Israeli army fires on crowds of hungry Palestinians waiting for aid
NewsFeed Palestinians risked their lives trying to get aid in Gaza City as Israeli soldiers opened fire on the starving crowd, gathered in hopes of receiving an aid parcel to feed themselves and their families. Published On 19 Feb 202419 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
This country is offering 3,000 visas to Indians through ballot system from tomorrow, check details
To be eligible for this visa, Indian citizens must meet certain criteria related to finances, education, and other requirements.
Meet Indian ‘genius’ four-month-old baby who has created a world record with her exceptional talent; watch viral video
We are talking about baby girl Kaivalaya, a four-month-old baby in Andhra Pradesh’s Nadigama who has created history by being registered in Noble Book of World Records.
‘Misinformation’: Congress on talk of Kamal Nath’s switch to BJP
Congress said that both Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath, a Lok Sabha MP, will participate in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra when it passes through the state.
Haley says she would pardon Trump if convicted: ‘Time to move forward’
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Sunday she would pardon former President Trump if he is convicted of a federal crime, saying it was time “to move forward.” “I would pardon Donald Trump because I think it’s important for the country to move on,” Haley said during a Fox News town hall in South Carolina. “We’ve got to leave the negativity… behind.” Trump, the current GOP frontrunner, is facing multiple legal hurdles, with the most recent development out of his New York civil fraud case being he was barred from operating his business in New York and fined more than $350 million. Last week, Trump asked the Supreme Court to extend the delay in the trial stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election interference case, arguing that he has presidential immunity to protect him from prosecution. His attorneys filed the emergency appeal days after a D.C. appeals court ruled he is not immune from prosecution in Smith’s case. HALEY SAYS SHE HAS ‘ONE MORE FELLOW TO CATCH UP TO’ AS SHE MAKES FINAL PUSH AHEAD OF SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY Haley stated she no longer wished for division in the country, and it would not be “in the best interest for America to have an 80-year-old president sitting in jail and having everybody upset about it.” HALEY: CONGRESS IS ‘LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’ BY TYING FOREIGN AID TO BORDER SECURITY “I think this would be the time that we would need to move forward and get this out of the way,” Haley said. Haley took several digs at both Trump and the Republican Party during her town hall appearance, while continuing to tout her platform. “I look at where we started, there were 14 candidates in the race,” Haley said. “We’ve defeated a dozen fellas. I just have one more fellow to catch up to. And through it all, there have been naysayers and that’s OK. I’m used to being an underdog.” Haley also stated Trump had a “temper tantrum” following the New Hampshire results, where she finished with 43% of the vote. “The night that we got 43% of the vote, President Trump literally became unhinged and went on a temper tantrum,” she said. “And all he did was talk about revenge. And then the next day he said, anybody who supported me was barred permanently from MAGA.” Haley proceeded to knock both Trump and President Biden for their ages, as Trump is 77 and Biden is 81. “Both of those men put us trillions of dollars in debt that our kids are never going to forgive us for. And are we really going to put all of our problems and issues in the hands of two 80-year-olds running for president?” Haley said. “We need someone who can serve eight years fully working, fully disciplined and ready to get the job done. We can’t go and take the chance of doing this with two 80-year-olds.” Haley’s town hall comes ahead of the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary, where she will face off against Trump. Fox News’ Landon Mion and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Biden’s Iran envoy facing State Department inspector general probe: report
The State Department’s inspector general has opened an inquiry into the suspension of President Biden’s special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, according to a report. The inspector general’s office informed members of Congress on Jan. 23 about the internal investigation, Semafor reported Saturday, citing correspondence viewed by the outlet. “The scope of the special review of the suspension of Robert Malley’s clearance will include the procedures the Department used in suspending the clearance as well as actions taken by the Department following the suspension,” Ryan Holden, the inspector general’s director of congressional and public affairs, reportedly said in the letter. “This will include whether the Department followed proper procedures in suspending his clearance, determining what access to information he could maintain, and deciding the status of his employment.” Holden informed lawmakers that the inspector general was interviewing State Department staff and reviewing documents and emails as part of the probe, and that a report would be made public at a later date. BIDEN’S IRAN ENVOY ROBERT MALLEY PLACED ON LEAVE AMID SECURITY CLEARANCE INVESTIGATION “The special review will also examine which officials were involved in these decisions and how the process compares to that used for other types of employees,” the letter added. Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department on Monday about the report but did not immediately hear back. The probe comes in response to growing questions from members of Congress about the Diplomatic Security Service’s decision to revoke his security clearance last April. Lawmakers reportedly have expressed concern over how Malley continued to perform some of the duties of the special envoy for nearly three months before the State Department officially placed him on unpaid leave in late June amid an investigation into his security clearance. Members of Congress hoped the new inspector general inquiry could explain why. GOP staffers who spoke to Semafor expressed doubt that details about the inspector general’s probe would be made public before November’s election, given the inquiry’s wide scope. Malley, who served in the position since January 2021, is also under investigation by the FBI for allegedly mishandling classified documents. He played a significant role in the Biden administration’s efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. In 2018, then-President Trump opted to withdraw from the deal and reimpose sanctions on Iran. BIDEN’S SUSPENDED IRAN SPECIAL ENVOY ONCE PUSHED ENGAGEMENT WITH HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH TERROR GROUPS Before becoming special envoy, Malley worked in leadership roles at the non-profit International Crisis Group, which had reached a formal research agreement with Iran’s Foreign Ministry in 2016, Semafor reported earlier this month. The outlet said the deal had not been publicly disclosed. In the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in southern Israel, Malley’s previous efforts to push for U.S. engagement with Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups have come under scrutiny. Yet, Malley, who remains on leave from the State Department, is teaching a class at Yale University this semester titled, “Contending with Israel-Palestine,” which aims to take “an in-depth look at important questions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” according to Yale News. The Biden administration has been mostly quiet about Malley since his suspension over the summer, and a new special envoy has been tapped to take over. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a high school classmate of Malley’s in Paris, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan both initially championed Malley’s diplomatic work.
The United States must be held accountable for its ‘war on terror’ crimes
On January 16, the European Court of Human Rights issued an important ruling in the context of accountability for abuses perpetrated during the United States-led “war on terror”. In the case of Mustafa al-Hawsawi v Lithuania, the court found that the latter violated the European Convention on Human Rights due to its complicity in the CIA’s secret detention programme and its mistreatment of al-Hawsawi, a Saudi national. Lithuania was ordered to pay compensation to the victim worth $108,660 for the time he was at “Detention Site Violet”, a CIA black site it hosted. Al-Hawsawi is currently detained at the Guantánamo Bay detention centre, alongside 29 other Muslim men. This judgment is the latest in a series of court rulings holding European countries accountable for their involvement in post-9/11 abuses. The European Court previously ruled against Poland, Romania, Italy and Macedonia. Other European institutions, including the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, as well as individual European countries, have also taken measures for accountability, although they have not always been ideal. The UK paid over $28.8m to Iraqi victims for documented war crimes and abuses during its involvement in the US-led invasion of Iraq. Additionally, compensation was provided to British citizens detained in Guantánamo and to two Libyan families who were kidnapped and tortured with the help of British intelligence. However, the UK abandoned an independent inquiry into post-9/11 extraordinary rendition and torture by its forces and closed an investigation into alleged crimes in Iraq. Italy convicted in absentia 23 Americans, including CIA agents and an air force colonel, for kidnapping Hassan Nasr, an Egyptian imam based in Milan and handing him over to Egypt, where he was tortured. An Italian court also sentenced the former military intelligence chief and his former deputy to 10 and nine in jail respectively for their involvement in the case. Sweden compensated Mohammed Alzery and Ahmed Agiza, who were forcibly deported to Egypt at the request of the CIA and tortured. Prosecutors also opened investigations in France, Portugal and Spain over the CIA’s use of their airports for renditions, although they did not result in formal charges. There remains an ongoing criminal investigation into CIA activities in Poland. Canada, too, apologised and paid $8.1m to Omar Khadr, a Canadian national, over its role in his imprisonment in Guantánamo; it also compensated Maher Arar, another Canadian national, with the same amount over its role in the US government’s decision to deport him to Syria, where he was detained for a year and tortured. While these court cases and settlements highlight efforts to bring to justice European and other countries complicit in the abuses perpetrated during the “war on terror”, they underscore the persistent lack of accountability for the US, its chief architect and leader. As a state party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the US is obligated to provide redress to survivors of torture carried out by its government forces. But legal barriers have often prevented survivors from pursuing justice in US courts. By invoking the state secrets privilege, for example – most recently used in the United States v Zubaydah case – the government can withhold information it deems sensitive to national security. In the lawsuit filed by Abu Zubaydah, a Saudi-born Palestinian man currently held in Guantanamo, the defence sought evidence about his torture that the government argued would harm national security; the Supreme Court ruled in the government’s favour. Similarly, historically, court dismissals, have been the result of the US government citing immunity – which has protected its forces as well as private contractors. The US has also bypassed global and regional instruments of justice. It has warned of reprisals against the International Criminal Court if it launches an investigation into US crimes in Afghanistan. Additionally, it maintains that the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man is not binding, rendering decisions and recommendations from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) nonbinding. In 2020, the IACHR found the US responsible for the torture, abuse and indefinite detention of Djamel Ameziane, a former Guantanamo detainee, and recommended the US compensate him, which the US government has not done so far. There have been only minimal steps towards accountability within the US judicial system. An investigation into abuse at Abu Ghraib prison resulted in the court martial of 11 low-level soldiers. An Obama-era investigation into 101 CIA interrogations that used “enhanced interrogation techniques” found only two merited further inquiries. In 2012, the investigation was closed without further action. According to Human Rights Watch, out of 506 claims made as of 2007 under the Foreign Claims Act, which allows foreign nationals to seek compensation, there is a record of only one being paid – $1,000 for unlawful detention in Iraq. Settlements were reached in two lawsuits against private military contractors. In 2013, a defence contractor paid $5.28m to 71 former detainees held in Abu Ghraib and other black sites. In 2017, a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of three torture victims reached a confidential settlement with psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, who were paid over $80m by the US government to create the torture programme. And despite 18 dismissal attempts, a lawsuit launched by four Iraqi torture victims against government contractor CACI International for torture at Abu Ghraib is heading to trial. These lawsuits and investigations have fallen short of adequately addressing the scale and severity of the harm inflicted on victims during the “war on terror”. Lack of redress further compounds the suffering of those who have endured physical and psychological trauma. To date, no senior government or military official has been held responsible for post-9/11 policies and actions. The US remains unwilling to face accountability for acts of torture, as it continues to detain 30 men in Guantánamo in conditions that amount to ongoing cruel treatment. It is long past due for a reckoning. The US is not above international law and must not
X faces restrictions in Pakistan amid protests over alleged vote rigging
Islamabad, Pakistan: Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, continues to remain inaccessible to users in Pakistan after internet watchdog groups started to report outages on Saturday. NetBlocks, an organisation that monitors accessibility issues on the internet, On February 17 confirmed that a “national-scale disruption” has hit X in Pakistan in the aftermath of widespread protests in the country triggered by the alleged vote rigging in general elections. ⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show a new national-scale disruption to X/Twitter in #Pakistan amid escalating unrest and protests over allegations of election fraud, following a high-level resignation and public admission of vote manipulation by a senior election official pic.twitter.com/6YT73lG7SM — NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 17, 2024 Government officials, however, have refused to acknowledge any such restriction. Gohar Ejaz, caretaker minister for interior, told Al Jazeera that he was not aware of any such restrictions. “No knowledge. it doesn’t come under interior [ministry],” he told Al Jazeera via a WhatsApp message. Murtaza Solangi, caretaker minister for information, also failed to respond to the questions regarding the inaccessibility. Officials at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the state regulatory body, did not respond to multiple questions on the closure but indicated that the PTA is only a regulatory body which enforces orders issued by the government. While a large segment of users unable to access their X accounts since Saturday, the caretaker minister for information technology, Umar Saif, was able to post a message on his account on Monday afternoon. He did not respond to questions from Al Jazeera regarding the closure of the social media platform. Repeated internet outages Pakistan has repeatedly seen internet accessibility issues in the last few weeks, often coinciding with virtual events organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In at least three instances in January, different social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X have faced restrictions. Pakistani authorities shut down mobile services on the day of the general elections on February 8, citing security concerns. NetBlocks also reported the inability of users to access X on February 10 while the country was awaiting election results which took an inordinate delay, leading to doubts over their authenticity, particularly from the PTI. ⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show a nation-scale disruption to X/Twitter across #Pakistan; the incident comes amid political turmoil after a controversial election held under an internet and mobile network blackout 📉 pic.twitter.com/1sZpkbWN6L — NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 10, 2024 As final results eventually came out by February 11, PTI-backed candidates secured 93 seats, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) at 75 and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) at 54 seats. However, PTI has alleged that it was robbed of a “clear mandate” and held protests across the country along with smaller parties. The latest restriction on X was reported on Saturday when a senior government official “confessed” his involvement in the alleged manipulation of Pakistan’s elections. Videos of the official, Liaquat Ali Chattha, circulated on social media platforms, including X, where he was seen speaking about his involvement in electoral fraud, while also implicating the country’s top judge, as well as the chief of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The chief justice of the Supreme Court, Qazi Faez Isa, denied the charges and demanded proof of allegations, whereas the ECP, while issuing a denial, said it would hold an inquiry. Farieha Aziz, co-founder of Bolo Bhi, a digital rights advocacy group, said the repeated restrictions on the internet and platforms like X result in depicting Pakistan as an “unstable political environment and uncertain digital market”. “The impunity with which access is cut off shows rule of law simply does not exist. Pakistan and its citizens will continue to be held hostage to whims and ad hoc decision-making that serve the narrow political aims of a few,” she told Al Jazeera. Aziz also questioned the blame game about the restriction, saying the responsibility lies with the PTA. “All legal responsibility rests squarely on the PTA,” she added. According to Bytes for All, an internet rights group in Pakistan, at least 15 internet shutdowns were recorded in the country in 2023. “Major shutdown includes a weeklong blackout amid violent protests [that] broke out after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested in May. It is said to be the longest shutdown in the history of Pakistan,” Shahzad Ahmad, country director for the group, told Al Jazeera. Many users, who were able to access X using a virtual private network (VPN), a mechanism to access the internet despite restrictions, complained about the government’s decision. “Tesla is landing in India soon, Over 4,500 IT firms [are] thriving in Bangladesh. Sri Lankan IT industry has approximately $1.2 billion contribution to economy. While in Pakistan we are still using VPN [because] Govt blocks social media. How long Pakistan will suffer like this?” a user posted on X. A similar sentiment was expressed by senior PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan, who called the blocking “wrong”. “Access to information and freedom of speech are constitutional rights. [The] government needs to explain its position on this and must stop blatant violations of constitutional rights of its citizens and political workers,” he posted on X on Sunday morning. Blocking of X (former Twitter) is Wrong ! Access to information and Freedom of speech are constitutional rights. Government needs to explain its position on this and must stop blatant violations of constitutional rights of its citizens and political workers. — Ali Muhammad Khan (@Ali_MuhammadPTI) February 18, 2024 Bolo Bhi’s Aziz said more than sheer numbers, it is the influence of X that makes it such a target. “Locally and globally, you have heads of state, governments, political parties, think tanks, international and national media, all on Twitter. That’s where its importance and relevance lie politically,” she said. “This is the battleground right now for candidates and parties to get their voice out globally on the irregularities, and it has clearly gotten attention too. And this is what’s being limited.” Adblock
EU launches Red Sea naval mission to protect shipping from Houthi attacks
The operation will send European warships and early warning systems to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters. The European Union has launched a naval mission to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea from attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the decision to deploy Naval Force Operation Aspides on Monday on X, saying, “Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, working alongside our international partners.” “Beyond crisis response, it’s a step towards a stronger European presence at sea to protect our European interests.” I welcome today’s decision to launch the EU Naval Force Operation Aspides. Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, working alongside our international partners. Beyond crisis response, it’s a step towards a stronger European presence at sea to protect our… — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 19, 2024 The naval mission will send European warships and airborne early warning systems to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters. Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed the launch during a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, calling it “an important step towards common European defence”. So far, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium have said they plan to contribute ships. Aspides vessels, whose operational command centre will be in the Greek city of Larissa, will have orders to fire on the Houthis only if they attack first and will not be authorised to shoot pre-emptively, an EU official told the German Press Agency dpa. (Al Jazeera) Since November, the Houthis have been attacking commercial and military shipping in the busy Red Sea, across which 12 percent of global trade travels. The group initially said it was targeting Israel-linked ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been under a Israeli assault since October. The group later said it was expanding its targets to include vessels linked to the United States and the United Kingdom after Washington and London carried out air strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen in response to the attacks on shipping. On Friday, an EU official said the country most harmed by the Houthi attacks was not Israel but Egypt, where declining traffic has caused a 40 percent loss of revenue for the Suez Canal Authority. EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentilloni told reporters on Thursday: “As shipping through the Red Sea has been rerouted, delivery times for shipments between Asia and the EU have increased by 10 to 15 days, and the costs of these shipments have gone up by around 400 percent.” Earlier on Monday, the Houthis claimed an attack on the Rubymar cargo ship, a Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship, in the Red Sea and said it was at risk of sinking. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the crew were safe despite the attack. “The ship was seriously hit which caused it to stop completely. As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of sinking in the Gulf of Aden,” Sarea said. He said the group had also shot down a US drone in the port city of Hodeidah. Adblock test (Why?)
Chandigarh Mayoral Polls: SC seeks ballot papers, video of counting day for perusal
Returning Officer Anil Masih appeared before the bench in pursuance of the apex court’s direction and was quizzed by the judges over the alleged tampering of certain ballot papers.