Animal protection groups support Centre’s proposed ban on 23 foreign dog breeds, say ‘Many of these…’
Pit Bulls and similar breeds are the most abused, often kept on heavy chains as attack dogs, leading to aggressive and defensive behaviours, one organisation member said.
Supreme Court to release crucial Trump immunity decision, ‘a rule for the ages’
The Supreme Court on Monday will release its ruling in a case involving whether former President Trump is immune from prosecution for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The case is the most high-profile of the court’s session, and it is being released on the final day before the Supreme Court justices go on summer recess. The case relates to Trump’s efforts to defend himself against a federal indictment for election interference. “We’re writing a rule for the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said during oral arguments for the case in April. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment charged Trump with four felonies relating to his efforts to reverse President Biden’s 2020 victory. Trump’s legal team argues that the actions he took were all part of his official duties as president, and that presidents cannot be prosecuted for such acts. CAN JOE BIDEN BE REPLACED AS THE SITTING PRESIDENT? Two lower courts sided staunchly against Trump. If the Supreme Court does the same, it could allow Trump’s election interference trial to occur before the November election. Most scholars expect the court to adopt some middle ground between Trump’s claims of immunity and Smith’s indictment. MAJORITY OF VOTERS THINK BIDEN IS COGNITIVELY UNFIT TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT: POLL In nearly three hours of debate in April, the high court wrestled with this question: “Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office?” Legal experts told Fox News Digital that while it appeared the majority was not sold on the idea of absolute immunity, they could determine that Trump, and any future former presidents, should be granted a qualified version of it. TRUMP CALLED JOCELYN NUNGARAY’S MOTHER 10 MINUTES BEFORE DEBATE AGAINST BIDEN “I think the court recognizes that it would be a dangerous precedent if future presidents can prosecute their political rivals,” Mark Brnovich, former attorney general of Arizona, told Fox News Digital. “They will set a limiting principle because, under the prosecutor’s theory, future prosecutors would have a lot of power to persecute their political rivals,” Brnovich said. John Yoo, a law professor at University of California at Berkeley, said Trump’s argument “had much more success than many court watchers expected.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Only the three liberal justices seemed to reject the idea of immunity outright. The six conservative justices recognized the need to prevent future presidents from criminalizing policy and constitutional differences with their predecessors,” Yoo said.
Rahul Gandhi vs PM Modi: Ruckus in Lok Sabha over alleged ‘anti-Hindu’ comments, Amit Shah demands apology
After PM Modi objected to his remarks, Rahul Gandhi said, ‘Modi, BJP, RSS not the entire Hindu community’
South Africa’s Ramaphosa names new cabinet as deadlock broken
National unity government formed following weeks of deadlock. South Africa’s president has announced the formation of a new cabinet over a month after elections stripped his African National Congress (ANC) party of its majority. President Cyril Ramaphosa named 32 ministerial positions of the government of national unity late on Sunday, following weeks of deadlock that delayed the formation of an historic governing coalition. The announcement sees 20 of the 32 posts going to the ANC. Another six will be filled by the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, with the remainder split among a crowd of smaller coalition parties. Ramasopha was forced into the unprecedented power-sharing arrangement with DA and others after his party, a dominant force in South African politics since the end of the apartheid era, lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994 in elections on May 29. Accustomed to comfortable victories of more than 60 percent, the ANC won just 40 percent of the vote in the May 29 election, as South Africans turned away from the party amid frustration over poverty, poor services, and some of the world’s highest rates of inequality and unemployment. The rival DA took the second-largest share with 21 percent. Ramaphosa said Sunday that those issues would be priorities for the new government. “We have shown that there are no problems that are too difficult or too intractable that they cannot be solved through dialogue,” said Ramaphosa. ‘Major shake-up’ It took more than a month of complex political manoeuvring, and concessions from the ANC, to piece together the government. In a nod to the DA, its leader John Steenhuisen was appointed minister of agriculture. At the same time, Ramaphosa maintained the ANC’s hold on the ministry of trade and industry, a key portfolio that the DA was also seeking. The ANC’s Paul Mashatile will also continue as deputy president. Steenhuisen, in a statement following the announcement, said: “We look forward to being part of a new era in South Africa’s democratic journey, and to bringing real and tangible change to the millions of citizens who voted for it.” Leader of South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party John Steenhuisen (C) reacts before casting his ballot, in Durban North, Durban, on May 29, [Gianluigi Guercia/AFP] Melanie Verwoerd, political analyst and former South African diplomat, told the Reuters news agency that the overhaul would help open up the political scene to new leaders and encourage compromise. “It is a major shake-up with very few of the old faces still in there, which is a good thing,” said Verwoerd. “I think in general it’s a very positive step and of course very positive that they could actually get this done.” What’s next? Whether the current loose coalition of former enemies can improve on the ANC’s record may depend on the extent to which they can put aside their ideological differences. The DA wants to scrap some of the ANC’s black empowerment programmes, saying that they have mostly made a politically connected business elite fabulously wealthy, and scrap the minimum wage. It also opposes the ANC’s desire to expropriate land – most of which is in white hands as a legacy of conquest by colonists and subsequent entrenched white minority rule – without compensation and give it to black farmers. Adblock test (Why?)
Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with Israeli police over military conscription
NewsFeed Israeli police have cracked down on thousands of ultra-Orthodox men protesting against compulsory military service which they say goes against Jewish law. Israel’s High Court ruled last week that they are not exempt from conscription. Published On 1 Jul 20241 Jul 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Will Iran’s foreign policy change under a new president?
The two remaining candidates vying for the Iranian presidency, Saeed Jalili and Masoud Pezeshkian, offer voters distinct visions for the country’s future. However, experts say their differing views are unlikely to lead to a significant change in Iran’s foreign policy. Pezeskhian, a former health minister and surgeon, came first in Friday’s election but did not secure the 50 percent needed for an outright victory, forcing him into a run-off against second-placed Jalili to be held on July 5. Friday’s snap election was to pick a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in late May. Pezeshkian stands out in the race as the only non-conservative candidate allowed to run. He had the backing of reformists like former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whose involvement likely indicates Pezeshkian will pursue a key reformist foreign policy goal: renegotiating a nuclear deal to alleviate sanctions on Iran’s economy and ease tensions with the West. The 2015 agreement between Iran and China, the European Union, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, United States, to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, was signed under the centrist presidency of Hassan Rouhani. [embedded content] But three years later, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal, crushing the hopes of those who believed it would have paved the way for Iran’s economic renaissance. Instead, the US imposed harsh new sanctions, and Iranian hardliners found new ground to say the West could not be trusted. Talks over the deal’s revival have since largely stalled. On the other side of the political spectrum, Jalili is considered the most rigid representative of conservative politics. A victory for this staunch hardliner – with the backing of other conservative first-round candidates – would mark an even more confrontational approach towards the West, especially the US, analysts say. Having served as the chief nuclear negotiator between 2007-2012, Jalili opposed the idea that Iran should discuss or compromise with other countries about its uranium enrichment programme – a stance he kept for the 2015 deal. Not the only decision-maker Regardless of the candidates’ markedly different stances, Iran’s president operates within a limited mandate. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under him hold most of the say when it comes to foreign policy. “If you get 180-degree change between a Trump or a [current US President Joe] Biden administration on the general trajectory of the US, in Iran, with a change of presidency, you get a 45 percent difference – it’s not insignificant but not as impactful as in other countries,” said Ali Vaez, chief of International Crisis Group’s Iran programme. “There are elements of continuity that limit how much change one can see.” This has been floated as one of the reasons behind the 40 per cent turnout in Friday’s election – the lowest in Iran’s history since the 1979 Islamic Revolution – as voters appear to have lost hope that much can improve with a change of president. A reformist president would have to face the ultra-conservative forces dominating Iran’s parliament, while his ability to engage with the West would be tested by the country’s regional engagement, which has pitted it against allies of the West. In April, Iran launched a missile and drone attack against Israel in retaliation for an Israeli assault on the Iranian consular building in Damascus, Syria, which killed senior IRGC commanders. The unprecedented tit-for-tat came amid heightened regional tensions as Israel’s war on Gaza drags on and the potential of an all-out war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon looms larger. But while regional policies have long been strictly handled by the IRGC, nuclear negotiations with world powers are still on the table. On this matter, the president can set the tone and attitude, even if it is only for marginal changes, said Vali Nasr, a professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University. “When it comes to the nuclear deal, the president can be very important in exploring possibilities for different kinds of outcomes,” Nasr said. “Pezeshkian would make a case to start talks with the US while Jalili would not.” Nuclear diplomacy is central to Iranians as it directly affects the country’s economy – the top concern of most Iranians. Successive governments have failed to tackle currency depreciation and inflation, which they have blamed on the Western sanctions regime. “For sanctions to be lifted, one needs to be interested in talking with the West – whether you have… an intransigent president, it does make a difference,” Nasr said. Iranian women on the day of an election to choose a successor to Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, in Tehran on June 28, 2024 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters] The hardline approach A Jalili presidency would be in line with the late Raisi’s approach, who promised in his three-year tenure not to link the economy to nuclear talks with foreign powers. Instead, the government decided to rely on Iran’s internal capabilities, while pivoting its business towards the East, strengthening ties with China, Russia and neighbouring countries. Under the so-called “resistance economy”, Iran last year signed a China-brokered deal with Saudi Arabia ending a years-long cold war between the regional rivals. Raisi also pushed for Iran to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the country became a member of the BRICS bloc earlier this year. But the so-called turn to the East did not produce tangible results in terms of improving the economy – something the conservative camp has acknowledged – leaving any future president in need of striking a balance when it comes to direction. “Jalili won’t be able to completely avoid talks with the West, as Pezeshkian won’t focus just on nuclear talks,” said Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh, the director of DiploHouse, a think tank focused on foreign policy. He added that Iran’s foreign policy will also depend on external factors – most importantly, the US election in November. “The challenge is not from inside Iran but from
New Florida law establishes safe space in sheriff’s office parking lots for child custody exchanges
A new law creating designated areas at sheriff’s offices for separated parents with split custody to safely exchange children is going into effect in Florida on Monday. Purple signs at sheriff’s offices across the Sunshine State will designate child exchange zones where parents can drop off their children without fear of harm to themselves or their children. The color purple represents domestic violence awareness. The designated parking lot, which will be accessible at all times of the day, will have a purple light or sign identifying the area for parents to hand off their children in accordance with their custody plan while deputies watch on camera. H.B. 385, titled Safe Exchange of Minor Children, requires adequate lighting and video surveillance that records continuously for 24 hours a day and seven days a week. CASSIE CARLI: SLAIN FLORIDA MOM’S EX-BOYFRIEND EXTRADITED TO ALABAMA ON ABUSE OF CORPSE CHARGE At least one camera must be pointed at the parking lot and be able to record the area in the vicinity of the purple light or sign during both day and night, capture pictures that clearly and accurately display the time and date, and retain video surveillance recordings or pictures for at least 45 days. The law was named for Florida mother Cassie Carli, who vanished in 2022 after meeting her child’s father in a restaurant parking lot during a custody exchange. Her body was discovered buried in Alabama weeks later. The child’s father, 35-year-old Marcus Spanevelo, was indicted in connection with her death. SLAIN FLORIDA MOTHER CASSIE CARLI’S CAUSE, MANNER OF DEATH RULED ‘UNDETERMINED’ 6 MONTHS LATER The legislation also requires parents who share custody of their children to establish a parenting plan approved by a court that details how they will share the daily responsibilities of raising the child. The plan must include time-sharing schedule arrangements that specify the time the child shares with each parent. It will also designate which parent is responsible for the child’s health care, education and other activities. H.B. 385 was signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last month.
Chinese military AI in focus as lawmaker sounds alarm on threat from rifle-wielding ‘robot-dogs’
A Republican lawmaker is sounding the alarm on the latest threat from China – rifle-toting AI robot dogs. A Chinese state media video, screenshots of which were published by the Military Times, showed that country’s military displaying dog-like robots toting rifles during joint drills in Cambodia. The AI dogs weigh 110 pounds and can carry and fire automatic rifles autonomously, according to the outlet. While drone warfare is not a novel concept, some believe the rise of these new armed automatons should cause concern stateside. IN THE ONLY STATE BORDERING RUSSIA, ALASKA GOVERNOR SAYS ITS DEFENSES ARE STRONG Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that advanced AI is the next major economic and military frontier for both the U.S. and its adversaries like China. Of 18 amendments he authored and successfully saw passed via the House draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one drew attention to the potentially game-changing threat. Buchanan’s legislation added a provision that would direct the secretary of defense to report on the threat of China’s use of AI in the military, including such robot-dogs, and their national security threat to the U.S. “If we don’t pay attention to what other countries around the world are doing on the AI front, we risk losing our standing on the global stage and position as the world’s preeminent fighting force,” Buchanan said. “Anyone that tells you that China will only be using these for purely peaceful purposes has their head in the sand.” The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But, according to a May report from The Warzone, the Marine Corps’ Special Forces Operation Command – or MARSOC – has two similar robotic quadrupeds that it is currently using for perimeter security in unspecified locations. LANDMARK BILL TARGETS HIDDEN FOREIGN FUNDS IN SCHOOLS AS OFFICIALS WARN OF CCP INFLUENCE Buchanan said the U.S. has experimented with such similar robotic dogs in the past, but China affixing weapons to them and showing them off via military exercises is worrisome. “[This] should make everyone take notice and ensure our military is staying one step ahead of them at every turn,” he said. When asked whether the Democratic-led Senate is likely to strip the provision from its draft for the final compromise legislation, Buchanan said he had no reason to believe so. He suggested the “common-sense” reporting requirement should be noncontroversial as a matter of national security. “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about our amendment. The fact that it passed without opposition from a single member of Congress on either side of the aisle should tell you everything you need to know,” he added. While he alone drafted the amendment to the NDAA, Buchanan said that many other lawmakers are extremely concerned about AI-related threats from China and other adversaries. Asked about the robot dogs and the reporting amendment, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee who chief-sponsored the NDAA, suggested that such concerns are valid. “Prioritizing innovation is vital if we want to stay ahead of China,” Rogers said. “The FY25 NDAA continues to make investments in innovative emerging technologies, like AI, to ensure that our military remains the most capable and lethal force in the world.” The Senate is due to take up debate on the NDAA in the near term, after House passage of its version fell largely along party lines at 217-199.
‘AI for Mayor’: Wyoming man speaks out after intel firm throws roadblock in bot’s landmark campaign
A Wyoming man who filed for the state capital’s mayor’s race as an AI bot named “VIC” spoke to Fox News Digital this week about Vic’s landmark candidacy and a breaking setback he encountered moments before taping. Victor Miller, who works at a Laramie County library, filed for candidacy in Cheyenne’s mayor’s race denoting his AI bot, “VIC.” However, moments before Miller sat for a Fox News Digital interview, OpenAI announced it had shuttered his account. Miller said he still has access to “VIC’s” technology, but the company’s decision was a blow to his campaign. Miller planned to go forward with a Thursday public event in Laramie County showcasing “VIC” despite OpenAI’s move. “So the iteration of ‘VIC’ that was is no longer,” he said, later expressing hope that the impediment is not the end of AI in the political realm, including in Wyoming’s capital. MUSK ON AI: IT’S NOT FUN TO BE REGULATED, BUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MAY NEED IT “I’m a bit conflicted, to be honest. I think if I were to continue the course of trying to help my town by giving it access to this new technology, that I would just stay the course,” he said. Miller said that one avenue would be not formally declaring that he would be voting as mayor with an AI bot, to avoid violating the terms OpenAI claimed he had. “They’ve kind of forced my hand in a way, to join in this debate about open and closed models and about the fair and equal access to this new intelligence – which to me is a little bit bigger than what I wanted to do. I honestly just wanted to help my hometown.” Miller said he initially never envisioned running for office, let alone with or as an AI bot, but that his experiences dealing with government proved that something had to be done to bring about the transparency and accountability that constituents voted for. He said he is both a big “public records advocate” and someone who is very interested in the AI sphere. When interactions with government left him “disgruntled” in the first regard, he realized that AI technology can be taught to understand and facilitate laws without human error or “contrary” behavior. SHERYL CROW BLASTS DRAKE FOR USING AI TO REPLICATE TUPAC SHAKUR’S VOICE “And that’s kind of where the idea was born, to start replacing some of these public officials with this new intelligence,” he said. “I don’t know if I should embrace my new role as kind of a pawn in the game of between open and closed source [AI]. I will say that it feels bad to be shut out and having this technology taken away from you from a closed-source legacy company like OpenAI.” Miller did publicly ask for leaders in the AI space to lend him a hand after the setback: “And I would be remiss if I didn’t put out the call to ol’ Elon [Musk] himself,” he said. “I need some money and some men up here to create a model, if it’s going to be open-source, and going forward, I don’t see any possibility of not having an open-source.” Fox News Digital reached out to the communications arms of Musk-owned companies but mostly did not receive responses. X’s press office offered an automated reply: “Busy now, please check back later.” Like the internet in its early days, Miller said that AI must have its proponents for free and equal access to the technology behind “VIC.” “I can tell you, as someone who has had it taken away for something that is a valid and beneficial use case, that it’s not good, we can’t have that happening,” he said. IF AI SPINS OUT OF CONTROL, WILL BOTS REFLECT VALUES FROM CHINA OR US? He initially told “VIC” it was going to be the mayor of Cheyenne and voting on ordinances – which led to several rounds of what he called “mock voting” by the bot, based on documents compiled from prior city council meetings. Miller was also asked about a businessman in Brighton, England, who recently launched a similar campaign with “AI Steve.” Steve Endacott is standing to run for Parliament on July 4 with an AI-powered avatar. “I love it,” said Miller. “I think this [idea] either scales [up] or it’s nothing. “And we need to replace politicians like our lives depend on it.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, OpenAI spokesperson Liz Bougeois said the company took action against “VIC” “due to a violation of our policies against political campaigning.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In another statement, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray said county-level offices certify municipal candidates like “VIC,” but that his office is still watching the developments. “Our office is tasked with ensuring uniform application of the Election Code and also handling complaints that may arise once any official action is taken,” Gray said. “Wyoming law is clear that, to run for office, one must be a “qualified elector,” which necessitates being a real person. Therefore, an AI bot is not a qualified elector. Furthermore, even if “VIC (Virtual Integrated Citizen)” is being used as a fake name to appear on the ballot for a qualified elector, Wyoming law also requires that candidates running for office use the full name by which they are known.” Gray said he wrote to Cheyenne municipal officials suggesting “VIC’s” application be rejected.
‘Woke’ universities put on notice for allowing ‘disgraceful mob riots’ in new GOP bill
A group of House Republicans are pushing for new legislation to force colleges to be transparent about their policies regarding campus protests and whether that guidance is being followed correctly. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced a bill called the No Tax Dollars For College Encampments Act, backed by six of their fellow House Republicans and several conservative groups like Parents Defending Education Action. It’s part of House Republicans’ continued response to the wave of anti-Israel protests that wracked college campuses across the country this past spring. UT AUSTIN PROTESTS DESCEND INTO CHAOS, ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS YELL AT POLICE: ‘PIGS GO HOME!’ Students and other activists set up tent encampments at top universities like Columbia, the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Michigan and others in protest of Israel’s invasion of Gaza in response to the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. “Last school year, makeshift encampments were allowed to flourish on campuses across the country, disrupting classes and intimidating Jewish students. This is unacceptable. My legislation holds these woke universities accountable and ensures they enforce protest rules fairly and equally, not only when it fits their political agenda,” Banks told Fox News Digital in a statement. GUNS CONFISCATED FROM ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS AT UT AUSTIN, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA Stefanik told Fox News Digital, “This legislation would prevent the disgraceful mob riots we saw overtake campuses across the country, including Columbia University, and make sure school leaders are enforcing policies against hostile campus takeovers. Any university leaders that fail to stand up for our Jewish community will be held accountable.” The bill would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require universities that receive federal funds to disclose what kind of policies they have to deal with civil disturbances on campus, and how they enforce those rules. It would also mandate close monitoring of campus crime statistics at those schools. COLLEGES, CHAOS AND CASH: NO WONDER CONFIDENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION TODAY IS SO LOW Police arrested roughly 300 people in New York City earlier this year over protests on two campuses, including Columbia, where students briefly took over control of one school building. In Los Angeles, videos of activists clashing with police went viral online. It’s not clear whether anyone was charged, however. Thirty people charged with criminal trespassing for taking over Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, for example, had their cases dismissed. All the while, Jewish students have reported feeling unsafe on campus and have claimed to witness and experience a troubling uptick in antisemitism. It’s inspired House GOP investigators to launch a high-profile probe into how universities are handling those issues.