WATCH: 5 key highlights from President Biden’s SOTU speech
President Biden delivered his State of the Union speech for over an hour on Thursday night, delivering a number of highlights and key moments that elicited reactions from the crowd and on social media. Biden used the first few minutes of the speech to talk about Putin’s aggression in Russia, the war in Ukraine, and Sweden’s entrance into NATO. “What makes our moment rare is freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time,” Biden said. “Overseas, Putin’s Russia is on the march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond. If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you he will not.” Biden went on to criticize those who are blocking funding for Ukraine and tout Sweden’s recent entry into NATO as proof Biden has made the alliance stronger. EX-REP GEORGE SANTOS RETURNS TO CAPITOL HILL FOR BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS Biden mentioned Trump several times during the speech — which drew criticism from conservative pundits who said the address sounded like a campaign speech — and often referred to him simply as “my predecessor.” “My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about January 6th,” Biden told the audience near the beginning of his speech. “I will not do that.” Biden leaned into the illegal immigration discussion and touted the merits of the failed bipartisan Senate immigration bill. ‘DESIGNATED SURVIVOR’ CHOSEN TO PROTECT LINE OF SUCCESSION DURING BIDEN’S SOTU “In November, my team began serious negotiations with a bipartisan group of senators,” Biden said. “The result was a bipartisan bill with a tougher set of border security reforms than we’ve ever seen.” That comment drew groans from Republicans in the crowd, who Biden went off script and addressed. “Oh, you don’t think so?” Biden said. “Oh, you don’t like that bill, huh? That conservatives got together and said it was a good bill? I’ll be darned. That’s amazing.” “Look at the facts, I know you know how to read,” Biden quipped when Republicans continued to voice their displeasure with his description of the failed legislation. Biden later mentioned the name of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant, which Republicans have been demanding he do. “Laken Riley,” Biden said. An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right. But how many of thousands of people being killed by illegals? To her parents, I say my heart goes out to you. Having lost children myself, I understand.” Many on social media posted that they heard Biden incorrectly say “Lincoln Riley” instead of “Laken.” Toward the end of his speech, Biden acknowledged those who have criticized him for his age and made the case that his age is an asset. “I know it may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while,” Biden said. “When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever. I know the American story again and again. I’ve seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation, between those who want to pull America back to the past and those who want to move America into the future.” “I’ve been told I’m too old,” Biden added, “whether young or old, I’ve always been known, I’ve always known what endures.” “I’ve known our North Star, the very idea of America, is that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We’ve never fully lived up to that idea, but we’ve never walked away from it either, and I won’t walk away from it now. I’m optimistic.” Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
Five key takeaways from Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address
Washington, DC – US President Joe Biden has touted his administration’s economic record and sought to distinguish himself from his predecessor Donald Trump, as he delivered his third State of the Union address just months before a United States presidential election. Addressing a joint session of Congress on Thursday evening, the Democratic president repeatedly hit out at Trump, but did not mention his Republican rival by name. “My purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment,” Biden said, warning that “freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas”. Recent polls show Biden and Trump neck-and-neck in their push for the White House, and their looming rematch in November’s presidential election cast a large shadow over Thursday’s State of the Union. The speech provided an important platform for Biden, who continues to face questions over whether he is fit enough to seek a second term, as well as protests over his staunch backing of Israel despite its deadly military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Here are five key takeaways from his 2024 State of the Union address. US to build ‘temporary pier’ to boost Gaza aid Biden, who has faced months of fierce criticism for his unwavering support for Israel amid the Gaza war, announced that his administration would build a “temporary pier” off the coast of the Palestinian territory to facilitate aid deliveries. The pier will be able to “receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelter”, Biden said during his speech, without specifying how long it would take to set up. The move comes a week after the US airdropped 36,000 meals to hundreds of thousands of starving people in northern Gaza. But the Biden administration has ruled out conditioning aid or stopping weapon transfers to Israel to pressure it to allow more assistance into Gaza, stressing that its support for the US ally remains “ironclad”. Critics of Biden’s stance said the Gaza pier will likely fail to alleviate a growing hunger crisis in the territory. Israel has blocked aid deliveries as it continues its military offensive. “It seems to be just another effort to divert attention from the real issue here, which is that 700,000 people are starving from north Gaza down, and Israel is not allowing humanitarian aid needed to them,” Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti told Al Jazeera ahead of Biden’s address. More than 100 protesters demanding a Gaza ceasefire blocked a road leading to the US Capitol ahead of the speech on Thursday night. “What do we want? Permanent ceasefire. When do we want it? Now,” they chanted. Pledges Ukraine support, touts pro-Israel bona fides While Biden urged Israel to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip, he stressed that he has been a “lifelong supporter” of the US ally. “No one has a stronger requisition than I do. I challenge any of you here,” he said. He also urged Congress to unblock aid to Ukraine to help the country fend off Russia’s invasion. A growing number of Republican legislators have raised opposition to the high price tag of continued US funding for Kyiv. “My message to President Putin, who I’ve known for a long time, is simple: We will not walk away. We will not bow down. I will not bow down,” Biden said. He also hit out at Trump for saying that he would tell Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to a NATO country that does not spend enough on defence. “A former president actually said that, bowing down to a Russian leader,” Biden said during his address. “I think it’s outrageous. It’s dangerous and it’s unacceptable.” Biden hit out at Putin and Trump during his address [Shawn Thew/Pool via Reuters] Contrast with Republican rival Trump Biden has long tried to present himself as a bulwark protecting American democracy against Trump and the former Republican president’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base — and that was a major theme again on Thursday night. A mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in January 2021, in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump also faces two criminal cases linked to his efforts to overturn the election results. During his State of the Union address, Biden took multiple jabs at his Republican rival. “My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about January 6 – I will not do that,” Biden said. “Here is the simple truth: You can’t love your country only when you win.” Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from the US Capitol, said Biden mentioned Trump at least 10 times throughout his speech, referring to him as “my predecessor”. “It really was more of a campaign speech than it was a State of the Union speech,” Halkett said. “It was unusual for the fact that not only did [Biden] mention him once, but he continued to mention him throughout the speech with each topic that was mentioned.” US House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, and Vice President Kamala Harris stand in the Chamber of the House of Representatives ahead of US Biden’s address [Shawn Thew/Pool via Reuters] Abortion, reproductive rights Biden also has tried to distinguish himself and his Democratic Party from American conservatives who celebrated a 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade. That landmark ruling had enshrined the constitutional right to abortion in the US for decades. Republican-led states passed a slew of abortion restrictions and bans after Roe was overturned, spurring outrage. The issue resonates with many Democratic voters who have continued to call for access to abortion and reproductive health care. On Thursday night, Biden promised to defend access to abortion nationwide. “If you, the American people, send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I will restore Roe v Wade as the law of the land again,” he said. Citing recent election victories for Democrats since the right to abortion was revoked, the US president also
Biden says US will set up Gaza aid port
NewsFeed US President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address that the American military will set up a “temporary pier” on the Gaza coast to help aid deliveries. The US has been criticised for delivering aid to Gaza while funding and assisting Israel’s war. Published On 8 Mar 20248 Mar 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Texas Dems cringe at Biden calling migrant “an illegal” during State of the Union
President Joe Biden used the term during the address in response to heckling by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia.
Trump blasts Biden as ‘angry, mentally disturbed’ during SOTU address: ‘He did a terrible job’
EXCLUSIVE: Former President Donald Trump blasted President Biden and his State of the Union address Thursday night, telling Fox News Digital that Biden clearly “suffers from a terminal case of Trump derangement syndrome.” The former president and presumptive Republican nominee, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, reacted to Biden’s address. BIDEN SLAMS TRUMP MULTIPLE TIMES IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS “He was angry, mentally disturbed, and misrepresenting a lot of the facts concerning almost every subject he discussed,” Trump said. “But he got through it. He is still breathing, and they didn’t have to carry him out in a straight jacket,” Trump said. “Other than that, I think he did a terrible job.” Biden invoked Trump nearly a dozen times during his more than an hour-long address, never using his name, but instead referring to him as “my predecessor,” on issues like abortion, immigration, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and more. “He suffers from a terminal case of Trump derangement syndrome, which is only curable through impeachment,” Trump told Fox News Digital. BIDEN’S SOTU BLASTED AS ‘NAKEDLY PARTISAN’ CAMPAIGN SPEECH: ‘UTTER DISGRACE’ When asked why he felt Biden repeatedly brought him up, Trump said: “Because I’m beating him by 14 points in the polls.” “He was very angry and that’s also a symptom of a certain type of problem — senility,” Trump said. “He shouldn’t be at this age because he’s a young man relative to others his age that are very successful.” Trump’s comments come after he gave a play-by-play of Biden’s State of the Union on his Truth Social Thursday night. The former president and presumptive GOP nominee blasted Biden throughout the speech on everything from his repeated coughing spells, to the length of time — nearly 40 minutes — it took him to address the crisis at the southern border, to his “shouting,” and more. Trump’s comments also come after he swept Super Tuesday primary contests, prompting his last-standing opponent in the GOP field, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, to suspend her campaign. In a Truth Social post Thursday night following the speech, Trump blasted Biden as “a threat to democracy.” “HE WEAPONIZED GOVERNMENT AGAINST HIS OPPONENT – DIDN’T TALK ABOUT THAT, NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!” Trump posted.
‘BLESS YOUR HEART’: Rising Republican star Katie Britt shreds Biden on border, rising costs in SOTU rebuttal
Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt pulled no punches as she delivered her party’s rebuttal to President Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday night, ripping him for his “despicable” job handling the border crisis, as well as his promotion of “Bidenomics” amid the rising consumer costs plaguing American families. A rising star within the GOP, the 42-year-old Britt’s selection to deliver the rebuttal last week was met with widespread praise — even from some Democrats — as she continues to build a national profile despite never holding elected office prior to her election in the 2022 midterms. Britt began her remarks with a reference to Biden’s age and his decades as a career politician, blasting his speech as “the performance of a permanent politician who has actually been in office for longer than I’ve been alive.” WHO IS KATIE BRITT? ALABAMA SENATOR GIVING STATE OF THE UNION GOP RESPONSE “The country we know and love seems to be slipping away, and it feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities – and less freedoms – than we did. I worry my own children may not even get a shot at living their American Dreams,” Britt said. “The American Dream has turned into a nightmare for so many families. The true, unvarnished State of our Union begins and ends with this: Our families are hurting. Our country can do better,” she said. Britt then sought to pick apart Biden’s policies, starting with the ongoing crisis at the southern border that’s seen a historic number of migrants cross into the U.S. She specifically called out his diversion from former President Donald Trump’s border policies. “President Biden inherited the most secure border of all-time. But minutes after taking office, he suspended all deportations, halted construction of the border wall, and announced a plan to give amnesty to millions. We know that President Biden didn’t just create this border crisis. He invited it with 94 executive actions in his first 100 days,” she said. ‘UNCOMMITTED’ DEMOCRATIC VOTERS CREATING NEGATIVE PRESS FOR BIDEN AS PROGRESSIVES PROTEST SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL She went on to describe the brutalities inflicted upon migrants by cartel members at the border, as well as the recent tragic death of Georgia college student Laken Riley, who was allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant. “President Biden’s border crisis is a disgrace. It’s despicable. And it’s almost entirely preventable,” she said, referencing Riley. “President Biden finally said her name, but he refused to take responsibility for his own actions … but enough is enough.” Britt said Biden’s failures “didn’t stop” at the border and turned to rising costs and the economy, arguing “the American people are scraping by.” “Hardworking families are struggling to make ends meet today. And with soaring mortgage rates and sky-high childcare costs, they’re also struggling to plan for tomorrow. The American people are scraping by while the President proudly proclaims Bidenomics is working! Bless his heart. We know better,” she said. Britt then decried Democrats’ crime policies and calls from progressives to defund the police, before fuming over what she described as Biden “making us a punchline on the world state,” citing rising chaos around the world. WHO IS JASON PALMER, THE OBSCURE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO DELIVERED BIDEN’S FIRST 2024 LOSS? “Where I’m from, your word is your bond. But for three years, this President has demonstrated that America’s word doesn’t mean what it used to. From abandoning allies in his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan … to desperately pushing another dangerous deal with Iran, President Biden has failed. We’ve become a nation in retreat. And the enemies of freedom see an opportunity,” she said. “Right now, our Commander in Chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader. America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation,” she added. Britt closed by arguing the nation was at “a crossroads,” but that it didn’t have to be that way. “We all feel it. But here’s the good news: we people are still in the driver’s seat. We get to decide whether our future will grow brighter, or whether we settle for an America in decline,” she said. “Well, I know which choice our children deserve – and I know the choice the Republican Party is fighting for.” Britt, who previously served as chief of staff to now-retired GOP Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, and later as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, was born and raised in Enterprise, Alabama. She defeated then-Republican Rep. Mo Brooks in Alabama’s Senate primary in 2022 before going on to win the general election that November. Britt endorsed former President Donald Trump in December, writing in a Yellowhammer News op-ed that the “results of his strong leadership as the 45th President of the United States are clear for all to see” after living under the Biden administration’s policies. Fox News’ Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
Biden assails ‘predecessor’ Trump, GOP in sharply partisan State of the Union speech
President Biden’s third State of the Union address was filled with political moments, as he chided Republican policies, proposals and repeatedly invoked and blasted his predecessor and GOP opponent for the White House in 2024, former President Donald Trump. Biden’s address Thursday night was criticized as resembling a campaign speech as he touched on numerous Democratic political issues and talking points that his campaign has highlighted in its re-election efforts. Members of the Democratic caucus in the audience even spent time chanting “four more years.” The president began his address by calling for additional funding for Ukraine, while accusing Trump of “bowing down to a Russian leader,” referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. BIDEN SLAMS TRUMP MULTIPLE TIMES IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS Biden invoked Trump nearly a dozen times throughout his address, but never mentioned him by name. The president, before declaring the traditional phrase, “the state of the union is strong,” hit Trump again— this time, on Jan. 6, 2021. Biden, at campaign events this year, has focused on the Capitol riot and tied any “political violence” in the country to Trump. “My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth of January 6th,” he said. “I will not do that. This is a moment to speak the truth and bury the lies.” He added: “And here’s the simplest truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.” Biden went on to demand lawmakers and Americans “join together and defend our democracy.” “Remember your oath of office to defend against all threats foreign and domestic,” he said. Biden, in a swipe at Trump, added: “Respect free and fair elections; restore trust in our institutions; and make clear that political violence has absolutely no place in America.” BIDEN’S SOTU BLASTED AS ‘NAKEDLY PARTISAN’ CAMPAIGN SPEECH: ‘UTTER DISGRACE’ The president then shifted to the issue of women’s reproductive rights after the Supreme Court, in 2022, ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade. Biden invoked Trump on that issue as well and pointed to women voters. “In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade the Supreme Court majority wrote, ‘Women are not without electoral or political power.’ No kidding,” Biden said. “Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America.” Biden then pointed to the 2022 midterm elections, elections in 2023, and predicted victory for Democratic policies in 2024. “They found out though when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again in 2024,” Biden said. The president’s State of the Union address was criticized by conservative commentators as being angry and dark, as opposed to bright and forward-looking. But the president did, however, tout his economic policies under his administration, and say that America’s “comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down, investing in all of America and in all Americans to make sure everyone has a fair shot, and we leave no one behind!” “I inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now our economy is the envy of the world,” Biden claimed, celebrating the “15 million new jobs in just three years.” Biden also discussed lowering drug costs, and strengthening Medicare. “Now, I want to cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year for everyone,” Biden announced. As for healthcare, Biden also announced a plan for $12 billion to “transform women’s health research.” The president also discussed an annual tax credit that he said would give Americans $400 a month for the next two years “as mortgage rates come down to put toward their mortgage when they buy a first home or trade up for a little more space.” Biden also said his administration wants to eliminate title insurance fees for federally backed mortgages, while investing in and building 2 million affordable homes. Biden also touched on education and providing access to preschool, and stressed his desire to ensure every child “learns to read by third grade.” PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS ATTEMPT TO DISRUPT SOTU NEAR CAPITOL: ‘BIDEN’S LEGACY IS GENOCIDE’ He then went on to tout his student loan cancelation benefit; urge a 25% tax for billionaires; and more. All this before addressing the crisis at the U.S. southern border. Biden began that section of the speech by blasting Republicans for failing to pass his border bill. He invoked Trump, claiming he demanded lawmakers block the bill from passage, and claimed he needed additional “emergency” power from Congress to shut down the border. Biden was heckled by GOP lawmakers on the issue, as they urged him to acknowledge 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered last month, allegedly by an illegal immigrant. Biden appeared to call Laken Riley “Lincoln Riley,” but said she was “an innocent young woman killed by an illegal.” He also said his “heart goes out” to her parents, “having lost children myself.” Meanwhile, Biden went on to address LGBTQ+ issues, urging the passage of the Equality Act. “My message to transgender Americans: I have your back!” Biden said. A former White House speechwriter ripped the speech as an “utter disgrace,” and “the most partisan” in modern history. “Attacking his opponent directly in the first minutes of his speech is unprecedented and perhaps the most partisan start to a State of the Union address in modern memory,” Marc Thiessen, a Fox News contributor and former speechwriter in President George W. Bush’s administration, said during the address. “As someone who helped write several SOTUs and who reveres this important presidential institution, I’m stunned by this address. It’s an utter disgrace.” “This man should never be allowed to take the rostrum of the House and deliver a State of the Union address again,” he added. Meanwhile, the president also declared that the country is “safer today than when I took office.” At that moment, he was interrupted by a Gold Star dad, who yelled: “Abbey Gate, Abbey Gate”—in reference to the terrorist attack outside Kabul Airport during the botched U.S. withdrawal
Pornhub and other adult sites sue EU over landmark digital content law
Lawsuits challenging legislation come after similar cases taken by online retailers Amazon and Zalando. Pornhub and two other adult sites are suing the European Union over a landmark digital content law that imposes age verification and other obligations on large platforms. The European Commission last year named Pornhub, Xvideos and Stripchat as belonging to the category of “very large online platform” under the Digital Services Act, which imposes certain obligations on sites with more than 45 million monthly visitors. Brussels has listed 22 platforms that are subject to the rules – which include the need to establish age verification measures to protect minors and create a library of adverts published on their sites – including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. Companies that fall foul of the law can be fined up to six percent of their global turnover. Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, said the EU Commission had incorrectly designated the platform, as the site only attracts around 32 million users. “We believe the European Commission erred in its calculation of our user numbers. We also consider illegal the requirement … [that an] advertising repository must be made publicly accessible,” it said in a statement provided to multiple media outlets. Efforts to contact Xvideos and Stripchat for comment were unsuccessful. The lawsuits come on the heels of similar legal challenges by Amazon and German online fashion retailer Zalando, which have argued they do not meet the criteria for a very large online platform under the act. Adblock test (Why?)
AI meme wars hit India election campaign, testing social platforms
Bengaluru, India – On February 20, India’s chief opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), uploaded a video parodying Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Instagram that has amassed over 1.5 million views. It is a short clip from a new Hindi music album named “Chor” (thief), where Modi’s digital likeness is grafted onto the lead singer. The song’s lyrics were humorously reworked to describe a thief’s – in this case, a business tycoon’s – attempt to steal, and Modi handing over coal mines, ports, power lines and ultimately, the country. The video isn’t hyperrealistic, but a pithy AI meme that uses Modi’s voice and face clones, to drive home the nagging criticism of his close ties to Indian business moguls. That same day, the official Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) handle on Instagram, with over seven million followers, uploaded its own video. The one-minute clip is a supercut of Modi campaigning on the streets atop his car, spliced with real visuals of all the beneficiaries. What’s unique is the background score: an old patriotic Hindi song sung by legendary singer Mahendra Kapoor, who passed away in 2008, recreated in an AI voice. The lyrics were modified to highlight Modi’s achievements over the past nine years, including helping farmers and enabling Indian scientists to land a rover on the moon. Audio forensic experts, who tested the clip upon Al Jazeera’s request, confirmed that they are AI-generated. While AI-enabled meme wars have been taking place over the past year, this is the first time both BJP and the INC have created and shared AI-crafted political content on official party handles, without explicit disclosures. “This is at the inflexion point of an entirely new way of conducting visual politics and arguably one that will foundationally change the way we consume multimedia artefacts during political campaigns,” said Joyojeet Pal, an associate professor at the University of Michigan. An Al Jazeera review and subsequent forensic testing found at least three instances of AI-created or altered content published on the official Instagram handles of both the INC and the BJP since February 20. Political parties are pushing the limits of AI’s use to both ridicule opponents and boost their own popularity on official pages, and in doing so, testing the boundaries of platform policies on labelling deceptive political content. (Some clips were cross-posted on YouTube and Facebook, as well.) Meta’s current rules require advertisers to disclose when they use AI-edited political advertisements, but such provisions don’t apply to political pages and accounts. “On top of their own labelling, when they detect signals showing AI usage, there’s no reason for an exception for this disclosure requirement around content on political pages and accounts,” Sam Gregory, executive director of non-profit Witness, which studies the use of deepfakes to defend human rights, told Al Jazeera. “Even more so than elsewhere on the web, there should be transparency on AI usage in political contexts, given the gaps in ability to detect its use and the risks of deception.” Meta did not respond to Al Jazeera’s queries on AI-labelling policies. Earlier this year, the independent Oversight Board that weighs in on significant content moderation decisions at Meta criticised the company’s manipulated media policy and said it needs to be expanded to cover fake audio, and attach labels to misleading content. Meta subsequently in a blog post announced that it will label AI-generated images created using its own AI tools, and is working with industry partners on technical standards that will help identify and label AI audio and video created using other company’s tools. YouTube did not comment on the specific AI-enhanced videos in question. “We have started displaying labels for content created with YouTube generative AI features, like Dream Screen,” a YouTube spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Al Jazeera. “Creators will soon be required to disclose when they’ve created realistic altered or synthetic content,” the statement said, while linking to a November 2023 blog post. Covert AI meme communications In the Modi “Chor” video shared by the INC on its @INCIndia Instagram handle, one could observe obvious discrepancies of deepfakes, such as a mismatch in lip-syncing, and a mild glitch in AI-Modi’s face. The video, however, received a wave of laughter online, generating more than 1.6 million views. “Don’t know about 2024 but clearly you guys have won the meme Fest !!,” commented historian Eshan Sharma. Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, centre, is one of the opposition leaders in India’s upcoming elections [File: AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A] Vaibhav Walia, chairman of the INC communications war room for the 2024 election, told Al Jazeera that meme-based communication is more effective in terms of getting across the party’s message on social media. One of the reasons for the use of AI is the need to create “standout content that can catch the eyes” of the voters, and keeping up with current social media trends, he said. “When everything is communicated in terms of memes and sarcasm, you can’t be really formal,” Walia said. “In India, official political party channels are also moving in a direction wherein the blows are getting nastier by the day. The Congress [INC] party … has some young blood in the party, and they are pretty nasty in giving it back to the BJP.” Walia did not comment on the voluntary labelling of AI content. The two suspected AI clips, shared by the BJP’s official Instagram handle @BJP4India, were harder to discern as AI-created or not. Al Jazeera shared the two clips with two independent deepfake detection experts to test if they were AI-enhanced. The analysts were divided on the second video, where one judged the voice could be human “mimicry” of politicians. Both analysts unanimously agreed the singing voice in the first video was an AI voice. “We have run the two samples through several proprietary state-of-the-art research AI-voice detection algorithms [and found that] the voice sample is unanimously determined by these algorithms to be AI-generated with likelihood scores ranging from 60 percent to 99 percent,”
Hong Kong government releases draft new national security law
New bill includes lengthy prison terms for offences such as treason and longer sentences for acts deemed to be sedition. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has begun debating the draft of a new national security law for the Chinese territory after Chief Executive John Lee said it should be passed at “full speed”. Discussions on the Safeguarding National Security Bill, as it is officially known, started at 11am (03:00 GMT) on Friday. The draft bill, some 212 pages long (PDF), was released in the morning and includes new laws on treason, espionage, external interference, state secrets and sedition. Those found guilty of treason could face sentences of up to life imprisonment, while those convicted of breaching state secrets or espionage could face 10 and 20 years respectively. Punishments relating to alleged collusion with foreign forces will also be increased, particularly if people are deemed to be working together rather than alone. For sedition, currently addressed under a colonial-era law, have also been increased – to seven years from two – and will also cover inciting hatred against the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s socialist system of governance. Police will also be allowed to detain suspects for two weeks before charging them, compared with 48 hours currently. In a statement, Lee urged the passage of the bill at “full speed” to enable the territory to move forward. Hong Kong “has to enact the Basic Law Article 23 legislation as soon as possible – the earlier the better. Completing the legislative work even one day earlier means we can more effectively safeguard national security one day earlier,” he said in a statement. “The Hong Kong SAR [Special Administrative Region] can then focus its efforts on developing the economy, improving people’s livelihood and maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.” The draft is being put before legislators just over a week after a month-long public consultation process on the bill came to an end. The government said it received some 13,147 submissions and that 98.6 percent “indicated support for the legislation and made positive comments”. It also held consultations with select groups involving about 3,000 people. Hong Kong has a population of more than seven million people. The bill is unlikely to encounter significant opposition in the Legislative Council. Pro-Beijing candidates swept the last polls in December 2021 after changes to electoral rules cut the number of directly-elected seats and ensured only those deemed loyal to China could contest. The house has no opposition members. Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets the year before calling for more democracy in protests that sometimes turned violent. The broadly-worded Beijing law bypassed the local legislature, which then included a substantial number of pro-democracy legislators, and made acts deemed to be secession, subversion, “terrorism” and collusion with foreign forces punishable with sentences as long as life in prison. Human rights groups say the law has “decimated” the territory’s long-held freedoms, which Beijing had promised to respect for at least 50 years after regaining sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. Thousands have been arrested, media and civil society groups have closed, and many pro-democracy politicians have gone into exile. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who owned the Apple Daily tabloid, is currently on trial in one of the most high-profile national security cases. The Apple Daily was closed in 2021 after police raided its offices, Lai and other staff were arrested and its assets frozen. Hong Kong has said the new security law is necessary to “plug gaps” in the Chinese-imposed law. Adblock test (Why?)