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)

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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

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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

Manchester City moved a point clear of title rivals Liverpool at the top of the Premier League standings with a convincing 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday.

Needing a win to reclaim top spot after Liverpool beat Watford earlier in the day, first half goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan with two assists from Raheem Sterling sealed all three points for Pep Guardiola's side.

City dominated possession throughout and they made a perfect start by taking a fifth-minute lead after De Bruyne pounced on Sterling's cushioned pass inside the box and pulled the trigger to find the top corner.

Sterling and De Bruyne were instrumental in doubling City's lead 20 minutes later when a quick one-two pass allowed the English forward to sprint down the right flank and cross into the box for Gundogan to score.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-liverpool-leapfrog-manchester-city-to-top-of-the-table-with-2-0-win-over-watford-467756">Premier League: Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City to top of the table with 2-0 win over Watford</a>

"We've played in these types of games for many years. We scored early on so that helped us a lot. But the game is never finished until you score the third or fourth," Guardiola said in a post-match interview with the Premier League.

"The pitch was so difficult because the grass was high, no water and everything was so slow. But we did well and won the game."

City had a wake-up call in the second half when Burnley nearly got one back as Maxwel Cornet's header was cleared off the line by Nathan Ake. Although Cornet was later flagged offside, the move spurred Burnley to press for a goal.

But City improved soon after and they could have scored more with Phil Foden wasting a couple of opportunities while substitute Gabriel Jesus, who has not scored a league goal since September, also failed to find the target.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-united-manager-ralf-rangnick-strike-back-at-louis-van-gaal-over-commercial-club-comment-467640">Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick hits back at Louis van Gaal over 'commercial club' comment</a>

Meanwhile, Burnley's fourth consecutive defeat leaves Sean Dyche's side 19th, but with games in hand over the relegation battlers.

"It's never a shock against Man City. Sometimes they can score at will if they're feeling it," Dyche told BBC.

"Our nemesis all season has been creating chances and not scoring goals... The second half showed signs of what we`re about, we've got to do that in the games coming up.

"We still have 10 games left and we're still in a fight... We have 10 efforts to get ourselves correct and move forward."

Manchester City moved a point clear of title rivals Liverpool at the top of the Premier League standings with a convincing 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday.

Manchester City moved a point clear of title rivals Liverpool at the top of the Premier League standings with a convincing 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday. Needing a win to reclaim top spot after Liverpool beat Watford earlier in the day, first half goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan with two assists from Raheem Sterling sealed all three points for Pep Guardiola's side. City dominated possession throughout and they made a perfect start by taking a fifth-minute lead after De Bruyne pounced on Sterling's cushioned pass inside the box and pulled the trigger to find the top corner. Sterling and De Bruyne were instrumental in doubling City's lead 20 minutes later when a quick one-two pass allowed the English forward to sprint down the right flank and cross into the box for Gundogan to score. ALSO READ: Premier League: Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City to top of the table with 2-0 win over Watford "We've played in these types of games for many years. We scored early on so that helped us a lot. But the game is never finished until you score the third or fourth," Guardiola said in a post-match interview with the Premier League. "The pitch was so difficult because the grass was high, no water and everything was so slow. But we did well and won the game." City had a wake-up call in the second half when Burnley nearly got one back as Maxwel Cornet's header was cleared off the line by Nathan Ake. Although Cornet was later flagged offside, the move spurred Burnley to press for a goal. But City improved soon after and they could have scored more with Phil Foden wasting a couple of opportunities while substitute Gabriel Jesus, who has not scored a league goal since September, also failed to find the target. ALSO READ: Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick hits back at Louis van Gaal over 'commercial club' comment Meanwhile, Burnley's fourth consecutive defeat leaves Sean Dyche's side 19th, but with games in hand over the relegation battlers. "It's never a shock against Man City. Sometimes they can score at will if they're feeling it," Dyche told BBC. "Our nemesis all season has been creating chances and not scoring goals... The second half showed signs of what we`re about, we've got to do that in the games coming up. "We still have 10 games left and we're still in a fight... We have 10 efforts to get ourselves correct and move forward."

Premier League: De Bruyne, Gundogan strike as Man City reclaim top spot from Liverpool with 2-0 win vs Burnley

A goal for Christian Eriksen, two from Vitaly Janelt and a late addition from Yoane Wissa earned Brentford a shock 4-1 comeback victory over west London neighbours Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

It was Brentford's first Premier League visit to Stamford Bridge and it looked to be going the European Champions'&nbsp;way when centre back Antonio Rudiger brought the game to life after a dull first half with his screamer of a shot from about 35 metres flying in off the post.

The German raced to the bench and hugged coach and compatriot Thomas Tuchel but the home celebrations were short-lived, proving merely a prelude to 10 minutes of frenzied action from their lowly visitors.

Two minutes later on the break the lively Bryan Mbuemo put Janelt through to score.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-to-face-england-and-iran-spain-meet-germany-in-fifa-world-cup-2022-group-stage-467548">U.S. to face England and Iran, Spain meet Germany in FIFA World Cup 2022 group stage</a>

Mbuemo then assisted Brentford's second with a pinpoint pass to Eriksen for the Dane to score his first goal for his new team in the 54th minute.

Eriksen, whose career had been in doubt after he collapsed on the pitch during the European Championship last year, had also scored twice in two games for his country during the recent international break.

Janelt sent the away end of Stamford Bridge into raptures in the 60th minute with a looping shot from an Ivan Toney pass to put them on course for all three points and a move further away from the relegation zone.

Substitute Wissa put the icing on the cake in the 87th minute, condemning a lacklustre Chelsea to their first home defeat since September.

It was the first victory for promoted Brentford over Chelsea since 1939.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-liverpool-leapfrog-manchester-city-to-top-of-the-table-with-2-0-win-over-watford-467756">Premier League: Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City to top of the table with 2-0 win over Watford</a>

The home side, who had won their last five games despite the turmoil surrounding the club with sanctions against Roman Abramovich and the search for a new owner, looked off the pace from the start.

Hakim Ziyech had the best chance of the first half for Chelsea, letting rip a powerful shot from the right that David Raya tipped over the bar in the 38th minute.

Brentford had already sent out warning signs with Toney having three chances in the first 20 minutes, firing over the bar and testing Edouard Mendy with a shot that needed tipping round the post.

Chelsea, who had not lost in the Premier League since mid-January, remain third in the table but lost ground on leaders Manchester City and Liverpool who both won on Saturday. Brentford moved up to 14th, four places above the drop zone.

A goal for Christian Eriksen, two from Vitaly Janelt and a late addition from Yoane Wissa earned Brentford a shock 4-1 comeback victory over west London neighbours Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

A goal for Christian Eriksen, two from Vitaly Janelt and a late addition from Yoane Wissa earned Brentford a shock 4-1 comeback victory over west London neighbours Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday. It was Brentford's first Premier League visit to Stamford Bridge and it looked to be going the European Champions' way when centre back Antonio Rudiger brought the game to life after a dull first half with his screamer of a shot from about 35 metres flying in off the post. The German raced to the bench and hugged coach and compatriot Thomas Tuchel but the home celebrations were short-lived, proving merely a prelude to 10 minutes of frenzied action from their lowly visitors. Two minutes later on the break the lively Bryan Mbuemo put Janelt through to score. ALSO READ: U.S. to face England and Iran, Spain meet Germany in FIFA World Cup 2022 group stage Mbuemo then assisted Brentford's second with a pinpoint pass to Eriksen for the Dane to score his first goal for his new team in the 54th minute. Eriksen, whose career had been in doubt after he collapsed on the pitch during the European Championship last year, had also scored twice in two games for his country during the recent international break. Janelt sent the away end of Stamford Bridge into raptures in the 60th minute with a looping shot from an Ivan Toney pass to put them on course for all three points and a move further away from the relegation zone. Substitute Wissa put the icing on the cake in the 87th minute, condemning a lacklustre Chelsea to their first home defeat since September. It was the first victory for promoted Brentford over Chelsea since 1939. ALSO READ: Premier League: Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City to top of the table with 2-0 win over Watford The home side, who had won their last five games despite the turmoil surrounding the club with sanctions against Roman Abramovich and the search for a new owner, looked off the pace from the start. Hakim Ziyech had the best chance of the first half for Chelsea, letting rip a powerful shot from the right that David Raya tipped over the bar in the 38th minute. Brentford had already sent out warning signs with Toney having three chances in the first 20 minutes, firing over the bar and testing Edouard Mendy with a shot that needed tipping round the post. Chelsea, who had not lost in the Premier League since mid-January, remain third in the table but lost ground on leaders Manchester City and Liverpool who both won on Saturday. Brentford moved up to 14th, four places above the drop zone.

Premier League: Christian Eriksen scores as Brentford stun Chelsea 4-1

China on Sunday reported 13,287 new Covid cases for April 2, the highest since February 2020, with the majority in Shanghai and northeastern Jilin province.&nbsp;

The national health authority on Sunday said the country reported 1,506 confirmed Covid cases for the previous day, which is less than the day earlier with 2,129 cases.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-launched-cyberattack-against-ukraine-before-russian-invasion-report-467623">China launched cyberattack against Ukraine before Russian invasion: Report</a>

However, the country has not yet classified asymptomatic cases as confirmed cases which increased from 7,869 cases to 11,781 cases on Saturday. Amongst the confirmed cases, 1,455 cases were locally transmitted with 956 cases from Jilin and 438 from Shanghai which has virtually locked the entire city.

During a press conference on Sunday, a senior official of the Shanghai health authority said that Shanghai will be carrying out a city-wide antigen testing on Sunday and mass nucleic acid testing on Monday.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Shanghai's healthcare system has collapsed

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Shanghai has been striving to stop the spread of cases by imposing a two-stage lockdown, pressuring the manufacturers to halt the operations and causing serious congestion at the Shanghai port.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/popular-chinese-messaging-app-wechat-suspends-several-accounts-linked-to-non-fungible-tokens-467529">Popular Chinese messaging app WeChat suspends several accounts linked to non-fungible tokens</a>

The data showed that the congestion off Shanghai has been easing for oil tankers since March 31, but the number of bulkers queuing in outer Yangtze has increased to nearly 90, the highest level since October 2021. Many ports near Shanghai such as Ningbo are now busy as firms have diverted cargos to avoid prolonged logistic turnarounds.

(With inputs from agencies)

China on Sunday reported 13,287 new Covid cases for April 2, the highest since February 2020, with the majority in Shanghai and northeastern Jilin province. The national health authority on Sunday said the country reported 1,506 confirmed Covid cases for the previous day, which is less than the day earlier with 2,129 cases.

China on Sunday reported 13,287 new Covid cases for April 2, the highest since February 2020, with the majority in Shanghai and northeastern Jilin province. The national health authority on Sunday said the country reported 1,506 confirmed Covid cases for the previous day, which is less than the day earlier with 2,129 cases. Also read | China launched cyberattack against Ukraine before Russian invasion: Report However, the country has not yet classified asymptomatic cases as confirmed cases which increased from 7,869 cases to 11,781 cases on Saturday. Amongst the confirmed cases, 1,455 cases were locally transmitted with 956 cases from Jilin and 438 from Shanghai which has virtually locked the entire city. During a press conference on Sunday, a senior official of the Shanghai health authority said that Shanghai will be carrying out a city-wide antigen testing on Sunday and mass nucleic acid testing on Monday. Watch | Gravitas: Shanghai's healthcare system has collapsed Shanghai has been striving to stop the spread of cases by imposing a two-stage lockdown, pressuring the manufacturers to halt the operations and causing serious congestion at the Shanghai port. Also read | Popular Chinese messaging app WeChat suspends several accounts linked to non-fungible tokens The data showed that the congestion off Shanghai has been easing for oil tankers since March 31, but the number of bulkers queuing in outer Yangtze has increased to nearly 90, the highest level since October 2021. Many ports near Shanghai such as Ningbo are now busy as firms have diverted cargos to avoid prolonged logistic turnarounds. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: China reports highest number of cases since February 2020

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis by getting the president to dissolve parliament and seeking fresh elections on a day when a session to hold a no-trust vote against his government was abruptly adjourned.

In what appeared to be premeditated moves, the National Assembly session was dismissed by deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri as unconstitutional.

Citing Article 5 of the constitution, Suri dismissed the session soon after the ruling party's Fawad Chowdhury spoke against the no-confidence motion, calling it a "foreign conspiracy."

Interestingly, the deputy speaker himself was filling in for Speaker Asad Qaiser against whom the opposition parties filed a no-confidence motion earlier in the day.&nbsp;

The game-changing move by Khan, a cricketer-turned-prime minister, was slammed by opposition parties, who vowed to challenge it in the Supreme Court, thus making it a constitutional crisis.

Bilawal Bhutto, Pakistan People’s Party leader, also vowed to hold a sit-in in parliament against Khan's swift and unexpected play, adding that opposition lawyers will seek Supreme Court's intervention and seek a verdict on Sunday itself.&nbsp;

In yet another bizarre, unprecedented scene, the opposition 'chose' a Speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, and held its parallel session in parliament. If anything, it is only going to serve as political posturing and optics.

With the opposition's legal action, it appears the ball is now in the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has called other justices for consultation.

The top court will have to answer a complex set of constitutional questions: Can a speaker [or his deputy in this case] adjourn the House which had been convened to vote on a no-confidence motion against the government? Is the session 'unconstitutional' only because the deputy speaker thinks so, after it had been listed in the parliament business? Is it constitutional for the president to dismiss the parliament and call elections, when just days ago the opposition appeared to have the sufficient numbers to win the no-trust vote after the MQM-P party switched sides?&nbsp;

Can a prime minister facing a no-trust motion seek to dismiss the very House that was set to vote on it?&nbsp;

Another looming factor is the spectre of another Army rule. Democracy in Pakistan has been a tortuous lab experiment that could not find the right solution even after 75 years. Whenever such political crises occurred, the Army had stepped in, leading to the series of dictatorships that the impoverished South Asian country witnessed intermittently over the years.

WATCH |&nbsp;Imran Khan calls for snap elections after no-confidence vote dismissed, opposition to move SC

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Will the new crisis lead to another such military rule?&nbsp;

Imran Khan might be trying to avoid such a situation, as according to government sources, he is seeking an interim government. Khan is apparently in the process of writing a letter to the opposition for such an interim government. It is quite possible that this was a move from the Army-intelligence establishment of Pakistan.

One way or the other, Pakistan needs to have a government in place by June 30, which is the deadline to pass the budget. The country is reeling from an unprecedented economic crisis, which is a deadly combination of poverty, foreign debt, high cost of living, and unemployment amid a Covid pandemic.

The entire political crisis is a result of mobilisation by the opposition to address these issues. Instead of finding a solution to those, Khan, the maverick cricketer, has plunged the country into yet another crisis. 
&nbsp; 
Which way it will end - more violence on the streets, political vendetta, interim government followed by election, army rule, or just a period of more uncertainty - will only become clearer in the coming days.

(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)

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis by getting the president to dissolve parliament and seeking fresh elections on a day when a session to hold a no-trust vote against his government was abruptly adjourned.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis by getting the president to dissolve parliament and seeking fresh elections on a day when a session to hold a no-trust vote against his government was abruptly adjourned. In what appeared to be premeditated moves, the National Assembly session was dismissed by deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri as unconstitutional. Citing Article 5 of the constitution, Suri dismissed the session soon after the ruling party's Fawad Chowdhury spoke against the no-confidence motion, calling it a "foreign conspiracy." Interestingly, the deputy speaker himself was filling in for Speaker Asad Qaiser against whom the opposition parties filed a no-confidence motion earlier in the day. The game-changing move by Khan, a cricketer-turned-prime minister, was slammed by opposition parties, who vowed to challenge it in the Supreme Court, thus making it a constitutional crisis. Bilawal Bhutto, Pakistan People’s Party leader, also vowed to hold a sit-in in parliament against Khan's swift and unexpected play, adding that opposition lawyers will seek Supreme Court's intervention and seek a verdict on Sunday itself. In yet another bizarre, unprecedented scene, the opposition 'chose' a Speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, and held its parallel session in parliament. If anything, it is only going to serve as political posturing and optics. With the opposition's legal action, it appears the ball is now in the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has called other justices for consultation. The top court will have to answer a complex set of constitutional questions: Can a speaker [or his deputy in this case] adjourn the House which had been convened to vote on a no-confidence motion against the government? Is the session 'unconstitutional' only because the deputy speaker thinks so, after it had been listed in the parliament business? Is it constitutional for the president to dismiss the parliament and call elections, when just days ago the opposition appeared to have the sufficient numbers to win the no-trust vote after the MQM-P party switched sides? Can a prime minister facing a no-trust motion seek to dismiss the very House that was set to vote on it? Another looming factor is the spectre of another Army rule. Democracy in Pakistan has been a tortuous lab experiment that could not find the right solution even after 75 years. Whenever such political crises occurred, the Army had stepped in, leading to the series of dictatorships that the impoverished South Asian country witnessed intermittently over the years. WATCH | Imran Khan calls for snap elections after no-confidence vote dismissed, opposition to move SC × Will the new crisis lead to another such military rule? Imran Khan might be trying to avoid such a situation, as according to government sources, he is seeking an interim government. Khan is apparently in the process of writing a letter to the opposition for such an interim government. It is quite possible that this was a move from the Army-intelligence establishment of Pakistan. One way or the other, Pakistan needs to have a government in place by June 30, which is the deadline to pass the budget. The country is reeling from an unprecedented economic crisis, which is a deadly combination of poverty, foreign debt, high cost of living, and unemployment amid a Covid pandemic. The entire political crisis is a result of mobilisation by the opposition to address these issues. Instead of finding a solution to those, Khan, the maverick cricketer, has plunged the country into yet another crisis. Which way it will end - more violence on the streets, political vendetta, interim government followed by election, army rule, or just a period of more uncertainty - will only become clearer in the coming days. (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)

New polls, interim govt, or Army rule? PM Imran Khan plunges Pakistan into constitutional crisis

The odds are slightly in favour of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders, extending his&nbsp;12-year&nbsp;rule&nbsp;in an election on Sunday, helped by his government's firm control over state media.

Hungarians&nbsp;started voting at 0400 GMT with the&nbsp;war&nbsp;in neighbouring&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;dominating the campaign. The six-party opposition alliance is within striking distance of&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;Fidesz party in the polls, making the outcome of the&nbsp;ballot&nbsp;uncertain for the first time since Orban swept to power in 2010.

Casting his&nbsp;vote&nbsp;in snowy Budapest, Orban told reporters he expected a "great victory" and portrayed the&nbsp;ballot&nbsp;as a choice between "peace or&nbsp;war", accusing his opponents again of trying to drag Hungary into the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;conflict, a charge they deny.

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>

When asked repeatedly about his close ties with Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orban said:

"I am standing on the basis of the Hungarian national interests, I am pro-Hungarian."

The&nbsp;war&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;has upset&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;plans and forced him into uncomfortable manoeuvring at home after more than a decade of close political and business relations with Moscow.

According to the latest poll by Zavecz Research, Fidesz leads with 39% support against 36% for the opposition, while one-fifth of&nbsp;voters have yet to decide who to back.

The leader of the opposition, 49-year-old conservative Peter Marki-Zay, has framed the election as a choice between East and West. Orban has turned Hungary towards Russia, he says, eroding democratic rights and directing the Central European country away from the European Union where it belongs.

"A Hungarian Putin or Europe?", opposition billboards say, showing a photo of Putin together with Orban.

Orban, 58, has portrayed himself as a defender of Hungarian interests by rejecting EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas.

Watch |&nbsp;Hungary’s Orban tries to shed his Putin links ahead of Elections

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hungarys-orban-tries-to-shed-his-putin-links-ahead-of-elections-463252/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He has not vetoed any EU sanctions against Russia, even though he said he did not agree with them. His government has also allowed NATO troops to be deployed in Hungary, where public support for NATO membership stood at 80% in a 2021 GLOBSEC survey.

He supported an EU decision to send arms to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;but has banned weapons shipments from Hungarian territory, saying such a move could pose a security risk.

His tactical gambit has helped cement his support among core Fidesz&nbsp;voters. But it has led to criticism from some allies including Poland, whose ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he was not pleased with&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;cautious stance on Russia.

Polls close at 1700 GMT.

Surging prices

Despite the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;war&nbsp;taking centre-stage, many&nbsp;Hungarians&nbsp;are troubled by surging consumer prices, with inflation at an almost 15-year&nbsp;high of 8.3% in February even as Orban imposed caps on retail fuel prices, basic foodstuffs and mortgage rates.

Think tank GKI said its consumer confidence survey showed an 11-point plunge in March even after&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;pre-election spending spree to support households.

The opposition alliance, which includes the leftist Democratic Coalition, the liberal Momentum and far-right-turned-moderate Jobbik parties, has tapped popular discontent, criticising what they said was systemic corruption that has enriched oligarchs close to Fidesz.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hungarian-far-right-pm-invites-donald-trump-hoping-for-a-positive-boost-in-upcoming-elections-452462">Hungarian far-right PM invites Donald Trump hoping for a positive boost in upcoming elections</a>

"I cannot stand that they have dismantled democracy and ... they have stolen our country from us, they have stolen the wealth of our country and channelled it into private ownership," said Annamaria Varnai, an opposition supporter in Budapest where the alliance looks likely to score a sweeping victory based on a poll by Median this week.

After&nbsp;years of clashes with Brussels over media freedoms, the&nbsp;rule&nbsp;of law and immigration, a part of&nbsp;Orban's&nbsp;current campaign is based on defending conservative Christian family values against what he calls "gender madness" in Western Europe.

On Sunday,&nbsp;Hungarians&nbsp;will also&nbsp;vote&nbsp;in a referendum on sexual orientation workshops in schools - a&nbsp;vote&nbsp;rights groups have condemned, saying it fuels prejudice against LGBTQ people.

The odds are slightly in favour of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders, extending his 12-year rule in an election on Sunday, helped by his government's firm control over state media.

The odds are slightly in favour of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders, extending his 12-year rule in an election on Sunday, helped by his government's firm control over state media. Hungarians started voting at 0400 GMT with the war in neighbouring Ukraine dominating the campaign. The six-party opposition alliance is within striking distance of Orban's Fidesz party in the polls, making the outcome of the ballot uncertain for the first time since Orban swept to power in 2010. Casting his vote in snowy Budapest, Orban told reporters he expected a "great victory" and portrayed the ballot as a choice between "peace or war", accusing his opponents again of trying to drag Hungary into the Ukraine conflict, a charge they deny. Also read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis:Hungary PM Orban calls sanctions 'double-edged weapon' When asked repeatedly about his close ties with Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orban said: "I am standing on the basis of the Hungarian national interests, I am pro-Hungarian." The war in Ukraine has upset Orban's plans and forced him into uncomfortable manoeuvring at home after more than a decade of close political and business relations with Moscow. According to the latest poll by Zavecz Research, Fidesz leads with 39% support against 36% for the opposition, while one-fifth of voters have yet to decide who to back. The leader of the opposition, 49-year-old conservative Peter Marki-Zay, has framed the election as a choice between East and West. Orban has turned Hungary towards Russia, he says, eroding democratic rights and directing the Central European country away from the European Union where it belongs. "A Hungarian Putin or Europe?", opposition billboards say, showing a photo of Putin together with Orban. Orban, 58, has portrayed himself as a defender of Hungarian interests by rejecting EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas. Watch | Hungary’s Orban tries to shed his Putin links ahead of Elections He has not vetoed any EU sanctions against Russia, even though he said he did not agree with them. His government has also allowed NATO troops to be deployed in Hungary, where public support for NATO membership stood at 80% in a 2021 GLOBSEC survey. He supported an EU decision to send arms to Ukraine but has banned weapons shipments from Hungarian territory, saying such a move could pose a security risk. His tactical gambit has helped cement his support among core Fidesz voters. But it has led to criticism from some allies including Poland, whose ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he was not pleased with Orban's cautious stance on Russia. Polls close at 1700 GMT. Surging prices Despite the Ukraine war taking centre-stage, many Hungarians are troubled by surging consumer prices, with inflation at an almost 15-year high of 8.3% in February even as Orban imposed caps on retail fuel prices, basic foodstuffs and mortgage rates. Think tank GKI said its consumer confidence survey showed an 11-point plunge in March even after Orban's pre-election spending spree to support households. The opposition alliance, which includes the leftist Democratic Coalition, the liberal Momentum and far-right-turned-moderate Jobbik parties, has tapped popular discontent, criticising what they said was systemic corruption that has enriched oligarchs close to Fidesz. Also read | Hungarian far-right PM invites Donald Trump hoping for a positive boost in upcoming elections "I cannot stand that they have dismantled democracy and ... they have stolen our country from us, they have stolen the wealth of our country and channelled it into private ownership," said Annamaria Varnai, an opposition supporter in Budapest where the alliance looks likely to score a sweeping victory based on a poll by Median this week. After years of clashes with Brussels over media freedoms, the rule of law and immigration, a part of Orban's current campaign is based on defending conservative Christian family values against what he calls "gender madness" in Western Europe. On Sunday, Hungarians will also vote in a referendum on sexual orientation workshops in schools - a vote rights groups have condemned, saying it fuels prejudice against LGBTQ people.

Hungarians vote on Orban's 12-year rule in tight ballot overshadowed by Ukraine war

Incendiary US conservative and former vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin announced Friday she is running for&nbsp;Alaska's lone seat in the United States House of Representatives, eyeing a return to national politics during a period of deep political division.

The 58-year-old far-right former governor is seeking to succeed Republican Don Young who died unexpectedly last month after serving in the US House for 49 years.

Palin is a fierce supporter of Donald Trump, and has joined with the former president in making unfounded claims that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-former-president-donald-trump-may-answer-questions-in-court-thanks-to-grant-467662">Reggae singer Eddy Grant stumps Trump, former US president may face court</a>

"America is at a tipping point," she said in a statement on Facebook announcing her candidacy. "As I've watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight."

The US midterm elections, in which all 435 House seats are up for grabs, is set for November 8.

While the largest US state by area,&nbsp;Alaska&nbsp;has only one representative in the House, due to its sparse population.

Palin was Republican nominee John McCain's running mate during his 2008 presidential election, in which the duo lost to Barack Obama and his vice presidential pick, then senator Joe Biden.

Palin served as&nbsp;Alaska's governor from 2006 until 2009, when she resigned and emerged as a darling of the conservative Tea Party movement.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/maple-syrup-heist-thief-needs-to-pay-victims-us-7-mn-or-serve-6-more-years-in-canadian-jail-467670">&nbsp;‘Maple syrup heist’ thief needs to pay victims US $7 mn&nbsp;or serve 6 more years in Canadian jail</a>

As an anti-establishment flamethrower capable of electrifying the Republican base, she is widely seen as the political precursor to Trump.

In the statement announcing her candidacy, Palin painted a nation in crisis under President Biden, decrying a surge in illegal immigration, "out-of-control inflation," high gas prices and "socialist" policies enacted by Democrats.

In February, a Manhattan judge tossed out a defamation case Palin had brought against The New York Times.

Watch |&nbsp;Pakistan PM Imran Khan sends demarche to US embassy amid political crisis

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-sends-demarche-to-us-embassy-amid-political-crisis-467619/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

Incendiary US conservative and former vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin announced Friday she is running for Alaska's lone seat in the United States House of Representatives, eyeing a return to national politics during a period of deep political division.

Incendiary US conservative and former vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin announced Friday she is running for Alaska's lone seat in the United States House of Representatives, eyeing a return to national politics during a period of deep political division. The 58-year-old far-right former governor is seeking to succeed Republican Don Young who died unexpectedly last month after serving in the US House for 49 years. Palin is a fierce supporter of Donald Trump, and has joined with the former president in making unfounded claims that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud. Also read | Reggae singer Eddy Grant stumps Trump, former US president may face court "America is at a tipping point," she said in a statement on Facebook announcing her candidacy. "As I've watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight." The US midterm elections, in which all 435 House seats are up for grabs, is set for November 8. While the largest US state by area, Alaska has only one representative in the House, due to its sparse population. Palin was Republican nominee John McCain's running mate during his 2008 presidential election, in which the duo lost to Barack Obama and his vice presidential pick, then senator Joe Biden. Palin served as Alaska's governor from 2006 until 2009, when she resigned and emerged as a darling of the conservative Tea Party movement. Also read | ‘Maple syrup heist’ thief needs to pay victims US $7 mn or serve 6 more years in Canadian jail As an anti-establishment flamethrower capable of electrifying the Republican base, she is widely seen as the political precursor to Trump. In the statement announcing her candidacy, Palin painted a nation in crisis under President Biden, decrying a surge in illegal immigration, "out-of-control inflation," high gas prices and "socialist" policies enacted by Democrats. In February, a Manhattan judge tossed out a defamation case Palin had brought against The New York Times. Watch | Pakistan PM Imran Khan sends demarche to US embassy amid political crisis

Conservative firebrand Sarah Palin announces bid for US Congress

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