‘War criminal promotion tactics’: Adidas
faces boycott calls ---- over campaign
featuring an Israeli trooper
September 4th, 9:45pm
(PressTV)
Calls for a boycott of Adidas are growing after the sportswear
company featured an Israeli trooper in a global campaign.
The campaign has prompted criticism from pro-Palestine
organizations and activists --- because of the trooper
Shaliv Biton’s participation in the Israeli regime’s
bloodletting in Gaza.
The campaign has been rolled out in Adidas stores,
including its outlets in the occupied territories.
Biton took part in an Israeli assault in Gaza in 2021 that
claimed the lives of more than 200 Palestinians and
destroyed numerous buildings.
Critics have reminded Biton’s military background and his
social media activity. He has shared photographs and
videos of himself and other Israeli forces in Gaza,
including footage of troops singing and dancing,
while his profile also contains images of him
carrying weapons.
Sports journalist Leyla Hamed criticized Adidas’ choice of
campaign representative, arguing that the company
chose to bank on Biton’s having lost a leg, while
it should have considered the wider context
of limb loss in Gaza.
“Gaza has the highest per capita rate of child amputees in the world.
More than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations have been estimated
since October 2023, as a result of Israeli attacks carried out by
soldiers like the one Adidas chose to model for them,”
she wrote on X.
US-based political commentator and activist Guy Christensen also
condemned the campaign, writing, “Actually disgusting when you
know kids in Gaza who might not ever get to walk again.” He
subsequently called for a boycott of Adidas.
Another activist denounced the company for
associating itself with the Israeli military.
“The German sportswear brand Adidas is using Zionist war
criminals from the "Israel" army, who lost a foot while
invading Gaza..... to promote their new single-foot
sneakers. More than 4,000 Palestinian children
have been amputated by "Israel's" bombs,
but Adidas and other millionaire
multinationals ignore them,”
the activist wrote on X.
Other critics similarly condemned Adidas
for associating itself with genocide
and apartheid.
Earlier this year, the NGO Humanity & Inclusion reported that
between 70 and 80 percent of patients admitted to the 12
hospitals that were still partially functioning in Gaza...
had lost limbs or suffered spinal cord injuries.
UNICEF estimated in January 2024 that about 1,000 children
in Gaza had lost one or both legs, equivalent at the time to
approximately 10 children losing a limb each day during
Israeli bombardments. The figure is believed to have
risen since then.
The shortage of medical supplies and the continuing blockade of
Gaza have also complicated the treatment and rehabilitation of
amputees. Healthcare workers have resorted to producing
homemade prosthetics as temporary aids for people
who have lost limbs.... while waiting for access
to appropriate prosthetic devices.
______________________________________
US diesel prices hit record high
as war on Iran --------- backfires
September 24th, 6:50pm
(PressTV)
Average diesel prices have hit a record high in the United States,
amid the US acts of aggression against Iran and the closure of
the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the
world's traded oil flows.
On Friday, average diesel prices soared to $5.85 a gallon
for the first time since the start of the US-Israeli
aggression against Iran on February 28.
Higher diesel prices, which are widely used in trucking,
agriculture and industrial activity, mean higher
transportation and production costs --- that
subsequently raise food prices, bringing
ripple effects for the economy and
higher costs of living.
Some businesses have already passed on costs to consumers
through added fees on online orders and mailed packages.
Prices of other products such as clothing, cosmetics and
furniture, which are also transported by diesel trucks,
trains and boats, are also expected to increase.
Experts warn that price hikes could mount
--------- the longer diesel remains expensive.
This constitutes --- another challenge for Republicans ahead of
November’s midterm elections, with President Donald Trump’s
approval rating sinking over his management of the economy
and the fallout..... from the war he launched against Iran.
According to a recent AP-NORC poll, 2 out of 3 US adults
disapprove .....of how Trump is handling the economy.
The price for regular gasoline has also been jumping, although not
as fast as the price of diesel. The average price stands at $4.15 a
gallon, compared with $3.20 at this time last year, according to
motor club AAA, which says gas has never been above $4
a gallon ...on Labour Day.
This represents approximately a 56% increase in US diesel prices
since February 28, when the national average was around $3.76
per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association
(AAA).
This has been driven by rising crude oil, the primary ingredient
in both diesel and gasoline, amid supply-chain disruptions
throughout West Asia.
Brent crude, the international standard, was trading above $95
a barrel on Friday, compared with about $70 before the war.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has issued
a warning to Americans, saying that they will be “nostalgic”
for $4–$5 per gallon fuel.
Tehran has been restricting passage through the Strait
of Hormuz over the US-Israeli war of aggression.
Iran has allowed vessels serving neutral countries, such
as China, to pass, while barring ships affiliated with
the aggressors ....and their supporters.
The US and Israel launched another round of aggression
against Iran on February 28, some eight months after
carrying out unprovoked attacks on the country.
Iran swiftly retaliated by launching barrages of missiles and
drones at the Israeli-occupied territories, as well as US
bases and interests across the region.
A ceasefire took effect on April 7, and on June 18, the
presidents of Iran and the United States signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end
the war ....and begin a 60-day diplomatic
process to resolve the differences.
However, renewed US strikes have once
again --- triggered an Iranian retaliation.
Popular support among US citizens for
military aggression against Iran has
fallen to its lowest level since late
February, a recent poll shows.
__________________________________
Iran and Russia can play effective role
in restoring regional, global stability:
Judiciary chief
September 4th, 2:55pm
(PressTV)
Iran’s Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei has stressed
that strengthening ties and coordination between the Islamic
Republic and Russia can play a highly effective role in
restoring stability to the region and the entire world,
while countering the US-led unipolar world order.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Igor Krasnov, the Chief
Justice of the Russian Supreme Court, on the sidelines of a BRICS
meeting in the Indian capital, on Friday.
“Strengthening shared strategic capabilities and fostering deeper
coordination between Iran and Russia can play a highly effective
role in restoring stability to the region and the world,” Mohseni
Ejei said.
“Through this synergy, Iran and Russia can use their vast potential
and actual capabilities to counter threats and, together, create a
strong bulwark against the excessive ambitions of the unipolar
international system,” he stressed.
Mohseni Ejei ...hailed Russia’s “constructive” stance on Moscow-
Tehran ties, pointing to the importance of taking practical steps
toward a transition to a “just” multipolar world system “in
which the national sovereignty of countries is protected
......from the influence and illegal interference of
aggressive powers.”
He also pointed out that the issue of making judicial processes
smarter and developing electronic and technological services
is one of the key areas of cooperation between Iran & Russia.
Referring to the illegal and unjust sanctions imposed against Iran,
the Iranian judiciary chief noted that these measures “were
designed to undermine the stability and power of the
Islamic Republic of Iran”
However, he said, through the steadfastness of the Iranian nation
and the strengthened defensive and strategic capabilities of the
country, “the United States and its allies have failed to achieve
their objectives and are now seeking to retreat after bringing
about their own defeat.”
For his part, Igor Krasnov hailed the Iranian nation’s courage
and steadfastness. He noted that both Iran and Russia are
facing politically-motivated measures and unilateral and
unjust sanctions.
"We have a serious determination to develop and strengthen
relations and interactions between Russia and Iran,"
Krasnov said.
He stressed that the presence in BRICS has created “a good
opportunity to develop cooperation between Iran and other
countries”, inviting Mohseni Ejei to visit Russia.
Krasnov also called for expanding mutual cooperation between
the two countries in the fields of electronic judicial services
and smart justice, and proposed concluding memoranda of
understanding between the two countries on these issues.
The US & Israel launched another round of aggression against
Iran on February 28, some eight months after carrying out
unprovoked attacks on the country.
Iran swiftly retaliated by launching barrages of missiles and
drones at the Israeli-occupied territories, as well as US
bases and interests across the region.
A ceasefire took effect on April 7, and on June 18, the
presidents of Iran and the United States signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end
the war and begin a 60-day diplomatic
process to resolve the differences.
However, renewed US strikes ------- have
once again triggered Iranian retaliation.
_____________________________________