for disorderly conduct.
The riots in question began after hundreds of black bloc Antifa arrived at Portland’s Waterfront Park on Sunday to counter-protest the “Summer of Love: Patriots Spreading Love not Hate” event which was scheduled to begin at 2 PM. However, the right-wing group moved to a different location at an abandoned K-Mart parking lot in NE Portland to escape threats of violence.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Report Alleges President Trump Wants Equity in New Social Media App, GETTR
Having succeeded in driving a sitting US president out of major social networks earlier in the year, those behind this “feat” are now worried that Donald Trump might “return to the internet.”
The focus is currently the new social media site Gettr, seen as “pro-Trump” — although the former US president is yet to sign up himself — launched in early July with half a million people signing up the first day.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle’s ‘Defund the Police’ Legacy: ‘Over 100 Additional Shootings’ Compared to Last Year
At a press conference Tuesday morning to address a weekend of shootings across the city, Interim Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said, “So far, year to date, there have been over 100 additional shootings compared to the same time last year in 2020.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Students in Douglas County Stage Walkouts Wednesday Morning in Protest of Mask Mandate
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — It was a morning of protests for a few schools in Douglas County with students calling for an end to the mask mandate.
Some of the loudest voices were heard at Thunder Ridge High School.
“These people agree with me. They hate masks, and I do too,” said Thunder Ridge student Cole Bradley of the students behind him.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Texas House Passes Social Media Free Speech Bill
The Texas House passed House Bill 20, which addresses social media censorship, by a vote of 77 to 49. The bill now awaits approval by the state’s senate.
We obtained a copy of the bill for you here.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trump to Gold Star Mother Banned by Facebook for Bashing: ‘Shana, You Are 100% Correct’
Former President Trump told the Gold Star mother whose son was one of the 13 military members killed in the Kabul airport bombing, telling her she was “100% correct” for blaming Joe Biden for the catastrophic pullout of U.S. forces.
Shana Chappell excoriated Biden earlier this week on Facebook, calling him a “weak human being and a traitor” for his poor handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and his behavior when meeting the families of the fallen servicemembers.
“Shana, you are 100% correct. If I were President, your wonderful and beautiful son Kareem would be with you now, and so would the sons and daughters of others, including all those who died in the vicious Kabul airport attack,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US District Court Judge Throws Out Lawsuit to Cancel California Governor’s Recall
A US District Court judge shot down a request to remove or amend California Governor Gavin Newsom’s name from being added to the state’s recall election ballots last Friday.
The request asked the court to omit Governor Newsom’s name from the ballot or to add another question on the ballot which would ask residents to name a replacement for Newsom, instead of just simply voting “yes” or “no” on the recall.
If the majority votes to recall Newsom on the first question, then the individual who got the highest number of votes on the second question would then become governor, Epoch Timesreports.
On whether or not the recall election ballots violate the clause in the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment, US District Court Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled the recall election does not violate “one person, one vote.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
In an exclusive interview with The Defender, Gianni Cohen said her mother, Cheryl Cohen, developed Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease after getting the Pfizer vaccine, and died within three months of her second dose…
[They said that there would be a risk of prion diseases — well here it is.]
| — Hat tip: MC | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 200 People Protest COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Outside Saskatoon Hospital
More than 200 people protested outside Saskatoon’s City Hospital, shouting how they dislike masks, vaccines and vaccine mandates.
The event was part of coordinated demonstrations taking place across the country, arranged under the auspices of Canadian Frontline Nurses. The group, according to their website, advocates medical freedom and are against vaccination mandates.
It’s not clear how many demonstrators at the Saskatoon event were front-line nurses.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protests Held After Ontario Government Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Certification System
Protests were held in some Ontario cities Wednesday after the Ontario government announced a COVID-19 vaccine certification system that’s set to come into effect later this month.
As Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at Queen’s Park in Toronto, a crowd of around anti-vaccine passport protesters gathered outside.
A protest was also then held outside of a hospital on University Avenue not far from Queen’s Park.
In Oshawa, demonstrators gathered outside of the Lakeridge Health hospital.
And in London, Ont., social media images showed a large crowd chanting “freedom” outside of a hospital.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Quebec Launches COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Across Province
On Tuesday, Quebec officially launched their COVID-19 vaccine passport across the province.
According to CTV News Montreal, Tuesday is the first day that this program is in effect and will be enforced. It will be required for an extensive list of indoor and outdoor spaces and activities.
Not only will people need to show proof of vaccination, but they will have to show a piece of ID as well to enter establishments and participate in activities where the passport is required.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands Join Protests Against Vaccine Passports Outside Hospitals Across B.C.
Crowds of people opposed to COVID-19 vaccinations clogged the streets in Vancouver and outside hospitals across the province on Wednesday afternoon, earning the indignation of some political leaders.
Thousands of demonstrators, brought together by calls to “reject the tyranny of mandatory vaccines,” gathered outside Vancouver General Hospital before marching toward city hall.
They carried signs arguing that vaccine passports amount to discrimination. They chanted things like “freedom” and “crimes against humanity.”
Similar demonstrations were also held outside hospitals in Kelowna, Kamloops, Victoria, Prince George and across the country.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trudeau Liberals Platform Includes Renewed Commitment to Censorship Bills C-10 and C-36
The Trudeau Liberals released their 2021 election platform on Wednesday, renewing their commitment to move ahead with Bills C-10 and C-36.
Michael Geist is the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa and a member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, who tweeted on September 1: “There is an obvious more of the same — C-10, C-11, C-36, online harms, newspaper support all coming back. No indication of a willingness to re-assess positions.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
According to a revised estimate by the Czech Statistical Office (CSÚ), the Czech economy grew by 8.2 percent year-on-year or by 1-percentage point quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of this year. Economists originally estimated that the Czech gross domestic product would grow by 7.8 percent year-on-year in the second quarter.
In contrast to the first estimate from the end of July, the new data show the Czech economy in a better light. The preliminary projection estimated a quarter-on-quarter increase of 0.6 percent. The positive quarter-on-quarter development of the GDP was mainly prompted by growing household consumption.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Google, Facebook, And Microsoft Attempt to Shape EU Law With Massive Lobbying Effort
US technology giants Google, Facebook, and Microsoft spend the most money on lobbying in Europe, according to a study by the Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl. Companies are spending large sums of money as the EU tries to enforce stricter laws aimed at limiting the power of these companies.
The technology sector even outperforms the pharmaceutical, fossil fuels, financial and chemical sectors, which have dominated lobbying in the past.
“The growing lobbying power of large technology companies and the digital industry as a whole reflects the huge and growing role of these industries in society,” the study said. According to it, the cause for concern should be that these platforms can use their influence to make sure that their voices are heard more than the voices of critics in the debate on new rules for digital platforms.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Hungarian Investments at Historic High
In the second quarter of 2021, Hungary saw investments of 2,760 billion forints, meaning that the investment rate could be around 27.5 percent of the GDP, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said in a video posted on Facebook, adding that the government’s growth-oriented fiscal policy was reaping rewards.
“Let the numbers speak! Historical peak of investment,” Varga said in the video.
Mihaly Varga said that in the second quarter of 2021, a development worth 2,760 billion forints (€7.9 billion) was implemented in Hungary, which means an increase of not less than 10.8 percent year-on-year.
“The investment rate may have been around 27.5 percent, with which Hungary is still at the forefront of the EU,” the head of the ministry added.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Diocese Announces Vaccine Passports Needed for Episcopal Ordination Mass
The creeping list of restrictions, some say unethical and discriminatory, that citizens are being exposed to around the world has reached the ceremony of episcopal ordination Mass in an Italian diocese.
In effect, those who wish to attend Mass in the Catholic Diocese of Albano, near Rome, will have to show the country’s Green Pass, and the diocese representatives defend the decision by saying it is in line with the country’s law.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Braces for Train Track Protests Against COVID Passes
ROME — Italy’s government vowed to crack down on demonstrators threatening to block train tracks throughout the country Wednesday as a rule requiring COVID-19 tests or vaccines to use public transportation for long-distance domestic travel took effect.
In a bid to rein in the transmission of infections as Italians returned from summer vacations, the government announced weeks ago that passengers must show a so-called “Green Pass” to board domestic flights, trains and buses traveling between regions.
The passes certify the holder received at least one vaccine dose more than 15 days prior, tested negative in the past 48 hours or recovered from COVID-19 in the previous six months.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rash of Shootings in Stockholm as Official Warns ‘Sweden’s Capital No Longer Recognizable’
A series of shootings in Stockholm have unfolded as a local official warns the Swedish capital region is facing an existential crisis of violence and gang warfare, according to reports.
At least six shootings have taken taken place across the city since Sunday, including four within a span of seven hours.
One man was killed and another critically wounded — both were reportedly known members of a Rinkeby-based gang — during an explosive Sunday night which required substantial police resources to mitigate.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Trust is Destroyed: Nigel Farage Predicts UK Won’t Join Biden’s America in War After Afghanistan
The United Kingdom will not follow America into another war so long as President Joe Biden is in power, Brexit leader Nigel Farage has predicted.
Appearing on the American network Newsmax, Mr Farage said that Mr Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan has damaged the special relationship between the UK and the U.S.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Children Being Given Antidepressants in Record Numbers, Up 22 Per Cent in Five Years
The effects of the pandemic have been blamed for exasperating the mental health problems being faced by children, with the National Health Service (NHS) giving a record number of youngsters antidepressants.
Figures revealed that last year saw prescriptions for antidepressants written for children aged five to 16 rise to 231,791, an increase of 22 per cent over five years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK Government Botches Vaccine Passports, Makes Over 700,000 Errors
Approximately 700,000 vaccine passports were affected by mistakes made by the NHS England, according to a report in The Telegraph. The news comes as the government insists on making vaccine passports mandatory for domestic use, such as entry into nightclubs.
But the technology, and the handing of citizens’ data leaves much to be desired.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Furious ‘Animal Rebellion’ Vegans Block Major UK Dairy Centre in Angry Anti-Milk Protest
VEGAN activists have blockaded a dairy distribution centre in Buckinghamshire, in a move to encourage a shift to plant-based alternatives.
The exit and entrance to Arla’s Aston Clinton plant, in Buckinghamshire, were blocked by 50 activists. The individuals deriving from Animal Rebellion, an off-shoot of Extinction Rebellionstaged the protest in an attempt to encourage the dairy producer to make the switch.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: JPMorgan’s Victoria Embankment Office Vandalised by Extinction Rebellion Climate Protesters
Windows at JPMorgan’s Victoria Embankment offices were smashed by Extinction Rebellion activists this morning targeting what they described as the “world’s worst bank” for funding fossil fuels.
The group said in a statement that eight female protesters broke two windows with hammers and chisels at JPMorgan’s Victoria Embankment offices at 7am on 1 September.
The Metropolitan Police said it had made eight arrests in connection with the protests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nick Ferrari Hangs Up on Climate Change Activist in Fiery XR Row ‘You’re Not Answering!’
NICK FERRARI hung up on a climate change activist after asking him six times if he supported Extinction Rebellion’s protests in central London.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters occupied parts of two famous bridges in central London in the second week of the group’s demonstrations across the capital. The southern end of the London Bridge was taken over by activists, who blocked the road with a bus on Tuesday, while others gathered on Tower Bridge and sat on top of a parked caravan on Monday. LBC host Nick Ferrari questioned Asad Rehman on whether he supported the protests.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nearly 500 Extinction Rebellion Activists Arrested in First Week of London Protests
During the first week of protests in London from the radical climate change alarmist group Extinction Rebellion (XR), nearly 500 activists have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police.
In the first eight days of the two-week-long “Impossible Rebellion” protests in the British capital, 469 green radicals have been arrested for various offences, according to the Met.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Over 40 Academics Form Group to ‘Reclaim History’ From the Woke
Over 40 academics have joined forces to form History Reclaimed, a group dedicated to stopping the “abuse of history for political purposes.” According to their website, the group is primarily made up of British Academics and led by Cambridge University Emeritus Professor of French History Robert Tombs.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Nightclub industry figures have warned that England could see a rise in house parties and illegal raves if vaccine passports are rolled out for entry for clubs.
On Tuesday, Downing Street confirmed the Government intends to press on with plans to introduce vaccine passports for nightclubs, with only fully-vaccinated clubbers permitted entry from the end of September.
Though polling shows strong public support for vaccine passports, the plans have proved politically divisive — with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and libertarian Tories threatening to inflict a rare defeat on Boris Johnson in Parliament if he tries to push it through.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vaccine Passports Increase Rebellion Against Vaccines, Major UK Study Finds
COVID vaccination skeptics are more hesitant to get vaccinated after COVID-19 passports are implemented, a major new UK study has found.
In the survey, young individuals, individuals from non-white communities, and people with limited English proficiency had lower levels of immunization and a negative attitude towards vaccine passports. At the time of the poll, the majority of respondents had not yet received a vaccine.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Christians Abandoned in Afghanistan While Celebrities Organize Rescue Flights for Animals
In a damning article for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey has exposed the unwillingness of the British government to evacuate members of the Afghani Christian community. Carey wrote about an intensive campaign during the month of evacuations when he and members of the Barnabas Fund, a charity that cares for persecuted Christians, have repeatedly pleaded with members of the British government to include Christians on their evacuees list from Kabul airport. Their main argument was that a large percentage of Afghanistan’s Christians are converts from Islam, an act punishable by death according to Sharia law.
Indeed, already during the government of Western allied Hamid Karzai, fatwas were issued against Christian converts, a development that Western governments have ignored in order to please hard-line Muslims, claims Carey. The Barnabas Fund has managed to evacuate 400 Christians to neighboring countries and is currently supporting a further 400 who have stayed on in Afghanistan. They are currently working on transporting another 1,200 to safe countries.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Indonesia COVID App Suffers Major Data Leak of Over 1 Million People
The Indonesia eHAC (Electronic Health Alert Certificate) is a requirement to travel from a country on a government-selected list. As part of Indonesia’s Public Health Emergencies program, passengers have to complete the eHAC in order to detect, prevent, and control Public Health Emergencies at Points of Entry (Airports, Seaports, and GCBPs).
Indonesia authorities, however, have reported that it is examining the COVID-19 test-and-trace application due to potential security vulnerabilities, which may have exposed the personal information and health status of 1.3 million people.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Oklahoma Rep. Mullin, After Reported Afghanistan Evacuation Effort, Says He is ‘Heading Home’
Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., whose whereabouts were unknown as he was on a reported trip to rescue Americans from Afghanistan, says he is safe and on his way back to the U.S.
For a period of time Tuesday night, neither House Republican leadership nor Oklahoma’s delegation had information about Mullin’s status, but he has since posted an update on Instagram explaining why he went off the grid.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australian Police Violate Lockdown Rules to Host LGBT Office Party
While Australians were told they shouldn’t even talk to each other under COVID lockdown rules, police officials in Sydney held an office party to celebrate the LGBT community.
Yes, really.
Mount Druitt Police Area Command posted images to Facebook showing over a dozen employees gathered in close proximity to recognize Wear It Purple Day.
The pictures showed the room had been decorated with LGBT flags as the employees prepared to tuck in to a buffet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Australia Treasurer Doesn’t Want Silicon Valley to Determine “The Future of Our Payments System”
The Australian government, after a series of efforts in the direction of regulating Big Tech, is now planning on regulating digital payment services such as Apple Pay.
“Ultimately, if we do nothing to reform the current framework, it will be Silicon Valley alone that determines the future of our payments system, a critical piece of our economic infrastructure,” said Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg in an op-ed published in the Australian Financial Review newspaper.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has given a glimpse of what life will look like once the 70 per cent of the state’s population has received their second Covid-19 jab as NSW recorded 1116 new cases.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Gladys Berejiklian has revealed one of the last restrictions to be lifted in NSW will be hosting gatherings in homes as other freedoms are given the green light.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Says He Supports Free Speech, Then Adds a “But”
The Australian state of New South Wales has issued extreme crackdowns on the online organizing of protests in the region, and have now arrested over 150 people for organizing or attending 79 separate anti-lockdown protests. Most of the protests are said to be organized on social media.
On Tuesday, at least 79 anti-lockdown protests were recorded in the state of New South Wales.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Partygoers Fined Thousands as Police Investigate Links to Maroubra Gathering
Revellers have been fined $9000 for breaching lockdown at another unauthorised party in Sydney which may be linked to a notorious gathering in Maroubra.
Nine men in their late teens and early twenties were each fined $1000 on Wednesday for breaching public health orders by attending a party at Malabar Headland in July.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The truth is finally out. Playgrounds were shut down to punish the parents, not because kids were spreading Covid.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Afghan Migrants Gang Rape Mentally Disabled Swedish Woman
A group of Afghan migrants viciously gang raped a mentally handicapped Swedish woman on repeated occasions but cannot be deported back to Afghanistan due to the current political situation in the country.
FriaTider reports that the 24-year-old victim lived in a special accommodation facility in Upplands Väsby for people who cannot take care of themselves.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Afghans Who Worked for British Authorities Can Resettle Permanently Under ‘Operation Warm Welcome’
Afghans evacuated from the now Taliban-controlled country who worked for the British authorities will be given indefinite leave to remain under ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed.
Rather than the five years’ residency previously offered to the thousands of Afghans set to be brought in under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), the new arrivals will be given “immediate indefinite leave to remain, alongside funding for school places and healthcare”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Backs Hungary’s Long-Held Position on Migration in New Draft Statement
A draft resolution agreed upon on Tuesday by the European Union’s ministers of interior confirms the position and practice versus migration Hungary has held since the 2015 crisis, Hungarian Minister of Interior Sandor Pintér said.
“The statement on the situation in Afghanistan adopted by the interior ministers of the EU member states on Tuesday clearly expresses the ideas that the Hungarian government has long voiced in connection with the migration crisis of 2011 and 2015,” said Pintér in Brussels on Tuesday, following a meeting of EU Home Affairs Ministers.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Europe Will Pay Cash to Afghan’s Neighbours to Keep Migrants Away From EU’s Borders
Ministers from across the European Union (EU) have presented a plan to support countries neighbouring Afghanistan to host those fleeing the Taliban, in order to stop a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis.
The EU ministers released a statement that pledged the EU and its member states would “stand determined to act jointly to prevent the recurrence of uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements faced in the past, by preparing a coordinated and orderly response. Incentives to illegal migration should be avoided.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Illegal Migrant Beat Ex-Girlfriend With Iron Bar and Set Her Apartment on Fire
An Algerian illegal immigrant brutally beat his former girlfriend with an iron bar and then set her apartment on fire after she said she wanted to leave him, a French crime report states.
The 27-year-olf Algerian is accused of violently attacking the 22-year-old woman on Friday at around 10 pm in the centre of Limoges. The couple had been living together after they started a relationship two months ago, and he was said to have become enraged when the young woman announced she wanted to break up with him.
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Germany Interior Minister Warns of New Wave of Migrants Incentivized to Reach Europe
Germany’s interior minister has warned that putting a number on the amount of Afghan refugees Europe should accept will incentivize more waves of migrants to attempt to reach the continent.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of the country, untold numbers of economic migrants are trying to blend in with genuine refugees in an effort to reach the welfare havens of Europe.
The UK even announced that it wouldn’t be checking identity documents of Afghans entering the country despite the glaring security risk that such a policy entails.
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Greece: Mitsotakis: We Do Not Want a Repeat of the 2015 Migrant Crisis
“Politics for me requires being a manager and at the same time a leader in order to solve problems and manage crises, big and small ones,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday during his introductory speech at a panel in which he participates in the framework of the Bled Strategic Forum 2021 in Slovenia.
“Today we need to produce results because that is what people expect from us,” Mitsotakis said.
“Being a leader means first of all telling the truth and occasionally making unpopular decisions.
“We are in this position and we have to make decisions that others are afraid of making because of the political cost they may have.
“A leader must also be able to distinguish what is important and what is less important, with a view to the immediate future but also to what the long-term strategy requires. That’s the job of the politicians today,” Mitsotakis added.
“I agree with what David Sassoli said and I share his ambitious agenda regarding reforming the European institutions, but I would politely disagree with his assessment regarding the decision taken yesterday by the European Council at the level of ministers regarding Afghanistan. What we said was very clear that we do not want a repeat the uncontrolled and unregulated massive massive migration flows we experienced in 2015.
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Greek Lawmakers Introduce Tough New Legislation on Migration
Greece is pressing ahead with new legislation tabled in parliament by the migration ministry that will seek to accelerate deportations of migrants. In view of recent developments in Afghanistan, Europe is expecting a new wave of migration.
Under the proposed legislation, grace periods are to be slashed, while police will be granted additional powers in some procedures that are currently under the authority of the migration and asylum authorities. The draft law was presented to the Greek parliament on Friday (August 27) by Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis.
Specifically, under one of the key provisions, the police will be able to order the deportation of migrants caught crossing into Greece through irregular channels and without proper papers if they do not apply for asylum or if their application for protection is rejected.
Additionally, undocumented migrants may also be held in custody prior to deportation if they are considered a flight risk or a threat to public order.
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Interpreter Suspected of Helping Illegal Migrants Stay in Latvia
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against an interpreter regarding deliberately providing a means of illegally staying in Latvia, the Border Guard said August 31.
According to the Border Guard, in August, four Iraqi citizens were allegedly able to cross the border and illegally stay in Latvia with the help of an interpreter employed by the State Border Guard. The investigation also shows that this person provided nine Iraqi citizens with the possibility of illegally staying in Latvia in June of this year.
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Italy: African Migrant Arrested After Allegedly Sexually Harassing Young Girl, Stabbing Her Uncle
Italian police took a 45-year-old African migrant into custody after trying to sexually harass a nine-year-old girl and attacking her uncle with a broken bottle.
The 45-year-old approached the child at a park in Milan and allegedly said to her, “Give me a kiss, give me a kiss,” but did not immediately arouse the suspicion of people nearby.
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Lithuania Slams Shut the Door to the EU for Irregular Migrants
VYDENIAI, Lithuania — This small village of dilapidated houses surrounded by fields and forests 5 kilometers from the Belarusian border is an unlikely gateway to the European Union.
But that’s what it’s become for about 150 people housed in an abandoned school encircled by a flimsy metal fence in the center of the village of 400. They are part of a wave of would-be asylum seekers sent into Lithuania by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has encouraged people to fly to Minsk from the Middle East and then cross the borders with Lithuania, Latvia or Poland.
Those countries have beefed up their frontiers with border guards, troops and fences, bolstered by policies to turn back migrants. It’s a reaction to what EU officials call a “hybrid war” waged by Lukashenko in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Belarus.
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Migrant Arrivals to Spain’s Canary Islands Double From Last Year
GRAN CANARIA, Spain (Reuters) — Spain’s sea rescue service on Wednesday rescued around 100 migrants trying to reach the Canary Islands in rickety boats from north or west Africa amid a surge in arrivals that have more than doubled so far this year from 2020 levels.
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Most People on Germany’s Islamist Watch List Hold German or Dual Citizenship — Report
More than a half of the hundreds of individuals on Germany’s Islamic extremist watchlist are the country’s own citizens, a report says, citing government data.
The data, which was cited by the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, came from the government’s response to an inquiry by the right-wing anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
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Over 500 Migrants Arrive on Italian Island on Single Overloaded Boat
More than 500 migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday, with several of them allegedly showing signs of abuse and torture.
The 539 people were aboard a single fishing boat that was found drifting nearly nine miles off the coast of Lampedusa and was called one the largest single landings in recent memory by the island’s mayor, Toto Martello.
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Poland Weighs Declaring Emergency to Keep Migrants Out
The Polish government is mulling over imposing an emergency to stop migrant crossing from its neighbouring Belarus as the EU accuses Belarus of deliberately pushing migrants to member states.
Poland moved on Tuesday towards declaring a state of emergency in two border regions with Belarus after hundreds of illegal migrants crossed into its territory last month.
The government has formally asked President Andrzej Duda to impose a state of emergency for 30 days in parts of the Podlaskie and Lubelskie regions, and the president is expected to approve the request.
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Thousands of Migrants in Belarus, Says Gov’t Spokesman
About 10,000 Middle Eastern migrants who could be pushed across the border into Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are now in Belarus, a spokesperson for the Polish government said on Wednesday.
In recent weeks, the three countries have observed increasing numbers of migrants crossing into their territories from Belarus and, also, about 30 Middle Eastern migrants have been stuck for three weeks on the Polish-Belarusian border after being refused entry by Poland.
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Religious Leaders Told to Brace for More Big Tech Censorship
Religious or faith-based organizations that focus on controversial topics such as sexuality and abortion should prepare for the eventuality that they will get censored by Big Tech platforms, advised commentators at a recent roundtable. Without effective countermeasures, censorship will remain a substantial threat to these religious groups.
The roundtable, called “How Big Tech Censors Religious Voices, and How to Fight Back,” was hosted by the Ethics and Public Policy Project (EPPC) on August 26. The EPPC is a DC-based think tank that focuses on applying “the Judeo-Christian tradition to contemporary questions of law, culture, and politics.”
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UK: University of Nottingham Drops Catholic Chaplain Over Pro-Life Views Expressed on Social Media
A Catholic priest in the UK has not been accepted as chaplain by a university because of his anti-euthanasia and anti-abortion views expressed on social media.
The University of Nottingham found Father David Palmer of the Diocese of Nottingham unfit to perform this duty after he publicly opposed the country’s legislation regulating euthanasia as paving the way for attempts to “kill the vulnerable.”
Father Palmer made this comment on Twitter, and holds other pro-life views, such as those concerning abortion, which he at one point described as “the slaughter of babies.”
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This savages just keep coming!!, it’s no end to this horrific madness for Europeans, where is Salvini to stop this !!,