World
Politics
Joe Biden wins South Carolina Democratic Primary
Following the win in Saturday’s Democratic primary in South Carolina, US President Joe Biden has vowed to defeat Republican opponent Donald Trump for the second time in November’s election, GB Code reported.
Biden, who is struggling with poor approval ratings, will have to closely follow through with his vote bank, especially his black voters, who supported him in his election against Trump four years prior.
With half of the votes counted, Biden’s overwhelming 96.4% of the vote in the first Democratic primary of the 2024 contest marks the beginning of his march toward his party’s nomination.
US news outlets reported that he easily defeated his opponents — self-help writer Marianne Williamson by 2% and Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips by 1.6% on the ballot.
Biden was attending a campaign event in California when the results were announced. He is now focusing on his next moves in his bid for reelection.
“Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have spoken again, and I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the presidency again and making Donald Trump a loser again,” Biden stated.
He has been pushing citizens to cast their ballots in November for him, stating that if Trump returns to the White House, the stakes for the US could not be higher.
“There have never been more stakes in this election. Donald Trump is the leader of extremist and dangerous voices in the nation.”
After a string of setbacks, Biden declared in 2020 that he was banking on South Carolina to pull off the feat when he began his presidential campaign.
Even though Republicans are expected to hold control of South Carolina in November, as they have since 1980, Biden sees the state as crucial for testing his support among black voters.
Paris knife attack injures 3, suspect arrested by French police
At least three people were injured in an attack on Saturday at the Paris Gare de Lyon railway station, Al Arabiya reported.
According to the police, the perpetrator went on an attacking spree at around 8am at the busy railway station, which is a major travel hub that operates domestic trains as well as connects it with Switzerland and Italy. Each year, more than 100 million passengers travel via the station.
The attacker who has been arrested, is a Malian national and is 34 years old, according to the date of birth written on his Italian driving licence.
“The suspect did not cry out any religious slogans during his attack,” a police source said.
The man was captured by the local people and later handed over to the railway police once they arrived on the scene.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote: “A thank you to those who overpowered the man who carried out this unbearable act.”
The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an inquiry into the attack, while the national anti-terrorist prosecutor said it was observing proceedings at this stage.
Paris will be hosting the Olympics 2024 and expects 15 million visitors.
US launches strikes on 85 places in Syria after Jordon attack
The United States military launched airstrikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and their supported militias.
The US move comes in retaliation for a drone attack that claimed the lives of three US soldiers at a remote base in Jordan. President Joe Biden had vowed to respond to the attack, carried out by Iran-backed militants.
The strikes, not targeting locations within Iran, aimed at command and control centres, rockets, missiles, and drone storage facilities. The US military statement emphasised hitting logistics and munition supply chain facilities, employing over 125 munitions in the process.
Syrian state media reported casualties and injuries resulting from what they termed “American aggression” on sites in Syria’s desert areas and the Syrian-Iraqi border.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that six members of a pro-Iran militia group were killed in eastern Syria during these strikes believed to be executed by the United States. The targeted areas include the eastern Deir Ezzor province, with four rounds of raids focusing on sites housing Iran-backed groups. Notably, three strikes were directed at al-Mayadeen, while one targeted Albu Kamal near the Iraqi border.
The US retaliation took place just hours after President Biden and Pentagon leaders paid respects to the remains of the fallen soldiers returning to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The drone attack in Jordan marked the first deadly strike against US troops since the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. The US had attributed the drone’s origin to Iran, saying it was not seeking war but aimed to respond to aggression.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in a pre-strike statement, asserted Iran’s reluctance to initiate war but promised a strong response to any bullying.
The events surrounding the retaliation highlight the escalating tensions in the Middle East, aggravated by the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict. The Revolutionary Guards’ shift in strategy, reducing the deployment of senior officers in Syria and relying more on allied militias, underscores the volatile nature of the region.
In a somber ceremony at a Delaware air base, President Biden witnessed the dignified transfer of the fallen soldiers, William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, and Breonna Moffett. The White House attributes the attack to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq militia.
“In the face of aggression, we respond resolutely to protect our forces and interests in the region,” said the US military spokesperson in response to the strikes.
Donald Trump says Teamsters will vote for him
Former US President Donald Trump expressed his confidence Wednesday that Teamsters will vote for him, as the Republican hopeful prepares for a showdown with Democrat Joe Biden.
After meeting with the union leaders in Washington, Donald Trump said: “So we had a very productive meeting with a lot of Teamster representatives.”
The meeting of the 77-year-old with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters came as he attempts to gain the support of the union from Joe Biden ahead of their rematch in November.
Republicans are not much friendly to labour organisations, but many of their conservative social policies have been able to resonate with rank-and-file union members at the ballot box even as labour leaders have generally endorsed Democrats.
“A big part of the voting bloc votes for me — a very big part… nobody knows what the exact number is — but some people say more than 50% of the Teamsters vote for me,” the four-time indicted former president said.
Biden — sometimes nicknamed “Union Joe” — was endorsed last week by the United Auto Workers (UAW) and describes himself as the most pro-union US president ever.
That backing earned the UAW president Shawn Fain an angry rebuke from Trump, who called the labor leader a “dope.”
The business mogul Trump is leading former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley comfortably after the two opening contests in the Republican primary and is expected to be anointed as the party’s standard-bearer at its convention in July.
Victory in November though will require him to win back much of the support he hemorrhaged to Biden in 2020 in the all-important swing states of the Midwest — the working class heartland of American manufacturing.
Trump is not expecting to receive the Teamsters’ endorsement, as the union went with Biden in 2020, praising the Democrat’s “long history of standing with unions and workers on the job site.”
Trump said: “Stranger things have happened. Usually, a Republican wouldn’t get that endorsement — usually, they only do Democrats. But my case is different as I’ve employed thousands of Teamsters.”
Teamsters president Sean O’Brien described the conversation as “pleasant” and “direct,” telling reporters that the former president and a group of officials discussed workers’ rights, bankruptcy reform and other union priorities.
O’Brien added that the 81-year-old incumbent president has also committed to a meeting and his members had “more questions” of both candidates.
He said his Teamsters would typically reveal who they are backing after the summer party conventions but added that “the endorsement or non-endorsement may come sooner than later. We haven’t made a decision.”
Joe Biden sweeps South Carolina with ‘loser’ taunt at Donald Trump
United States President Joe Biden Saturday won the South Carolina Democratic primary, the first officially sanctioned race of the party’s nominating season, with returns showing him outpacing two other candidates, according to Edison Research.
The vote was closely watched due to concerns about Biden’s popularity, particularly among Black voters.
Edison Research predicted Biden win soon after polls closed at 7pm EST on Saturday and his margin of victory held steady as the night wore on, Reuters reported.
Biden won 116,266 votes, or 96.4% out of 120,643 casts, ahead of his main challengers — Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson. However, turnout failed to exceed expectations, with Democratic officials expecting between 100,000 and 200,000 total votes.
In a victory statement, the Biden campaign said: “In 2020, it was the voters of South Carolina who proved the pundits wrong, breathed new life into our campaign, and set us on the path to winning the presidency.
“Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have spoken again and I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the presidency again — and making Donald Trump a loser — again,” the campaign said in a statement.
Biden, an unpopular incumbent, is expected to win again with a significant majority in the upcoming US election on November 5.
Besides campaign fears that South Carolina’s heavily Black electorate might not be energised this time around, there were also doubts about his age and concerns about high consumer prices and security along the US-Mexican border.
Former President Donald Trump, 77, is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Biden in the general election.
South Carolina, with over half of its Democratic electorate being Black, has not supported a Democrat since 1976, presenting a crucial test of Biden’s appeal due to its typically nine-to-one support for Democrats in presidential races.
Some South Carolina voters were lukewarm about Biden’s reelection bid.
“Sometimes I wonder, is his presence enough because you don’t see him a lot, you don’t hear him a lot,” said Martin Orr, 52, a school administrator from McConnells, South Carolina, speaking about Biden, whom he planned to support in the election.
“Is it quiet because of his age or his physical condition, or what’s going on? I think that’s what a lot of people are concerned about right now.”
Singapore only Asian nation named in 2023’s top 10 least corrupt countries
Singapore remains the fifth least corrupt country globally, according to the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, while Denmark ranked first in the list, the South China Morning Post reported
Singapore remains the only Asian nation in the top 10 list since the index was first published in 1995. Previously, in 2018 and 2020 the country popular for its tourism ranked third, fourth in 2019 and 2021, and fifth in 2022 and 2023.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) released the new index for 2023 ranking countries based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption, with scores ranging from 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
The data was gathered from 13 external sources.
- Denmark (90 points)
- Finland (87)
- New Zealand (85)
- Norway (84)
- Singapore (83)
- Sweden (82), Switzerland (82)
- Netherlands (79)
- Germany (78), Luxembourg (78)
Singapore scored 83 in 2023, the same score it received the year before.
The CPIB said the corruption situation in Singapore “remains firmly under control”, highlighting that the number of public sector corruption cases remains consistently low.
“Public Perception Surveys regularly conducted by CPIB indicate strong public confidence in our national corruption control efforts,” it added.
Singapore has been ranked third in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2023 for the absence of corruption, making it the top Asian nation out of 142 countries.
The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy’s 2023 “Report on Corruption in Asia” also ranked Singapore as the top out of 16 economies.
The ranking comes after Singapore’s Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran recently resigned after being charged with corruption, becoming the country’s first sitting minister to be charged with a criminal offence.
Civilians among 16 dead as US hits 85 sites in Iraq, Syria
“The US military attacks on Iraq, Syria and Yemen merely provide for the goals of the Zionist regime,” he said, referring to US ally Israel.
The American strikes were “a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, of international law and a flagrant violation of the United Nations charter”, Kanani added.
The United States launched air strikes against militias in Iraq and Syria on Friday, with President Joe Biden vowing more to come, in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan.
The US military said it attacked a total of 85 targets at seven different sites in Syria and Iraq.
The US military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Friday, in the opening salvo of retaliation for the drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan last weekend.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement: “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
Biden and other top US leaders had been warning for days that America would strike back at the militias, and they made it clear it wouldn’t be just one hit but a “tiered response” over time.
Biden made that point again in his statement, saying: “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing.”
The massive barrage of strikes hit more than 85 targets at seven locations, including command and control headquarters, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities that were connected to the militias or the IRGC’s Quds Force, the Guard’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship with and arming of regional militias.
The US strikes appeared to stop short of directly targeting Iran or senior leaders of the IRGC’s Quds Force within its borders, as the US tries to prevent the conflict from escalating even further.
ECONOMY (WORLD)
PAKISTAN
POLITICS
ECP disqualifies Qureshi for five years
ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified former Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi from contesting the upcoming general elections, citing his conviction in the cipher case.
According to a notification issued here the late night, under Article 63 (1)(h) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, coupled with Section 232 of the Election Act 2017, Qureshi is now ineligible to participate in the general elections of 2024 and any subsequent elections for a duration of five years.
The Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed all arrangements for general elections being held on Thursday.
The Election Commission has established ninety thousand six hundred seventy-five polling stations in all four provinces and over one hundred and twenty million registered voters will cast their vote for National Assembly and four Provincial Assemblies, Radio Pakistan reported.
Of these, forty-one thousand four hundred and three are combined polling stations while twenty-five thousand three hundred twenty are for male and twenty-three thousand nine hundred fifty-two for women voters. A total of 5,121 candidates are in the race for the National Assembly seats. These include 4,807 male, 312 female and two transgenders.
The elections will be held on two hundred and sixty-six general seats of the National Assembly and five hundred and ninety-three general seats of four provincial assemblies.
Imran, Bushra get 7 years jail in marriage case in back-to-back convictions
ISLAMABAD – A lower court on Saturday handed seven years imprisonment sentence to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in a case pertaining to their marriage during the period of latter’s ‘iddat’. The court also imposed a fine worth Rs500,000 on each accused.
Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah pronounced the short verdict which was reserved on Friday. PTI’s founder and Bushra Bibi were also present in courtroom at Adiala Jail when the decision was announced.
The civil court has reserved its verdict on Friday after hearing arguments also stated that it has been proven that the accused were meeting before the marriage after Khawar Maneka’s affidavit was submitted in the court about the couple’s meeting in 2014. It has been also proven that the accused met alone several times while Bushra Bibi was married to Khawar Maneka. According to the verdict, the couple has accepted that they met before marriage but didn’t have an illegitimate relationship. The detailed judgement also asked the question of whether a man and woman who are not “mehram” can meet without marriage or not. According to the golden rules of Islam, they can’t meet before marriage, and if they meet before marriage and it ends up in a marriage that would be considered fraudulent. The Nikah was done on January 1st, 2018 and the divorce was given on November 14th, 2017 so the Iddat period of 90 days was not completed and the marriage has been declared fraudulent under section 496 PPC. The Nikah ceremony done in mid-February was also declared fraudulent and it was done to show that the Iddat period of 90 days was over. The fraudulent marriage case was filed by Khawar Maneka on November 25th, 2023. After the witness testimonies were recorded their trial was moved to Adiala Jail since Imran Khan was already incarcerated and couldn’t be produced at the court because of security reasons. Charges were framed on January 16th, 2024 by the court. A stay was granted by Islamabad Hugh court on January 18th which later vacated on January 31st. Two marathon hearings of 26 hours on Thursday and Friday took place at Adiala jail and judgment was reserved for 1:00 pm Saturday. Judgment was announced around 3:30 pm and 50 pages detailed verdict was also issued by the county. Imran Khan after hearing has declared that the judgement has been given to defame and shame him. Bushra Bibi said that Allah has given his decision about Iddat in the Quran and today’s verdict is the Iblees verdict “This is a war of honour and dishnour,” she remarked in an informal discussion with journalists after the trial court sentenced her and Imran Khan to seven years in jail after declaring their marriage illegal and un-Islamic. She said Allah Almighty has explained all things about “Iddat” in holy Quran. She called the Friday’s ruling a “decision by Iblees (devil)”.
PTI UK chapter condemns Justice Minallah’s London heckling
PTI’s UK chapter has issued a statement condemning an incident on Saturday evening where Justice Athar Minallah of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was heckled in London.
“PTI UK strongly condemns the treatment towards Honourable Justice Athar Minallah. Those involved do not represent the PTI, nor does PTI UK endorse such behavior,” the party chapter stated on the social media platform X.
Videos circulating on social media showed Justice Minallah being harassed in the streets of London, escorted to a car by a group, with others shouting slogans both in support of the PTI and against the army.
Justice Minallah was invited as a guest to the ‘Future of Pakistan Conference’ at the London School of Economics.
In the statement, Jahanzeb Khan, the senior vice president of PTI UK, mentioned, “It has come to our attention that there are individuals often referred to as ‘PTI supporters’ by certain journalists sympathetic to the N league in London.”
He alleged collaboration between these journalists and N league journalists, orchestrating situations involving these individuals to create commotion during visits by Pakistani government officials to London.
The post was also shared by the party’s official account and PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan.
PTI founder destroys young minds: Fazl
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder has destroyed morals of young generation of the country.
Addressing a rally in Karak on Sunday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that those who used the name of the state of Madinah were unaware of the sanctity of the city. We have defended Islam inside and outside the Parliament, he added.
He said that the PTI founder destroyed the morals of the young generation, and we are fighting for the Islam.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said, “Pakistan was established in the name of Islam. The country demands economic prosperity and peace. Inflation and unemployment are caused by those who remained in power.”
Maulana Fazl further said that the PTI founder destroyed our 75 percent economy and plunged our country into slavery.
He said the country was facing economic crisis and the real reason of unemployment and inflation were those who were in power.
The JUI-F chief said the JUI parliamentary members had never disappointed as they always worked to resolve their issues.
ECP issues notices to candidates for violating code of conduct in Punjab
The Election Commission on Sunday issued warning notices to several candidates in Punjab for violating the electoral code of conduct.
According to the spokesperson of the Punjab election Commissioner, district monitoring officers took notice of the incidents of code of conduct violations in Punjab province and issued warning notices to several candidates.
He added that a notice was issued to Jahangir Tareen, the candidate from NA-155 Lodhran, for carrying out development work in the constituency.
Similarly, a warning was issued to candidate Muhammad Tayyab from PP 208 Khanewal for advertising material against the rules while also notices were also issued to four candidates from different constituencies of Khanewal.
Meanwhile, clarifications have been sought from Ali Waqas Hanjara, candidate of PP-232 Vihari, Syed Muhammad Asghar of NA-160 Bahawalnagar, Inam Bari Lalika of PP-238, while nine candidates of different constituencies of Bahawalpur have also been asked to abide by the code of conduct.
Provincial Election Commissioner Punjab says that the integrated system of election campaign monitoring is fully operational across the province.
Zardari promises development projects for ‘backward’ Talagang
PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday promised to initiate development projects in Talagang aimed at improving and enhancing the socio-economic conditions, infrastructure and overall well-being of the backward city, including the provision of gas and clean drinking water.
Addressing an election gathering here, the former president asserted that the PPP, being a representative party of labourers and farmers, understands the voice of the poor.
He emphasised his party’s commitment to the progress of the underdeveloped city by pledging to appoint administrative officers who were aware of the challenges faced by the residents.
The former president showcased PPP’s noteworthy initiative of the Benazir Income Support Programme, highlighting that many impoverished individuals were benefitting from the monetary assistance disbursed under the programme.
He however expressed disappointment that this programme went unnoticed by many, but underscored his awareness of the dire conditions faced by the poor. In the same breath, he commended his son and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for spearheading this pro-poor initiative.
Will bury politics of hate if voted to power: Bilawal
Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Sunday he would end the politics of hatred and division if his party voted to power.
He, while addressing a public meeting during the election campaign, said “people know about the origin and past of the political parties who want to compete with us.”
He said “I am here with the brothers and sisters of Hyderabad as also I am grateful for your trust on me. Your vote to the PPP would start an era of progress as the regions has seen enough of the divisionary politics.”
He said the people of the area have been suffering and making sacrifices but they have never bowed down to tyrants, dictators.
He said he has brought a public economic contract to the people besides pledging to increase the amount of Benazir Bhutto Income Support Card while adding he would build three million houses for the people in the country.
The former foreign minister said, “the PPP knows how to fight inflation, unemployment and poverty so it depends on people now to give enough votes to the party for their better future.
For education, he said before soon, there would be a university in every district of Sindh in which quality learning would be promoted.
Kashmir Solidarity Day to be observed Today.
Kashmir Solidarity Day will be observed on Monday with a renewed commitment to support the just struggle of Kashmiris for their inalienable right to self-determination.
People from different walks of life will hold rallies and demonstrations, forming human chains across the country to infuse new spirits in the Kashmiris, who have been fighting for their freedom.
All Pakistani missions abroad will organize seminars and photo exhibitions to draw the world’s attention towards the plight of Kashmiris.
The national media will air special programs and print special supplements to highlight the significance of Kashmir Solidarity Day and the decades-long struggle of Kashmiri people against the illegal Indian occupation.
ECONOMY (PAKISTAN)
