Where is Puja Khedkar? Questions abound as trainee IAS fails to report at Mussourie training academy
Puja Khedkar received a letter from Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre on July 16 informing her that her time as a government trainee had come to an end.
Dem rep says she was ‘angry at first’ after Biden dropped out: ‘We had been told’ he was staying in
A veteran and high-ranking Democratic lawmaker claims she was in the dark about President Biden’s intention to resign from the 2024 presidential campaign. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters from California spoke to Politico on Monday, saying Biden dropping off the party’s ticket caught her completely off-guard after she “woke up to it on the television.” “I was angry at first, because we’d worked so hard to give him the kind of support that would cause him to stay,” Waters told Politico. “We had been told up to the last minute that he was going to stay.” TOP DEMS THREATENED TO FORCIBLY REMOVE BIDEN FROM OFFICE, SET HIM UP TO FAIL AT TRUMP DEBATE: SOURCES She continued, “After I calmed down, I was alright, because in doing that, he endorsed Kamala [Harris]. And I thought, well, that’s great.” Waters was a die-hard defender of Biden following his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate that led the U.S. public to question his mental capacities. She consistently pushed back on any intention to replace the president with a stronger Democratic candidate and told Politico she has “seen him at his best.” HARRIS CAMPAIGN BREAKING FUNDRAISING RECORDS IN RACE AGAINST TRUMP SINCE BIDEN BOWED OUT However, Waters has also been a high-profile ally of Harris. The California representative told Politico that she sees Harris as a friend and didn’t hesitate to endorse her. “I tell you that Trump, the MAGA crowd, racists — I think that they’re going to hit and they’re going to hit hard,” she said of challenges facing Harris. “They’re going to do everything that they can do to try and convince their crowd and others that she should not be the president and he will be dog whistling about a woman and a Black in ways that he knows how to do.” Biden will address the nation on Wednesday about why he decided to exit the race and what he plans to focus on for the remaining six months of his first term. His address will be delivered from the Oval Office, the White House said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The president was seen in public for the first time in six days on Tuesday at Dover Air Force as he returned to the nation’s capital from his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Kamala rides tsunami of positive press, but skeptics see a risky choice
The media are gushing – there’s no other word – over newly minted Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. She was being portrayed as having the money and the mojo as she headed to Milwaukee. “Harris Hits the Trail, Powered by Endorsements, Money and Delegates,” said The Washington Post. The excitement is understandable. The mainstream press wanted Joe Biden to step aside, the vice president steps in and attacks Trump from an ex-prosecutor’s perspective (and he calls her “Dumb as a Rock”). And given that Harris would be such a groundbreaker – first female president, first black female president, first president of Asian-American background – it’s a hell of a story. BIDEN WILL ADDRESS NATION FROM OVAL OFFICE ON DECISION TO EXIT 2024 RACE But with Biden finally planning to address the country tonight – putting to rest absurd rumors that he was dying or dead – the spotlight remains firmly fixed on Harris. Her Milwaukee rally yesterday was a truncated version of her Wilmington speech the day before – slamming Trump, promising to work for the middle class – a practically verbatim reprise. If she keeps repeating that, it won’t make much news. There was nothing personal in the speech, even though Harris has to sell herself and her persona. An hour later, she was on a plane back to Washington, rather than shaking hands in a coffee shop or otherwise getting out from behind the podium. So with the reality that Twitter is not the real world – shocking I know – here is a more skeptical view of her obviously hasty campaign launch. Liberal New York Times columnist Ezra Klein says the question, after a grueling month, is “How do candidates respond to pressure? Do they seem honest and authentic to voters, or does something about them read as false or opportunistic? Do they have that charisma that convinces people to knock on doors for them, share memes of them, proselytize to family members about them? “Harris’s reputation was as a candidate with the tangibles but not the intangibles. She was great on paper but, in 2020, couldn’t put the pieces together… THE RACE TO DEFINE KAMALA HARRIS, AS PELOSI ENDORSES HER AND NO CHALLENGERS EMERGE “But Harris has never won an election atop the ticket in Pennsylvania or Wisconsin or Michigan. She’s never won an election atop the ticket anywhere but California. The Biden administration’s record is unpopular, and she cannot make a clean break from it. Immediately uniting around Harris feels safe to some Democrats. To other Democrats, it’s risky. They risk making the mistake they made with Biden, which is being so afraid of disunity that they’re failing to gather the information they need to know how their candidate will really perform. And here’s the truth: It’s all risky. It could all go bad, no matter what path is chosen.” Now that’s a candid assessment. The Atlantic’s David Frum, a Never Trumper and former Bush White House speechwriter, says “now the Trump campaign will be defining Harris’s identity too —and no prizes for guessing how they will do that: by casting Harris as a threat to sexual decency and racial order. “Also, respects to our potentially new Democrat Challenger, Laffin’ Kamala Harris. She did poorly in the Democrat nominating process, starting out at Number Two, and ending up defeated and dropping out, even before getting to Iowa, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a ‘highly talented’ politician! Just ask her Mentor, the Great Willie Brown of San Francisco. “In case you missed Trump’s hint, he’s referencing an old internet smear that Harris slept her way to political success.” (Note: Kamala Harris had a relationship with Willie Brown, who would become San Francisco’s mayor, in the 1990s, and it was not a secret. She was single, and while Brown was still technically married, he had separated from his wife more than a decade earlier.) “Her midlife marriage, her mixed-race origins, her manner and appearance, her vocal intonations, her career in the Bay Area with all of its association in the right-wing mind with dirt and depravity — those will be resources to construct a frightening psychosexual profile of the Black, Asian, and female Democratic candidate. “Democrats are taking a risk with Harris — and it’s not only their risk. If she does secure the Democratic presidential nomination, then she becomes the only hope to keep Trump out of the White House for a second term. She becomes the only hope for Ukraine, for NATO, for open international trade, for American democracy, for a society founded on the equal worth and dignity of all its people.” Pollster Kristin Soltis Anderson writes in the New York Times that Harris has her upsides, but on the downside, Biden’s “poor approval rating wasn’t all about his age; on an array of issues, voters say they don’t think his policies made them better off — and his policies are also, in effect, her policies.” AS CAMPAIGN LEAK PUSHES BIDEN OUT, WILL DEMOCRATS ANOINT KAMALA HARRIS? Harris was “designated ‘to lead the White House effort on the border. Republicans will also, no doubt, point to Ms. Harris’s support for things like a controversial Minnesota bail fund to undercut any tough-on-crime-prosecutor messaging.” On the right, National Review’s Noah Rothman says “contrary to the story Democrats are about to try to sell to the public, Harris’s party has never regained confidence in her abilities… “The revolt of the staffers coincided with a one-on-one interview with NBC News [anchor] Lester Holt, in which Harris defended her failure to visit the rapidly deteriorating Southern border by laughing awkwardly while insisting she hadn’t ‘been to Europe’ either. ‘I don’t understand the point you’re making,’ Harris insisted. No one else appeared similarly perplexed.” “The revolt of the staffers coincided with a one-on-one interview with NBC News [anchor] Lester Holt, in which Harris defended her failure to visit the rapidly deteriorating Southern border by laughing awkwardly while insisting she hadn’t ‘been to Europe’ either. ‘I don’t understand the point
Oman mosque attack: What’s ISIL’s game plan?
Near Oman’s mountain-crested capital of Muscat, a rare act of violence last week shook a peaceful country largely bereft of even petty crime. Gunfire rang out, and shouts of “Oh God!” were heard on July 15 in Wadi Kabir, a district east of Muscat, as three gunmen entered the Imam Ali Mosque. Congregants were gathered for a major religious event for Shia Muslims. But the event ended with five people killed – four Pakistani nationals and a policeman – and at least 30 others wounded, according to Omani and Pakistani authorities. In a country known for “exceptional” religious tolerance and a long tradition of coexistence, the real target might have been Oman’s stability, especially given its role as a regional mediator, say analysts. Soon after, ISIL (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack – its first ever of an operation in the Gulf nation. But experts said it is unclear if the attack was actually carried out by ISIL. More than a week after the attack, the group has offered no evidence except a video of the three alleged bombers — supposedly brothers — pledging allegiance to ISIL’s leader. With the region and world focused on Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, ISIL — whether or not it was actually behind the attack — may be trying to stay relevant, heightening sectarian divisions, especially in places where virtually none exists, analysts suggest. Sowing discord to divert “It is clear that [ISIL] relies on a strategy of claiming responsibility for attacks even when it had no actual involvement, with the aim of inciting chaos and sectarian strife,” Faozi Algoidi, a research fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told Al Jazeera. “By asserting responsibility for incidents that may originally be accidental or socially motivated, the organisation enhances the sectarian and terrorist nature of these events, bringing the issue of sectarian conflict back to the forefront.” ISIL’s goal may be to show that the organisation is still active and capable of striking anywhere, to stir fear and increase sectarian tensions in places of otherwise security and peace, like Oman, he added. This may have been why the attack occurred on the occasion of Ashura, among the holiest times of the year for Shia Muslims, according to Andreas Krieg, a professor at King’s College London and CEO of MENA analytica, a MENA-focused political risk firm. “That’s exactly what [ISIL] wanted to achieve … polarise sectarian dialogue and discourse in a very tolerant and inclusive country, and also across the region,” Krieg told Al Jazeera. “They were looking for an iconic moment where they can have an impact.” The attack also likely occurred at this time because armed groups perceive that the region’s intelligence agencies are focused more on Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, say analysts. “This timing suggests a strategic choice by [ISIL] to exploit perceived vulnerabilities,” Harley Lippman, an adviser at the USAID Partnership for Peace Fund, focused on Middle East peace efforts, told Al Jazeera. The attack in Oman follows similar acts in Russia and Iran. In March, the group said it was behind an attack that killed more than 140 people at a concert hall near Moscow, and in January it claimed responsibility for two explosions in Kerman that killed nearly 100. The number of operations claimed by ISIL this year compared with last year has doubled, further indicating a hidden agenda to divert attention in the region from the situation in Gaza, said Algoidi. Why Oman? Beyond its stability, Oman may have been singled out for the attack due to its role as a frequent regional mediator, say analysts. In the conflict in Yemen, in particular, Oman has been trying to bridge a gap between the Iran-aligned Houthi group and the Saudi-backed government. “The fact that the Omanis are trying to create cohesion, consensus in Yemen and trying to solve the conflict is something that [ISIL] disagrees with,” said Krieg. “They need conflict in Yemen to thrive.” Oman’s ties with Iran may have also embittered the group. ISIL views Tehran as an “archenemy”, Krieg added. An ISIL network existing in Oman is highly unlikely, Krieg said, and the incident rather points to the work of a cell with links to Yemen. The group’s cell structure means “lone wolf” ISIL-linked groups can launch operations even without membership within ISIL itself, he explained. He believes it is a single, isolated event and not a resurgence of the group — at least not in the Gulf region. “This can happen literally in any country. It can happen in the UK,” said Krieg. Adblock test (Why?)
Plane crash at Nepal’s Kathmandu airport kills 18; pilot only survivor
Saurya Airlines plane carrying two crew members and 17 passengers crashes shortly after takeoff and catches fire. A passenger plane has crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, killing 18 people, aviation officials say. The pilot was the only survivor of Wednesday’s crash and was being treated in hospital, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a statement. Nineteen people were on the test flight conducted by the domestic carrier Saurya Airlines, including technical staff members and two crew members. The incident took place right after the 11:11am (05:26 GMT) takeoff of the 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200, the aviation authority said. The plane then turned right and crashed into the eastern section of the airport, the statement said. It was on its way to the resort town of of Pokhara. The cause of the crash is being investigated. A doctor at Kathmandu Medical College Hospital told The Associated Press news agency that the pilot had suffered injuries to the eyes “but is not in any danger”. Eighteen Nepalis, including one child, and a Yemeni national were on the plane, the aviation authority confirmed. The bodies were taken to the TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for autopsy. Saurya Airlines 9N-AME crash@TIACAO2 Press Release – 2 pic.twitter.com/5LzBHpqhZI — Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (@hello_CAANepal) July 24, 2024 Images of the aftermath shared by Nepal’s military showed the plane’s fuselage split apart and charred. Broadcast images showed the bodies being carried to ambulances on stretchers. Other visuals showed rescue workers rummaging through the burned remains of the plane. Poor safety record Tribhuvan International Airport, the main airport in Nepal for international and domestic flights, was closed for several hours as emergency workers and investigators began their work. The airport is located inside a valley surrounded by mountains on most sides. It is considered a challenging airport for pilots, and bigger planes have to come through an opening on a mountain to land. Nepal’s aviation industry has boomed in recent years, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas as well as local and international trekkers and climbers. But the Himalayan country has a poor aviation safety record with a spate of deadly light plane and helicopter crashes over the decades. Much of this is attributed to insufficient training and maintenance, which are compounded by the country’s treacherous geography. Nepal also has some of the world’s trickiest runways to land on. Many are flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge even for accomplished pilots. The weather can change quickly in the mountains, creating dangerous flying conditions. Nepal’s last major commercial flight accident was in January 2023 when a Yeti Airlines flight crashed while landing at Pokhara, killing all 72 people on board. In 2018, at least 49 people were killed when a Bangladeshi plane carrying more than 70 people crashed and burst into flames as it landed in Kathmandu. In 1992, all 167 people on board a Pakistan International Airlines plane died when it crashed on approach at Kathmandu airport. Earlier that same year, a Thai Airways aircraft had crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people. Adblock test (Why?)
Typhoon Gaemi brings flood chaos to Philippines capital
NewsFeed Roads and neighbourhoods in Manila and across the Philippines have been left under water after heavy rain from Typhoon Gaemi, forcing many people out of their flooded homes. Published On 24 Jul 202424 Jul 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
‘Either in jail or jahannum’: Union Minister Nityanand Rai clarifies Modi government’s stand on J-K terror attacks
In the past few days, 28 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir and some security personnel have also lost their lives, which is very unfortunate, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said.
Allred and Texas Dems bundle resources across the ballot
The statewide Democratic project will allow candidates across the ballot to share data and coordinate on grassroots operations.
Big price cut ordered for inmate phone and video calls across Texas
A new FCC rule means a cap of 5 cents a minute for most inmate phone and video calls in the state of Texas.
Vulnerable House Dem dodges question on VP Harris’ record as ‘border czar’: ‘Don’t know who Kamala Harris is’
Democrat Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is running for re-election in an Ohio district that’s vulnerable for Democrats, ignored questions about Vice President Harris’ record on immigration on Tuesday. “Hello, Congresswoman, do you think that Kamala Harris did a good job as the border czar,” Sykes was asked in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Sykes ignored the question and kept walking, which prompted a follow-up question. “Congresswoman, do you think Kamala Harris did a good job as the border czar? Yes or no?” KAMALA HARRIS DOESN’T ANSWER WHETHER BIDEN IS FIT FOR OFFICE Sykes responded, taking issue with the pronunciation of Harris’ name, “I don’t know who Kamala Harris is.” “She’s the vice president,” the questioner responds before Sykes enters her office. KAMALA HARRIS TO SKIP NETANYAHU’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS WHILE TOP DEM SENATOR BOYCOTTS ALTOGETHER “No surprise: Two days after Sykes endorsed Harris, she pretends not to know her,” former Ohio Republican state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, who is running against Sykes in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “With Sykes’ support, Harris the Border Czar has created one of the worst humanitarian and security disasters our border has ever seen. I’d pretend not to know her too.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, DCCC Spokesperson Aidan Johnson pointed to the mispronunciation of Harris’ name. “If Republican trackers and Kevin Coughlin are going to ask about the Vice President they should show respect and start pronouncing her name correctly,” Johnson said. Sykes endorsed Harris for president on Sunday, pledging to work with Democrats to “unify” around her as the nominee. Sykes, a first-term Democrat who won in 2022 by five points, is defending her seat in a district that includes parts of two counties that President Trump comfortably won in 2020. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “Democrat Toss Up.”