News Round-Up – The Daily Sceptic

“Civil servants set their own rules as Downing Street refuses to order them back to office” – ‘Specific targets’ for staff to return will not be imposed, with departments to decide on any quotas for ‘in-person’ working, reports the Telegraph.
“Demand for travel to Mexico and Thailand soars amid ‘Red List’ changes” – After the update last Thursday, flight booking website Skyscanner said its traffic that evening was up 60% in the following three hours, compared to the same time the previous week.
“WHO backs third dose for people who had Chinese-made coronavirus jabs” – The organisation still does not support broader ‘booster’ campaigns for the other coronavirus vaccines, reports the Telegraph.
“How Ivermectin became a Target for the ‘Fraud Detectives’” – “Ivermectin rapidly became public enemy #1 for the fact-checkers when the drug was repurposed as an early treatment and prophylaxis (preventative) for Covid,” writes Sonia Elijah in TrialSite.
“Security Theatre and Covering One’s Buttocks” – “People still believe the erroneous and absurdly exaggerated fears that our political and journalistic merchants of fear released a year-and-a-half ago. How long we’ll carry the mistakes of Covid is anybody’s guess, but we’ll play a lot of security theatre until then,” writes Joakim Book in AIER.
“SouthWest Airlines cancels over 1,800 flights in two days amid rumors of employee ‘sickout’ due to Covid vaccine mandate” – Thousands of passengers who booked Southwest Airlines flights for weekend travel have been left stranded in U.S. airports after the airline canceled flights amid reports of a protest against the vaccine mandate.
“Inside Melbourne’s eternal lockdown” – Will the city ever recover from its pursuit of ‘Zero Covid’, asks Tom Chodor in UnHerd.
“Despite Heavy Vaccination Delta Variant Covid Infections and Deaths Surges in Singapore” – Mass Covid vaccination has essentially failed in Singapore, writes TrialSite.
“The divided, distracted and deluded West is allowing China to take over” – Europe and the U.S. prefer to luxuriate in self-inflicted chaos than come up with a strategy to beat Beijing, writes Sherelle Jacobs in the Telegraph.
“We must stop being slaves to the algorithm” – “Social media has damaged democracy, exacerbated division and harmed children – it’s time for much tougher regulation,” writes William Hague in the Times.
“Dial 888 for the surveillance state – The Conservative Woman” – “The recent reaction to the potentially preventable murder of Sarah Everard has opened yet more doors to state surveillance,” writes Alexander Adams in TCW Defending Freedom.
“Our energy policy is a lose-lose, exporting carbon emissions to China at the expense of British industry” – In a rush to prove itself greener than thou, the Government has shot itself in the foot, writes Ross Clark in the Telegraph.
“Road to hell is paved with good intentions” – As the years have passed, Prince Charles has become increasingly alarmed by climate change, sometimes to the point of being apocalyptic, writes Stephen Glover in the Mail.
“Why liberals must stand with Kathleen Stock” – “Now is the time to stand up and be counted, or else be remembered as cowardly capitulators,” writes Julie Bindel in the Spectator.
“David Haig: ‘If you want to express a view these days, you have to be with a safe group of friends’” – The Four Weddings and a Funeral actor talks to the Telegraph about Kipling, cancel culture and getting expelled from Rugby.
“The Singular God of The Woke” – “If there are historical parallels that can accurately be drawn, I think The Woke are in a development stage close to the early Christians, just around the time of the Arian heresy,” writes Rhyd Wildermuth in his latest Substack update.
“Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s a bisexual superhero in new Superman series” – As Superboy assumes his father’s powers, DC comics gives the man of steel a makeover with a romantic male love interest, reports the Telegraph.
“Ditch ‘ladies and gentlemen’ and you lose values” – B.A.’s change of policy in on-board announcements sacrifices dignity for the sake of woke lip service, writes Tim Stanley in the Telegraph.
“Disaster Down Under” – In the latest Downfall spoof, ‘Hitler’ rages about ludicrous ‘anti-Covid’ measures employed by Australia being “the laughing stock of the free world”.