News Round-Up

“Hospital figures for Covid cases ‘misleading’” – Government accused of making “flawed decisions” after NHS finds quarter of virus patients had other causes of admission, according to the Telegraph.
“Covid vaccine passport is here after change to NHS app – official” – Wording on the NHS app means businesses now able to see evidence that customers have been double jabbed, reports the Standard.
“More than 50 Tory MPs prepared to vote AGAINST Covid passports” – Boris Johnson had announced that certificates proving double vaccinations will be needed to enter nightclubs and potentially other venues and universities from September, says MailOnline.
“France DID go on amber-plus because of Covid beta variant in Island” – Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab openly admitted France was added to amber-plus list because of the prevalence of the strain ‘in the Reunion bit of France’ – which is an island in the Indian Ocean nowhere near Paris, says MailOnline.
“Neil Ferguson ‘overconfident’ in his Covid claims, says top US forecaster” – Nate Silver hits out at bold statements by the British epidemiologist who predicted virus cases could rise to 100,000 a day, reports the Telegraph.
“Why are we in thrall to ‘superforecasters’ like Professor Neil Ferguson?” – The epidemiologist got it wrong with his Covid crystal ball and he’s not the only one – but why were we so trusting? asks the Telegraph.
“Have I been unfair to Neil Ferguson?” – Freddy Sayers in UnHerd thinks he may have been too unkind to Professor Lockdown.
“How EU leaders destroyed AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine dream” – The company is weighing up whether it wants a future in vaccines as its jab remains marred by early criticism.
“Covid test and trace revolt as growing number refuse to hand over contacts’ details” – As economy falters in face of the ‘pingdemic’, official figures show compliance has fallen by almost 10% in the past month, according to the Telegraph.
“Am I alone in not wanting to download the Covid app?” – Lionel Shriver says in her Spectator column that she has no desire to download the Covid app and risk being ‘pinged’.
“Vaccine passports could threaten the employment recovery” – Kate Andrews in the Spectator says vaccine passports could damage the economy.
“A volte face over what caused the pandemic needs explaining” – “Why did scientists suddenly change their minds about the possibility of a leak from Wuhan’s Institute of Virology?” asks Matt Ridley in the Spectator. “Jeremy Farrar offers no good answers.”
“Coronavirus: SafePass to enter all shops under discussion” – Reports indicate that the enforcement of the SafePass in Cyprus is likely to widen, likely including kiosks and mini-markets.
“‘Liberal’ Lawmaker: Young People Need ‘Coercion’ of Vaccine Passports” – Baroness Kennedy says students “need a little bit of coercion” in the form of forced vaccinations to attend university, says Brietbart.
“Compulsory workplace vaccination rules cannot apply to vegans” – Warning by lawyers highlights ethical issues in trying to force vegans to have jabs.
“Biden wants state, local govts to pay $100 to newly vaccinated Americans” – President Biden is calling for state, local and U.S. territorial governments to provide $100 payments for every newly vaccinated American to boost COVID-19 inoculation rates, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday.
“Liberal Feels Sad For Man Dying Of COVID, Then Happy After Hearing He Wasn’t Vaccinated, Then Sad Again Because He Was An Illegal Immigrant” – Razor sharp satire from the Babylon Bee.
“You’d have to be nuts to call me ‘anti-vax’” – Frederick Edwards in Bournbrook Magazine says he’s not anti-vaxx, just not very keen on the Covid vaccinations.
“The myth that vaccination prevents transmission” – HART parses the evidence on vaccines and transmission.
“Journalists claim COVID-19 news has been ‘censored’ for ‘official narrative’” – A group of almost 30 journalists have banded together to object to “censorship” and “fearmongering” in the COVID-19 narrative from media and tech giants, according to U.K. Press Gazette.
“AstraZeneca vaccine ‘has same risk of blood clots as Pfizer’s’” – Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is just as likely to trigger blood clots as AstraZeneca’s, according to a study in Spain that has prompted fury among U.K. Government officials, who blame EU resentment over Brexit for the demonisation of the AstraZeneca jab.
“The real reasons for South Africa’s riots” – Andrew Kenny, a native South African, explains what’s behind the recent rioting.
“Now Boris Johnson must show what he REALLY stands for ” – What does Boris stand for? asks Stephen Glover in the Mail. Does he stand for anything? Does he have strong political beliefs?
“220,000 Member American Postal Workers Union Releases Statement Against Mandatory Vaccinations for Federal Employees” – One of America’s largest trade unions has come out against mandatory jabs for its members.
“Britain, climate change and the reality of extreme weather events” – Ross Clark in the Spectator cautions against attributing the recent extreme weather to climate change.
“Environmentalists have got it wrong – we’re not facing an insect apocalypse” – The doomsday claims are not backed up by scientific research, says Matt Ridley in the Telegraph.
“Scientists fear climate change may have reached the point of no return” – Earth’s ‘vital signs’ are getting worse and there’s evidence that many are close or have surpassed ‘tipping points,’ scientists warned on Wednesday in a new study, according to MailOnline.
“From COP26 to COVID19: The Fallacy of Predictive Models and a Return to Real Thinking” – Interesting essay by Matt Ehret looking at the flawed modelling behind climate change alarmism and COVID-19.
“Olympic Pseudoscience – Tokyo Edition” – Steven Novella in Science Based Medicine looks at some of the snake oil sold on the back of performances by Olympic athletes.
“Newmarket councillors pass vote of no confidence in local MP Matt Hancock” – Another blow to the former Health Secretary, whose political comeback is looking less likely by the day.
“Britain back in business? Er, no chance ” – “With any luck, flying abroad won’t be a big problem for much longer,” says Richard Littlejohn in the Mail, taking aim at LTNs and cycle lanes. “It’s getting around Britain that’s the real nightmare.”
“Alan Jones column pulled from the Daily Telegraph amid anti-lockdown, COVID-19 controversies” – News Corp’s Daily Telegraph has pulled a weekly column by controversial broadcaster and lockdown sceptic Alan Jones.
“Charles Murray’s Facing Reality—A Review” – Razib Khan reviews Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in America by Charles Murray for Quillette.
“Facebook’s hate speech curbs violated Germans’ rights, court rules” – In a landmark decision, Germany’s supreme court has said Facebook must give users a right to respond before it suspends their accounts.
“Alan Rusbridger always wins” – Certain liberal panjandrums will always land plum jobs, no matter what their track record, says Douglas Murray in UnHerd.
“Chef says teaching kids not to eat with hands promotes racism” – Conservative MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire Lee Anderson has said the claims made by chef Joshna Maharaj are “rubbish”, according to MailOnline.
“Stabbed for critiquing Islam” – This Sunday at Speakers’ Corner, the well-known “home of free speech”, Christian evangelist Hatun Tash was brutally stabbed by a man wearing a black Islamic robe. Tim Dieppe, who works for the Christian Legal Centre, takes up Haton’s cause in the Critic.
“‘This is not over’: Van-Tam says autumn and winter will be ‘bumpy’ as record number are pinged by app” – The Deputy Chief Medical Officer of England claims the vaccines have saved 60,000 lives.
“If 60,000 prevented deaths there would have been 116,056 with no vaccines. 3x more than last year??? Really?” – Good tweet from consultant surgeon Dr. Anthony Hinton casting doubt on Van-Tam’s claim about the number of lives saved by the vaccines.

Covid deaths Jan-July 2020 41,220 with no vaccines. Covid Deaths Jan-July 2021 56,056 with vaccines. That’s 14,836 more deaths with vaccines. If 60,000 prevented deaths there would have been 116,056 with no vaccines. 3x more than last year??? Really? https://t.co/7n11nshdYH
— Dr Anthony Hinton (@TonyHinton2016) July 29, 2021

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