Biden rallies for struggling Democrat in key governor’s race



International Desk
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US President Joe Biden on Tuesday threw his weight behind the struggling Democratic candidate in Virginia's closely watched election for governor, urging a crowd to defeat Republican "extremism."

Standing by Terry McAuliffe, whose slide in the polls has put Democrats on red alert for a wider Republican comeback in next year's midterm battle for Congress, Biden mocked the Republican opponent as an "acolyte of Donald Trump."

“You've had the courage and the wisdom to reject the extremism that has taken over the Republican Party all across America," Biden told the crowd in Arlington, a Virginia city in the Democrat-heavy suburbs of Washington, DC.

“Today's Republican Party stands for nothing but just keep cutting taxes for the wealthy and the most powerful corporations."

On paper, McAuliffe, 64, should have a relatively easy run in a week's time against Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Already a former Virginia governor and seeking to succeed the outgoing Democrat, McAuliffe is the closest thing to an incumbent in a state where Biden trounced Trump in the presidential election 12 months ago.

Instead, Youngkin is tied with McAuliffe in the polls, eying an upset victory on November 2 that would energize his party's push to regain control of Congress in the 2022 midterms.

Worried, Democrats are deploying all their big guns.

Popular former president Barack Obama has already campaigned for McAuliffe and Vice President Kamala Harris is headed to Virginia on Friday.

“Vote, vote, vote," Biden said. "Show up for democracy, for Virginia, for the United States of America."

Part of the problem for the Democrats in Virginia and across the country is simply cyclical. They can expect to lose Congress in next year's midterms because that is almost always what happens to the party of the sitting president.

But the other problem is that Biden himself is no longer popular.

Although Biden beat Trump by 10 percentage points in the 2020 election in Virginia, Democratic enthusiasm has slipped and Biden is struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficulties of a Congress where his party is only barely in the majority.

The latest Gallup approval rating of just 42 percent nationally makes Biden the most unpopular president ever at this stage in an administration--except for Trump.

Game changer? 

Still, the White House hopes that Biden's divided party will come to a deal in Congress on authorizing trillions of dollars in public spending--a game- changer just in time for election day.

“We are going to get those things done," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday.

Congress, where the Democrats control the Senate by one vote and the House by only a handful, has been haggling for months over Biden's ambitious attempt to rebuild US infrastructure and social support networks.

The $1.2 trillion bill would revamp America's crumbling roads and bridges.

A second package that would pour even more money into education, childcare and other social issues is under fierce debate. Biden's initial $3.5 trillion price tag is being whittled down to something likely to be under $2 trillion.

Psaki said the messy negotiations reflect "the realities of governing" but insisted that Democrats should not be disheartened when they go to the polls.

"These are all components of what the president ran on and what we promised and they all would make a huge impact on people's lives across the country," she said.

“So do you want to be a part of that or do you want to be a part of nothing? Because these are the alternatives.”

   

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari passes away



International Desk, Barta24.com
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Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a heart attack.

The 63-year-old politician died on Thursday (March 28) around 8:30 pm while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Earlier, the jail authorities took him to the district's Rani Durgavati Medical College Hospital after he fainted in the jail last Tuesday. Later a team of nine doctors provided immediate medical attention to him. But, despite their best efforts, he died after 14 hours in the ICU.

Indian media NDTV reported that this 5-time MP from Uttar Pradesh has been in jail since 2005.

A large contingent of police was deployed outside the hospital soon after Ansari was taken to the hospital and prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been issued across Uttar Pradesh following his death, news agency PTI reported.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said additional policemen have been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts as well as Central Reserve Police Force.

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The ICJ ordered Israel to take steps to stop the famine in Gaza



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to take necessary and effective measures to stop the spread of famine in the besieged Palestinian Gaza Strip.

On Thursday (March 28), the International Court of Justice unanimously gave the order to Israel. But Hamas leaders say a ceasefire is necessary to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

South Africa asked the court for new measures as part of a case accusing Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza. Later the court gave this order.

The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take necessary and effective measures to ensure basic food supplies for the Palestinian population and to stop the spread of famine, Reuters reported. The order came as Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters battled around Gaza's Al Shifa hospital.

The people of Gaza are going to face worse conditions, the court judges said. The court observed that the people of Gaza are not only at risk of famine but that famine has already begun, the judges said in the order.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said the verdict was not enough. Israel must be ordered to cease military attacks to end the suffering.

He added, "We welcome any new demands to end the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, but we hope that the court will order a ceasefire as a solution to the misery our people in Gaza are living through."

There was no immediate comment from Israel's Foreign Ministry on the International Court of Justice ruling.

The UN Security Council voted on Tuesday to demand an immediate ceasefire and the immediate unconditional release of all hostages. The United States abstained from voting, but did not veto.

 

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76 more killed in Gaza, death toll rises to nearly 32,500



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Even after the UN Security Council passed a cease-fire resolution, the Israeli barbaric attacks on the Palestinian-besieged Gaza have not stopped. Another 76 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours by Israeli attacks. The death toll has increased to about 32,500 people. The number of injured has reached about 75000 people.

Al-Jazeera reported this information in a live update on Thursday (March 28).

Quoting the Ministry of Health of Gaza, the report said that since last October, the number of dead in Palestine has reached 32490 in the Israeli barbaric attack in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, an emergency ceasefire resolution was passed in the besieged Gaza Strip. The resolution passed by the UN Security Council on Monday (March 25) calls for a cease-fire in Gaza as well as the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.

In this proposal, 14 countries of the Security Council voted in favor of the proposal. Israel's close ally, the United States, abstained from voting.

Welcoming the proposal, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, after a long wait, the Security Council has passed a resolution regarding the cease-fire in Gaza. This proposal must be implemented. Failure of any party to implement the ceasefire and its terms would constitute an unforgivable offence. 

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Israel wants to wipe out Palestinians: UN



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Gazans are going through one of the worst times in living memory. The lives of Palestinians are in danger due to the long-term killings and severe food shortages. The world is criticizing the surprise attack on the destitute Gazans. However, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu is unwilling to stop the attack. In this situation, the international organization, which could not find any solution after repeated efforts, said that Israel is going to wipe out the Palestinians.

On Monday (March 25), the special envoy for human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanez, released her detailed report. She said that since the start of the attack, Israel has targeted Gazans. The Israeli forces assumed that these Gazans could be attacked, killed, or even destroyed. Israel's genocidal action has become clear through this. They are trying to erase Palestinians from Palestine.

The news agency AFP reported this information.

According to the report, Albanez attacked Israel in harsh language at the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council. She said Israel destroyed Gaza. She also said, 'What is happening in Gaza shows the intention of genocide. We cannot turn away from it. We have to face it, we have to stop this genocide and action must be taken against those who took this step.''

Francesca Albanez is working as Special Envoy for Palestinian Human Rights. She told the United Nations Human Rights Council last Monday that the organization's member states should end arms embargoes against Israel and arms supplies to Israel.

Support for the UN expert panel, which has been working on allegations of genocide against Israel since the start of Israel's assault on Gaza, has been growing in Palestine. Various countries are now showing interest in investigating the allegations of genocide.

Ambassadors of different countries are supporting this report of Albanez. Ambassadors from Muslim and Arab countries, as well as Latin American countries, are among those supporting Albanez's report to hold Israel accountable.

Pakistan has supported this Albanez report on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The OIC has also called for an arms embargo on Israel. When Albanez presented the report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Pakistan's representative said, "We appreciate your courage in documenting the genocide in Gaza."

Accusations of genocide against Israel are intensifying as it continues to operate in Gaza's Rafah area in defiance of international calls. The Ministry of Health of Palestine said on Wednesday that 76 people were killed in the attack in the last 24 hours. With this, 32490 people have been killed in Israel's attacks since October 7.

The representative of Egypt, on behalf of the Arab countries, said they were deeply concerned about Israel's structural and systematic attack on the Gaza Strip, making it uninhabitable. Qatar represented the Gulf countries in the meeting. They want international action to stop the war that Israel is waging in Palestine. 

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