Maharashtra govt approves building of a new city called ‘Third Mumbai’; know when and where
The city is proposed to be developed around the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which will be linked to Mumbai.
Iowa Gov. Reynolds, with DeSantis, takes aim at Trump over ‘misleading’ TV ad
EXCLUSIVE – Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa charges that former President Trump is “misleading” voters in her state. “It’s misleading and it’s not fair to Iowans,” the governor said Monday night in an interview with Fox News Digital while referring to an ad the Trump campaign is running in the Hawkeye State that spotlights years-old clips of Reynolds praising the former president. Reynolds endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the race for the White House last month, and the two teamed up again in Bettendorf, Iowa, with four weeks to go until the state’s caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar. While Reynolds supported Trump during his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, their relationship soured this past summer when the former president blasted Reynolds for staying neutral in the Republican nomination race – following a long-standing tradition of Iowa governors. DESANTIS TURNS UP THE VOLUME ON TRUMP “He was upset with me because I was going to stay neutral at the beginning of the campaign for the first-in-the-nation caucus, which I did for seven months,” Reynolds said in her Fox News interview and in comments to the crowd minutes earlier. Trump’s attacks on Reynolds intensified after she endorsed DeSantis. “It’s not going to make any difference, because the only endorsement that matters is the Trump endorsement,” the former president claimed at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, earlier this month. Reynolds noted that after she backed DeSantis, Trump said her “endorsement didn’t mean anything” and called it “worthless,” adding that she was “the worst governor in the country.” DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL 99 OF IOWA’S COUNTIES — BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP? “That’s on one hand, and now we look at another hand – he’s using me in a commercial that dates back to 2016 and again [is] misleading Iowans as if I was endorsing him and going back and forth,” the governor added. “In 2016 and 2020 I supported President Trump. I endorsed him. I helped him in the state of Iowa. It’s a different day. It’s a different time.” Pointing to Hawkeye State voters, Reynolds said “it’s OK for Iowans to say ‘thank you for what you did’ and move on. We need somebody that can win. We need somebody that can follow through on what they said they were going to do.” Asked for a response, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung asked Fox News, “is she saying that she lied to voters all those years?” Trump remains the commanding front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination as he makes his third straight White House run. He made history earlier this year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime with his four indictments, including in federal court in Washington, D.C., and in Fulton County court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The former president’s legal difficulties have only boosted his support among Republican primary voters. TRUMP HOLDS A MASSIVE LEAD IN THE POLLS WITH FIVE WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE IOWA CAUCUSES Trump holds an extremely formidable double-digit lead over DeSantis and the rest of the remaining field of 2024 nomination rivals in the latest polls in Iowa, but Reynolds remains optimistic. Asked about the polls, she told Fox News “it can change.” “The energy, the momentum, is with [DeSantis]. Iowans break late. So we’ve got a lot of time left,” she emphasized. “We’re going work hard to get him across the finish line.” Fox News’ Clare O’Connor contributed to this report Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘Stone balls’ worshipped as ‘kuldevta’ in Madhya Pradesh turn out to be fossilised dinosaur eggs
Vesta Mandaloi(40) of Padlya village had been worshipping these balls as “Kakar Bhairav” following his ancestors’ belief that the “kuldevta (totem)” would shield his farmland and cattle from adversities and misfortunes.
Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute: Big setback to Muslim side, Allahabad HC dismisses all five pleas challenging survey
According to the Hindu side plaintiff, the Gyanvapi mosque is a part of the temple.
Dawood Ibrahim dead or alive? Close aide Chhota Shakeel reveals truth
Chhota Shakeel, Dawood Ibrahim’s close aide breaks the silence on underworld don’s being poisoned.
INDIA bloc’s key meeting today, day after 92 opposition MPs suspended in Parliament
West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee said that there is an opportunity to discuss this seat-sharing in the meeting.
‘They aren’t enough…’: West Bengal BJP leader launches scathing attack on CM Mamata Banerjee ahead of INDIA Bloc meet
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the INDIA bloc’s meeting scheduled for today will be an opportunity to discuss the seat-sharing formula among the Opposition parties, with just months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Texas governor signs law allowing arrest of suspected illegal migrants
Republican Greg Abbott claims US President Joe Biden has left state to ‘fend for itself’ as he signs controversial bill. The governor of Texas has signed a law allowing state authorities to arrest and deport people suspected of illegally crossing the border between the United States and Mexico. Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s endorsement of Senate Bill 4 on Monday set up a potential legal battle with the federal government, which is usually tasked with enforcing immigration laws. Abbott, who signed the bill in a ceremony in the border town of Brownsville, accused President Joe Biden of doing nothing to stop a “tidal wave of illegal entry” into Texas and claimed the measure would cut unauthorised arrivals by 50-75 percent. “Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself,” Abbott said, describing the consequences of unauthorised entry under the measure as “so extreme that the people being smuggled by the cartels, they will not want to be coming into the state of Texas”. Under the new law, Texas state police will be able to arrest anyone suspected of crossing the border illegally and local judges will be authorised to order them to leave the country. Critics have cast the law as the most extreme attempt by state authorities to regulate immigration since a 2010 Arizona law that was largely struck down by the US Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said on Monday it would challenge the measure in court, arguing it “overrides federal immigration law” and “fuels racial profiling”. More than 20 congressional Democrats also signed a letter urging the US Justice Department to take legal action to block the measure. Record numbers of migrants have been picked for unauthorised entry from Mexico since Biden took office in 2021, with more than half of the 5.8 million arrests taking place in Texas and neighbouring New Mexico. Former President Donald Trump, who Abbot has backed to be the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, has made immigration a key plank of his bid to retake the White House. During a visit to Edinburg, Texas near the US-Mexico border last month, Trump claimed that the US had the most unsecure border in the history of the world and that the country was being “invaded”. On Saturday, Trump said immigrants coming to the US were “poisoning the blood of our country,” drawing a sharp rebuke from the White House. “Echoing the grotesque rhetoric of fascists and violent white supremacists and threatening to oppress those who disagree with the government are dangerous attacks on the dignity and rights of all Americans, on our democracy, and on public safety,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 664
As the war enters its 664th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. Fighting Ukraine’s Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said the situation on the front line was not at a stalemate, after suggesting last month that it was a possibility. He declined to comment on the coming counteroffensive operations. “This is a war. I can’t say what I plan, what we should do. Otherwise, it will be a show, not a war,” Ukraine’s RBC media quoted him as saying. Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, a senior army general who has led counteroffensives against the Russians, told the Reuters news agency that front-line troops faced shortages of artillery shells – particularly Soviet-era 122mm and 152mm ammunition – and had scaled back some military operations because of a shortfall of foreign assistance. Zaluzhnyi criticised the president’s decision to fire regional military draft office chiefs. “These were professionals, they knew how to do this, and they are gone,” Interfax Ukraine cited him as saying. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the country’s regional military recruitment heads in August in a corruption crackdown. Politics and diplomacy Zelenskyy said new sanctions imposed on Moscow by the European Union would “truly reduce” Russia’s ability to finance its invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s diplomatic mission to the EU said the latest action showed previous efforts had failed. The 12th package of sanctions includes a ban on Russian-origin diamonds, additional import and export bans, and a tightening of the rules to close loopholes and combat sanctions circumvention, the EU said. The Russian government added the prominent writer Grigory Chkhartishvili – known by his pen name Boris Akunin – to a register of “terrorists and extremists” after he criticised the invasion of Ukraine. The 67-year-old is known for his historical detective novels and his longstanding criticism of President Vladimir Putin. Weapons United States President Joe Biden said he was planning one more military aid package for Ukraine this month and that further assistance would require agreement in Congress. The Alphen Group, made up of more than 40 former top US and NATO diplomats and defence officials, urged the US Congress to approve new aid for Ukraine, warning that if Ukraine failed to win, it would not only be disastrous for Ukraine but also threaten the security of the US and its allies. Republicans earlier this month blocked an emergency spending bill including billions of dollars of aid for Ukraine, demanding tougher steps to control immigration at the US-Mexico border. Denmark set aside 1.8 billion Danish crowns ($264m) to help finance a Swedish initiative to donate CV90 armoured combat vehicles to Ukraine, the Danish Defence Ministry said in a statement. Adblock test (Why?)
India’s Manisha Kalyan: From a village in Punjab to European football
Mumbai, India – In the quiet embrace of a small Indian village, where dreams are often whispered against the backdrop of simplicity, emerged a football prodigy destined for greatness. Meet Manisha Kalyan, the young Indian football sensation whose long journey from the narrow lanes of Muggowal in Punjab to the illustrious stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League is nothing short of a remarkable odyssey. Kalyan participated in athletics and basketball during her school days before football captured her heart. Daring to dream beyond the confines of her rural beginnings, she made the cut for India in 2019, at the age of 17. Last year, Kalyan received the golden opportunity to sign with the Cypriot club Apollon Ladies. A rare chance for Indian footballers, given the country’s ranking of 65 in women’s FIFA rankings and 102 in men’s. “I made the right decision to join Apollon because I am improving and learning new things here,” Kalyan told Al Jazeera from Limassol. “Even before I was called up for India, I dreamt of playing abroad because when you begin playing abroad at an early age, you can improve and contribute more to the national team.” Kalyan signed for Apollon after playing for three Indian clubs, including Gokulam Kerala, with whom she won the top-tier Indian Women’s League twice. Known for her speed and ability to adapt to several positions, Kalyan has been recognised as one of the best Indian players in recent times. The All India Football Federation named her the Women’s Player of the Year in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and she was also part of the India team that won gold at the South Asian Games in 2019. Kalyan shot to fame in 2021 after she became the first Indian to score a goal against Brazil in a friendly match, which India lost 6-1. She rates it as the most special goal of her career. 𝐀𝐈𝐅𝐅 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐-𝟐𝟑 🏆 ꜱʀ. ᴘʟᴀʏᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀ 🥇 Lallianzuala Chhangte (Men)Manisha Kalyan (Women)#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/9oIIiCn1Mj — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 4, 2023 ‘If you’re quiet, you won’t get the ball’ The offer from Apollon did not come as a surprise for Kalyan, who revealed she had been attracting interest from foreign clubs since that goal against Brazil. Even though Kalyan was over the moon to receive interest from Apollon, she had very little knowledge about what she was signing up for. “When I decided to sign for Apollon, I did not know much about Cyprus. I did a bit of research about the club and the country and felt it would be a good call. I had seen some of the matches from the Cypriot First Division and knew Apollon had played in the Women’s Champions League, where I wanted to participate,” she said. A language barrier and some cultural differences made Kalyan’s start to life in Cyprus difficult but she slowly found her way. “At the time I joined, I didn’t understand English as much as I do now and couldn’t talk much with my teammates, which was difficult,” Kalyan recalled. “Now that I can speak a bit of English, I have built a connection with them. I think communication is important both on and off the field because if you’re quiet during games, you won’t get the ball. Once I started to communicate during the games, things improved.” Kalyan’s dream to play in the Women’s Champions League came true last August when she featured against Latvia’s SFK Riga in the qualifying round. Then in September, she added another feather to her cap by becoming the first Indian to score in the Women’s Champions League when she found the net against Georgia’s FC Samegrelo in the qualifiers. Coming on as a second-half substitute in that game, Kalyan scored a stunning left-footed goal from inside the box. “Having the chance to play and score in the Women’s Champions League has been the best part of my life,” Kalyan said. “I was quite happy at the time, but now I have bigger goals. I want to improve individually in the next year and perform better for India.” #IndianFootballersAbroad#ManishaKalyan Watch Manisha Kalyan’s historic UEFA Champions League goal from another angle, in Greek commentary This goal made her the first Indian Footballer to score in UEFA Women’s Champions League with a 3-0 win over Samegrelo 🇬🇪 ©️- CYTA Sports pic.twitter.com/HF9n0sXixI — Indian Football Fan (@FootbalIndiaFan) September 17, 2023 ‘Modern left-back’ Since joining Apollon, Kalyan has transitioned from an attacker to a defender. In India, while playing for Sethu or Gokulam Kerala, Kalyan would feature on the wings or as a striker, but she has been deployed as a left-back at Apollon. “She is a very good modern left-back, someone who likes to attack,” said Apollon coach Andreas Matthaiou. “In my opinion, good players can play everywhere. “She is very fast and fires very good crosses from the left. She can run throughout for 90 minutes and technically she is good, too.” Having taken over the team earlier this month, Matthaiou described Kalyan as a “hard worker” and a “quick learner”. “I am very happy with her,” he said. Indian women’s football expert Anirudh Menon believes Kalyan’s journey is already a “success story” for the country, which has seen very few women play in top-tier leagues overseas, especially in Europe. India’s all-time top-scorer Bala Devi is the highest profile player to play in Europe, having represented top-tier Scottish club Rangers, while others have played in the lower leagues in Europe or top divisions in small Asian countries such as Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal. “Bala Devi is arguably the best women’s player India has produced, and she got the opportunity only when she turned 30. So if she couldn’t play abroad in her prime, it was quite unlikely that anybody else could have,” Menon said. Poor game time for women The Indian women’s national team is ranked higher than their male counterparts, but they still receive fewer opportunities. The Indian Women’s League (IWL) usually lasts for