Maharashtra: Absconding sculptor of collapsed Shivaji statue arrested in Thane
Sculptor-contractor Jaydeep Apte, wanted in connection with the collapse of the Shivaji statue in Sidhudurg last month, has been arrested in Thane.
Trump warns US approaching ‘World War III territory’ under Biden-Harris admin: ‘Clowns’
Former President Donald Trump said during a Fox News town hall in Pennsylvania Wednesday evening that the U.S. is heading towards “World War III territory” as wars abroad rage under the Biden-Harris administration. “We’re heading into World War III territory, and because of the power of weapons, nuclear weapons in particular, but other weapons also, and I know the weapons better than anybody because I’m the one that bought them,” Trump said from the New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The town hall, which was moderated by Fox News’ Sean Hannity, fielded questions from voters in the key battleground state, which will likely help determine the outcome of the election come Nov. 5. “We rebuilt our entire military. We upgraded our entire program. And, you know, the one program I hated to upgrade, hated it, was the nuclear program. And I understand it maybe better than anybody. My uncle was at MIT, a professor, the longest serving professor in the history of MIT. Very smart guy. We have a smart family. It’s nice to have a smart family, but I knew, I understood, nuclear for a long time. The power of nuclear weapons. You need a president that’s not going to be taking you into war.” TRUMP DEMANDS EUROPE COUGH UP MORE CASH FOR UKRAINE, SAYS WAR WITH RUSSIA WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED ON HIS WATCH “We won’t have World War III when I’m elected. But with these clowns that you have in there now, you’re going to end up having World War III, and it’s going to be a war … like no other.” War broke out in Ukraine in 2022, when Russia invaded the nation. Another war broke out in the Middle East last October, when Hamas terrorists launched attacks on Israel. Trump doubled down in the town hall that if he were in the Oval Office, the world would not be facing wars or unrest. TRUMP BLASTS BIDEN AT NH RALLY, SAYS INFLATION, UKRAINE AND ISRAEL WARS ‘WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED’ ON HIS WATCH “We have things going on in the world right now with Israel and with the Middle East. … It’s blowing up. We have Ukraine and Russia. That would never happen. That would have never happened. October 7th would have never happened if I were the president. It would have never happened. And everybody knows it. Iran was broke. They didn’t have the money for Hamas and for Hezbollah. They didn’t have the money for anybody. They wanted to get by, and we would have made a fair deal with them,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump traveled to the key battleground state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday for the town hall less than one week before he will again head to the Keystone State for his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump vows to ‘heal our world’ after fatal Georgia school shooting: ‘Sick and angry’
Former President Donald Trump addressed the mass school shooting in Georgia during his Fox News town hall event in a key battleground state, vowing to “heal our world” if he’s re-elected. “It’s a sick and angry world for a lot of reasons and we’re going to make it better. We’re going to heal our world. We’re going to get rid of all these wars that are starting all over the place because of incompetence,” Trump said Wednesday from the New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Fox News’ Sean Hannity, who moderated the town hall, had cited the tragic and fatal shooting that unfolded Wednesday morning in Barrow County, Georgia at a high school, as well as the tight security surrounding Trump’s public events following the assassination attempt on his life in July. “We’re going to hopefully do very well. We have an election coming up … We’re going to be, I think, we’re going to be very well set up to do a great job,” Trump added. WHO IS THE ALLEGED GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER? WHAT WE KNOW At least four people were killed Wednesday at Apalachee High School, when 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray opened fire around the 10 a.m. hour. Officials said the four victims killed were two students and two teachers. Nine others were injured in the shooting. GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING: LIVE UPDATES “Within minutes, law enforcement was on scene as well as two school resource officers assigned here to the school,” Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told reporters during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “Once they encountered the subject, the subject immediately surrendered to these officers, and he was taken into custody.” 2024 SHOWDOWN: TRUMP HEADS TO A CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE FOR A FOX NEWS TOWN HALL MODERATED BY HANNITY Gray, who is a student at the high school, will be charged with murder and prosecuted as an adult, according to Smith. Trump traveled to the key battleground state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday for the town hall less than one week before he will again head to the Keystone State for his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Fox News Digital’s Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Delhi excise policy case: SC to hear CM Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking bail, challenging CBI arrest today
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has challenged his arrest and subsequent remand orders, while also pressing for bail in the corruption case.
Happy Teacher’s Day 2024: Wishes, greetings, WhatsApp messages, quotes to share today
Teachers’ Day is celebrated on September 5 every year, marking the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was the first vice-president and second president of India.
Trump back in key battleground for Fox News town hall moderated by Hannity
Former President Trump is back in Pennsylvania on Wednesday evening to headline a Fox News town hall. The Sean Hannity-moderated prime-time event is being held at the New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, the capital city of the key battleground state in the race between Republican nominee Trump and Democrat nominee Vice President Harris. Trump was previously in Pennsylvania last Friday at a rally in Johnstown in the western part of the state. FOX NEWS TOWN HALL WITH FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP MODERATED BY SEAN HANNITY – WEDNESDAY 9 PM ET “Sixty-seven days from now, we’re going to win Pennsylvania,” the former president declared. Harris stopped in Pittsburgh on Monday to team up with President Biden at a Labor Day event in the state’s second-largest city and union stronghold. The vice president returns to Pittsburgh on Thursday to prepare for next week’s first and potentially only presidential debate with Trump. Harris is expected to stay in the state through next Tuesday’s prime-time debate, which is taking place in Philadelphia. HARRIS STOPS IN KEY SWING STATE THAT TRUMP CHARGES VP AND BIDEN ‘DISRESPECTED’ While Election Day on Nov. 5 is nine weeks away, early voting in Pennsylvania begins this month, as Harris noted on Monday by telling supporters that “ballots in Pennsylvania will start dropping in 14 days.” Pennsylvania is arguably the most important of seven swing states that decided the 2020 election between Trump and Biden and that both campaigns see as the states that will determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential showdown. “It’s the one state that it’s hard to see someone losing and then still winning the presidential race,” Pittsburgh-based longtime Republican national strategist and ad maker Mark Harris told Fox News. “It’s clearly ground zero.” MARGIN OF ERROR RACE BETWEEN HARRIS, TRUMP AS CAMPAIGN ENTERS FINAL STRETCH “You can see that in media reservations and in the candidates’ travel schedules,” he said. “Clearly the Trump campaign and the Harris camp believe this is a must-win situation.” Mike Butler, a Pittsburgh-based Democrat consultant, told Fox News that when it comes to the White House race, “I don’t think any other state quite swings the needle as much as Pennsylvania.” BIDEN TEAMS UP WITH HARRIS AS HE RETURNS TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ENDING RE-ELECTION BID The campaigns and the deep-pocketed super PACs supporting Harris and Trump have already shelled out more than $336 million to run ads in Pennsylvania, according to data from the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact. That includes nearly $150 million to reserve air time to run spots in the final two months, a figure that is likely to rise in the coming weeks. It is not just the top of the ticket campaigning in Pennsylvania. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrat vice presidential nominee, campaigns Wednesday and Thursday in Lancaster, Pittsburgh and Erie. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, Trump’s running mate, has made campaign stops in Pennsylvania nearly every single week since becoming the GOP vice presidential nominee in mid-July. Pennsylvania, along with Michigan and Wisconsin, are the three Rust Belt states that make up the Democrats’ “Blue Wall.” The party reliably won all three states for a quarter-century before Trump narrowly captured them in the 2016 election to win the White House. Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states by razor-thin margins to put them back in the Democrats’ column as he defeated Trump. Fast-forward to the present day and Pennsylvania remains a jump ball as the latest public opinion surveys in the state indicate a margin-of-error race between Harris and Trump. “It’s going to be a fight to the finish. I think Trump has some advantages,” Mark Harris said. “But it’s definitely going to be a very tight race.” Butler noted that Pennsylvania had razor-thin margins in the past two presidential elections. “Trump’s numbers are pretty solidly baked in. I can’t see him faring any worse than he did the last two times, which means it’s going to be a very competitive state,” he said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
US sailor detained in Venezuela while travelling on personal business
Detention comes amid tensions over Venezuela’s disputed election, with US seizing President Maduro’s plane this week. Venezuelan authorities have detained a United States Navy sailor who was travelling in the Latin American country, according to Pentagon officials. White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, confirmed on Wednesday that “a US service member” had been detained. He said that Washington was trying to get more information from Venezuelan authorities. “We’re obviously in touch as appropriate, as you would be, with Venezuelan authorities to try to get more knowledge,” Kirby said. He added it was his “understanding that this individual was on some sort of personal travel and not official government business”. Two defence officials also told the Reuters news agency the sailor had travelled to Venezuela on personal leave and had not gotten the required authorisation. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity and declined to provide further details. A spokesman for the US Department of State also said it was closely tracking the situation. The detention comes as tensions over Venezuela’s disputed elections have soared, with several countries, including the US, rejecting President Nicolas Maduro’s claims of victory. Several countries, including the US and Argentina, have gone so far as to recognise Maduro’s opponent, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the winner of the July presidential race. On Monday, US authorities seized a plane allegedly purchased for Maduro’s personal use, citing a violation of sanctions imposed by Washington. Maduro’s government decried the seizure as “piracy”. Hours later, Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes. The US joined several other countries in the Americas in condemning the move. Several active US military members have been detained while abroad in recent years. Earlier this year, 34-year-old US Army soldier Gordon Black was arrested after travelling to Russia to visit his girlfriend. Russian authorities sentenced Black in June to three years and nine months in prison after his girlfriend accused him of stealing from her. He remains an active duty member of the army but has been placed on a non-pay status. Last year, Army Private Travis King fled to North Korea during a civilian tour of the Military Demarcation Line on the border with South Korea. King, who was already facing military disciplinary actions, was detained by North Korean authorities and later released to the US. His lawyer said last week he would plead guilty to five charges, including desertion. The US has also recently traded prisoners with Venezuela. In December, US authorities freed a close ally of Maduro’s, Alex Saab, in exchange for the release of 10 imprisoned US citizens as well as a fugitive defence contractor at the centre of a massive Pentagon bribery scandal. Adblock test (Why?)
Kamala Harris departs from Biden capital gains tax plan to widen her reach
Harris’s proposal for a lower tax rate than the one laid out by Biden suggests she wants to appeal to a broader base of voters. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has proposed raising the capital gains tax rate for those earning $1m or more to 28 percent, instead of the 39.6 percent rate proposed by President Joe Biden in his fiscal 2025 budget. On Wednesday, Vice President Harris also told cheering supporters at a brewery in North Hampton, New Hampshire, about 10 miles south of Portsmouth, that she would push for a $50,000 tax deduction for new small businesses, 10 times the current tax break. “As president, one of my highest priorities will be to strengthen America’s small businesses,” Harris said, noting that small businesses employ half of all private sector workers in the United States. Harris said lowering the cost of starting a new business – estimated at $40,000 on average – would help the US reach her “very ambitious” goal of having 25 million new small business applications filed by the end of her first term. A record 5.5 million new business applications were filed in 2023, according to the Small Business Administration. Harris’s proposal for a lower top tax rate on capital gains suggests she wants to appeal to a broader base of voters even as she sticks with most of Biden’s plans to strengthen the middle class. Harris became the Democratic nominee after Biden stepped aside on July 21. In his fiscal 2025 budget, Biden had proposed raising the tax rate on long-term capital gains – the profits made from selling or trading an asset held for more than a year – to 39.6 percent for those earning more than $1m annually, from the current rates, which range up to 20 percent, depending on income. Harris said she also plans to offer low- and no-interest loans to small businesses, cut the red tape they face and expand access to venture capital. She said she supported a minimum tax for billionaires proposed by Biden, adding, “It is not right that those who can afford it are often paying a lower tax rate than our teachers and our nurses and our firefighters,” she said. Lead over Trump Harris took aim at her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, saying his plans would cut off federal programmes that offer loans to small businesses, cut the corporate tax rate and push the US deficit higher. Recent polls show Harris with a four to six percentage point lead in New Hampshire over Trump ahead of the November 5 election. Harris spoke at the woman-owned Throwback Brewery, joined by the state’s two female US senators, other elected officials and a leader of a “Republicans for Harris” group in New Hampshire, where 330,000 registered independents outnumber the 258,000 registered Democrats and 301,000 registered Republicans. New Hampshire has backed a Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992, except for former President George W Bush’s 2000 win. Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt denied a news report that Republicans had given up on the state and said Trump’s campaign had an on-the-ground presence, office and staff there. Adblock test (Why?)
How Venezuela’s recent history can inform its present-day election crisis
Already, the toll of the current political unrest has been high. Since the July election, at least 23 people have died in Venezuela’s protests, according to Victim Monitor, a human rights group. Foro Penal, meanwhile, has documented 1,581 arrests. Some critics have speculated that, if Maduro continues to lose popular support, the Venezuelan military could turn on him. Even the opposition’s presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, urged the country’s security forces to “fulfil their constitutional duties” and not “repress the people”. Straka, the historian, pointed out that the Venezuelan military has turned its back on leaders in the past, most notably in the case of the dictator Perez Jimenez. That the military played a role in his downfall took “everyone by surprise”, Straka explained. “The armed forces — Perez Jimenez’s main support — were divided.” But that outcome is less likely in Maduro’s case, according to Gunson, the Venezuela expert at the International Crisis Group. He indicated that some military leaders could face prosecution without Maduro’s protection. “If the military were to desert Maduro, his government would fall,” Gunson told Al Jazeera. “But the high command is unlikely to do that in the near future at least because it would threaten their own personal positions.” In recent weeks, the military even reaffirmed its support for Maduro amid the election crisis. On August 25, the Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) pledged their “absolute loyalty and subordination to the commander-in-chief of the FANB, President Nicolas Maduro”. Still, Gunson believes the military might not be as unified as it appears. “There is no reason to believe that members of the security forces voted any differently from the rest of the population,” Gunson said, pointing to the widespread support for Venezuela’s opposition coalition. “There are plenty of anecdotes to support the thesis that many members of the National Guard and the police sympathise with demonstrators,” he added. “In recent years, thousands of members of the armed forces have deserted, and many have left the country.” The strength of the opposition has given Tenreiro — the woman who witnessed the fall of Perez Jimenez over 60 years ago — a measure of hope. She said she wishes to see another authoritarian leader topple in her lifetime. “I don’t want to leave this world before seeing the start of change [in Venezuela] once again.” Adblock test (Why?)
2024 Showdown: Anti-Trump Republican Liz Cheney says she’s backing Kamala Harris
Former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a one-time rising Republican Party star who became a top GOP critic of former President Trump, says she’ll vote for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. “I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” Cheney said Wednesday at a speaking event at Duke University in North Carolina. And she emphasized that “as a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this, and because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris.” TRUMP HEADS TO CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE FOR FOX NEWS TOWN HALL MODERATED BY HANNITY Minutes after the Cheney news broke, the Trump campaign posted on social media an interview of Cheney on the Fox News Channel from four years ago taking aim at Harris. “Her voting record in the Senate is to the left of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren,” Cheney argued at the time. “It’s very clear, she is a radical liberal.” HARRIS STOPS IN KEY SWING STATE THAT TRUMP CHARGES VP AND BIDEN ‘DISRESPECTED’ The Fox News interview took place soon after then-2020 Democratic presidential nominee Biden named then-Sen. Harris as his running mate. Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, was once a conservative star in the GOP who was rising in the ranks of House Republican leadership. MARGIN OF ERROR RACE BETWEEN HARRIS, TRUMP, AS CAMPAIGN ENTERS FINAL STRETCH But she was the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-president Trump in early 2021 on a charge of inciting the deadly attack Jan. 6 on the Capitol, which was waged by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of Biden’s Electoral College victory in the 2020 election. The conservative lawmaker and defense hawk immediately came under verbal attack from Trump and his allies, and was eventually ousted from her number-three House GOP leadership position. Cheney, who has been vocal in emphasizing the importance of defending the nation’s democratic process and of putting country before party, was one of only two Republicans who served on a special select committee organized by House Democrats that investigated the riot at the Capitol. In 2022, she was ousted in the GOP congressional primary in Wyoming to a candidate that was backed by Trump. Cheney — who has argued that the former president is a “liar,” a “con man” and a potential “tyrant” who, if elected again, would “torch the Constitution” — vowed after leaving Congress that “I will do everything I can to make sure [Trump] is never anywhere near the Oval Office again.” But despite outreach from the Biden campaign, which transformed into the Harris campaign in July after the vice president replaced her boss at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, Cheney had remained silent until now. Cheney decided against joining other high-profile anti-Trump Republicans — such as former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who had speaking roles at last month’s Democratic National Convention in support of Harris. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.