Reader’s Links for Aug. 10th, 2020

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.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

71 Replies to “Reader’s Links for Aug. 10th, 2020”

  1. ‘We Won’t Accept Blackmail’: Greece Calls on Turkey to Stop ‘Illegal Actions’ in Mediterranean (sputniknews, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008101080120036-we-wont-accept-blackmail-greece-calls-on-turkey-to-stop-illegal-actions-in-mediterranean/

    “On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara had restarted gas drilling operations in a disputed area of the Mediterranean, and accused Athens of failing to keep its promises on possible talks after the announcement of a Greek-Egyptian maritime delimitation deal.

    Greece’s Foreign Ministry has demanded that Turkey immediately halt its “illegal” drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, warning that Athens will defend itself if necessary.

    “Greece will not accept any blackmail. It will defend its sovereign rights. We call on Turkey to immediately end its illegal actions that undermine peace and security in the region,” the ministry said in a statement Monday.
    The warning comes following a statement by the Turkish Navy that the Turkish surveying ship Oruc Reis would be carrying out seismic survey activity in a disputed zone of the eastern Mediterranean Sea south of Antalya and west of Cyprus over the next two week period. Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez has said that the ship has already reached its destination, with work to proceed Monday and run until August 23.

    Greek maritime authorities issued a response to the Turkish Navy, saying that the research permit was issued by an “unauthorized station” and referred to the drilling plans as “unauthorized and illegal activity in an area that overlaps the Greek continental shelf.”

    Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis convened the national security council on Monday to discuss Turkey’s actions, with the body, including the ministers of defence and foreign affairs, expected to address Athens’ next move.”

  2. Priti Patel heads to Dover as scores more migrants arrive TODAY including 20 jostling for space on an overloaded 12-man RIB – as Boris Johnson calls for law change to kick out people who have ‘blatantly come to UK illegally’ (dailymail, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8610893/French-authorities-insist-stop-migrants-crossing-Channel.html

    “Priti Patel has travelled to Dover to meet Border Force officials as 20 migrants were met off the Kent coast jostling for space on an overcrowded inflatable boat.

    Home Office figures suggest 677 people, including at least one toddler, were caught making the perilous crossing from France to England between Thursday and Sunday.

    This morning the Border Force patrol boat Hunter stopped a packed 12-man vessel carrying 19 men and one woman off the coast of Dover.

    The Prime Minister today said the UK needed to ‘look at the legal framework’ for migrants who have arrived in the UK illegally, adding it was ‘very, very difficult to then send them away again.’

    This comes as a Royal Air Force plane carries out surveillance over the English Channel as part of the effort to tackle migrants attempting the crossing from France.

    The flight by the Atlas aircraft was authorised by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to support Border Force operations in the Channel.

    The Ministry of Defence said the aircraft, which flew from RAF Brize Norton just minutes ago, is an ‘initial offer of assistance’ to the Home Office.

    As pressure grows for more to be done, bosses in Calais have revealed they have intercepted at least 810 people trying to make the perilous crossing.

    Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Calais’ MP Pierre-Henri Dumont said the French priority was to save lives…”

    • channel 4 Home secretary meets with Border Force over record numbers of migrants crossing English Channel

      The Home Secretary Priti Patel was in Dover today meeting Border Force officers after record numbers of people risked the journey in small boats across the Channel UK.

  3. Third of English Schools Say Pupils Are Groomed by Criminal Drug Gangs (breitbart, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/08/10/one-third-english-schools-say-pupils-have-been-groomed-criminal-gangs/

    “Criminal gangs have swept through so much of the educational system in England that staff at one-third of the country’s secondary schools believe gangs have groomed pupils, a report has found.

    A poll of teachers at almost 1,300 English schools found that drug dealers and other criminal gangs are controlling pupils as young as eight, with the rot spreading throughout the country and not just limited to urban areas.

    According to an analysis conducted by The Times — which covered schools with approximately 500,000 pupils — over 60 per cent of secondary schools have been forced to search pupils with metal detectors and drug-sniffing dogs. Children have increasingly been found to be bringing weapons to school, including hammers, knuckle dusters, lasers, and so-called zombie knives.

    The survey, which was conducted before the Chinese coronavirus lockdown, found that during the 2018/19 academic year, some 24 per cent of schools referred children to the police or social services out of fear that they were involved in criminal gangs.

    The poll also found that 33 per cent of secondary schools believe children in their care are involved with criminal gangs, with two per cent of primary schools reporting similar activity.

    The Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said that the report demonstrates that the government needs to be more proactive in tackling the scourge in schools.

    “This investigation shows how criminal gangs operating in England are ruthless organisations, using sophisticated grooming to lure children in and then using violence to keep them compliant,” Longfield said.

    “Thousands of children in towns and cities across England are at real risk, and the same attention must be paid to protecting them as to other major threats to children. The government must ensure resources are allocated to stop children becoming involved in gangs,” she added.

    The children’s commissioner said that the latest study from the government found that 27,000 children were believed to be members of criminal gangs, but warned that the figure will likely be far higher now.

    The problem is likely to have been exacerbated by the prolonged lockdown in which pupils were out of school for months, increasing the time in which gangs can prey upon them.

    In June, the Children’s Society charity said that so-called county lines drug dealers were increasingly using children to transport drugs during the lockdown, often dressing them up in key worker and food delivery worker uniforms to further avoid attention.

    The chairman of the education committee, Robert Halfon MP, called for a joint initiative between the ministers FOR home affairs, culture, and education to confront the issue, with more investment in police outreach.

    “If you had police cadets or army cadets in schools, if you invested in youth activities in the evenings, if you clearly identified these troubled families, you could clearly make a difference,” Halfon said.

    Keisha McLeod, the mother of a pupil in London who was fatally shot in the head in 2017, said that schools are overlooking vulnerable children, such as her son, CJ Davis, who was diagnosed with ADHD.

    “I believe my child would still be alive if schools understood how these gangs work. Vulnerable children who struggle in class become problem children and teachers are already overwhelmed. That’s where the criminals see opportunities,” she said.

    “CJ wanted to learn, but he was pushed out of mainstream education. I believe he was pushed into an environment that led to his demise,” she lamented.”

  4. Nigel Farage: Boris Johnson does not have the political will to tackle migrant boat crossings

  5. Red Pill Germany

    Hey guys, today I want to introduce Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-WestFailure to you.
    He is a devout supporter of Angela Merkel and wants to be the next chancellor of Germany.
    His recent misadventure in Greece is quite illuminating in terms of his attitude towards ordinary European citizens.

  6. Live Q&A: Hong Kong Media Mogul Arrested; Propagandists Switch Tactics to Play the Victim

  7. CBC – Complaints filed against Ontario doctor after COVID-19 tweets

    Ontario paediatrician Dr. Kulvinder Gill is the subject of complaints from fellow doctors who accuse her of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 on Twitter. Gill says she is being defamed and censored.

    • CBC – Front-line nurse on COVID-19: ‘I’m scared of being called a hero’

      Anna Trowbridge is a Vancouver emergency room nurse and sketch artist.

      She reflects on the front-line experiences of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic through her drawings.

      For more sketches from Anna Trowbridge, follow her Instagram account @doodling_nurse.

      + comments on the YT page

    • CBC – Ontario doctor subject of complaints after COVID-19 tweets

      Dr. Kulvinder Gill advocated using hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus. It’s not effective, studies say

      […]Hydroxychloroquine is a drug used to treat malaria and some autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It has been touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a potential fix for COVID-19. However, the drug has been shown to be ineffective in combating the virus, according to a major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

      Medical bodies such as the Canadian Pediatric Society say hydroxychloroquine has no significant benefit in fighting COVID-19. Health Canada has not authorized hydroxychloroquine to treat or cure COVID-19 and has warned Canadians about products making false and misleading claims. It says hydroxychloroquine can have serious side effects

      . Only recently did Health Canada authorize, with conditions, remdesivir to treat severe cases of COVID-19.

      […]A screenshot of some of Kulvinder Kaur Gill’s recent tweets, including one that promotes hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. The Brampton, Ont., doctor has come under fire for tweets touting the malaria drug as an effective treatment for the disease caused by the coronavirus, contrary to the findings of several studies that have evaluated the drug.

      […]Gill has also retweeted another doctor, Simone Gold, who claimed there was a financial incentive to discredit hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. Gold’s tweet was taken down for violating Twitter rules, but not Gill’s retweet.

      https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/kulvinder-kaur-gill-tweets-cpso-1.5680122

  8. Lebanese Government Resigns in Wake of Protests After Beirut Blast (sputniknews, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008101080122275-lebanese-government-resigns/

    “The move comes following days of protests and clashes between police and demonstrators in the aftermath of the August 4 ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut’s port, with critics accusing authorities of ignoring the danger posed by the hazardous material for many years. Thousands of residents of the capital have taken to the streets in recent days.

    The government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned, Health Minister Hamad Hassan announced on Monday.

    “The whole government resigned,” Hassan said, speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting. Diab will make his way to the presidential palace to formally inform Michel Aoun and “hand over the resignation in the name of all the ministers,” he added.
    Diab and his cabinet will now continue work as a caretaker until a new government can be formed. The prime minister was expected to make a television address later Monday.

    On Saturday, Diab called for new parliamentary elections to take place, saying the country could not escape the current “structural crisis” without a vote. New elections will require parliamentary approval. Under Lebanon’s confessionalism-based system, the prime minister (a Sunni) is formally appointed by the president (a Marronite Christian).

    The government’s collective resignation follows announcements earlier by the information, environment and justice ministers that they would be resigning amid the protests which continue to overwhelm central Beirut.

    DETAILS TO FOLLOW”

  9. Boris Johnson Wants ‘New Legal Framework’ to Allow Migrants to be Sent Back to France (sputniknews, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/uk/202008101080120415-boris-johnson-wants-new-legal-framework-to-allow-migrants-to-be-sent-back-to-france/

    “More than 4,000 migrants have reached the UK in 2020 by crossing the English Channel in boats, including 597 between 6 and 9 August alone. The influx has been highlighted on social media by Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party.

    Boris Johnson has called for tougher legislation to deal with waves of illegal immigrants who are streaming into England from France and Belgium.

    On Monday, 10 August, the latest boat – a dinghy containing 20 migrants, believed to be from Syria – was intercepted by the UK Border Force off the coast of Kent.

    The Prime Minister said: “We’ve got a problem which is that there are people who want to come from around the world to this country because obviously it’s a great place to be.”

    Mr Johnson described the boat crossings as “very bad, stupid, dangerous and criminal” and said he wanted a new “legal framework” to make it easier to send migrants back to France after they have crossed the Channel.

    The Sunday Telegraph claimed France would ask Britain to pay £30 million to prevent human traffickers smuggling people across the Channel.

    On Monday Mr Johnson said: “There’s no doubt that it would be helpful if we could work with our French friends to stop them getting over the Channel.”

    When the Brexit transition period ends in December a new framework will be needed to replace the EU Dublin Convention under which migrants are returned to the country in which they first applied for asylum.

    Immigration minister Chris Philp is due in Paris on Tuesday, 11 August, for talks with the French government over the issue.

    In an interview on Times Radio, former foreign secretary David Miliband said the limits of Vote Leave’s most “taking back control” slogan in the 2016 Brexit referendum were being exposed.

    He said migrants were being “dehumanised” and certain politicians were making it seem as if there was an “invasion”.”

  10. Greece slams Turkish announcement on research in eastern Med (abcnews, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/greek-national-security-council-meet-amid-turkey-tension-72277464

    “Greece on Monday slammed a Turkish announcement that it will be conducting energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean in an area Athens says overlaps its continental shelf, as tension increased sharply in the region.

    Officials said Greece’s military was on alert, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis convened the government’s national security council after Turkey issued a Navtex, or international maritime safety message, Monday announcing its research vessel Oruc Reis and two auxiliary vessels would be conducting seismic exploration in an area between Greece and Cyprus until Aug. 23.

    Last week, Turkey also announced it would be conducing a firing exercise in the eastern Mediterranean Monday and Tuesday in a nearby area, southwest of the Turkish coast between Turkey and the Greek island of Rhodes.

    “Greece will not accept any blackmail. It will defend its sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Greece’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We call on Turkey to immediately end its illegal actions that undermine peace and security in the region.”

    The ministry said Monday’s Navtex “combined with the observed broad mobilization of units of the Turkish Navy, constitutes a new serious escalation.” Turkey is acting in a way that is destabilizing and threatening peace, it added.

    Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said the Oruc Reis had arrived in its area of operation from its anchorage off Turkey’s southern coast. He tweeted that “83 million back the Oruc Reis,” referring to Turkey’s population.

    Greek Minister of State Giorgos Gerapetritis said the Oruc Reis was not transmitting through the automatic identification system carried by ships, but was being monitored by the Greek Navy.

    “We are at full political and operational readiness,” Gerapetritis said on state television ERT.

    “The majority of the fleet is ready at this moment to go out wherever is needed,” he said when asked to elaborate. “Our ships that are sailing in crucial areas were already in place days ago. If necessary there will be a greater development of the fleet.”

    Gerapetritis said that “it is clear that we are not seeking any tension in the region. On the other hand our determination is a given.”

    Greece on Monday issued its own maritime safety message saying the Turkish Navtex had been issued by an “unauthorized station” and referred to “unauthorized and illegal activity in an area that overlaps the Greek continental shelf.”

    A crucial issue of the dispute is whether islands should be included in calculating a country’s continental shelf and maritime zones of economic interest. Turkey argues they should not be, a position Greece says violates international law. Greece has thousands of islands and islets in the Aegean and Ionian seas, around 200 of them inhabited.

    Tension has increased in recent months over drilling rights and maritime boundaries. Late last month, Turkey had said it was suspending its exploratory operations in the eastern Mediterranean, and the move was seen as somewhat defusing the situation.

    But last week Ankara slammed a deal Greece and Egypt signed Thursday delineating maritime boundaries and the countries’ exclusive economic zones for drilling rights.

    Last year, Turkey signed a similar deal with the U.N.-backed Libyan government in Tripoli, sparking outrage in Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, who all said it infringed on their economic rights in the Mediterranean. The European Union says it’s a violation of intentional law that threatens stability in the region.

    German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said Berlin had “taken note with concern” of Turkey’s decision to conduct seismic exploration. He said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas “has repeatedly said that international law must be respected and that we need steps toward deescalation in the eastern Mediterranean. And in view of this, further seismic exploration is certainly the wrong signal at this time.”

    Turkey’s move “further burdens its relationship with the EU,” Burger said, and called on both sides “to resolve all open questions through negotiations and to begin a bilateral dialogue between Athens and Ankara as planned.”

    NATO allies and neighbors Greece and Turkey have been at odds for decades over a wide variety of issues and have come to the brink of war three times since the mid-1970s, including once over drilling exploration rights. Recent discoveries of natural gas and drilling plans across the east Mediterranean have led to a spike in tension.

    Mitsotakis spoke Monday with European Council President Charles Michel and was to speak later in the day with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

    In a television interview late Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin said Turkey and Greece had been holding talks in Berlin for 2½ months and were on the verge of issuing a joint statement when the Greek-Egyptian agreement emerged.

    “The moment the agreement with Egypt was announced, we received a clear instruction from our president: ‘You are halting the talks. Inform the Germans and the Greeks, we are not pressing ahead with the negotiations,’” Kalin told CNN-Turk television.

    “This is another move to keep Turkey out of the Eastern Mediterranean and to restrict it to the Gulf of Antalya,” Kalin said.

    Kalin said Turkey is in favor of resolving the dispute through dialogue.

    “But it is the Greek side that disrupted the agreement and broke the trust,” he said.”

    • My Russian friends say without Lukashenko, Putin will EAT Belarus directly.
      – – Belarus IS Russia, ridiculous to claim otherwise.
      My neighbors, refuseniks from Minsk, say better Putin than Soros.

      • Can’t disagree. My Russian says Lukashenko flew to Turkey, all the police are in Minsk, internet shut down, only China and Russia recognize the crooked results, rubber bullets and tear gas used against protesters, opposition politicians jailed, one in hiding, real journalists jailed…wonder if Belarus TV has taken lessons from our CBC.

      • Agreed on all counts. Lukashenko is in absolute control and Russia would immediately absorb Belarus without him. As in all cases once a dictator gets a taste of absolute power, he will do anything to keep it. Lukashenko is no exception and understands perfectly that any sort of partnership with Putin means he will be reduced to a puppet and loose that coveted status of absolute power he has learned to love so much. The Russian backed mercenary Wagner group is up to something in Belarus and Lukashenko appears to be trying to offset Putin through flirtation with China. The one thing we can be sure of is that there is lots happening behind the scenes.

  11. Bombing in Pakistani town near Afghan border kills 5 (abcnews, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bombing-pakistani-town-afghan-border-kills-72277775

    “A bomb targeting an anti-drug force tore through a busy market in southwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border on Monday, killing at least five people and wounding 10 others, police and hospital officials said.

    No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion in the border town of Chaman, which was caused by a bomb attached to a motorcycle. The bombing targeted a unit tasked with combating narcotics smuggling. Mohammad Ali, a local police official, said some of the wounded were in critical condition.

    Security forces and police cordoned off the area of the blast, where residents said several shops and vehicles were damaged.

    Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the bombing and said he was praying for the recovery of those wounded.

    The attack came more than a week after Pakistani troops opened fire at a rally in the town organized by minority Pashtun laborers to demand the reopening of the border crossing. The security forces killed at least three people and wounded 13.

    The crossing has been closed since March because of coronavirus restrictions, preventing Pashtun residents from crossing into Afghanistan to work as day laborers.

    Shortly after security forces fired on the rally, Pakistani and Afghan troops in the area exchanged fire. Both sides accused the other of firing first, and Afghan officials said nine people were killed.

    It was not immediately known who was behind the bombing or whether it was related to the recent tensions. Southwestern Pakistan is home to ethnic Baluchi separatist groups as well as Islamic militants, both of whom have been blamed for past attacks.

    The Anti-Narcotics Force, commonly known as ANF, is the principal agency for combating narcotics smuggling. Its officers are stationed in Pakistan’s remote border regions with Afghanistan and Iran.”

  12. Seattle Station Fires Jewish Meteorologist Who Compared BLM Rioters to Nazis
    August 10, 2020
    Daniel Greenfield

    If Cliff Mass had done the politically fashionable thing and compared DHS personnel trying to protect federal buildings against violent rioting thugs to stormtroopers, he would have been fine. It’s not the Nazi comparison that’s the problem. The real problem is criticizing the violent thugs the Left is using to wage war against America.

    https://cms.frontpagemag.com/point/2020/08/seattle-station-fires-jewish-meteorologist-who-daniel-greenfield

  13. (Richard: Pay close attention to this article, the Minute Men are forming, the groups being formed will be the neighborhood militias who are out to defend their homes. Actions like this use to be common and everyone knew that there was an armed organized community defense unit. It was a member of a community defense unit (the Minute Men) who fired the shot heard round the world when the Brits marched to seize a privately owned Armory.

    Yes there is a danger of infiltration and destruction but as long as the ARM groups remain community defense units it will be difficult for even the most oppressive government to stop them.)

    An ARM Agenda

    The hour is late, but the possibilities of rescuing America are many.
    August 10, 2020
    Lloyd Billingsley

    On July 3, Frontpage published A Call to ARM: the Case for an American Revolution Movement for Self Defense. The response was huge, and in light of surging leftist violence, a sequel is in order.

    Most readers supported the ARM concept and many wanted to sign up right away. Others warned that any movement with a website, membership list and so forth would be quickly infiltrated, betrayed and destroyed. That may well be the case, but such a risk poses no existential problem for ARM.

    Everyone who supports what the American Revolution achieved, particularly the First and Second Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, is already a de-facto member of ARM. Anonymity is a positive asset and everybody in ARM shares the same goal: to preserve the American Revolution, now under attack from an axis of sub-nihilists, Marxists, racists and violent criminals.

    Such counterrevolutionaries now get backing from prominent Democrats, POTUS 44, multinational corporations, establishment media, and high-profile figures in sports and entertainment. This makes 2020 the real Year of Living Dangerously, and a line from that movie is instructive.

    https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/08/arm-agenda-lloyd-billingsley

  14. Riots and Protests from Portland to Jerusalem

    And the Israeli Left’s media stranglehold.
    August 10, 2020
    Caroline Glick

    Over the past several years, public discourse in the United States has seen a lot of new lows. It saw another one this month when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to federal officers in Portland, Oregon as “stormtroopers,” that is, Nazi Brownshirts.

    In a tweet on July 18 and in subsequent remarks, Pelosi accused the federal forces deployed to Portland of “kidnapping protesters and causing severe injuries in response to graffiti.”

    Pelosi’s allegations would cause a political earthquake—if they were true. But they aren’t true. And the fact that she slandered federal officers as Nazis is a deeply disturbing testament to where the Democratic Party—of which she is the senior elected official—stands today and what its intentions are.

    For the past two months, the progressive city of Portland in the progressive state of Oregon, has been the scene of chaos and rioting. The liberal media have misleadingly characterized the riots as “peaceful demonstrations.”

    https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/08/riots-and-protests-portland-jerusalem-caroline-glick

  15. University Of Georgia Says Students Should ‘Consider Wearing A Mask During Sex’: Report

    The University of Georgia is urging students to wear masks while having sex.

    The university reportedly sent out notices to on-campus students that said they should “consider wearing a face mask during sex. Heavy breathing and panting can further spread the virus, and wearing a mask can reduce the risk,” according to OutKick.

    https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-of-georgia-says-students-should-consider-wearing-a-mask-during-sex-report?itm_source=parsely-api?utm_source=cnemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=081020-news&utm_campaign=position6

  16. Antifa threatens Back the Blue rally in CO; gets run out of neighborhood

    Multiple Sources | Aug 10, 2020 | Fresh Ink | 10

    Members of a “Back the Blue” rally were seen fighting with Black Lives Matter counter-protesters in Fort Collins, Colorado over the weekend.

    Video posted on social media shows members of the “Back the Blue” group advancing on Black Lives Matter activists. The confrontation eventually becomes a fighting match in a neighborhood ditch.

    “Everybody keep their hands off their weapons!” one man can be heard shouting. “Keep punching each other in the face. Don’t shoot anybody.”

    The above is an excerpt from Raw Story

    https://www.gopusa.com/?p=93135?omhide=true

    ‘Back the Blue’ members beat BLM protesters in Colorado ditch: ‘Keep punching each other in the face’

    Published 22 hours ago

    on August 9, 2020

    By David Edwards

    Members of a “Back the Blue” rally were seen fighting with Black Lives Matter counter-protesters in Fort Collins, Colorado over the weekend.

    Video posted on social media shows members of the “Back the Blue” group advancing on Black Lives Matter activists. The confrontation eventually becomes a fighting match in a neighborhood ditch.

    “Everybody keep their hands off their weapons!” one man can be heard shouting. “Keep punching each other in the face. Don’t shoot anybody.”

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/back-the-blue-members-beat-blm-protesters-in-colorado-ditch-keep-punching-each-other-in-the-face/

  17. “Prof Tritto: COVID-19 was created in the Wuhan laboratory and is now in the hands of the Chinese military”
    by Bernardo Cervellera – August 4, 2020
    http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Prof-Tritto:-COVID-19-was-created-in-the-Wuhan-laboratory-and-is-now-in-the-hands-of-the-Chinese-military-50719.html

    “Boom! The president of the World Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies (WABT) explains how #ChinaVirus was engineered in the Wuhan lab under #CCP PLA direction. #COVID19”
    SteveWMosher – August 10, 2020 – Twitter
    https://twitter.com/StevenWMosher/status/1292869099417198592

  18. Test Questions that Offend Islam

    An American Muslim student filed a lawsuit in Arizona against his college and political science professor after he was shocked by the test questions that offend Islam and link it to terrorism.

    Which is more important: academic freedom or respect for religions?

  19. VOA – Refusing to Wear a Mask in Defiance of Public Health

    Despite warnings from public health officials, some people simply refuse to wear a mask, and they’re encouraging others to follow suit

  20. MEMRI – Qatari Sociologist: Beirut Port Explosion Is Divine Punishment for Blasphemy, Sodomy in Lebanon

    Qatari sociologist Abd Al-Zaziz Al-Khazraj Al-Ansari said in a video he uploaded to his YouTube channel on August 6, 2020 that the August 4 explosion in the Beirut port, which killed 150 people and injured thousands, was caused by the Lebanese people’s propensity towards blasphemy, plastic surgery, and sodomy.

    Al-Ansari said that the Lebanese people utter expletives and curse Allah and Islam.

    He added that Lebanon is “famous” for “changing Allah’s creation” through plastic surgery and for the “prevalence” of sodomy.

    Al-Ansari then urged the Lebanese people to take to the streets and to use scissors to cut out the tongues of those who curse Allah.

  21. MEMRI – Islamic Scholar: Conversion of Hagia Sophia into Mosque as Significant as Conquest of Constantinople

    Jordanian Islamic scholar Dr. Ahmad Al-Shahrouri said in an August 1, 2020 episode of his show on Yarmouk TV (Jordan) that the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in Turkey into a mosque is similar in significance to the Islamic conquest of Constantinople.

    He said that it is a declaration of the strength of Islam and of the Turkish economy and military.

  22. MEMRI – Friday Sermon In Iran By Abolghasem Yaghoubi: Pork Contains A Microbe That Weakens One’s Zeal

    Abolghasem Yaghoubi, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative in the Khorasan Shomali province, said in a Friday, July 31, 2020 sermon in Bojnurd that aired on Khorasan Shomali TV (Iran) that God has prohibited the consumption of pork because it contains a vitamin or a microbe that weakens the zeal of those who eat too much pork.

    He gave the example of Westerners, amongst whom he said “there is no difference between men and women.”

  23. Pakistani Navy Reportedly Seizes Iranian Oil Tanker at US’s Behest (sputniknews, Aug 10, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/asia/202008101080125222-pakistani-navy-has-reportedly-seized-iranian-oil-tanker-at-uss-behest/

    “The alleged seizure is reminiscent of a diplomatic incident which took place last year in which authorities in Gibraltar seized an Iranian tanker making its way to Syria after a tipoff from Washington, which prompted Tehran to seize a British-flagged tanker in a tit-for-tat response. Both tankers were eventually released.

    The Pakistani Navy has reportedly seized an Iranian oil tanker in the port of Karachi upon the request of the United States, the Fars News Agency has reported, citing Pakistani Senator Rehman Malik, secretary of the senate’s internal affairs committee.

    “We have warned against the transfer of Iranian oil to Pakistan. This is an important international issue and will lead to pressure on Pakistan,” Malik said, noting that the transfer of Iranian oil to Pakistan would be a violation of Islamabad’s embargo and sanctions against Tehran.

    According to the senator, an unnamed ‘American organization’ monitored the Iranian tanker’s movements, and “informed the Pakistani government to seize it” and “to take legal action regarding the consequences of importing and exporting as well as refining [of] Iranian oil.”

    Iranian officials say they have received no word of the alleged tanker seizure. Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, has said Tehran has not been notified of any such seizure.

    Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi indicated that the ministry has yet to receive confirmation on whether such an incident has taken place.

    “As far as we have checked, nothing has been officially announced to Iran in this regard and we have not received any official news about the seizure of an Iranian ship, but from relevant departments, we are following up and receiving the news, and after determining its accuracy, will announce the accurate information,” Mousavi said in a press conference Monday.”

  24. Short videos from Chicago:

    Looter shouts “I can’t breathe” as she runs through store looking for something to remove security tags.
    https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1292744439010480128

    Gunfire rings out on the streets of Chicago during the #BlackLivesMatter riot overnight. Looters scatter the street.
    https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1292802643933270016

    Looters in Chicago calmly walk in and out of businesses with stolen merchandise at the BLM riot.
    https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1292802205683052545

    A heavyset female looter tries to escape from police but trips and falls.
    https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1292803986450452481

    More of the same:
    https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/1292842702476804097
    https://twitter.com/ViNguyen/status/1292811628161970176
    https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1292706860647116800
    https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1292753400388415489
    https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1292836924797853697

  25. Iran Keen to Use Capacities Available in Africa, Latin America: Spokesman
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/08/10/2324519/iran-keen-to-use-capacities-available-in-africa-latin-america-spokesman

    “Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Islamic Republic is determined to enhance its trade ties with Africa and Latin America.

    “Iran’s foreign policy is balanced and active, and the number of trips made by the foreign minister to African and Latin American countries as well as Asian nations is noteworthy,” Seyed Abbas Mousavi told Tasnim on Monday.

    He added that Tehran has plans to use the capacities available in African countries as well Latin and South American nations and increase its trade ties with them.

    Mousavi also said that the ministry’s economic deputy has taken great strides over the past years to boost the country’s economy and facilitate trade activities with other nations.

    On July 16, the spokesman also said the Islamic Republic attached great importance to enhanced trade ties with neighboring countries.

    “The expansion of economic cooperation with neighbors has been among Iran’s main priorities,” he said.

    He pointed out that Iran has 15 neighbors which can help it circumvent the sanctions and make them “ineffective”.

    “Our country is currently experiencing an economy without oil (revenues). Therefore, the expansion of economic cooperation with neighbors as well as the contribution of the private sector to reduce economic pressures is important more than ever,” Mousavi said.

    In April 2019, the United States said it would stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to push Iran’s oil exports to zero.

    Efforts by the Trump administration to isolate Iran politically and economically began with Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in 2018.”

  26. Iran Says European Insurers Should Pay Compensation for Downed Ukrainian Plane
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2439981/iran-says-european-insurers-should-pay-compensation-downed-ukrainian-plane

    “Iran will not compensate Ukraine International Airlines for its plane Tehran accidentally downed in January because the passenger jet was insured by European firms, the head of Iran’s Central Insurance Organization said on Monday.

    “The Ukrainian plane is insured by European companies in Ukraine and not by Iranian (insurance) companies,” said Gholamreza Soleimani, according to the Young Journalists Club news website affiliated with state TV. “Therefore, compensation should be paid by those European companies.”

    Iran’s Revolutionary Guards shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight with a ground-to-air missile on Jan. 8 just after the plane took off from Tehran, in what Tehran later acknowledged as a “disastrous mistake” by forces who were on high alert during a confrontation with the United States…”

  27. Yemen’s Houthis kidnap banking officials in Sanaa
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200810-yemens-houthis-kidnap-banking-officials-in-sanaa/

    “Yemen’s Houthi group has kidnapped two officials of the Saba Islamic Bank and forced them to sign financial orders under duress.

    “Gunmen affiliated to the Sanaa-based Houthi group kidnapped Mohammad Al-Baidani and Mohammad Al-Qadi while they were working as assistants to the general manager at the Saba Islamic Bank in the Dhamar governorate,” local Al-Masdar Online quoted a source at the bank as saying.

    The source noted that Al-Baidani was kidnapped as he headed to the airport to travel “to attend the bank’s board meeting in Djibouti.” He added that the kidnappers had forced the bank officials “to sign orders, while in prison, of money transfers from an account in the bank to another at the country’s Central Bank.”

    In recent months, several Yemeni bank officials have been kidnapped by Houthi militants in an attempt by the latter to pressure banks to pass illegal requests and pay royalties to finance their activity.”

  28. Explosion targets convoy carrying U.S. military equipment near Iraq-Kuwait crossing
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security/explosion-targets-convoy-carrying-u-s-military-equipment-near-iraq-kuwait-crossing-idUSKCN2562N7

    “An explosion near the Jraischan border crossing between Iraq and Kuwaiti on Monday evening targeted a convoy carrying equipment for U.S. forces, three Iraqi security forces told Reuters.

    It was not immediately clear if there were any U.S. troops in the convoy or if anyone had been injured in the explosion, which went off just before 9 p.m. Baghdad time (1800 GMT).

    The Iraqi military denied the incident took place.

    Vehicles are regularly loaded with military equipment at the crossing, the sources said, and the cargo is usually loaded or unloaded before entering or exiting Iraq.

    Foreign companies are contracted by U.S. forces to provide security in the area, the Iraqi security sources said.

    A security source had earlier said that the explosion was caused by an Iraqi Shi’ite Muslim militia targeting a U.S. military base near the crossing by smuggling in an explosive device, and that some staff on the base had been injured. This was later contradicted by other security sources who said a convoy was attacked, not a base.

    The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait said it was looking into the matter.

    A little known Iraqi Shi’ite militia group by the name of Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for the attack and published a video showing an explosion at a distance. It said it was able to destroy U.S. military equipment and large parts of the crossing.”

  29. Three EU States Prepare Sanctions for Libya Arms Embargo Violations
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/08/314962/three-eu-states-prepare-sanctions-for-libya-arms-embargo-violations/

    “On Monday, August 10, France, Germany, and Italy announced they are moving forward with a plan to apply EU sanctions to those they deem responsible for the in-flow of weapons in Libya despite its arms embargo. Increasingly advanced weaponry has continued to stream into Libya, despite a UN arms embargo that bans any arms exports to the war-torn country.

    The three EU member states have prepared a list of individuals and companies claimed to be in direct violation of the embargo. Two Libyan nationals and three foreign companies, registered in Turkey, Jordan, and Kazakhstan, are currently on the list for potential sanctions, according to German press agency DPA.

    The move by France, Italy, and Germany has been under consideration for weeks, with several national leaders calling for consequences for repeated breaches of the UN-mandated embargo. Since the start of the embargo, Libya has seen an escalation in the use of complex weapons including drones, anti-aircraft missiles, and fighter jets.

    Exclusions
    The list does not include any of the UAE-based companies recently discovered breaching the embargo to provide jet fuel for the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). Both sides of the conflict have received essential support from a select bloc of foreign allies.

    However, Turkish assistance to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) passes through the Mediterranean, where it can be monitored or intercepted. Supply lines for Khalifa Haftar often pass through Egypt, where shipments are difficult to monitor or stop.

    It is likely the sanctions would have a much greater impact on Turkish supplies compared to Haftar’s logistical support.

    Operation Irini
    As the war in Libya continues to wreak havoc on the country, the three EU states hope the threat of sanctions could spur increased compliance with the arms embargo. As part of the UN mandate, the EU recently started its own patrols of the Mediterranean Sea off Libya’s coast under “Operation Irini.”

    European naval vessels and wide-ranging intelligence gathering aims to monitor the in-flow of weapons and the illegal out-flow of oil products that are often used to pay for arms purchases. But many supporters of the warring parties have flaunted these efforts, with Turkish ships refusing inspection and combatants regularly showing off new arms on social media.

    “We are prepared to consider a possible use of sanctions if infringements against the land, sea and air embargo continue,” a joint statement by the three nations stated, but arms continue to arrive in Libya. On August 8, the Libya Observer and Radio France Internationale announced that Russia and Egypt had started to deploy highly advanced anti-aircraft systems, possibly including Russia’s state-of-the-art S-400 missiles systems.

    Motivations and ramifications
    The motivations behind the sanctions appear closely related to the recent string of victories for the GNA, which has benefited greatly from Turkish support. The opposing LNA is led by Khalifa Haftar, who visited both Germany and France in March.

    France is part of a bloc with the UAE and Egypt that has provided support to the LNA. The LNA would benefit from a reduction in Turkish supplies provided by breaching the arms embargo, while support through Egypt could continue without maritime transportation, bypassing Operation Irini.

    As with most developments in the conflict, the Libyan people will feel the greatest impact from the geopolitical posturing of foreign actors. If the sanctions indeed slow Turkish support while overlooking LNA supply lines, the conflict could once again become balanced and continue its bloody impasse, with little regard for the will and the needs of the Libyan people.”

  30. Free healthcare bill gets Senate panel’s nod
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2258902/free-healthcare-bill-gets-senate-panels-nod

    “A Senate panel has passed a constitutional amendment bill that seeks to declare the right to free medical treatment a basic fundamental right of every citizen.

    Senator Sirajul Haq of the JI moved the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Amendment of Article 25B) for consideration at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Monday.

    Speaking on the occasion, Haq said healthcare is a basic necessity of every citizen and the state must provide free medical facilities along with free education. “Due to poverty, a large portion of our population cannot get medical treatment when they get ill,” he said…”

  31. Turkish forces ‘neutralize’ 6 PKK terrorists in N.Iraq
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkish-forces-neutralize-6-pkk-terrorists-in-niraq/1937025

    “Turkish jets “neutralized” six PKK terrorists as part of the ongoing Operation Claw-Tiger in northern Iraq, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry announced Monday.

    Airstrikes targeted the terrorists in the Haftanin region, the ministry said on Twitter, sharing footage of the operation.

    Turkish authorities use the term “neutralized” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

    Turkey’s operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were launched in June to ensure the safety of the Turkish people and borders by neutralizing the threat of PKK, and other terrorist groups, who often use northern Iraq to plan cross-border attacks.

    In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.”

  32. Islamophobic drift in Indian police, says rights group
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/islamophobic-drift-in-indian-police-says-rights-group/1937467

    “A prominent Indian women group has charged Delhi police using a chemical agent and molesting female students of Jamia Millia Islamia, a Delhi-based central university in February.

    The students were protesting against new citizenship law, believed to be against the interests of the country’s Muslim community.

    The fact-finding report released by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW)-led by prominent social activist Aruna Roy expressed concern that Islamophobic ideology has crept into the police force that needs to be addressed urgently.

    “We cannot have a police force that treats a section of the population as the enemy and brazenly, blatantly, violates their human rights with impunity, “the report added.

    An office-bearer of NIFW Rushda Siddiqui said the five-member fact-finding committee also found the use of chemicals by the police against the students.

    “We still do not know the long-term health repercussions caused by these chemicals. No doctor, we approached, could answer this, most of them were intimidated by the police and were not ready to put the issue down on their prescription pads,” she said.

    “The spray was not tear gas as no one complained of tears or irritation to the eyes. What they did complain about were immediate immobility, drowsiness, and severe headaches. They also experienced choking and muscle pain. Most were unable to stand for hours after being sprayed on, “the report said.

    The report added that at least 15 women complained that they were assaulted in their private parts.

    “In some cases, the police tried to tear their clothes, punched their breasts or stomped on them with their boots, as well as tried to insert their batons into the vaginas,” the report alleged.

    The alleged attack by police had left 70 students who were injured. Of these, over 45 had grievous injuries including 30 men and 15 women.

    All victims also pointed to the abusive language and anti-Muslim slurs used by the policemen while attacking.

    “A 16-year-old girl confirmed that a baton was inserted in her private parts. Her clothes were torn apart. Of the over 15 such cases, she is the youngest. One of our human rights lawyers is now working on this case,” added Siddiqui.

    – Police rejects charge

    Police, however, have rejected charges of using brute force against student protesters. In a 195-page affidavit submitted in Delhi High Court, police said it used “minimal possible force” and employed “persistent negotiating efforts”, the day they lobbed tear gas shells into the Jamia Millia Islamia campus.

    The central university first hogged the limelight on Dec. 15, when police entered into its campus and allegedly thrashed students, who were protesting against the citizenship law.

    The citizenship law, passed by India’s parliament in December last year, had sparked protests all over the country.

    The law grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, and Parsis who entered the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan until Dec. 31, 2014, leaving out Muslims.

    In February, communal clashed broke out in the northeast part of the Indian capital Delhi, leaving more than 53 people dead and over 250 injured.

    Around the same time, another bout of the violence broke out outside Jamia Milia Islamia, as documented by the women’s group.”

  33. Over 5,000 illegal migrants lived in Czechia in 2019
    https://rmx.news/article/article/over-5-000-illegal-migrants-lived-in-czechia-in-2019

    “Last year, the police identified 5,677 foreigners illegally residing in the Czech Republic, which is 685 more than in the previous year, according to the report on migration and integration of the Czech Ministry of the Interior.

    It is the highest number since 2015 and the second highest in the last ten years. More than a quarter of illegal immigrants discovered in the country were Ukrainians, which is traditionally the largest group, according to Czech news portal irozhlas.cz.

    Ukrainians have been the most numerous group of illegal migrants caught since 2008, with the only exception of 2015 when a large wave of Syrian migrants arrived in the Czech Republic. Last year, a total of 1,504 Ukrainians, 831 Moldovans, 356 Vietnamese, 323 Georgians, and 271 Russians were discovered residing in the country illegally.

    These five nationalities make up about three-fifths of the total number of detained foreigners.

    “Cases of illegal stay in the territory after exceeding the period of permitted stay was the primary reason, often associated with employment without the appropriate authorization. Despite the recorded increase in illegal migration, it can be stated that numerically significant routes of transit migration do not pass through Czechia and the overall rate of illegal migration is at a much lower level than during the migration crisis four years ago,” the Ministry of Interior commented.

    Most foreigners traditionally stayed in Prague and South Moravia, Ústí nad Labem, and Plze? regions. About half of the detected Ukrainians were detained in the capital, followed by Pardubice and South Moravian regions.

    “Most citizens of Ukraine enter the Schengen area or the Czech Republic legally and exceed the permitted period of stay or validity of the visa,” the Ministry said. Moldovans and Vietnamese were also most often discovered in Prague.

    Foreigners who stayed in the Czech Republic illegally were from 104 countries, however, only 3.5 percent of detained foreigners came from the European Union. They were most often Slovaks, Romanians, and Bulgarians. In almost all cases, these were persons who were officially deported and either never left the Czech Republic or returned illegally.

    Last year, the number of people detected during illegal transit migration increased significantly year-on-year by almost 40 percent from 75 people to 266. Foreigners came to the Czech Republic mainly through the Slovak and Austrian borders and continued on to Germany. Most of them were from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.”

  34. Are Russia And The West Jointly Destabilizing Belarus?
    [Post election protests]
    So far, Belarusian riot police managed to successfully handle protests in the capital city, Minsk…. In Minsk the police reportedly prevented protesters from building barricades in the city center and capturing government buildings, which was a strategy that was used by demonstrators in neighboring Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 when allegedly pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown.

    Lukashenko repeated on several occasions that he would not allow any Ukrainian-style Maidan scenarios in Belarus…

    The Belarusian President was ridiculed and criticized by both Russia and the West as he refused to implement radical lockdown measures against COVID-19 pandemic. Before the election, Moscow even refused to send its observers to monitor voting in Belarus due to “a very specific attitude of the Belarusian leadership to the coronavirus pandemic.”

    [Pandemic getting a lot of mileage, some laughs for Uncle Vlad]

    During Election Day, both Russian and Western propagandists were very active on social networks praising the opposition and condemning “the last European dictator”. Unlike the United States and European Union that have imposed sanctions on Belarus ages ago, Russia started to destabilize Lukashenko in January after it halted oil supplies to Belarusian refineries….

    Russia clearly demonstrated that it is not willing to keep providing cheap natural gas and oil to its only ally in Europe, nor to keep subsidizing the Belarusian Soviet-style economy.…

    For Lukashenko, who got used to dealing with Western sanctions, Russia’s position will be of far greater importance. The Russian parliament is apparently divided over recognizing Lukashenko’s victory in the Belarusian presidential election.…

    This is likely a reflection of the current Kremlin’s position regarding Belarus. Russian authorities are aware that a potential fall of Lukashenko would mean the end of the Russia – Belarus Union State, and Russia could eventually get another Ukraine in the region. On the other hand, due to the coronavirus crisis, as well as the global transformation of the energy trade, it is unsustainable for the Kremlin to keep buying Lukashenko’s loyalty by providing cheap oil and gas to Belarus.

    Since Belarus, unlike Ukraine, does not have any natural resources, it is very unlikely that Russia will try to annex the country or some of its territories.… With or without Lukashenko, Belarus will soon have to start transforming its Soviet-style economy. Russian oligarchs and Western corporations could be the main beneficiaries in the post-Lukashenko Belarus.

    https://tsarizm.com/analysis/2020/08/09/are-russia-and-the-west-jointly-destabilizing-belarus/

    • President of Belarus accuses Russia of lying, warns of revolution plot

      Russia, traditionally a close ally, has said the detained men were merely transiting via Belarus en route to a third country and had no plans to try to influence Belarusian domestic politics.
      {snip}
      In a fiery speech to the nation on Tuesday, Lukashenko called those assertions “a lie” and said the detained men had confessed to everything. They had been given orders to enter Belarus and await further instructions, he said.

      There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which has in the past dismissed Lukashenko’s criticism of it as emotional.

      Lukashenko used his speech to cast himself as a guarantor of stability in a chaotic world and pledged to protect his country from rivals he portrayed as childish wreckers being controlled by “puppet masters” abroad.…
      https://www.jpost.com/international/president-of-belarus-accuses-russia-of-lying-warns-of-revolution-plot-637461