Delhi Weather Today January 13: Delhi-NCR shivers in cold wave, dense fog disrupts flight, train operations
The thick fog in the early hours disrupted air and rail traffic. Several flights were delayed at Delhi’s IGI Airport due to low visibility, causing inconvenience to the travellers.
UK’s Starmer touts plan to ‘turbocharge’ living standards with AI
British Prime Minister says AI has the potential to ‘transform the lives of working people’. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to unveil a 50-point plan to turn the United Kingdom into a “world leader” in artificial intelligence (AI) and deliver a “decade of national renewal”. The AI Opportunities Action Plan, set to be outlined in a speech by Starmer on Monday, will create dedicated AI growth zones to “turbocharge growth” and “boost living standards”, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Prime Minister’s Office said in a joint statement on Sunday. The growth zones, the first of which will be established in Culham, Oxfordshire, will have faster planning approvals for data centres and better access to the energy grid, the statement said. The blueprint, which adopts all 50 recommendations made by venture capitalist Matt Clifford in a report commissioned by the Labour Party government last year, also proposes a 20-fold increase in state-owned AI computing capacity as well as the establishment of a National Data Library and a dedicated AI Energy Council. Advertisement “Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people,” Starmer said. “But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by.” Starmer’s announcement comes as his Labour government is haemorrhaging support after just six months in office amid sluggish economic conditions. The UK economy recorded 0 percent growth during the third quarter of 2024, raising fears the country could be headed for its second recession in the span of a year. Starmer’s government has estimated that AI could be worth 47 billion pounds ($57m) in economic gains each year over a decade, based on an analysis by the International Monetary Fund that found the technology could boost productivity by as much as 1.5 percentage points a year. The UK ranks third in AI prowess globally, after China and the United States, according to the 2023 Global AI Vibrancy Ranking compiled by Stanford University. “Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change,” Starmer said, referring to six milestones he has set out for his government, including raised living standards for households and reduced hospital waiting lists. Advertisement “That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services. That’s the change this government is delivering.” Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,054
Here is the situation on Monday, January 13: Fighting The Russian Ministry of Defence said its soldiers had captured the Ukrainian village of Yantarne in the eastern Donetsk region and the village of Kalinove in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Russian shelling damaged electrical equipment in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region, leaving about 23,000 homes without power, according to the local military administration. “The Russian military shelled social infrastructure and residential areas of the region’s settlements, in particular, damaging 2 multistorey buildings and 8 private houses,” Kherson’s governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on Telegram. Russia’s Defence Ministry also said that its forces launched 139 missile, drone and artillery attacks on Ukrainian military targets within 24 hours. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was ready to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of War held by Russia. Politics and Diplomacy Advertisement Sweden announced it would send three warships and an ASC 890 surveillance aircraft to the Baltic Sea in the latest response to allegations an oil tanker from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” was involved in sabotaging undersea power and telecommunications cables. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has offered to host a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and United States President-elect Donald Trump, according to the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation. Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told US news network ABC that “preparations are under way” for a meeting between Trump and Putin. Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto said his country would hold talks with regional allies to work out its response to new US sanctions on Russian oil and gas, which raise “severe challenges for central Europe”. Environment An emergency task force arrived in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, more than a month after two storm-stricken Russian oil tankers caused an an oil spill in the Kerch Strait, which separates Krasnodar from the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula, which Russia occupied and annexed in 2014. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts Elon Musk as ‘truly evil’ in MAGA split
Former Trump adviser tells Italian newspaper that Tesla CEO intends to implement ‘techno-feudalism on a global scale’. United States President-elect Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon has promised to have Elon Musk “run out” of the White House, in the latest escalation of tensions within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) populist movement. In an interview with an Italian newspaper, Bannon said he had made it his personal mission to ensure Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, does not have access to Trump’s incoming administration and is treated “like any other person”. “He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down. Before, because he put money in, I was prepared to tolerate it – I’m not prepared to tolerate it any more,” Bannon told the Corriere della Sera newspaper, excerpts of which were republished over the weekend by Bannon’s former media outlet Breitbart News. Bannon also said that Musk, a South African-born naturalised US citizen, should “go back” to his place of birth after the billionaire publicly defended the use of the H-1B visa programme to recruit highly-skilled foreign tech workers. Advertisement “Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people on earth, white South Africans, we have them making any comments at all on what goes on in the United States?” Bannon’s broadside comes amid a public rift among Trump’s followers over the role of foreign employees in Silicon Valley. The divisions burst into view last month after Trump’s decision to name Indian American venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence unleashed a wave of invective from far-right and nationalist MAGA followers, who interpreted the appointment as an endorsement of H-1B visas. Musk, who held an H-1B visa before obtaining US citizenship, hit out at the criticism of foreign workers in Silicon Valley, promising to “go to war on this issue” to a degree “you cannot possibly comprehend”. Despite taking steps to restrict H-1B visa issuances during his first term, Trump sided with Musk’s comments, calling the visas a “great programme.” In his newspaper interview, Bannon, who served as White House chief strategist during Trump’s first term, accused Musk of having the “maturity of a little boy” and attempting to establish “techno-feudalism on a global scale”. “We’ve seen peak Elon, his intrusive nature, his lack of understanding of the true issues, and, quite frankly, his support of just himself, the sole objective is to become a trillionaire. That’s his objective,” he said. “He will do anything related to make sure that any one of his companies is protected or has a better deal or he makes more money. His aggregation of wealth, and then – through wealth – power: that’s what he’s focused on. The American working people in this country are not going to tolerate it.” Advertisement Musk, who is a prolific commentator on news events on his social media platform X, has not publicly responded to Bannon’s remarks. Ranked as the world’s richest person with a net worth of more than $400bn, Musk has become one of Trump’s most powerful and influential allies since he publicly endorsed the Republican following his attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. Trump has included the tech billionaire in meetings with lawmakers and foreign leaders, and tapped him to co-lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency alongside bio-tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Adblock test (Why?)
Uttarakhand bus accident: 6 dead, 22 injured as bus falls into gorge in Pauri Garhwal
The bus, with 28 passengers on board, was en route to Dahalchauri from Pauri, they said, adding that five people died on the spot.
The political firestorm that’s about to singe Capitol Hill
How to cut federal spending – and by how much – consumes Congressional Republicans right now. Firestorms are scorching Southern California. But a political firestorm is about to singe Capitol Hill. The natural disaster dynamic has morphed into a regular fiscal nightmare in Congress. And frankly, the way lawmakers address natural disasters creates a hyper obstacle to making a serious dent in the deficit and national debt. Expect staggering costs. TRUMP GIVES BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS MARCHING ORDER ON CRITICAL TAX NEGOTIATION “This is going to be a very expensive event,” forecast Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif. FEMA is bracing for the price tag. “We know this is going to be billions,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. President Biden is vowing help. “We’re going to pay for it. And we’ve got to be prepared to pay for it,” said the president. “We’re going to need the United States Congress to follow up with appropriations to help provide significant help for our fellow Americans who need this help.” Catastrophic natural disasters now pummel different quarters of the U.S. at an alarming rate. Devastating wildfires swept across Maui in 2023. Tornado outbreaks are the norm. Blackouts from the heat – or blizzards coupled with bone-chilling cold – dim the power grid. The dual hurricanes of Milton and Helene spun through the south last year, chewing through property just days apart in the fall. Water spilled out of rivers, creeks, steams, brooks and culverts, submerging entire communities. Congress coughed up $100 billion just before Christmas to help victims recover from the hurricanes. Some of that money went to help people restart their businesses or cover costs to rebuild. $27 billion of it went to reload FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) to prepare for future emergencies – like the one now incinerating the Golden State. Milton and Helene drained the DRF. But Republicans now run Congress. President-elect Trump soon occupies the Oval Office. And when it comes to California – and what may have sparked the fires, Republicans could be reluctant to assist. That’s especially true as the mantra from Republicans is to slash $2 trillion in spending. In fact, there’s a fear among some Democrats that Congressional Republicans and President-elect Trump may try to penalize California – because it leans to the left. Republicans now run the House and Senate. Mr. Trump takes office next week. “When it comes to Congressional funding, the idea that we’re going to have an open checkbook, no matter how bad your policies are, is crazy,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, on FOX Business. TRUMP REPORTEDLY PLANS TO UNLEASH AROUND 100 EXECUTIVE ORDERS AFTER TAKING OFFICE Democrats warned against partisan and region discord when natural disasters strike. “California has voted to support supplemental packages for hurricanes in the American South. And now this is our time of need,” said Whitesides. Several Northern California Republicans told Fox that Democrats from Southern California were exceptionally helpful muscling through aid for their part of the state after wildfires. So what happens when the bill comes due for the Los Angeles wildfires? “We help all Americans,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee which oversees FEMA. Thompson was confident Congress would meet the needs of California. “If we need to do more, we will,” said Thompson. Some Republicans blamed the wildfires – and the response – on liberal Democrats who run much of California. “It is an epic disaster of mismanagement,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., on FOX Business. “What’s happened in California is the fault of (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom (D) and the legislature there.” “What we can see is the failure of policy there and the failure of leadership in California,” piled on Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., on Fox. “We’re going to have to have real accountability. We need to have hearings to understand… to get to the bottom of what’s taking place. What the failures have been.” California insurers nixed hundreds of thousands of policies for homeowners in areas prone to wildfires after state regulators banned higher premiums – despite the hazards. Some Republicans seized on this issue. “California made some really bad policy decisions that caused those insurance companies to flee,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “The people that made those policy decisions have to be held accountable, too.” Even some Democrats questioned the local response. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., worked on a bill to help guarantee water for all Californians when they turn on the spigot when he served in the state legislature. NEWSOM FACT-CHECK SITE ON FIRE RESPONSE LINKS TO DEM PARTY FUNDRAISING GIANT “Why didn’t they have water? Is it negligence or is it just the fact that so many fires were breaking out all over the city in so many different areas that the system was being pushed to capacity and got overwhelmed?” asked Gomez. Other Democrats rebuked GOP criticism of California’s leaders. “I think that’s all just ridiculous,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. “I think the governor is on the ground doing a great job managing the response. I don’t think that we should be putting blame on anyone.” The cost of the fires likely means demands for another infusion of cash from Congress for FEMA – just as Republicans are starting to look to cut billions if not more than a trillion dollars. How can lawmakers pay for natural disasters – and yet slash all of this money? “It’s always going to be hard. I think we just got to prioritize. And, I think we need to couple any major spending with cuts on the other side,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “So to be clear, when that bill comes due for California, some conservatives want to see some offsets?” asked yours truly of Burchett. “Absolutely,” replied Burchett. The wildfires would have been a major issue had Congress not forked over more than $100 billion just to FEMA and various disasters in the bill before Christmas. Yet some Republicans are skeptical of the competence
Canadian leader meets with Trump at Mar-a-Lago to discusses energy relationship
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and President-elect Trump met on Saturday and discussed the “mutual importance” of a U.S.-Canadian energy relationship and the hundreds of thousands of American jobs supported through Albertan exports. “Over the last 24 hours I had the opportunity to meet President [Trump] at Mar-a-Lago last night and at his golf club this morning,” Smith wrote in a post on X. “We had a friendly and constructive conversation during which I emphasized the mutual importance of the U.S. – Canadian energy relationship, and specifically, how hundreds of thousands of American jobs are supported by energy exports from Alberta.” She continued, saying she had similar discussions with “several key allies” of Trump’s incoming administration in which she became encouraged to hear about their support for “a strong energy and security relationship with Canada.” “On behalf of Albertans, I will continue to engage in constructive dialogue and diplomacy with the incoming administration and elected federal and state officials from both parties, and will do all I can to further Alberta’s and Canada’s interests,” Smith said. “The United States and Canada are both proud and independent nations with one of the most important security alliances on earth and the largest economic partnership in history. We need to preserve our independence while we grow this critical partnership for the benefit of Canadians and Americans for generations to come.” INFLUENTIAL LEADER OF CANADA’S ONTARIO PROVINCE SEEKS TRUMP, MUSK MEETING: US ‘NEEDS US LIKE WE NEED THEM’ Smith posted about the meeting on X, nearly a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation amid growing pressure from within his own Liberal Party and heightened criticisms over his handling of the economy and threats levied by Trump. However, as Trudeau announced on Monday his plan to resign as prime minister once the Liberal Party that he leads chooses his successor, the biggest pushback to Trump’s pitch to annex Canada – and his planned 25% tariffs on exports from the country – has come from the premier of Canada’s most populous province, Ontario. JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S RESIGNATION MET WITH GLEEFUL REACTION FROM CONSERVATIVES ONLINE: ‘THE WINNING CONTINUES!’ Doug Ford, a former businessman and conservative who has served as Ontario’s 26th premier since 2018, told Fox News Digital in an interview that the president-elect’s targeting Canada is both “crazy” and “ridiculous.” TRUMP REACTS TO TRUDEAU RESIGNATION: ‘MANY PEOPLE IN CANADA LOVE BEING THE 51ST STATE’ He said the bilateral focus should be on “strengthening” what the Canadian government calls a nearly trillion-dollar two-way trade relationship to “make the U.S. and Canada the richest and most prosperous jurisdiction in the world.” The president-elect has been trolling Canada in recent weeks, floating the idea of it becoming the 51st state and posting a doctored photo of him standing beside a Canadian flag on top of a mountain. Trump has also been pushing for Denmark to sell the North Atlantic island of Greenland to the U.S. Fox News’ Christopher Guly contributed to this report.
Traffic plan for Mahakumbh in Prayagraj: Diversions, parking details for devotees
Parking lots for vehicles coming from Jaunpur would include Chini Mill Parking, Purva Surdas Parking, Garapur Road, Samyamai Temple Kachar Parking and Badra Saunoti Rahimapur Marg, Northern/Southern Parking.
Trump tasks blue state Republicans with ‘homework’ as GOP plots massive conservative policy overhaul
President-elect Donald Trump is giving Republicans his blessing to negotiate on a key tax that could prove critical to the GOP’s negotiations for a massive conservative policy overhaul next year. Trump met with several different groups of House Republicans at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, including blue state GOP lawmakers who make up the House SALT Caucus – a group opposed to the current $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions that primarily affect urban and suburban residents in areas with high income and property taxes, such as New York, New Jersey, and California. “I think it was productive and successful,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said of the meeting. “The president supports our efforts to increase the SALT deduction. He understands that mayors and governors in blue states are crushing taxpayers and wants to provide relief from the federal level.” JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ But Trump also signaled he was aware of the opposition from others in the House GOP conference, particularly rural district Republicans, who have viewed SALT deductions as tax breaks for the wealthy. Before the cap was imposed in 2017, there was no limit to how much state income and local property taxes people could deduct from their income when filing their federal returns. “He gave us a little homework to work on, a number that could provide our middle class constituents with relief from the high taxes imposed by our governor and mayor, and at the same time, you know, something that can build consensus and get to [a 218-vote majority],” Malliotakis said. “I think we pretty much know that it’s not going to be a complete lifting of the SALT cap. There’s not an appetite within Congress or even among American taxpayers to lower taxes for the ultra-wealthy. “Our efforts are really targeted to middle-class families, and that’s what we’re focused on in trying to achieve the right balance.” The current SALT deduction cap has been opposed by New York and California lawmakers for much of its existence, since being levied in Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). RFK JR. TO MEET WITH SLEW OF DEMS INCLUDING ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE SANDERS Trump suggested he would change course during his second administration as early as September last year, when he posted on Truth Social that he would “get SALT back, lower your taxes, and so much more.” The discussions are part of Republicans’ wider talks about passing a massive fiscal and conservative policy overhaul via a process known as “reconciliation.” By lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to a simple majority instead of two-thirds, the process allows the party in control of both houses of Congress and the White House to pass certain legislation provided it deals with budgetary and other fiscal matters. Some pro-SALT deduction Republicans, like Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., had signaled they could withhold support from the final bill if the cap was not increased. “The only red line I have is that if there is a tax bill that does not lift the cap on SALT, I would not support that,” Lawler told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. Lawler also said Trump agreed that SALT deduction caps needed to be raised. House Republicans have virtually no room for error with a razor-thin majority from Trump’s inauguration until likely sometime in April. Meanwhile, Trump also told New York Republicans that he would help them fight their state’s controversial congestion pricing rule that levies an added cost to drive in parts of Manhattan. “He understands how unfair this is and how it would impact the city’s economy and the people we represent and so we’re currently working with him on legal options to reverse the rubber stamp of the Biden administration,” Malliotakis said. “If there’s a legal option, if there’s a legal option for him to halt congestion pricing, he will.” “You have, you know, cops, police, firefighters, nurses, the restaurant workers that have to go in at odd hours, and they drive because they don’t feel that the transit system is clean or safe.” Congestion pricing took effect in New York City earlier this month. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment on this weekend’s meeting.
Sullivan claims Biden admin leaves Russia, China and Iran ‘weaker,’ America ‘safer’ before Trump hand-off
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed in an interview Sunday that Russia, China and Iran are “weaker” and the United States is “safer” after four years under President Biden’s leadership. “Our alliances are stronger than where we found them four years ago,” Sullivan said on CNN’s State of the Union, referring to President-elect Trump’s first term. “They’re stronger than they’ve been in decades. NATO was more powerful, purposeful and bigger. Our alliances in the Asia Pacific are at all-time highs. And our adversaries and competitors are weaker across the board. Russia’s weaker, Iran’s weaker, China’s weaker, and all the while we kept America out of wars.” “I think that the American people are safer, and the country is better off than we were four years ago, and we’re handing off that to the next team, as well as having the engines of American power humming,” Sullivan said. “Our economy, our technology, our defense industrial base, our supply chains. So the United States is in a stronger, more secure position, and our competitors and adversaries are weaker and under pressure.” Biden’s presidency was mired by the botched 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel, as the Pentagon monitors the rising threat of Islamic extremism worldwide. TRUMP’S DESIGNATED SPECIAL ENVOY FOR UKRAINE AND RUSSIA SETS LONGER TIMETABLE THAN ’24 HOURS’ FOR ENDING WAR Much of Trump’s promise to voters while campaigning for a second term in 2024 centered on justice for the families of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate and promising peace through strength on the world stage. Sullivan defended Biden’s handling of the withdrawal on Sunday. “If we were still in Afghanistan today, Americans would be fighting and dying, Russia would have more leverage over us, we would be less able to respond to the major strategic challenges we face,” Sullivan said. “We have not seen, although the investigation continues, any connection between Afghanistan and the attacker in New Orleans,” he added, referring to the New Year’s Day truck-ramming attack on Bourbon Street. “Now the FBI will continue to look for foreign connections, maybe we’ll find one, but what we’ve seen is proof of what President Biden said, is that the terrorist threat has gotten more diffuse and more metastasized elsewhere, including homegrown extremists here in the United States – not just under President Biden, but under President Trump in his first term, and that is part of why we had to move our focus from a hot war in Afghanistan to a larger counterterrorism effort across the world.” During the final weeks of his presidency, Biden has been rushing billions of dollars more in U.S. aid for Ukraine before Trump takes office. Meanwhile, the Republican president-elect has claimed the war in Ukraine would never have started under his leadership and vowed to broker a deal to stop the fighting between Moscow and Kyiv. ISRAELI PM OFFICE DENIES REPORTS THAT HAMAS FORWARDED LIST OF HOSTAGES TO RELEASE IN EVENT OF DEAL At a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last week, Trump warned Hamas terrorists that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East if the remaining hostages aren’t released before he takes office on Jan. 20. On the status of the negotiations, Sullivan said, “We are very, very close, and yet being very close still means we’re far because until you actually get across the finish line, we’re not there.” Sullivan stressed how President Biden’s top Middle East adviser, Brett McGuirk, had been in Doja for a week “hammering out with the mediators the final details of a text to be presented to both sides.” “And we are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done,” Sullivan said.