BJP veterans Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi not to attend consecration ceremony on Jan 24: Ayodhya Ram temple trust
Giving a detailed list of the invitees, Rai said Advani and Joshi might not attend the consecration ceremony due to health and age-related reasons. Advani is now 96 and Joshi will turn 90 next month.
China Earthquake: Death toll rises to 111, President Xi Jinping calls for ‘all-out’ operation
This comes after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake jolted an ethnic county in northwest China’s Gansu Province at midnight Monday. In addition to the death toll, around 200 people are injured, the New York Times reported citing Chinese state media.
How Beijing is changing the way it involves itself in Taiwan’s election
A few months after Taiwanese NGO worker Cynthia Iunn bought a book titled If China Attacks from a Taiwanese bookstore in February, she started to get calls from strange numbers. In the middle of May, she decided to answer one of them. “I ended up talking to three different people and although they pretended to be from Taiwan, they were very clearly Chinese,” Iunn told Al Jazeera. Initially, she thought it was a scam and expected the conversation to eventually turn to her credit card information or bank details. Instead, Iunn was surprised when the person on the other end revealed that they knew her full name, the name of the book she had ordered in February and where she had ordered it from. According to Iunn, they were curious about what she thought of If China Attacks and why she had bought the book in the first place. “They also wanted me to know that the book contained inappropriate and sensitive content and was a piece of propaganda,” she recalled. The person also told her that in the event of a war between China and Taiwan, Taiwanese forces would be no match for the Chinese military. At that point, Iunn realised that she was being subjected to Chinese cognitive warfare. Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of China and has not ruled out using force to achieve its goal of bringing the self-ruled democratic island under its control. The best way to avoid a war, Iunn was told, would be for her to vote for the opposition party, Kuomintang (KMT), rather than the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the presidential and legislative elections that will take place on January 13. The KMT wants friendlier relations between Taiwan and China while Beijing has refused to engage in dialogue with the DPP, which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims is “separatist”. The DPP rejects such accusations and says it is up to the people of Taiwan to choose their leaders and their future. Beijing portrays Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen as a “separatist”. She was first elected in 2016 and returned in a landslide four years later. She says it’s up to the people of Taiwan to decide their future [File: Sam Yeh/AFP] Iunn found the call itself ridiculous but it also left her concerned that the callers had been able to collect so much personal information about her. “It felt like a message to people like me from the CCP, saying that we know who you are and we know you are against China,” Iunn said. “And that is quite frightening.” Making the ‘right choice’ Beijing has made it no secret that it is taking an active stance regarding the Taiwanese election. Chinese officials have called the election a “choice between peace and war”, a slogan used by the KMT, and urged the people of Taiwan to make the “right choice”. During a sit-down in February in China between the head of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Song Tao, and KMT deputy chairman, Hsia Li-yan, Tao told Hsia that China was willing to forge closer relations with the party. Meanwhile, the CCP has refused to engage in dialogue with the DPP administration of incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen since she was first elected in 2016. Instead, Beijing has bypassed the Taiwanese government to engage directly with local Taiwanese leaders and officials. Earlier this year, the Chinese authorities exempted a southeastern Taiwanese county from an import ban on Taiwanese custard apples. The exemption came through after a KMT commissioner from the county visited China twice. More than a thousand local Taiwanese leaders have headed to China lately – many more than in the lead-up to the last national election. Recently, district prosecutors’ offices across Taiwan have opened investigations into hundreds of these cases as evidence suggests that Beijing has either partly or fully covered the expenses of these trips. Prominent public figures have also been the targets of alleged Chinese activities leading up to the election. In October, China’s state-run Global Times reported that Chinese authorities had launched a tax probe into the activities of Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn which generates about 70 percent of its revenue from products made in China. The announcement came two months after billionaire founder and former Foxconn CEO Terry Gou had declared his own independent run for president – a move that the Global Times suggested would split the opposition camp and favour of the “secessionist ruling DPP”. After the tax probe became public, Terry Gou cancelled several campaign events and a few weeks later, dropped out of the race. Also in October, the Chinese authorities extended an investigation into “Taiwan’s trade barriers against China” until January 12 – the day before the election. William Lai, Taiwan’s vice president, is the ruling DPP’s presidential candidate in the election and leading the polls [File: Ann Wang/Reuters] According to Fang-Yu Chen, an assistant professor at Soochow University in Taipei who researches political relations between China and Taiwan, such decisions so close to the election are no coincidence. “This is part of an organised Chinese effort to create chaos, stoke distrust and spread dissatisfaction with the current DPP government,” Chen said. Online campaigns This is not the first time there have been reports of increasing activity directed at Taiwan in the run-up to an election. Interference efforts were also reported in the local elections in 2018 and the presidential election in 2020. As in previous polls, this time’s efforts involve cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. Google warned in early December of a huge increase in Chinese cyberattacks over the past six months directed at Taiwan’s defence sector, private industries and government. In August, Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, cracked down on a Chinese influence campaign involving more than 7,500 accounts across different platforms in the company’s largest such operation to date. Many of the accounts were targeting Taiwan. There have also been cases of TikTok being used to spread disinformation among Taiwanese users while also monitoring their
Iceland volcano erupts weeks after thousands evacuated from nearby town
Iceland has been on high alert for an eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula after weeks of intense seismic activity. A volcano in southwest Iceland has erupted, spewing lava and smoke across a wide area weeks after nearly 4,000 residents of a nearby town were evacuated amid intense seismic activity. “At 22:17 this evening, a volcanic eruption began north of Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula,” Iceland’s Meteorological Office said on Monday. The livestreamed footage of the eruption showed glowing orange lava rising into the night sky, surrounded by billowing red smoke. “A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption,” the IMO said. Iceland has been on high alert for a potential eruption after thousands of small earthquakes rattled the region about 40km (25 miles) south of the capital Reykjavik prompting the evacuation of the fishing town of Grindavik and the closure of the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. The crack in the earth’s surface was about 3.5km (2.1 miles) long and had grown rapidly, the Met Office said. Some 100 to 200 cubic metres (3,530 to 7,060 cubic feet) of lava emerged per second, several times more than in previous eruptions in the area, Icelandic seismologist Kristin Jonsdottir told the public broadcaster RUV. Local police said they had raised their alert level as a result of the outbreak and the country’s civil defence warned the public not to approach the area while emergency personnel assessed the situation. Reykjanes is a volcanic and seismic hotspot southwest of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. In March 2021, lava fountains erupted from a 500-750-metre-long (1,640-2,460-foot-long) fissure in the ground in the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system. After Monday’s eruption, the Keflavik International Airport remained open, albeit with numerous delays listed for arrivals and departures. Iceland is home to 33 active volcano systems, the highest number in Europe. It straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Adblock test (Why?)
More than 100 people killed in earthquake in northwest China
The shallow 6.2 magnitude quake struck during the night near the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, sending people rushing out onto the street. More than 100 people have been killed after an earthquake hit northwestern China while many people were asleep. The earthquake, measured at 6.2 according to state news agency Xinhua, struck in Gansu Province near the border with Qinghai, causing significant damage, state media reported on Tuesday. Residents rushed out onto the street as buildings collapsed and dozens of people were injured, the state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the provincial earthquake relief headquarters. According to CCTV, at least 100 people were killed in Gansu and 11 people in the city of Haidong in Qinghai. Haidong is situated close to the epicentre about 100km (60 miles) southwest of Gansu Province’s capital, Lanzhou. Rescue work was under way with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for “all-out efforts” in the search and relief work. Power and water supplies were disrupted in some villages, Xinhua said. The US Geological Survey reported the quake was a magnitude 5.9, while the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said it was a magnitude 6.1. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10km (6 miles) at 11:59 pm local time on Monday (15:59 GMT), according to the USGS, which initially reported the magnitude at 6.0. Gansu has a population of about 26 million people and includes part of the Gobi Desert. Earthquakes are not uncommon in China. In September 2022, a 6.6-magnitude quake hit Sichuan Province leaving almost 100 dead. A 7.9-magnitude quake in Sichuan in 2008 left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 children who were in school at the time it happened. At least 242,000 people were killed in 1976 after an earthquake struck Tangshan in the worst natural disaster in Chinese history. Adblock test (Why?)
Jacqueline Fernandez moves Delhi HC for quashing of ED FIR in Rs 200 crore money laundering case
The plea stated that evidence filed by the Directorate of Enforcement would prove that the Petitioner is an innocent victim of Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s maliciously targeted attack. There is no indication that she had any involvement whatsoever in aiding him to launder his ill-gotten wealth.
Heavy rains wreak havoc in Tamil Nadu; IAF, Indian Army join rescue team
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin held a review meeting on the flood situation in southern Tamil Nadu through a video conference from New Delhi.
Florida man pleads guilty to threatening to kill a US Supreme Court Justice; faces 5 years in federal prison
A Fernandina Beach, Florida man pleaded guilty on Monday after threatening to kill a U.S. Supreme Court Justice in July. U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that 43-year-old Neal Brij Sidhwaney pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate death threat. HONOR GUARD COLLAPSES WHILE GUARDING CASKET OF FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR The Department of Justice said on July 31, 2023, Sidhwaney called the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. from Florida and left a threatening voicemail that was reportedly filled with expletives. According to court records, the suspect identified himself by name on the voicemail and repeatedly threatened to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice who was unnamed by the DOJ and only identified as Victim 1 in the grand jury indictment. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DECIDED TO OVERTURN ROE JUST 10 MINUTES AFTER RECEIVING DOBBS DRAFT DECISION: REPORT The DOJ did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital seeking more information about the victim. A sentencing date has not been set for Sidhwaney, though he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The Supreme Court of the United States Protective Intelligence Unit and U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. attorneys Kirwinn Mike and Joe Wheeler, III.
James Biden given loan, didn’t provide services to Americore despite promises to use last name, trustee says
James Biden, the brother of President Joe Biden, didn’t provide any services to Americore despite obtaining a $600,000 loan from the struggling healthcare company on the promise that his name could bring in funding from the Middle East, which never materialized, Fox News has learned. Carol Fox, a Chapter 11 trustee for the financially distressed hospital operator, spoke with members of the House Oversight Committee in an interview where she detailed Americore’s relationship with James Biden. Fox said the loan was provided to Biden with no documentation in return for the promise of funding from the Middle East that never came. She filed a lawsuit against Biden, saying he made “representations that his last name, ‘Biden,’ could ‘open doors’ and that he could obtain a large investment from the Middle East based on his political connections.” FROM SEX CLUBS TO STRIPPERS: HERE ARE THE 5 MOST SALACIOUS DETAILS FROM THE HUNTER BIDEN INDICTMENT The suit demanded that the $600,000 loan be paid back to Americore. In a transcribed interview with the committee, Fox said she didn’t see records or documents of the loan from Americore. On March 1, 2018, Americore wired a $200,000 loan into the personal accounts of James Biden and his wife, Sara. That same day, James Biden wrote the president a $200,000 check from the same personal account. “Some immediate questions President Biden must answer for the American people: Does he have documents proving he lent such a large sum of money to his brother and what were the terms of such financial arrangement?” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in October. “Did he have similar financial arrangements with other family members that led them to make similar large payments to him?” Fox said the money paid to the president could have come from two sources: predatory loans or senior citizens’ money fraudulently invested by James Biden’s business partner, Michael Lewitt. Comer previously said that even if the payment was “a personal loan repayment, it’s still troubling that Joe Biden’s ability to be paid back by his brother depended on the success of his family’s shady financial dealings.” A source with direct knowledge of the interview told Fox News Digital that Fox said she has no evidence of President Biden being involved in any of his brother’s business dealings. She also said the $350,000 settlement with James Biden was fair and equitable.
Sen. Cardin breaks silence after staffer allegedly fired over sex tape filmed in hearing room
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., has broken his silence after one of his staffers was allegedly fired over a sex tape filmed in a Senate hearing room. “I was angry. I was disappointed,” Cardin told Fox News earlier Monday when speaking about the scandal. “It’s a breach of trust.” Cardin would not name the staffer in question, only saying it was a “personnel issue.” The Democratic Senator said he was not aware of any further disciplinary issues against the staffer and hadn’t spoken to him since the firing. He added that the Capitol Police are investigating the incident. WHERE NO CONGRESS HAS GONE BEFORE: FACING GALACTIC-SCALE FISCAL CLIFF AND BORDER SECURITY THREATS The scandal erupted Friday when the Daily Caller published the video with the blurred-out faces of two men engaging in sex in Hart Senate Office Building room 216, a location where several high-profile hearings have taken place in recent years, including Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Posts on social media said the alleged staffer worked for Sen. Cardin, whose office soon after announced that the aide had been dismissed. It did not address reports linking a member of his staff to the sex tape. Fox has learned that the Senate sex tape was recorded last week. But the time of day is unclear. A Congressional security source is promising a “thorough investigation” with interviews upcoming. While there are currently no pending charges in the case, a security source did not rule out the possibility.