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Donald Trump wins Nevada caucus with a large majority — What’s next
He was up against pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley, who only gained 381 votes as compared to Trump’s 48,400 votes
After winning the Nevada Republican Caucus by a large majority, Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump has gained his third victory in the election race, BBC reported.
He was up against pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley, who only gained 381 votes as compared to Trump’s 48,400 votes.
Trump’s only opponent remaining in the Republican race for office, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, opted not to take part in the Nevada caucus and instead chose to participate in the Nevada primary, which was held on Tuesday.
Haley suffered an embarrassing defeat in the primary after people voted “none of the candidates.” 63% of the people who voted, cast their ballots against Haley.
Briefly addressing a victory party in Las Vegas, Donald Trump said, “If we win this state, we easily win the election in November.”
Although the result of the Nevada caucus was a foregone conclusion, the state will be hotly contested in the November presidential election.
The state will see a rematch between 2020 candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Trump and Haley will next go head-to-head in the state of South Carolina.
Despite three defeats, she has vowed to fight on, arguing that Republican supporters want to see an alternative to Donald Trump and that “voters want an election, not a coronation.”
Meta suspends Iran’s Khamenei social media accounts
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Facebook and Instagram accounts have been taken down by Meta for violations of their content policies, India Today reported.
Meta announced the decision on Thursday, citing, “We have removed these accounts for repeatedly violating our Dangerous Organisations and Individuals policy.”
According to Meta, the Facebook and Instagram accounts of Khamenei were reportedly part of a network that engaged in “inauthentic activity” and “misleading people” about “who they are and what they are doing.”
According to a local Iranian source, Al Bawaba, Meta reportedly removed 200 Facebook and 125 Instagram accounts, nine groups, and 29 pages linked to the said Iranian network.
Meta’s policy, on which the decision was based, says that organisations or individuals that “proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence to have a presence on our platforms” are not permitted on the firm’s social media portals in an “effort to prevent and disrupt real-world harm.”
Although banned in Iran, Khamenei, who has held power in Iran for 35 years, had more than 5.1 million followers on his Persian-language Instagram page and more than 204,000 on his English-language account.
Though Meta did not mention the Israel-Hamas war, Mohammad Marandi, an academic and former Iranian government advisor, accused Meta of hypocrisy, saying Israeli officials had not faced similar restrictions over their support for their country’s actions in Gaza.
“Ayatollah Khamenei is the only world leader who supports and empowers the resistance in Palestine. That is his crime.”
‘My memory is fine’: US President Joe Biden blasts special counsel
United States President Joe Biden got angry while denying claims by special counsel Robert Hur that his memory is “poor” and “faulty,” on Thursday, India Today reported,
He criticised an investigation that found he mishandled top-secret files and struggled to recall key life events.
During a White House event, he reportedly told a reporter, “I’m well-meaning, I’m an elderly man, and I know what the hell I’m doing.”
Hur, in his report, detailed how Biden mishandled high-classified files, sharing that Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) agents discovered restricted files from “the garage, offices, and basement den in Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home” related to military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, as well as notebooks containing his handwriting.
While the investigation found that Biden purposely “retained and disclosed classified materials” after leaving office, Hur stated that the evidence wasn’t enough to charge any offences against him.
In response, Biden blasted in front of the media, saying, “I’ve been the president; I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation.”
As additional questions about his old age and memory were asked, Biden became even more rattled, telling off the reporter. “My memory is so bad, I let you speak.”
But just minutes after defending his memory and cognition, Biden misspoke and called President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the “president of Mexico,” CNN reported.
Republicans were quick to criticise Biden, claiming that the decision not to bring criminal charges against their 2024 political nominee and reports about his memory proves that he is not fit for office.
In a poll conducted in August by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, 77% of US adults believe Biden is too old to be effective for four more years.
Tucker Carlson finally conducts interview of Vladimir Putin
Former Fox News programme host Tucker Carlson became the first journalist from the West to carry out an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Wednesday.
Kremlin did not reveal further details about the interview nor the release date however, TASS news agency reported that it is to be aired on Thursday.
While responding to a question of being favourable towards Russia, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Tucker Carlson was neither pro-Russian nor pro-Ukrainian but pro-American.
Carlson had been vocal about the Western media’s approach toward the all-out support against Russia to Ukraine in which there is a full-fledged military operation ongoing by Moscow against Kyiv.
The spokesperson noted that the approach of the 56-year-old journalist was completely different from the rest of the Western media who are all “one-sided” in “Ukraine’s favour”.
“When it comes to the countries of the collective West, the large network media, TV channels, (and) large newspapers can in no way boast of even trying to at least look impartial in terms of coverage,” Peskov said in a news briefing Wednesday.
“These are all media outlets that take an exceptionally one-sided position. Of course, there is no desire to communicate with such media, and it hardly makes sense, and it is unlikely that it will be useful.”
“You’ve never heard his voice. That’s wrong. Americans have a right to know all we can about a war they’re implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it,” Carlson said in a video message Tuesday.
“Western governments by contrast will certainly do their best to censor this video. They are afraid of information they can’t control.”
Elon Musk suggests action on arrest of Tucker Carlson amid Putin’s interview
Tech mogul and CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk suggested a course of action for those who may try to arrest former TV host Tucker Carlson after the journalist planned to conduct an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The 56-year-old journalist has been on his first-ever visit to Russia where he finally conducted an interview with Vladimir Putin — also confirmed by the Kremlin Wednesday.
Kremlin did not reveal further details about the interview nor the release date however, TASS news agency reported that it is to be aired on Thursday.
Tucker Carlson — who was associated with Fox News till April last year — had earlier revealed that Musk promised him not to censor or restrict his interview to views on his platform.
The Kremlin spokesperson noted that Carlson’s approach was completely different from the rest of the Western media which was “one-sided” in “Ukraine’s favour”.
A Malaysia-based blogger Ian Miles Cheong posted on X — formerly called Twitter — about Carlson’s visit to Russia Wednesday.
He wrote: “If Tucker Carlson isn’t careful he could become the next Julian Assange. There has been no shortage of calls from both politicians and establishment media shills calling for his arrest over his visit to Russia. These creatures are nothing if not vindictive.”
In a response, Elon Musk wrote: “Arrest those calling for his arrest!”
Former president of Chile Sebastian Pinera dies in helicopter crash
A helicopter carrying four people including former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera crashed in the Los Ríos region killing the erstwhile leader of the country, according to Minister of Interior Carolina Tohá Tuesday.
Three people aboard the billionaire survived the crash and were in stable condition, the Chilean minister said. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, however, reports indicate that there was heavy rainfall in the area.
Chilean Navy also confirmed the dead body of the former 74-year-old leader as it was recovered.
Sebastian Pinera served in the presidential office from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced three days of national mourning upon his death and a state funeral is to be arranged for the late leader.
Chile was already seeing days of national mourning as the wildfire in the coastal state killed over 120 people.
Tohá’s said in a statement: “Chile’s government “expresses its shock due to this tragedy, extends its hug in solidarity to the former president’s family, to those close to him, but also to all Chileans.”
Pinera acquired his education in Chile and at Harvard University in the United States.
According to Forbes, his net worth was estimated at $2.7 billion. He was the founder of a credit card company Banco which he founded in the 1970s. During his presidency, he divested his assets as per the campaign promise.
“He genuinely sought what he thought was best for the country,” Boric said Tuesday. “For example, when he took on the reconstruction of the country after the February 27, 2010, earthquake, or when he took risks … to rescue the 33 miners from the San Jose mine, and more recently, in managing the pandemic in times of global uncertainty.”
Regional leaders mourned Pinera’s passing. “I met President Pinera several years ago. He always had a positive attitude towards Uruguay and me personally. As an example… his support with the logistics offered for the arrival of vaccines during the pandemic,” Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou wrote on X.
Argentinian President Javier Milei also sent his condolences in a post on X. “On behalf of the state of Argentina, we send our condolences to the family, friends, and people of Chile,” he wrote.
Pakistan election 2024: International media, community mixed over vote results
The international media and community have mostly taken Pakistan’s general election with a pinch of salt, arguing that the 16-hour-long mobile and internet closure coupled with the snail-paced issuance of unofficial results sparked speculations of peri- and post-vote rigging, drawing local and global criticism.
In the ongoing general elections in Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and independently supported candidates by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) find themselves in a tight competition for a majority of seats, eliciting varied responses from the world community.
Due to the initial delay in the results release and the early publication of unofficial election results by local TV networks, PTI claimed to be leading on more than 100 seats, according to the BBC.
However, the ECP distanced itself from “the unofficial, incomplete results” that were being reported by the local media, citing the government’s decision to suspend phone and internet service as the reason for the results’ postponed release.
The entire scandal has generated dispute regarding the results that the commission has officially declared, and numerous candidates have accused the commission of manipulating the election results.
Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Raza Amiri Moghadam, reportedly complimented the government on “safe and secure” elections, according to The News, a website located in Islamabad.
The Pakistani people should select their future leaders, according to the Joe Biden Administration, as the country held general elections on Friday amid allegations of electoral fraud and manipulation.
“Millions of Pakistanis went to the polls today to vote and I will reiterate that Pakistan’s future leadership is for the Pakistani people to decide, and our interest continues to be in the democratic process,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference.
He condemned any acts of violence related to the election, both on the polling day on February 8 and in the weeks preceding it.
“These kinds of election-related violence, we believe, affected a broad range of political parties across Pakistan. It impacted polling stations, election officers, as well as the election commission,” he said as he raised concerns regarding the restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression.
Analysts claim that this election is one of the least credible in Pakistan and that the results were announced later than in previous elections.
Although most experts agree that there is only one candidate for the top job, which is Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif even though there were roughly 44 parties that filed to run for seats in the National Assembly.
Global media outlets aligned a variety of political ideas in their coverage of Pakistan’s election, in addition to worldwide political leaders.
The BBC and CNN made insinuations about election tampering and lack of credibility amid unrest in Pakistan.
An article titled “Pakistan’s elections are being brazenly rigged” was published by Time. “Why doesn’t the US seem to care?” encapsulated both the international community’s expectations for these elections and the PTI’s historical trajectory following the May 9 riots.
In addition to covering the election manipulation, other international media also examined the three main parties’ chances of winning.
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Politics
‘In-principle deal’ agreed between PML-N, MQM-P for political cooperation
LAHORE: An in-principle agreement has been reached between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for political cooperation.
In a statement on X, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said that the party supremo Nawaz Sharif and the MQM-P leadership vowed to work together for the interest of the country and nation.
On the invitation of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, an MQM-P delegation led by Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui visited Nawaz’s residence at Jati Umra, Lahore.
Nawaz led the PML-N delegation which included Shehbaz, Maryam Nawaz, Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum and Rana Mashhood.
Shehbaz told the party leaders that Zardari offered, in exchange, the PPP would support the PML-N to make its government in Punjab.
The News has learnt from the PML-N sources that former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif met former president Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal on Friday night and discussed the future coalition. Party sources said on Saturday the PML-N leaders had discussed different options for making the future government in Centre as well as in Punjab.
PTI demands ‘political prisoners’ release, mandate acceptance after COAS ‘healing touch’ statement
Barrister Gohar Khan, the top leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Sunday called for the release of his party’s “political prisoners”, including founder Imran Khan, in response to army chief General Asim Munir’s statement stressing the need for a “healing touch” following the February 8 general elections.
In his remarks, the military’s head congratulated the nation on the successful conduct of the election. He also emphasised the need for stable leadership as well as a unifying approach towards transcending Pakistan’s past tumultuous politics.
Gen Munir had said that Pakistan’s diverse polity and pluralism would be well-represented by a unified government of all democratic forces imbibed with national purpose.
According to the military’s media wing, the COAS had said the nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarisation, which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people. “Elections are not a zero-sum competition of winning and losing but an exercise to determine the mandate of the people.”
Responding to Gen Munir’s statement, Barrister Gohar said “healing touch” means there should be no political prisoners in the country.
This comment by the politician, who also represents Khan in his legal battles, came during an interview with Arab News, setting the tone for the party’s future moves as its candidates lead in the polls.
“[PTI] mandate has to be respected. Short of it there can be no healing touch.”
Gohar, while responding to the COAS’s “unified government” stance, added that it does not necessarily mean a coalition government.
“United government means that every party should be united in one thing, which is that you have to respect and regard people’s mandate first,” he said.
The politician, who won the general elections from the NA-10 constituency, added: “The people have spoken [through the vote] and for the first time they have spoken in a very tough situation [amid a crackdown against PTI].”
In the interview, the PTI chairman said that 95 out of the 102 total independent candidates were backed by the party and remained its loyalists. The PTI will also contest the results in “at least 50 seats” where it considers the results have been manipulated.
The lawyer-cum-politician maintained his party is “near victory in Punjab” and has “two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.
“We are actually close to the final figure in the Centre. We would be hopefully forming the government in the Center, as well as Punjab and the KP,” he added.
Gohar, like several other politicians, also complained about the delay in the release of results by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), even two days after the end of the polling process.
“We are giving time to the Election Commission [of Pakistan] to announce all the results by 12 [am] tonight [Sunday],” he warned.
“If they do not, then we are going to hold a peaceful protest in front of the RO [Returning Officer] offices in all those areas where elections [results] have not been announced or elections [results] have been withheld,” Gohar added,
Stating that the nation has decided in favour of the PTI, the politician also hinted at the possible release of the party’s founder in the coming days.
“I think we will go to the high court, these convictions [against Khan] would be set aside and he will be out soon,” said Gohar.
After Nawaz, Bilawal favours unity govt as PTI-linked independents dominate polls
Citing independent candidates with backing of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dominating polls after unofficial vote results poured in from across the country, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday spoke out in favour of forming a unity government.
The compilation process of 2024 election outcomes is still underway for more than 48 hours and each party’s position is changing every minute.
“A government should be formed with national unity to bring political stability,” Bilawal said while speaking to Geo News special transmission for election 2024, adding: “I want to end the politics of hate and division.”
After the recent polls, the politico said that the PPP is the only party with representation in all four provinces.
Complete results have not been released yet However, without the PPP, no government can be formed in Centre, Punjab and Balochistan.”
He thanked the nationals for casting their vote in large numbers. The former foreign minister also congratulated PPP supporters and voters for exhibiting confidence in the party’s leadership and candidates on the poll day.
“I cannot indulge in the old style of politics We want to bring political stability in our country.”
The PPP chief said that the decision for the next government will be taken by the party’s central executive committee (CEC) after the announcement of the final election results.
“It is in the country’s interest to build political unity as it would be difficult to resolve public issues without addressing the core national issue of political instability.”
Bilawal, whose party was a key ally to the former coalition government led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) after the ousting of ex-prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan via parliamentary vote in 2022, admitted that his party could not solely form the next government without a simple majority.
“I am not in a position to make any announcement. The nation is also looking towards the decision of the independent candidates,” said the politico as the independent candidates backed by the former ruling party were dominating the election results so far.
Commenting on the credibility of the nationwide electoral event, Bilawal said that he was not disappointed with the recent elections.
He, however, criticised that they were winning in Lahore with a big margin on February 8 at midnight but the situation was entirely changed in the morning.
To another question, the PPP chairman urged parties for joint efforts to form the next set-up in Balochistan province.
As per the unofficial and unconfirmed results, independent candidates backed by the Imran-led party were dominating the polls so far, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Bilawal-led party in third position on the party position chart for the National Assembly (NA) seats.
Citing the scenario, the PML-N and the PPP agreed to form a coalition government in the Centre and Punjab after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari, inviting them to work together for Pakistan, as per Geo News citing sources.
ECP announces date for re-polling in multiple polling stations
After alleged irregularities in different constituencies during the February 8 nationwide polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday ordered re-polling at specific polling stations.
The poll organising authority accomplished almost all challenging phases related to the conduct of nationwide elections on February 8, and now preparing to announce final vote results as the compilation process has been underway for more than 48 hours.
The commission had received complaints from parts of the country regarding snatching and damaging of voting material in some polling stations where the local election officials postponed the voting process.
In a fresh order, the top electoral body announced to hold re-polling in multiple polling stations on February 15. The vote outcomes of the aforementioned polling stations will be announced after the completion of the re-polling event.
The list of the constituencies and the number of polling stations are given below in which re-polling was ordered:
1. NA-88 Khushab-II — Punjab
Re-polling will be organised in 26 polling stations after a crowd of outrageous people torched voting material.
2. PS-18 Ghotki-I — Sindh
Re-polling will be held in the constituency’s two polling stations after unidentified persons snatched voting material on February 8 election day.
3. PK-90 Kohat-I — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The ECP ordered to conduct re-polling in 25 polling stations in the aforementioned constituency after terrorists damaged the voting material on the poll day.
Meanwhile, the top electoral body directed the regional election commissioner to submit a probe report in 3 days after receiving the complaints of vandalism at a polling station in NA-242 Karachi Keamari-I — Sindh.
Earlier, many parties who had shared parliamentary roles in previous governments raised questions on the credibility of results after it was delayed despite assurance from the election commission for timely releasing the official results.
The caretaker government and the top electoral body rejected the allegations of any deliberated delay in compiling and releasing final results after maintaining complex procedures to ensure their transparency.
May 9 riots: ATC grants bail to Imran Khan, Qureshi
RAWALPINDI: The bail petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and the party’s senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi were approved by an anti-terrorism court on Saturday in the 12 different May 9 riots cases registered against them.
Judge Malik Ijaz Asif issued the verdict on the pleas filed by both politicians.
Earlier today, the court also granted bail and ordered the release of Awami Mulsim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in the same case.
Shiraz Ahmed Ranjha, a PTI lawyer was representing Khan and Qureshi in the court, while the judge rejected the prosecution’s request to hold the hearing on another day.
The decision was issued after a hearing in the case was held on February 6. The court had summoned Khan, Qureshi and AML chief to appear earlier this week, the orders for which it gave during a hearing held on February 3.
On December 27, Qureshi was initially arrested in a General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case from Adiala jail, but later he was booked in 12 other cases related to violent May 9 protests, while Khan was arrested in the GHQ attack case on January 9.
The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after the deposed prime minister’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.
During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 “Black Day” and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
The approval of petitions by both politicians comes two days after the country witnessed the conduct of its 10th general elections on February 8.
Political leadership should rise above self-interests, synergise efforts to serve people: COAS
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Saturday said the political leadership and their workers should rise above self-interests and synergise efforts in governing and serving the people which is perhaps the only way to make democracy functional and purposeful.
General Asim Munir, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the diverse polity and pluralism of the country would be well-represented by a unified government of all democratic forces imbibed with national purpose, adding that the nation needed stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarisation which did not suit a progressive country of 250 million people.
“Elections are not a zero-sum competition of winning and losing but an exercise to determine the mandate of the people. Political leadership and their workers should rise above self-interests and synergise efforts in governing and serving the people which is perhaps the only way to make democracy functional and purposeful,” the army chief said, as per the military’s media wing.
He said elections and democracy are means to serve the people of Pakistan and not ends in themselves.
The COAS congratulated the entire Pakistani nation, the caretaker government, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), political parties and all the winning candidates on the successful conduct of the general elections 2024.
He said free and unhindered participation by Pakistani people to exercise their right to vote demonstrated their commitment to democracy and the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitution.
“Leadership and personnel of law-enforcement agencies deserve our highest appreciation for creating a safe and secure environment for the electoral process, despite overwhelming odds. The constructive role played by national media, civil society, members of civil administration and judiciary enabled the successful conduct of the largest electoral exercise in national history,” the army chief said.
He said as the people of Pakistan had reposed their combined trust in the constitution of Pakistan, it was now incumbent upon all political parties to reciprocate the same with political maturity and unity.
“As we move forward from this national milestone we must reflect on where the country stands today and where our rightful place should be in the comity of nations,” said the COAS wishing that the elections bring in political and economic stability and prove to be the harbinger of peace and prosperity for the country.
ECONOMY (PAKISTAN)
