Politician gives up seat he says was rigged for his win

 A Pakistan politician who won a seat in last week's controversial national elections has given it up because he says the vote was rigged in his favour.

Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman of the Jamaat-e-Islami party had been named the victor of the provincial assembly seat PS-129 in the city of Karachi.

But this week he claimed the candidate backed by Imran Khan's PTI party had secured far more votes and that their tally had been reduced.

As such he would relinquish the seat.

"If anyone wants to make us win in an illegitimate manner, we will not be accepting that," Mr Rehman said at a press conference held by his party on Monday.

He added: "Public opinion should be respected, let the winner win, let the loser lose, no one should get anything extra."

The former prime minister has been in jail since last August and his party was disqualified from the ballot, meaning that PTI candidates had to run as independents.

But despite these hurdles, voters overwhelmingly turned out across the country to cast votes in favour of his cause.

Independent candidates - a majority affiliated with the PTI - won 93 of the 265 National Assembly seats that were contested, the largest of any single party.

However the PTI argues such candidates should have won even more votes and more seats. They have alleged numerous instances of vote rigging, and welcomed the Islamist party's relinquishing of the Karachi seat this week.

Despite the PTI's success in the popular vote, Khan's rival parties - Nawaz Sharif's PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's PPP - earlier this week said they had reached a deal to form a government.

Delhi turns into fortress as thousands march to India capital

 In 2020, farmers had camped at Delhi borders protesting against controversial agricultural reforms.

The year-long protest - in which dozens died - was called off after the government agreed to repeal the laws.

Now the farmers have hit the streets again saying their key demands still haven't been fulfilled.

Police in Delhi have sealed the borders on three sides of the city, in an attempt to avoid a repeat of 2020 when protesting farmers hunkered down for months, blocking national highways that connect the capital to its neighbouring states. The movement was seen as one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

• Families mourn farmers who died during protests

The march comes just months before the general elections in which Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third term in power. Farmers form one of the most influential voting blocs in India and experts say the government would try not to alienate them ahead of the polls.

Police have also prohibited large gatherings in the city, including at borders points between Delhi and the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Haryana states through which the farmers are expected to reach the capital.

In Haryana, the BJP-led state government has suspended internet services in seven districts until Tuesday.

Over 200 farmer unions are participating in the march. "We will move peacefully and our objective is that the government listens to our demands," Sarvan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, told the ANI news agency.

Farmers' and trade unions have also announced a rural strike on 16 February during which no agricultural activities will be carried out. Shops, markets and offices in all villages will be closed while farmers will block major roads across the 

On Monday, federal ministers held a six-hour-long meeting with farm union leaders. The two sides reportedly came to an agreement on some of the demands, including the withdrawal of cases registered against protesters during the 2020 agitation.

But there was no consensus on the MSP. In 2021, after the farm laws were repealed, the government had said it would set up a panel to find ways to ensure support prices for all farm produce. But the committee is yet to submit its report.

In the meantime, authorities have deployed barricades, fenced the border with barbed wire and added cement blocks to stop protesters from entering the capital.

Over 200 farmer unions are participating in the march. "We will move peacefully and our objective is that the government listens to our demands," Sarvan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, told the ANI news agency.

Farmers' and trade unions have also announced a rural strike on 16 February during which no agricultural activities will be carried out. Shops, markets and offices in all villa

Image captionOn Monday, federal ministers held a six-hour-long meeting with farm union leaders. The two sides reportedly came to an agreement on some of the demands, including the withdrawal of cases registered against protesters during the 2020 agitation.But there was no consensus on the MSP. In 2021, after the farm laws were repealed, the government had said it would set up a panel to find ways to ensure support prices for all farm produce. But the committee is yet to submit its report.In the meantime, authorities have deployed barricades, fenced the border with barbed wire and added cement blocks to stop protesters from entering the capital.

Rockstar Indian fintech start-up faces serious crisis

 India's central bank has asked Paytm - the company that revolutionised digital payments in the country - to stop all services offered by its banking division, also known as the wallet service, due to "persistent non-compliance" of its rules. The division supports Swift payments through the Paytm app, which has more than 330 million users.

The app can continue to facilitate quick payments between non-Paytm bank accounts as an intermediary but it can't accept direct deposits.

This would severely impact the company's wallet business. Paytm wallet is almost like a bank account in which people can receive deposits, keep money and make payments - all done by scanning a QR code or using mobile phone numbers as their identity.

People can also transfer money from their wallets to their accounts in other banks and vice-versa.

Not surprisingly, the regulatory crackdown has come as a blow to thousands of small business owners who relied on the app for making quick and easy transactions.

"The RBI action is always proportionate to the gravity of the violation and is in interest of systemic stability and protection of consumer interest. Action is taken when regulated entities do not take effective steps," Mr Das said.

A Paytm spokesperson told the BBC that the firm was taking the RBI directive "very seriously".

"We respect the RBI's decision and are working diligently to address the concerns raised," the spokesperson added.

Trump seeks Supreme Court pause in 2020 election case

 He had claimed in his election interference case he could not be tried for acts carried out as president.

Three lower court judges disagreed, ruling that he can be prosecuted like any other citizen.

But Mr Trump's lawyers said he should not be tried during an election campaign.

"Conducting a months-long criminal trial of President Trump at the height of election season will radically disrupt President Trump's ability to campaign against President Biden," Trump's attorneys wrote in the filing.

Mr Trump's legal team has also made repeated attempts to delay his criminal trials until after the 2024 election.

In the federal election interference trial, Mr Trump has been charged with four counts: conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy against the rights of citizens.

The court could also decide to hear Mr Trump's appeal immediately, bypassing a review from the lower court. It could do so on a fast track, similar to a separate case it is currently weighing on whether Mr Trump is eligible to be on the ballot in the 2024 election.

It could also decide to hear it on the court's usual schedule, which could likely delay a trial in the case well past November's election date.

The Supreme Court previously denied a request late last year by Special Counsel Jack Smith, the lead prosecutor on the case, to issue an expedited ruling on Mr Trump's immunity argument.

It is unclear when the Supreme Court might rule on Mr Trump's request.

'The world has turned into hell for civilians' - Rafah resident

 Palestinian Authority condemns Israeli 'massacre' in Rafah

As we've been reporting, Israel launched a wave of deadly strikes overnight to accompany its hostage raid in the south of Gaza.

Now, the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry has condemned what it called an Israeli "massacre" in Rafah.

The PA, which controls the occupied West Bank, says the strikes killed 100 people and injured many more.

However, we've received conflicting reports on the death toll. A spokesman for the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza said at least 67 Palestinians were killed, with earlier reports saying it was "about 100".

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari pictured in October 2023Image caption: IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari pictured in October 2023

More now on the news that Israel has rescued two male hostages - Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 - from the southern city of Rafah.

In a statement, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari says Israeli forces broke into a building "in the heart of Rafah". The two men were found on the second floor being held by armed Hamas members in an apartment, he adds.

Hagari says that from the moment of entry, troops shielded Marman and Har with their bodies, "initiating a daring battle and heavy exchanges of fire at several locations simultaneously".

The pair were rescued from the apartment under fire, the spokesman says, as IDF forces "provided them [with] protection in the Rafah area until they reached a safe zone".

Taylor Swift steals the spotlight with Super Bowl kiss after Kelce’s win

 Famous singer Taylor Swift was seen sharing a kiss on the field with her boyfriend Travis Kelce, who had just secured his second consecutive Super Bowl victory with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite being on her billion-dollar Eras tour, Swift has consistently attended Kelce’s games since her first NFL appearance in September.

It’s important to mention that Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to an exhilarating 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, solidifying their dynasty with a second consecutive Super Bowl and their third in five seasons

This victory establishes Kansas City as the first team to win Lombardi Trophies back-to-back in two decades, affirming the franchise’s claim to be the latest NFL dynasty.

“It means a ton,” said Mahomes. “With the adversity we dealt with this year and to come through, the guys never faltered.”

Furthermore, Mahomes cautioned the Chiefs’ competitors that their recent victory was merely the beginning of their dynasty.

But with Mahomes orchestrating the plays, the Chiefs managed to overcome a subpar performance and deliver when it counted.

This marked the third occasion that Mahomes has guided Kansas City from a double-digit deficit to win the Super Bowl, cementing his status as the likely successor to the legendary Tom Brady.

JI stalwart announces to vacate Sindh Assembly seat

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) stalwart Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced to vacate the seat he won in the Sindh Assembly on allegations of election rigging.

JI and other parties are protesting against the delay in the results of the general elections held on February 8, and sit-ins are being held in different cities.

While holding a press conference in Karachi, JI stalwart said that on February 8, polling did not start on time at many polling stations

The JI leader added that more people voted for JI this time than in the municipal elections, votes either went to JI or to candidates supported by PTI, what is happening across the country is nothing more than a spectacle, it is a mandate of cane and force.

It should be remembered that Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has been elected Member of the Sindh Assembly from Constituency PS-129 from Karachi.

According to the unofficial result of 147 polling stations, JI Ameer was successful with 26, 926 votes while his opponent Maaz Muqaddam from MQM came second with 20608 votes.