Facebook lifts restrictions on Trump, giving him equal footing with Biden on the social media site
Washington, Jul 13: Facebook has lifted restrictions imposed on Donald Trump after the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol, placing the former president on an equal footing on the platform with President Joe Biden just days before the Republican National Convention.
The social media giant had initially banned the former president from using its platforms in 2021 after his supporters stormed the Capitol. Meta, Facebook's parent company, lifted that ban last year but announced Trump would be subject to “guardrails” such as "heightened suspension penalties” if posts violated its standards.
Now, the company has removed those restrictions, reasoning that while they were put in place following the “extreme and extraordinary circumstances” of the Capitol attack, Trump had not done anything to run afoul of them.
“In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs wrote in a statement posted to the company's website Friday.
Clegg added that both Biden and Trump are still subject to the same “community standards” that apply to all other users of the company's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook, the world's largest social media site, had been both a publicity tool and a crucial place to tap donations from supporters for both of Trump's previous campaigns.
These days, however, he has been posting frequently on his own Truth Social site, which he launched after Facebook and others suspended him.
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The Sejjil Debuts: Iron Dome’s Nightmare
On Sunday, 15 March, Iran fired several advanced missiles at Israeli and American positions. One missile in particular caught the world's attention — the Sejjil. Iran used this missile in battle for the very first time since the war began on 28 February. So what exactly is this missile, and why is everyone talking about it?
The Sejjil is a ballistic missile, meaning it is launched upward into space and then comes crashing down on its target at terrifying speed. Think of it like throwing a stone high into the sky — except this "stone" weighs over 23,000 kilograms, travels faster than a bullet, and can carry a warhead of up to 1,000 kilograms.
What makes the Sejjil special is that it runs on solid fuel, just like a rocket firecracker — ready to light and go. Older Iranian missiles like the Shahab series ran on liquid fuel, which takes time to fill before launch, like pouring petrol into a car. The Sejjil needs no such preparation. It can be launched very quickly, giving the enemy almost no time to react.
The missile is two-stage, meaning it has two engine sections that fire one after the other — the first pushes it out of the atmosphere, and the second guides it toward the target. It can travel nearly 2,000 kilometres, which means it can easily reach Israel from Iranian soil.
Now here comes the most fascinating part — why it is nicknamed the "dancing missile." During its final approach, the Sejjil can move and change direction at very high altitude. Imagine trying to catch a ball that suddenly zigzags just before reaching you. That is exactly what happens with air defence systems like Israel's famous Iron Dome. The missile's unpredictable movement makes it extremely difficult to shoot down.
It flies at over Mach 13 — that is roughly 17,000 kilometres per hour, more than thirteen times the speed of sound. At that speed, even the most advanced defence systems have very little time to respond.
Iran began developing this missile back in the early 1990s. The first test was in 2008, when it flew around 800 kilometres. Since then, six tests have been conducted. In the sixth test, it reportedly flew nearly 1,900 kilometres, reaching all the way to the Indian Ocean.
Iran has also developed an upgraded version called the Sejjil-2, with improved navigation systems. Some reports claim it can hit a target with less than 10 metres of error — roughly the size of a small room — though this has not been officially confirmed.
In simple words, the Sejjil is fast, hard to stop, quick to launch, and built entirely inside Iran. Its use on 15 March marks a serious escalation, and the world is now watching very closely to see what comes next.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
