Iran marks 45th anniversary of Islamic revolution
Iran has marked the 45th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution amid tensions gripping the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Gaza. Thousands of Iranians marched through major streets and squares decorated with flags, balloons and banners with revolutionary and religious slogans on Sunday. In Tehran, crowds waved Iranian flags, chanted slogans, and carried placards with the traditional “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” slogans written on them. Some burned US and Israeli flags, a common sight at pro-government rallies. Processions started out from several points, converging at Azadi Square in the capital. State TV showed crowds in many cities and towns and reported that “millions participated in the rallies” across the country. The military displayed a range of its missiles, including the Qassem Soleimani and Sejjil ballistic missiles, the Simorgh satellite carrier and drones at the square where people took selfies with them. During the celebrations, a paratrooper jumped from a plane while displaying a Palestinian flag. Many high-ranking Iranian officials attended the celebrations in Tehran, including hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi. He addressed the crowds in Azadi Square and called on the United Nations — in a speech broadcast by state TV — to expel “the Zionist regime” as the crowds chanted: “Death to Israel”. Raisi also said “The bombing of Gaza has to be stopped as soon as possible.” Adblock test (Why?)
What is happening in Gaza’s Rafah as Israel threatens to attack?
Rafah, a looming Israeli ground “operation”, and the impact on more than a million trapped civilians are top headlines. But what is Rafah and what are the details around this announced Israeli “operation”? What is Rafah? Rafah straddles the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. On the Palestinian side, it is the name of Gaza’s southernmost governorate and its capital city, as well as of the crossing into Egypt’s Sinai. On the Egyptian side, it is a city in the North Sinai governorate. Palestinian Rafah is 64sq km (25sq miles) and, as Israel assaulted Gaza these past four months, more and more people have been herded into it by Israeli forces who keep promising safety “further south” – which never materialised. Approximately 1.4 million Palestinians have now been pushed into Rafah by relentless Israeli bombing that has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians. People are in dense clusters in the limited space not filled with debris or being bombed by Israel. Conditions are dire, with severe shortages. Map showing Rafa’s location and pre-war population (Al Jazeera) What is the Israeli ‘operation’? Tel Aviv claims four Hamas brigades are present within Rafah, using their presence there to justify the ongoing attacks by air as well as a planned land assault. Israel also claims plans for the evacuation of the city – to where is unclear – are being prepared, leaving those sheltering in Rafah paralysed. Why is Egypt involved? Because the trapped civilians are pressed up against the border with Egypt, analysts say it seems likely Israel wants to push them into Sinai. This raises concerns over Egypt’s internal security and the prospect of having more than a million traumatised Palestinians forced into its territory. What has Egypt done so far? Egypt has reportedly moved 40 tanks and armoured personnel carriers to the Gaza border to halt any potential spillover from an Israeli land assault. Egypt has warned that any Israeli ground assault on Rafah would have “disastrous consequences” and that Israel’s aim to force the Palestinians out of their land would threaten the 40-year-old Camp David peace accord between the two countries. Cairo has beefed up border security since October 7. Why don’t Palestinians want to leave Gaza? Palestinians have faced mass displacement in the not-too-distant past: the Nakba. [embedded content] In 1948, some 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes and lands to make way for the establishment of the state of Israel. Many in Gaza are the descendants of Nakba refugees and do not want to leave Palestine because they know it will be impossible to return – Israel won’t let them. Arab countries, like Egypt, also object to any displacement as the Palestinian Right of Return has been a main demand since 1948. So, is it safe in Rafah for now? No. Israel is already killing more than 100 people a day in air attacks on Rafah. Those who survive the attacks live in unspeakable conditions in tents that fill with water whenever it rains, or under whatever scraps they find to make a shelter. Many Palestinians in Rafah have been displaced many times over and say they will not move again, no matter what. Like Jihan al-Hawajri who told US broadcaster PBS that she would stay in her tent, come what may. “There is nowhere left… to flee to,” said Angelita Caredda, Middle East and North Africa director for the Norwegian Refugee Council. What are conditions like in Rafah now? Satellite images obtained by Al Jazeera show an area already at breaking point. Some 22,000 people are crowded into each of Rafah’s 64sq km. People examine the location of Israeli bombardment in Rafah on February 9, 2024 [Mahmud Hams/AFP] Before the war, 275,000 people lived in those 64sq km, making Rafah one of the most densely populated parts of Gaza, itself among the world’s most overcrowded parts. The displaced crowd into UNRWA facilities, hoping the agency that was set up to help them would be able to. But nearly 150 of UNRWA’s staff were killed in Israeli attacks, aid is being stopped by Israel, and Western governments withdrew funding when Israel alleged – with no proof yet – that 12 UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 attack. Overcrowding has resulted in the spread of disease, with health officials reporting an outbreak of hepatitis A – which flourishes in close contact. With isolating patients impossible, there is little hope of stopping this outbreak or others, like scabies and lice, worsened by a lack of showers or hygienic toilets. What does Israel want? When the October 7 attack happened – killing 1,139 people in Israel – and Palestinian armed fighters took 240 people into Gaza as captives, Israel’s declared aims were to return the captives and “eradicate Hamas”. Since then, the narrative has shifted back and forth. First claiming to only be targeting armed fighters, Israel soon imposed a complete starvation siege on Gaza, killing civilians with every passing minute. Then, it became apparent that when Israel said “avoiding civilian casualties”, it meant its secret calculus with an increased “acceptable loss margin”, or the number of people it felt it could kill to eliminate one target. [embedded content] A massive attack on Jabalia refugee camp in October killed 50 people to eliminate one “Hamas commander”, a designation Israel has not presented proof of. It also started targeting hospitals, with a horrifying attack on al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City endangering more than 30 premature babies whose incubators stopped when Israel cut electricity. The declared aim to uncover “hidden Hamas command bunkers” under al-Shifa was never realised. More followed as Israel surrounded one hospital after another, killing and starving people inside, to “unearth Hamas command centres”. None have been uncovered. Will attacking Rafah help Israel achieve anything? Not likely, as Israel’s claims about “dismantling terrorist battalions”, referring to armed Palestinian factions, appear as ephemeral as the claims of underground command centres. It had declared Palestinian fighting factions “neutralised” in north Gaza, only to admit later that that was
Bihar floor test: As MLAs get ready for big day, here’s a look at state assembly numbers
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Delhi Police issues traffic advisory ahead of proposed farmers’ protest, releases route suggestions; details here
Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory ahead of the proposed farmer’s protest. Know details here.
Two new countries will get India’s UPI, RuPay services, PM Modi to attend ‘historic launch’ tomorrow
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Congressman, Army vet says Biden being ‘used,’ fears others are making decisions: ‘It’s abusive’
President Biden is not mentally “competent” and should not be the commander in chief, Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry told Fox News Digital following the release of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report. “He could have never been, and he should never have been and he should never be [president],” Perry told Fox News Digital on Friday evening in an interview in Harrisburg when asked about concerns surrounding Biden serving as commander in chief after the Hur report described the president as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” “It’s abusive… what’s being done, using him to be the president. And I don’t know that he’s making many decisions. There’s a lot of people around him that I fear are making the decisions,” Perry continued. Perry, who is up for re-election in Pennsylvania’s 10th District, attended the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show on Friday when former President Donald Trump delivered the keynote address during the event’s Presidential Forum. CONSERVATIVES RIP BIDEN AFTER CLASSIFIED DOCS PROBE DOESN’T CHARGE HIM, CITING ‘POOR MEMORY’: ’25TH AMENDMENT’ The Pennsylvania Republican was reacting to the special counsel’s report released Thursday, which followed a months-long investigation into Biden’s possession of classified documents. Hur ultimately decided against criminally charging the president following the investigation, while describing Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” “We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter,” the report states. “We would reach the same conclusion even if the Department of Justice policy did not foreclose criminal charges against a sitting president.” Perry, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, said point-blank that Biden is “not competent,” “not capable” of serving as president and commander of America’s armed forces. FOREIGN OUTLETS PULL NO PUNCHES OVER BIDEN ‘CONFUSION’ AND ‘RAGE’ AFTER SURPRISE PRESS CONFERENCE “He should not be there. He should never have been there. And let me just say this, for the allegations that are against him, we need to pursue those because America needs to know whether their president is a criminal or not,” Perry said. “And you would think that the person that most wants his name to be cleared, and remove any doubt whatsoever would be Joe Biden. If they continue to stonewall, refuse to give us information, the agencies refuse to give us information, we can’t finish and conclude our work of oversight in Congress unless they’ll cooperate.” Biden held a press conference Thursday evening where he fielded questions from the media regarding his mental clarity, memory and age following Hur’s report. Amid Biden defending his mental state, he confused Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi as the “president of Mexico,” sparking concern stateside as well as abroad. Critics lampooned the president for the gaffe, as some called for the invocation of the 25th Amendment, which stipulates the presidential order of succession if a commander in chief is unable to fulfill their duties, dies, resigns or becomes incapacitated. Biden defended his mental state during the press conference, saying his “memory is fine,” after the report described the president’s memory as “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor,” and suggested Biden did not remember when his son Beau Biden died. The White House released a memo Saturday, titled “We don’t blame Republican officials for their desperation to forget the Biden presidency,” which detailed Biden’s successes as president, including helping “secure the release of over 100 of the hostages taken by Hamas,” and how Republicans and Democrats have previously lauded Biden for his mental sharpness. “President Biden’s experience, character, and drive have made him the most successful president in modern history, getting the country back on its feet after inheriting a nation in crisis and going on to achieve goals that eluded his predecessors for decades,” the memo reads. TRUMP TAKES FAMILIAR DIG AT JUSTICE SYSTEM AFTER BIDEN DOCUMENTS REPORT: ‘SICK’ Perry said that following three years of the Biden administration and subsequent “persecution of people based on their political beliefs,” Republicans should “not only talk about” the erosion of rights witnessed since 2021, but also “do something about it.” “Especially as legislators, we’re not the police. We’re not investigators. We’re not prosecutors. We’re not judges. But we do have the power of the purse. That’s Congress’s duty, not only the duty of oversight, but to make sure that policies that are going awry aren’t funded. And that’s what we should be doing, because it’s right in front of us. That’s our primary role, and unfortunately, too many Republicans are willing to continue to fund a government that is weaponized against the American people,” he continued. ‘BIDEN SEEMS LIKE THE DANGER,’ SAYS LIBERAL PROTESTER OUTSIDE PRESIDENT’S ELITE NYC FUNDRAISER When asked if there appears to be a lack of cohesion within the Republican Party, Perry said the matter boils down to a lack of “fortitude” and “courage” from the GOP – not cohesion. “They all run on the same things. You can go to a campaign rally for any Republican, you’re going to hear, generally speaking, the same things. But yet, when given the opportunity to actually implement [and] say, ‘We’re actually not going to give you money for a DOJ that is weaponized against the American people. We’re not going to give you more money for a military that is being hollowed out by cultural Marxism. We’re not going to pay for that anymore.’ When given that opportunity, they refuse to do it. That’s a problem,” he said. Conservative voters are tired of hearing “lip service” from Republican lawmakers and candidates, and are well aware that what they hear on campaign trail often does not result in action on Capitol Hill, Perry said. “We need a Republican Party that doesn’t just talk the talk, but actually walks the walk. And the American people understand the urgency of the circumstances. They don’t want to wait because we can’t wait. Something has to be done now,” he said. Perry has long been an ally of Trump, and has personally been caught in the crosshairs of the DOJ, including the
Jill Biden offers explanation for why Biden blanked on son Beau’s death in special counsel interview
First lady Jill Biden offered an explanation Satruday for why President Biden forgot the year of his son Beau’s death in an interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. The first lady lashed out at Hur in a campaign email to donors, arguing that the Justice Department official only included the detail to score “political points.” She said that the grief of losing a son is not measured “in years.” “We should give everyone grace, and I can’t imagine someone would try to use our son’s death to score political points,” she wrote in the email. “If you’ve experienced a loss like that, you know that you don’t measure it in years — you measure it in grief,” she added. “Believe me, like anyone who has lost a child, Beau and his death never leave him.” NO CHARGES FOR BIDEN AFTER SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBE INTO IMPROPER HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS Biden’s son Beau died of a brain tumor in 2015, and his death was a major reason Biden cited for choosing not to run for president the following year. “May 30th is a day forever etched on our hearts,” Jill said of Beau’s death. “It shattered me, it shattered our family. … What helped me, and what helped Joe, was to find purpose. That’s what keeps Joe going, serving you and the country we love.” GARLAND SAYS SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBING BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS HAS SUBMITTED REPORT, UNDER WHITE HOUSE REVIEW Hur cited Biden’s failure to remember the timing of his son’s death among several examples of the president’s “hazy” memory. The special counsel’s report on Biden’s mishandling of classified documents said Biden came across as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” after he forgot key details in an interview. “In his interview with our office, Mr. Biden’s memory was worse,” the report states. “He did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended (‘if it was 2013 — when did I stop being Vice President?’), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began (‘in 2009, am I still Vice President?’).” “He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died,” the report continued. “And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him. Among other things, he mistakenly said he ‘had a real difference’ of opinion with General Karl Eikenberry, when, in fact, Eikenberry was an ally whom Mr. Biden cited approvingly in his Thanksgiving memo to President Obama.” Biden was outraged with the report in a press conference last week, when reporters asked him whether he is still capable of running the White House. “I am well-meaning. And I’m an elderly man. And I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president – I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation,” Biden said of Hur. Moments later, he misidentified Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as “the president of Mexico.” The Associated Press contributed to this report
How has the Taylor Swift effect boosted American football?
Taylor Swift’s attendance at her first Kansas City Chiefs game on September 24 spawned an unexpected viewership surge among her fans, known as Swifties, and American football buffs. The “Taylor Swift effect”, which has bestowed the singer with an economic Midas touch, propelling her to the position of one of the world’s highest-earning entertainers, seemed to take on a new life when she and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce started dating six months ago. Sunday is Super Bowl LVIII, and there will probably be as many Swifties coming to catch a glimpse of Swift as sports fans coming to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers play at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Swift watches a regular season game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023, in Kansas City [David Eulitt/Getty Images] What is the Taylor Swift effect? Swift has built an economic power house around her music career. She is wildly popular with a huge fan base, and this has helped build a pseudo-influencer market known as the Taylor Swift effect. This has not only boosted Swift’s brand value but has also helped bring new fans to the National Football League (NFL) , especially women and girls. Some experts have labelled this newfound fandom the “Swift bump”. This has led to a 20 percent increase in sponsorships. The NFL’s surge in female viewership cuts across different age demographics. Among teenage girls, NFL viewership has increased by 53 percent. Among the 18-24 age demographic, there has been an increase of 24 percent. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell welcomed the surge during a news conference before the Super Bowl. “Obviously, it creates a buzz,” he said. “It creates another group of young fans, particularly young women, that are interested in seeing why is she going to this game, why is she interested in this game besides Travis. She is a football fan.” Even without the additional female fans, overall viewer numbers are up. According to NBC Sports, the game in which the Chiefs took on the New York Jets in October attracted 27 million people across all platforms, the highest number since February 2023’s Super Bowl LVII, which the Chiefs won. How much has NFL revenue increased? According to Apex Marketing, Swift has effectively generated an additional $331.5m in brand value for the Chiefs and NFL. However, it’s not only the NFL that is profiting from the Taylor Swift effect. Those brands associated with Swift are also benefitting from her influence. Even the San Francisco 49ers are prospering. Kristin Juszczyk, wife of 49ers’ fullback Kyle Juszczyk, designed a “Kelce jacket” for Swift that gained a huge amount of attention after Swift was spotted in January wearing the jacket, which resembles the Chiefs jersey of her beau. According to Fanatics, an American manufacturer and online retailer of licensed sportswear, Kelce merchandise saw a 400 percent increase in sales after the first Chiefs game Swift attended. Swift wears a Kristin Juszczyk-designed jacket that resembles Kelce’s football jersey as she arrives for an NFL wild-card playoff game between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins on January 13, 2024, in Kansas City [Ed Zurga/AP] Many brands are seizing any opportunity they can to tether themselves to the Taylor Swift effect from Kansas City nail brand Hoopla to Ziploc, the maker of the sealable food bags. Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, 71, has landed a brand deal after being spotted carrying leftovers in a Ziploc bag. The Kelce matriarch has now secured a TV spot as Ziploc’s chief leftover officer, advocating against food waste. According to Complex, an online pop culture magazine, the week after Swift was spotted wearing New Balance 550 sneakers, the brand saw a 25 percent increase in site traffic. Why are sponsorship deals and and brand collaborations important? Income from these sorts of deals is crucial for the league, and building a wide network of brands and sponsors will increase the NFL’s viewership and grant it access to bespoke audiences. Although Swift is not an official sponsor or brand collaborator with the NFL, the league has 37 sponsors for the 2023-2024 season. One of them, Gatorade, has been a sponsor for almost 40 years. YouTube is the most recent new sponsor as of 2023. According to the data analysis group, SponsorUnited, NFL sponsorship revenue was $2.35bn, 15 percent higher than last season. As of last year, the NFL has been strategically broadening its popularity by undertaking more collaborations with fashion brands, especially those brands affiliated with artists. Such brands include menswear label OVO (October’s Very Own), co-founded by rapper Drake and set to feature rappers Benny the Butcher and Lil Wayne. Adblock test (Why?)
Why does the US refuse to call for a ceasefire in Gaza?
US political scientist Stephen Walt says Israel has changed over the years, but Biden’s policy is stuck in the past. The United States’ support for Israel’s war on Gaza makes the country look ineffectual and hypocritical to the rest of the world, according to Harvard University professor Stephen Walt, co-author of The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy. Walt tells host Steve Clemons that Israel and the US-Israel relationship have changed over the decades, but US President Joe Biden is holding on to a view of Israel formed in the West in the 1970s. By rejecting a ceasefire, the US looks like it “encourages conflict” instead of being a peacemaker, Walt argues, especially since Israel has no political strategy for resolving the Palestinian question. Adblock test (Why?)
Khan’s PTI leads as final results in Pakistan election called
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its affiliates have won the most seats in Pakistan’s elections, the election commission has revealed as it declared final results in the hotly-contested vote. A number of independent candidates allied to the jailed former leader’s PTI have won National Assembly seats in the February 8 vote, the commission said, helping the party to a surprise lead with 97 of the 265 seats. However, with no party winning a majority, and numerous contenders claiming vote tampering, Pakistan’s political future is very uncertain. Five other independents not backed by Imran Khan also secured seats. The PTI was trailed by the Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN), led by Khan’s fierce rival, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, with 76 seats. The 54 seats won by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) offer it the potential to be kingmaker. However, several other smaller parties also took seats, meaning complex negotiations over forming a government are likely to follow. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a Karachi-based party, made a surprising return in the polls to win 17 seats, with several others grabbing a combined 20 seats. The vote, which was marred by deadly violence, was held to select 265 National Assembly members, meaning 134 seats are required for a coalition to gain a simple majority. Several results have been put on hold by the election commission following stay orders issued by courts. Protest amid claims of tampering Thousands of angry protesters had poured into the streets of multiple cities during the delay in vote counting over recent days – blamed on a telecommunications cut-off on the day of the vote for what the authorities called security reasons – with several people killed. The release of the final results, and stay orders, have sparked new demonstrations across the country. However, in the meantime, violence has been limited. Pakistan’s powerful military, which has directly ruled for nearly three decades in Pakistan’s 76-year history, has called for stability and calm. Close to PMLN, it is thought to stand ready to step in should the various parties fail to agree a governing coalition. The PTI, among several other parties, has called for protests against the results, alleging they have been rigged. Reporting from Islamabad, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said that three of the stay orders are on seats that the PTI claims its independent candidates had won by a huge margin. “If this is not settled through the legal way, these protests could spread across the country and perhaps even evolve into a movement,” he said. “Amid such orders, it appears that there will be a delay in the formation of the next government.” One PTI supporter from Lahore told Al Jazeera that he would not sit silently and allow his party’s mandate to be stolen. “The fact that internet was blocked on day of election showed how the state tried to tamper with the results. We believe that state institutions are fully involved in this and this is deplorable. They should respect the votes by the people,” he said, adding that he was headed to protest in the afternoon. At least six independent candidates backed by the PTI party have appealed against the results in court. ‘Astonishing’ Analyst Zaigham Khan told Al Jazeera there are two main possible scenarios after election results are announced. “The most likely scenario is a coalition government that includes all political parties – minus Khan’s PTI,” he told Al Jazeera. This will include the two largest political parties, PPP and PMLN, as well as MQM, Jamaat-e-Islami and others. “The second scenario, less likely but technically possible, is the PPP joining hands with the PTI and forming a government,” the analyst said. Speaking to Al Jazeera’s Inside Story, Farzana Sheikh, a specialist on Pakistani politics and economy, said the election results were “astonishing”. Millions turned out to defy what was widely reported as the military establishment’s desired outcome – a clear win for its preferred candidate, Nawaz Sharif, she said. “It also points to the deep frustration of a population that really is desperate for change, desperate for a new government to address, in particular, the acute economic crisis that currently faces the country.” Adblock test (Why?)