Govt to introduce Waqf Act Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today; here’s all you need to know
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is set to introduce the Waqf Act Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today.
Paris Olympics 2024 Day 13: Neeraj Chopra aims for gold, know where to watch live in India
Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra will compete in the javelin throw finals at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday.
Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passes away at 80
He served as the chief minister for two complete terms from 2002 to 2011.
Kamala Harris shuts down anti-Israel protesters during campaign speech in Michigan: ‘I’m speaking’
Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris shouted down protesters during a campaign speech in Michigan on Wednesday. The protesters, who opposed Israel’s fighting with Hamas, interrupted Harris about midway through her speech. At first, Harris addressed those trying to disrupt her by saying she was, “here because I believe in democracy and everybody’s voice matters, but I am speaking now.” But as the protesters continued shouting her down, Harris became more combative. “You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking,” Harris said, eliciting static cheers from the audience. Those demonstrating were eventually led away, but not before a tense confrontation between Harris supporters and protesters who screamed at one another. The exchange came amid a visit by Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to Wisconsin and Michigan where they hoped to shore up support among the younger, diverse, labor-friendly voters. KAMALA HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE TIM WALZ PICTURED IN 1995 NEBRASKA MUGSHOT AFTER DUI ARREST President Biden’s support of Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip has been a weak spot for the administration. Harris told the day’s first rally in Eau Claire, “As Tim Walz likes to point out, we are joyful warriors.” She said they’re looking at the future with optimism, unlike Trump, the former president and Republican White House nominee, whom she accused of being stuck in the past and preferring a confrontational style of politics — even as she criticized her opponent herself. “Someone who suggests we should terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again have the chance to sit behind the seal of the United States,” Harris said, her voice rising.
RBI MPC meeting: Will central bank change repo rate today? Here’s what to expect
The chief investment officer of debt at Kotak Mahindra AMC, Deepak Agrawal, predicts that the repo rate will remain at 6.50%.
DOJ contends Hunter Biden was hired by Romanian oligarch to ‘influence US policy:’ docs
Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors allege Hunter Biden was paid by a Romanian oligarch to “influence U.S. policy and public opinion,” while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president, according to new documents. The documents were filed by Special Counsel David Weiss in the Central District of California on Wednesday. The filings pertain to Hunter Biden’s tax trial in California. The allegations are the closest prosecutors have come to tying President Biden to his son’s overseas business dealings. Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu is expected to testify against Hunter Biden in the trial, which begins on September 5 in Los Angeles. In the filings, Weiss notes that Hunter Biden had “entered into an oral agreement” in 2015 to help Popoviciu contest bribery charges in Romania. JURY LIKELY CONSIDERED HUNTER BIDEN’S OWN WORDS IN MEMOIR AS ‘POWERFUL’ EVIDENCE TO CONVICT: EXPERTS At trial, prosecutors say they will “introduce the evidence described above, including that [Hunter Biden] and Business Associate 1 received compensation from a foreign principal who was attempting to influence U.S. policy and public opinion and cause the United States to investigate the Romanian investigation of [Popoviciu] in Romania.” In the documents, Weiss alleges that Hunter Biden and his business associate “were concerned that lobbying work might cause political ramifications for [Hunter Biden’s] father [Joe Biden].” Wednesday’s filing is the first to go into greater detail about Hunter Biden’s international business affairs. “Business Associate 1 and [Popoviciu] signed a ‘Management Services Agreement’ where Business Associate 1’s legal entity would purportedly provide management services to real estate properties in Romania, but that was not actually what [Popoviciu] was paying for,” the document states. HUNTER BIDEN ‘DISAPPOINTED’ BY GUILTY VERDICT, TRUMP CAMPAIGN CALLS GUN TRIAL A ‘DISTRACTION’ In the document, Weiss acknowledges that Hunter Biden’s counsel had asked the court to dismiss allegations about Hunter Biden potentially violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act or FARA. “The government does not intend to reference allegations that the defendant violated FARA or improperly coordinated with the Obama Administration,” Weiss wrote. “However […] the government will introduce evidence that Business Associate 1 structured a business relationship in an effort to avoid having to register as a foreign agent, and that the defendant and his business partners did reach out to government officials, specifically the United States Department of State.” Prosecutors allege Hunter Biden and two business associates split more than $3 million in payments from Popoviciu between November 2015 and 2017. Hunter Biden is charged with failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while also filing false tax returns. He allegedly used the funds to live lavishly, including spending millions of dollars on drugs, escorts, luxury cars and other high-priced items. He has since paid the taxes. He is charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors in the tax case. The pretrial hearing for the case is scheduled to take place on Aug. 21 in Los Angeles. In June, Hunter Biden was convicted by a federal jury in Delaware of lying about his illegal drug use while filling out a form to purchase a gun. He has yet to be sentenced in that case. Fox News Digital reached out to Hunter Biden’s legal team for comment but has not yet heard back. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Harris and Walz trade fire with Trump running mate Vance at dueling events in Blue Wall states battle
EAU CLAIRE, WI – Speaking in front of a sea of supporters in rural Wisconsin, Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday declared that “the path to the White House wins right through this state and with your help, we will win in November.” Wisconsin is part of the so-called blue wall of states – along with neighboring Michigan as well as Pennsylvania – that the Democrats reliably won in presidential elections for nearly a quarter-century before former President Donald Trump narrowly carried them in capturing the White House eight years ago. But in 2020, President Biden won back all three states with razor-thin margins as he defeated Trump, and the states remain extremely competitive as Harris and Trump face off in the 2024 presidential election. So it was no surprise that Harris held her first rally with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – her newly named running mate – in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, with stops Wednesday in Wisconsin and Michigan. And staying in close proximity was Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. KAMALA HARRIS AND HER NEWLY NAMED RUNNING MATE KICK OFF A BATTLEGROUND STATE SWING Walz took aim at Trump at Wednesday afternoon’s rally, charging that the former President “sees the world differently than we see it. He has no understanding of service. Because he’s too busy serving himself again and again and again.” “This guy weakens our country to strengthen his own hands. He mocks our laws. He sows chaos and division amongst the people. And that’s to say nothing of the job he did as president,” Walz argued. Hours earlier, Trump – in an interview on “Fox and Friends” – belittled the naming to the Democrats’ ticket of Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach turned Democratic congressman in a red district before winning election and re-election as governor. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE “I could not be more thrilled,” Trump said when asked about the announcement from Harris on Tuesday that she chose Walz as her running mate, after also seriously considering Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. “I was shocked when, when it came down to the final two, that she didn’t pick Shapiro. I was very surprised,” Trump said. But the naming of a running mate has been lucrative for the Harris campaign, which highlighted that it had hauled in $36 million in fundraising in the 24 hours since the Walz announcement. At the rally, which the Harris campaign said attracted a crowd of over 12,000 people to a festival field amid farmland outside this small northwest Wisconsin city, Walz once again argued that Trump and Vance “are creepy and weird as hell.” Vance, at a campaign event miles away, pushed back on the “weird” label, saying that he and Trump are “normal guys who want to make this country great.” In a viral moment, Vance appeared to try and troll the vice president, as he approached Air Force Two at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, where the senator’s campaign plane was also parked. “I figured that I would come by and get a good look at the plane because hopefully it’s going to be my plane in a few months,” Vance said in front of Air Force Two. And once again pointing out that Harris has yet to sit for a major interview or hold a press conference in the two and a half weeks since she replaced President Biden at the top of the Democrats’ national ticket, Vance told reporters “I also thought you guys may get lonely, because the VP doesn’t answer questions from reporters.” Biden dropped his re-election bid on July 21, after a disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June prompted increased questions over whether the 81-year-old president had the physical and mental abilities to serve another four years in the White House. It also sparked a rising chorus of calls from fellow Democrats for Biden to end his re-election bid. Harris didn’t mention her boss at a large rally in Atlanta last week, nor did she or Walz reference the president at their rally Tuesday night in Philadelphia. But Harris, in her sixth visit to Wisconsin so far this year, praised the president at the top of her comments. “I want to bring greetings from our incredible president, Joe Biden,” Harris said. “He loves Wisconsin, and I know we are all deeply grateful for his lifetime of service to our nation and for all he continues to do.” After the crowd broke out in a chant of “Thank you, Joe! Thank you, Joe!,” the vice president responded “that’s right. I’m gonna tell him what you said.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Blinken pressured to freeze Afghanistan aid after revelation nearly $300M could have gone to Taliban
FIRST ON FOX: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is being called on to freeze aid to Afghanistan following revelations that the assistance could be going to the Taliban. A recent report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), a government entity conducting oversight of U.S. aid to the country, determined that two of five bureaus within the Department of State (DOS) couldn’t prove their compliance with counterterrorism vetting. “Collectively, State could not demonstrate their compliance with its partner vetting requirements on awards that disbursed at least $293 million in Afghanistan,” the report stated. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said the reported oversight was “deeply alarming” in a letter to Blinken and urged him to stop Afghanistan aid until the issue is addressed. ‘FEEL BETRAYED’: TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP BLASTS VULNERABLE DEMS ON INFLATION IN MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR AD BLITZ The failure of the DOS to fully comply with counterterrorism vetting standards “has strengthened and enriched the Taliban and its terrorist affiliates,” he said. “Further, when funds that are intended for humanitarian and development purposes end up supporting groups that perpetuate violence and instability, U.S. national security interests in the region are significantly undermined.” “It is imperative that State take immediate remedial and comprehensive action to rectify these issues to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” wrote Braun. ‘NEVER HEARD OF HIM’: HARRIS VP PICK WALZ HAS LITTLE NOTORIETY AMONG TRUMP-VANCE VOTERS IN PA Further, SIGAR found that $10.9 million in U.S. taxpayer money was paid to the Taliban-controlled government by 38 of the U.S.’s 65 implementing partners. However, the report said the amount was “likely only a fraction of the total amount of U.S. assistance funds provided to the Taliban in taxes, fees, duties, and utilities because UN agencies receiving U.S. funds did not collect data or provide relevant information about their subawardees’ payments.” In his letter, Braun questioned Blinken over what measures were “being taken against those individuals responsible for the failure to comply with vetting requirements and documentation retention” and asked for a description of what improvements would be made to its “documentation and record-keeping practices to avoid lapses.” TRUMP-ENDORSED MIKE ROGERS WINS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN MICHIGAN The U.S. has been the largest international contributor of support to Afghans after their government collapsed, allowing the Taliban to take power following the disastrous withdrawal of American troops in August 2021 under President Biden. According to SIGAR, more than $2.8 billion has been provided by the U.S. in both humanitarian and development aid to the country since the withdrawal. DOS did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
Vance says Harris ‘bent the knee to the Hamas caucus’ by choosing Walz over Shapiro
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, is accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of capitulating to radical left-wing voices in the Democratic Party in choosing her running mate for the November election. “She bent the knee to the Hamas caucus of the Democratic Party,” Vance said during a rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Wednesday. He’s the latest GOP critic to accuse Harris of choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate against former President Trump and Vance over Josh Shapiro, because the Pennsylvania governor is Jewish. Former President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have also made the claim. KAMALA HARRIS’ VP PICK TIM WALZ PREVIOUSLY CHARGED WITH DUI IN NEBRASKA “Whatever your views on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro – and obviously he’s not in my political party. He’s criticized me. I criticized him – the amount of rage that you heard from the far left saying, ‘Kamala Harris can’t pick this guy because he’s Jewish,’ is disgraceful,” Vance said. “I want my kids to grow up in a country where they can be whatever they want to be, and people aren’t attacking them for their ethnic heritage, and that’s somehow considered acceptable.” VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE “It’s not just what these people said about Shapiro. It’s the way that the Harris and the Harris administration and the Harris campaign refuse to push back against it. I think it’s a real scandal,” he said. The Harris campaign did speak out against the allegations, however, telling the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, in part: “Assertions that Vice President Harris did not select Gov. Shapiro based on his religion or views on Israel are absolutely ridiculous and offensive.” Republicans have mostly reacted with a mix of glee and relief to Harris’ decision to choose Walz over Shapiro, casting the Minnesota governor as a progressive radical for his COVID-19 policies, support for gender-affirming treatment for minors and government handouts to undocumented migrants. Harris, whose husband is Jewish, is tasked with navigating the Democratic Party’s ever-widening divisions over Israel, with a growing faction of progressives calling for the U.S. to distance itself from its close Middle Eastern ally. IT’S OFFICIAL: VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS FORMALLY WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION In the final days before her selection on Tuesday, Harris met with Shapiro, Walz and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Shapiro was thought to be a frontrunner for the role as the governor of a key swing state. But reports indicate that, in the end, Harris believed Walz would be a better fit due to his his personality and approach to the campaign. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign and Shapiro’s office for comment on Vance’s remarks.
Socialist group celebrates Walz because he’s ‘proud’ to support ‘radical’ antisemites: Cruz
Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the Democratic Socialists of America celebrated Gov. Tim Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate because the Minnesota Democrat is “proud” to stand with “radical” antisemites and leftists. “There’s a reason the Democratic Socialists are celebrating him,” Cruz said on his podcast “Verdict” Wednesday. “There’s a reason, within minutes of his being announced as VP, you know who tweeted out a tweet praising it? Ilhan Omar, with a picture of her next to him, saying what a fantastic choice this was. And listen, you know, she’s from Minnesota. She represents the radicals in Minnesota. He’s her governor, and they’ve been strong, strong allies. He’s proud to stand with the radical antisemite, Israel-hating radical leftists like Ilhan Omar, and it says volumes.” Harris announced Walz as her running mate Tuesday morning, which was followed by praise from left-wing Congresswoman Omar. And the Democratic Socialists of America took a victory lap over the choice. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS GROUP BOASTS IT HELPED MAKE WALZ HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE: ‘FORCE THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED’ “Harris choosing Walz as a running mate has shown the world that DSA and our allies on the left are a force that cannot be ignored. Through collective action, DSA and the US left more broadly have made it clear that change is needed. DSA members organized in our workplaces and unions to realign the labor movement to support Palestinian liberation,” Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist group in the U.S., posted to X Tuesday. HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE FACES RENEWED SCRUTINY AFTER HIS ‘WEIRD’ SOCIALISM COMPARISON RESURFACES DSA took credit for pressuring Democrats to allegedly snub other candidates in the running, including one “with direct ties to the IDF.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was reportedly one of the top contenders on Harris’ list of potential veeps and was a volunteer in the IDF in his youth. The DSA has blamed Israel for Hamas attacking the nation in October, which sparked an ongoing war. “The Uncommitted movement, in which DSA members played crucial roles nationally and in multiple states, pressured the Democratic establishment into choosing a new candidate and backing down from a potential VP with direct ties to the IDF and who would have ferociously supported the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” the DSA continued in its X thread. Cruz continued in his comments that the left-wing faction of the Democratic Party didn’t force Harris into choosing Walz as her running mate, arguing that they hold similar “radical” views. LAURA INGRAHAM: WALZ HAS HELPED TANK LAW ENFORCEMENT IN HIS STATE AND IS ON HIS WAY TO TANKING EDUCATION “It’s not that Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz because she was bullied into it by the left wing. It’s because she picked Tim Walz because that’s who she is,” he said. “She’s a radical leftist. As you know, there was one nonpartisan source that rated her … the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate, and (Walz), likewise, he is one of, if not the most liberal governor in the entire country. And I think this is birds of a feather, that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and Ilhan Omar, they agree with each other. They’re radicals.” ‘NEVER HEARD OF HIM’: HARRIS VP PICK WALZ HAS LITTLE NOTORIETY AMONG TRUMP-VANCE VOTERS IN PA Harris became the official presidential nominee for the Democratic Party Monday. She rose to the top of the ticket after President Biden dropped out of the race last month amid mounting concerns among Democrats and Republicans over his mental acuity at age 81. Biden has vowed to finish his remaining months in office after ending his re-election bid. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.