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Year: 2023

Trump shares Christmas message for opponents on Truth Social: ‘May they rot in hell’

Trump shares Christmas message for opponents on Truth Social: ‘May they rot in hell’

In a departure from the familiar lines of the renowned ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas poem, former President Donald Trump shared a new rendition of the “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night” line in a social media rant on his platform Truth Social.  “Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith, the out of control Lunatic who just hired outside attorneys, fresh from the SWAMP (unprecedented!), to help him with his poorly executed WITCH HUNT against ‘TRUMP’ and ‘MAGA,’” he wrote on Christmas Day. Included in his Christmas greeting were also “World Leaders both good and bad,” and the “SICK thugs” in the U.S. who “with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA.”  “MAY THEY ROT IN HELL,” the former president wrote. “AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!” TRUMP CLAIMS IMMUNITY IN ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE It was one of several Christmas posts from Trump, who currently sits comfortably in the lead as front-runner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.  Another post included a scene from the 1992 movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York where Trump made a brief cameo. Additionally, another post by Trump took a dig at former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act legislation. “Obamacare is too expensive, and otherwise, not good healthcare,” Trump wrote. “I will come up with a much better, and less expensive, alternative! People will be happy, not sad!” Despite several legal battles, Trump keeps gaining ground in the Republican presidential nomination contest, as fewer than one-third of GOP primary voters now back all his rivals combined, according to the latest Fox News survey. COLORADO NIXING TRUMP IS ‘STRIKING UNDEMOCRATIC’ UNITES EXPERTS CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump’s support stands at 69% in the primary race. That’s up 7 points since November and fully 26 points since February. Ron DeSantis receives 12% support (down 1 point since November), Nikki Haley gets 9% (-1), Vivek Ramaswamy 5% (-2), Chris Christie 2% (-1), and Asa Hutchinson 1% (steady). Fox News’ Dana Blanton contributed to this report. 

New constitution, old playbook: Chad’s Deby continues power play in Sahel

New constitution, old playbook: Chad’s Deby continues power play in Sahel

Millions of Chadians voted for a controversial new draft constitution last week, despite resistance from critics of the military government which accuse it of perpetuating itself in power. According to the National Commission Charged with the Organisation of the Constitutional Referendum (CONOREC), 86 percent of voters chose “yes”. The turnout for the December 17 referendum, in which 8 million people were eligible to vote, was 64 percent. The referendum is the second part of a three-step process for the return of the landlocked Central African country to democratic rule following the death of former long-term ruler Idriss Deby Itno who was succeeded by his son Mahmat Idriss Deby in 2021. The new constitution, like the one it replaced, entrenches a unitary system that has been in place since independence in 1960. Ahead of the referendum, opposition parties called for an outright boycott of the process, with a major point being the campaign for a federal system instead, to devolve powers from the centre. One party, Les Transformateurs, claimed removing the unitary system would allow for progressive democracy and spur economic development. But those in favour of retaining the old system – including supporters of the transitional government –  say a federalist system will lead to disunity. Protests by the party led to its ban and mass arrest of its members. The transitional government made some concessions by inserting the creation of local governments and local legislatures in the new draft, with the people allowed to vote for their representatives. But the opposition said this was not enough. Experts say the referendum committee comprised mostly Deby allies and offered the opposition no real chance of success or a compromise. When the vote happened last Sunday, the options were simply “yes” or “no” for a unitary constitution. And the debate that began before the referendum, has continued within and outside the country. “When you look at how the referendum process has been conducted, there are a lot of signs that indicate the transition authority intends to keep hold on power as this has always been the case,” Remadji Hoinathy, a Chad-based expert at the Institute of Security Studies, told Al Jazeera. ‘Long-term play’ Upon assumption of power in an April 2021 coup, Deby, now 38, promised to return to democracy within 18 months. After that timeline expired, a national dialogue committee gave the military an extra 24 months and excised a constitutional provision precluding Deby’s participation in the 2024 elections. In October 2022, opposition parties and pro-democracy protesters took to the streets to demand elections but were shot at by the military. Dozens of people were killed, with several others wounded and arrested. Deby has not yet said if he will run or not, but that remains a possibility. Despite the Deby dynasty being in power for over three decades, there has not been a corresponding economic development in the Central African nation. According to the World Bank, extreme poverty has been on the rise yearly and 42.3 percent of the country’s 18 million people live below the national poverty line. The country is also beset by conflicts, primarily driven by multiple armed groups. Experts say the referendum had a predetermined outcome as part of a plan for Deby to stay longer in power. “Deby’s ‘long-term play’ … is to entrench himself at the top of an autocratic political system dominated by the military,” Chris Ogunmodede, a foreign affairs analyst who has worked in African diplomatic circles, told Al Jazeera. Ogunmodede says Deby is using the same playbook as his father, a wily ruler who changed the constitution twice to evade term limits while repressing dissent from opposition and civil society. Yet there remains opposition to his government from multiple rebel groups. Even during the older Deby’s rule, rebels using Libya and Sudan as their base had repeatedly challenged the government, raising possibilities of a bigger fallout from the referendum from aggrieved parties. “In any case, the current trajectory bodes poorly for the establishment of ‘peace’ in Chad, however, that word is defined. It is possible that this ‘referendum’, to the extent that it offers any real choices, might trigger a chain of events that creates another major dilemma in that country,” Ogunmodede said. Members of the security forces patrol Chad’s capital N’Djamena following the battlefield death of President Idriss Debyin N’Djamena, Chad April 26, 2021 [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters] France’s backing In recent years, there has been increased pushback against French influence in its former colonies. This has resulted in coups in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea. But unlike in those countries where relations between military governments and the French have deteriorated, Deby has embraced Paris and is helping repress any threat to France’s continued influence in the country. In 2021, Paris backed his rise to power and has been quiet about state tactics to stall a credible return to democracy, a different stance compared to its criticism of coups elsewhere in the Sahel Analysts like Hoinathy say due to Chad’s strategic position in regional security as the last bastion of France’s military presence in the Sahel, Deby is now seen as a key ally for Paris. In turn, France has helped prop up the Chadian elite. “The big difference is that the leaders in power are the ones leading on this anti-France movement [in Sahel],” Hoinathy said. “While in Chad, the leaders in power remain very strong partners with France and they know that this relationship with France is key for them to remain in power because they receive military and diplomatic support.” Double-faced Deby? Even as Deby continues to navigate the internal strife in Chad, attention is now turning to the geopolitical fireworks that some of his actions have sparked abroad. In neighbouring Sudan, the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been at war since April. The former has accused Deby of allowing the use of the Amdjarass airport in its north for channelling weapons to the latter by the United Arab Emirates. Chad – which has

New video shows detainees stripped in Gaza

New video shows detainees stripped in Gaza

NewsFeed New video show Palestinians stripped and detained in Gaza by the Israeli army, as other freed detainees allege abuse and mistreatment. Published On 26 Dec 202326 Dec 2023 Adblock test (Why?)

Why has cricketer Khawaja been barred from showing solidarity with Gaza?

Why has cricketer Khawaja been barred from showing solidarity with Gaza?

The Australian cricketer, Usman Khawaja, has accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of double standards – this time after being denied permission to display the image of a dove of peace on his bat, in solidarity with Gaza. What happened between Khawaja and the ICC? Khawaja planned to show his support for Palestine by decorating his bat with the image of the dove accompanied by the message “01: UDHR”, a reference to the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that human rights are universal and inalienable. According to The Australian newspaper, the ICC has refused to allow him to display this message on his bat. The ICC Code of Conduct forbids players from wearing, displaying or conveying messages through arm bands or other items on clothing or equipment without prior approval, especially for “political, religious or racial” causes. However, Khawaja and his supporters point out that this rule has not stopped other players from displaying such messages in the past. For example, West Indies players were permitted to wear “Black Lives Matter” logos on their shirts during a test series against England in 2020. In a video he posted on Instagram late on the eve of the second test against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday, Khawaja also posted pictures of other international players displaying religious symbols and messages on their bats. He captioned his post: “Merry Christmas everybody, sometimes you just gotta laugh … #inconsistent #doublestandards.” Khawaja’s case is not the only instance when the ICC has blocked a player from displaying such symbols. England’s Moeen Ali was banned from wearing wristbands with the messages, “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine”, during a home test against India in 2014. Khawaja’s armband and shoes Pakistan-born Khawaja has made several attempts this month to show his solidarity and support for the people in Gaza, where more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks. On Friday, he said he would contest ICC’s reprimand for wearing a black armband in the first test against Pakistan in Perth on December 14. He had originally intended to show his support by displaying the messages “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal” on his shoes in the colours of the Palestinian flag. He wore these shoes during training and intended to wear them during the test match as well, but was prevented from doing so. He argued that his message was not political in a video posted on X on December 13. All Lives are Equal. Freedom is a Human right. I’m raising my voice for human rights. For a humanitarian appeal. If you see it any other way. That’s on you… pic.twitter.com/8eaPnBfUEb — Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) December 13, 2023 Khawaja, 37, argued that the armband decision did not make sense. “I told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never ever stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I’m happy to say that,” he said at Melbourne Cricket Ground. He did not specify details about the personal bereavement. Thank you to all those who supported and gave me love this week. It wasn’t unnoticed 💕. Nothing worthwhile is easy. History shows we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of our past. But together we can fight for a better future. 🙏🏾 #freedomisahumanright #alllivesareequal pic.twitter.com/HAhbebDbCT — Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) December 18, 2023 What does the dove of peace represent? Doves have long been a symbol of peace in many cultures, including Palestinian culture. The separation wall that divides many communities including the Palestinian town of Bir Nabala in the occupied West Bank has several different graffiti symbols painted onto it including the dove of peace. A section of the wall runs through Bethlehem. British street artist Banksy’s armoured dove is particularly celebrated. It features a white dove wearing a bulletproof vest, carrying an olive branch in its beak. This dove can be seen in many spots in Palestine. Banksy’s armoured dove on a shop’s wall in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank [David Silverman/Getty Images] How have others reacted? Australian skipper Pat Cummins defended Khawaja, arguing that there is no difference between Khawaja displaying the dove symbol and his teammate, Marnus Labuschagne, displaying an eagle on his bat as a religious symbol. The Australian team was sympathetic towards Khawaja’s desire to show his support, said Cummins on Monday. “I don’t know the ins and outs of the application, but I think it is pretty vanilla, a dove,” he told reporters. “We really support Uzzy, I think he’s standing up for what he believes and I think he’s doing it really respectfully,” he said. “He can hold his head high the way he’s gone about it, but there’s rules in place, so I believe the ICC have said they’re not going to approve that. They make up the rules and you’ve got to accept it.” Cricket Australia said in a statement that Khawaja had a right to express his opinion but they expected him to conform to the ICC rules banning displays on his playing equipment. Australia’s sports minister, Anika Wells, gave Khawaja her full backing. “Usman Khawaja is a great athlete and a great Australian. He should have every right to speak up on matters that are important to him,” she said. “He has done so in a peaceful and respectful way. He has done so as an individual and expressed an individual opinion that does not compromise the Australian cricket team’s obligations to the ICC.” Adblock test (Why?)