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Supporters of jailed ex-PM rally in Pakistan despite police crackdown

Supporters of jailed ex-PM rally in Pakistan despite police crackdown

Demonstrators rally, demanding Imran Khan be released from jail despite a ban on protests and police crackdown. Supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have rallied in Islamabad to push for Khan’s release as the police blocked roads, cut off mobile internet and fired tear gas to deter the protesters. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Saturday claimed that the party leader from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province, Ali Amin Gandapur, has been abducted and unlawfully detained. But Al Jazeera could not independently verify the claim. Gandapur, the chief minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was leading thousands of protesters who camped on Islamabad-Peshwar highway on Friday overnight. Police used teas gas as they attempted to enter the city. This is the latest in a series of protests held by supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which has faced a crackdown from authorities. The PTI, which says the Islamabad protest is just for one day, also held a gathering in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday, where a lockdown of roads was in place. “I am so proud of all our people,” said a message from Khan posted on the social media site X on Saturday afternoon. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the protesters of clashing with police. “Over 80 police officers have been injured in the clashes,” he said. Naqvi had previously called on the PTI to delay any gathering until after diplomatic engagements in the city, including a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on October 15-16 which will be attended by delegations, including from China, Russia and India. PTI activists began driving to Islamabad on Friday from his powerbase in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, but encountered shipping container roadblocks and volleys of tear gas. Naqvi said the authorities had intelligence that the protesters planned to disrupt the SCO conference in a bid to gain attention. “We can’t allow this. I will say to them again, to not cross more red lines – don’t make us take extreme steps,” Naqvi said. ‘Worrying clampdown’ Amnesty International said the communications cuts and road blockades “infringe on people’s right to freedom of expression, access to information, peaceful assembly and movement”. “These restrictions are part of a worrying clampdown on the right to protest in Pakistan,” the rights group said. The social media site X has also been blocked across Pakistan since after the election in February, when mobile internet was likewise cut on polling day and PTI has alleged widespread vote-tampering took place. The 72-year-old Khan served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, when he was deposed in a parliamentary no-confidence vote after falling out with the powerful military establishment, widely considered Pakistan’s political kingmakers. He was imprisoned in August last year on several charges. Though his conviction in most cases has either been overturned or suspended, he continues to remain in jail, facing trial in other cases he claims have been orchestrated to prevent his return to power. Khan was barred from standing in the February elections, which the PTI alleges were rigged. Several other countries had raised “serious concerns” about the fairness of the vote, but election authorities in Pakistan have denied the charges. Last month, several PTI lawmakers were arrested on the premises of Pakistan’s parliament. Adblock test (Why?)

DRC launches first mpox vaccination drive in efforts to curb outbreak

DRC launches first mpox vaccination drive in efforts to curb outbreak

The vaccine will first be given to health workers and those with existing health issues. The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched its first vaccination campaign against mpox in the eastern city of Goma, which was hit the hardest by an outbreak. Vaccines were first administered to hospital staff on Saturday, with the wider vaccine drive due to start on Monday in the east of the country, where the current outbreak began last year. On Friday, the DRC Ministry of Public Health warned that the vaccine campaign would be limited due to few resources. So far, only 265,000 doses are available. “As you can imagine, in a country of 100 million people, we’re not going to solve the problem with 265,000 doses,” Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba told a news conference on Friday. He added that the aim of the drive was to target priority groups, including those with existing health issues and health workers. More doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive from France, Japan and the United States. Last month, US President Joe Biden said Washington plans to donate one million doses of the mpox vaccine to African nations. World Health Organization’s Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti said in a statement that the vaccine rollout marks “an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities”. Since the start of 2024, the DRC has reported more than 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases of mpox, and 900 deaths, the World Health Organization said. The virus can spread through close contact with an infected person or animal. Once contracted, the virus typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. In August, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency after discovering a new, more infectious variant, named clade Ib. According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, mpox has been detected in 16 African countries so far this year. On Friday, the WHO announced that it had approved a PCR test to detect mpox by swabbing skin lesions. Kamba said the WHO pledged about 4,500 tests for the DRC but did not provide an arrival date. Adblock test (Why?)

‘Willful coverup’: Democrat in key House race hit with ethics complaint that could derail campaign

‘Willful coverup’: Democrat in key House race hit with ethics complaint that could derail campaign

FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic House candidate in one of the most closely watched races in the country was the subject of an ethics complaint alleging that she had failed to act on allegations of sexual harassment and assault against a man working with her campaign. Fox News Digital obtained a complaint filed with the state’s Legislative Equality Office against Janelle Bynum, running for Congress in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, alleging that Bynum had failed to be a mandatory reporter of allegations against a man working for the PAC that staffed her State Representative campaign in 2022.  The complaint also alleged that when confronted about the alleged actions, Bynum was dismissive and even threatened the individual who had reached out to her. “During the 2024 primary election, I was contacted by an informant with information about Rep. Bynum and her willful coverup of a sexual assault of a minor volunteer who worked for her during the 2022 cycle,” the complaint reads.  DEM HOUSE CANDIDATE INTRODUCED ‘SOFT-ON-CRIME’ BILL BACKED BY DEFUND-POLICE GROUPS: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’ The complainant claims to have “personally spoken” with two former staff members who alleged that they had reported inappropriate sexual behavior by a field organizer “directly” to Bynum, along with two others associated with the campaign, “only for nothing to be done.” “For me, the primary issue here is that all Legislators are mandatory reporters,” the complaint says. “Bynum received credible information regarding one of her campaign staff sexually harassing and assaulting young volunteers, and not only did she not report it, but she also threatened to report the person who blew the whistle. . . .” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Bynum campaign spokesperson said, “This attempt to smear Rep. Bynum is not based in reality. As a mom of two young women and a legislator who has spent her career advocating for others, Rep. Bynum takes this subject personally — which is why she flagged these accusations directly to the accuser’s employer, Future PAC, as soon as she was made aware of them after the 2022 election.” “It’s also why she’s openly aided the Legislative Equity Office’s investigation into the matter. Rep. Bynum expected Future PAC to deal with these accusations fairly and swiftly and to ensure their employees’ well-being and safety. If Future PAC did anything less, that is unacceptable.”  The Bynum campaign shared an email exchange between Bynum and the Legislative Equity Office on September 20 in which the office told her she is “not being investigated” by the office. However, two sources familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that state police have conducted interviews regarding the complaint which was recently forwarded to them in the last couple of weeks. The nature and scope of that investigation is not known at this time. Fox News Digital obtained text messages between a former Bynum campaign manager and Bynum in which Bynum appeared to show little interest in bringing attention to the alleged impropriety against her former staffer. “I asked you not to send me anything and I meant that,” Bynum says in a November 17th text in response to a warning from a former campaign manager about the staffer harassing women associated with the campaign. “I really can’t take anything else on my plate.” The former campaign manager continued pressing the issue a few days later. MCDONALD’S FRANCHISE OWNER BACKED BY TOP DEMS WINS KEY PRIMARY THAT COULD SWING CONTROL OF CONGRESS “While as unfortunate as this may be for you or [redacted] I am NOT siting (sic) by while someone like this gets off scott free treating young women abusively like that,” the former campaign manager texted Bynum on November 21, 2022. “If he gets a job down there this won’t be the last you hear of it I promise.” Bynum responds by asking, “Are you threatening me?” “Woah, easy there,” the former campaign manager responds. “I am promising you and anyone else that I am not OK with someone treating young women like that.” “I’ll consider reporting your actions,” Bynum responded. “Thank you for letting me know.” In another text thread on November 14, 2022, a FuturePAC staffer says, “It’s best we handle telling Janelle” and says we will “certainly flag” the concerns. It is unclear the exact date that Bynum flagged the concerns through the appropriate channels, but two sources familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that the accused staffer has continued to be associated with FuturePAC in the last couple of years and held a position with the Oregon State Legislature after the 2022 campaign. FuturePAC did not respond to an inquiry related to this allegation shared with Fox News Digital. OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PRIORITIZES LOOPHOLES OVER COMPENSATION, ADVOCATES ARGUE Fox News Digital reviewed text messages between Bynum and a FuturePAC staffer between November 22, four days after the text exchange with the former campaign manager, and November 30 where she attempted to get him on the phone about an unspecified matter.  Two sources familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that multiple staffers at FuturePAC, a campaign arm of Oregon House Democrats that staffs local campaigns, were aware of concerns and allegations against the individual during the campaign but told staffers it would be addressed after the campaign concluded. A spokesperson for FuturePAC denied these allegations. “To our knowledge, during the 2022 cycle no official complaints that would have triggered [an] investigation under the contract were made regarding the staff assigned to Rep. Bynum’s campaign,” a FuturePAC spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “FuturePAC hires and manages the campaign staff working on campaigns that we are supporting — as such, campaign staffers are FuturePAC employees, not employees of individual candidates. We take all allegations regarding staff conduct during campaign work seriously.” “Our union contract agreement with the Campaign Workers Guild requires official complaints and investigations to be handled through FuturePAC — campaigns and candidates are not allowed to be responsible for investigations of any workplace conduct. To our

Rescuers in Bosnia search for people missing in deadly floods

Rescuers in Bosnia search for people missing in deadly floods

At least 13 people have been killed in the Jablanica area due to flash floods and landslides. Rescue teams are digging through rubble and searching for people missing after the worst flash floods and landslides in years hit parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens. The spokesperson for the government of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Darko Juka, said on Saturday that 13 people were killed in the Jablanica area due to the collapse of a hill, landslides and floods in the region. “On Friday, we reported a figure of 16, but after reviewing the data and assessing the situation on the ground, the number has been corrected to 13,” Juka said at a news conference. The Jablanica area is 70km (43.5 miles) southwest of the capital, Sarajevo. Earlier on Saturday, N1 TV had reported 21 people had died and dozens were missing. A spokesperson for the Mountain Rescue Service, whose teams are involved in the searches, said some villages were still inaccessible and “we don’t know what we will find there.” Heavy rain overnight halted rescue efforts before they resumed on Saturday, Bosnian media reported. Al Jazeera’s Arduana Pribinja, reporting from the village of Donja Jablanica, said people in the area were in “deep shock”, adding that the floods and landslides that hit on Friday had caught many by surprise. “People here told me that everything happened too fast and they didn’t have time to evacuate,” she said. A drone view shows a flooded residential area and mosque in Donja Jablanica on October 4, 2024 [Amel Emric/Reuters] In Donja Jablanica, many houses were under rubble. Alka Glusic, 74, lost a brother and his three immediate family members. She had stayed in another house with her sister. “That house [her brother’s] is gone now. There is no one there,” Glusic told the Reuters news agency. Pribinja said public anger is now shifting towards the government because some suspect “human factors” contributed to the tragedy. “There is a quarry here, … and it seems that the sudden rainfall stripped the stone and rubble that triggered the landslide,” she said. Bosnia’s Central Election Commission decided to postpone local elections this weekend in municipalities affected by the floods but to carry on with voting elsewhere. The Bosnian Football Association has postponed all matches across the country. Meteorologists say extreme weather can be attributed to climate change. Human-caused climate change, for example, increases the intensity of rainfall because warm air holds more moisture. This summer, the Balkans were also hit by long-lasting record temperatures, causing a drought. Scientists said the dried-out land has hampered the absorption of floodwaters. Flooding was also reported in Croatia and Montenegro this week but caused less damage and no fatalities. Adblock test (Why?)

Israel issues new evacuation order in Gaza as attacks on Nuseirat kill 12

Israel issues new evacuation order in Gaza as attacks on Nuseirat kill 12

Palestinians living near Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza told to leave as Israel prepares to use ‘great force’ against Hamas. Israel has issued a new warning to thousands of displaced Palestinians sheltering in central Gaza, saying its military is preparing to use “great force” against Hamas in the area as it continues to pummel the besieged strip with attacks that have killed at least 12 people since Saturday morning. The evacuation call issued on Saturday is the first in weeks for Gaza, signalling another possible humanitarian crisis with a new wave of mass displacement as Israel’s war approaches its one-year mark, having killed at least 41,825 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded at least 96,910. A map showing the areas to be evacuated was attached to the order posted on the social media platform X by the Israeli army. They are near the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land that Israeli forces occupy and that separates northern Gaza from southern Gaza. The area has been previously evacuated due to deadly Israeli attacks. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, said that before the warning, Israel carried out deadly bombardments of the area. In the Nuseirat refugee camp, Israel hit a home and killed six members of a family, Khoudary reported. She said another attack hit tents belonging to displaced Palestinians in Deir el-Balah, resulting in more fatalities, including a 13-year-old boy. “Beit Hanoon in the northern Gaza Strip has also been targeted by Israeli forces,” Khoudary said, adding that ground operations were also under way in the eastern part of the Palestinian territory. “Everyone here is traumatised. Everyone here is drained and exhausted. Everyone here is sad,” Khoudary said. Israeli army now ordering new forced evacuation pic.twitter.com/pE603GCdZv — Hind Khoudary (@Hind_Gaza) October 5, 2024 As the latest evacuation order was issued, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi renewed his call for ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon, where fighting continues to rage between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, as he held talks with officials from Iran’s ally Syria on Saturday. “The most important issue today is the ceasefire, especially in Lebanon and in Gaza,” he told reporters. “There are initiatives in this regard. There have been consultations that we hope will be successful.” Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced at least once since Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7 after deadly Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced several times. The Israeli military has often returned to areas where it has previously conducted operations in response to reports of Hamas activity. Cultural sites in the Palestinian territory have also paid a heavy price in the war, the United Nations cultural organisation said. On Saturday, UNESCO said it has verified damage to 69 sites in Gaza over the past year: 10 religious sites, 43 buildings of historical and artistic interest, two depositories of moveable cultural property, six monuments, one museum and seven archaeological sites. Adblock test (Why?)

One Year in Gaza: Nowhere Safe

One Year in Gaza: Nowhere Safe

Palestinian stories of survival during Israel’s war on Gaza. A doctor, first responder, social media content creator and a child share their experiences of the war on Gaza. From October 2023, they survive under Israeli bombardment, revealing moments of strength and vulnerability. They are all displaced because their homes have been destroyed by Israeli air strikes. As the doctor flees south, contact is lost. For the others, impossible choices must be made under unimaginable circumstances as the months passing turn into a year. As the war intensifies, nowhere is safe. While sheltering in makeshift tents, schools and refugee compounds, they do not know if they or their loved ones will live to see another day. All of their stories reveal their humanity in times of war. Adblock test (Why?)