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Meet IAS officer, who belongs to tribal family, cracked UPSC exam in fourth attempt, secured AIR…

Her story is a perfect example of determination and hardwork, showing that with commitment and self-belief, success is possible, no matter the obstacles

Biden tells Michigan crowd he’s ‘not going anywhere’ amid chants of ‘don’t you quit’

President Biden left no ambiguity about his intentions to stay in the 2024 election during a Michigan rally on Friday. Speaking in Detroit to a crowd that Democrats say passed 2,000 attendees, Biden characterized himself as a people’s champion under siege by elitist powers in Washington D.C. “I’m the nominee of this party because 14 million Democrats like you voted for me in the primaries,” Biden told the crowd. ‘UNDERDOG’ BIDEN STILL HAS TIME TO TURN CAMPAIGN AROUND BEFORE THE ELECTION, DEMOCRAT STRATEGISTS SAY He continued, “You made me the nominee, no one else. Not the press, not the pundits, not the insiders, not donors — you the voters. You decided, no one else, and I’m not going anywhere.” The Detroit crowd offered multiple coordinated cheers in support of Biden, including “Don’t you quit” and “We’ve got your back.” Biden faces increased calls to step down as the Democratic nominee following his performance at the first presidential debate, however strategists with knowledge of presidential campaigns say irreversible damage has not been done to his re-election efforts. “You’ve probably noticed a lot of speculation lately. What’s Joe Biden going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out?” Biden shouted during the rally. “Here’s my answer — I am running, and we’re going to win.” DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS ADMIT HAVING BIDEN CONCERNS AT JUNETEEENTH CONCERT: ‘HE SEEMED ALTERED’ Democrats are nervous as the calendar marches towards August, when the national convention will be held to confirm the party’s nominee. Biden has stated on several occasions that he will not be stepping down as the nominee, but continues to face pressure from members within his own party to consider dropping out of the 2024 race. “The president has been clear — he’s the elected nominee, and he is not budging from that position unless god himself intervenes,” Democrat strategist Mark Penn told Fox News Digital when asked about the state of Biden’s campaign. “Right now, Donald Trump is clearly leading, but it’s nowhere near double digits, so the race remains within the ability of a few percent of switching voters to change the outcome and, as events like the debate show, there’s plenty of game-changing possibilities.” Reports have also surfaced that former President Barack Obama has been working “behind the scenes” to force Biden out of the race. Multiple media outlets reported Thursday morning on Obama’s alleged efforts, including Politico, which stated that the former president had been given a “heads-up” by Clooney about his guest essay. A source close to Obama declined to comment on the reports but pointed Fox News Digital to the former president’s statements in support of Biden, both at the Los Angeles fundraiser that became the subject of Clooney’s op-ed and following the debate. Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.

DDA to not carry out demolition drive in Majnu Ka Tila on weekend due to…

DDA, in a public notice released on Thursday, said that it will undertake a demolition drive in the area on July 13 and 14.

Top Dem plots tying SCOTUS funding to ‘enforceable’ ethics code amid Thomas, Alito controversies

A top Senate appropriator is considering fencing off operational funding for the Supreme Court in the fiscal year 2025 spending bill and forcing the court to enforce an ethics code in order to access it following controversies over Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito’s wives’ political behavior and gifts the justices have been given by wealthy friends. In the next appropriations measure to fund the “general government,” which includes the Supreme Court, the appropriations subcommittee chairman is “definitely” looking into reviving a proposal this year to compel the court to implement an enforceable code of ethics. The Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Chairman Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told Fox News Digital on Thursday about a proposal he advanced last year “to fence [off] some of the Supreme Court funding,” except for money for protection. TESTER DENIES TIGHT RACE, SAYS INTERNAL POLLING HAS HIM BEATING SHEEHY: ’KICKING HIS A–’ His idea at the time was to fence off some of the court’s operational funding “until the Supreme Court implemented an enforceable code of ethics similar to that that applies to lower courts,” he said. Now, as the Supreme Court and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have come under renewed scrutiny for alleged unethical conduct, Van Hollen is “looking at doing that again.” Renewed calls from Democrats for an ethics code to be enforced for justices of the Supreme Court stacked up last year following a report that detailed Thomas’ friendship with billionaire real estate tycoon Harlan Crow and some of the lavish gifts he’d received from him. BIDEN DRAGS DOWN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE AS COOK POLITICAL REPORT DECLARES ‘TOSS UP’ The effort gained steam again this summer after reports earlier in the year about an upside-down American flag and an “Appeal to Heaven” flag that were flown at Alito’s homes. Some claimed the upside-down American flag was a sign of support for those who rioted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. However, Alito said the flag was flown by his wife in a dispute with a neighbor. Several Senate Democrats called on both Alito and Thomas to recuse themselves from cases having to do with the 2020 election, suggesting they cannot be impartial in the matter. In particular, the justices were asked to recuse from the matter of former President Trump’s immunity, which was ruled on earlier this month. Neither Thomas nor Alito recused themselves from the case. In a 6-3 decision, the high court determined Trump has substantial immunity from prosecution as it relates to official acts that are committed while in office. The immunity does not extend to unofficial acts. BLUMENTHAL SAYS SOME CONCERNS ‘DEEPENED’ AFTER MEETING WITH BIDEN CAMP ADVISERS Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was one of the more vocal Democrats calling for their recusal. He told Fox News Digital earlier this summer that he heard “some discussion” about including the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act in the annual appropriations bill. “I think we should use every tool available to compel the Supreme Court to adopt a truly enforceable code of ethics,” he said at the time. The bill has yet to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote, despite Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., having the ability to do so. Schumer’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment last month about whether he would take up the bill and if there was enough Democratic support to warrant doing so. DEM SENATOR HELPS BLOCK BIDEN JUDICIAL NOMINEE AMID CONTROVERSY OVER TRANSGENDER INMATE Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has led his colleagues on the bill and advocated for its passage once again in the wake of the Alito controversy. The senator recently told Fox News Digital that he had spoken to Schumer about bringing the bill to the floor for a vote, but that it was dependent on scheduling. According to Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., who has joined calls to pass the legislation, his “preference” is not the route of appropriations. The senator said he’d rather “we have a straight-up discussion about Supreme Court ethics.” “Everybody should want a court that has credibility and respect for Republicans and Democrats, because all of us have to abide by the decisions they make,” he explained last month. “So, I’d rather have a straight, standalone approach.”

Bypoll Results: After Ayodhya, BJP now loses Badrinath seat, suffers major setback

According to the data till 2 pm, Congress’ Lakhpat Singh Butola was leading by 5095 votes on the Badrinath seat. Butola got 27696 votes whereas, BJP’s Rajendra Bhandari got 22601 votes.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 869

As the war enters its 869th day, these are the main developments. Here is where the war stands on Saturday, July 13, 2024: Fighting Russian attacks killed at least six people and injured 13 in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, regional prosecutors said. Three civilians were injured by a mine in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, a few kilometres from the Russian border. The regional administration has warned of mine clearances taking place in other areas along the Russian border. Ukraine’s domestic security service said it has documented the deaths of nearly 300 civilians from mines left by Russia and is collecting evidence for the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed an allegation by a Russian official that Kyiv was planning to stage attacks on its own power dams to blame Russia for the assault, describing it as a new intimidation tactic. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, condemned a missile strike on a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, earlier this week and blamed Russia, which has denied attacking civilian targets. Ukraine asked the IAEA’s governing board to consider the matter because the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital had received support from the agency for cancer diagnostics and treatment. Andriy Kostin, Ukraine’s prosecutor general, called on the ICC to prosecute Russia over the attack on the children’s hospital. Diplomacy Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia does not rule out any scenarios regarding the possible resumption of the now-defunct Black Sea grain deal. Russia accused Australia of inciting “anti-Russian paranoia” for charging a Russian-born couple – an army private and her husband who are Australian citizens – with espionage. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected Russian criticism over the arrest of the Brisbane-based couple, telling the Kremlin to “back off”. Albanese said Russia had “no credibility”, accusing Moscow of engaging in “espionage here and around the world”. United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov spoke for a second time in just over two weeks and discussed lowering tensions, the Pentagon said. “The issue of preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation was discussed,” Russia’s Ministry of Defence said of the talks. The two sides have held occasional phone calls despite tensions over the Ukraine war, including one in June where Moscow criticised Washington’s arms supplies to Ukraine. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow was not planning to attack NATO, and the military alliance was aggravating tensions. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused South Korea of blackmail and threats over potential weapons supplies to Ukraine. China said it was conducting joint military drills with Russia along its southern coast after the NATO meeting in Washington warned of a growing threat from Beijing’s strong ties with Moscow. Politics A Russian-installed court in Ukraine’s Donetsk region sentenced an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) official to 14 years in prison on charges of spying, Russia’s prosecutor general said. Adblock test (Why?)

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ Biden tells Michigan voters amid Gaza protests

United States President Joe Biden has renewed his commitment to see his struggling re-election campaign through, telling voters in the key battleground state of Michigan that he is the better choice, despite growing calls for him to quit the race. “I am running and we’re going to win,” he told a crowd holding placards in his support during a rally in Detroit. “I’m the nominee,” he said on Friday. “I’m not going anywhere.” The 81-year-old Biden continues to face challenges over his mental sharpness and calls to step down after a disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27. Reporting from Detroit, Al Jazeera’s John Hendren pointed out that there is a large Arab and Muslim American population in Michigan, who are centred in Dearborn, just south of Detroit. “To put it in perspective, in the primary, Biden got about 600,000 votes in Michigan, easily winning over any other rivals, but about 100,000 voters voted ‘uncommitted’. Those were largely Arab and Muslim Americans and young Americans who are upset about his handling of the war in Gaza,” he said. “So, Biden’s got to turn those voters around. But Biden’s also underwater with Black voters, young voters, Hispanic voters. He’s down from where he was in polling last time around, so it’s really a problem across the board for him. He’s just not drawing the numbers he was four years ago.” President Joe Biden pumps his fist while delivering remarks at the Renaissance High School In Detroit during a campaign event, on July 12, 2024 [Carlos Osorio/AP Photo] During the tour of Michigan, Biden stuck with his rhetoric that a second Trump presidency would pose a threat to the country. “Do you really want to go back to the chaos of Donald Trump as president? Back when the United States lost three million jobs,” he said. Biden also said he intends to codify abortion rights, sign the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, raise the minimum wage and move towards a ban on assault weapons during the first 100 days of his second term – something that would require Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer and its Democratic senators, Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, did not attend the Biden rally, but a number of union and religious leaders did. They included Union Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who praised the president for standing “with the working class”. But a group of lawmakers, political donors, activist groups, news outlets and Hollywood stars have called on the president to step aside and allow another nominee to lead the party. ‘Save Palestinian lives’ A group of protesters gathered for the Biden rally in Detroit, trying to voice their concerns about the mounting death toll in Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Speaking to Al Jazeera, activist Lexis Zeidan said the protesters had a unifying purpose – “to save Palestinian lives”. Zeidan was among the organisers of the “uncommitted” movement, which saw hundreds of thousands of voters across the country cast ballots in protest against Biden’s policy towards Israel during the primaries. “The goal was to get him to understand that if he did not listen to the demands of the people, which is to ensure a permanent ceasefire … then he’s going to lose the White House,” she said. Tens of thousands have voted ‘uncommitted’ in Michigan in protest against Biden and the Democratic Party’s policies, especially their unwavering support for Israel [Adam J Dewey/Anadolu] Zeidan added that there is still a chance that Biden could win back some voters in the key battleground state but only if he shows an abrupt change. The US remains Israel’s staunchest political and military backer. In a post on X on Friday, Biden hinted at progress in continuing diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza, saying both Israel and Hamas had agreed to a “framework” he laid out six weeks ago. But recent ceasefire negotiations in Egypt and then Qatar with international mediators have yet to achieve an agreement. Suehaila Amen, a community advocate, said Arab and Muslim Americans in the Detroit area feel “disenfranchised and disrespected” over his unconditional support for Israel’s war on Gaza. “He is a warmonger and genocide supporter. He continues to aid and abet a genocide on the innocent civilians of Gaza,” Amen told Al Jazeera. “Biden continues to show the greater global community that the only thing he cares about is ensuring his allies have carte blanche to slaughter as they wish with our tax dollars funding the murder of innocent men, women and children. He is a disgrace to the nation as a leader.” Adblock test (Why?)

Meta lifts restrictions on Trump’s Facebook, Instagram accounts

Meta has said it is rolling back restrictions on former US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, as the presumptive Republican nominee seeks to regain the White House in November. The social media company headed by Mark Zuckerberg had indefinitely suspended Trump’s accounts following his praise of people who joined the deadly storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. He had also repeatedly spread misinformation about the election results, repeating the falsehood that the vote had been marred by fraud. The company then reinstated his accounts in early 2023, but with heightened restrictions, saying it would monitor Trump’s posts for further violations that could result in another suspension of between one month and two years. Trump, who will face off against US President Joe Biden, will no longer be subject to the additional monitoring, Meta said on Friday. “In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for president on the same basis,” Meta said in its announcement. “With the party conventions taking place shortly, including the Republican convention next week, the candidates for President of the United States will soon be formally nominated,” Meta’s global affairs president Nick Clegg said in a statement. The company said the presidential candidates remain subject to the same community standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, “including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence”. Some social media experts have long criticised Meta and other platforms for failing to moderate political content, including from political candidates. Ahead of the 2020 US presidential election, Zuckerberg appeared to support Trump, despite his inflammatory posts, dismissing complaints by Facebook staff, who staged a rare public protest. Facebook employees had complained that the company should have acted against Trump’s posts about protests containing the phrase “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”. Reporting from Los Angeles, Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds said that social media platforms face pressure to reinstate Trump’s accounts. “It’s interesting that [the decision] comes just a few days after Trump said on his own social media platform, Truth Social, that he intended to put Zuckerberg behind bars,” he said. “It’s an inescapable conclusion that these two events are linked in some ways, and that Zuckerberg is seeking not to be in the bad graces of Donald Trump, whose chances of becoming president again were heightened, analysts say.” Trump launched Truth Social in 2022. The Biden campaign criticised Meta’s decision. “Putting Donald Trump back on Facebook is like handing your car keys to someone you know will drive your car into a crowd and off a cliff,” said campaign spokesperson Charles Kretchmer Lutvak. Trump’s Facebook profile has 34 million followers. His campaign regularly reposts messages originally published on Truth Social, as well as invitations to rallies and videos from his campaign. Trump has yet to issue a statement on Facebook regarding Meta’s move. His latest Facebook posts assailed Biden and questioned the president’s capacity to run for re-election. Trump was also banned from Twitter, now called X, in 2021. Billionaire Elon Musk restored Trump’s account on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after buying the company in 2022, although the former president has only posted once since then. Musk himself signalled support for Trump, donating to a political committee working to help the former president defeat Biden, according to a Bloomberg report on Friday. It is unclear how much Musk donated to the group supporting Trump, but Bloomberg quoted anonymous sources as saying that the amount was “sizeable”. The donation highlights the “growing influence of a technology mogul” on the US political scene, Bloomberg reported, with his conspicuous shift from being independent to being critical of the Democratic Party. Adblock test (Why?)

‘Underdog’ Biden still has time to turn campaign around before the election, Democrat strategists say

President Joe Biden still has time to turn his campaign around and evade being replaced as the nominee despite a damaging two weeks that followed the first presidential debate, Democrat strategists tell Fox News Digital. Biden faces increased calls to step down as the Democratic nominee following his performance at the first presidential debate, however strategists with knowledge of presidential campaigns say irreversible damage has not been done to his re-election efforts. “The president has been clear — he’s the elected nominee, and he is not budging from that position unless god himself intervenes,” Democrat strategist Mark Penn told Fox News Digital when asked about the state of Biden’s campaign. “Right now, Donald Trump is clearly leading, but it’s nowhere near double digits, so the race remains within the ability of a few percent of switching voters to change the outcome and, as events like the debate show, there’s plenty of game-changing possibilities.” CRITICS AGREE BIDEN PRESS CONFERENCE IS ‘WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME’ FOR DEMS: ‘HE’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE’ Penn added that “net-net Biden is now the underdog, but this race is far from over.” Jessica Tarlov, Fox News Contributor and Democrat political strategist, also said that Biden has more than enough time to turn his campaign around before November. DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS ADMIT HAVING BIDEN CONCERNS AT JUNETEEENTH CONCERT: ‘HE SEEMED ALTERED’ “Is there enough time? Of course. Four months is a lifetime in politics. The election is about Trump. Those that will support him and those that won’t. I’m not saying Biden has ground to make up, but Trump remains hugely unpopular and polarizing through all of the president’s troubles,” Tarlov said. Tarlov noted that Democrats will need to come together in order to secure a win in November. “Whatever happens, Democrats have to come together against the common cause of defeating Trump,” she told Fox Digital. “And if they do, can 100% win.” Another Democratic strategist said comebacks happen frequently in politics, and Biden’s is no exception. “Politics is replete with comebacks, but they all had to run to do Witt. There’s a long list of comebacks, and if anyone can, it’s President Biden,” strategist Ted Trimpa told Fox. Biden has stated on several occasions that he will not be stepping down as the nominee, but continues to face pressure from members within his own party to consider dropping out of the 2024 race.

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