Rival sectarian groups agree to seven-day ceasefire in Pakistan
Local Sunni and Shia armed groups have clashed for decades, but the most recent fighting has killed more than 30 people. Pakistani officials have announced a seven-day truce between rival sectarian groups after days of clashes killed dozens of people in the northwest of the country. The violence between the groups began on Thursday after gunmen attacked civilian convoys, killing at least 40 people, who mainly were Shia Muslims. In retaliation, residents in the area of Kurram targeted Sunni Muslims. Local Shia and Sunni Muslims have engaged in sectarian rivalry for decades over a land dispute in the Kurram district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan. Following the violence, Muhammad Ali Saif, spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government and a member of the mediation team, said on Sunday that both sides had agreed to a seven-day ceasefire. “They will also exchange prisoners and return bodies to one another,” Saif said. He added that the ceasefire announcement should stop more minor clashes reported in the district’s remote areas. The mediation team flew into Parachinar, Kurram’s main city, on Saturday and met with Shia and Sunni leaders while the district was under a virtual curfew with armed groups roaming the streets in many villages. Akhtar Hayat Gandpur, the police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and another member of the mediation team said Shia leaders were calling for the immediate arrest of those involved in attacking civilian vehicles as well as compensation for the victims. The Pakistani government has yet to name who the attackers were publicly, and no one has claimed responsibility. Earlier on Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said that once a truce is agreed upon, “we can begin addressing the underlying issues”. Sectarian violence Last month, at least 16 people were killed in Kurram, including three women and two children, due to clashes between the two armed groups. Police have struggled to control the violence in the area, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018. But the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people were killed between July and October in sectarian violence. Fighting in July and September only ended following a tribal council calling for a ceasefire. On Friday, several hundred people demonstrated against the violence in Karachi and Lahore. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel sanctions Haaretz due to articles that ‘hurt’ Israeli state
The Haaretz newspaper called the decision ‘another step in Netanyahu’s journey to dismantle Israeli democracy’. Israel has approved a resolution to cut ties with the Israeli news outlet Haaretz and ban government funding bodies from communicating or placing advertisements with the newspaper. The government said its decision was due to “many articles that have hurt the legitimacy of the state of Israel and its right to self-defence, and particularly the remarks made in London by Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken that support terrorism and call for imposing sanctions on the government,” Haaretz reported on Sunday. The left-leaning news outlet added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the decision, which did not appear on the government’s agenda for the weekly cabinet meeting. In response to the decision, Haaretz said it was an “opportunist resolution to boycott Haaretz, which passed in today’s government meeting without any legal review … [and] another step in Netanyahu’s journey to dismantle Israeli democracy”. “Like his friends [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, and [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban, Netanyahu is trying to silence a critical, independent newspaper. Haaretz will not balk and will not morph into a government pamphlet that publishes messages approved by the government and its leader,” the outlet added. Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy told Al Jazeera that the government sanctions on the outlet “send a very bad message, both politically and morally”. “Many view it [Haaretz] as the only newspaper in Israel because, especially [in] this war, almost all the media outlets totally recruited themselves to the narrative of the government and the army,” and did not show Israelis what was happening in Gaza, he said. The government’s dispute with the organisation intensified last month at a conference in London, where publisher Schocken said Netanyahu’s government did not care about “imposing a cruel apartheid regime on the Palestinian population”. “It dismisses the costs of both sides for defending the settlements while fighting the Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls ‘terrorists’,” he added. Following an Israeli public outcry over the comments, Schocken said that his mention of Palestinian freedom fighters did not mean Hamas. However, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who proposed the sanctioning of the news outlet, launched a renewed campaign against Haaretz, calling for a boycott of the newspaper. Last year, Karhi approached the Israeli cabinet secretary with a draft resolution to halt all subscriptions to Haaretz by state employees, including the army. Israel has clamped down on the media as the war continues, and has killed dozens of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, including Al Jazeera’s Ismail al-Ghoul, Rami al-Rifi, Samir Abudaqa, and Hamza Dahdouh. Several other Al Jazeera journalists have been threatened by Israel, and the network has been forced to shut its bureaus in Israel and the occupied West Bank. Adblock test (Why?)
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 25, 2024 Live Updates: Check lucky winning numbers
Tickets for the Shillong Teer lottery are available at prices ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 50 from authorized vendors. This lottery not only provides an opportunity for playeto win cash prizes but also promotes archery among youth, encouraging them to engage more actively in the sport.
Delhi Pollution: Air quality remains ‘very poor’, AQI at 340, SC to decide on GRAP 4 today
On Monday morning, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 334, Ashok Vihar at 312, Bawana at 322, Chandni Chowk at 244 and Dwarka at 297, according to CPCB.
Sambhal: 20 detained, schools closed, internet suspended after mosque survey violence kills 3
Tension has been brewing in Sambhal since Tuesday when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the site.
Blinken questioned for State Department hosting in-house therapy sessions after Trump win
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., took aim at Secretary of State Antony Blinken after it was reported that the State Department held therapy sessions for employees who were upset by President-elect Trump’s election victory. “I am concerned that the Department is catering to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy through the provision of government-funded mental health counseling because Kamala Harris was not elected President of the United States,” Issa said in a letter to Blinken last week. The letter comes after a Free Beacon report earlier this month that detailed two alleged therapy sessions that were held at the State Department after Trump’s victory, with sources telling the outlet that one such instance amounted to an information “cry session.” TRUMP BRINGS BACK FORMER AIDE SEBASTIAN GORKA, EX-STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ALEX WONG TO SERVE IN ADMIN In another instance, an email went out to agency employees and touted a separate “insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times” after Trump’s victory, according to the report. “Change is a constant in our lives, but it can often bring about stress and uncertainty,” the email said. “Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times. This session will provide tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well being.” In his letter to Blinken, Issa argued that the reported sessions were “disturbing” and that “nonpartisan government officials” should not be suffering a “personal meltdown over the result of a free and fair election.” MATT GAETZ SAYS HE WILL NOT SERVE IN THE UPCOMING SESSION OF CONGRESS While the Republican lawmaker acknowledged that the mental health of the agency’s employees was important, he questioned the use of taxpayer dollars to counsel those upset about the election, demanding answers on how many sessions have been conducted, how many more are planned, and how much the sessions are costing the department. Issa also raised fears that the sessions could also call into question the willingness of some of the State Department’s employees to carry out Trump’s new vision for the agency. “The mere fact that the Department is hosting these sessions raises significant questions about the willingness of its personnel to implement the lawful policy priorities that the American people elected President Trump to pursue and implement,” the letter said. “The Trump Administration has a mandate for wholesale change in the foreign policy arena, and if foreign service officers cannot follow through on the American people’s preferences, they should resign and seek a political appointment in the next Democrat administration.” The State Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Harris disappears from spotlight, vacations in Hawaii after election loss
Vice President Kamala Harris has kept a low profile since losing the election to President-elect Trump, vacationing in Hawaii with second gentleman Doug Emhoff since last week. Harris arrived in Kalaoa, Hawaii, on Tuesday for what is expected to be a weeklong trip, a break from the rigorous campaign schedule she kept over the last couple of months but also from her duties as vice president, where she retains her tie-breaking vote as president of the Senate during the last few months of President Biden’s administration. The timing of the vice president’s trip has generated questions, with some noting that many DNC staffers are uncertain about their futures while others had been surprised by sudden layoffs. PRESIDENT BIDEN ADMITS PRESSURE FROM DEMOCRATS CONTRIBUTED TO DECISION TO DROP OUT White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the Harris vacation during a Thursday briefing, arguing there was nothing “wrong” with the vice president taking a vacation. “The vice president has taken time off to go spend time with her family. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think she deserves some time to be with her family and to have some downtime. She has worked very hard over – for the last four years, and her taking a couple of days to be with her family, good for her. Good for her,” Jean-Pierre said. Harris is still expected to play a critical role in helping Biden push through several judges as Democrats race against the clock to top the 234 that were confirmed during Trump’s first term, according to an NBC News report last week. With the Democrats holding such a slim majority in the upper chamber, Harris broke the record last year for casting the most decisive votes of any vice president in history, the report notes, with Democrats expected to lean on the vice president once again in the coming weeks. DEMOCRATS’ FUROR OVER ‘UNQUALIFIED’ TRUMP NOMINEES PUTS BIDEN’S STAFFING DECISIONS BACK IN SPOTLIGHT “This is something they want to clear the decks on,” a senior Harris aide told NBC News. “She will definitely be available for any tie votes,” a second senior aide said. “It is a big focus,” a third source told the outlet. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also said Tuesday that she was given notice that Harris would be available, though the senator had not personally talked to Harris, according to the report. “The goal is to fill every judicial nomination that we can,” Warren said. Meanwhile, a senior Harris aide told NBC News that the vice president had already delayed her trip in case she was needed in the Senate, though now many of those votes are expected to take place in December when Harris is back in Washington. The Harris campaign and White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Fetterman admits Dems ‘sort of lost ourselves’ on key election issue
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., acknowledged that Democrats had a major problem when it came to border security, resulting in Republicans securing control of both chambers of Congress and the White House. Fetterman did not pull punches in reflecting on his party during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” “Well, one area where we kind of lost ourselves was the border,” the Democratic senator stated. “And I’ve been on this network, you know, months, months ago saying, ‘Hey, you know, it can’t be controversial for our party to have pro-immigration, but we need a secure border.’ And when we ask or demand people to not believe what they see, and see those kind of numbers, that that’s not a problem. It’s like, well, then you lose about that 100%,” “I’ve tried to describe – you have up to 300,000 people – encounters – per month. And I put that in perspective with Pennsylvania. I’m like, that’s the size of Pittsburgh showing up in one month,” Fetterman told host Gillian Turner. “It’s like, what’s going to happen for those folks? If we want them [to have] the American Dream for those people, how can we possibly deliver that? Where do they go? And we can’t pretend that that’s not a significant issue. And we got to address that.” Democrats have traditionally defined themselves as the anti-war party, but Fetterman seemed to suggest it lost its footing when progressives grew critical of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists following the Oct. 7 attacks. Fetterman said Israel’s effort against Hamas and Ukraine’s fight against Russia are two “just” wars that remain ongoing. FETTERMAN SAYS ‘F— THAT’ AMID BIPARTISAN BACKLASH OVER ARREST WARRANTS TARGETING ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU, GALLANT In regard to Israel, Fetterman said he “never supported a cease-fire, and that was the right thing.” “I said I was going to follow Israel. And since they refused to have that cease-fire, they have eliminated and broken Hamas, and Hezbollah, Hezbollah was supposed to be like the ultimate bada– in the Middle East, and now they were a bunch of Keystone Cops, and Iran has just been exposed, as you know, they really can’t fight about anything. So that’s been a significant development here,” Fetterman said. “And with respect to Ukraine, Ukraine was invaded, and for me, for me, it’s about standing on the side of democracy,” he continued. “And I was very supportive about that aid. And I don’t understand if the other side would stop delivering that kind of aid. That’s a disagreement, but I’ve been very, very clear supporting Israel and Ukraine.” STEFANIK MEETS WITH SENATORS AS TRUMP’S UN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE, TOUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’ Turner noted that President-elect Trump’s transition team has touted their foreign policy and national security team as the most pro-Israel in American history. That includes Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tapped to become secretary of state, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., nominated for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Huckabee, chosen as U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as national security adviser. “In terms of the incoming administration, I actually like what I see in terms of being very, very strong pro-Israel,” Fetterman said, adding that Israel has made “magnificent kinds of progress… generating longer term peace by destroying Hamas, Hezbollah, and demonstrating that Iran, really, doesn’t have the kind of capability to deliver any kinds of damage.” He indicated he would support Rubio, and potentially Dr. Mehmet Oz, who Fetterman defeated during a contentious Senate race. Fetterman said on Sunday that he knows “it got kinda ugly” in his race against Oz, but he “doesn’t have any kind of bitterness” and “is open to dialogue,” adding, “I’m not sure why that’s controversial.” “I’m not going to pre-hate. I’m not going to pre-hate a lot of these things, and I’m not going to pre-hate this,” Fetterman said. “I’m going to have an open conversation for anyone, that I’m open to having part of that conversation.”
Sanctuary states, cities should explain to DOGE why they deserve federal money: MTG
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Sunday said leaders of sanctuary states and cities should have to explain why they deserve federal dollars to a new congressional subcommittee bent on cutting government waste. Greene, who was tapped to lead a subcommittee working with the Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), laid out how she hopes to cut government spending during an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.” One area Greene said she wants the subcommittee to investigate is tied to the immigration crisis. “I’d like to talk to the governors of sanctuary states and the mayors of sanctuary cities and have them come before our committee and explain why they deserve federal dollars if they’re going to harbor illegal criminal aliens in their states and their cities,” she said. ‘WOULD LOVE TO’: REPUBLICANS JOSTLE FOR OPEN SPOTS ON MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE-LED DOGE PANEL Greene specifically noted the death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally murdered while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in Athens in February. Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant, was convicted in her murder. Ibarra had been granted a “humanitarian flight” from New York City to Atlanta in September 2023. Greene also laid out a slew of other areas that could face the chopping block under the subcommittee’s plan to cut government spending. “The way to do that is to cut programs, contracts, employees, grant programs, you name it, that are failing the American people and not serving the American people’s interests,” Greene said. The congresswoman said government-funded media programs like NPR, which she claimed “spread nothing but Democrat propaganda,” will be under the subcommittee’s microscope. ‘EFFICIENT AND ACCOUNTABLE’ GOP-LED DOGE BILL AIMS TO SLASH OUTFLOW OF FEDERAL DOLLARS She also said it will investigate active government contracts and programs to see if they still “make sense” or if “their purpose has expired.” Greene mentioned government workers who have been working remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic – which forced many across the workforce, both in the government and private sectors, to work from home. “We’re also looking at many – we have thousands – of buildings that the federal government owns and pays for with over $15 billion a year, but yet those government buildings stood empty and these government employees stay at home.” Greene called these points “failures” in the government’s service to the American people. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “And we don’t care about people’s feelings,” Green said. “We’re going to be searching for the facts and we’re going to be verifying if this is worth spending the… American people’s hard-earned tax dollars on.”
Unearthed footage of Barron Trump speaking with mom’s accent spreads like wildfire after dad’s massive win
Videos of future first son Barron Trump speaking in a Slovenian accent as a young boy are spreading like wildfire on social media after his father’s massive electoral win earlier this month. “I like my suitcase,” a 4-year-old Barron Trump said with an apparent Slovene accent in 2010 during a Larry King segment. The video shows Barron Trump in his father’s office with both of his parents as he grabs a brown suitcase and asks his mom about going to school. “I have to go to school now?” Barron Trump asks, again with an accent. MELANIA TRUMP POSTS PHOTO OF SON BARRON, 18, VOTING FOR THE 1ST TIME IN ELECTION WITH FATHER AT TOP OF TICKET “You have lunch, and then you go to school,” Melania Trump responds. “Now I’m gonna go?” Barron Trump asks again, speaking with the same accent as his mom. “First you will have lunch, then you will go to school,” Melania tells her young son as he holds his brown briefcase. Clips of the video have spread like wildfire across social media, most notably on TikTok, where users have filmed their own videos imitating Barron Trump, accompanied by the tag “sootcase,” as a play on how Barron Trump pronounced “suitcase.” Social media users have reacted with shock over learning the eventual first son had a slight accent as a young boy, with many calling it “adorable,” “cute” and lauding Melania Trump for her close relationship with her young son. The videos had long floated on social media, but are only going viral after Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election this month. One user on TikTok said, “i can’t help but giggle every time i hear or see this video his Slovenian accent is so cuteness,” and another said, “he was adorable,” and another saying Melania Trump “seems like an amazingly sweet mom.” MELANIA TRUMP REVEALS HOW SHE STAYS CALM, COOL, FOCUSED AND HEALTHY: ‘GUIDING PRINCIPLE’ Dozens of videos on TikTok have racked up hundreds of thousands of views each, and have even led to social media users creating song remixes of Barron Trump’s accent and social media commenters noting they never knew the first son had an accent as a young boy. Melania Trump, who had a successful modeling career before she became first lady, was born in Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia – now Slovenia – and explained in the interview with Larry King in 2010 that her son has an accent because he spent the majority of time with his mom. “He has an accent,” King noted in a live interview with Trump and his wife after footage of Barron speaking in an accent was aired. TRUMP TAPS INTO GEN Z’S PULSE WITH HELP FROM SON BARRON, WHO TELLS HIM ABOUT HOTTEST TRENDS “He spends most of the time with me,” Melania Trump responded, before King asked the eventual president, “what do you think of that?” “I think it’s great,” Donald Trump responded. “Anything he does is OK with me.” “He speaks three languages, actually,” Melania Trump added. “Smart one,” Donald Trump said. In another clip, Donald Trump is seen telling his son to avoid drugs, alcohol and tattoos when he grows up. “I want all As,” Donald Trump said in the clip. “And when you get older, no drugs. No alcohol. No cigarettes. And, you know what else? No tattoos. I don’t ever want to see tattoos on you.” Footage of Barron Trump in 2009 is also going viral, showing the roughly 3-year-old boy with his mom attending a charity event where Entertainment Tonight held a short interview with the pair. Barron Trump declared his love of playing the drums while again pronouncing his words similar to his mom’s Slovene accent. “I like to play drums,” he said, adding he wants drums “like on the television” for his birthday. Barron Trump is now 18-years-old and attends New York University. The first son overwhelmingly stays out of the public spotlight when compared to his older siblings, such as Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who frequently conduct media interviews and joined their father on the campaign trail. BARRON TRUMP ‘DOING GREAT’ AT NYU, LOVES HIS CLASSES, HIS MOM MELANIA TRUMP SAYS Barron Trump, who notably stands at about 6-foot-9 and towers over his parents, was seen on stage when his father delivered his victory speech earlier this month after his massive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump wrapped up the election with 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226, and won the popular vote. “Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” Trump said in his victory speech, flanked by his family and other high-profile supporters such as tech billionaire Elon Musk and UFC CEO Dana White.