Two-month old Palestinian boy dies of hunger amid Israel’s war on Gaza
A two-month-old Palestinian boy has died from starvation in northern Gaza, according to media reports, days after the United Nations warned of an “explosion” in child deaths due to Israel’s war on the besieged enclave. The Shehab news agency said Mahmoud Fattouh died at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Friday. Footage, verified by Al Jazeera, shows the emaciated infant gasping for breath in a hospital bed. One of the paramedics who rushed the boy to the hospital says Mahmoud died from acute malnutrition. “We saw a woman carrying her baby, screaming for help. Her pale baby seemed to be taking his last breath,” the paramedic says in the video. “We rushed him to hospital and he was found to be suffering acute malnutrition. Medical staff rushed him into the ICU. The baby has not been fed any milk for days, as baby milk is totally absent in Gaza.” Mahmoud’s death came as the Israeli government – which launched its assault on Gaza following attacks by Hamas fighters in October – continues to ignore global appeals to allow more aid into the besieged enclave. The UN says some 2.3 million people in Gaza are now on the brink of famine. While Israel – which cut off all supplies of food, water and fuel into Gaza at the start of the war – has opened one entry point for humanitarian aid, agencies say stringent Israeli checks and protests by far-right Israeli protesters at the Kerem Shalom crossing have hampered the entry of food trucks. When the trucks do get through to Gaza, aid workers are not able to pick up supplies or distribute them amid a lack of security due to Israel’s targeted killings of Gaza policemen guarding the truck envoys. The situation is particularly desperate in northern Gaza, which has been almost completely cut off from aid since late October. Doctors there have reported a steep rise in malnutrition among children, especially newborns. Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the head of Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza, described the health situation as “beyond catastrophic”. “Signs of weakness and paleness are apparent on newborns because the mother is malnourished,” Abu Safiya says. “Unfortunately many kids have died in the past weeks… if we don’t get the proper aid urgently, we will be losing more and more to malnutrition.” Head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza Dr Hussam Abu Safiya says that there is a steep rise in malnutrition cases amongst children, especially newborns ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/7sCwvI7aMM — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 25, 2024 Despite the dire situation, UN agencies say they have not been able to deliver food to the area. The World Food Programme tried to resume deliveries to northern Gaza last week but announced a suspension two days later, citing Israeli gunfire and a “collapse of civil order”. It said its teams witnessed “unprecedented levels of desperation” in the north with hungry Palestinians mobbing trucks to get food. The agency said it was working to resume deliveries as soon as possible and called for better security for its staff as well as “significantly higher volumes of food” and the opening of crossing points for aid directly into northern Gaza from Israel. The UN has meanwhile warned of a steep rise in malnutrition among children as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Gaza Strip, saying its assessments indicate that 15 percent, or one in six, children under two years of age in northern Gaza were acutely malnourished. “The Gaza Strip is poised to witness an explosion in preventable child deaths, which would compound the already unbearable level of child deaths in Gaza,” said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF’s deputy executive director for humanitarian action, in a statement last week. “We’ve been warning for weeks that the Gaza Strip is on the brink of a nutrition crisis. If the conflict doesn’t end now, children’s nutrition will continue to plummet, leading to preventable deaths or health issues which will affect the children of Gaza for the rest of their lives and have potential intergenerational consequences,” he said. Before the war, only 0.8 percent of children under five in Gaza were considered acutely malnourished, the UN said. “Such a decline in a population’s nutritional status in three months is unprecedented globally.” Adblock test (Why?)
‘It causes huge loss to…’: PM Modi expresses concern over drug menace
In a video address at the Ashwamedha Yagya organized by World Gayatri Pariwar, PM Modi emphasized that drugs are a menace that destroys lives if not controlled.
PM Modi inaugurates Sudarshan Setu, India’s longest cable-stayed bridge
The four-lane Sudarshan Setu, which is cable-stayed and runs between Okha and Beyt Dwarka in the Devbhumi Dwarka district, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. At an estimated cost of Rs 980 crore, the 2.32 km long, four-lane cable-stayed bridge was constructed.
Conservatives take aim at Haley after Trump wins South Carolina primary: ‘No pathway to victory’
Former President Trump’s victory in the South Carolina Republican primary Saturday night quickly sparked a response from conservatives on social media, many of whom said they believe GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley should step aside and drop out of the race. The primary was called for the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner just moments after polls closed Saturday night, with Trump saying he looks forward to delivering his signature line to President Biden: “Joe, you’re fired.” “Congratulations to President Trump on another DOMINANT primary election victory in SC,” Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds wrote in a post on X. “Nikki Haley has lost BIG in every primary & she’s now lost her home state. It’s clear Republicans want President Trump to be our nominee & Nikki Haley has no pathway to victory.” TRUMP WINS SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY AGAINST HALEY IN HER HOME STATE, MOVES CLOSER TO CLINCHING GOP NOMINATION Kansas GOP Sen. Roger Marshall also weighed in on Trump’s victory, writing on X, “Congratulations to President Trump for his landslide victory in South Carolina. It’s past time for the GOP to end this political primary charade and unite behind the clear nominee, Donald J. Trump.” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah said the “(proverbial) lady is now (metaphorically) singing. Trump won. It’s over. Haley should drop out now.” TRUMP ‘REALLY NOT THINKING ABOUT’ HALEY AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA VICTORY, SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON BEATING BIDEN Radio host and former presidential candidate Larry Elder said that Haley “loses and declares victory.” Haley, however, has said she is staying in the race. “I’m a woman of my word. I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” she told supporters. “We’re headed to Michigan tomorrow. And we’re headed to the Super Tuesday states throughout all of next week,” she said. Commentator Jesse Kelly called on Trump to take a forward-looking approach as he took another step closer to becoming the nominee. “Time for Team Trump to tighten up messaging and stop talking about Nikki Haley. And Ron DeSantis. Take the W and focus on Biden. Absolutely zero benefit comes from blasting the ones you’ve beaten,” he said. When asked by Fox News Digital whether he wanted Nikki Haley to drop out of the race, Trump told Fox News Digital that he’s “really not thinking about that… I’m not thinking about it.” “I’m really thinking about we have to beat Joe Biden,” he told Fox News Digital. “I don’t know if she’s in the race at all, because, you know, I have set records in every single state. I’m not sure that she’s really in the race.” Fox News’ Emily Robertson, Aubrie Spady and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Trump breezes by Haley in South Carolina primary with eyes on Biden rematch
Former United States President Donald Trump has secured another decisive victory in the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential primaries, defeating former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina. The Associated Press and other US media outlets swiftly declared Trump the winner of the state’s GOP primary shortly after the polls closed on Saturday evening. The final results have not yet been released, but Trump was leading 59.7 percent to 39.7 percent with about half of the expected vote counted, according to Edison Research. Speaking to supporters at an election night party in the state capital of Columbia, the ex-president turned his attention to November’s general election and promised that if he is re-elected, the US would be “respected like never before”. “There’s never been a spirit like this,” Trump said. “I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now.” The former president has maintained a strong grip over the Republican caucus despite facing a slew of civil and criminal cases against him, sweeping every state contest so far. Trump supporters hold signs as they attend his primary night party in Columbia, South Carolina, on February 24 [Alyssa Pointer/Reuters] Trump’s victory in South Carolina also makes it increasingly likely that he will face a rematch against his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden, in November. Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi, reporting from South Carolina on Saturday, noted that Trump did not even mention Haley’s name during his victory speech. “That is going to be the policy going forward,” Rattansi said. “This is all about Biden.” But Haley, who served as South Carolina’s governor from 2011 to 2017, has pledged to continue her campaign at least through the Super Tuesday contests on March 5. That’s the day 15 US states and a territory hold their primaries. “I said earlier this week that, no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for president,” Haley said in a speech to supporters in the city of Charleston after her loss. “I’m a woman of my word.” Her commitment to continuing drew chants of “Nikki! Nikki!” from the crowd. “I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” Haley added. “South Carolina has spoken; we’re the fourth state to do so. In the next 10 days, another 21 states and territories will speak. They have the right to a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate. And I have a duty to give them that choice.” Haley speaks on stage in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 24 [Brian Snyder/Reuters] Haley said she plans to head to Michigan on Sunday, just days ahead of that state’s Republican primary on February 27. Then, her campaign will turn its attention to Super Tuesday states, which include Minnesota, Vermont and Colorado. But the former UN ambassador has no real path to winning the Republican Party nomination – and the party has largely hitched its wagon to Trump. Even in her home state, Haley struggled to rally high-profile political endorsements. Only one Republican representative from South Carolina, Ralph Norman, backed her over Trump. Trump, meanwhile, celebrated his South Carolina victory with a row of his backers, including both of South Carolina’s senators – Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham – as well as the state’s governor. He had arrived in South Carolina shortly after delivering a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, the largest annual gathering for conservatives in the country. Many of his remarks there were focused on Biden. In his 90-minute speech, Trump accused the president of overseeing the country’s decline. He added that, if he beats Biden in November, it will represent a “judgement day” for the US and his “ultimate and absolute revenge”. For his part, Biden has warned that the former Republican president likewise poses a threat to the country. Last month, Biden characterised Trump and his followers as dangerous outliers. The Democratic president asked his party, independents and “mainstream Republicans” who cherish US democracy to back him. “Democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot,” Biden said. Trump faces four separate criminal indictments, including two related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election – a contest he lost to Biden. His first criminal trial – on charges of falsifying business documents in connection to hush-money payments – is scheduled to begin on March 25 in New York City. Trump has denied wrongdoing in all the cases and said they are part of a politically motivated witch hunt. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Youth would not use mobiles 12 hours a day if…’: Rahul Gandhi at Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said youngsters would not be using their mobile phones for 12 hours a day had there been no unemployment in the country.
US, UK bomb Houthi sites in Yemen amid surge in Red Sea ship attacks
US and UK forces hit 18 Houthi targets including underground weapons and missile storage facilities, officials say. The United States and the United Kingdom have bombed more than a dozen Houthi sites in Yemen, officials said, as the rebel group stepped up its attacks on ships in the Red Sea in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza. In a joint statement on Saturday, the US and UK said the military action against 18 Houthi targets in Yemen included attacks on underground weapons and missile storage facilities, air defence systems, radars and a helicopter. The operation marked the fourth time that the US and UK militaries have carried out joint attacks against the Houthis since January 12. The US has also been carrying out almost daily raids to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles, rockets and drones targeting commercial and other Navy vessels. The raids, however, have so far failed to halt the Houthis’ attacks, which have upset global trade and raised shipping rates. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the latest strikes were meant “to further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia”. “We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm Middle Eastern economies, cause environmental damage and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries,” Austin said. The attacks were supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand. The Houthis denounced the “US-British aggression” and pledged to keep up its military operations. “The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that they will confront the US-British escalation with more qualitative military operations against all hostile targets in the Red and Arabian Seas in defense of our country, our people and our nation,” the group said in a statement. The Houthis have launched at least 57 attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 19, and the pace has picked up in recent days. A spokesman for the Houthis claimed an attack on MV Torm Thor, a US-flagged, owned and operated chemical and oil tanker, on Saturday, saying the group targeted the vessel using a “number of appropriate naval missiles”. The US Central Command confirmed the attack, saying its forces downed an antiship ballistic missile launched from Houthi-held areas in Yemen towards the Gulf of Aden, adding that the missile was likely targeting MV Torm Thor. The tanker was not damaged and there were no injuries, it said. Earlier this week, the Houthis also claimed responsibility for an attack on a UK-owned cargo ship and a drone assault on a US destroyer, and said they targeted Israel’s port and resort city of Eilat with ballistic missiles and drones. No ships have been sunk nor crew killed during the Houthi campaign. However, there are concerns about the fate of the UK-registered Rubymar cargo vessel, which was struck on February 18 and its crew evacuated. The US military has said the Rubymar was carrying more than 41,000 tonnes of fertiliser when it was hit, which could spill into the Red Sea and cause an environmental disaster. The turmoil from Israel’s war on Gaza has also spilled over to into other parts of the Middle East. Apart from the Houthi attacks on vital shipping lanes, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group has traded fire with Israel along the Israel-Lebanon border and pro-Iran Iraqi militia have attacked bases that host US forces. Adblock test (Why?)
Ayodhya Ram Mandir receives 25 kg of gold, silver in a month, donations run into whopping…
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WATCH: Top Republicans showered with boos from Trump victory crowd, prompting jokes from former president
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two top Republicans likely didn’t get the welcome they expected from the crowd gathered to celebrate former President Donald Trump’s victory in the South Carolina Republican primary on Saturday. After being recognized by Trump during his speech, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and state GOP chair Drew McKissick were showered with boos that the former president couldn’t even quell. “No. No. No. No. Remember —” Trump said, laughing, as he attempted to quiet the crowd’s disdain for Graham. “I love him. He’s a good man,” he added, telling Graham to come over to the microphone. TRUMP SAYS SOUTH CAROLINA IS A ‘BIGGER WIN THAN WE ANTICIPATED,’ LOOKS FORWARD TO SAYING ‘JOE, YOU’RE FIRED’ The crowd continued to boo as Graham approached the podium and began to speak. He briefly praised Trump for his victory, and the boos continued, albeit more quietly, as he went back to his spot on the stage. A few minutes later, Trump recognized McKissick to another round of boos, which appeared to surprise Trump. “We have a highly opinionated group of people,” he said, laughing. “I’ll tell you, they turned very positive on you very quickly, Lindsey,” he added. TRUMP WINS SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY AGAINST HALEY IN HER HOME STATE, MOVES CLOSER TO CLINCHING GOP NOMINATION McKissick was re-elected party chair last year, but has dealt with waves of infighting in recent years, while Graham still faces sharp criticism from within his party for what some see as him abandoning Trump in the final days of his term following the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol, which turned violent. Graham was one of the earliest elected officials to endorse Trump and has advocated the former president choosing his Senate counterpart, fellow South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, as his vice presidential running mate.
Trump ‘really not thinking about’ Haley after South Carolina victory, says he’s focused on beating Biden
EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said he is not sure Nikki Haley is “even really in the race” after winning yet another Republican primary Saturday night, telling Fox News Digital that he is focused on beating President Biden in the general election in November. The Fox News Decision Desk declared Trump the winner of the South Carolina Republican Primary just moments after the polls closed Saturday night. Trump defeated former two-term South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in her home state, and came another step closer to clinching the 2024 GOP nomination. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital Saturday night, Trump touted the win. “I was honored that I received the largest vote in the history of the state — I’m with Senator Lindsey Graham right now and he just told me received the largest vote by double — we beat the last record,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “So that’s a great compliment to all of the people and to making America great again.” When asked whether he wanted Nikki Haley to drop out of the race, Trump told Fox News Digital that he’s “really not thinking about that… I’m not thinking about it.” “I’m really thinking about we have to beat Joe Biden,” he told Fox News Digital. “I don’t know if she’s in the race at all, because, you know, I have set records in every single state. I’m not sure that she’s really in the race.” Trump dominated the Iowa Caucuses, left New Hampshire with a commanding victory, swept caucuses in Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and won South Carolina with a “bigger win” than he anticipated. “I’m very honored by the elections,” he said. “We’re setting records in every single state.” Meanwhile, Haley, after yet another defeat, said she plans to stay in the race for the Republican nomination. Trump took the stage in South Carolina after the polls closed and he was declared the winner, and said he looks forward to beating Joe Biden in November and saying: “Joe, you’re fired.” Trump added that Election Day, November 5, “is going to be the most important date, perhaps, in the history of our country.”