news

HeadlinesFebruary 27, 2018

Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to Trump’s Efforts to Cancel DACA

The Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to President Trump’s efforts to rescind DACA, the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gives at least 700,000 young immigrants permission to live and work in the United States. On Monday, the court refused to hear a White House appeal of lower court rulings saying Trump’s move to cancel the program was unconstitutional. Monday’s decision by the Supreme Court means the legal challenges to DACA’s cancellation will continue to work their way up through the courts. In the meantime, DACA recipients will be shielded from deportation and allowed to continue to renew their protected status. But Monday’s move by the Supreme Court does not resolve the future of the program. A group of undocumented activists are currently on a 250-mile walk from New York City to Washington, D.C., to demand Congress pass a permanent solution to DACA and protect young undocumented immigrants.

Trump Claims He Would Run into a Building to Stop a School Shooting

President Trump met with governors Monday to discuss gun control, even as he bowed to demands by the National Rifle Association to back away from proposals to increase the age for purchasing an assault-style rifle and to change the rules on bump stocks. At the meeting with the governors, President Trump also claimed that he would have run into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the February 14 mass shooting, in which 17 people were killed by a former student.

President Donald Trump: “You know, I really believe—you don’t know until you’re tested, but I think—I really believe I’d run in there, even if I didn’t have a weapon. And I think most of the people in this room would have done that, too, because I know most of you. But the way they performed was—was really a disgrace.”

President Trump also said he had lunch with the leaders of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox, over the weekend, and that lawmakers shouldn’t be “afraid” of the NRA.

President Donald Trump: “Don’t worry about the NRA. They’re on our side. You guys, half of you are so afraid of the NRA. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Slams Trump’s Idea to Arm Teachers

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Washington state Governor Jay Inslee spoke out against President Trump’s proposals to arm teachers to deter mass shootings.

Gov. Jay Inslee: “I’ve listened to the first grade teachers that don’t want to be pistol-packing first grade teachers. I’ve listened to law enforcement who have said they don’t want to have to train teachers as law enforcement agencies, which takes about six months. Now I just think this is a circumstance where we need to listen, that educators should educate, and they should not be foisted upon this responsibility of packing heat in first grade classes. Now, I understand you have suggested this. And we suggest things, and sometimes then we listen to people about it, maybe they don’t look so good a little later. So I just suggest we need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening.”

This all comes as, in Florida, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is facing increasing calls to resign over his department’s inability to stop the mass school shooting, which included his department’s failure to take seriously dozens of previous calls about the gunman, Nikolas Cruz, about whom residents had expressed fears for years. One of his deputies, Scot Peterson, has resigned after details emerged that he took cover outside the school during the shooting. He is now claiming that he didn’t enter the school because he thought the shooting was happening outside.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Threatens to Retaliate Against Delta for Stopping Discount to NRA

nd Georgia’s Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has attacked the airline company Delta, after it said it would stop offering discounted prices to NRA members—becoming one of a slew of companies to break ties with the NRA. In response, the lieutenant governor, who leads the Georgia state Senate, said Republican lawmakers would retaliate by eliminating a $50 million sales tax exemption on jet fuel which benefits Delta. The shipping company FedEx, however, says it will not drop its discounted prices for the NRA, despite pressure from activists.

WH Aide Ivanka Trump: “Inappropriate” to Ask Her About Reports of Father’s Sexual Assault

White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump, who is also President Trump’s daughter, refused to answer questions about the slew of sexual harassment and assault allegations against the president. Ivanka Trump has positioned herself as one of the key people within the Trump administration working on policies related to women and gender equality. Yet, when asked in an NBC interview about the 19 women who have accused Trump of sexual harassment or assault, Ivanka said the question was “inappropriate.”

Peter Alexander: “Do you believe your father’s accusers?”

Ivanka Trump: “I think it’s a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father, when he has affirmatively stated that there is no truth to it. I don’t think that’s a question you would ask many other daughters. I believe my father. I know my father. So I think I have that right as a daughter to believe my father.”

That’s Ivanka Trump, a senior White House adviser, who has just returned from South Korea, where she led the United States in the Winter Olympics closing ceremony.

Trump Proposes Appointing His Private Pilot to Head Federal Aviation Authority

President Trump is proposing appointing his private pilot to head the Federal Aviation Authority. The FAA has an annual budget of $16 billion and is responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation in the United States. Members of the aviation industry widely said Trump’s personal pilot John Dunkin lacks the experience to head the agency. One anonymous lobbyist told Politico, “The only person that thinks it’s a good idea, from what I gather, is the president.”

Syrian Gov’t Continues Airstrikes & Shelling in Eastern Ghouta During 5-Hour Truce

In Syria, activists say the Syrian government is continuing to carry out airstrikes and artillery shelling in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, despite a daily 5-hour “pause” in the fighting ordered by Russia, the Syrian government’s main backer. Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has expressed support for British airstrikes targeting the Syrian government, if there is “incontrovertible evidence” that the regime has carried out chemical attacks. The United Nations and Syrian and international human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons, a charge the Syrian government denies

China Drops Presidential Term Limits, Clearing Path for Xi to Serve Indefinitely

China announced unexpectedly Sunday it was dropping presidential term limits, clearing the way for President Xi Jinping to serve indefinitely. The announcement overturns decades-old term limits in China. Meanwhile, the prominent Chinese human rights lawyer Li Baiguang has died in a state-run hospital in Nanjing. Chinese human rights organizations are calling for an independent investigation into his death.

Congo: Soldiers Kill 4 People Protesting Delay of Elections & Kabila’s Extended Rule

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, government soldiers shot and killed at least four anti-government protesters on Sunday during nationwide protests against President Joseph Kabila’s extended rule. Kabila’s term ended in 2016, but elections have repeatedly been postponed, allowing him to hold on to power.

Israeli Soldiers Arrest 10 Members of Ahed Tamimi’s Family, Including Cousin Shot by IDF

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers raided the village of Nabi Saleh and arrested 10 members of the prominent activist family, the Tamimis, including 15-year-old Muhammad Tamimi, who was previously shot in the face by Israeli soldiers. The Tamimi family has gained international attention after a video went viral of Muhammad’s 17-year-old cousin Ahed Tamimi slapping an Israeli soldier after learning her cousin had been shot in the face. He is scheduled to have reconstructive surgery on his skull next week. Ahed has been held in an Israeli military prison for months and is currently facing a dozen charges in a military courtroom.

Haaretz: Israeli Prosecutor’s Office Directly Links PM Netanyahu to Bezeq Bribery Case

There’s a major development in one of the multiple corruption investigations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The newspaper Haaretz is reporting the State Prosecutor’s Office has for the first time directly linked Netanyahu to the bribery scandal involving communications giant Bezeq Group, aimed at securing more favorable media coverage for Netanyahu and his family. A number of members of Netanyahu’s inner circle have already been arrested.

ACLU: Jailed Mexican Immigrant Was Beaten and Put in Solitary for Joining a Hunger Strike

Back in the United States, in Washington state, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a jailed Mexican immigrant who says he was beaten and put into solitary for joining a hunger strike. Jesus Chavez Flores is one of 120 immigrants detained by ICE at the Northwest Detention Center who went on a hunger strike to protest conditions at the facility, which is run by the private for-profit GEO Group. Flores was able to record a video message after he was beaten.

Jesus Chavez Flores: “They hit my friend in Unit C-3. They hit me, and they hit another friend, Benito Vasquez. When the guard comes toward me, I’m afraid to encounter him. It’s a guard that when I pass him in the hall, I feel fear, because he is a rough person who should not be working here in these centers, because they are here to take care of us, not to beat us. Just look at how he left my eye.”

Court Rules Civil Rights Law Prohibits Employers from Sexual Orientation Discrimination

In a legal victory for the LGBT community, a federal appeals court has ruled a key civil rights law prohibits employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation. The case involved a gay skydiving instructor who had filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging his firing violated part of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act. Monday’s ruling is also a blow to the Trump administration’s Justice Department, which unexpectedly intervened in the case against the gay skydiver.

Georgia: Reality Leigh Winner to Appear in Court Tuesday

In Georgia, U.S. intelligence contractor Reality Leigh Winner is slated to appear in court today in Augusta. She’s pleaded not guilty on charges of leaking a top-secret document claiming Russian military intelligence conducted a cyberattack on at least one U.S. voting software company just days before the November 2016 election. During today’s court hearing, Winner’s lawyers are set to ask the judge to exclude her statements to FBIagents the day she was arrested, arguing she was denied her Miranda rights

NBA Golden State Warriors Meet with D.C. Kids, Not President Trump

In sports news, members of the NBA championship team the Golden State Warriors are meeting with kids in Washington, D.C., today, instead of meeting with President Trump, as a protest against the administration. Last September, Trump rescinded the customary invitation to the championship team after its star player, Stephen Curry, spoke out against the president and said he would not visit the White House.

Indian Superstar Actress Sridevi Dies at 54

In art and entertainment news, Bollywood fans around the world are mourning the death of superstar Indian actress Sridevi, who died on Saturday at the age of 54 while attending a family wedding in Dubai. She’s one of the Indian film industry’s most famous actresses, widely credited with changing the role of women in the industry. She pushed for equal pay and equal screen time for women. Among those mourning her death is political rapper and singer M.I.A., who tweeted, “Sad to Loose the legend #SRIDEVI its like losing a legend like Michael Jackson for me . she did so much for #Tamil women and Indian movie industry and brown people everywhere. RIP for now but Hurry up and come back!!!!

Health Advocate & Anti-TPP Activist Zahara Heckscher Dies at 53 of Breast Cancer

And activist and cancer patient Zahara Heckscher has died at the age of 53. Heckscher was repeatedly arrested protesting against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as the TPP, and its so-called death sentence clause, which would have extended drug company monopolies on medicines. This is Zahara Heckscher speaking on Democracy Now! about her mother, who also died of breast cancer.

Zahara Heckscher: “I was only 11 when she died of breast cancer, and that was before these drugs were available. She only lived one year after she was diagnosed, and that’s what breast cancer means without access to the modern medicines, the biologics and the other emerging medicines that, for example, have kept me alive for seven years so far and still going strong. So I know very personally what it means when people don’t have access to the medicines. And I also know that breast cancer, it’s not about just the individual patients, it’s about the family. And for me, I’m fighting for my son to have a mom as much as I’m fighting for myself and for other women and their families.”

That’s activist, mother and writer Zahara Heckscher, who died from breast cancer at the age of 53 on Saturday in Maryland.

10 things you need to know today:February 27, 2018

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

SIGN UP FOR

Our '10 things you need to
know' newsletter

1. 

Trump confirms plan to ban bump stocks in meeting with governors

President Trump confirmed to state governors during a Monday meeting that he plans to ban bump stocks, accessories that modify semiautomatic rifles to fire faster, like fully automatic weapons. "I don't care if Congress does it or not, I'm writing it out myself," Trump said. Bump stocks were used in the massacre of 58 people in Las Vegas last year, but not in this month's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and teachers were killed. Trump also reiterated his plan to arm schoolteachers, and urged governors not to be "afraid of the NRA." Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) pushed back, saying, "I just suggest we need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening." [Politico, Reuters]

2. 

Supreme Court declines to consider request to lift DACA injunctions

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a White House request to overturn lower court rulings temporarily blocking President Trump's order to dismantle an Obama-era program protecting some young immigrants from deportation. Trump ordered an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, but federal district courts in New York and California said the protections for 700,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children should remain in place until court challenges are settled. The Supreme Court's decision to stay out of the matter means the young immigrants, known as "DREAMers," will remain in limbo but safe from deportation until the court cases are resolved or Congress acts to restore the protections, which Trump had ordered to expire on March 5. [The New York Times]

3. 

Russia to broker temporary truce in Syria's Eastern Ghouta

Russia said that it would help broker a temporary "truce" in Syria's rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region, where more than 500 people have been killed in a week-long bombardment by government forces. Russia proposed a five-hour daily truce, and an "evacuation corridor" to allow remaining civilians in the area to escape the shelling. The move by Moscow followed a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to approve a cease-fire resolution Saturday. Syrian government forces continued their airstrikes after the vote, however, killing at least 22 people on Sunday. [Reuters, The Washington Post]

4. 

Trump says he would have run into school building to stop shooting

President Trump said Monday that he would have rushed into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, during the mass shooting that killed 17 people, "even if I didn't have a weapon." Trump said it was "disgusting" that the Broward County sheriff's deputy assigned to the school, Scot Peterson, didn't go into the building during the attack. Peterson quit after the incident but his attorney said his client had not acted in an unprofessional or cowardly manner. The lawyer, Joseph DiRuzzo, said Peterson did not go inside during the shooting because it sounded like the shots were coming from outside. [The Washington Post]

5. 

Supreme Court justices split on challenge over mandatory union fees

The Supreme Court's liberal and conservative wings clashed Monday over mandatory union fees for non-members covered under collective bargaining agreements. Under a 1977 ruling, states can let public-sector unions demand fees from non-members, as long as the money goes to representing workers and not political activities. Mark Janus, an Illinois government employee backed by conservative groups, says the policy forces him to support union political causes he opposes. "When you compel somebody to speak, don't you infringe that person's dignity," said conservative Justice Samuel Alito. "You're basically arguing: Do away with unions," liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Trump and is expected to give conservatives the deciding vote to end the fees, was silent during the arguments. [Bloomberg, The Washington Post]

6. 

Education Department investigates Michigan State's handling of Nassar abuse cases

The Education Department said Monday that it is investigating Michigan State University's handling of sexual assault allegations against Larry Nassar, a former gymnastics team doctor who has been sentenced to decades in prison for molesting patients and possessing child pornography. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos called Nassar's crimes "unimaginable," and said investigators would examine "systemic issues" about how Michigan State responded to complaints about him. DeVos said the university's acting president, John Engler, had ordered employees to cooperate fully. Nassar also served as a team doctor for USA Gymnastics, which also faces scrutiny over its handling of reports of Nassar's abuse of young athletes. [The Associated Press]

7. 

Georgia conservatives threaten to block Delta tax cut over NRA snub

Republicans in Georgia's Senate on Monday threatened to kill a tax break for Delta Air Lines over its decision to end a partnership that offered flight discounts to members of the National Rifle Association. The state House had already approved the tax bill, which could result in a $40 million benefit for Delta. State Sen. Rick Jeffares (R) said stripping the tax break would "let Delta know their attack on the NRA and our 2nd Amendment is unacceptable." Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle (R) vowed to block any tax break for Delta, which is headquartered in Atlanta, unless the airline restores the NRA discount. Numerous companies have cut ties with the NRA since the Florida school shooting. FedEx said Monday it would resist pressure to do so. [USA Today, The New York Times]

8. 

Melania Trump praises students for speaking out after school shooting

First lady Melania Trump praised students who have launched a demand for gun control legislation in response to the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead. "I have been heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change," she said at a White House luncheon she hosted for the spouses of U.S. governors. "They are our future and they deserve a voice." Her comments contradicted claims by some right-wing critics who have sought to discredit the young activists with conspiracy theories calling them "crisis actors" or stooges of anti-gun liberals. President Trump last week hosted students and parents at the White House and proposed making schools safer by arming teachers, an idea panned by critics. [The Washington Post]

9. 

Trump aide Hope Hicks to testify to House panel investigating Russia

White House communications director Hope Hicks is expected to testifyprivately before the House Intelligence Committee early Tuesday as part of the inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Hicks has been close to President Trump for years, and she will likely be asked about the campaign, transition, and the last year in the White House. Several other Trump associates, including former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, have refused to answer questions posed by the committee. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the committee, said it was unclear whether Hicks would answer questions or "stonewall." [CBS News, The Hill]

10. 

Melania Trump drops adviser after backlash over inaugural contract

Melania Trump's office said Monday that the first lady has ended a contract for services from adviser and friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, following news that Wolkoff's firm received $26 million for helping plan President Trump's inauguration. The contract was terminated last week, The New York Times reported, citing two people with direct knowledge of the situation. The Trumps reportedly were not happy about the big payment to Wolkoff's firm, WIS Media Partners, by the nonprofit group that handled the inauguration. President Trump reportedly was "enraged" that a friend Wolkoff brought in to help plan events, David Monn, received $3.7 million. Wolkoff said she expects to "remain a trusted source for advice and support on an informal basis.

india news 27-2019

Reuters report exposes Indian claims of major destruction

An eyewitness has exposed Indian claims of major destruction inside Pakistan.

Talking to Reuters news agency, he said that they heard four loud bangs in the early hours of Tuesday but reported only one person wounded by bomb shards.

“We saw trees fallen down and one house damaged and four craters where the bombs had fallen,” said Mohammad Ajmal, a 25-year-old who visited the site.

The Pakistan Air Force thwarted an early morning incursion into its airspace Tuesday by Indian fighter aircraft, forcing them to flee, the military spokesman said.

The Indian aircraft intruded from Muzafarabad sector, Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet at 6:36 am.

He said the "timely and effective response from Pakistan Air Force" forced the intruding aircraft to "release payload in haste while escaping, which fell near BalakotSector (Azad Kashmir)."

Pictures released by the Director General Inter Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor show a burnt out steep mountain side with no sign of any damage to any property, apart from a few burnt out pine trees.

A few shards of metal were scattered around in the charred grass.

The incursion into the Pakistan air space follows a series of threats by Indian political and military leadership following the attack on an Indian Army convoy at Pulwama by a local youth, in reaction to the oppression unleashed by the occupation forces.

TODAY’S GOLD RATES IN PAKISTAN – 26 FEBRUARY 2019 WITH LATEST UPDATES

Gold is not consumable just like other eatables. But the rates of gold are increasing day by day as if it is a highly consumed commodity. There may be different factors involved in raising the prices of gold up. One of them is the demand for gold in multiple industries.

The demand for gold is increasing day by day. As a result, supply is also growing. For example, this precious metal has been used in dentistry for 3,000 years due to its biocompatibility. The dentists use it for filling, crowning, bridging and orthodontic appliances. In the same way, it is used in electrification as it is a reliable conductor of electricity and it does not corrode. It is highly useful in electronics. If you observe the electronics of your Smartphone, it contains up to 50 milligrams of gold. Similarly, it is used in medicines to treat the furuncles, skin ulcers, smallpox, joints pain, and swelling and in many other medications. In short, it is widely used in a lot of fields, and that’s why it is highly demanded in the world.

The people use to invest their money in gold to avoid uncertain financial disasters in the future. For the gold investors, it is necessary to keep an eye on the gold rates to know the updated prices.

Today, the gold rate in the international gold market remains constant at $1306.80. In Pakistan, the rate for 24K gold per 10 grams is Rs 58,399.31, and the rate for 24K gold per tola is Rs 68,044.65. In the same way, the rate for 22K gold per 10 grams is Rs 53,532.70, and the rate of 22K gold per tola is Rs 62,374.26. For the last few days, there is no upward or downward movement in the gold prices.

Silver Rates In Pakistan – 26 February 2019

Silver is known as the best metal after gold, and it is used in multiple industries. It is the best thermal and electrical conductor. In the electrical applications, it is an ideal metal. The antimicrobial and non-toxic qualities of silver make it highly beneficial in medicines. Due to its high luster, it is used in mirror industry, jewelry and in utensils manufacturing industries.

Today, the rate of silver per 10 grams is Rs 722.60, and the price of silver per tola is noted Rs 842.82. If we compare the silver rate per 10 grams today and yesterday, we see that there is a slight decline of Rs 1.30 today.

Location	Gold 24K 10 Grams	Gold 24K Per Tola	Gold 22K 10 Grams	Gold 22K per Tola	Silver 10 Grams
Pakistan	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,374.26	Rs 722.60
Karachi	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,374.26	Rs 722.60
Lahore	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,374.26	Rs 722.60
Islamabad	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,194.77	Rs 722.60
Rawalpindi	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,374.26	Rs 722.60
Peshawar	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,374.26	Rs 722.60
Quetta	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,374.26	Rs 722.60
Sialkot	Rs 58,399.31	Rs 68,044.65	Rs 53,532.70	Rs 62,374.26	Rs 722.60

Balakot: India 'strikes Kashmir militants in Pakistani territory'

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionSome Indians took to the streets, burning an effigy of Pakistan, after news of the air strikes broke

India says it launched air strikes against Kashmiri militants in Pakistani territory in a major escalation of tensions between the two countries.

A top Indian minister said strikes targeted a training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group in Balakot.

Pakistan said it scrambled fighter planes in response.

Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have been strained since a suicide attack earlier this month that killed more than 40 Indian troops.

India accuses Pakistan of allowing militant groups to operate on its territory and says it played a role in the 14 February attack - claims that Pakistan denies.

Tuesday's air strikes are the first launched across the line of control - the de facto border that divides India-administered Kashmir from Pakistan-administered Kashmir - since a war between the two countries in 1971.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told a news conference that the strikes had killed a "large number" of militants, including commanders, and had avoided civilian casualties.

"Credible intel [intelligence] was received that JeM was planning more suicide attacks in India. In the face of imminent danger, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary," he said.

Pakistan's army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said the strikes caused no casualties. He tweeted that the Indian jets were forced to make a "hasty withdrawal" and dropped their payload in an open area.