Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
Al-Quds Brigades in Full-Blown War with Israel: Spokesman
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/02/25/2210765/al-quds-brigades-in-full-blown-war-with-israel-spokesman
“A spokesman for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the movement, are still fighting a full-fledged war against the Israeli occupiers…”
All Capacities of Iran’s Armed Forces Mobilized to Fight Coronavirus: Spokesman
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/02/25/2211182/all-capacities-of-iran-s-armed-forces-mobilized-to-fight-coronavirus-spokesman
“A senior spokesman for the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said all capacities of the forces have been mobilized to help in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak in the country…”
Iranian Naval Fleet Docks in Indonesia
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/02/25/2210942/iranian-naval-fleet-docks-in-indonesia
“The Iranian Navy’s 66th flotilla of warships docked in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta as part of efforts to boost military relations between the two countries…”
Iran’s Gas Production to Hit All-Time High in Weeks
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/02/25/2210633/iran-s-gas-production-to-hit-all-time-high-in-weeks
“Iran is going to set a new high record in the production of natural gas within the next few weeks, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh announced…”
Death Penalty, Prison Sentences against 8 Saudis Accused of Collaborating with Iran
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2148801/death-penalty-prison-sentences-against-8-saudis-accused-collaborating-iran
“The specialized criminal court in Saudi Arabia ordered the death penalty and prison sentences against eight Saudis on charges of collaborating with Iran.
The death sentence was ordered against a suspect who was convicted of treason after he contacted a member of Iranian intelligence and provided him with classified information related to national security and two foreign embassies.
The suspect was able to access the information due to the nature of his job.
The remaining suspects were given sentences totaling 58 years in prison for collaborating with people suspected of working for the Iranian embassy and providing them with information on the internal and economic affairs of the Kingdom in return for financial rewards.
They can appeal the sentence within 30 days.
The verdicts were delivered during an open session and in the presence of the general prosecutor, the suspects and their lawyers, as well as their relatives and human rights representatives.”
Egypt: 8 executed in one day
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200225-egypt-8-executed-in-one-day/
“Eight men were executed yesterday in Egypt in what is thought to be the first death sentences carried out in the country so far in 2020.
The defendants were among 17 men who had been sentenced to death in a military court in May 2019 and accused of attacking three Coptic churches and a police checkpoint that killed 88 people in 2017. The executions were carried out at Borg El-Arab prison in Alexandria.
Several of the defendants told prosecutors that they were subject to enforced disappearance after their arrest, according to an Egyptian rights organisation and reported by Amnesty International.
The rights organisation We Record has said the defendants were subject to systematic torture to obtain false confessions.
We Record published the names of the defendants: Rami Ghani, Walid Abdul Aziz, Mohamed Metwally, Salama Qasim, Ali Shehata, Ali Hassan, Abdul Hussain and Rifai Mohamed.
Since President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s rise to power in 2013 there have been an unprecedented number of death sentences in Egypt…”
Bahrain announces 23 cases of new coronavirus infection
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-announces-23-cases-of-new-coronavirus-infection-1.1582636110968
“The Ministry of Health in Bahrain has announced on Tuesday 6 new cases infected with the coronavirus (covid-19), bringing the number to 23.
Earlier in the day 9 new cases had been detected. Theses new cases were for Bahraini and Saudi citizens coming from Iran reportedly via Dubai and Sharjah through Bahrain International Airport, bringing the total number of cases infected to 17.
The ministry confirmed that it is conducting all the necessary tests for all travelers coming from affected countries upon their arrival at Bahrain International Airport in a designated hall at the airport…”
Turkish-backed rebels say they seized town in Syria’s Idlib in first advance
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security/turkish-backed-rebels-say-they-seized-town-in-syrias-idlib-in-first-advance-idUSKCN20J0SO
“Syrian rebels backed by the Turkish military have seized the town of Nairab in northwest Syria’s Idlib province, Turkish and rebel officials said on Tuesday, the first area to be taken back from advancing Syrian government forces…”
Donors, aid groups planning to suspend Yemen aid to Houthi areas -U.S. official
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-aid/donors-aid-groups-planning-to-suspend-yemen-aid-to-houthi-areas-u-s-official-idUSKBN20J2RS
“Donors and aid groups are planning to suspend humanitarian aid to areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis in the coming months if the group does not stop hindering the delivery of assistance, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Tuesday…”
BREAKING: White House To Request Emergency Coronavirus Funds
The White House is preparing to request emergency funding from Congress in order to address coronavirus, which has suddenly spread at an alarming rate across the globe.
“We need some funding here to make sure that we protect all Americans,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said on Fox News. Gidley did not say how much funding would be requested.
“I don’t have an announcement on the specific amount yet, but we need to combat this, we need to make sure our people are safe and the president is always going to take action to do that,” Gidley said.
But some other news outlets said the administration would ask for about $1 billion, even though some experts said that may not be enough. Adriane Casalotti, an official at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, said $1 billion won’t cover the effort, The Hill reported.
“By any measure, that would not be enough for a government-wide supplemental to make a meaningful impact,” Casalotti said. “Vaccine development alone needs way more than that.”
“A congressional aide, meanwhile, said the administration has indicated it will be sending a funding request in the coming days, but that no details have been provided on its size or content,” The Hill reported.
Coronavirus cases have surged globally in recent days. “Official figures released Monday showed there had been 409 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 150 new deaths from the outbreak in China by the end of Sunday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 77,150, with a cumulative death toll of 2,592. The majority of the new cases — 398 — were in Hubei province, as were all but one death,” The Washington Post reported.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/02/breaking-white-house-to-request-emergency-coronavirus-funds/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
WATCH: Hindu mob sets Delhi mosque on fire, places Hanuman flag on top
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2164097/3-watch-hindu-mob-sets-delhi-mosque-fire-places-hanuman-flag-top/
“A mosque has been set on fire in New Delhi as more than a dozen people have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes between opposing groups of protesters the Indian capital, hospital officials said on Tuesday.
Al-Jazeera quoting the Indian website ‘The Wire’ reported that a mob shouting “Jai Shri Ram”, translated to “hail Lord Ram”, paraded around the burning mosque in the Ashok Nagar area of the capital on Tuesday.
Video footage shared on social media showed a mob climbing to the top of the mosque’s minaret where they attempted to plant a saffron flag.
Local media reported that shops in the area were also being targeted by the mob.
The clashes, the worst in the capital since unrest over a new citizenship law began in December, started at the weekend but turned deadly on Monday.
Violence erupted again in multiple areas of northeast Delhi on Tuesday, just miles away from where Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for talks.
India’s capital has been a focus of unrest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which makes it easier for non-Muslims from three neighbouring Muslim-dominated countries to gain Indian citizenship.
Local TV channels showed huge clouds of smoke billowing from a tyre market that had been set ablaze and Reuters witnesses saw mobs wielding sticks and stones walking down streets in parts of northeast Delhi, amid further incidents of stone-throwing.
India’s junior home minister G Kishan Reddy told Reuters’ partner ANI on Monday that the violence was “a conspiracy to defame India”, at a time when Trump was visiting the country.
Some of those protesting at the citizenship law alleged, however, that Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its supporters were targeting Muslims and instigating the violence.
“We have no weapons, but they are firing at us,” said Mohammad Shakir, a demonstrator opposed to the law.
“This BJP is targeting Muslims. They want to turn India into a Hindu country.” The Hindu nationalist BJP denies any bias against India’s more than 180 million minority Muslims.
Reuters witnesses at a local hospital spoke with both Hindu and Muslim victims, who were injured in the violence on Tuesday. A few victims on both sides of the violence had suffered bullet wounds, and many had visible injuries on their heads and bodies…”
Twitterati erupt in anger after photo of brutally beaten Muslim protester in Delhi goes viral
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2164232/3-twitterati-erupt-anger-photo-brutally-beaten-muslim-protester-delhi-goes-viral/
https://youtu.be/IC4G6LvAPYM
Teenage girls forcibly married to Taliban fighters
http://www.afghanistantimes.af/teenage-girls-forcibly-married-to-taliban-fighters/
“Local officials in northern Badakhshan province said that a number of Taliban fighters have forcibly married teenage girls in the wake of ongoing weeklong violence reduction that so far went well.
According to the provincial officials, four girls who are between 12-13 years old were forcibly married to the Taliban fighters.
Nusi District Governor Mohammad Ibrahim Qayumi said, “The cases occurred in Obaghan and Shorian villages, and these areas are in Taliban’s control.”
Arifa Navid, head of Badakshan provincial council has expressed concern in regards, saying that force marriage is in contrast with the law. Citing the Islamic regulation, she called on the Taliban leadership to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Taliban’s Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the cases would be probed and the perpetrators would be facing justice.
The Taliban, with whom the US has been continuing the peace talks to end the 18 yearlong war, had imposed sever restrictions on women’s freedom during their regime.”
Turkey: Police detain 13 suspects over Daesh/ISIS ties
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-police-detain-13-suspects-over-daesh-isis-ties/1744306
“Turkish police have detained 13 suspects, including 10 foreign nationals, allegedly linked to the Daesh/ISIS terror group in Istanbul, security sources said on Tuesday.
Police raided seven different locations and detained 13 suspects, including nine Syrians and an Iraqi national, said the sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
The ongoing operation was part of a probe into Daesh members who provide financial support for the terror group’s remanded members.
Digital materials and organizational documents were seized during the search.
Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Daesh as a terror group in 2013, as soon as it emerged.
The country has since been attacked by Daesh terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.
In response, Turkey launched military and police operations at home and abroad to prevent further terror attacks.”
Wuhan woman says coronavirus patients cremated alive; Over 1000 Hubei police infected with virus
Always happens when there are qwiki cremations.
Burials, too. Jews and Moslems put ’em in the ground so fast, they’re not always dead.
A great deal of evidence has been dug up…
My father saw it directly. He was so horrified, he insisted on autopsies for himself and Mum – just to be absolutely sure. An irrational fear so uncharacteristic of him, we were shocked.
One in four 15-year-olds have a reading age of 12 or below and struggle to understand questions in their GCSE exams
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8043157/One-four-15-year-olds-reading-age-12-below.html
“A quarter of all 15-year-olds have a reading age of twelve or below which puts them at a ‘disadvantage’ in their GCSEs, new research shows.
They will struggle to understand questions in English language and even subjects such as science and maths, which have become increasingly ‘text heavy’.
The findings will renew concern about the levels of literacy in the country’s primary and secondary schools amid a decline in reading for pleasure.
Test provider, GL Assessment, analysed the reading abilities of more than 370,000 pupils aged 15.
Researchers compared their scores in the company’s standardised reading test – which schools voluntarily adopt – to their GCSE results in 2018/19.
The study found that 25 per cent of teenagers have a reading age of twelve or below and 20 per cent have the skills of an 11-year-old and under. Ten per cent have a reading age equivalent to a nine-year-old and below.
There is also a gender gap in literacy skills. Fifty-three per cent of 15-year-old girls have the expected or ‘higher’ reading ability for their age, compared to only 47 per cent for boys.
The GL Assessment report points out that schools which introduce GCSE curriculums early are likely to ‘encounter difficulties’. This is because ‘four in five students will lack the reading ability to readily access them’.
The report says: ‘Given the importance of literacy to the whole school curriculum, it follows that those students who struggle with it are at a significant disadvantage – a sizeable minority are years behind their peers at 15.’
The study also found that a good grasp of literacy is more important for maths than humanity subjects such as English literature and history.
This is because pupils need to understand the ‘language of mathematics’. They can quickly lose confidence when faced with words they thought they knew, for example ‘difference’, ‘prime’ or ‘product’ that mean something else in a mathematical context.
Maths GCSE can also be ‘especially challenging’ as students need to read and comprehend a passage of text, identify the question being asked and then solve a numerical problem.
The report says: ‘Our study showed that there is a significant correlation between reading ability and GCSE results across all subjects.
‘This was not just the case in English, but in maths and science too. Indeed, the correlation between good literacy and good student outcomes at GCSE was higher in maths than in some arts subjects like history and English literature.’
Researchers say the ‘correlations in maths and the sciences also underscore just how ‘text heavy’ most academic subjects are and why literacy is so crucial’.
New ‘more demanding’ GCSEs were introduced by the government in 2017. Exams now tend to include ‘wordier’ questions which ‘will prove problematic for a significant minority of students with a low reading age’.
Crispin Chatterton, director of education at GL Assessment, said: ‘Our analysis makes clear how important it is for children to be good readers.
‘Students who have poor reading skills will find it more difficult to access wide swathes of their GCSE courses – and those who lack subject specific language skills, which are difficult to acquire if students don’t have good reading skills, will be doubly disadvantaged.’
Alex Quigley, national content manager at the Education Endowment Foundation, said many secondary school teachers and leaders are ‘undertrained’ and ‘too busy’ to help pupils ‘access the demands of the academic curriculum’.
He said: ‘Literacy is too often seen as a bolt-on extra for teachers of science, geography and PE.
‘Yet, when you dig into the research evidence, it is revealed that being literate is the most essential factor for disadvantaged students studying science. Reading, writing, vocabulary and talk all mediate the school curriculum.’”
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