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At least seven people have been killed in a crush at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as desperate Afghans continue to attempt to flee the country one week after the Taliban seized power, the British military reported on Sunday. There have been several stampedes which resulted in people being crushed in recent days as thousands of people continue to crowd the airport hoping to be among those lucky enough to be flown out of Afghanistan. “Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible,”...

“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge” (Proverbs 22:17).

The big news from the White House Saturday morning was that President Biden had canceled his planned trip to Delaware for the weekend. My first reaction was a hopeful one — maybe he’s finally seen the light and realizes the Kabul situation is deteriorating at a terrifying pace. Maybe he’s staying in the White House to help craft a plan to speed up the sluggish evacuation and push back against the Taliban chokehold on roads leading to the airport. No, no and no. In fact, there was no indication Biden was actually doing anything to change course in Afghanistan, or...

Most won’t say it, so I will: America has thankfully lost another war. Let’s make this the last. This is nothing here to celebrate. This should only be a monumental gut-check moment of serious reflection and a desire to seek redemption for ourselves. We don’t need to spend a single minute right now analyzing how Biden has or has not messed up while bravely handling the end of this mess he was handed — including his incredible private negotiations all this week with the Taliban leaders to ensure that not a single enemy combatant from the occupying force (that would...

Students at Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University will be fined up to $2,275 and lose internet access if they fail to comply with the university’s COVID-19 vaccination policies.The private liberal arts college in New Haven County announced the new penalties on Aug. 16 in an email sent to some 600 students who haven’t yet provided proof of COVID-19 vaccination or requested an exemption.Students at Quinnipiac were required to submit their vaccination records by Aug. 1, according to an email obtained by The Epoch Times.Those not in compliance by Sept. 14 will begin to face $100 weekly fines, with increases of $25 after...

Without mind, there might as well be nothing. Colin McGinn at the University of Miami, believes that no matter how much scientists study the brain, the mind is fundamentally incapable of comprehending itself. “We’re rather like Neanderthals trying to understand astronomy or Shakespeare,” McGinn observed in Consciousness and Space. Human brains suffer from a “cognitive gap” in understanding their own consciousness.” “Consciousness May Exist by Itself, Even in the Absence of Matter” “Is it possible that consciousness may exist by itself, even in the absence of matter, just like gravitational waves, excitations of space, may exist in the absence of...

While the Taliban now controls virtually all of Afghanistan, including the country’s capital, Kabul, one region, the Panjshir Valley, remains outside of the group’s tightening grip. Now, a resistance movement is forming there, led by, among others, Amrullah Saleh, who had been First Vice President of Afghanistan until the collapse of the internationally-recognized government this past weekend, and now claims to be the legitimate leader of the country.Yesterday, in a post on Twitter, Saleh declared himself “the legitimate care taker [sic] President,” citing the constitution of the now all-but-defunct Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which says the First Vice President assumes...

A 16 year old teenager has been awarded a $225,000 compensation after suffering a heart attack from the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by the Singapore’s Ministry of Health.The 16-year-old male youth who had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest six days after receiving his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on 27 June 2021, and had required intensive care, is recovering steadily and currently undergoing inpatient rehabilitation.He is making good progress and can perform his activities of daily living without assistance. He will likely be discharged in the coming weeks, but will likely require outpatient rehabilitation for some time before he can return to...

Britain's most fanatical hate preacher is urging the Taliban to impose a stricter form of Islamic justice – including stoning adulterers, chopping off the hands of thieves and lashing anyone caught drinking alcohol. Anjem Choudary, 54, who inspired a generation of jihadi fighters and dozens of terrorist murders, also wants to ban music and mixing between sexes, and says non-Muslims should pay an ‘infidel tax’. His outpourings are included in an extraordinary 3,500-word treatise entitled Sincere Advice To The Leadership Of The Taliban. In it, the firebrand cleric, from Ilford, East London, calls on Afghanistan’s new government – which has...

The Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police said yesterday's anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne's CBD were among the most violent he has seen in two decades. Chief Commissioner Shane Patton described the rally, which attracted thousands of people, as "disgraceful". "What we saw yesterday was probably one of the most violent protests we've seen in nearly 20 years. That is astonishing," Mr Patton said. "The protest was held under the banner of a 'freedom rally'. It was anything but. "All I can say is … it was tremendously disappointing. The risk that those people have posed to the rest of the community...

If you want to understand the horrifying return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan, you could delve into the history of a mountain nation that repeatedly repels foreign invaders. Or you could consider the saga of nine Italian goats. These animals from Tuscany were airlifted into the country as part of a £4.4 million scheme planned by the Pentagon to help the Afghan cashmere industry and create thousands of jobs.

Most blue surgical face masks used by many during the pandemic are not enough to avoid people from being infected with COVID-19, an alarming new study has found. The study from the University of Waterloo in Canada showed N95 or KN95 masks did the best job in containing aerosol droplets from the wearer's mouth. The blue, cloth surgical masks that have become popular during the pandemic were found be only 10 percent effective as it doe not cover the face properly.

[H/T Fractal Trader]ransomnote: the Tweet below links to a Bloomberg article. We're not allowed to post/link Bloomberg on Free Republic, but if you follow the twitter link, you can find the link to the bloomberg article there beneath the graphic. Aaron Ginn on Twitter: https://t.co/zgWZHh0YA5" / Twitter

Anecdotes tell us what the data can’t: Vaccinated people appear to be getting the coronavirus at a surprisingly high rate. But exactly how often isn’t clear, nor is it certain how likely they are to spread the virus to others. And now, there’s growing concern that vaccinated people may be more vulnerable to serious illness than previously thought. There’s a dearth of scientific studies with concrete answers, leaving public policy makers and corporate executives to formulate plans based on fragmented information. While some are renewing mask mandates or delaying office reopenings, others cite the lack of clarity to justify staying...

August 22nd , 2021Memorial of St. Andrew the Scot St. Mary’s Cathedral,Edinburgh, Scotland Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green First readingJoshua 24:1-2,15-18 ©We will serve the Lord, for he is our GodJoshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people, ‘If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday said he’s now testing negative for COVID-19, less than a week after he was diagnosed with the virus. “I am now testing negative for Covid. I am told that my infection was brief & mild because of the vaccination I received,” Abbott wrote on Twitter. “I will continue to quarantine as recommended by doctors. And, I will keep working on issues affecting Texas. God bless you all. And God bless Texas.” The 63-year-old Republican, whose effort to ban mask mandates was recently rejected by the Texas Supreme Court, had been isolating at the Governor’s...

From the web. For your pleasure. ABBOTT AND COSTELLO’S ‘WHO’S ON FIRST’ ……updated version. Bud: ‘You can’t come in here!’ Lou: ‘Why not?’ Bud: ‘Well because you’re unvaccinated.’ Lou: ‘But I’m not sick.’ Bud: ‘It doesn’t matter.’ Lou: ‘Well, why does that guy get to go in?’ Bud: ‘Because he’s vaccinated.’ Lou: ‘But he’s sick!’ Bud: ‘It’s alright. Everyone in here is vaccinated.’ Lou: ‘Wait a minute. Are you saying everyone in there is vaccinated?’ Bud: ‘Yes.’ Lou: ‘So then why can’t I go in there if everyone is vaccinated?’ Bud: ‘Because you’ll make them sick.’ Lou: ‘How will I...

Vengeful Taliban fighters set a young woman in northern Afghanistan ablaze this week, a woman’s rights activist alleged, as word of the terror group’s atrocities slowly trickles out of the strife-torn country. The woman was “put on fire because she was accused of bad cooking for Taliban fighters,” Najla Ayoubi, a former Afghan judge, told Sky News Friday.

While the attention of much of America has been focused on Afghanistan, it’s worth noting a development closer to home: Negotiations between Venezuela’s Maduro regime and the democratic opposition forces led by Juan Guaido officially commenced on Friday in Mexico City. The two teams met for the official launch of negotiations, though behind the scenes talks have been under way for weeks — and real negotiations will not actually start until September. The negotiations have an unusual structure: Each side has named one “second” (to borrow from the terminology of duels) and several other facilitators who will play a smaller...

Former President Donald Trump was booed by his own supporters during a rally in Cullman, Alabama Saturday night after he encouraged the crowd to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "I believe totally in your freedoms, I do, you gotta do what you gotta do, but I recommend take the vaccines. I did it. It's good," he said, drawing loud boos from the crowd of supporters. "That's okay, that's alright," Trump continued, brushing off the disapproval. "But I happen to take the vaccine. If it doesn't work, you'll be the first to know. But it is working. You do have your freedoms,...