Gates of Vienna News Feed 8/7/2022

Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Fratelli d’Italia, said that it would be an honor to serve as the first female prime minister of Italy. Her party, the Lega, and Forza Italia (the party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi) will mostly likely form a governing coalition after next month’s elections, with Matteo Salvini possibly serving as Interior Minister.

In other news, the annualized inflation rate in the Netherlands has exceeded 10% for the first time since 1975.

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

Thanks to Dean, DV, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

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

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

Financial Crisis
» “Revolution Has Begun”: 75,000 Brits to Stop Paying Power Bills Amid Inflation Storm
» Inflation in Netherlands Above 10% for First Time in Nearly 47 Years
» Poland: July Unemployment Unchanged From June Says Labour Minister
 
USA
» Bodega Clerk Jose Alba Leaves NYC ‘Afraid for His Life, ‘ Mulls Move Back to Dominican Republic: Report
» Despite Strict Gun Control, California Had the Most Active Shooter Incidents in 2021: FBI
» DuckDuckGo Will Now Block More Microsoft Ad Tracking Scripts After Backlash
» Farage at CPAC: Western Universities Have Become ‘Madrasas of Marxism’
» Former Texas Teacher Gets 60 Days in Jail for Sexual Relations With Underage Student
» Los Angeles Voters to Decide if Hotels Will be Forced to House the Homeless Despite Safety Concerns
» Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to Trial Biometrics for Entry
» Over 45 Shot Friday Into Sunday Morning in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago
» President Biden Released From Isolation After Testing Negative From Rebound COVID Case
» Teachers’ Union President Randi Weingarten Accuses Marco Rubio of Antisemitism for Criticizing ‘Soros Backed Prosecutors’
» Twitter is Continuing to Censor Scientist Involved in Anti-Censorship Lawsuit
» Witness Says Lowell Shooting Shook Her & Entire Staff
 
Canada
» Thirteen Canadian Doctors Have Died Suddenly, Says Dr. William Makis
 
Europe and the EU
» Birthrate Hits Lowest in Two Decades in Sweden
» Dillon Quirke: Tipperary Hurler Dies After Collapsing Mid-Game
» Dutch Farmer Rebellion Continues as Government Negotiations Remain at Stalemate
» Dutch Farmers Declare No Progress After First Sit Down With Govt, Vow ‘Stronger’ Actions
» France: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to Reopen in 2024
» Germany Braces for Social Unrest Over Energy Prices
» Hungary Still Strongly Opposes Joe Biden’s Global Minimum Tax
» Italy’s Centre-Left Dealt Blow as Centrist Party Quits Electoral Pact
» Meloni Says Would be Honour to be Italy’s First Female PM
» ‘Norway First!’ Panic as UK’s Biggest Importer of Gas Poised to Cut Supplies Off
» Paris Court Halts Deportation of Radical Imam Accused of Hate Preaching
» Police Union Head: Netherlands Now a Narco-State With Parallel Economy
» UK: Race for PM: Sunak Claims He Would Establish Grooming Gangs Task Force
 
Middle East
» Turkey: Extreme Provocation in Hagia Sophia: Hundreds of Children Shout “Allahu Akbar” (Video)
 
Russia
» Amnesty Regrets “Distress and Anger” Caused by Ukraine Report
» Putin Massing More Russian Forces for ‘New Assault’ On Southern Ukraine, UK Warns
 
South Asia
» Indian Railways and IRCTC Welcome the ‘Sattvik’ Certification Discarding ‘Halal’ In a First in Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express
 
Australia — Pacific
» How Australian Taxpayers Will Need to Spend Billions to Transition From Petrol and Diesel to Electric Cars (Which Start at $47k for a Very Basic Model) — As the Act Pushes Ahead With a Ban on Combustion Engines by 2035
» Push to Ban Every Australian From Buying Petrol-Powered Cars in Just 12 Years — After the Act Moved to Abolish Them
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Blinken Kicks Off Africa Tour to Counter Russian Influence
 
Immigration
» Greece: Suspect in Murder of 17-Year-Old Girl to Testify Monday
» Hungary: Another Deadly Incident Involving People Smugglers
» Illegal Alien Suspect in Kidnapping Faces Three Murder Counts After Previously Being Deported
» Italian Elections: Salvini May Return as Interior Minister to Stop Illegal Immigration
» Plan to Pave Over Three Local Sport Ovals to Build 132 Homes Because New Asian Immigrant Residents Aren’t Interested in Rugby
» Poland Accepts 5.3 Mln Refugees Since War in Ukraine Started
» Poland Reports Increase in African Migrants Attempting to Cross Border Via Belarus
 
Culture Wars
» Bill Maher Slams “Fat Celebration” And “Body Positivity”
» Drag Queen Book Reading Sparks Protest Outside Downtown Edmonton Library
» Dutch Police Chief Lambasted for ‘Pride’ Comments
» Entertainment Companies Start Dumping Woke Content as Viewership Tumbles
» French PM Announces Appointment of ‘Ambassador for LGBT + Rights’
» Report: California School District Spending $20K on ‘Woke Kindergarten’ Which Aims to ‘Disrupt Whiteness’
» WaPo: Drag Shows for Children Are ‘Squeaky-Clean, ‘ ‘Family-Friendly’
 

“Revolution Has Begun”: 75,000 Brits to Stop Paying Power Bills Amid Inflation Storm

The resistance is growing as more than 75,000 irritated people in the UK have pledged not to pay their electricity bill this fall when prices jump again.

“75,000 people have pledged to strike on October 1st! If the government & energy companies refuse to act then ordinary people will! Together we can enforce a fair price and affordable energy for all,” tweeted “Don’t Pay UK,” an anonymous group spearheading the effort to have more than one million Brits boycott paying their power bill by Oct. 1.

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

Inflation in Netherlands Above 10% for First Time in Nearly 47 Years

Inflation in the Netherlands rose to above ten per cent for the first time since 1975 last month, the country’s statistics agency said on Thursday.

Energy and housing prices mainly drove the rise in inflation, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) added in a statement on Thursday.

Prices were 10.3% higher in July 2022 compared to the previous year. Inflation in the month of June was at 8.6%.

Energy prices in the Netherlands were 108% more expensive in July than in the same month in 2021, the statistical office added. Housing rents were 3% higher in July 2022 than last year.

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

Poland: July Unemployment Unchanged From June Says Labour Minister

Poland’s unemployment rate remained unchanged month on month in July 2022 at 4.9 percent, the family and labour minister has said.

“July’s unemployment rate… went down by 1 percentage point year on year,” Marlena Malag told a Polsat News private television programme on Friday.

Malag added that the number of registered unemployed fell to 811,000 in July, down from 820,000 in June.

The minister said that this had been the lowest unemployment rate in 32 years, and added that it would surely have a positive impact on the labour market.

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

Bodega Clerk Jose Alba Leaves NYC ‘Afraid for His Life, ‘ Mulls Move Back to Dominican Republic: Report

New York City bodega clerk Jose Alba has reportedly left the Big Apple and is mulling a more permanent move back to his native Dominican Republic after murder charges against him were finally dropped.

Alba, 61, no longer works at the Blue Moon convenience store in Manhattan, where he was attacked behind the counter on July 1 by 35-year-old Austin Simon.

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

Despite Strict Gun Control, California Had the Most Active Shooter Incidents in 2021: FBI

Authored by Jason Blair via The Epoch Times

In a report issued by the FBI, California ranked first for the most active shooter incidents in 2021. The state has been in the top spot in three of the past five years.

According to the study, a total of 61 active shooter incidents occurred across 30 states last year with 103 people killed and 140 wounded. This is up from 40 incidents and 38 killed in 2020.

California had 6 incidents that claimed the lives of 19 people with 9 wounded. Texas and Georgia each had 5.

California, which has some of the strictest gun laws, saw 0.015 shootings per 100,000 people. Texas, which has very unrestrictive state gun laws, had nearly the same at 0.0167 per 100,000 people. Georgia had 0.045 per 100,000 people.

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

DuckDuckGo Will Now Block More Microsoft Ad Tracking Scripts After Backlash

In May, security researcher Zach Edwards noted that DuckDuckGo allows Microsoft scripts from LinkedIn and Bing domains. Now, the privacy-focused browser says it will start blocking those scripts, as it does scripts from Google, Facebook and others.

Edwards said the exception was suspicious because DuckDuckGo has a partnership with Microsoft to deliver ads in its search engine. The browser says it does not use the data to create user profiles for targeted advertising.

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

Farage at CPAC: Western Universities Have Become ‘Madrasas of Marxism’

Brexit leader Nigel Farage warned America that the biggest threat facing the West is not the Chinese Communists or Vladimir Putin, but a far-left “fifth column” undermining it from within, particularly via the universities.

Farage, honorary president of Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, as well as a GB News host and campaigner, told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, that the West is “under attack, under attack as never before, and that threat is not external — no, not even Nancy Pelosi’s one-woman attempt to start the Third World War is the biggest threat we face, and it’s not Putin,” he joked.

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

Former Texas Teacher Gets 60 Days in Jail for Sexual Relations With Underage Student

A former Texas teacher was sentenced this week to 60 days in jail and 10 years of deferred adjudication probation for sexually abusing an underage student, enraging the local community who felt the judge was too lenient.

Marka Bodine, 32, a former Tomball ISD teacher, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse of a child under 14. She must register as a sex offender following her jail sentence.

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

Los Angeles Voters to Decide if Hotels Will be Forced to House the Homeless Despite Safety Concerns

Los Angeles voters will cast their ballot on a proposal that could force hotels to house the homeless, a policy that has many hotel owners concerned about how it will impact public safety.

President of the Northeast Los Angeles Hotel Owners Association Ray Patel joined “Fox & Friends Weekend,” Sunday, to discuss why the policy is not a long-term solution and his worry if the policy is adopted.

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

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to Trial Biometrics for Entry

The National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos are trialling biometrics for concession payments and fan entry.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to the Falcons and soccer team Atlanta United, plans to trial biometrics with 50 to 100 season ticket holders in the club-seat section.

The trial, which is voluntary, will use facial recognition to identify people and how many tickets they have. The technology could be extended to cover automated purchases at concession stands, restaurants, and bars.

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

Over 45 Shot Friday Into Sunday Morning in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago

Over 45 people were shot, four of them fatally, Friday into Sunday morning in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s (D) Chicago.

ABC 7 / Chicago Sun-Times reports the weekend’s first fatal shooting occurred around 2:05 a.m. Saturday, when a 29-year-old man “on the Red Line at 79th Street” was shot and killed.

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

President Biden Released From Isolation After Testing Negative From Rebound COVID Case

President Joe Biden is released from isolation after he tested negative for COVID-19 for a second day in a row on Sunday following a rebound case.

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

Teachers’ Union President Randi Weingarten Accuses Marco Rubio of Antisemitism for Criticizing ‘Soros Backed Prosecutors’

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the most powerful labor unions in the country, accused Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) of antisemitism for proposing an amendment targeting “Soros backed prosecutors.”

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

Twitter is Continuing to Censor Scientist Involved in Anti-Censorship Lawsuit

Despite currently being involved in an anti-censorship lawsuit, scientist Mark Changizi is still being censored by the platform.

Changizi was locked out of Twitter for 12 hours over a July tweet that included the statement that “masks are just one part of the suite of useless, draconian, civil rights violating and harmful interventions.”

“Mark Changizi, my client in a lawsuit against the feds for their involvement in social media censorship, has been censored for this tweet,” said Jenin Younes, Changizi’s attorney. “This is getting out of control.”

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

Witness Says Lowell Shooting Shook Her & Entire Staff

LOWELL, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Lowell and Gaston County police spent hours poring over evidence of a crash at Redbud Drive and Wilkinson Boulevard.

The multi-vehicle accident occurred at 7:09p on Thursday; Nikki McCaskill was working at a local car dealership.

“It just turned into the wrong situation that fast,” said McCaskill.

Investigators say they are still piecing together what exactly occurred.

When police arrived, a man was suffering from a gunshot wound; police say 52-year-old Jose Quinones died at the scene.

McCaskill says Quinones was going to check on people involved in the crash.

“We see the door, he goes to open the door, he falls,” added McCaskill. “So, I’m like he pulled that door hard. Well, the customer is standing there because I’m appraising her vehicle. The customer standing there says, no, I think he got shot because we hear the boom, but it is so much noise and commotion and smoke and everything. You’re not thinking wreck or shooting; you’re thinking just an accident.”

Police arrested a juvenile at the scene. Because of the suspect’s age, police will not release their identity, but they charged the teen with 2nd-degree murder.

           — Hat tip: Roger [Return to headlines]
 

Thirteen Canadian Doctors Have Died Suddenly, Says Dr. William Makis

Dr. William Makis MD has tracked THIRTEEN Canadian doctors that have suddenly died :

UPDATE on Canadian doctors “dying suddenly”

I’ve now tracked 13 Canadian doctors “sudden deaths” (thank you to everyone who contributed info). This is the most complete data set I’ve seen anywhere by far.

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

Birthrate Hits Lowest in Two Decades in Sweden

During the first four months of this year, the number of births dropped to 35,467 babies, according to Statistics Sweden. This was 2,483 fewer than the figure in the same period last year and also the lowest level recorded in the past 20 years.

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

Dillon Quirke: Tipperary Hurler Dies After Collapsing Mid-Game

A Tipperary hurler has died after collapsing during a county senior championship game on Friday.

Dillon Quirke, 24, was carried off the field at Semple Stadium in Thurles just before half time.

The match was stopped as Mr Quirke’s Clonoulty/Rossmore teammates, opponents Kilruane and the Knights of Malta attended to the player, RTÉ reports.

He was taken to Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel where he later died.

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

Dutch Farmer Rebellion Continues as Government Negotiations Remain at Stalemate

Rebellion. Recently, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his government have “opened up negotiations” with the farmers to establish a deal, but the government hasn’t moved an inch, so the farmers are continuing their protest of nitrogen targets.

The protests originated when Rutte proposed a nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands, which led to legislation being implemented where livestock are to be halved, nitrogen emissions in some farms are to be cut up to 95% and even up to 30% of the land is to be taken by the state.

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

Dutch Farmers Declare No Progress After First Sit Down With Govt, Vow ‘Stronger’ Actions

The Dutch farmers have characterised the first round of negotiations with Prime Minister Mark Rutte as disappointing, with some declaring “stronger” actions will follow the meeting.

On Friday, the first round of talks were held in Utrecht between major farming organisations including LTO, which represents around 35,000 farmers, and the globalist government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his hand-picked “mediator”, former deputy prime minister Johan Remkes.

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

France: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to Reopen in 2024

The iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris will reopen to the public for worship and tourism in 2024, Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak said on Thursday during her visit to the site.

A massive fire in April 2019 ravaged the medieval catholic cathedral destroying the wooden framework, clock, and classic stained glass windows along with statues and other paintings.

Malak said the government was confident of opening the cathedral by 2024 when a large part of the restoration work will be completed.

The reopening of the popular tourist site is timed with the Paris 2024 Olympics when thousands of spectators are expected to arrive in France.

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

Germany Braces for Social Unrest Over Energy Prices

State and federal Lawmakers in Germany are exploring a sweeping set of measures to save energy, from turning off street lights to lowering building temperatures; and they are pleading with the public to cut consumption at home.

Whether those efforts spur a call to solidarity or a call to arms won’t become clear until the cold sets in and bills come due. Yet Chancellor Olaf Scholz is not in a wait-and-see mood, telling public broadcaster, ARD, last month that spiraling heating costs are a “powder keg for society.”

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

Hungary Still Strongly Opposes Joe Biden’s Global Minimum Tax

State Secretary Levente Magyar discussed the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and the global minimum tax in Washington.

For the first time in three and a half years, a Hungarian state secretary held high-level talks in Washington. Levente Magyar, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was received by Arun Venkataraman, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the Department of Commerce, and Karen Donfried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the Department of State.

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

Italy’s Centre-Left Dealt Blow as Centrist Party Quits Electoral Pact

ROME (Reuters) —The leader of Italy’s centrist Azione party said on Sunday it would leave a centre-left election alliance it formed with the Democratic Party (PD) last week, dealing a blow to the coalition’s odds ahead of a Sept. 25 ballot.

The Green leftist federation and centrist party Impegno Civico had only the day before agreed to join the PD-led bloc, a move that was seen as strengthening a centre-left already lagging behind conservative rivals.

Polls show that a conservative alliance is poised to win next month’s election, with the far-right Brothers of Italy set to be the largest single party. Italy’s election law favours parties that form broad alliances.

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

Meloni Says Would be Honour to be Italy’s First Female PM

ROME (Reuters) — Italy’s far-right leader Giorgia Meloni said it would be a “great honour” if she were the first woman to lead the country, with her Brothers of Italy party topping the polls ahead of an election next month.

The conservative alliance led by Brothers of Italy includes the rightist League and the more moderate Forza Italia party of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. It is currently polling at around 45%.

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

‘Norway First!’ Panic as UK’s Biggest Importer of Gas Poised to Cut Supplies Off

The cost of gas and electricity in the UK is at an eye-watering level, despite the fact that Britain imports very little energy from Russia. This is because both the UK and its major gas supplier Norway, are part of the open market, meaning that prices in the rest of Europe affect the UK. Britain is connected to Norway via a 450-mile interconnector that joins Blyth, Northumberland to Kvilldal power station through cables that run through the North Sea.

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

Paris Court Halts Deportation of Radical Imam Accused of Hate Preaching

The Administrative Court of Paris halted the deportation of Imam Hassan Iquioussen on Friday after he had been set to leave the country for hate preaching on the order of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

The court suspended the deportation of the 57-year-old Moroccan imam, arguing that the deportation order would have a disproportionate interference with the radical imam’s “private and family life” under European law.

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

Police Union Head: Netherlands Now a Narco-State With Parallel Economy

Jan Struijs, president of the Dutch police union, has claimed his country, the Netherlands, is a narco-state, with drug dealing criminals operating a parallel economy.

Struijis says the Netherlands, often praised by left-liberals for its drug decriminalisation policies, is now a “narco-state 2.0” where criminal dealers have become so influential they compete with the official Dutch economy.

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

UK: Race for PM: Sunak Claims He Would Establish Grooming Gangs Task Force

Tory leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak says rape gangs are still not being properly addressed because of political correctness, and that he would establish a task force to deal with the issue.

Pressed on the issue of so-called grooming gangs by fellow Tory politicians Esther McVey and Philip Davies on GB News, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer said that “[w]e all know the reason that people don’t focus on it, it’s because of political correctness.”

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

Turkey: Extreme Provocation in Hagia Sophia: Hundreds of Children Shout “Allahu Akbar” (Video)

Video footage from the interior of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, where hundreds of children shout the Islamist slogan “Allahu Akbar” causes great dissatisfaction.

They are members of the TÜGVA (Turkish Youth Foundation), in which the Turkish president’s son, Bilal Erdogan, is said to hold a leading position. The foundation had organized a “Summer School Meeting of Hagia Sophia” in Hagia Sophia.

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

Amnesty Regrets “Distress and Anger” Caused by Ukraine Report

Russia-Ukraine war: The rights group said “We fully stand by our findings,” but stressed “nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations.”

London: Amnesty International said Sunday it “deeply regrets the distress and anger” caused after it alleged Ukrainian forces were flouting international law by exposing civilians to Russian fire.

The rights group said “We fully stand by our findings,” but stressed “nothing we documented Ukrainian forces doing in any way justifies Russian violations.”

Amnesty sparked outrage in Ukraine with the publication of a report on Thursday that accused the military of endangering civilians by establishing bases in schools and hospitals, and launching counter-attacks from heavily populated areas.

The head of Amnesty’s Ukraine office resigned in protest, accusing the rights organisation of parroting Kremlin propaganda.

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Putin Massing More Russian Forces for ‘New Assault’ On Southern Ukraine, UK Warns

Russian forces are massing in the south of Ukraine in what the UK Ministry of Defence warned could be preparation for a fresh assault.

The MoD said Vladimir Putin’s troops were “almost certainly” gathering either in anticipation of a Ukrainian counter-offensive or for a possible new advance in the country, which has been partially occupied since the war was launched in February.

The conflict “is about to enter a new phase”, the MoD said, in which the fighting would shift west and south to a roughly 350-kilometre front line that extends from near the city of Zaporizhzhia to Russian-occupied Kherson.

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

Indian Railways and IRCTC Welcome the ‘Sattvik’ Certification Discarding ‘Halal’ In a First in Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express

Hindu pilgrimage to Mata Vaishnodevi honored by Indian Railways.

Upendra Bharti | HENB | New Delhi | Aug 8, 2022:: The Indian Railways and IRCTC have announced that the passengers traveling from Delhi-Katra in Vande Bharat Express are no longer allowed to carry non-vegetarian food onboard anymore. It is to be noted that the passengers travelling from Delhi to Katra will now have a completely vegetarian environment on the train, not only in terms of food served. The kitchen where the food is prepared, the waiters who serve them, and other “neutral” materials like cleaning supplies, soaps, and similar items will all have only ever dealt with vegetarian cuisine. Even non-veg foods will not be allowed to carry with any passengers on the said train during the journey.

With the new rule, the Delhi-Katra Vande-Bharat Express becomes the first train in the country to get a Sattvik certificate. By signing a contract with the NGO Sattvic Council of India, the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) decided to pursue this accreditation for some trains that run to holy sites, starting with the Vande Bharat to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, in J&K. There are plans to implement this in 18 more trains, including the Vande Bharat to Varanasi, according to an expert with the Sattvic Council of India. After this campaign is complete, regular trains will be run to Sattvik.

Abhishek Biswas, the creator of the Sattvik Council of India, asserts that a number of procedures had to be completed before the Vande Bharat train could receive the certificate of Sattvik. In this, the method of cooking, the kitchen, the serving and storage utensils, as well as the way they were kept were all assessed. Only after finishing the complete procedure was the certificate granted.

According to the Railways, IRCTC has started making Vande Bharat a sattvik train. Gradually other trains going to religious places will also be made sattvik. The passengers traveling in these trains are those who are going on a religious journey and like to eat completely sattvic. Along with this, the rest of the trains will also be made sattvik.

It is interesting that IRCTC, Air India and many other state owned authorities (both Central and State Govts) use ‘Halal’ certified products like chicken items, soft drinks, flour and chocolate etc. But it is the first time. IRCTC announced to use all ‘Sattvik’ certified items in a journey.

Halal certification is a religious authentication of any product making it permissible for Muslims to consume under Islamic chain connected with Jihad.

So far, Halal Certificate has no legal authority as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not authorized anyone to issue halal certificates but still various companies in India approach six bodies which issue the certificate for many years.

It is desirable that no Halal certified products will be used in Delhi-Katra (Vaishnodevi) Vande Bharat Express. As ‘Sattvik’ certification goes against ‘Halal’ counterpart; eventually, Indian Railways choose the ‘Sattvik’ certification after discarding its ‘Halal’ acceptance at least in Delhi-Katra (Vaishnodevi) Vande Bharat Express.

Delhi-Katra (Vaishnodevi) Vande Bharat Express will run from 15th August 2022 as scheduled during the 75th anniversary of Independence of India, called as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahaotsava’.

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

How Australian Taxpayers Will Need to Spend Billions to Transition From Petrol and Diesel to Electric Cars (Which Start at $47k for a Very Basic Model) — As the Act Pushes Ahead With a Ban on Combustion Engines by 2035

Australia is ‘lagging behind the rest of the world’ and will need ‘100 times’ the infrastructure it currently has if it is to ban all petrol cars for electric — but experts say it could become a ‘superpower’.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Push to Ban Every Australian From Buying Petrol-Powered Cars in Just 12 Years — After the Act Moved to Abolish Them

The Electric Vehicle Council is pushing for every state and territory to adopt mandated electric car sales targets.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Blinken Kicks Off Africa Tour to Counter Russian Influence

JOHANNESBURG: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in South Africa on Sunday, kicking off a three-nation African visit as Washington scales up diplomacy to counter Russian influence on the continent.

His visit comes after an extensive tour of Africa by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov late last month.

South Africa, a leader in the developing world, has remained neutral in the Ukraine war, refusing to join Western calls to condemn Moscow, which had opposed apartheid before the end of white minority rule in 1994.

Blinken will hold talks on Monday with South African counterpart Naledi Pandor and also make a policy announcement on the US government’s new Africa strategy, Pretoria said in a statement.

The two will “discuss ongoing and recent developments relating to the global geopolitical situation,” it said.

The US State Department last month said African countries were “geostrategic players and critical partners on the most pressing issues of our day, from promoting an open and stable international system, to tackling the effects of climate change, food insecurity and global pandemics”…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Greece: Suspect in Murder of 17-Year-Old Girl to Testify Monday

A 21-year-old Pakistani was given until Monday to prepare his defence after reportedly confessing to the murder of a 17-year-old girl in the western Athens suburb of Peristeri.

He was arrested near Skopje, North Macedonia, on Friday and was deported to Greece.

North Macedonian police launched a search following a request from police in Athens, who believe the suspect was attempting to flee to Northern Europe. The man, who did not have a lawyer, was initially taken to the Athens Prosecutor’s Office on Saturday.

Police were able to track him down using his mobile phone signals as well those of the phone of the victim, which the suspect had taken. He was part of a group of irregular migrants stopped by North Macedonian police.

The victim, Nikoleta, was found dead by her mother and sister when they returned to the family home shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday. She had been strangled.

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

Hungary: Another Deadly Incident Involving People Smugglers

Three people were killed and eleven injured in an accident near Bócsa, 120 kilometers south from the capital, on Friday morning.

According to local police, a Georgian national was trying to smuggle fifteen people across the country towards Western Europe in a car. A police patrol tried to stop the vehicle, but he drove on without stopping.

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

Illegal Alien Suspect in Kidnapping Faces Three Murder Counts After Previously Being Deported

An illegal immigrant who was previously deported from the United States is now a suspect in the kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl and faces three capital murder charges in Alabama.

Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett confirmed that Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes, 37, was arrested last week and is being held on three murder charges, local outlet WSFA reported.

Pascual-Reyes was deported in 2014 and is now illegally in the United States, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement told The Daily Caller.

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

Italian Elections: Salvini May Return as Interior Minister to Stop Illegal Immigration

Italian populist League leader Matteo Salvini has called for the country’s next Interior Minister to be a member of his party, citing the successes he had tackling illegal immigration when he had the job.

The League (Lega) leader, who served as Italy’s Interior Minister in 2018 and 2019, visited the island of Lampedusa earlier this week, which has been inundated and overwhelmed by illegal migrant arrivals in recent months.

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

Plan to Pave Over Three Local Sport Ovals to Build 132 Homes Because New Asian Immigrant Residents Aren’t Interested in Rugby

North Ryde RSL and Eastwood Rugby have proposed plans to construct 132 terrace homes and a private park on the privately owned TG Millner Field in Marsfield.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Poland Accepts 5.3 Mln Refugees Since War in Ukraine Started

Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, around 5.3 million people have crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border into Poland, the Border Guard (SG) tweeted on Saturday morning.

According to the SG, on Friday, Border Guard officers carried out around 24,600 border checks on people entering Poland from Ukraine, and by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday the number of arrivals had reached around 6,300 people.

The Border Guard also said that nearly 3.41 million people had left Poland for Ukraine since the beginning of the war. On Friday around 25,400 people crossed the border from Poland to Ukraine.

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

Poland Reports Increase in African Migrants Attempting to Cross Border Via Belarus

The Polish government has reported that it has seen a new surge of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempt to cross into the country illegally from Belarus, claiming the migrants first fly to Russia.

Poland’s National Security Department stated that the Polish border guard has reported that the majority of migrants attempting to cross into the European Union via the Polish-Belarusian border are from sub-Saharan Africa.

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

Bill Maher Slams “Fat Celebration” And “Body Positivity”

Talk show host and comedian Bill Maher railed against the pro-obesity ‘body positivity’ movement, saying that not only is it pathetic, it’s a national security risk.

“There is a disturbing trend going on in America these days,” Maher began, adding that people are “rewriting science to fit ideology to just fit what you want reality to be.”

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

Drag Queen Book Reading Sparks Protest Outside Downtown Edmonton Library

Protesters stood outside a section of the Stanley A. Milner library Saturday morning.

The group was protesting a drag queen book reading held by the library. The gathering prompted a large response from people in the LGBTQ+ community.

“You got drag queens reading inappropriate books to our children, you don’t need to be reading that, read them Dr. Seuss, read them green eggs and ham,” protester Hilarie Fortune said.

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

Dutch Police Chief Lambasted for ‘Pride’ Comments

Amsterdam was the scene of the Canal Parade on Saturday afternoon, a procession of about 80 boats. The boat parade traditionally attracts many visitors. The theme this year was “My Gender, My Pride”. The police, central government and the municipality of Amsterdam also had their own boat.

Chief of Police of the National Police Henk van Essen commented on Twitter : “Today the police are sailing along for Canal Pride. Because we believe that you should be able to be yourself, inside and outside the police. Regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation. We are a police force of and for everyone. That is why the police are involved.”

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

Entertainment Companies Start Dumping Woke Content as Viewership Tumbles

They’ll never admit to it openly, but getting woke makes companies broke. Hollywood has been overtly progressive for decades, but this is nothing compared to the social justice invasion since 2016. After around five years of an unprecedented leftist onslaught on the entertainment industry we are finally starting to see the rampage lose oxygen. There’s a weakness within woke productions that the alternative media has been pointing out for a long time — They don’t make a profit because they are designed to appease a minority of leftist zennials that don’t have any money. This is the wrong crowd to rely on for cash flow.

It is fair to say that the entertainment industry was partially conned. First, there are those tantalizing ESG loans that can be easily had as long a company loudly declares their fealty to the social justice agenda. Then, of course, there is the fact that many corporate CEOs and marketing people track Twitter trends with the ignorant assumption that Twitter is actually a reflection of the real world. The woke mob on Twitter is amplified by the company itself, while most contrary voices are stifled and buried. Anyone using the Twitter echo chamber as a marketing gauge would be led to believe that leftist ideology is the prevailing ideology of the nation. It’s not even close.

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

French PM Announces Appointment of ‘Ambassador for LGBT + Rights’

The French Prime Minister has warned: “The battle of mentalities is not yet won.” Élisabeth Borne announced on Thursday, August 4 that an “ambassador for LGBT + rights” would be appointed “before the end of the year” and that a fund of 3 million euros would be created to finance new LGBT + centers.

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

Report: California School District Spending $20K on ‘Woke Kindergarten’ Which Aims to ‘Disrupt Whiteness’

A California school district is reportedly spending tens of thousands of dollars on an organization called “Woke Kindergarten,” which focuses on “supporting children, families, educators and organizations in their commitment to abolitionist early education and pro-black and queer and trans liberation.”

According to reports, the Golden State’s Hayward Unified School District recently contacted the organization for a month-long training session for staffers at Glassbrook Elementary School, where they will apparently learn how to “disrupt whiteness, white dominant/settler colonial narratives and anti-Blackness in the Glassbrook community.”

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

WaPo: Drag Shows for Children Are ‘Squeaky-Clean, ‘ ‘Family-Friendly’

The Washington Post is continuing its apparent public relations campaign on behalf of drag shows for children by running another op-ed claiming the events are “squeaky-clean for family-friendly audiences,” and laws aimed at banning them are the true indoctrination.

“Drafting laws to ban children from our performances is much less about the imagined sexual dangers of a drag show than the imagined dangers of failing to indoctrinate children with fear and shame around queerness from an early age,” drag queen Sasha Velour writes in the Post.

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

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