Fortress Europe
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS TRAVELLED WEST FROM HUNGARY
The migrants were mostly welcomed on their arrival in Austria and Germany
A group of about 1,000 refugees, many from Syria, walking out of Budapest along a motorway towards Austria (Photo by Oscar Webb)
(via)
Videos by VICE
Over the weekend, at least 12,000 asylum seekers crossed the border from Hungary into Austria, with many of them continuing on to Germany.
In light of the acute situation in the region, Austria agreed to open its border with Hungary on Saturday, with Germany also saying it would accept a large number of migrants, most of whom had already travelled north through Greece and the Balkans.
Hungary transported the first migrants on buses, but many were forced to walk hundreds of miles along motorways to reach the border.
A long convoy of volunteer-driven cars and vans met the asylum seekers at the Austrian border, while thousands of Germans later welcomed the new arrivals, offering food and shelter. The emergency policy was strongly protested by right-wing groups.
On Sunday, the Austrian chancellor signalled that the measures should be lifted “gradually”, with Munich’s mayor later saying he’s less worried about the numbers of those arriving, and more about “giving them a feeling that they are safe here”.
Land of the Free
PROTESTERS IN KENTUCKY RALLIED FOR JAILED GAY MARRIAGE CLERK
Kim Davis has become a hero for many right-wing American Christians
Footage of the rally in Kentucky
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On Saturday, hundreds gathered outside the Carter County Detention Center in Kentucky to support an elected official who refused to recognise gay marriages on account of her Christian faith.
In objecting to the recent Supreme Court ruling legalising gay marriage, Kim Davis has gained the support of much of the american Right – including most of the Republican presidential hopefuls.
Davis gave up the chance to leave jail on Thursday after refusing to allow other clerks to issue marriage licenses in her place.
Some of her deputies have since issued them anyway, but it’s not clear whether these marriages will be valid.
Euthanasia
FAITH LEADERS IN THE UK HAVE CONDEMNED AN ASSISTED DYING LAW
The religious leaders claim the bill would be “actively supporting” suicide
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, one of the letter’s signees (Photo via the Foreign & Commonwealth Office)
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This week MPs will debate a new law allowing terminally ill patients to end their life through a lethal drug dose.
The country’s most prominent Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Sikh community leaders signed a letter in The Observer calling on MPs to reject the bill, as they believe it disregards the respect for life at the heart of the British legal system.
The law would only apply to patients with less than six months to live, and requires the approval of two doctors; Rob Marris, the Labour MP who proposed this bill, called the current law “a mess”.
A similar law came close to being passed previously, but ran out of time in Parliament.
Fukushima
JAPAN HAS ALLOWED SOME OF FUKUSHIMA’S EVACUEES TO RETURN
A town inside the nuclear evacuation zone has been declared safe again
A building in Naraha, a town in the Fukushima district (Photo by ぴー via)
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Japanese authorities gave the 7,400 former inhabitants of Naraha – a town two-and-a-half miles into the Fukushima nuclear evacuation zone – the all-clear to return home for good on Saturday.
After the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a 12-mile evacuation zone was established due to the dangerous levels of radiation.
Since then, some people have been allowed to move back, but this is the first time that the restrictions have been lifted on a whole town.
Until recently, Naraha residents could only visit for short periods – up to a few days – but now radiation levels have fallen enough to allow a permanent return. Despite this, it’s unclear how many will want to go back.
