How can increased body donations benefit society?
In a world where medical research continually pushes boundaries, the unspoken heroes of progress are often those who give the ultimate gift: their bodies after death.
Best bridal makeup in Varanasi: Beauty Island Varanasi, where elegance meets perfection
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Musk’s DOGE takes aim at ‘viper’s nest’ federal agency with global footprint
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is taking aim at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and, according to senior congressional sources, moved to seize control of the independent agency over the weekend. The senior congressional sources told Fox News that more than 50 senior USAID staff members were placed on administrative leave and subjected to a gag order, meaning they were not allowed to communicate with anyone outside the agency without approval. Signs were also removed from USAID’s headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., and the DOGE team took over the computer systems, the sources said. USAID is responsible for distributing civilian foreign aid and development assistance to countries around the globe. The agency managed approximately $40 billion in appropriations last year, according to the Congressional Research Service. On Sunday, the Associated Press reported that the Trump administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after refusing to turn over classified material in restricted areas to DOGE. RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ After initially being refused access to USAID’s classified information, DOGE eventually gained that access on Saturday, allowing them to see things like intelligence reports, a current and a former U.S. official told the AP. The DOGE team members lacked high enough security clearance to access the information, so the two USAID security officials – John Voorhees and deputy Brian McGill – believed they were legally obligated to deny access. On Sunday, Musk took aim at USAID on his social media platform X, writing, “USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die.” AFTER RAUCOUS FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE, DONALD TRUMP TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE GAS He also wrote several other posts about the agency, saying things like, “USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America” and “USAID is evil.” The latter was in response to a post suggesting USAID helped fund coronavirus research in Wuhan, China, which referred to an interaction posted on Forbes between Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and now former USAID Administrator Samantha Power in April 2023. ABC News reported that those familiar with USAID were questioning whether the moves at USAID were being made in an effort to move the agency under the State Department, where there could be better accountability. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NEEDS MORE PLANES TO CARRY OUT DEPORTATIONS: REPORT Last week, at least 56 USAID officials were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits, and several hundred contractors based in Washington and elsewhere were laid off. The actions came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on Trump’s executive order, paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID. The 90-day pause has halted thousands of U.S.-funded humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide and forced aid organizations to lay off hundreds of employees because they can’t make payroll. Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump defends tariffs, accuses Canada of being ‘very abusive of the United States’: video
President Donald Trump defended his recent tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night – and hinted that the European Union may suffer a similar fate. The tariffs, which were authorized in an executive order on Saturday, will go into effect Tuesday. Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 25% additional tariff will be levied on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China. In the executive order, Trump said that the tariffs stem from an “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, [that] constitutes a national emergency.” The tariffs have invited international criticism from leaders and citizens alike in Canada and Mexico. During his exchange with reporters on Sunday evening, Trump accused Canada of being “abusive” towards the U.S. in terms of trade. TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA: ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’ “Canada has been very abusive of the United States for many years. They don’t allow our banks,” Trump claimed. “And you know that Canada does not allow banks to go in, if you think about it. That’s pretty amazing. If we have a U.S. bank, they don’t allow them to go in.” “Canada has been very tough for oil on energy. They don’t allow our farm products in, essentially. They don’t allow a lot of things in. And we allow everything to come in as being a one-way street.” Trump also claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada “by the tune of about $200 billion a year.” “And for what? What do we get out of it? We don’t get anything out of it,” he added. “I love the people of Canada. I disagree with the leadership of Canada and something is going to happen there.” RNC CHAIR, AFTER CRUISING TO RE-ELECTION, VOWS TO BE ‘TIP OF SPEAR’ TO PROTECT TRUMP The Republican leader also said that he will “definitely” impose tariffs against the European Union, which he said the U.S. has a $300 billion trade deficit with. “They don’t take our cars, they don’t take our farm products, they take almost nothing,” Trump said. “And we take everything from them. Millions of cars, tremendous amounts of food and farm products. So the UK is way out of line and we’ll see the UK, but the European Union is really out of line.” In a statement on Saturday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her country “categorically reject[s] the White House’s slander against the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of intervention in our territory.” “Mexico not only does not want fentanyl to reach the United States, but anywhere,” the statement read. “Therefore, if the United States wants to combat criminal groups that traffic drugs and generate violence, we must work together in an integrated manner, but always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, collaboration and, above all, respect for sovereignty, which is not negotiable.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slighted the U.S. by encouraging Canadians to “buy Canada” in response to the tariffs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada,” Trudeau wrote on X. “Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada.”
Mahakumbh Mela 2025: Prayagraj gears up Amrit Snan today, Yogi government issues ‘zero-error’ directives
On the occasion of Basant Panchami, devotees have started gathering at the ghats, waiting to take holy dips in the Triveni Sangam.
Germans protest at conservative cooperation with far right on migration
Protesters say CDU head Friedrich Merz broke post-Nazi norm of never passing any rule with the support of far-right parties. Tens of thousands of people came out to protest against a conservative push for tougher migration laws backed by a far-right party in Germany. Angry protesters came out in droves in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Leipzig on Sunday to oppose Friedrich Merz and the move by his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to pass a resolution in parliament with the support of the far-right nationalist Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party. Many critics say that it broke Germany’s anti-far-right ‘firewall’, an unwritten post-Nazi promise by all democratic parties to never pass any rule with the support of far-right parties. The CDU and the AfD successfully passed a non-binding resolution on Wednesday in an attempt to block undocumented foreigners at the border, including asylum seekers. However, on Friday, they failed to pass a contentious bill to further restrict immigration. Merz, whose CDU is running ahead of the governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the polling for the upcoming February 23 federal election, is facing unwanted attention over his attitude towards the far right and the AfD. Advertisement The AfD has itself been polling in second place, ahead of the SPD. People light up their mobile phones during a protest against the migration plans of the CDU party leader and top candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, in Berlin, Germany [Christian Mang/Reuters] Hundreds of protesters temporarily blocked offices of the CDU in different cities, with some 160,000 people pouring into the streets of central Berlin, a police spokesman told the AFP news agency. Organisers said that more than 200,000 people turned out. In separate protests on Saturday, more than 220,000 people protested across the country, according to figures compiled by public broadcaster ARD. “[We want to] make as much noise as possible to call for the self-described ‘democratic’ parties to protect this democracy,” Anna Schwarz, who attended Sunday’s rally in Berlin, told AFP. The 34-year-old said she was joining a political rally for the first time as “we can no longer avert our gaze, it’s too serious”. In Cologne, people protested on 350 boats on the Rhine River, German news agency dpa reported, with people waving slogans such as “No racism” and “For democracy and diversity”. Breaking the ‘firewall’ Merz took on the bill following a deadly knife attack last month by a rejected asylum seeker. The CDU leader has been accused by protesters and politicians on the left of breaking a taboo and endangering mainstream parties’ “firewall” against AfD. He insists his position is unchanged and that he didn’t and won’t work with the party. Advertisement Polls show the centre-right CDU, which put forward the migration proposal and bill, leading with around 30 percent support, while AfD is second with about 20 percent, and the SPD and Greens further down. The AfD party – which was formed 12 years ago – first entered the national parliament in 2017, benefitting from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision two years earlier to allow large numbers of migrants and refugees into the country. A year ago, hundreds of thousands also protested in weeks-long rallies all over Germany against the rise of the far right and purported plans to deport millions of immigrants, including some holding German passports. Adblock test (Why?)
Hezbollah slain leader Nasrallah to be buried in Lebanon on February 23
Hassan Nasrallah received a temporary burial as hostilities with Israel did not allow for a funeral to take place. The funeral of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah will be held on February 23, the group has said, months after he was killed in an Israeli air attack in Lebanon’s capital. Nasrallah, who had served as Hezbollah’s secretary general for more than 30 years, was killed on September 27 as Israel ramped up its air attacks on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs. His successor Naim Qassem said in a televised address on Sunday that Nasrallah was killed “at a time when circumstances were difficult”, forcing the group to conduct a temporary burial for him according to religious tradition. Qassem said the group had now decided to hold “a grand funeral procession with a large public presence” for both Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, another top Hezbollah official killed in an Israeli strike nearly a week after Nasrallah. He also confirmed for the first time that Safieddine had been elected as Nasrallah’s successor but was killed before the announcement was made. He said Safieddine would also be buried with the title of secretary general. Advertisement Nasrallah will be buried on the outskirts of Beirut “in a plot of land we chose between the old and new airport roads”, while Safieddine will be buried in his hometown of Deir Qanoun in southern Lebanon, he said. Hezbollah announced on October 29 that Qassem, the group’s deputy leader, had been elected as its head, after the killings of many of the group’s top military commanders threw the group into disarray. A ceasefire agreed in late November ended hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and set a 60-day deadline for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah to remove its fighters and arms from the area and Lebanese troops to deploy there. That deadline was extended last month until February 18. Israel has been accused of violating the terms of the ceasefire by refusing to leave Lebanon and continuing to carry out occasional air attacks in some parts of the country. Israel itself accuses Hezbollah of violating the terms of the ceasefire. Hezbollah faced one of its biggest challenges after the Iranian-backed group opened up a front against Israel to help relieve pressure on its ally Hamas in Gaza in October 2023. The group suffered losses after months of cross-border fighting and Israeli attacks that targeted the group’s leading figures. Adblock test (Why?)
Could conflict in eastern DR Congo expand across region?
M23 rebels have taken control of regional capital and advance deeper into the east. Hundreds of people killed and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes. A weeks-long offensive by Rwanda-backed rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is spiralling into a regional crisis. The United Nations estimated last year that close to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are involved. Kinshasa says the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group wants control of the region, which is rich in minerals. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels and says it has deployed troops to stop the fighting from spreading into its territory. Leaders from southern and eastern Africa are trying to mediate between the two sides. Will their efforts succeed? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Nicodemus Minde – Researcher, East Africa Peace and Security Governance Program, Institute for Security Studies Crystal Orderson – Journalist, The Africa Report Yinka Adegoke – Editor, Semafor Africa Adblock test (Why?)
Busy week ahead for Trump, Cabinet picks
President Donald Trump has a busy week planned to start February, including speeding through more confirmations for the president’s Cabinet picks. Trump made good on his promise of new tariffs over the weekend, hitting Canada and Mexico with 25% duties and China with a 10% tariff over concerns about fentanyl and continued illegal immigration. Those tariffs are expected to be fully in force by Tuesday and have already drawn retaliation from Canada, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing a 25% tariff on some goods coming into the country from the U.S. on Sunday. Mexico, meanwhile, has also signaled a plan to impose tariffs on the U.S., though specific increases have yet to be announced. STEFANIK LOOKS BACK TO FIERY EXCHANGES WITH COLLEGE LEADERS IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘WATERSHED MOMENT’ The beginning of the week will also see the deadline pass for six senior FBI officials to retire, resign or be fired, according to a report by USA Today, making good on Trump’s plans to push aside leaders who were promoted by former FBI Director Christopher Wray. Monday will also see the Senate vote on Trump’s pick for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, as well as a vote to advance former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., Trump’s pick to serve as transportation secretary. Tuesday will see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet with Trump at the White House, the first meeting between the two leaders since Trump regained control of the Oval Office. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, will appear before the Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday, a day that will also see Howard Lutnick, Trump’s choice for commerce secretary, appear before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., Trump’s choice to lead the Small Business Administration, will testify in front of the Senate Committee on Small Business. TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS AHEAD OF CRUCIAL CONFIRMATION VOTES Wednesday will also see the Senate Committee on the Judiciary vote on whether to send former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice, to the full floor for a confirmation vote. Thursday is the deadline for federal workers to decide whether they would prefer to return to work in the office or accept a buyout and severance package that would see them paid through the end of September, part of Trump’s plan to trim the federal workforce. Thursday will also be a busy day for Trump Cabinet picks, with Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, appearing before the Senate Judiciary Panel. Meanwhile, Kennedy will make an appearance in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, while former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Trump’s choice to be the director of national intelligence, will appear before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The Senate’s Budget panel will also vote whether to move Russ Vought, who Trump nominated to lead the Office of Management and Budget, to a vote on the full floor, while the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will decide whether to advance Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump’s choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The busy week will see another highlight Friday when the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ first monthly jobs report comes out since Trump took office, with the U.S. looking to hit 49 consecutive months of job gains.
DNC lambasted for ‘beyond parody’ leadership vote that included singing, gender rules: ‘Can’t stop laughing’
Conservatives on social media are having a field day mocking the Democratic National Committee for featuring a handful of “beyond parody” moments during its leadership vote over the weekend, which critics say underscores that Democrats have “learned absolutely nothing” from their 2024 election losses. The DNC voted to elect Minnestota Democrat Party leader Ken Martin as its chair on Saturday, after eight candidates vied to succeed Jaime Harrison. Following the Democratic Party’s losses in November, when Republicans reclaimed the White House and Senate and retained control of the House, the DNC’s chair vote serves as a fresh slate for the party as they ramp up strategies and fundraising for the next election cycle. Conservatives and critics took to social media over the weekend to highlight what they viewed as the most out of touch speeches and comments from party leaders, including the election of left-wing activist David Hogg as one of its three co-chairs. Hogg is an outspoken gun control advocate and the co-founder of March for Our Lives, a gun control group that was formed after the Parkland school shooting in 2018. DEMOCRATS ELECT NEW CHAIR WHO BRANDED TRUMP A ‘TRAITOR’ AS PARTY AIMS TO REBOUND FROM DISASTROUS 2024 ELECTION “DNC Vice Chair David Hogg has some legitimately INSANE views that are wildly out of step with the American people. Good to see that the Democrat Party has learned absolutely nothing,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted to X. Hogg, a Parkland school shooting survivor, said from the DNC vote in Maryland that the party will put Republicans “on the defense” in the coming days and reclaim lost political ground. “After Parkland, our country was in a similar moment – where we had a Republican trifecta in Washington,” the 24-year-old said during the DNC election. “We went on the offense, put the Republicans on the defense, and we won. That’s what we need to do right now.” ‘IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY’: DNC CHAIR CANDIDATES REVEAL HOW THEY WILL REBOUND AFTER DISASTROUS 2024 RESULTS “We’re going to show people that the reason people should vote for us isn’t just because we’re not Republicans – it’s because we’re damn Democrats. We give a s—,” he pledged. “And we deliver. Now it’s time to rebuild the party and to rethink the way we’ve been doing things.” Amid the hours-long vote and gathering of Democrats on Saturday in Maryland, former DNC chief Harrison announced that the elections must be gender-balanced, including when a non-binary candidate is in the running, sparking condemnation from conservatives. DEMOCRATS RALLY AROUND LIGHTENING ROD ISSUE AT FINAL DNC CHAIR DEBATE “We have an amazing group of new officers. So far, as you know, our three at large vice chair positions are used to ensure gender balance among seven offices: treasury secretary, national finance chair and vice chair for civic engagement and voter participation and the three at large vice chairs. Our rules specify that when we have a non-binary candidate or officer, the non-binary individual is counted as neither male nor female, and the remaining six offices must be gender balanced with the results of the previous four elections. Our elected officers are currently two male and two female. In order to be gender balanced… we must elect one male, one female, and one person of any gender.” Before the election kicked off on Saturday, the eight candidates had traveled to Georgetown University for a forum co-hosted by MSNBC on Thursday, where they declared “racism and misogyny” compounded former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss. “So, I’m going to have a show of hands. How many of you believe that racism and misogyny played a role in Vice President Harris’ defeat?” MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart asked the eight candidates. “That’s good. You all passed,” Capehart said after all candidates raised their hands in agreement. Republican lawmakers and pundits pounced on clips of the exchange, including Sen. Tommy Tubervile, R-Ala., who quipped that the GOP will expand its majority in the midterms. Singing also broke out both during the forum and the vote. Dr. Quintessa Hathaway was in the running for chair and belted out a song with the lyrics, “You fight on, when the government is doing you wrong, you fight on” during the Thursday forum. She also sang another song ahead of the vote on Saturday vowing, “We shall overcome.” FIRST ON FOX: AFTER 2024 ELECTION SETBACKS, DEMOCRATS EYE RURAL VOTERS Harrison was also spotted on camera singing on Saturday, delivering a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.” DEMOCRATS’ HOUSE CAMPAIGN CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS HER PLAN TO WIN BACK MAJORITY DNC members also “acknowledged” during the vote that the U.S. was “built on indigenous lands.” Ken Martin, who previously slammed Trump as a “traitor” who should be prosecuted for treason, celebrated his win on Saturday, vowing to combat Trump and the Republican Party. “We have one team, one team, the Democratic Party,” Martin said following his victory. “The fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country.” “We need to go on offense,” Martin said. “We’re going to go out there and take this fight to Donald Trump and the Republicans.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC on Sunday for comment on the negative backlash over the gathering, but did not immediately receive a reply. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.