Cyclone Fengal: Schools, colleges in Tamil Nadu’s coastal districts to remain closed for…, check IMD update here
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Chennai on Friday, signaling very heavy rain, and upgraded it to a red alert for Saturday, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in some locations
SC to hear today plea challenging Sambhal mosque survey order
The plea has sought an ex-parte stay on the operation of the November 19 order passed by the civil judge.
PM Modi to attend all-India security conference in Odisha from today; J-K, Khalistan issue to be discussed
The event is being held in the Odisha capital for the first time. It will be a three-day event from November 29 to December 1.
India’s first high-speed expressway now becomes most expensive national highway; check toll rates here
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is India’s first high-speed expressway. A portion of the expressway was opened to the public in 1999, and by 2002, the entire route was fully operational.
Texas could bus migrants to directly to ICE for deportation instead of sanctuary cities under proposed plan
Texas could implement a plan to bus migrants directly to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in an effort to get them processed for deportation, according to media reports. The move would be a departure from the state’s program, part of Operation Lone Star, that has bussed thousands of migrants to sanctuary cities, a source told the New York Post. It has yet to be approved by Gov. Greg Abbott. Fox News Digital has reached out to Abbott’s office. “We are always going to be involved in border security so long as we’re a border state,” a Texas government source told the newspaper. “We spent a lot of taxpayer money to have the level of deterrent that we have on the border, and we can’t just walk away.” TRUMP SAYS MEXICO WILL STOP FLOW OF MIGRANTS AFTER SPEAKING WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT FOLLOWING TARIFF THREATS Abbott has been especially aggressive in combating illegal immigration, bussing migrants to blue cities in an effort to bring attention to the border crisis. Under the proposed plan, buses chartered by Texas from border cities will be taken to federal detention centers to help ICE agents process migrants quickly, the Post reported. Texas has been in a legal fight with the Biden administration over its efforts to curb illegal immigration. On Wednesday, an appeals court ruled that the state has the right to build a razor wire border wall to deter migrants. Officials have also offered land to the incoming Trump administration to build deportation centers to hold illegal immigrant criminals. LIBERAL NANTUCKET REELS FROM MIGRANT CRIME WAVE AS BIDEN SPENDS THANKSGIVING IN RICH FRIEND’S MANSION “My office has identified several of our properties and is standing by ready to make this happen on Day One of the Trump presidency,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said during a visit to the border Tuesday. Authorities have also warned of unaccompanied migrant children being caught near the border. On Thursday, a 10-year-old boy from El Salvador told state troopers in Maverick County, Texas, that he had been lost and left behind by a human smuggler. The boy was holding a cellphone and crying, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez posted on X. The child said his parents were in the U.S. APPEALS COURT RULES TEXAS HAS RIGHT TO BUILD RAZOR WIRE BORDER WALL TO DETER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ‘HUGE WIN’ On Sunday, troopers encountered an unaccompanied 2-year-old girl from El Salvador holding a piece of paper with a phone number and her name. She told authorities that her parents were also in the U.S. That morning, state troopers also encountered a group of 211 illegal immigrants in Maverick County. Among the group were 60 unaccompanied children, ages 2 to 17, and six special interest immigrants from Mali and Angola. “Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks,” Olivarez wrote at the time. “With a record number of unaccompanied children and hundreds of thousands missing, there is no one ensuring the safety & security of these children except for the men & women who are on the frontlines daily.” He noted that the “reality is that many children are exploited & trafficked, never to be heard from again.”
Could the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal be a step towards regional peace?
Pause in hostilities renews a push to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza. A day after announcing the Lebanon ceasefire, US President Joe Biden said he would resume efforts with international partners to end Israel’s war on Gaza. Qatar and Egypt have shown a willingness to join the negotiations. The Palestinian armed group Hamas has indicated it is open to discussions about an agreement that would lead to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. But the Israeli military has continued to bombard the coastal enclave. Could the pause in hostilities in Lebanon be a sign of things to come in the region? Presenter: Dareen Abughaida Guests: Nadim Houry – Executive director, Arab Reform Initiative Mohammad Marandi – Professor of American studies, University of Tehran Akbar Shahid Ahmed – Senior diplomatic correspondent, HuffPost Adblock test (Why?)
Rain and protest dampen Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade in New York
Pelting rain dampened the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States, as it cut across New York City on Thursday. But for a second year in a row, the giant balloons and party floats had to navigate another obstacle: protesters. As the procession made its way down West 55th Street, a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators entered the parade route, briefly blocking a gigantic balloon representing McDonald’s restaurant mascot, the red-headed clown Ronald McDonald. They sought to remind parade-goers of the human toll of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, which has killed at least 44,330 Palestinians, many of them women and children. In the middle of the street, the protesters unfurled a banner that read, “Don’t celebrate genocide! Arms embargo now. Free Palestine!” Several sat cross-legged on the wet pavement, holding up small Palestinian flags. McDonald’s, the fast-food chain whose balloon they blocked, has been the subject of an ongoing boycott after a subsidiary in Israel announced free meals for Israeli military members after the start of the war. The chain, however, has distanced itself from that effort, pointing out that the decision was made by a local franchise, not by the company’s global leadership. Police quickly arrested 21 of the protesters on Thursday, dragging some out of the street in order to let the parade pass. The delay was only a matter of minutes. Last year, a similar demonstration occurred, resulting in the detention of 34 protesters, many of whom were clad in white jumpsuits splattered with fake blood. As then, the protesters this year called for the US to stop supplying Israel with arms. Media reports have indicated the US is planning to greenlight a new $680m arms sale to its Middle East ally, on top of its existing military aid. The parade otherwise continued without a hitch. Beloved cartoon characters like the dog Bluey soared through the air. The Disney character Minnie Mouse made her debut as a balloon. And Broadway stars like Idina Menzel and Billy Porter rode atop floats or mingled among the dancers and marching bands pounding the pavement during the parade. The parade contained 22 big balloons and 34 floats, according to organisers. It is televised live across the US. Last year, the broadcast raked in 28.5 million viewers, a record for the event, according to the publication The Hollywood Reporter. That made it one of the most watched non-sporting events of the year. Adblock test (Why?)
Venezuela approves bill targeting domestic supporters of US sanctions
Assembly passes law that would ban officials who support international sanctions from holding office for up to 60 years. Venezuelan lawmakers have approved a measure that would implement steeper penalties for those who support US sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro. On Thursday, the country’s National Assembly passed the so-called Simon Bolivar Liberator law, which bans officials who approve US sanctions against Venezuela from holding office for up to 60 years. “Anyone who promotes, instigates, requests, invokes, favours, facilitates, supports or participates in the adoption of coercive measures … will be punished with imprisonment of 25 to 30 years,” the law also states. The law also allows broadcast media to be shut down if they support sanctions, while text-based media may be hit with fines of up to $51.7m. The bill is the latest effort by the Maduro government to crack down on the country’s political opposition, who maintain that they were the true winners of the July presidential election, in which many cast doubt on Maduro’s claims of victory. The opposition has released precinct data that they say shows a convincing win over Maduro, who has resisted calls by regional governments to release data that could validate his claims of victory. In the time since, protests against the government have been met with a harsh crackdown by police and a series of laws that human rights groups say are aimed at stifling dissent. The Venezuelan National Assembly – dominated by the pro-Maduro governing party – voted in favour of the law after the United States House of Representatives passed the Bolivar Act, which would ban US government bodies from working with anyone who has ties to the Maduro government. The US Senate has yet to approve that bill, which Maduro himself has denounced as “trash”. The US has stepped up pressure on the Maduro government in the last two weeks, recognising opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the country’s rightful leader and announcing a new round of sanctions targeting figures allegedly involved in the post-election crackdown. Gonzalez, who fled to Spain during the post-election crackdown, has said that he intends to return to Venezuela in early January when the winner of the election is set to assume office. Gonzalez has said that he is “morally prepared” to be detained if he returns to the country. Adblock test (Why?)
Biden thankful for smooth transition of power, urges Trump to ‘rethink’ tariffs on Canada and Mexico
President Biden on Thanksgiving said he was thankful that the transition of power to a second Trump administration has gone smoothly, while urging the incoming commander-in-chief to “rethink” threats to impose steep tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods. “I hope that [President-elect Trump] rethinks it. I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do,” Biden told reporters Thursday on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he was spending the holiday with family. “We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Oceans and two allies — Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships. I think that we got them in a good place.” Earlier this week, Trump vowed to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada in an effort to get both nations to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the U.S. Trump spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on Wednesday, and both apparently came to an understanding, he said. CHINA FREES US PASTOR AFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS OF WRONGFUL DETAINMENT “She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, U.S. consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!” Trump also threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on China. Biden said Chinese President Xi Jinping “doesn’t want to make a mistake.” “I am not saying he is our best buddy, but he understands what’s at stake,” he said. DONALD TRUMP CALLS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES TO APOLOGIZE FOR ‘GETTING YEARS OF TRUMP COVERAGE WRONG’ President Biden also said Thursday that illegal border crossings have been “down considerably” since Trump’s first term in office. Trump heavily campaigned on the border crisis that exploded after Biden took office. The president also said he was pleased with the cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon and that he was “very, very happy” about China releasing three Americans who were “wrongfully detained” for several years. Regarding the transition from his presidency to a second Trump administration, Biden said he wants the process to occur without any hiccups. “I want to make sure it goes smoothly. And all the talk about what he is going to do and not do, I think that maybe it is a little bit of internal reckoning on his part,” he said.
Connecticut House Democrats report being targeted by bomb threats on Thanksgiving
Four Connecticut House Democrats say their homes have been targeted by bomb threats on Thanksgiving Day. Each of the threats against Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, and John Larson were determined to be unfounded and come after nearly a dozen of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees and other appointees were targeted with similar warnings on Tuesday night. “This morning, I was notified of a bomb threat targeting my home where I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my family,” Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement. “Thankfully, after a swift and thorough response from the United States Capitol Police, the Greenwich Police Department, and the Stamford Police Department, no evidence of a bomb was found.” “There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility,” he added. TRUMP CABINET NOMINEES, APPOINTEES TARGETED WITH ‘VIOLENT, UNAMERICAN THREATS’ Hayes said she was notified by the chief of the Wolcott Police Department shortly before 8 a.m. this morning “that they received a threatening email stating a pipe bomb had been placed in the mailbox at my home.” That department and Connecticut State Police then responded to her home and cleared the scene without finding any bomb or explosive materials, according to Hayes. “I thank law enforcement for their swift attention to this matter, their actions demonstrate there is no place in our country for political violence,” Hayes also said. A spokesperson for Courtney told Fox61 that there was “no evidence found of a bomb” at his property in Vernon. “Joe and Audrey extend their utmost gratitude to the law enforcement officers, whose response should signal to perpetrators that these types of threats will not be tolerated,” the spokesperson added. MAN CONVICTED FOR DOZENS OF THREATS AGAINST FORMER SPEAKER MCCARTHY OVER CHINESE BALLOONS Larson said in his own statement, “Early this morning, East Hartford Police came to my home in response to a bomb threat. “The police determined no bomb was present at the property and the Larson family is safe,” he added. The warnings that the Trump Cabinet nominees and other appointees faced “ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’” according to Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Sources told Fox News Digital that John Ratcliffe, the nominee to be CIA director; Pete Hegseth, the nominee for secretary of defense; and Rep. Elise Stefanik, the nominee for UN ambassador, were among those targeted. Brooke Rollins, who Trump has tapped to be secretary of agriculture, and Lee Zeldin, Trump’s nominee to be EPA administrator, separately revealed they were also targeted. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.