Gates of Vienna News Feed 10/23/2022

Boris “BoJo” Johnson has withdrawn his name from the contest to replace Liz Truss as the leader of the “Conservative” party in the UK. Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak currently leads the field, and has reportedly gained Mr. Johnson’s support.

In other news, the publicist for the author Salman Rushdie said he has lost the sight of one eye and the use of one hand after being stabbed onstage multiple times back in August at an event in New York State.

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

Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, JW, MM, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

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

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

Financial Crisis
» 401(k) Contribution Limit Leaps by Record Amount as Inflation Rages
» Illinois Now Has the Worst Unemployment Rate in the Nation
» Massive House Price Plunge Rocks Australia’s Most Expensive City as Sydney’s Property Values Drop $100,000 Since the Start of the Year — and This Could Just be the Beginning
» Turkey Slashes Interest Rates by 150 Basis Points Despite Inflation at 83%
 
USA
» Antifa Turns to Far-Left Legal Guild Amid FBI Investigation in Olympia
» DOJ Allocates $200k for ‘High-Quality’ Arts Program for ‘Justice-Involved Youth’
» “Don’t Trust Experts, Experts Say”
» Football Player, 13, Who Suffered Heart Attack During Game Returns Home
» Kamala Falsely Claims Her Own Support of Bailing Out Violent Criminals is ‘Misinformation’
» Man Pleads to Charges in Disorder Amid Protests in 2 States
» Minneapolis Struggles to Hire Police After George Floyd’s Death, ‘Defund Police’ Movement
» NY Judge Declares ‘Vote by Mail’ Law Unconstitutional
» NYU Prof: I Was Fired After Students Complained My Class Was Too Hard
» Salman Rushdie Lost Sight in One Eye, Use of Hand After Knife Attack
» Salman Rushdie Has Lost Sight in One Eye and Use of One Hand After Stabbing, Agent Says
» Student Protestors Storm UPenn Field During Homecoming Game, Multiple Arrests
» Suspect in Fatal Methodist Dallas Shooting on Parole, At the Hospital for Birth of a Child
 
Canada
» Canadian Influencers Speak Out About Trudeau’s Internet Censorship Bill
» Danielle Smith Says Sovereignty Act Will be Ready by Time She’s in Legislature
» Despite No Evidence of Threat, House Speaker Anthony Rota Had Armed Guards at His House During Convoy
» Majority of Canadians Against Parting Ways With Monarchy
 
Europe and the EU
» Boris Johnson Out of Race to be Next UK Prime Minister
» Europol Reports Dramatic Increase in ATM Explosions Across Europe
» France: Glue Idiots! Extinction Rebellion Activists Infiltrate Paris Motor Show to Glue Themselves to Ferrari Supercars
» France’s Macron Says There is Chance for Peace in Ukraine
» Germany Hails 1st Delivery of ‘Green’ Hydrogen From UAE
» German Climate Activists Toss Mashed Potatoes at $110M Monet Painting
» Hungarian PM Outlines EU Dilemma
» Hungary’s Orban Hits Out at EU During Anti-Soviet Uprising Commemoration Speech
» More Arrests in Multicultural Britain as Muslim and Hindu Sectarian Violence Continues
» Netherlands: Anti-Islam Group PEGIDA Attempts to Burn Koran in Rotterdam; Leader Arrested
» Not Satire: Von Der Leyen Presented With Great Reset Award
» Rishi Sunak Says He’s Standing to be UK Prime Minister to Replace Liz Truss
» UK Govt Launches COVID and Flu Vax ‘Marketing Campaign’ Aimed at Pregnant Women, Minorities
» UK: Arrests as Just Stop Oil Protesters Block Traffic at Famous Abbey Road Crossing
» UK: Doctor Who Touched Patient’s Breast, Put His Hand Down Her Trousers and Pushed His Groin Into Another During a ‘Sexually Motivated Examination’ Is Struck Off the Medical Register Following Tribunal
 
Middle East
» Activists Say Instagram Blocking Content on Iran Protests
» Anti-Regime Protests, Strikes Enter Sixth Week in Iran
» Cost of Baking Bread Doubles in Iran Amid Anti-Government Protests
» Hackers Breach Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency, Protests Persist
 
Russia
» Ukraine War: Kyiv Forces Approach Kherson, Thousands Without Power, Dam Warnings
 
South Asia
» India: Man Quizzed by NIA in 2019 Dies in Cylinder Blast
 
Far East
» China’s CPC Congress Passes Resolution to Boost Armed Forces, Speed Up ‘Taiwan Reunification’
» China’s Xi Expands Powers, Promotes Allies After Securing Historic Third Term
 
Australia — Pacific
» Watch: Police Drop All Charges After Bashing Protester
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Attack on Hotel in Somalia’s Kismayo Ends With 9 Civilians Dead
 
Immigration
» Canada: Conservatives Demand Answers About 500 Foreign Criminals Roaming Free
» Germany: ‘Somalia is a S***hole Country’ — Following Deadly Knife Attack by Migrant, Berlin Public Broadcaster Fires Journalist for Criticizing Somalia
» Over 7.22 Mln Refugees Have Entered Poland Since War in Ukraine Started
 
Culture Wars
» Eugene Police: Streets Reopen After Morning Protest Involving ‘Storytime Drag Show’ at Pub
» Judge Sides With California Baker Over Same-Sex Wedding Cake
» Meanwhile in Britain: Transwoman Uses ‘Her’ Penis to Play Keyboard on Live Television
» Rally Against ‘Child Mutilation’ Draws Thousands of Supporters
» Teachers Attend Conference to ‘Decolonize Our Minds, ‘ Push ‘Intersectional Feminism’
 

401(k) Contribution Limit Leaps by Record Amount as Inflation Rages

The IRS on Friday announced that contribution limits for 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are rising in 2023 in response to price inflation that’s running at the fastest pace in about 40 years.

The limits are linked to the headline Consumer Price Index, or CPI-U, and September’s reading saw an 8.2% year-over-year increase.

The boost to the 401(k) maximum is the biggest one ever in both dollar and percentage terms, as retirement investors will be able to contribute $2,000 more in 2023 than they can this year. The limit on so-called “catch-up contributions”— available to those age 50 and over — is rising by $1,000, to $7,500.

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

Illinois Now Has the Worst Unemployment Rate in the Nation

Authored by Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner via Wirepoints.org

We’ve warned consistently that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s inaction on Illinois’ biggest fiscal problems — pensions, property taxes, unbalanced budgets — would eventually come back to bite the state. Sure, he’s used the near-$200 billion in federal Covid bailout money to cover the state’s financial cracks in the short-term, but the governor can’t hide from the reality of his failures on jobs and growth.

At 4.5 percent in September, no other state has a higher unemployment rate than Illinois, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics release.

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

Massive House Price Plunge Rocks Australia’s Most Expensive City as Sydney’s Property Values Drop $100,000 Since the Start of the Year — and This Could Just be the Beginning

House and unit prices together in Australia’s most expensive city have fallen by $116,500 or 10.1 per cent since February, CoreLogic data showed.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Turkey Slashes Interest Rates by 150 Basis Points Despite Inflation at 83%

Turkey’s central bank on Thursday slashed its key interest rate by 150 basis points for the third consecutive month of cuts, from 12% to 10.5% — despite Turkish inflation at more than 83%.

Market analysts expected a 100 basis point cut, so the move still managed to take many by surprise despite the increasing regularity of Turkey’s interest rate reductions. Consumer prices for the country of 84 million people climbed to a new 24-year high of 83.45% in September, though many people living in Turkey say prices for basic goods have in some cases more than tripled in the past year.

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

Antifa Turns to Far-Left Legal Guild Amid FBI Investigation in Olympia

In the Washington state capital of Olympia, an Antifa group is warning their associates that the FBI are investigating their activity, advising them to contact the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), who are “dedicated to the need for basic change in the structure of our political and economic system.”

The Post Millennial’s Editor-at-Large Andy Ngo tweeted “An #Antifa-linked account in Washington state says the @FBI visited three houses of their comrades. They’re warning others to not cooperate & to call the National Lawyers Guild, an antifa far-left legal group with decades of ties to communists, for pro-bono help.”

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

DOJ Allocates $200k for ‘High-Quality’ Arts Program for ‘Justice-Involved Youth’

The Golden Horseshoe is a weekly designation from Just The News intended to highlight egregious examples of wasteful taxpayer spending by the government. The award is named for the horseshoe-shaped toilet seats for military airplanes that cost the Pentagon a whopping $640 each back in the 1980s.

This week’s Golden Horseshoe is awarded to the Department of Justice for a $200,000 grant for a “high-quality arts program” to “help address emotional and problem behaviors for at-risk justice-involved youth.”

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

Don’t Trust Experts, Experts Say”

by Daniel Greenfield

I’m worried.

“Is ‘rainbow fentanyl’ a threat to your kids this Halloween? Experts say no,” NPR assures me.

And if there’s one thing we’ve learned in these past few years it’s to believe the opposite of what experts say. The media has given up trying to get people to trust it and now asks it to trust its handpicked experts. And those experts say the same exact things that the media says.

Every subject is now tackled by experts.

Do you think that a Senate candidate who can barely grasp a sentence is worrisome?

“Fetterman’s use of captions is common in stroke recovery, experts say,” the Washington Post wheedles. Experts tend to say that Democrats should be elected and Republicans shouldn’t be. They agree that when a Democrat does something it’s very different than when a Republican does it. And if you think the experts are biased, the experts will say that they’re not. Q.E.D…

           — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield [Return to headlines]
 

Football Player, 13, Who Suffered Heart Attack During Game Returns Home

A 13-year-old football player is back home after suffering a heart attack during a game last month.

Cash Hennessy suffered a heart attack on Sept. 17 in a football game in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., for his San Dimas team. He’s been in the hospital for nearly a month, but he was seen leaving the Children’s Hospital of Orange County on Tuesday, per Eyewitness News.

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

Kamala Falsely Claims Her Own Support of Bailing Out Violent Criminals is ‘Misinformation’

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday said that Republicans who claim that she promoted the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), a far-left organization that has bailed violent criminals out of jail, are spreading “misinformation.” This statement is proven false by her own Twitter page.

During an interview with CBS News Minnesota’s Esme Murphy, the politician responded to the Republican Party of Minnesota’s claims that she supported the organization, which “pays criminal bail and immigration bonds for those who cannot otherwise afford to as we seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing.”

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

Man Pleads to Charges in Disorder Amid Protests in 2 States

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection during civil disorder in 2020 in Philadelphia and New Jersey amid protests over the police killing of George Floyd.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that 32-year-old Carlos Matchett of Atlantic City pleaded guilty Friday to felony counts of obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder and travel to incite a riot.

In exchange, prosecutors dropped arson charges that would have carried a seven-year mandatory minimum prison term.

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

Minneapolis Struggles to Hire Police After George Floyd’s Death, ‘Defund Police’ Movement

Minneapolis, Minnesota is struggling to recruit law enforcement officers to fill the vacant spots that were left as a result of the anti-cop movement following the 2020 death of George Floyd.

Floyd’s police-involved death resulted in violent unrest and riots against the police, spurring a “mass exodus” of officers that have yet to be replaced, reported Fox News.

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

NY Judge Declares ‘Vote by Mail’ Law Unconstitutional

The way New York counts ballots was thrown into chaos on Friday after a judge ruled that several of the state’s recent voting reforms are unconstitutional.

State Supreme Court Justice Dianne Freestone sided with Republicans in a lawsuit brought in late September, which argued against a law which allows people to vote absentee if they fear contracting a disease like Covid-19. Freestone also ruled that the new process for “canvassing,” or ensuring that absentee ballots are inspected and prepared for counting — violates candidates’ rights in several ways, including by making it more difficult to raise a legal challenge when there are questions over a ballot’s validity.

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

NYU Prof: I Was Fired After Students Complained My Class Was Too Hard

Former New York University (NYU) professor Maitland Jones Jr. says he was fired after students complained that his organic chemistry class was too difficult. An op-ed written by the professor warns of the negative impact his firing has on less-experienced professors, writing, “Their entire careers are at the peril of complaining students and deans who seem willing to turn students into nothing more than tuition-paying clients.”

“Many students seem increasingly unwilling to put in the necessary effort to master the material, and teachers are burning out at a rapid rate,” Jones wrote in an op-ed for the Boston Globe, adding that the Chinese coronavirus is not the only factor to blame, as he noticed this decline 10 years ago.

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

Salman Rushdie Lost Sight in One Eye, Use of Hand After Knife Attack

Salman Rushdie lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand after he was repeatedly stabbed during a literary event in upstate New York two months ago, his agent said.

The 75-year-old author, whose 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” forced him into hiding amid calls for his death, was stabbed in the neck and torso as he walked on stage to deliver a speech at the Chautauqua Institution on Aug. 12.

But the full extent of his injuries wasn’t revealed until Saturday, when his agent Andrew Wylie gave an update on his condition in an interview with the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.

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

Salman Rushdie Has Lost Sight in One Eye and Use of One Hand After Stabbing, Agent Says

Author’s representative would not say if Rushdie, 75, is still in hospital after August attack

Salman Rushdie lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand following an attack on stage at a literary event in western New York in August, his agent said.

Andrew Wylie, who represents literary giants such as Saul Bellow and Roberto Bolano, described the extent of the injuries Rushdie suffered in the “brutal” attack in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Wylie described the author’s wounds as “profound,” and noted the loss of sight of one eye.

“He had three serious wounds in his neck. One hand is incapacitated because the nerves in his arm were cut. And he has about 15 more wounds in his chest and torso.”

The agent declined to say whether The Satanic Verses author, 75, was still in hospital more than two months after police said a 24-year-old New Jersey man stabbed the writer in the neck and torso just before Rushdie was to give a lecture at Chautauqua Institution, a retreat about 19 kilometres from Lake Erie.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Student Protestors Storm UPenn Field During Homecoming Game, Multiple Arrests

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Student protestors stormed Franklin Field on Saturday afternoon during the University of Pennsylvania’s homecoming game with three demands for the university: save a low-income housing complex in West Philadelphia, stop investing in fossil fuels and pay its fair share of property tax to support city schools.

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

Suspect in Fatal Methodist Dallas Shooting on Parole, At the Hospital for Birth of a Child

Nestor Oswaldo Hernandez, who was released from prison last October after serving time for aggravated robbery, had permission to be at the hospital “to be with his significant other during delivery,” a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson said.

A man facing a capital murder charge in the shooting at Methodist Dallas Medical Center that left two dead over the weekend is a parolee who was at the hospital for the birth of his significant other’s child, prison officials said Sunday.

Nestor Oswaldo Hernandez was released from prison last October after serving time for aggravated robbery, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson toldThe News in an email. But Hernandez was granted permission to be at the hospital “to be with his significant other during delivery,” the prison spokesperson said.

Authorities said Hernandez walked into Methodist hospital about 11 a.m. Saturday and opened fire — killing two medical workers before he was shot and wounded by a hospital police officer. The workers have not been identified and it was unclear Sunday what jobs they held.

Hernandez, 30, served a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a 2011 armed robbery, and a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to a 2015 robbery. In both cases, the victims were badly beaten before property was stolen.

One of the conditions of Hernandez’s parole is electronic monitoring, the TDCJ spokesperson said. Dallas police said Hernandez was wearing an ankle monitor during the shooting. Officials did not answer further questions about the terms of his parole, and it’s not clear whether he is the father of the child.

           — Hat tip: DV [Return to headlines]
 

Canadian Influencers Speak Out About Trudeau’s Internet Censorship Bill

The Trudeau government’s internet censorship law, Bill C-11, is still a major concern for many Canadians. As the bill is in the final stages of becoming law, as it’s studied in the Senate, more Canadians are speaking out about the controversial bill.

A number of influencers and journalists appeared before the Senate to share their concerns about Bill C-11, including YouTuber JJ McCullough and journalist Jennifer Valentyne. Many of them are worried that the government will be able to direct social media’s algorithms and as a result, dictate what Canadians are able to see online.

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

Danielle Smith Says Sovereignty Act Will be Ready by Time She’s in Legislature

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the work on drafting her controversial Sovereignty Act has already begun, with the expectation legislation will be ready to be tabled by the time she takes a seat in the legislature.

The new premier made the comments in a speech at the United Conservative Party’s annual general meeting on Saturday — the party’s first following the leadership race which elected Smith earlier this month.

“When Ottawa announces policies and laws that attack our economy or violate the rights of our people or when Ottawa seeks to take control of our sovereign areas of provincial jurisdiction, our UCP government will not enforce those laws and policies in this province, period,” Smith said.

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

Despite No Evidence of Threat, House Speaker Anthony Rota Had Armed Guards at His House During Convoy

According to a recent story in Blacklock’s Reporter, House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota — so, a Liberal MP — was so alarmed by the freedom convoy protests that he had armed Parliament Hill police stand guard outside of his Ottawa residence at night while he slept, records show. Rota’s office did not comment, for security reasons.

The hypocrisy is staggering. Do you remember when Justin Trudeau said this? Normal Canadians, we shouldn’t have the right to defend ourselves against what we see as an imminent threat with a firearm. Because we’re not special. But the speaker of the House of Commons, who was maybe a little hysterical and anxious because of all these scary truckers in the nation’s capital and their evil bouncy castles, was able to, at the taxpayers’ expense, offload his personal safety onto an armed guard.

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

Majority of Canadians Against Parting Ways With Monarchy

More Canadians oppose the idea of cutting ties with the Royal Family than those who support it, a new poll by Nanos Research reveals.

Results show that 50% of respondents opposed the idea of cutting ties with the monarchy and having the prime minister act as Canada’s head of state.

On the other hand, 44% of those polled supported the idea.

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

Boris Johnson Out of Race to be Next UK Prime Minister

LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will not run to lead the Conservative Party, ending intense speculation about a comeback.

Johnson, who was ousted in July amid ethics scandals, was widely expected to run to replace Liz Truss, who quit last week.

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

Europol Reports Dramatic Increase in ATM Explosions Across Europe

The number of explosions at ATMs in Europe is increasing drastically, according to Europol. This trend is also reflected in the Netherlands, where Amsterdam is especially hard hit, a census by ANP/LocalFocus showed.

Across Europe, perpetrators are using stronger and more dangerous explosives, according to a spokeswoman for the cooperation of the police forces of the European Union. “Extremely high explosives are increasingly being used, even collapsing buildings and killing innocent people.”

This trend is occurring in many European countries, such as Germany, southern Europe and the Baltic states, according to Europol. Well-organized criminal gangs have specialized in this type of bombing and often operate internationally.

“It’s the modern bank robbery,” said the spokeswoman. She added that innocent civilians are increasingly endangered and the perpetrators are extremely unscrupulous. “They’re not interested in people, they just care about money.”

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

France: Glue Idiots! Extinction Rebellion Activists Infiltrate Paris Motor Show to Glue Themselves to Ferrari Supercars

The dozen members of XR were protesting against the ‘individual car model’ that is promoted by the industry.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

France’s Macron Says There is Chance for Peace in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he believed there was a chance for peace in Ukraine, even as Russia warned the conflict there could escalate.

“There is the prospect for peace, it will come around at some moment,” said Macron at a conference in Rome aimed at seeking ways to promote world peace.

“And at a particular moment, given how things are evolving, and when the Ukrainian people and its leaders will have decided on the terms of this, a peace deal can be built up with the other side,” added Macron.

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

Germany Hails 1st Delivery of ‘Green’ Hydrogen From UAE

BERLIN (AP) — Germany took formal delivery Friday of its first, modest, batch of hydrogen from the United Arab Emirates.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

German Climate Activists Toss Mashed Potatoes at $110M Monet Painting

Two climate activists Sunday hurled mashed potatoes at a Monet painting worth tens of millions of dollars in a museum in Potsdam, Germany.

The activists pair from Letzte Generation — German for “last generation” — doused Oscar-Claude Monet’s 130-year-old work “Les Meules” with yellow-tinged mash, and then glued themselves to the wall at the Museum Barberini, video posted on social media showed.

“People are starving, people are freezing, people are dying. We are in a climate catastrophe,” protester Mirjam Herrmann yelled after sealing her hand to the wall, according to Der Tagesspeigel.

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

Hungarian PM Outlines EU Dilemma

At a panel discussion of the political magazine Cicero in Berlin, he did not mince words: “The EU’s sanctions policy against Russia is primitive in its implementation and catastrophic in its effects,” said Orban and went on to explain that the Brussels sanctions policy “is neglecting European interests” and “destroys” the German and Hungarian economies while helping Moscow make as much money in six months selling energy resources as it would otherwise in a year.

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

Hungary’s Orban Hits Out at EU During Anti-Soviet Uprising Commemoration Speech

Hungary’s national flag was hoisted with military honours in front of the parliament building in Budapest on Sunday in a state commemoration marking the anniversary of the 1956 anti-Soviet revolt.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed crowds in Zalaegerszeg in western Hungary at the inauguration ceremony of a new visitors’ centre dedicated to the late Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty.

Mindszenty was a Catholic clergyman who fiercely opposed totalitarianism in Hungary during the 20th century.

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

More Arrests in Multicultural Britain as Muslim and Hindu Sectarian Violence Continues

Police have continued making arrests following a bout of sectarian violence between the Muslim and Hindu communities in the multicultural English city of Leicester.

Five more men have been arrested by police in Leicester in relation to public fighting that marred the city last month after tensions boiled over between Hindus and Muslims, according to a report from the BBC.

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

Netherlands: Anti-Islam Group PEGIDA Attempts to Burn Koran in Rotterdam; Leader Arrested

The anti-Islam group Pegida announced it would burn a Koran near Rotterdam Central Station on Saturday, amid outcry from Muslim counter-protesters. However, the police arrested the group’s leader and confiscated the Koran before the demonstration was under completely underway, according to Rijnmond.

Edwin Wagensveld, Pegida’s foreman, could be heard insulting Islam and the prophet Muhammad during his arrest. He was arrested for “insulting the faith,” according to Rijnmond.

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

Not Satire: Von Der Leyen Presented With Great Reset Award

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has singled out European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for her “extraordinary commitment” to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Great Reset goals.

The Gates Foundation named Von der Leyen as one of the four winners of the so-called Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards. The other winners are Radhika Batra, co-founder of Every Infant Matters; Zahra Joya, a journalist from Afghanistan; and Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist from Uganda.

Until recently, the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset was called a conspiracy theory. This week, the EU Commission president received an award for her commitment to the same Great Reset.

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

Rishi Sunak Says He’s Standing to be UK Prime Minister to Replace Liz Truss

The Conservative Party lawmaker and ex-finance minister who came in second to outgoing UK Prime Minister Liz Truss in his bid to hold the nation’s top job two months ago confirmed Sunday that he was standing to replace her.

Rishi Sunak, 42, had correctly warned that Truss’ plans to slash taxes on wealthy Britons would result in fiscal chaos.

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer quit disgraced Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government in July, helping to trigger a mass rebellion that prompted his resignation days later.

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

UK Govt Launches COVID and Flu Vax ‘Marketing Campaign’ Aimed at Pregnant Women, Minorities

The British government has launched a Covid booster and flu jab drive, with pregnant women, ethnic minorities, and “individuals with long term health conditions” targeted in particular.

The vaccine drive, described as a “marketing campaign” in an official press release on the government’s website, urges “millions to boost their immunity this winter” against coronavirus and influenza.

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

UK: Arrests as Just Stop Oil Protesters Block Traffic at Famous Abbey Road Crossing

Four protesters have been arrested after Just Stop Oil activists blocked traffic at the famous Abbey Road crossing in London.

The controversial climate activist group said four demonstrators glued themselves on to the crossing — which featured on the cover of The Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road — shortly after 1pm on Sunday.

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

UK: Doctor Who Touched Patient’s Breast, Put His Hand Down Her Trousers and Pushed His Groin Into Another During a ‘Sexually Motivated Examination’ Is Struck Off the Medical Register Following Tribunal

Dr Amirul Haque, who has practised in Birmingham, Dudley and Stockton-on-Tees, was struck off the register after a ‘sexually motivated examination’ of multiple patients, a tribunal has heard.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Activists Say Instagram Blocking Content on Iran Protests

Activists say Instagram is blocking their accounts for sharing news about antigovernment protests in Iran, calling for explanation from its owner company Meta.

British-Iranian actress and human rights activist Nazanin Boniadi shared some of the blocked pages on her twitter account on Sunday, asking Meta why Instagram is suspending their accounts for no reason.

“Fix your algorithms. This is outrageous,” Boniadi said.

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

Anti-Regime Protests, Strikes Enter Sixth Week in Iran

The growing women-led protests in Iran entered a sixth week on Sunday while university students braved crackdown to challenge the government by holding rallies.

Sharif University students in Tehran gathered in front of the canteen entrance chanting slogans against plainclothes Basij militias who attack and arrest students.

At Tehran’s Amirkabir University male and female students defied the gender segregation rules and sat next to each other at the cafeteria. They sang Shervin Hajipour’s protest song together.

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

Cost of Baking Bread Doubles in Iran Amid Anti-Government Protests

Amid nationwide antigovernment protests with no end in sight, officials have announced that the cost of baking bread has doubled in the country.

The head of bakeries union, Mohammad Soleimani, told ILNA Saturday that the costs of labor, raw materials including oil, and other additives increased significantly, but the price of basic bread did not go up accordingly.

He said that more and more people are replacing many other foodstuff with bread given food price inflation, adding that the increasing prices for pasta and grains have led to the rise in bread consumption.

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

Hackers Breach Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency, Protests Persist

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s atomic energy agency alleged on Sunday that hackers acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign country broke into a subsidiary’s network and had free access to its email system.

An anonymous hacking group claimed responsibility for the attack on Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, demanding Tehran release political prisoners arrested in the recent nationwide protests. The group said it leaked 50 gigabytes of internal emails, contracts and construction plans related to Iran’s Russian-backed nuclear power plant in Bushehr and shared the files on its Telegram channel. It was unclear whether the breached system contained classified material.

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

Ukraine War: Kyiv Forces Approach Kherson, Thousands Without Power, Dam Warnings

1. Russia’s Shoigu told his Western counterparts Kyiv is preparing a nuclear ‘dirty bomb’ attack

Russia’s defence chief on Sunday alleged that Ukraine was preparing a “provocation” involving a radioactive device.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the allegations in phone calls with his counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Turkey.

He also spoke to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in their second call in three days, but a terse Russian readout of that call did not say whether the dirty bomb claim was also mentioned in their conversation.

Russia’s defence ministry said Shoigu voiced concern about “possible Ukrainian provocations involving a ‘dirty bomb,’“ a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive waste.

It does not have the devastating effect of a nuclear explosion, but it could expose broad areas to radioactive contamination.

London strongly rejected the claims.

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

India: Man Quizzed by NIA in 2019 Dies in Cylinder Blast

A 25-year-old man was killed on Sunday after a gas cylinder in his car exploded in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district, police said, adding that they have recovered “low-intensive explosive material” from his house.

The explosion at a communally sensitive area in Ukkadam prompted state’s top police officers, including director general of police (DGP) C Sylendra Babu, additional DGP (law and order) Thamarai Kannan and forensic officials, rush to the spot.

The deceased was identified as Jemisha Mubeen (25), an engineering graduate who was questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019, but there was no case or “adverse notice” against him, the DGP told reporters at a press conference on Sunday night.

“But he has been in touch with those who have cases against them,” said Babu. “We are investigating them. They are in our custody.”

A case has been registered at the Ukkadam police station in connection with the incident and a probe was on, the top officer said.

“We found in that vehicle nails, marbles and other stuff which are being examined by the forensic department,” he said. “Following a search at his house we recovered some low intensive explosives — potassium nitrate, aluminium powder, charcoal, Sulphur — used in making country bombs.”

He said these seemed to be meant for some “future” plans, adding that a thorough probe will ascertain the purpose of these items.

“Whoever has been in touch with him for the past year has come under our scanner now,” Babu said, adding investigations so far have not found him to be linked with any groups.

Soon after the incident, police bomb squads and state commando forces were also rushed in. “The body of the deceased is charred and the car completely damaged,” the top officer added.

           — Hat tip: JW [Return to headlines]
 

China’s CPC Congress Passes Resolution to Boost Armed Forces, Speed Up ‘Taiwan Reunification’

A final Congress resolution issued Saturday by the Communist Party of China spelled out that the national armed forces will continue to be modernized and expanded with an eye toward preventing Taiwan independence.

While praising efforts over the past half-decade of Beijing devoting “great energy to modernizing” its “national defense and armed forces”, the CPC called for “resolute steps to oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ and promote reunification, maintain the initiative and the ability to steer in cross-Strait relations, and unswervingly advance the cause of national reunification.”

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

China’s Xi Expands Powers, Promotes Allies After Securing Historic Third Term

President Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader in decades, increased his dominance when he was named Sunday to another term as head of the ruling Communist Party in a break with tradition and promoted allies who support his vision of tighter control over society and the struggling economy.

Xi, who took power in 2012, was awarded a third five-year term as general secretary, discarding a custom under which his predecessor left after 10 years. The 69-year-old leader is expected by some to try to stay in power for life.

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

Watch: Police Drop All Charges After Bashing Protester

Police have quietly dropped charges against an anti-lockdown protestor after devastating bodycam footage showed officers initiated the fight.

Jay Smith (not his real surname) said he was charged with affray, resisting arrest and disobeying police orders after police told him to leave a freedom rally in Melbourne on May 29 last year.

As Jay and a group of friends left the protest, he was intercepted by a group of police officers who pushed and then punched him in the face.

When Jay’s friends rushed to his defence they too were set upon by police and arrested.

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

Attack on Hotel in Somalia’s Kismayo Ends With 9 Civilians Dead

A car laden with explosives rammed the gate of the hotel and was followed by an attack claimed by the al-Shabab armed group.

An attack on a hotel in the centre of the port city of Kismayo in southern Somalia killed nine civilians on Sunday before security forces killed the gunmen.

Security officers killed three of the attackers and a fourth died in the bomb blast, said Yussuf Hussein Dhumal, security minister for Jubbaland.

           — Hat tip: MM [Return to headlines]
 

Canada: Conservatives Demand Answers About 500 Foreign Criminals Roaming Free

Federal Conservatives are demanding that the Liberal government explain how nearly 500 wanted criminals on a deportation list went missing.

There are currently nearly 30,000 people who are set to be deported from Canada that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) lists as having unknown whereabouts. 469 of those are wanted “for criminality or criminal convictions” while 30 are wanted for severe crimes like homicide or violent sexual assault.

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

Germany: ‘Somalia is a S***hole Country’ — Following Deadly Knife Attack by Migrant, Berlin Public Broadcaster Fires Journalist for Criticizing Somalia

Two Germans lost their lives at the hands of a Somali migrant in the quiet German city of Ludwigshafen this week, but now a journalist who grew up 800 meters from where the stabbing took place has lost his job after calling Somalia “a s***hole country.”

“Somalia is a s***hole country with Stone Age culture. When a migrant from Somalia stabs two people and injures two others, that’s a problem. When this happens 800 meters from your parents, in the place where you grew up, it’s shocking,” wrote former RBB journalist Jan A. Karon, who was born in Poland but grew up in Germany.

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

Over 7.22 Mln Refugees Have Entered Poland Since War in Ukraine Started

Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 7.22 million people have crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border into Poland, the Border Guard (SG) tweeted on Sunday morning.

According to the SG, on Saturday Border Guard officers carried out around 28,400 border checks on people entering Poland from Ukraine, and by 7:00 a.m. on Sunday the number of arrivals had reached around 7,400 people.

The Border Guard also said that over 5.41 million people had left Poland for Ukraine since the beginning of the war. On Saturday, around 25,600 people crossed the border from Poland to Ukraine.

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

Eugene Police: Streets Reopen After Morning Protest Involving ‘Storytime Drag Show’ at Pub

EUGENE, Ore. — The Eugene Police Department reports roadways have reopened to regular traffic following a traffic advisory Sunday morning due to a protest near Old Nick’s Pub.

“Please avoid Washington Street at 1st and 3rd Avenues, and 2nd Avenue at Lawrence Street,” EPD reported during the closure. “There are large crowds impeding traffic and the roadways have been closed. Traffic will be congested and please watch for pedestrians.”

The protest involved opposing sides related to an event being promoted at Old Nick’s Pub.

Counter-protestors pushed back beyond W. 1st Avenue. Rocks and smoke bombs were thrown and airsoft guns were fired as well.

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

Judge Sides With California Baker Over Same-Sex Wedding Cake

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A California judge has ruled in favor of a bakery owner who refused to make wedding cakes for a same-sex couple because it violated her Christian beliefs.

The state Department of Fair Housing and Employment had sued Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield, arguing owner Cathy Miller intentionally discriminated against the couple in violation of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Miller’s attorneys argued her right to free speech and free expression of religion trumped the argument that she violated the anti-discrimination law. Kern County Superior Court Judge Eric Bradshaw ruled Friday that Miller acted lawfully while upholding her beliefs about what the Bible teaches regarding marriage.

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

Meanwhile in Britain: Transwoman Uses ‘Her’ Penis to Play Keyboard on Live Television

A transgender comedian in Britain has been praised after stripping naked and using “her” penis to play the keyboard on live television.

Jordan Gray, a British biologically male comedian who identifies as a woman, has been praised by leftists for stripping naked on live television before playing the keyboard with “her” penis.

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

Rally Against ‘Child Mutilation’ Draws Thousands of Supporters

Authored by Darlene McCormick Sanchez via The Epoch Times

Some 2,000 people turned out for the “Rally to End Child Mutilation” held in downtown Nashville Friday as a host of conservative speakers vowed to make gender transition for children illegal.

The mainly conservative crowd gathered at the War Memorial Plaza near the state capital in support of stopping surgery and chemical castration of minors.

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

Teachers Attend Conference to ‘Decolonize Our Minds, ‘ Push ‘Intersectional Feminism’

“Decolonizing our Minds,” “intersectional feminism,” and “whiteness” are just some of the featured conversations at this year’s annual Northwest Teaching for Social Justice (NTSJ) Conference.

This year’s conference, titled “Rethinking Our Classrooms, Organizing for Better Schools,” will include conversations on race, transgenderism, and the environment, all from a leftist perspective. The conference will occur online on October 22nd.

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

5 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 10/23/2022

  1. Jeez, Hochul’s NYS state police did a horrid job protecting Rushdie when he gets
    stabbed >15 times.

  2. Indians in UK. I can see them taking over one day. We have nearly 1million here in Australia and I have worked with many. Most who come are Brahmin and well educated. They know more about English literature than majority of Australians. I used to read a lot in my teens so I know the books too. They still practice English “crafts” like knitting, their children come to childcare in beautiful home knits. I used to knit so I recognise a home knit and appreciate the quality.
    In my opinion they are more English in the old sense of the word than modern English people because they retain more of English culture. I don’t recognise “England” in many of the people inhabiting England these days. My mother was English, I have visited my relatives but not since 1980. I don’t want to go back because I don’t see it as the same country any more.
    I wouldn’t be surprised if more people study Shakespeare in India than in the UK now?

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