Thousands protest in Israel demanding captive release, government to resign
Mass protests have taken place around Israel, with demonstrators calling for the return of Israeli captives held in Gaza, the removal of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government and an end to the war in Gaza. Several thousand supporters, friends and families of the Israeli captives taken by Hamas on October 7 rallied in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square” on Saturday, Al Jazeera reporters on the ground said. “This is unprecedented because, throughout the beginning of this war, everyone had agreed, including the anti-government protesters, that they needed to be unified at a time when there is war, at a time when captives are still being held in Gaza,” said Al Jazeera’s Sara Khairat, reporting from Tel Aviv. The turnout of people in the square was much higher than in recent weeks when a few dozen to a few hundred people gathered. “Now, quite a few thousand people [are] gathered here,” our correspondent said. Protesters shouted: “Bushah bushah, bushah”, meaning “shame, shame, shame” in reference to the government, with some also blaming Netanyahu and other officials for the events of October 7. “This just gives you a sense of how angry some of these people are,” Khairat said. In Jerusalem, people gathered in front of the house of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to demonstrate, demanding the return of the more than 100 captives still held in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
Woman in her 90s pulled alive from rubble of Japan earthquake
The 7.6 quake struck on New Year’s Day, causing extensive damage to communities on the Noto Peninsula. A woman in her 90s has been pulled alive from a collapsed house in western Japan, 124 hours after the area was struck by a powerful earthquake that killed at least 126 people. The resident of Suzu on the northern tip of the hard-hit Noto Peninsula had survived for more than five days after the 7.6 magnitude quake. Nationally broadcast news footage showed helmeted rescue workers covering the view of the area with blue plastic, with the woman not visible. Her condition was unclear. Chances for survival drop sharply after the first 72 hours. About 200 people remain unaccounted for, according to authorities. Among the 126 dead was a 5-year-old boy who had been recovering from injuries he suffered when boiling water spilled on him during the quake. His condition suddenly worsened and he died on Friday, according to authorities in Ishikawa Prefecture, which includes the Noto Peninsula. Most of the deaths recorded so far have been in Wajima City, which is also in the north of the peninsula and was the site of a ferocious blaze, and in Suzu. More than 500 people have been injured, at least 27 of them seriously. Some communities on the Noto Peninsula have been devastated by the quake [Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP] In Suzu, where dozens of homes lie in ruins, a dog barked while an AFP team filmed the cleanup operation, the signal of a grim discovery. “Training for disaster rescue dogs begins with something similar to a game of hide-and-seek,” canine trainer Masayo Kikuchi told the news agency. “Finally, they are trained to bark when seeing a person under the rubble.” Houses containing any deaths that are discovered are being marked and left alone until a coroner can come with relatives to identify the body. ‘Really tough’ Continued aftershocks have threatened to bury more homes and block roads that are crucial for relief shipments. With rain and snow forecast for Sunday, officials warned that roads already buckled and cracked by the earthquake could collapse completely. For Shiro Kokuda, 76, the house in Wajima where he grew up was spared but a nearby temple went up in flames and he was still looking for his friends at evacuation centres. “It’s been really tough,” he said. Along Japan’s coastline, power was gradually being restored but water remained in short supply. Thousands of troops were flying and trucking in water, food and medicine to the more than 30,000 people who had evacuated to auditoriums, schools and other facilities. The nationally-circulated Yomiuri newspaper reported that its aerial study had located more than 100 landslides in the area and some were blocking major roads. Some communities, such as the coastal community of Shiromaru which was also hit by a tsunami, were still waiting for aid. A tsunami swept through the main street of Shiromaru, which is home to about 100 people [Philip Fong/ AFP] The wave, said to be several metres high, left a tangled mess of wooden, metal and plastic debris. “The tsunami came from the cove of Shiromaru through the river and then ran up through the street,” said Toshio Sakashita, one of its roughly 100 residents. “We have received no public support here. Look, the main street is still blocked due to the rubble, which has been left untouched,” the 69-year-old told AFP. “We cannot live in our house any more,” 82-year-old Yukio Teraoka said as he and his wife cleared heavy, sodden sand from their wrecked home. Adblock test (Why?)
Meet Hyderabad man who has undertaken an 8,000-kilometer walk to Ayodhya, carrying gold-plated footwear worth Rs 65 lakh
Challa Srinivas Sastry, 64, is walking 8,000 kilometers to Ayodhya with gold-plated shoes for Lord Ram.
Lok Sabha election: Congress sets up election committees for 8 states, including Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh
The Congress set up the election committees for eight states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and others.
Delhi weather: Capital to experience cold wave conditions, IMD predicts rain in some parts of North India
The weather service forecasted that on January 8-10, there would be a new round of rain and a chance of thunderstorms or hailstorms over Northwest and Central India
Nikki Haley raises eyebrows with ‘change personalities’ comment as her momentum sparks increased scrutiny
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley raised a few eyebrows this weekend from conservatives, after the former South Carolina governor made a comment about changing “personalities” while discussing the upcoming Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. “The structure of it is really amazing,” Haley told an interviewer on a local Iowa PBS station last week of the GOP primary process. “Iowa starts it. You change personalities, you go into New Hampshire.” The presidential candidate was discussing whether she would support changing the order in which states vote in the Republican primary as Democrats did for their presidential primary process. She often remarks on how each state has its own personality. At a recent event in Iowa, Haley called Iowans “patriotic,” “hardworking” and “very careful” while saying New Hampshire voters wear their “feelings on their sleeves,” and South Carolinians can “kick you with a smile.” NIKKI HALEY IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO HAS SHOWN ANY PRIMARY MOMENTUM: MARK PENN Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has seen poll numbers tighten with Haley as her numbers rise, hit the 51-year-old on the remark while answering questions following an event in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday. DeSantis said it’s “just not going well” for Haley as she faces more scrutiny in the media. “I think she’s not showing an ability to be able to withstand that and to be able to answer the type of questions that you need. I mean you obviously saw she’s dealing with history, having trouble there, dissing Iowa with the things she said there … and now this saying that you change personalities once you leave Iowa and go to New Hampshire.” Texas Rep. Chip Roy, who supports DeSantis, wrote in X, formerly Twitter, Saturday, “So – @NikkiHaley (allies) dump another $1.8 million against @RonDeSantis … so she can ‘changepersonalities’ to go to NH to ‘correct’ Iowans… & audition to be Trump’s VP ($0 against Trump)… to advance forever wars, open borders, & corporate interests. Got it. #DeSantis2024.” Haley’s campaign hit back against the attacks, with spokeswoman AnneMarie Graham-Barnes telling Fox News Digital in a statement: “Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump are getting more and more desperate by the hour Nikki’s momentum is real and her vision is resonating, so they’re grasping at straws. Voters see right through it.” HALEY RESPONDS TO TRUMP, DESANTIS’ SWIPES: IT’S ‘SWEET’ THEY’RE SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY AGAINST ME Iowa’s polls show former President Trump, who has also increased his attacks on Haley, including TV attack ads, with a double-digit lead over the other candidates (about 50%, according to a Real Clear Politics average), but Haley has closed the gap with DeSantis and the two are vying for second place with 15.7% and 18.4% respectively, with Vivek Ramaswamy in a distant fourth with 6%. “President Trump has long said he’d train his sights on whomever is number two in the race,” Jason Miller, a Trump adviser, told Politico recently. “Rob DeSanctimonious is approaching single digits everywhere and his campaign is on life support, which means it’s Nikki Haley’s turn in the barrel.” Haley has struggled with other gaffes recently, most notably her answer in a New Hampshire town hall last month that failed to make any mention of slavery as the cause of the Civil War. She walked back the comments hours later, saying “of course” the war was about slavery, but her opponents continue to hound her about it. She also faced heat for telling New Hampshire voters recently, “You know Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it … you know that my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home,” which she later described as a joke. Haley noted the increased attacks she’s received from Trump and her other opponents during a town hall in Iowa Saturday, joking, “All these fellas are showing me way too much attention.” She also derided Trump for a recent attack ad against her, which claimed she and President Biden both opposed Trump border security measures such as a wall. “Isn’t that sweet of him, spending so much time and money against me?” she quipped to Fox News. She told Iowa voters Saturday that in reality she had said the wall was a start but more needed to be done to secure the border. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “They’re taking little pieces and putting it together to make it look like what they want you to see,” Haley said of the other candidates’ attacks. “But you know what it all means if they’re lying, it’s because they know they’re losing. It’s that simple. And if they’re going to lie about me, I’m going to tell you the truth about them.”
Delhi govt withdraws order extending winter vacations in schools
Delhi’s Directorate of Education said that further orders regarding winter break may be issued in due course.
Vivek Ramaswamy says there are only two ‘America First’ presidential candidates
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy asserted that he and former President Donald Trump are the only two candidates with an American First agenda. At a town hall in Marengo, Iowa on Saturday, the 38-year-old entrepreneur said that he and Trump are the only two “America First” candidates on the Republican ballot. “I think there’s two America first candidates in this race,” Ramaswamy said. “That’s Donald Trump and me.” BILLIONAIRE JEFFREY EPSTEIN ASSOCIATE GAVE LARGE DONATIONS TO VIVEK RAMASWAMY, SEVERAL DEMS The moment came after Ramaswamy told a crowd of supporters that it was time to speak “candidly,” asking the attendees to raise their hands if they were planning on casting their ballot for Ramaswamy or for Trump. “How many of you are leaning towards supporting me right now?,” Ramaswamy asked. “A good number of you.” Next, Ramaswamy asked audience members which of them were planning on voting for Trump in the Iowa presidential caucuses on Jan. 15. “How many of you are considering Donald Trump for the caucus?,” Ramaswamy asked. “Okay. Well, thank you. I understand that because I think there are two ‘American First’ candidates in this race.” RAMASWAMY BLASTS WAPO REPORTER WITH VIRAL RESPONSE TO QUESTION ON CONDEMNING ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’: ‘SHAME ON YOU’ Ramaswamy, who has campaigned on an “America First 2.0” agenda, has aligned himself with Trump’s America First policy, which centers on reducing U.S. trade deficits and rebalancing the burden of America’s responsibilities to international trade organizations. In just a week, the 2024 Iowa Caucuses will commence, where the first votes for the next potential president will be cast. Being the first state to cast votes for presidential nominees, Iowa’s caucuses set the stage for the entire primary season. Winning or performing strongly in Iowa can generate crucial momentum for candidates, influencing voter perceptions of their viability. Ramaswamy received the endorsement of former Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King in a post on X last week. Salem, New Hampshire, GOP Chairman Steve Goddu also endorsed Ramaswamy last year, along with former New Hampshire GOP Senate candidate Kevin Smith. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
Sen Tom Cotton outraged over ‘shocking breakdown’ related to Defense Sec Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin needs to explain why the White House and senior officials weren’t immediately notified that he’d been hospitalized earlier this week until days later, amid a complex time as the Biden administration deals with a slew of national security matters abroad. Austin was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday for complications following a recent elective medical procedure,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Friday, at which time the press was told. Ryder said that the hospitalization was kept from the media due to “medical and personal privacy issues.” However, staffers with the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, congressional leaders, and the White House weren’t immediately told, either, officials confirmed to Fox News. IRANIAN MEDIA REPORT AT LEAST 103 KILLED, 141 INJURED IN EXPLOSIONS NEAR GRAVE OF GENERAL QASSEM SOLEIMANI “Secretary Austin must address promptly the troubling report that the Department of Defense didn’t immediately notify President Biden or the National Security Council that he was hospitalized and unable to perform his duties,” Cotton said in a statement released Saturday. “The Secretary of Defense is the key link in the chain of command between the president and the uniformed military, including the nuclear chain of command, when the weightiest of decisions must be made in minutes. “If this report is true, there must be consequences for this shocking breakdown.” After Austin was admitted to the hospital, his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, who was on a previously scheduled vacation and not physically in the Pentagon, partially assumed some of his duties from Monday through Friday, an official told Fox News. The National Security Council as well as President Biden weren’t notified of Austin’s hospitalization until Thursday and Congress wasn’t told until Friday, minutes before a public statement was released to the press, officials said. Even senior Pentagon officials weren’t told, the official said. Austin was kept in intensive care after an elective surgery that he didn’t want publicized. The secrecy stands in contrast to Marine Corps Commandant Eric Smith, who suffered a heart attack on Oct. 29, 2023. A press statement was released within hours with regular updates sent out. PENTAGON ANNOUNCES NEW RED SEA INTERNATIONAL MISSION TO COUNTER ESCALATING HOUTHI ATTACKS ON SHIPS In a statement released Saturday, Austin thanked the doctors at Walter Reed as well as colleagues and friends while acknowledging transparency concerns. “I am very glad to be on the mend and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon,” he said. “I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better. But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.” The delayed news enraged the press. The Pentagon Press Association (PPA), an organization that serves as the voice of journalists covering the Pentagon, sent a letter from its board of directors to Secretary Austin’s personnel on Friday evening. “We are writing to express our significant concerns about the Defense Department’s failure to notify the public and the media about Secretary Lloyd Austin’s current hospitalization,” the letter said. “The fact that he has been at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for four days and the Pentagon is only now alerting the public late on a Friday evening is an outrage.” News of Austin’s hospitalization came at a complicated time for the Biden administration. U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have increasingly come under attack by drones and rockets by Iran-backed groups. Ground forces there have fended off more than 100 attacks thus far. In addition, the U.S. is involved in a proxy war with Russia as it continues to arm Ukraine while also assisting Israel with funding and weapons in its war with Hamas. Several American warships are also in the Red Sea and have shot down dozens of drones and ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. On Thursday, U.S. forces killed the leader of a terrorist group in Iraq, Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, a leader of the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel, the Pentagon said Thursday.
Missouri official threatens to remove Biden from 2024 presidential ballot if ‘new legal standard’ boots Trump
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is threatening to remove President Biden from the election ballot as other states make efforts to disqualify former President Trump from securing a second term over his actions during the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide whether Trump can appear on Republican primary ballots in Colorado after the state Supreme Court ruled he couldn’t, citing the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause. The high court sided with a lower court that ruled Trump incited his supporters as Congress was certifying Biden’s 2020 election victory. The Colorado Supreme Court decision was the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot. DEMOCRATIC ANALYSTS SOUND ALARM ON MORE ‘GRIM’ BIDEN POLLING SHOWING DIMINISHING SUPPORT IN KEY VOTER GROUPS Maine’s secretary of state decided Trump should be removed from the ballot for the same reason. Trump is appealing that decision. On Friday, Ashcroft, a Republican, said the efforts in Colorado and Maine were “disgraceful” and “undermines our republic.” “While I expect the Supreme Court to overturn this, if not, Secretaries of State will step in & ensure the new legal standard for @realDonaldTrump applies equally to @JoeBiden !,” Ashcroft wrote on X. “I’m not in favor of going down this path. But if we will go down this path, it’s inevitable, if the Supreme Court does not stop this,” Ashcroft told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The rules will be applied equally. I just hope they will not be the rules of Colorado and Maine.” Republicans have heavily criticized Democrats for attempting to remove Trump from 2024 presidential election ballots, saying it undermines the will of voters. Last month, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggested taking Biden off the ballot because of his handling of the southern border. “Seeing what happened in Colorado tonight … makes me think — except we believe in democracy in Texas — maybe we should take Joe Biden off the ballot in Texas for allowing 8 million people to cross the border since he’s been president, disrupting our state far more than anything anyone else has done in recent history,” Patrick said in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on “The Ingraham Angle.” In a letter submitted to the high court, more than a dozen states signaled their support for Trump, including Missouri. Fox News Digital has reached out to Ashcroft’s office. A White House spokesperson responded with “No” when asked for comment.