Nearly five million people in India were internally displaced due to climate change and disasters in 2021, the United Nations has said in a report.

The annual Global Trends Report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) highlighted that globally 100 million people were forced to flee their homes last year due to violence, human rights abuses, food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan.

According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), in 2021, there were 23.7 million new internal displacements globally due to disasters (these are in addition to those internally displaced due to conflict and violence). This represented a decrease of seven million, or 23 per cent, compared to the previous year, the report said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/report-fires-heat-waves-cause-climate-anxiety-in-youth-488683">Report: Fires, heat waves cause 'climate anxiety' in youth</a>

"The largest displacements in the context of disasters in 2021 occurred in China (6.0 million), the Philippines (5.7 million) and India (4.9 million). Most disaster displacements during the year were temporary," it said.

The majority of the internally displaced persons returned to their home areas, but 5.9 million people worldwide remained displaced at the end of the year due to disasters, the report added.

The UN agency said that the number of people forced to flee their homes has increased every year over the past decade and stands at the highest level since records began, a trend that can be only reversed by a new, concerted push towards peacemaking.

By the end of 2021, those displaced by war, violence, persecution, and human rights abuses stood at 89.3 million, up eight per cent on a year earlier and well over double the figure of 10 years ago, the report said.

While the latest global trends report reflects the period of January 2021 to December 2021, the UN agency said it is impossible to ignore the developments that have happened in early 2022, including the Russian war against Ukraine.

"Since then, the Russian invasion of Ukraine&nbsp;'causing the fastest and one of the largest forced displacement crises since World War II'&nbsp;and other emergencies, from Africa to Afghanistan and beyond, pushed the figure over the dramatic milestone of 100 million," the report said.

Watch | Gravitas: India asks rich countries to pay for climate damage

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-india-asks-rich-countries-to-pay-for-climate-damage-488912/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The report said that at the end of 2021, 89.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, including 27.1 million refugees, 21.3 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate, 5.8 million Palestine refugees under United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East's (UNRWA) mandate, 53.2 million internally displaced people, 4.6 million asylum seekers and 4.4 million Venezuelans displaced abroad.

Asylum seekers submitted 1.4 million new claims. The United States of America was the world's largest recipient of new individual applications (188,900), followed by Germany (148,200), Mexico (132,700), Costa Rica (108,500) and France (90,200).

By May 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order.

"Every year of the last decade, the numbers have climbed," said United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

"Either the international community comes together to take action to address this human tragedy, resolve conflicts and find lasting solutions, or this terrible trend will continue."

Last year was notable for the number of conflicts that escalated and new ones that flared; 23 countries, with a combined population of 850 million, faced medium- or high-intensity conflicts, according to the World Bank.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-biggest-methane-gas-leak-occurred-at-russian-coalmine">Climate change: Biggest methane gas leak occurred at Russian coalmine, say reports</a>

The UN agency said that food scarcity, inflation and the climate crisis are adding to people's hardship. The number of refugees rose in 2021 to 27.1 million. Arrivals climbed in Uganda, Chad and Sudan among others, it added.

"Most refugees were, once again, hosted by neighbouring countries with few resources. The number of asylum seekers reached 4.6 million, up 11 per cent," the report said.

Last year also saw the 15th straight annual rise in people displaced within their countries by conflict, to 53.2 million. The increase was driven by mounting violence or conflict in some places, for example Myanmar.

The conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray and other regions has spurred the flight of millions within the country. Insurgencies in the Sahel drove fresh internal displacement, particularly in Burkina Faso and Chad.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Nearly five million people in India were internally displaced due to climate change and disasters in 2021, the United Nations has said in a report. The annual Global Trends Report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) highlighted that globally 100 million people were forced to flee their homes last year due to violence, human rights abuses, food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan.

Nearly five million people in India were internally displaced due to climate change and disasters in 2021, the United Nations has said in a report. The annual Global Trends Report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) highlighted that globally 100 million people were forced to flee their homes last year due to violence, human rights abuses, food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), in 2021, there were 23.7 million new internal displacements globally due to disasters (these are in addition to those internally displaced due to conflict and violence). This represented a decrease of seven million, or 23 per cent, compared to the previous year, the report said. Also read | Report: Fires, heat waves cause 'climate anxiety' in youth "The largest displacements in the context of disasters in 2021 occurred in China (6.0 million), the Philippines (5.7 million) and India (4.9 million). Most disaster displacements during the year were temporary," it said. The majority of the internally displaced persons returned to their home areas, but 5.9 million people worldwide remained displaced at the end of the year due to disasters, the report added. The UN agency said that the number of people forced to flee their homes has increased every year over the past decade and stands at the highest level since records began, a trend that can be only reversed by a new, concerted push towards peacemaking. By the end of 2021, those displaced by war, violence, persecution, and human rights abuses stood at 89.3 million, up eight per cent on a year earlier and well over double the figure of 10 years ago, the report said. While the latest global trends report reflects the period of January 2021 to December 2021, the UN agency said it is impossible to ignore the developments that have happened in early 2022, including the Russian war against Ukraine. "Since then, the Russian invasion of Ukraine 'causing the fastest and one of the largest forced displacement crises since World War II' and other emergencies, from Africa to Afghanistan and beyond, pushed the figure over the dramatic milestone of 100 million," the report said. Watch | Gravitas: India asks rich countries to pay for climate damage The report said that at the end of 2021, 89.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, including 27.1 million refugees, 21.3 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate, 5.8 million Palestine refugees under United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East's (UNRWA) mandate, 53.2 million internally displaced people, 4.6 million asylum seekers and 4.4 million Venezuelans displaced abroad. Asylum seekers submitted 1.4 million new claims. The United States of America was the world's largest recipient of new individual applications (188,900), followed by Germany (148,200), Mexico (132,700), Costa Rica (108,500) and France (90,200). By May 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order. "Every year of the last decade, the numbers have climbed," said United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. "Either the international community comes together to take action to address this human tragedy, resolve conflicts and find lasting solutions, or this terrible trend will continue." Last year was notable for the number of conflicts that escalated and new ones that flared; 23 countries, with a combined population of 850 million, faced medium- or high-intensity conflicts, according to the World Bank. Also read | Climate change: Biggest methane gas leak occurred at Russian coalmine, say reports The UN agency said that food scarcity, inflation and the climate crisis are adding to people's hardship. The number of refugees rose in 2021 to 27.1 million. Arrivals climbed in Uganda, Chad and Sudan among others, it added. "Most refugees were, once again, hosted by neighbouring countries with few resources. The number of asylum seekers reached 4.6 million, up 11 per cent," the report said. Last year also saw the 15th straight annual rise in people displaced within their countries by conflict, to 53.2 million. The increase was driven by mounting violence or conflict in some places, for example Myanmar. The conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray and other regions has spurred the flight of millions within the country. Insurgencies in the Sahel drove fresh internal displacement, particularly in Burkina Faso and Chad. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Nearly 5 million people in India internally displaced due to climate change, disasters in 2021: UN

A Swedish court on Thursday found an Italian surgeon, once hailed for pioneering windpipe surgery, guilty of causing bodily harm to a patient, but cleared him of assault charges.

Paolo Macchiarini won praise in 2011 after claiming to have performed the world's first synthetic trachea transplants using stem cells, while he was a surgeon at Stockholm's Karolinska University Hospital.

The experimental procedure was hailed as a breakthrough in regenerative medicine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-man-blames-surgeon-for-back-pain-after-surgery-kills-him-three-others-in-shooting-at-hospital-police-484645">US man blames surgeon for back pain after surgery, kills him, three others in shooting at hospital: Police</a>

But allegations soon emerged that the procedure had been carried out on at least one person who had not been critically ill at the time of the surgery.

During the May trial held in the Solna district court, prosecutors argued that the surgeries on three patients in Sweden constituted assault, or alternatively bodily harm due to negligence, as Macchiarini disregarded "science and proven experience".

The district court agreed with the prosecutors that the procedures were not consistent with "science and proven experience," but cleared Macchiarini on two counts as the patients' health was in such a dire state.

"Given the patients' condition the district court finds that the procedures on the first two patients were justifiable," it said in a statement.

However, in the case of the third patient, the court found him guilty of "causing bodily harm".

"At the time of the procedure of the third patient, the experience from the first procedures was such that the surgeon should have refrained from letting yet another patient go through the operation," the court said.

Macchiarini was handed a suspended sentence, which in Sweden means that if he were to commit another crime during a two-year probation period, the court would re-evaluate his sentence.

Watch |&nbsp;'Turkiye's concern on Finland, Sweden membership are legitimate,' says NATO chief

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkiyes-concern-on-finland-sweden-membership-are-legitimate-says-nato-chief-487605/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

'Plan B'

Together with his colleagues, Macchiarini, 63, performed a total of eight such transplants between 2011 and 2014 three in Sweden in 2011 and 2012, and five in Russia.

The three patients in Sweden died, though the deaths have not been directly linked to the surgeries. Four of the five Russian patients have also died, according to Swedish media reports.

Macchiarini himself insisted in court that the transplants were an alternative decided upon after all other options had been excluded what he referred to as a "Plan B".&nbsp;

His lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, meanwhile insisted that the surgeries were the result of "teamwork" and had been discussed with other senior colleagues.

Following Thursday's ruling, Hurtig said that while his client had hoped to be cleared on all counts, the court had acquitted him on "significant parts".

"We won most of the case", he told AFP.

Chief prosecutor Jim Westerberg meanwhile said his team had not expected the verdict.

It was "a surprise to us" that the court leaned heavily on the notion that the patients' dire health conditions justified drastic measures.

Neither side had decided whether to appeal the court's ruling.

Macchiarini was also employed by the Karolinska Institute research facility, which awards the Nobel Medicine Prize. An external review in 2015 found Macchiarini guilty of research misconduct.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/address-terror-related-concerns-erdogan-tells-finland-sweden-over-nato-bid-481104">Address terror-related concerns: Erdogan tells Finland, Sweden over NATO bid</a>

Even though the Institute sacked him in 2016, it repeatedly defended him&nbsp;until 2018, when its own review found him and several other researchers guilty of scientific misconduct.

The university's principal and several others stepped down over the scandal.

Medical journal The Lancet in 2018 retracted two papers authored by Macchiarini.

In 2013, the Karolinska Hospital suspended all trachea transplants and refused to extend Macchiarini's contract as a surgeon.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

A Swedish court on Thursday found an Italian surgeon, once hailed for pioneering windpipe surgery, guilty of causing bodily harm to a patient, but cleared him of assault charges.

A Swedish court on Thursday found an Italian surgeon, once hailed for pioneering windpipe surgery, guilty of causing bodily harm to a patient, but cleared him of assault charges. Paolo Macchiarini won praise in 2011 after claiming to have performed the world's first synthetic trachea transplants using stem cells, while he was a surgeon at Stockholm's Karolinska University Hospital. The experimental procedure was hailed as a breakthrough in regenerative medicine. Also read | US man blames surgeon for back pain after surgery, kills him, three others in shooting at hospital: Police But allegations soon emerged that the procedure had been carried out on at least one person who had not been critically ill at the time of the surgery. During the May trial held in the Solna district court, prosecutors argued that the surgeries on three patients in Sweden constituted assault, or alternatively bodily harm due to negligence, as Macchiarini disregarded "science and proven experience". The district court agreed with the prosecutors that the procedures were not consistent with "science and proven experience," but cleared Macchiarini on two counts as the patients' health was in such a dire state. "Given the patients' condition the district court finds that the procedures on the first two patients were justifiable," it said in a statement. However, in the case of the third patient, the court found him guilty of "causing bodily harm". "At the time of the procedure of the third patient, the experience from the first procedures was such that the surgeon should have refrained from letting yet another patient go through the operation," the court said. Macchiarini was handed a suspended sentence, which in Sweden means that if he were to commit another crime during a two-year probation period, the court would re-evaluate his sentence. Watch | 'Turkiye's concern on Finland, Sweden membership are legitimate,' says NATO chief 'Plan B' Together with his colleagues, Macchiarini, 63, performed a total of eight such transplants between 2011 and 2014 three in Sweden in 2011 and 2012, and five in Russia. The three patients in Sweden died, though the deaths have not been directly linked to the surgeries. Four of the five Russian patients have also died, according to Swedish media reports. Macchiarini himself insisted in court that the transplants were an alternative decided upon after all other options had been excluded what he referred to as a "Plan B". His lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, meanwhile insisted that the surgeries were the result of "teamwork" and had been discussed with other senior colleagues. Following Thursday's ruling, Hurtig said that while his client had hoped to be cleared on all counts, the court had acquitted him on "significant parts". "We won most of the case", he told AFP. Chief prosecutor Jim Westerberg meanwhile said his team had not expected the verdict. It was "a surprise to us" that the court leaned heavily on the notion that the patients' dire health conditions justified drastic measures. Neither side had decided whether to appeal the court's ruling. Macchiarini was also employed by the Karolinska Institute research facility, which awards the Nobel Medicine Prize. An external review in 2015 found Macchiarini guilty of research misconduct. Also read | Address terror-related concerns: Erdogan tells Finland, Sweden over NATO bid Even though the Institute sacked him in 2016, it repeatedly defended him until 2018, when its own review found him and several other researchers guilty of scientific misconduct. The university's principal and several others stepped down over the scandal. Medical journal The Lancet in 2018 retracted two papers authored by Macchiarini. In 2013, the Karolinska Hospital suspended all trachea transplants and refused to extend Macchiarini's contract as a surgeon. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Disgraced windpipe surgeon convicted in Sweden for harming patient

Italy's Eni said it will receive only 50 percent of the gas requested Friday from Gazprom, following accusations by Rome the Russian state-backed company was peddling "lies" over a series of cuts.

"Gazprom has announced that it will supply only 50 percent of what is requested (with actual delivered volumes almost unchanged with respect to the amounts delivered yesterday)," reducing supplies for the third day running, Eni said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nord-stream-gas-deliveries-to-be-cut-by-a-third-announces-gazprom-488496">Gazprom makes more cuts in Nord Stream gas supplies, Germany fumes</a>

Several European countries, including Italy and Germany, are highly reliant upon Russian gas for their energy needs.

As tensions rage with the West over the Ukraine war, Russia has stepped up the energy pressure, slashing gas supplies to the continent in a move blasted as "political" by both Italy and Germany.

Gazprom said the supply reductions via the Nord Stream pipeline are the result of repair work, but EU officials believe Moscow is punishing allies of Ukraine, where Russian forces launched an invasion in February.

Watch |&nbsp;EU signs gas deal with Israel, Egypt to reduce dependency on Russia

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-signs-gas-deal-with-israel-egypt-to-reduce-dependency-on-russia-488610/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday rejected Gazprom's excuses, saying the reasons "we are told, are technical".

"We and Germany and others believe that these are lies."

Draghi said state-owned Gazprom which has said Moscow has every right to play by its own rules over the cuts was using the gas supply for "political" ends.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-and-egypt-sign-mou-with-eu-to-boost-gas-exports-to-europe-488729">&nbsp;Israel and Egypt sign MoU with EU to boost gas exports to Europe</a>

Italy has been seeking to reduce its reliance on Russian gas through alternative sources, while also promising to invest more in renewables.

The gas squeeze, which pushes prices up, "has consequences, not immediately on consumption, but on stockpiling", Draghi said.

EU countries have scrambled to wean themselves off Russian energy but are divided about imposing a natural gas embargo as several member states are heavily reliant on Moscow's supplies.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Italy's Eni said it will receive only 50 percent of the gas requested Friday from Gazprom, following accusations by Rome the Russian state-backed company was peddling "lies" over a series of cuts.

Italy's Eni said it will receive only 50 percent of the gas requested Friday from Gazprom, following accusations by Rome the Russian state-backed company was peddling "lies" over a series of cuts. "Gazprom has announced that it will supply only 50 percent of what is requested (with actual delivered volumes almost unchanged with respect to the amounts delivered yesterday)," reducing supplies for the third day running, Eni said in a statement. Also read | Gazprom makes more cuts in Nord Stream gas supplies, Germany fumes Several European countries, including Italy and Germany, are highly reliant upon Russian gas for their energy needs. As tensions rage with the West over the Ukraine war, Russia has stepped up the energy pressure, slashing gas supplies to the continent in a move blasted as "political" by both Italy and Germany. Gazprom said the supply reductions via the Nord Stream pipeline are the result of repair work, but EU officials believe Moscow is punishing allies of Ukraine, where Russian forces launched an invasion in February. Watch | EU signs gas deal with Israel, Egypt to reduce dependency on Russia Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday rejected Gazprom's excuses, saying the reasons "we are told, are technical". "We and Germany and others believe that these are lies." Draghi said state-owned Gazprom which has said Moscow has every right to play by its own rules over the cuts was using the gas supply for "political" ends. Also read | Israel and Egypt sign MoU with EU to boost gas exports to Europe Italy has been seeking to reduce its reliance on Russian gas through alternative sources, while also promising to invest more in renewables. The gas squeeze, which pushes prices up, "has consequences, not immediately on consumption, but on stockpiling", Draghi said. EU countries have scrambled to wean themselves off Russian energy but are divided about imposing a natural gas embargo as several member states are heavily reliant on Moscow's supplies. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russia-Ukraine war: Italy's Eni says Gazprom to reduce gas supply Friday by 50%

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) on Friday stuck to its monetary easing policy even as other central banks raise interest rates to tame inflation, but said it would "pay due attention" to forex markets after the yen hit a 24-year low.

The bank will hold rates at minus 0.1 per cent and continue buying unlimited government bonds to maintain a low cap on long-term yields part of a decade-old plan to boost the world's third-largest economy.

The decision, announced after a two-day policy meeting, bucks a global monetary tightening trend aimed at battling sky-high fuel and food prices caused by the Ukraine war and supply chain snarls.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/swiss-national-bank-ready-for-more-rate-hikes-after-shock-move-488720">Swiss National Bank ready for more rate hikes after shock move</a>

Rate hikes have been led by the US Federal Reserve, which this week announced its most aggressive increase in nearly 30 years and signalled more were in the pipeline.

The European Central Bank has said it plans to start a series of increases next month, while the Bank of England announced a fifth straight increase on Thursday and Switzerland surprised markets with its own rate hike, the first since 2007.

The widening chasm between Japanese and US monetary policy this week pushed the yen to its lowest level against the dollar since 1998, a cause for increasing concern that even the central bank made reference to in its policy statement.

"It is necessary to pay due attention to developments in financial and foreign exchange markets and their impact on Japan's economic activity and prices," the BoJ said, in an unusual reference to forex movements.

After the announcement, one dollar bought 134.63 yen, up from 133.41 yen earlier in the day.

'Targeting price stability'

Bank governor Haruhiko Kuroda told reporters that the yen's rapid depreciation is "undesirable for the economy, because it has increased uncertainty about the future and made it difficult for companies to draft business plans".

However, he added that "central banks do not target exchange rates. We run monetary policy targeting price stability".

Watch |&nbsp;Global market meltdown: Series of hikes by central banks

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/global-market-meltdown-series-of-hikes-by-central-banks-488949/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Kuroda said the BoJ was not considering expanding the trading range of 10-year bonds, a move analysts say could help support the yen.

A weaker currency helps Japanese exporters as it inflates repatriated profits, noted Yoshikiyo Shimamine, executive chief economist of Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

For the BoJ, it may be that "these benefits overwhelm the negative aspects of a cheaper yen high prices for imported goods, which causes people to suffer without sufficient pay rises," he told AFP.

The bank's ultra-loose monetary policy aims to achieve two-percent inflation, a target that has been stubbornly out of reach during years of price stagnation.

In April, core consumer prices hit the target for the first time since 2015, but the BoJ has cautioned that it sees recent rising prices as a temporary and volatile trend.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-airline-ditches-pro-russia-logo-letter-z-associated-with-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-488744">Japanese airline ditches letter 'Z' logo, which may seem pro-Russia</a>

Inflation has been rising for months in the United States and elsewhere as buoyant demand for cars and other goods clashes with supply problems caused by COVID-19 lockdowns.

The problem became dramatically worse after Russia invaded Ukraine in February and Western nations imposed steep sanctions on Moscow, sending food and fuel prices soaring, a particular problem in resource-poor Japan.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) on Friday stuck to its monetary easing policy even as other central banks raise interest rates to tame inflation, but said it would "pay due attention" to forex markets after the yen hit a 24-year low.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) on Friday stuck to its monetary easing policy even as other central banks raise interest rates to tame inflation, but said it would "pay due attention" to forex markets after the yen hit a 24-year low. The bank will hold rates at minus 0.1 per cent and continue buying unlimited government bonds to maintain a low cap on long-term yields part of a decade-old plan to boost the world's third-largest economy. The decision, announced after a two-day policy meeting, bucks a global monetary tightening trend aimed at battling sky-high fuel and food prices caused by the Ukraine war and supply chain snarls. Also read | Swiss National Bank ready for more rate hikes after shock move Rate hikes have been led by the US Federal Reserve, which this week announced its most aggressive increase in nearly 30 years and signalled more were in the pipeline. The European Central Bank has said it plans to start a series of increases next month, while the Bank of England announced a fifth straight increase on Thursday and Switzerland surprised markets with its own rate hike, the first since 2007. The widening chasm between Japanese and US monetary policy this week pushed the yen to its lowest level against the dollar since 1998, a cause for increasing concern that even the central bank made reference to in its policy statement. "It is necessary to pay due attention to developments in financial and foreign exchange markets and their impact on Japan's economic activity and prices," the BoJ said, in an unusual reference to forex movements. After the announcement, one dollar bought 134.63 yen, up from 133.41 yen earlier in the day. 'Targeting price stability' Bank governor Haruhiko Kuroda told reporters that the yen's rapid depreciation is "undesirable for the economy, because it has increased uncertainty about the future and made it difficult for companies to draft business plans". However, he added that "central banks do not target exchange rates. We run monetary policy targeting price stability". Watch | Global market meltdown: Series of hikes by central banks Kuroda said the BoJ was not considering expanding the trading range of 10-year bonds, a move analysts say could help support the yen. A weaker currency helps Japanese exporters as it inflates repatriated profits, noted Yoshikiyo Shimamine, executive chief economist of Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. For the BoJ, it may be that "these benefits overwhelm the negative aspects of a cheaper yen high prices for imported goods, which causes people to suffer without sufficient pay rises," he told AFP. The bank's ultra-loose monetary policy aims to achieve two-percent inflation, a target that has been stubbornly out of reach during years of price stagnation. In April, core consumer prices hit the target for the first time since 2015, but the BoJ has cautioned that it sees recent rising prices as a temporary and volatile trend. Also read | Japanese airline ditches letter 'Z' logo, which may seem pro-Russia Inflation has been rising for months in the United States and elsewhere as buoyant demand for cars and other goods clashes with supply problems caused by COVID-19 lockdowns. The problem became dramatically worse after Russia invaded Ukraine in February and Western nations imposed steep sanctions on Moscow, sending food and fuel prices soaring, a particular problem in resource-poor Japan. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Bank of Japan keeps monetary easing despite global rate hikes

China&nbsp;was hit this week by a rare convergence of record rainfall, heatwaves, and a tornado in the southern megacity of Guangzhou, displacing millions of people, damaging properties and swamping farmland, with more storms and floods on the way.

Southern&nbsp;China&nbsp;is expected to see torrential rain until Tuesday, state media reported on Friday, with no immediate reprieve to the region inundated by downpours in the past week.

At least seven provinces and regions in the south issued alerts for severe storms and floods for the next 24 hours.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/over-800000-residents-in-chinas-jiangxi-affected-by-heavy-rains-floods-485995">Over 800,000 residents in China's Jiangxi affected by heavy rains, floods</a>

Authorities had issued warnings of "extreme weather events" as early as April, ahead of the rainy season that signals the seasonal transition from spring to summer in June.

China&nbsp;is historically prone to floods, triggering landslides and swamping many acres of farmland.

In recent times, the country has grown even more vulnerable, owing to deforestation, the reclamation of wetlands and the storage of water for power generation and irrigation.

China&nbsp;also blames climate change for the increase in extreme weather events.

The aviation regulator on Friday cautioned airlines against flying through extreme weather, with severe convection storms to be expected over the summer.

Watch |&nbsp;Countering China's influence in the Pacific: The US promises a new Pacific initiative

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/countering-chinas-influence-in-the-pacific-the-us-promises-a-new-pacific-initiative-489005/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Weather conditions in&nbsp;China&nbsp;will tend to be unfavourable this summer," an official at the regulator said at a news briefing on Friday.

Late on Thursday, a tornado ripped through parts of Guangzhou during a heavy rainstorm, local media reported, cutting off power supply to over 5,400 users in the sprawling southern city, capital of Guangdong province.

Media in Guangzhou reported dangerous water levels with high waves in the broader Pearl River Basin, prompting the central government to dispatch flood prevention workers.

Since May, precipitation in the Pearl River Basin - a vast river system encompassing Guangdong and parts of Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan - has risen to its highest since 1961, according to state media on Friday, citing&nbsp;China's National Climate Center.

In Fujian province north of the basin, authorities warned that recent record-breaking rainfall would persist into next week, posing a high risk of natural disasters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-boost-china-launches-most-advanced-aircraft-carrier-called-fujian-find-out-why-it-is-special-489015">Big boost: China launches 'most advanced' aircraft carrier called Fujian. Find out why it is special</a>

Meanwhile, temperatures in central and northern&nbsp;China&nbsp;are expected to hit unusual highs into next week, surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

The abnormally warm weather has already enveloped the Henan capital of Zhengzhou, which was hit by record rainfall and paralysed by devastating floods last summer.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

China was hit this week by a rare convergence of record rainfall, heatwaves, and a tornado in the southern megacity of Guangzhou, displacing millions of people, damaging properties and swamping farmland, with more storms and floods on the way.

China was hit this week by a rare convergence of record rainfall, heatwaves, and a tornado in the southern megacity of Guangzhou, displacing millions of people, damaging properties and swamping farmland, with more storms and floods on the way. Southern China is expected to see torrential rain until Tuesday, state media reported on Friday, with no immediate reprieve to the region inundated by downpours in the past week. At least seven provinces and regions in the south issued alerts for severe storms and floods for the next 24 hours. Also read | Over 800,000 residents in China's Jiangxi affected by heavy rains, floods Authorities had issued warnings of "extreme weather events" as early as April, ahead of the rainy season that signals the seasonal transition from spring to summer in June. China is historically prone to floods, triggering landslides and swamping many acres of farmland. In recent times, the country has grown even more vulnerable, owing to deforestation, the reclamation of wetlands and the storage of water for power generation and irrigation. China also blames climate change for the increase in extreme weather events. The aviation regulator on Friday cautioned airlines against flying through extreme weather, with severe convection storms to be expected over the summer. Watch | Countering China's influence in the Pacific: The US promises a new Pacific initiative "Weather conditions in China will tend to be unfavourable this summer," an official at the regulator said at a news briefing on Friday. Late on Thursday, a tornado ripped through parts of Guangzhou during a heavy rainstorm, local media reported, cutting off power supply to over 5,400 users in the sprawling southern city, capital of Guangdong province. Media in Guangzhou reported dangerous water levels with high waves in the broader Pearl River Basin, prompting the central government to dispatch flood prevention workers. Since May, precipitation in the Pearl River Basin - a vast river system encompassing Guangdong and parts of Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan - has risen to its highest since 1961, according to state media on Friday, citing China's National Climate Center. In Fujian province north of the basin, authorities warned that recent record-breaking rainfall would persist into next week, posing a high risk of natural disasters. Also read | Big boost: China launches 'most advanced' aircraft carrier called Fujian. Find out why it is special Meanwhile, temperatures in central and northern China are expected to hit unusual highs into next week, surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The abnormally warm weather has already enveloped the Henan capital of Zhengzhou, which was hit by record rainfall and paralysed by devastating floods last summer. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

China hit by rare convergence of rainfall, heatwaves and a tornado

The strong headwinds in the global economy have wiped off a whopping $7 trillion in market value from blue chip stocks in the S&amp;P 500. Since the end of December last year, the index has dropped approximately 18 per cent.&nbsp; Following a 0.1 per cent fall on Thursday (May 12), the S&amp;P 500 is now just beyond bear market levels, that is 20 per cent drop from a recent closing high.&nbsp;

The Dow, which fell about 104 points, or 0.3 per cent, on Thursday (May 12), is down more than 13 per cent this year.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-sec-probes-delayed-disclosure-of-elon-musks-initial-stake-in-twitter-says-report-478308">&nbsp;Now, SEC probes delayed disclosure of Elon Musk's initial stake in Twitter, says report</a>

Technology stocks have been hit very bad. The Nasdaq managed a small rise on Thursday, but it is still down 27 per cent this year, placing it in market territory, according to US media reports. The tech sector is responsible for about $3 trillion of the S&amp;P 500’s market cap decline.&nbsp;

As per the analysis from Bespoke Investment Group, a research firm, The Nasdaq has dropped more than 20 per cent in the last 30 trading days. According to the firm, a dip of that magnitude has only happened 11 times earlier, and nine of those declines were “related with recession.”

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Worst day for global markets since June 2020

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-worst-day-for-global-markets-since-june-2020-477982/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Shares of many tech leaders such as Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Google owner Alphabet (GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) are all deeply in red. However, Netflix (NFLX) is the poorest performer in the S&amp;P 500 in 2022, down more than 70 per cent, CNN Business reported.&nbsp;

The sharp drop is alarming Main Street, which is concerned that the US economy is losing its speed after a remarkable rebound from the pandemic-induced recession.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-sets-inflation-agenda-discusses-end-to-china-tariffs-477964">Biden sets inflation agenda; discusses end to China tariffs</a>

Investors are now waiting for capitulation, the point at which it appears that everyone has completely given up. When sentiment appears to be at its lowest, it may be time to begin buying them again.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The strong headwinds in the global economy have wiped off a whopping $7 trillion in market value from blue chip stocks in the S&P 500. Since the end of December last year, the index has dropped approximately 18 per cent.

The strong headwinds in the global economy have wiped off a whopping $7 trillion in market value from blue chip stocks in the S&P 500. Since the end of December last year, the index has dropped approximately 18 per cent. Following a 0.1 per cent fall on Thursday (May 12), the S&P 500 is now just beyond bear market levels, that is 20 per cent drop from a recent closing high. The Dow, which fell about 104 points, or 0.3 per cent, on Thursday (May 12), is down more than 13 per cent this year. Also read | Now, SEC probes delayed disclosure of Elon Musk's initial stake in Twitter, says report Technology stocks have been hit very bad. The Nasdaq managed a small rise on Thursday, but it is still down 27 per cent this year, placing it in market territory, according to US media reports. The tech sector is responsible for about $3 trillion of the S&P 500’s market cap decline. As per the analysis from Bespoke Investment Group, a research firm, The Nasdaq has dropped more than 20 per cent in the last 30 trading days. According to the firm, a dip of that magnitude has only happened 11 times earlier, and nine of those declines were “related with recession.” Watch | Gravitas: Worst day for global markets since June 2020 Shares of many tech leaders such as Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Google owner Alphabet (GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) are all deeply in red. However, Netflix (NFLX) is the poorest performer in the S&P 500 in 2022, down more than 70 per cent, CNN Business reported. The sharp drop is alarming Main Street, which is concerned that the US economy is losing its speed after a remarkable rebound from the pandemic-induced recession. Also read | Biden sets inflation agenda; discusses end to China tariffs Investors are now waiting for capitulation, the point at which it appears that everyone has completely given up. When sentiment appears to be at its lowest, it may be time to begin buying them again. WATCH WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

Big slump: US stock markets lost more than $7 trillion this year

Imran Khan has asked his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf followers to assemble in the capital for yet another rally when he gives the call.&nbsp;

Comparing himself to Mohammad Mosaddegh, the Iranian prime minister who was ousted in a Western conspiracy in the 1950s, he again claimed of having been a victim of a US-led plot.&nbsp;

By provoking his supporters to march to the Pakistani capital, several critics say, he is trying to take Pakistan down a very dangerous path.&nbsp;

Sample his quotes: "I want two million people to come to Islamabad when I give the call. I want all of you to go to the people and preach to them about our movement for true freedom."&nbsp;

This is a translation, as reported by Dawn newspaper. One can’t help but note the religious undertones of his words. His tone has moved to the extremes in the days following his unceremonious ouster, which had made him the first Pakistani PM to be removed through a no-confidence vote.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/im-the-dim-how-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-turned-out-to-be-a-terrible-caricature-of-the-champion-cricketer-467848">Also read | 'Im the dim': How Pakistan PM Imran Khan turned out to be a terrible caricature of the champion cricketer</a>

In the desperate days before the trust vote, he vaxed and waned on TV, and tried to dilute the spirit of the Pakistani Constitution. He attempted his best to even circumvent the Supreme Court’s order to convene the parliament and conduct the trust vote, after failing to do so in the first instance.&nbsp;

He used state media machinery to essentially start an election campaign even before the trust vote. On the eve of the confidence motion, he appeared via PTV, and asked Pakistanis to take to the streets on that Sunday, a move unbecoming of a prime minister.&nbsp;

Watch | Gravitas Plus: The many shades of Imran Khan

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-the-many-shades-of-imran-khan-468013/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Then, after much drama, PTI activists went to the streets indeed, having lost the trust vote on 10th April. &nbsp;

But there was one thing really remarkable about the whole drama: The lack of any significant political violence.&nbsp;

Bloodshed during political movements and protests is part of Pakistan's tortuous tryst with democracy. &nbsp;

Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during an election campaign rally in December, 2007. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was tried for murdering a political opponent and hanged by the regime led by dictator Zia-ul-Haq who had deposed him in a coup at the height of violence caused by the then opposition’s allegations of election rigging. Most recently, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests of 2021 led to nearly 30 deaths.&nbsp;

But earlier this month, at one of the most dramatic upheavals in the country's political history, there was an almost 'peaceful' transition of power.&nbsp;

In spite of fears, the Pakistani Army did not intervene, or make any provocative statements. May be the transition was what the army-intelligence establishment wanted and got.&nbsp;

May be the Pakistani people are more intelligent than the world gives them credit for.&nbsp;

May be they are just tired. Three years of Covid pandemic, inflation, financial crisis, unemployment and corruption may have left them numb.&nbsp;

But Imran Khan appears to want to change that. He wants some kind of ruckus. From the rambling, televised national addresses in the run-up to the no-trust vote, to the fiery speeches at PTI rallies, he is trying to rouse passions.&nbsp;

His calls are taking a sinister turn even abroad, with expatriate supporters taking out marches in the West. There was a noisy protest in front of exiled former PM Nawaz Sharif's residence in London. And another in front of the house of Jemima Goldsmith, the former wife of Khan, who said it felt as if she was back in Lahore of the 1990s.&nbsp;

Shehbaz Sharif, the new PM, is no saint, let’s face it. Nor is his brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also lost his post as a consequence of Supreme Court orders in corruption cases including those linked to the Panama Papers leaks. &nbsp;

But the dangerous game that Imran Khan is playing now, can potentially cause far-reaching damage to the body politic.&nbsp;

Because he is continuously attacking key institutions of democracy: the courts, the legislative process, and now, the election commission. His supporters have been holding protests outside the election commission’s offices across the country.&nbsp;

His issue is with the fact that the poll body may have played a role in putting a spanner on his maneuvers to dissolve parliament and assemblies and call a fresh election before the no-trust vote was taken up. The election commission submitted to the SC that it would take at least six months to hold elections due to delimitation exercise and other logistical issues. Basically it meant there wouldn’t be a new National Assembly as soon as Khan had expected.&nbsp;

Now, he has gone all guns blazing against the election commission. It is an irony of history that this was the same poll body that was on his side and blamed by those who lost the election to PTI in 2018.&nbsp;

There were widespread allegations that the elections were rigged. It was incredulous for many that Khan would emerge as a national leader, let alone a prime minister, in a matter of less than a decade. While the cricketer-turned-politician did have support in some pockets thanks largely to his anti-corruption movement, his party had languished for years since its founding in 1996.&nbsp;

Therefore, the election of 2018 was seen as stage-managed by the army-intelligence complex to oust the Sharifs from power. &nbsp;

But since he took over, Khan made several missteps, and made damaging public remarks and quixotic stances on international affairs. These embarrassed the army, alienated several allies and eventually made his position as Pakistan PM untenable even as the country wallowed in a never-ending economic crisis.&nbsp;

Sample some of his ill-timed remarks and unbecoming actions: He showed disrespect to several Gulf monarchs and dignitaries in both actions and words, that breached protocol and caused outcry. He appeared to endorse cross-border terrorism in India and Afghanistan, calling Pakistan a victim of it and referring to terrorists as martyrs almost in the same breath. He antagonised the West with adverse comments on Pakistan’s post-9/11 support to the US-led war in Afghanistan and war on terrorism. He couldn't dispel the notion that Pakistan intelligence and military had constantly supported Taliban terrorists. (it's a different matter that suddenly, calling Taliban terrorists is politically incorrect as they now rule Afghanistan). &nbsp;

His government schooled Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Kashmir issue, seeking a foreign ministers’ meeting on it and threatening to convene one in Pakistan if OIC didn’t. &nbsp;

He complicated relations with key Gulf allies by first endorsing, and later pulling out of an Islamic nations’ summit organised by Malaysia in 2019, which had unnerved Saudi Arabia and UAE, the real patriarchs of the Islamic political world, who are also the very hands that feeds Pakistan (yes literally, because at the time Khan was also desperately pleading for aid from them).&nbsp;

His remarks on French President Emmanuel Macron’s defence of freedom of expression in the context of the Prophet Muhammad cartoons fanned the fires of radicals like TLP. They held protests wanting to get the French ambassador removed. For long an ardent critic of Islamophobia, Khan appeared to cave in to such extremist groups who bayed for blood of the French envoy.&nbsp;

His continued support of China, even publicly dismissing the alleged persecution of Uyghur Muslims by Pakistan’s ‘iron friend’, caused much unease in the US and the West.&nbsp;

And what probably became the nail on the metaphorical coffin was his visit to Russia and meeting with President Vladimir Putin, bang in the middle of the first days of Russian invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;

The problem is, he thinks he is very popular. He thinks he is still the cricketer loved everywhere in the world.&nbsp;

And when he saw the ground beneath him crumbling, he suddenly raised the bogey of a foreign conspiracy to remove him. &nbsp;

It may or may not wash with the public. But that's for them to decide, come election time.&nbsp;

Till then, Imran Khan needs to tone down his messiah complex.&nbsp;

He will have to give the megalomaniac in him a break. &nbsp;

Otherwise, that megalomaniac will provoke some sections of his party to violence.&nbsp;

And there will be blood.&nbsp;

And if Pakistan burns, Imran Khan will have blood on his hands.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Imran Khan has asked his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf followers to assemble in the capital for yet another rally when he gives the call. Comparing himself to Mohammad Mosaddegh, the Iranian prime minister who was ousted in a Western conspiracy in the 1950s, he again claimed of having been a victim of a US-led plot.

Imran Khan has asked his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf followers to assemble in the capital for yet another rally when he gives the call. Comparing himself to Mohammad Mosaddegh, the Iranian prime minister who was ousted in a Western conspiracy in the 1950s, he again claimed of having been a victim of a US-led plot. By provoking his supporters to march to the Pakistani capital, several critics say, he is trying to take Pakistan down a very dangerous path. Sample his quotes: "I want two million people to come to Islamabad when I give the call. I want all of you to go to the people and preach to them about our movement for true freedom." This is a translation, as reported by Dawn newspaper. One can’t help but note the religious undertones of his words. His tone has moved to the extremes in the days following his unceremonious ouster, which had made him the first Pakistani PM to be removed through a no-confidence vote. Also read | 'Im the dim': How Pakistan PM Imran Khan turned out to be a terrible caricature of the champion cricketer In the desperate days before the trust vote, he vaxed and waned on TV, and tried to dilute the spirit of the Pakistani Constitution. He attempted his best to even circumvent the Supreme Court’s order to convene the parliament and conduct the trust vote, after failing to do so in the first instance. He used state media machinery to essentially start an election campaign even before the trust vote. On the eve of the confidence motion, he appeared via PTV, and asked Pakistanis to take to the streets on that Sunday, a move unbecoming of a prime minister. Watch | Gravitas Plus: The many shades of Imran Khan Then, after much drama, PTI activists went to the streets indeed, having lost the trust vote on 10th April. But there was one thing really remarkable about the whole drama: The lack of any significant political violence. Bloodshed during political movements and protests is part of Pakistan's tortuous tryst with democracy. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during an election campaign rally in December, 2007. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was tried for murdering a political opponent and hanged by the regime led by dictator Zia-ul-Haq who had deposed him in a coup at the height of violence caused by the then opposition’s allegations of election rigging. Most recently, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests of 2021 led to nearly 30 deaths. But earlier this month, at one of the most dramatic upheavals in the country's political history, there was an almost 'peaceful' transition of power. In spite of fears, the Pakistani Army did not intervene, or make any provocative statements. May be the transition was what the army-intelligence establishment wanted and got. May be the Pakistani people are more intelligent than the world gives them credit for. May be they are just tired. Three years of Covid pandemic, inflation, financial crisis, unemployment and corruption may have left them numb. But Imran Khan appears to want to change that. He wants some kind of ruckus. From the rambling, televised national addresses in the run-up to the no-trust vote, to the fiery speeches at PTI rallies, he is trying to rouse passions. His calls are taking a sinister turn even abroad, with expatriate supporters taking out marches in the West. There was a noisy protest in front of exiled former PM Nawaz Sharif's residence in London. And another in front of the house of Jemima Goldsmith, the former wife of Khan, who said it felt as if she was back in Lahore of the 1990s. Shehbaz Sharif, the new PM, is no saint, let’s face it. Nor is his brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also lost his post as a consequence of Supreme Court orders in corruption cases including those linked to the Panama Papers leaks. But the dangerous game that Imran Khan is playing now, can potentially cause far-reaching damage to the body politic. Because he is continuously attacking key institutions of democracy: the courts, the legislative process, and now, the election commission. His supporters have been holding protests outside the election commission’s offices across the country. His issue is with the fact that the poll body may have played a role in putting a spanner on his maneuvers to dissolve parliament and assemblies and call a fresh election before the no-trust vote was taken up. The election commission submitted to the SC that it would take at least six months to hold elections due to delimitation exercise and other logistical issues. Basically it meant there wouldn’t be a new National Assembly as soon as Khan had expected. Now, he has gone all guns blazing against the election commission. It is an irony of history that this was the same poll body that was on his side and blamed by those who lost the election to PTI in 2018. There were widespread allegations that the elections were rigged. It was incredulous for many that Khan would emerge as a national leader, let alone a prime minister, in a matter of less than a decade. While the cricketer-turned-politician did have support in some pockets thanks largely to his anti-corruption movement, his party had languished for years since its founding in 1996. Therefore, the election of 2018 was seen as stage-managed by the army-intelligence complex to oust the Sharifs from power. But since he took over, Khan made several missteps, and made damaging public remarks and quixotic stances on international affairs. These embarrassed the army, alienated several allies and eventually made his position as Pakistan PM untenable even as the country wallowed in a never-ending economic crisis. Sample some of his ill-timed remarks and unbecoming actions: He showed disrespect to several Gulf monarchs and dignitaries in both actions and words, that breached protocol and caused outcry. He appeared to endorse cross-border terrorism in India and Afghanistan, calling Pakistan a victim of it and referring to terrorists as martyrs almost in the same breath. He antagonised the West with adverse comments on Pakistan’s post-9/11 support to the US-led war in Afghanistan and war on terrorism. He couldn't dispel the notion that Pakistan intelligence and military had constantly supported Taliban terrorists. (it's a different matter that suddenly, calling Taliban terrorists is politically incorrect as they now rule Afghanistan). His government schooled Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Kashmir issue, seeking a foreign ministers’ meeting on it and threatening to convene one in Pakistan if OIC didn’t. He complicated relations with key Gulf allies by first endorsing, and later pulling out of an Islamic nations’ summit organised by Malaysia in 2019, which had unnerved Saudi Arabia and UAE, the real patriarchs of the Islamic political world, who are also the very hands that feeds Pakistan (yes literally, because at the time Khan was also desperately pleading for aid from them). His remarks on French President Emmanuel Macron’s defence of freedom of expression in the context of the Prophet Muhammad cartoons fanned the fires of radicals like TLP. They held protests wanting to get the French ambassador removed. For long an ardent critic of Islamophobia, Khan appeared to cave in to such extremist groups who bayed for blood of the French envoy. His continued support of China, even publicly dismissing the alleged persecution of Uyghur Muslims by Pakistan’s ‘iron friend’, caused much unease in the US and the West. And what probably became the nail on the metaphorical coffin was his visit to Russia and meeting with President Vladimir Putin, bang in the middle of the first days of Russian invasion of Ukraine. The problem is, he thinks he is very popular. He thinks he is still the cricketer loved everywhere in the world. And when he saw the ground beneath him crumbling, he suddenly raised the bogey of a foreign conspiracy to remove him. It may or may not wash with the public. But that's for them to decide, come election time. Till then, Imran Khan needs to tone down his messiah complex. He will have to give the megalomaniac in him a break. Otherwise, that megalomaniac will provoke some sections of his party to violence. And there will be blood. And if Pakistan burns, Imran Khan will have blood on his hands. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Imran Khan, if Pakistan burns, you will have blood on your hands

Twitter&nbsp;Inc and its advisers were not sure at first how seriously to take him.

Elon&nbsp;Musk's&nbsp;$54.20-per-share offer price for the social media company on April 14 contained the digits 420, a reference to a trope for smoking marijuana. Financing documents he submitted last week in support of his bid were signed on April 20, abbreviated as 4/20.

Such references harken back to his 2018 "funding secured" tweet stating that he was considering taking electric car maker Tesla Inc private for $420 per share. Tesla and Musk subsequently&nbsp;agreed&nbsp;to pay $20 million each to settle charges that he misled investors.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/even-after-elon-musks-twitter-takeover-donald-trump-is-going-to-stay-on-truth-473932">Even after Elon Musk's Twitter takeover, Donald Trump is going 'to stay on Truth'</a>

Musk said he rounded the price up to $420 because he had recently learned about the number's significance in marijuana culture and thought his girlfriend would find it funny, "which admittedly is not a great reason to pick a price," according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission complaint filed at the time.

Discussions with&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;turned serious, however, when the San Francisco-based company's advisers, including bankers at Goldman Sachs Group Inc, JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co and Allen &amp; Co, started poring through&nbsp;Musk's&nbsp;financing documents in support of his $44&nbsp;billion&nbsp;bid on April 21.

Many of the biggest Wall Street banks, led by Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Corp and Barclays Plc, committed to providing $25.5&nbsp;billion&nbsp;in debt, some of it secured against&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;and some of it tied to&nbsp;Musk's&nbsp;Tesla stock. Musk himself committed another $21&nbsp;billion&nbsp;in cash.

Twitter's board, which was still reviewing&nbsp;Musk's&nbsp;bid after he had presented it with little detail a week earlier, went into overdrive. It rushed to complete an analysis to assign a value on its standalone plan which Parag Agrawal, five months into his role as&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;chief executive, was delivering on. And it asked its bankers to triple-check if there was any other bidder who could offer more than Musk.

This account of how&nbsp;Musk's&nbsp;deal&nbsp;for&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;came together is based on interviews with four people familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity to discuss them.

Representatives for Musk,&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;and the banks either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.

Overseeing&nbsp;deal&nbsp;negotiations for&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;was its board chairman Bret Taylor, who is also co-chief executive of Salesforce. It became clear to&nbsp;Twitter's board directors there was no white knight, as technology and media companies fretted about the potential antitrust risk, while private equity firms could not saddle the company with enough debt to juice returns, given its limited cash flow.

Watch |&nbsp;'Musk may control content for his own purpose,' mixed reactions on Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/musk-may-control-content-for-his-own-purpose-mixed-reactions-on-elon-musks-twitter-acquisition-473883/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Musk had said he did not care about the economics of the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;"at all" and was pursuing&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;to advance free speech, disillusioned by many of its platform moderation decisions.

His bid was not rich by historical standards. While it came with a 38% premium to where&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;shares were trading before April 4, when he emerged as a&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;shareholder, the stock had traded higher than his offer for most of last year.

Twitter's bankers projected, however, that even if the company did as well as last year, investors would value it less, because the advertising market in the social media world had become more price-competitive. The board did not believe Agrawal could bring the stock back to $54.20 anytime soon.

That view was shared by many&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;shareholders, including big active mutual funds, who reached out to&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;after Musk showed he had financing for his offer. These shareholders asked the company not to let the opportunity for a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;slip away.

If&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;ignored Musk, some of the investors threatened to side with him in a tender offer that he had said he was exploring. A poison pill that&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;had adopted would protect the company&nbsp;from&nbsp;a takeover, but it would not spare it&nbsp;from&nbsp;publicly losing the support of its shareholders.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-musks-twitter-deal-whats-next-for-ceo-parag-agrawal-473891">After Musk's Twitter deal, what's next for CEO Parag Agrawal?</a>

Bleak backdrop

The stars aligned for Musk in more ways. Technology stocks plunged for most of April amid concerns over inflation and an economic slowdown - a bleak backdrop for&nbsp;Twitter.

Musk also had some allies on&nbsp;Twitter's board. Egon Durban, the co-head of private equity firm Silver Lake who partnered with Musk on his abandoned bid for Tesla, serves on&nbsp;Twitter's board. Jack Dorsey, another board director and the company's former CEO, shares&nbsp;Musk's&nbsp;passion for cryptocurrencies and has often exchanged compliments with him online.

"Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness," Dorsey tweeted on Monday, adding that taking&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;"back&nbsp;from&nbsp;Wall Street is the correct first step."

Twitter's advisers met with Musk on Sunday and tried to convince him to raise his offer, but he stuck to his position that the $54.20-per-share offer was his "best and final".

As a small concession, Musk&nbsp;agreed&nbsp;to offer&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;a chunky break-up fee in the event he changed his mind and walked away. The exact fee is expected to be disclosed in regulatory filings on Tuesday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/elon-musk-buys-twitter-here-are-other-biggest-ever-tech-acquisitions-so-far-473886">Elon Musk buys Twitter, here are other biggest-ever tech acquisitions so far</a>

In the small hours of Monday, the two sides&nbsp;agreed&nbsp;to a&nbsp;deal, and&nbsp;Twitter's board met to approve it later in the day.&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;shares, which had ended trading at $45.08 the day that Musk unveiled his bid, closed at $51.70, only a small discount to the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;price.

Four years after walking away&nbsp;from&nbsp;a $72&nbsp;billion&nbsp;acquisition of Tesla he once contemplated, the world's richest person now has a mega&nbsp;deal&nbsp;to brag about.

"I hope that even my worst critics remain on&nbsp;Twitter, because that is what free speech means," Musk tweeted on Monday.

Twitter Inc and its advisers were not sure at first how seriously to take him. Elon Musk's $54.20-per-share offer price for the social media company on April 14 contained the digits 420, a reference to a trope for smoking marijuana.

Twitter Inc and its advisers were not sure at first how seriously to take him. Elon Musk's $54.20-per-share offer price for the social media company on April 14 contained the digits 420, a reference to a trope for smoking marijuana. Financing documents he submitted last week in support of his bid were signed on April 20, abbreviated as 4/20. Such references harken back to his 2018 "funding secured" tweet stating that he was considering taking electric car maker Tesla Inc private for $420 per share. Tesla and Musk subsequently agreed to pay $20 million each to settle charges that he misled investors. Also read | Even after Elon Musk's Twitter takeover, Donald Trump is going 'to stay on Truth' Musk said he rounded the price up to $420 because he had recently learned about the number's significance in marijuana culture and thought his girlfriend would find it funny, "which admittedly is not a great reason to pick a price," according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission complaint filed at the time. Discussions with Twitter turned serious, however, when the San Francisco-based company's advisers, including bankers at Goldman Sachs Group Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Allen & Co, started poring through Musk's financing documents in support of his $44 billion bid on April 21. Many of the biggest Wall Street banks, led by Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Corp and Barclays Plc, committed to providing $25.5 billion in debt, some of it secured against Twitter and some of it tied to Musk's Tesla stock. Musk himself committed another $21 billion in cash. Twitter's board, which was still reviewing Musk's bid after he had presented it with little detail a week earlier, went into overdrive. It rushed to complete an analysis to assign a value on its standalone plan which Parag Agrawal, five months into his role as Twitter chief executive, was delivering on. And it asked its bankers to triple-check if there was any other bidder who could offer more than Musk. This account of how Musk's deal for Twitter came together is based on interviews with four people familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity to discuss them. Representatives for Musk, Twitter and the banks either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment. Overseeing deal negotiations for Twitter was its board chairman Bret Taylor, who is also co-chief executive of Salesforce. It became clear to Twitter's board directors there was no white knight, as technology and media companies fretted about the potential antitrust risk, while private equity firms could not saddle the company with enough debt to juice returns, given its limited cash flow. Watch | 'Musk may control content for his own purpose,' mixed reactions on Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition Musk had said he did not care about the economics of the deal "at all" and was pursuing Twitter to advance free speech, disillusioned by many of its platform moderation decisions. His bid was not rich by historical standards. While it came with a 38% premium to where Twitter shares were trading before April 4, when he emerged as a Twitter shareholder, the stock had traded higher than his offer for most of last year. Twitter's bankers projected, however, that even if the company did as well as last year, investors would value it less, because the advertising market in the social media world had become more price-competitive. The board did not believe Agrawal could bring the stock back to $54.20 anytime soon. That view was shared by many Twitter shareholders, including big active mutual funds, who reached out to Twitter after Musk showed he had financing for his offer. These shareholders asked the company not to let the opportunity for a deal slip away. If Twitter ignored Musk, some of the investors threatened to side with him in a tender offer that he had said he was exploring. A poison pill that Twitter had adopted would protect the company from a takeover, but it would not spare it from publicly losing the support of its shareholders. Also read | After Musk's Twitter deal, what's next for CEO Parag Agrawal? Bleak backdrop The stars aligned for Musk in more ways. Technology stocks plunged for most of April amid concerns over inflation and an economic slowdown - a bleak backdrop for Twitter. Musk also had some allies on Twitter's board. Egon Durban, the co-head of private equity firm Silver Lake who partnered with Musk on his abandoned bid for Tesla, serves on Twitter's board. Jack Dorsey, another board director and the company's former CEO, shares Musk's passion for cryptocurrencies and has often exchanged compliments with him online. "Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness," Dorsey tweeted on Monday, adding that taking Twitter "back from Wall Street is the correct first step." Twitter's advisers met with Musk on Sunday and tried to convince him to raise his offer, but he stuck to his position that the $54.20-per-share offer was his "best and final". As a small concession, Musk agreed to offer Twitter a chunky break-up fee in the event he changed his mind and walked away. The exact fee is expected to be disclosed in regulatory filings on Tuesday. Also read | Elon Musk buys Twitter, here are other biggest-ever tech acquisitions so far In the small hours of Monday, the two sides agreed to a deal, and Twitter's board met to approve it later in the day. Twitter shares, which had ended trading at $45.08 the day that Musk unveiled his bid, closed at $51.70, only a small discount to the deal price. Four years after walking away from a $72 billion acquisition of Tesla he once contemplated, the world's richest person now has a mega deal to brag about. "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means," Musk tweeted on Monday.

From weed joke to agreed deal: Inside Musk's $44 billion Twitter buyout

"One more sugary picture of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas and I will..."

Do you think like this?

I do.

Because, what's with this obsession over one actor and her singer husband in media, particularly digital media?

What forces online news and entertainment outlets to fall over one another to report the minutest details of this ‘marriage made in heaven?’ Who is controlling who? Is the celebrity controlling Instagram? Is instagram pulling the strings of media, or is media seeking out the celebrity?

And what cultural, social and any other value do these random updates provide?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/johnny-depp-amber-heard-case-shocking-accusations-about-actors-473032/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

During the Covid pandemic, several celebrities stuck at home shared tidbits from their daily lives as if that would help millions in lockdown get through their miserable days.&nbsp;

Many people saw through it and mocked the hell out of celebs. One ‘singathon’ of ‘Imagine’ led by Gal Gadot was particularly targeted with savage commentary on out-of touch celebs.

From the first wave of Covid onwards, several commentators questioned whether the pandemic would herald the end of celebrity news as we knew it.

Hell, no.

The pandemic is now receding, or we have learned to live with it, and celebrity droll is back in full force.&nbsp;

Priyanka – Jonas, Johnny Depp- Amber Heard, Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor, Britney Spears, and… who is that guy?

<img alt="cd" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="247c9f00-118e-48ec-90e2-37154c76e226" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%285%29_2.png" />

In picture:&nbsp;US singer Britney Spears (L) and boyfriend Sam Asghari arrive for the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California

Celebrity sharing of mundane aspects of their lives is here again.&nbsp;

Every minute detail of Katrine Kaif – Vicky Kaushal's marriage is examined threadbare. Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's marriage, despite it being very low key for a Bollywood royalty affair, was among top searched news for a few days in India. And now, every murky, nauseating details of their contentious marriage is being shared in a courtroom by Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

But how much celebrity sharing is too much sharing? Will it all back-fire some day?

Lessons from the Will Smith family

I had a similar cringing feeling when Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith went on a 'sharing spree' in the past few years on social media.

<img alt="cd" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e1fc470-cae6-465b-b0c8-a764f3b61d3d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%286%29_3.png" />

In picture:&nbsp;US actor Will Smith(L) and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California&nbsp;

Everything about them, particularly their private and sexual lives, affairs, cheating, open and polyamorous marriage, was laid out in public for you.

They made an art of washing dirty linen in public.

In the ‘Red Table Talk’ show, three generations of Jada Pinkett's family discussed their lives, with a peppering of sexual themes: from masturbation to porn addition. Clearly the point was to go viral, grab eyeballs, get clicks.

In the run-up to this year’s Academy Awards, Will pulled all stops to get attention to his life and work. Weight loss stunts, daily life vlogs, biography reading sessions, sharing controversial details about his life and wife, shocking statements like how he wanted to kill his father...

The script was perfect. He kind of felt he deserved an Oscar. And on the day he got it, he ruined it all.

He will be forever remembered as the actor who slapped on stage the Oscar presenter Chris Rock on the day he won the best actor Academy Award for ‘King Richard’. All the PR drivel that was supposed to lead up to that momentous occasion went down the drain, and there was radio silence from

Will after the fateful Oscar night. &nbsp;

At the time of writing this, the last Instagram post by him was an open apology to Chris Rock. Just look at the mood in the previous posts on his Instagram feed and you get the idea about the downfall.

And last heard, he has resurfaced in India. Jada referred to a ‘healing process’ in the latest edition of ‘Red Table Talk.’ Is Will on a spiritual ‘healing journey’ in India?

Celebrity news is sawdust, not stardust

This is the context in which I wrote the first line of this piece. There is a conscious attempt to create an aura around celebrity personalities, a happy-go-lucky life that the average person picking up the gossip magazine at the end of the shopping queue wants to live but can't. It's the life that, paradoxically, creates a sense of elation and frustration at the same time for those obsessed with celebrity news.

In recent years, it has also taken another cynical twist: celebrities sharing their fears, anxieties, and depression stories. While it may help foreground mental health issues, the celebrity is at the front and centre of attention, period. At the end of the day, it is fluff, a jacuzzi bubble.

Virality: Celebrity is the paparazzi

Celebrities treating media like their poodles, thinking every action of theirs will be lapped up by the paparazzi, is nothing new. But the difference now in the post-social-media world, is that the celebrity IS the paparazzi.

Once upon a time, for eight days in 2007, the news agency Associated Press decided to not cover anything on Paris Hilton, the socialite who in those days was famous for a sex tape, a reality show, and drunken charades at nightclubs.

&nbsp;“It wasn’t based on a view of what the public should be focusing on…editors just wanted to see what would happen if we didn’t cover this media phenomenon, this creature of the Internet gossip age, for a full week, ” AP had said at the time.

This was the pre-social media era. Is it even possible today?

Today, it would be derided as ‘cancel culture.’

But the Paris Hilton ‘media boycott’ was an attempt at the time to deliberately forget a celebrity who didn't add value to anything, except for herself.&nbsp;

<img alt="cd" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec6cec60-35e1-402f-ae38-29ce9c8a1d7d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%287%29_5.png" />

In picture:&nbsp;US socialite Paris Hilton attends the 6th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, California

Perhaps it worked. Paris was not mainstream for quite some time, briefly reappearing in 2020 as the protagonist of a documentary about reform school abuse. That has not however re-instated her anywhere near the celebrity ‘royal’ status she once had, though there is still a very strong fandom behind her.

Today, nobody is doing an AP on any celebrity, Priyanka or the Kardashians. The latter at one point in time were famous for being famous. It's a different matter that, over the years, through their reality series and individual business empires, the Kardashians are far more accomplished now.

And Kim Karadashian continues to cynically milk her ‘sex tape’ controversy, that she herself admits had helped her fame.

<img alt="cd" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7278479a-4fb0-4be6-86bc-d12f4cd4fad1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%288%29_3.png" />

In picture:&nbsp;Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Kris Jenner can be seen with the rest of their family members

So let's get back to the moot question? Why are we so obsessed? Who is to blame?

It's the dog that eats its own tail. People search celebrity news on Google, and Google makes that the trend, and the trend compels news organisations to cover more of the trending person.

It's a vicious circle.&nbsp;

Till the tech giants that control the content flows into our news feeds and minds decide to tweak their algorithms to 'cancel' the celebrity or leader, just like they did for much of the Trump family, this drivel will continue.

Till that happens, your news feed will continue to be flooded with more Priyanka - Jonas happy pictures.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

"One more sugary picture of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas and I will..." Do you think like this? I do. Because, what's with this obsession over one actor and her singer husband in media, particularly digital media?

"One more sugary picture of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas and I will..." Do you think like this? I do. Because, what's with this obsession over one actor and her singer husband in media, particularly digital media? What forces online news and entertainment outlets to fall over one another to report the minutest details of this ‘marriage made in heaven?’ Who is controlling who? Is the celebrity controlling Instagram? Is instagram pulling the strings of media, or is media seeking out the celebrity? And what cultural, social and any other value do these random updates provide? During the Covid pandemic, several celebrities stuck at home shared tidbits from their daily lives as if that would help millions in lockdown get through their miserable days. Many people saw through it and mocked the hell out of celebs. One ‘singathon’ of ‘Imagine’ led by Gal Gadot was particularly targeted with savage commentary on out-of touch celebs. From the first wave of Covid onwards, several commentators questioned whether the pandemic would herald the end of celebrity news as we knew it. Hell, no. The pandemic is now receding, or we have learned to live with it, and celebrity droll is back in full force. Priyanka – Jonas, Johnny Depp- Amber Heard, Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor, Britney Spears, and… who is that guy? In picture: US singer Britney Spears (L) and boyfriend Sam Asghari arrive for the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California Celebrity sharing of mundane aspects of their lives is here again. Every minute detail of Katrine Kaif – Vicky Kaushal's marriage is examined threadbare. Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's marriage, despite it being very low key for a Bollywood royalty affair, was among top searched news for a few days in India. And now, every murky, nauseating details of their contentious marriage is being shared in a courtroom by Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. But how much celebrity sharing is too much sharing? Will it all back-fire some day? Lessons from the Will Smith family I had a similar cringing feeling when Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith went on a 'sharing spree' in the past few years on social media. In picture: US actor Will Smith(L) and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California Everything about them, particularly their private and sexual lives, affairs, cheating, open and polyamorous marriage, was laid out in public for you. They made an art of washing dirty linen in public. In the ‘Red Table Talk’ show, three generations of Jada Pinkett's family discussed their lives, with a peppering of sexual themes: from masturbation to porn addition. Clearly the point was to go viral, grab eyeballs, get clicks. In the run-up to this year’s Academy Awards, Will pulled all stops to get attention to his life and work. Weight loss stunts, daily life vlogs, biography reading sessions, sharing controversial details about his life and wife, shocking statements like how he wanted to kill his father... The script was perfect. He kind of felt he deserved an Oscar. And on the day he got it, he ruined it all. He will be forever remembered as the actor who slapped on stage the Oscar presenter Chris Rock on the day he won the best actor Academy Award for ‘King Richard’. All the PR drivel that was supposed to lead up to that momentous occasion went down the drain, and there was radio silence from Will after the fateful Oscar night. At the time of writing this, the last Instagram post by him was an open apology to Chris Rock. Just look at the mood in the previous posts on his Instagram feed and you get the idea about the downfall. And last heard, he has resurfaced in India. Jada referred to a ‘healing process’ in the latest edition of ‘Red Table Talk.’ Is Will on a spiritual ‘healing journey’ in India? Celebrity news is sawdust, not stardust This is the context in which I wrote the first line of this piece. There is a conscious attempt to create an aura around celebrity personalities, a happy-go-lucky life that the average person picking up the gossip magazine at the end of the shopping queue wants to live but can't. It's the life that, paradoxically, creates a sense of elation and frustration at the same time for those obsessed with celebrity news. In recent years, it has also taken another cynical twist: celebrities sharing their fears, anxieties, and depression stories. While it may help foreground mental health issues, the celebrity is at the front and centre of attention, period. At the end of the day, it is fluff, a jacuzzi bubble. Virality: Celebrity is the paparazzi Celebrities treating media like their poodles, thinking every action of theirs will be lapped up by the paparazzi, is nothing new. But the difference now in the post-social-media world, is that the celebrity IS the paparazzi. Once upon a time, for eight days in 2007, the news agency Associated Press decided to not cover anything on Paris Hilton, the socialite who in those days was famous for a sex tape, a reality show, and drunken charades at nightclubs. “It wasn’t based on a view of what the public should be focusing on…editors just wanted to see what would happen if we didn’t cover this media phenomenon, this creature of the Internet gossip age, for a full week, ” AP had said at the time. This was the pre-social media era. Is it even possible today? Today, it would be derided as ‘cancel culture.’ But the Paris Hilton ‘media boycott’ was an attempt at the time to deliberately forget a celebrity who didn't add value to anything, except for herself. In picture: US socialite Paris Hilton attends the 6th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, California Perhaps it worked. Paris was not mainstream for quite some time, briefly reappearing in 2020 as the protagonist of a documentary about reform school abuse. That has not however re-instated her anywhere near the celebrity ‘royal’ status she once had, though there is still a very strong fandom behind her. Today, nobody is doing an AP on any celebrity, Priyanka or the Kardashians. The latter at one point in time were famous for being famous. It's a different matter that, over the years, through their reality series and individual business empires, the Kardashians are far more accomplished now. And Kim Karadashian continues to cynically milk her ‘sex tape’ controversy, that she herself admits had helped her fame. In picture: Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Kris Jenner can be seen with the rest of their family members So let's get back to the moot question? Why are we so obsessed? Who is to blame? It's the dog that eats its own tail. People search celebrity news on Google, and Google makes that the trend, and the trend compels news organisations to cover more of the trending person. It's a vicious circle. Till the tech giants that control the content flows into our news feeds and minds decide to tweak their algorithms to 'cancel' the celebrity or leader, just like they did for much of the Trump family, this drivel will continue. Till that happens, your news feed will continue to be flooded with more Priyanka - Jonas happy pictures. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas: Is it me or do you also cringe at those happy life pics?

Since he took office in 2021 and in the past few days in particular, US President Joe Biden, 79, has been the butt of online jokes and trolling for his so-called gaffes.

Sample some of the latest: Biden calls Vice President Kamala Harris, the president. Biden has bird poop on his jacket but carries on with his speech. Biden speaks about Afghanistan and Pakistan but is diverted away by an Easter bunny. Biden appears to shake hands in the air with nobody, yet goes ahead with it anyway.

But look at these facts. 
 
What happens when a person ages? 
 
Human cognitive activity declines with age but there are variations. Generally, it starts at age 60 but some people can be fine even into their 80s. 
 
Brain power declines with age with shrinking of the organ starting from the 30s or 40s in some cases and worsening from the 60s onward in most cases.

Our memory - short term and long term - starts fading, and it’s perfectly normal and a consequence of lesser brain activity caused partly by the shrinkage.

Age-related forgetfulness is not always a cause of Alzheimers’ disease or any such ailment. It just happens.

And the involuntary loss of muscle mass, which in fact starts in the 30s, becomes worse in the 60s onwards and leads to several mishaps and accidents that lead the elderly to be less active, wheel-chair bound, or bed-ridden. 
 
Bone density starts to decline in the 50s. 
 
I can go on, but you get the idea.

Now, what's a typical day for the president of the United States? 
 
Much of it is not known to the public, but let's take a random day from what is.

The schedule of Biden on 21 April 2022 looks something like this: 
 
9:00 AM -Receives the President’s Daily Brief; 9:45 AM&nbsp; - Provides an update on Russia and Ukraine at Roosevelt Room; 10:20 AM - Departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews; 10:40 AM - Departs Joint Base Andrews en route Portland, Oregon; 3:40 PM - Arrives in Portland, Oregon; 4:05 PM - Visits Portland International Airport ; 5:10 PM - Delivers remarks on the investment that has been made thanks in part to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; 6:30 PM - Participates in a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee; 7:25 PM - Departs Portland, Oregon en route Seattle, Washington; 8:15 PM - Arrives in Seattle, Washington; 9:30 PM - Participates in a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee

I’ve cut some parts to bore you less, but you get the point. It’s a 12-hour work day. Some days are less packed than the others, but it’s generally a busy schedule.

This is in addition to the many other news interviews, speeches, public appearances, planned and unplanned media interactions.

Biden is no stranger to any of these. He is one of the longest-serving senators, and is not new to the White House, as he has been vice president before.

It's OK to make a political point against him. But to stalk his every move and troll him for being an elderly man smacks of ageism. 
 
Such micro-analyses may have cost Hillary Clinton the presidency when she contested against Donald Trump. When on the grueling campaign trail, a video caught her appearing to faint. She said she is fine, but the damage had been done, and may have contributed to a perception she's not fit to be president. Ageism, mixed with sexism, is a deadly cocktail. 
 
Similar attacks were made about Trump being overweight, having lost his marbles and being out of touch. But then, Trump kind of invited such criticism, almost reveling in it, as long as he is the headline. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-biden-interrupted-by-easter-bunny-while-answering-questions-on-afghanistan-471978">Watch: Biden interrupted by Easter Bunny while answering questions on Afghanistan</a> 
 
Old people can rule

The issue here is the public perception that elderly people are senile. So let’s now look at the oldest heads of governments and heads of state. 
 
A random check reveals many of them ruled past 80. 
 
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain just turned 96. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is 83. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is 86. The age range of the top 10 oldest leaders currently living and ruling is from 96 to 83. I rest my case.

May be the cultural insensitivity towards older people is what's reflected in the constant attention to Biden's gaffes. 
 
So, what is ageism? 
 
Simply put, it is the mental or attitudinal bullying of people based on their age. It may be active, passive, or passive-aggressive. 
 
World Health Organization defines ageism as “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age.” 
 
We live in a youth-obsessed society. Looking younger and fitter than your age is a million-dollar industry. 
 
At the same time, we also live in a world where several countries have ageing populations, and it’s also an era of medical advancements that makes longevity possible. 
 
And the younger ones should not forget that, with some luck, we will all reach where Biden is now.

Watch | How did Joe Biden become so unpopular?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/how-did-joe-biden-become-so-unpopular-436131/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

Since he took office in 2021 and in the past few days in particular, US President Joe Biden, 79, has been the butt of online jokes and trolling for his so-called gaffes.

Since he took office in 2021 and in the past few days in particular, US President Joe Biden, 79, has been the butt of online jokes and trolling for his so-called gaffes. Sample some of the latest: Biden calls Vice President Kamala Harris, the president. Biden has bird poop on his jacket but carries on with his speech. Biden speaks about Afghanistan and Pakistan but is diverted away by an Easter bunny. Biden appears to shake hands in the air with nobody, yet goes ahead with it anyway. But look at these facts. What happens when a person ages? Human cognitive activity declines with age but there are variations. Generally, it starts at age 60 but some people can be fine even into their 80s. Brain power declines with age with shrinking of the organ starting from the 30s or 40s in some cases and worsening from the 60s onward in most cases. Our memory - short term and long term - starts fading, and it’s perfectly normal and a consequence of lesser brain activity caused partly by the shrinkage. Age-related forgetfulness is not always a cause of Alzheimers’ disease or any such ailment. It just happens. And the involuntary loss of muscle mass, which in fact starts in the 30s, becomes worse in the 60s onwards and leads to several mishaps and accidents that lead the elderly to be less active, wheel-chair bound, or bed-ridden. Bone density starts to decline in the 50s. I can go on, but you get the idea. Now, what's a typical day for the president of the United States? Much of it is not known to the public, but let's take a random day from what is. The schedule of Biden on 21 April 2022 looks something like this: 9:00 AM -Receives the President’s Daily Brief; 9:45 AM - Provides an update on Russia and Ukraine at Roosevelt Room; 10:20 AM - Departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews; 10:40 AM - Departs Joint Base Andrews en route Portland, Oregon; 3:40 PM - Arrives in Portland, Oregon; 4:05 PM - Visits Portland International Airport ; 5:10 PM - Delivers remarks on the investment that has been made thanks in part to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; 6:30 PM - Participates in a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee; 7:25 PM - Departs Portland, Oregon en route Seattle, Washington; 8:15 PM - Arrives in Seattle, Washington; 9:30 PM - Participates in a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee I’ve cut some parts to bore you less, but you get the point. It’s a 12-hour work day. Some days are less packed than the others, but it’s generally a busy schedule. This is in addition to the many other news interviews, speeches, public appearances, planned and unplanned media interactions. Biden is no stranger to any of these. He is one of the longest-serving senators, and is not new to the White House, as he has been vice president before. It's OK to make a political point against him. But to stalk his every move and troll him for being an elderly man smacks of ageism. Such micro-analyses may have cost Hillary Clinton the presidency when she contested against Donald Trump. When on the grueling campaign trail, a video caught her appearing to faint. She said she is fine, but the damage had been done, and may have contributed to a perception she's not fit to be president. Ageism, mixed with sexism, is a deadly cocktail. Similar attacks were made about Trump being overweight, having lost his marbles and being out of touch. But then, Trump kind of invited such criticism, almost reveling in it, as long as he is the headline. Watch: Biden interrupted by Easter Bunny while answering questions on Afghanistan Old people can rule The issue here is the public perception that elderly people are senile. So let’s now look at the oldest heads of governments and heads of state. A random check reveals many of them ruled past 80. Queen Elizabeth II of Britain just turned 96. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is 83. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is 86. The age range of the top 10 oldest leaders currently living and ruling is from 96 to 83. I rest my case. May be the cultural insensitivity towards older people is what's reflected in the constant attention to Biden's gaffes. So, what is ageism? Simply put, it is the mental or attitudinal bullying of people based on their age. It may be active, passive, or passive-aggressive. World Health Organization defines ageism as “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age.” We live in a youth-obsessed society. Looking younger and fitter than your age is a million-dollar industry. At the same time, we also live in a world where several countries have ageing populations, and it’s also an era of medical advancements that makes longevity possible. And the younger ones should not forget that, with some luck, we will all reach where Biden is now. Watch | How did Joe Biden become so unpopular? (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

Gaffe-porn: Are those making fun of Joe Biden ageist?

Official results from Hungary's general election on Sunday showed nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister&nbsp;Viktor&nbsp;Orban's Fidesz party had won a fourth term in office by a much greater margin than pre-election polls had suggested, after a campaign overshadowed by the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Addressing a jubilant crowd chanting his name, many of them wearing Fidesz's orange party colour,&nbsp;Orban&nbsp;said: "We have won a great victory -- a victory so great you can perhaps see it from the moon and certainly from Brussels".

Orban's administration has presided over repeated confrontations with the European Union, including over the neutering of the press and judiciary, and measures targeting the LGBTQ community -- also the subject of a vote on Sunday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hungarians-vote-on-orbans-12-year-rule-in-tight-ballot-overshadowed-by-ukraine-war-467895">Hungarians vote on Orban's 12-year rule in tight ballot overshadowed by Ukraine war</a>

The 58-year-old, already the longest-serving head of government in the EU, was challenged by six united opposition parties seeking to roll back the "illiberal" revolution&nbsp;Orban's Fidesz party has pursued during 12 consecutive years in office.

But with 94 percent of votes counted, Fidesz was on 53 percent compared to 35 percent for the opposition coalition, according to results from the national election office -- a result which means the party will retain its two-thirds majority in parliament.

Peter Marki-Zay, 49, the conservative leading the opposition list, addressed supporters and conceded defeat late on Sunday evening.

"I will not hide my sadness and my disappointment," he told them, combatively accusing Fidesz of running a campaign of "hate and lies".

He added that the opposition had done "everything humanly possible" but that the campaign had been "an unequal fight" given the way in which he and other anti-Fidesz politicians had been all but banished from state media.

MEP Marton Gyongyosi from the right-wing Jobbik party which is part of the opposition coalition, told AFP that "abuses" had taken place on Sunday and added: "This will have to be considered when talking about how the results of the elections can be respected".

Orban&nbsp;has dismissed such complaints and insisted the vote was fair.

For the first time more than 200 international observers monitored the election in Hungary, an EU member, along with thousands of domestic volunteers from both camps.

Turnout reached 68.69 percent, almost matching the record participation seen at the last national elections in 2018.

The far-right Mi Hazank party also surpassed expectations and will make its debut in parliament after crossing the five-percent minimum threshold.

Watch |&nbsp;Hungary: Viktor Orban scores fourth consecutive win in general elections

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hungary-viktor-orban-scored-a-fourth-consecutive-win-in-general-elections-468142/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ruined the country

Budapest resident Agnes Kunyik, 56, told AFP she had backed the opposition.

"They have ruined our country, destroyed it," she said of Fidesz, becoming visibly emotional.

But one of those who had turned out for&nbsp;Orban's victory celebration, 55-year-old Ildiko Horvath, said that under Fidesz "Hungary is really going forwards," adding: "On the really important questions like the (Ukraine) war and migrants he always decides in line with what the majority wants."

Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine cast a long shadow over the campaign.

Diplomatically,&nbsp;Orban&nbsp;fell into line with EU support for Kyiv despite his long-standing closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But at home,&nbsp;Orban&nbsp;has struck a neutral and even anti-Ukrainian tone at times, refusing to let weapons for Ukraine cross Hungarian territory.

He cast himself as the protector of stability and accused the opposition of "warmongering".

In his victory speech&nbsp;Orban&nbsp;said: "We never had so many opponents," reeling off a list that comprised "Brussels bureaucrats... the international mainstream media, and finally the Ukrainian president".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has singled&nbsp;Orban&nbsp;out for criticism over his reticence to take a tougher stance against Russia.

French and Italian far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini were quick to offer their congratulations on Sunday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisishungary-pm-orban-calls-sanctions-double-edged-weapon-458898">Russia-Ukraine Crisis:Hungary PM Orban calls sanctions 'double-edged weapon'</a>

Le Pen, herself gathering momentum in polls before the first round of presidential elections in France next week, posted a picture of herself shaking hands with&nbsp;Orban&nbsp;and the caption: "When the people vote, the people win!"

As well as electing MPs, Hungarians were voting in a referendum designed to elicit support for what Fidesz calls a "child protection" law&nbsp;banning the portrayal of LGBTQ people to under-18s.

Budapest resident Regina, 25 -- who refused to give her surname -- told AFP she had spoiled her ballot in the "twisted" referendum which she said had portrayed LGBTQ Hungarians as an "enemy".&nbsp;

Partial results showed the referendum had failed as not enough valid votes had been cast.&nbsp;

Official results from Hungary's general election on Sunday showed nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party had won a fourth term in office by a much greater margin than pre-election polls had suggested, after a campaign overshadowed by the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Official results from Hungary's general election on Sunday showed nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party had won a fourth term in office by a much greater margin than pre-election polls had suggested, after a campaign overshadowed by the war in neighbouring Ukraine. Addressing a jubilant crowd chanting his name, many of them wearing Fidesz's orange party colour, Orban said: "We have won a great victory -- a victory so great you can perhaps see it from the moon and certainly from Brussels". Orban's administration has presided over repeated confrontations with the European Union, including over the neutering of the press and judiciary, and measures targeting the LGBTQ community -- also the subject of a vote on Sunday. Also read | Hungarians vote on Orban's 12-year rule in tight ballot overshadowed by Ukraine war The 58-year-old, already the longest-serving head of government in the EU, was challenged by six united opposition parties seeking to roll back the "illiberal" revolution Orban's Fidesz party has pursued during 12 consecutive years in office. But with 94 percent of votes counted, Fidesz was on 53 percent compared to 35 percent for the opposition coalition, according to results from the national election office -- a result which means the party will retain its two-thirds majority in parliament. Peter Marki-Zay, 49, the conservative leading the opposition list, addressed supporters and conceded defeat late on Sunday evening. "I will not hide my sadness and my disappointment," he told them, combatively accusing Fidesz of running a campaign of "hate and lies". He added that the opposition had done "everything humanly possible" but that the campaign had been "an unequal fight" given the way in which he and other anti-Fidesz politicians had been all but banished from state media. MEP Marton Gyongyosi from the right-wing Jobbik party which is part of the opposition coalition, told AFP that "abuses" had taken place on Sunday and added: "This will have to be considered when talking about how the results of the elections can be respected". Orban has dismissed such complaints and insisted the vote was fair. For the first time more than 200 international observers monitored the election in Hungary, an EU member, along with thousands of domestic volunteers from both camps. Turnout reached 68.69 percent, almost matching the record participation seen at the last national elections in 2018. The far-right Mi Hazank party also surpassed expectations and will make its debut in parliament after crossing the five-percent minimum threshold. Watch | Hungary: Viktor Orban scores fourth consecutive win in general elections Ruined the country Budapest resident Agnes Kunyik, 56, told AFP she had backed the opposition. "They have ruined our country, destroyed it," she said of Fidesz, becoming visibly emotional. But one of those who had turned out for Orban's victory celebration, 55-year-old Ildiko Horvath, said that under Fidesz "Hungary is really going forwards," adding: "On the really important questions like the (Ukraine) war and migrants he always decides in line with what the majority wants." Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine cast a long shadow over the campaign. Diplomatically, Orban fell into line with EU support for Kyiv despite his long-standing closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But at home, Orban has struck a neutral and even anti-Ukrainian tone at times, refusing to let weapons for Ukraine cross Hungarian territory. He cast himself as the protector of stability and accused the opposition of "warmongering". In his victory speech Orban said: "We never had so many opponents," reeling off a list that comprised "Brussels bureaucrats... the international mainstream media, and finally the Ukrainian president". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has singled Orban out for criticism over his reticence to take a tougher stance against Russia. French and Italian far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini were quick to offer their congratulations on Sunday. Also read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis:Hungary PM Orban calls sanctions 'double-edged weapon' Le Pen, herself gathering momentum in polls before the first round of presidential elections in France next week, posted a picture of herself shaking hands with Orban and the caption: "When the people vote, the people win!" As well as electing MPs, Hungarians were voting in a referendum designed to elicit support for what Fidesz calls a "child protection" law banning the portrayal of LGBTQ people to under-18s. Budapest resident Regina, 25 -- who refused to give her surname -- told AFP she had spoiled her ballot in the "twisted" referendum which she said had portrayed LGBTQ Hungarians as an "enemy". Partial results showed the referendum had failed as not enough valid votes had been cast.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wins fourth term with comfortable margin

Israeli security forces killed three Islamic Jihad militants when they came under fire Saturday during a raid in the West Bank, police said, the latest deaths in a surge of violence.

The bloodshed comes amid heightened tensions ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that has seen violence spiral in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Last year during Ramadan, clashes that flared between Israeli forces and Palestinians visiting Al-Aqsa mosque in annexed east Jerusalem led to 11 days of devastating conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/palestinian-infant-dies-after-medical-treatment-gets-delayed-by-israeli-blockade-in-gaza-467635">Palestinian infant dies after treatment gets delayed by Israel's blockade in Gaza: Report</a>

On Saturday, Israeli police said security forces killed three members of the Islamic Jihad militant group who had opened fire during an operation to arrest them near the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

Four Israeli soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, the police said.

The Israeli forces had intercepted "a terrorist cell on its way to an attack, and stopped the car in which they were travelling between Jenin and Tulkarem", the police said.

The Islamic Jihad, which is based in Gaza, confirmed the "death of our three hero fighters" from the West Bank, identifying them as Saeb Abahra, Khalil Tawalbeh and Seif Abu Labdeh.

Palestinian&nbsp;prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said they were slain in an "extrajudicial killing" and "horrible crime".

Israel's leaders "must stop committing crimes and violations against our&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;people, respond to their legitimate rights to freedom and independence, end the occupation and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital", he said, quoted by the&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;Wafa news agency.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid warned in a tweet on Saturday that the security forces would "act forcefully against any attempted attack" on citizens of the Jewish state.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-gas-pipeline-with-israel-not-possible-in-short-term-467193">Turkey says gas pipeline with Israel not possible in short term</a>

Saturday's clash is the latest in a spate of bloody violence in Israel and the West Bank since March 22.

IS-linked attacks&nbsp;

On Friday, Israeli forces shot dead a 29-year-old&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;during confrontations in the West Bank city of Hebron, the&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;health ministry said.

Wafa named him as Ahmad al-Atrash, who it said was taking part in a protest against Israeli settlements and had previously served six years in an Israeli prison.

The Israeli army said that during a "riot" in Hebron, "a suspect hurled a Molotov cocktail" at soldiers, who "responded with live fire".

Hebron, the biggest city in the West Bank, is home to about 1,000 Jewish settlers living under heavy Israeli military protection, among more than 200,000 Palestinians.

The&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;Red Crescent said 70 people were wounded in Friday's clashes with the Israeli army in the Nablus area of the northern West Bank.

On Thursday, Israeli security forces raided Jenin after three fatal attacks rocked the Jewish state, leading to clashes in which two Palestinians were killed, according to the&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;health ministry.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-police-on-high-alert-after-5-killed-in-tel-aviv-shooting-466855">Israel Police on high alert after 5 killed in Tel Aviv shooting</a>

Elsewhere in the West Bank on the same day, a&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;man who stabbed and seriously wounded an Israeli civilian with a screwdriver on a bus was shot dead south of the city of Bethlehem.

It followed an attack on Tuesday night in Bnei Brak, an Orthodox Jewish city near Tel Aviv where a&nbsp;Palestinian&nbsp;with an assault rifle killed two Israeli civilians, two Ukrainian nationals and an Arab-Israeli policeman.

A total of 11 people have been killed in attacks in Israel since March 22, including some carried out by assailants linked to or inspired by the Islamic State group.

Over the same period, eight Palestinians have been killed, according to an AFP tally, including two assailants in anti-Israeli attacks and six people the Israelis said had carried out attacks or were about to do so.

The West Bank, which has been occupied by Israeli forces since the 1967 Six-Day war, is home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers, living in communities regarded as illegal under international law.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Israel PM asks citizens to arm themselves

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-israel-pm-asks-citizens-to-arm-themselves-467289/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Israeli security forces killed three Islamic Jihad militants when they came under fire Saturday during a raid in the West Bank, police said, the latest deaths in a surge of violence.

Israeli security forces killed three Islamic Jihad militants when they came under fire Saturday during a raid in the West Bank, police said, the latest deaths in a surge of violence. The bloodshed comes amid heightened tensions ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that has seen violence spiral in Israel and the occupied West Bank. Last year during Ramadan, clashes that flared between Israeli forces and Palestinians visiting Al-Aqsa mosque in annexed east Jerusalem led to 11 days of devastating conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas. Also read | Palestinian infant dies after treatment gets delayed by Israel's blockade in Gaza: Report On Saturday, Israeli police said security forces killed three members of the Islamic Jihad militant group who had opened fire during an operation to arrest them near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Four Israeli soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, the police said. The Israeli forces had intercepted "a terrorist cell on its way to an attack, and stopped the car in which they were travelling between Jenin and Tulkarem", the police said. The Islamic Jihad, which is based in Gaza, confirmed the "death of our three hero fighters" from the West Bank, identifying them as Saeb Abahra, Khalil Tawalbeh and Seif Abu Labdeh. Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said they were slain in an "extrajudicial killing" and "horrible crime". Israel's leaders "must stop committing crimes and violations against our Palestinian people, respond to their legitimate rights to freedom and independence, end the occupation and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital", he said, quoted by the Palestinian Wafa news agency. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid warned in a tweet on Saturday that the security forces would "act forcefully against any attempted attack" on citizens of the Jewish state. Also read | Turkey says gas pipeline with Israel not possible in short term Saturday's clash is the latest in a spate of bloody violence in Israel and the West Bank since March 22. IS-linked attacks On Friday, Israeli forces shot dead a 29-year-old Palestinian during confrontations in the West Bank city of Hebron, the Palestinian health ministry said. Wafa named him as Ahmad al-Atrash, who it said was taking part in a protest against Israeli settlements and had previously served six years in an Israeli prison. The Israeli army said that during a "riot" in Hebron, "a suspect hurled a Molotov cocktail" at soldiers, who "responded with live fire". Hebron, the biggest city in the West Bank, is home to about 1,000 Jewish settlers living under heavy Israeli military protection, among more than 200,000 Palestinians. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 70 people were wounded in Friday's clashes with the Israeli army in the Nablus area of the northern West Bank. On Thursday, Israeli security forces raided Jenin after three fatal attacks rocked the Jewish state, leading to clashes in which two Palestinians were killed, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Also read | Israel Police on high alert after 5 killed in Tel Aviv shooting Elsewhere in the West Bank on the same day, a Palestinian man who stabbed and seriously wounded an Israeli civilian with a screwdriver on a bus was shot dead south of the city of Bethlehem. It followed an attack on Tuesday night in Bnei Brak, an Orthodox Jewish city near Tel Aviv where a Palestinian with an assault rifle killed two Israeli civilians, two Ukrainian nationals and an Arab-Israeli policeman. A total of 11 people have been killed in attacks in Israel since March 22, including some carried out by assailants linked to or inspired by the Islamic State group. Over the same period, eight Palestinians have been killed, according to an AFP tally, including two assailants in anti-Israeli attacks and six people the Israelis said had carried out attacks or were about to do so. The West Bank, which has been occupied by Israeli forces since the 1967 Six-Day war, is home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers, living in communities regarded as illegal under international law. Watch | Gravitas: Israel PM asks citizens to arm themselves

Israelis kill three Palestinian militants as violence spirals

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Vinod Janardhanan

Home

Live Tv

Latest

World

India

Business

Entertainment

Sports

Opinions

Videos

Photos

Gravitas

Lifestyle

Science

Tech

Rajasthan News in Hindi: In-depth coverage of Rajasthan Crime, Political News, Education, Rajasthan Weather Update and Latest Rajasthan News on Zee News Rajasthan.