Iran beat Japan 2-1 for a place in AFC Asian Cup 2023 semifinal
Education City Stadium, Qatar – Iran, backed by their thousands of vociferous supporters, have knocked out favourites Japan and earned a spot in the semifinals of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with a famous 2-1 win. In a match billed as an early final of the tournament – given both teams’ history in the competition, their FIFA rankings and strong squads – Iran turned the tables on the four-time champions on a cool Saturday afternoon at Education City Stadium in Qatar. In a tournament that is now well-known for its late drama, Iran’s captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh delivered one of the most famous goals in his country’s Asian Cup history with a heart-in-mouths stoppage-time penalty that booked Team Melli a place in the second semifinal on Wednesday. The opening minutes of the game saw Japan make several bursts towards Iran’s goal but failed to convert their chances, much to the delight of the large Iranian contingent positioned behind it. Hidemasa Morita changed that with his goal in the 28th minute and the small groups of Japanese fans scattered around the stadium finally made their presence felt. However, it did little to deter Team Melli’s supporters, who took up their synchronised clapping and chanting by a few more notches. Japan fans celebrate their team’s goal [Showkat Shafi/ Al Jazeera] The team, one of the oldest squads at the tournament, pulled up their socks after half-time and began a back-and-forth contest with the Samurai Blue as they sought an equaliser. Perhaps they were out to impress their coach, Amir Ghalenoei, who had slammed the team for missing several chances to score against Syria in their round-of-16 match on Thursday. “I’m not really happy with the performance of a few players but I’m very happy with the discipline we showed,” Ghalenoei had said. Iran’s first goal finally came 10 minutes into the second half as Mohammed Mohebi slotted Sardar Azmoun’s through pass into the Japanese goal and sent their fans into a frenzy. Their unwavering support had finally paid off. Iran fans celebrate the equalising goal [Showkat Shafi/ Al Jazeera] More than two-thirds of the spectators were either dressed in Iran’s colours or carrying Iranian flags. Some, like Wafai Salar, had travelled from across the Arabian Gulf to back their team. He came to Doha 10 days ago from the western Lorestan province to back his team in the latter stages of the tournament. “We must not doubt our team,” Salar told Al Jazeera before the match. The belief was reiterated by 72-year-old super fan Mohamed Mirza, who said the team did not feel the absence of their star striker Mehdi Taremi, who missed out on account of his two yellow cards in the game against Syria. “We have 24 Taremis in the squad,” he shouted after the match. “I have been living in Qatar for decades and have seen three Asian Cups here, so now the team owe me a trophy,” Mirza said before resuming his chants for Iran. Indeed, Ghalenoei’s team showed they were up for the challenge against heavy favourites Japan by defending their goal and following it up with runs into the Japanese half. One of these, late into stoppage time, resulted in Iran winning a penalty. The late drama was too much for some fans, who turned their backs to the pitch before the penalty was taken by Jahanbakhsh. Once the ball was deposited in the top left corner, pandemonium broke out in the stands and on the pitch. Iran’s substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate and their fans jumped out of their seats. Iran’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh celebrates after winning the match [Aijaz Rahi/AP] Three minutes later, the referee’s full-time whistle confirmed Japan’s dismissal. The Japanese fans seated behind their goal held their heads in their hands and shed tears of agony and disbelief. Across the aisle, nine-year-old Iran fan Ario was crying, as well. The dramatic last-minute penalty was too much to take for the young supporter. “I was so nervous before the penalty was taken, I peeled the skin off my fingers,” he told Al Jazeera as tears fell down his cheek. Ario, a Canadian Iranian citizen, has never been to the country of his parents’ birth but would one day like to play for Team Melli. “I get so excited every time I see them play, so I want to be like them one day,” he said. Iran football team fan Ario at Education City Stadium [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera] Ghalenoei’s men will give Ario and the millions of Iran fans the world over another chance to ride the wave of emotions when they take on the winner of the Qatar vs Uzbekistan quarterfinal in four days’ time. For old-timers like Mirza, it may even be a case of third-time lucky if the three-time champions walk away with the trophy on February 10. [Al Jazeera] Adblock test (Why?)
RBI found thousands of Paytm Payments Bank accounts set up improperly: Report
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is concerned that some of the accounts could have been used for money laundering, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Speaker Johnson reveals $17 billion Israel aid bill, says Senate ‘will no longer have excuses’
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is putting legislation on the House floor next week to give Israel $17.6 billion in emergency funding. The timing is notable given that Senate and White House negotiators are expected to release legislative text this weekend for a border security compromise in addition to President Biden’s $106 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine, Israel, humanitarian causes and other issues. In a letter sent to Republican colleagues on Saturday, Johnson criticized the House GOP majority’s exclusion from those talks and argued they were not moving fast enough to help Israel in its war against Hamas. “While the Senate appears poised to finally release text of their supplemental package after months of behind closed doors negotiations, their leadership is aware that by failing to include the House in their negotiations, they have eliminated the ability for swift consideration of any legislation,” Johnson warned. NEW YORK DAD WHO CONFRONTED ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS FELT LIKE ‘HOSTAGE’ IN PRO-PALESTINIAN TRAFFIC JAM “Given the Senate’s failure to move appropriate legislation in a timely fashion, and the perilous circumstances currently facing Israel, the House will continue to lead. Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package.” One of the first House votes Johnson held as speaker was a standalone Israel funding bill for roughly $14 billion, the amount requested by Biden in his supplemental aid package. However, that bill would have offset the funds by taking them from money allocated toward the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — a move lauded by GOP hardliners. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., refused to take the bill up and accused Johnson of mixing “a poison pill” with Israel aid. AMERICAN FLAG TORCHED DURING NYC PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATIONS “During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets,” Johnson wrote on Saturday. “The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally.” He said the legislative text would be released on Saturday afternoon by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on defense spending. ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER FACES ATTACK FROM WITHIN OWN PARTY OVER ISRAEL STANCE AMID DEM INFIGHTING ON GAZA Republicans have demanded strict border and immigration policy changes in exchange for supporting funds for Ukraine, an issue a growing number of GOP lawmakers have been wary of. Biden’s supplemental funding request includes roughly $60 billion to help Kyiv fight off Russia’s invasion. But Johnson and dozens of members of his conference have suggested they’ll likely oppose the compromise. Most have signaled they will not accept less than the measures in H.R. 2, the House GOP border bill that Democrats called a nonstarter. Johnson and others have also called on Biden to use his executive authority to shut down the border, while the White House has insisted a legislative fix is necessary and have accused the House GOP of using the border as an election issue. Schumer said earlier this week that he aims to have a vote on the Senate’s package by Wednesday.
ICE deports illegal immigrant wanted for rape in Brazil who was released into US
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Friday that it has deported a Brazilian illegal immigrant who is wanted in his home country for rape, but who was released into the U.S. in 2021. Thalles Mendes Ribeiro is described as a foreign fugitive wanted for false imprisonment and rape in Brazil, and was removed last week, the immigration agency said. He had initially been encountered near San Ysidro, California, on June 10, 2021, after entering the U.S. illegally. U.S. Border Patrol served him with a notice to appear in an immigration court, and ICE released him into the country under the Alternatives to Detention program, under which migrants are given some form of tracking as they await their hearing. MIGRANT CRISIS BROKE NEW RECORD IN DECEMBER WITH 302K ENCOUNTERS He was ordered to appear at an immigration hearing on February 24, 2023, in Newark, NJ, but didn’t show up. He was eventually arrested in December in New Jersey during a targeted enforcement action. “The protection of the American public from dangerous predators is the number one priority of the ERO mission,” ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operation (ERO) Philadelphia Field Office Director Cammilla Wamsley said in a statement. “We will continue to vehemently target individuals who pose a threat to the American public.” The deportation comes amid a continuing border crisis, in which Border Patrol agents have frequently been left overwhelmed by the record numbers they are seeing. BORDER PATROL HAS ‘NO PLANS’ TO REMOVE RAZOR WIRE SET UP BY TEXAS AMID FEUD WITH BIDEN ADMIN There were more than 302,000 migrant encounters in December, a new record after a record FY 23 that saw 2.4 million encounters. Republicans have expressed concern about the continued release of migrants into the interior, while the Biden administration has said it needs more funding and congressional action to fix a “broken” system. Lawmakers are currently working to find a deal to provide supplemental funding requested by the White House. The Biden administration has sought $14 billion in funding for the border, including for expedited removals, aid to cities and increased detention. But Republicans have demanded stricter asylum limits and a limit on the administration’s use of parole. The proposed text of the legislation is expected in the coming days. The announcement of Ribeiro’s removal follows an ICE announcement that it had swept up 100 illegal immigrants wanted for crimes, including child sexual assault and murder, across the country. Those arrested include individuals wanted for or convicted of child molestation, child pornography, rape and murder. ICE says that it arrested more than 73,000 illegal immigrants with criminal histories in FY 23, with over 290,000 associated charges and convictions. Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
“BJP has started ‘Operation Lotus 2.0,”: Arvind Kejriwal after receiving notice from Delhi Crime Branch
A team of Delhi Police Crime Branch officials had arrived at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi.
DNC chair Harrison message to Nikki Haley: South Carolina Democrats are ‘not bailing you out’
Democratic Party officials have a clear message to their voters: Don’t skip Saturday’s presidential primary in South Carolina, and instead cast a ballot for Nikki Haley three weeks later in the Palmetto State’s Republican nominating contest. “Nikki, just understand that South Carolina Democrats are not going to vote for you. I want you to get that message loud and clear this morning,” Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison told reporters as the polls opened in his home state. On Saturday morning, as polls opened in South Carolina, there were reports that some Democrats received text messages urging them to forgo voting on Saturday and instead cast a ballot in three weeks. Both the Haley campaign and SFA Fund, an aligned super PAC, denied having any involvement with the text messages. Haley, a former two-term South Carolina governor who later served as U.N. ambassador in former President Donald Trump’s administration, scored plenty of support from independent voters and even some crossover Democrats in last month’s Iowa Republican caucuses and New Hampshire GOP primary, which were the first two contests in the Republican Party’s presidential nominating calendar. Haley, the last remaining major rival to commanding front-runner Trump, grabbed 43% of the vote a week and a half ago in New Hampshire. WILL SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS BOOST BIDEN AGAIN AT THE BALLOT BOX? The next key contest in the GOP calendar is South Carolina’s Republican primary on February 24. The latest public opinion survey in the state indicates Trump holding a 26-point lead over Haley. While the GOP primary is open to all voters regardless of party preference, people who cast a ballot in Saturday’s Democratic primary are not allowed to vote again in three weeks in the Republican contest. BIDEN AIMS TO SOLIDIFY SUPPORT AMONG BLACK VOTERS AT THE BALLOT BOX Democratic Party officials for weeks have been spotlighting to South Carolina voters Haley’s conservative policies during her tenure as governor and calling her the “mother of the MAGA movement.” Harrison said his message to Haley is that “we are not going to vote for you because you didn’t do anything for us. You didn’t do anything for us. So, we’re not bailing you out. We’ve got two MAGA apples in this field that’s left, and both of them are rotten. And so, Democrats in South Carolina aren’t bailing either one of them out.” Haley and her campaign for months have argued she would be a stronger GOP nominee than Trump to face off in November’s general election with President Biden. Asked for a response to Harrison’s comments, Haley’s campaign told Fox News that “nothing would make Democrats happier than Donald Trump being the Republican nominee. Poll after poll shows Nikki trounces Biden. They know they can’t beat her.” Biden’s landslide victory in the South Carolina primary four years ago boosted him towards the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and ultimately the White House. And he’s expected to win big again this time around, against his two long-shot primary challengers, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and Marianne Williamson, the best-selling author and spiritual adviser who’s making her second straight White House run. HALEY SAYS ‘CLOSING THE GAP’ WITH TRUMP HER GOAL IN SOUTH CAROLINA GOP PRIMARY Both Phillips and Williamson campaigned heavily last month in New Hampshire’s unsanctioned Democratic presidential primary, which Biden easily won as a write-in candidate. But Phillips hasn’t set foot in South Carolina in a week, and Williamson skipped any recent in-person campaigning in the Palmetto State. “We would have expected more from the candidates who filed to be on the ballot. We encourage them to come into the state. They were welcome to come in. It was open for them. Our county parties were waiting,” South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain told Fox Digital. She emphasized, “It was disappointing to see that candidates filed, but did not really come here to compete in the way they did in New Hampshire.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Biden made multiple campaign stops in South Carolina last weekend and Vice President Kamala Harris headlined a rally on Friday, on the eve of the primary. Even though he wasn’t on the ballot in New Hampshire, the president grabbed 64% of the vote in the Democratic primary, thanks to a well organized and funded write-in effort. When asked where Biden needs to finish in South Carolina’s primary to consider it a success, Harrison demurred. But he told Fox News Digital that Biden was already a winner, especially with Black voters who play an outsized role in South Carolina Democratic politics. “The president wanted to send a signal to Black folks, not only here in South Carolina, but across the nation, that we see you, we hear you, and you matter,” Harrison stressed. “That is why it’s important for the president and the vice president and the first lady and the second gentleman to come into a state and to show up, even when they know that they’re going to win. And that they’re going to win decisively. They are saying to folks that you matter.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
New York City to hand out $53 million in pre-paid credit cards to migrant families: report
New York City will soon launch a $53 million pilot program to hand out pre-paid credit cards to migrant families housed in hotels, according to a report. The New York Post, citing city records, reported that 500 migrant families at the Roosevelt Hotel will receive pre-paid cards to help them buy food. The program is intended to replace the current food service provided there, the Post reported. “Not only will this provide families with the ability to purchase fresh food for their culturally relevant diets and the baby supplies of their choosing, but the pilot program is expected to save New York City more than $600,000 per month, or more than $7.2 million annually,” a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams told the paper in a statement. City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ILLEGAL MIGRANT FLIPS MIDDLE FINGERS AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH ATTACKING NYPD IN TIMES SQUARE The pre-paid cards may only be used at bodegas, grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores. Migrants eligible for the program must sign an affidavit stating they will only spend the funds on food and baby supplies, or else they would lose access to the funds, the report said. The amount available to each migrant family depends on their size and how much income they are receiving, according to the contract reviewed by the Post. A family of four might be provided nearly $1,000 each month, or $35 per day for food, the Post reported. The cards are replenished every 28 days. New Jersey company Mobility Capital Finance has partnered with the city to run the program. NEW YORK REPUBLICAN CALLS ON HOCHUL, ADAMS TO DENOUNCE BIDEN’S BORDER POLICY AMID MIGRANT CRISIS IN BIG APPLE “MoCaFi looks forward to partnering with New York City to disburse funds for asylum seekers to purchase fresh, hot food,” MoCaFi CEO and founder Wole Coaxum told the Post. “MoCaFi’s goal is to expand access to financial resources for individuals excluded from banking, such as asylum seekers, while helping the local economy.” City officials said that if the pilot program is a success with the initial 500 migrant families, it will be expanded to all migrant families staying in hotels, which is 15,000 currently. More than 150,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since 2022, overwhelming city resources as officials have struggled to find housing for them. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused asylum-seekers to New York and other cities in an effort to assist them in traveling to sanctuary jurisdictions and also highlight the crisis that border communities face on a daily basis. NYPD IMPOUNDS 80 UNLICENSED MIGRANT MOPEDS FROM OUTSIDE ROOSEVELT AND WATSON HOTEL SHELTERS Mayor Adams has decried the arrivals as a humanitarian crisis and said that providing food and housing for the migrants will cost the city about $12 billion over three years. In October, the mayor traveled to Latin America on a tour to dissuade potential migrants in Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador from attempting to come to the city, saying the city is “at capacity.” Critics, however, have said that New York City’s sanctuary policies and handouts to migrants will only encourage more immigration. “If I were promoting an event and wanted to attract the biggest possible crowd without worrying about losing money, I’d make admission free and give everyone complimentary pizza and beer,” Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, a Tennessee Republican and former WWE wrestler, posted on X, commenting on the New York Post report. “That’s kinda immigration policy right now.”
Anti-Israel protesters clash with NYPD officers in fiery scuffle that led to arrests: ‘NYPD, burn in hell’
A rowdy anti-Israel protest outside of Columbia University reportedly led to the arrests of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who clashed with NYPD officers and shouted anti-cop chants. The “All Out for Palestine” demonstration began around 3 p.m. Friday evening, and footage of protesters waving Palestinian flags and scuffling with officers quickly spread across social media in the hours afterward, according to the New York Post. In one video shared to social media, the disgruntled group of protesters could be seen resisting commands from officers who were attempting to clear roadways, all while chanting, “NYPD, KKK. IDF they’re all the same.” In the same clip, one individual is shown being detained by police. As officers attempted to wrangle another female protester, other demonstrators were shown taunting officers and attempting to pull them from the woman. One individual, later identified as 31-year-old Fadi Shuman, was also shown in the clip taking an officer’s peaked cap and running away with it. NEW YORK DAD WHO CONFRONTED ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS FELT LIKE ‘HOSTAGE’ IN PRO-PALESTINIAN TRAFFIC JAM A DCPI spokesperson for the city confirmed to Fox News Digital that three individuals had been arrested as a result of their actions at the protest, and another 12 had been issued citations for disorderly conduct. Of the three people that were arrested, two received desk appearance tickets. Shuman was arrested and charged with grand larceny, obstructing governmental administration, aggravated harassment and criminal possession of stolen property. Sara Elmilgi, 34, was also arrested and charged with harassment after she “slapped an officer’s arms multiple times while he was lawfully attempting to guide her back to the sidewalk,” according to the spokesperson. The officer did not sustain any injuries. The other individual who was arrested, 47-year-old Jesse Pape, was charged with obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct after he “was given a lawful order to disperse and refused to comply,” the spokesperson noted. AMERICAN FLAG TORCHED DURING NYC PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATIONS The main protest on Friday was reportedly attended by hundreds of individuals. A smaller group of demonstrators later marched south to West 107th Street and Broadway, where additional arrests were made. “You are violent thugs. You are criminals! You are the most violent. You are the most f–king violent,” one protester yelled at police while in custody. “It is right to rebel. NYPD, burn in hell! It is right to rebel. NYPD, burn in hell!” others could be heard chanting. A woman who displayed a poster of Israelis who had been kidnapped and chanted, “Am Yisrael Chai,” a Jewish solidarity anthem, was also surrounded by protesters who ripped the poster from her. “Don’t you dare!” the pro-Israel woman shouted just before cops intervened and separated her from the others. The demonstration, as reported by the Post, came in response to claims that anti-Israel student protesters had been sprayed with an unknown chemical last month while marching through the university’s campus. That incident led to two alleged assailants being banned from campus and an investigation by police into what exactly had happened. Last month, Interim Provost Dennis A. Mitchell said the chemical incident “appears to have been serious crimes, possibly hate crimes.”
Excise policy case: ED approaches court after Arvind Kejriwal skips five summons
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal skipped the Enforcement Directorate’s summons for the fifth time in connection with the money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 case.
Sri Lanka signs free trade deal with Thailand to revive economy
Sri Lanka seeks to foster growth after its economy contracted 3.8 percent last year, according to World Bank estimates. Thailand and Sri Lanka have signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a move Sri Lanka hopes will help it emerge from its worst financial crisis in decades. “This move aims to enhance market opportunities, with negotiations covering various aspects such as Trade in Goods, Investment, Customs Procedure, and Intellectual Property Rights,” read a statement published on Saturday by the Sri Lankan president’s media department. The island nation has been renewing a focus on trade deals to foster economic growth and help its battered economy, which is estimated by the World Bank to have contracted 3.8 percent last year after a severe foreign exchange crunch plunged it into a wider financial crisis. A delegation headed by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin arrived in Colombo on Saturday to sign the FTA along with other agreements. Srettha will also attend Sri Lanka’s 76th Independence Day celebrations on Sunday. The delegation headed by the Prime Minister of #Thailand Hon. Srettha Thavisin was ceremonially welcomed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat.#DiplomacyLK @MFA_SriLanka @SLinBangkok #LKA #PMD pic.twitter.com/8d8gZLNqnz — President’s Media Division of Sri Lanka – PMD (@PMDNewsGov) February 3, 2024 “This will provide tremendous business opportunities for both sides. We encourage our private sectors to explore the potentials of two-way trade and investment,” Srettha told a joint media briefing following the signing of the deal. The two countries also signed a new air services agreement. Bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Thailand was worth about $460m in 2021, Sri Lankan central bank data showed. Sri Lanka exports mainly tea and precious stones to Thailand and imports electronic equipment, food, rubber, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Adblock test (Why?)