New York Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft for infringing copyrighted works
The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft over copyright infringement, seeking to end the companies’ practice of using its stories to train chatbots. The newspaper filed a lawsuit in the United States federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, alleging the companies’ powerful artificial intelligence (AI) models used millions of its articles for training without permission and saying that copyright infringements at the paper alone could be worth billions. The Times said OpenAI and Microsoft are advancing their technology through the “unlawful use of The Times’s work to create artificial intelligence products that compete with it” and “threatens The Times’s ability to provide that service”. Through their AI chatbots, the companies “seek to free-ride on The Times’s massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment”, the lawsuit said. The Times, one of the most respected news organisations in the United States, is seeking damages as well as an order that the companies stop using its content – and destroy data already harvested. While no sum is specifically requested, the Times alleged that the infringement could have cost “billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages”. Confrontational approach With the suit, The New York Times chose a more confrontational approach to the sudden rise of AI chatbots, in contrast to other media groups, such as Germany’s Axel Springer or The Associated Press, which have struck content deals with OpenAI. Microsoft, the world’s second biggest company by market capitalisation, is a major investor in OpenAI and swiftly implemented the powers of AI in its own products after the release of ChatGPT last year. The AI models that power ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot (formerly Bing) were trained for years on content available on the internet under the assumption that it was fair to be used without need for compensation. But the lawsuit argued that the unlawful use of the Times’s work to build artificial intelligence products threatened its ability to provide quality journalism. “These tools were built with and continue to use independent journalism and content that is only available because we and our peers reported, edited and fact-checked it at high cost and with considerable expertise,” a spokesperson for the Times said. The Times said it reached out to Microsoft and OpenAI in April to raise concerns about the use of its intellectual property and reach a resolution on the issue. During the talks, the newspaper said it sought to “ensure it received fair value” for the use of its content, “facilitate the continuation of a healthy news ecosystem and help develop GenAI technology in a responsible way that benefits society and supports a well-informed public”. “These negotiations have not led to a resolution,” the lawsuit said. The lawsuit said that content generated by ChatGPT and Copilot closely mimicked New York Times style and the paper’s content was given a privileged status in perfecting the chatbot technology. It also said content that proved to be false was sourced incorrectly to The New York Times. Wave of lawsuits The newspaper joins a growing list of individuals and publishers trying to stop AI giants from using copyrighted material. Last year, Game of Thrones author George RR Martin and other bestselling fiction writers filed a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the startup of violating their copyrights to fuel ChatGPT. In June, more than 4,000 writers signed a letter to the CEOs of OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and other AI developers, accusing them of exploitative practices in building chatbots that “mimic and regurgitate” their language, style and ideas. Universal and other music publishers have sued artificial intelligence company Anthropic in a US court for using copyrighted lyrics to train its AI systems and generate answers to user queries. US photo distributor Getty Images has accused Stability AI of profiting from its pictures and those of its partners to make visual AI that creates original images on simple demand. With lawsuits piling up, Microsoft and Google have announced they would provide legal protection for customers sued for copyright infringement over content generated by their AI. This month, European Union policymakers agreed on landmark legislation to regulate AI, which requires tech companies doing business in the EU to disclose data used to train AI systems and carry out testing of products – especially those used in high-risk applications, such as self-driving vehicles and healthcare. In October, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order focused on AI’s impact on national security and discrimination while China has rolled out regulations requiring AI to reflect “socialist core values”. Adblock test (Why?)
Top 10 men’s football moments of 2023
The FIFA World Cup in Qatar may have fallen in 2022, but 2023 went a long way towards matching last year for stories and events. Here are Al Jazeera’s top 10 football moments from the men’s game for this calendar year: 1. Manchester City win the Champions League Manchester City were finally crowned champions of Europe in June when they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final. It was the trophy that had eluded City and their esteemed manager, Pep Guardiola, in his time with the club. For the Spaniard, it was his third Champions League triumph after the two he claimed with Barcelona, but the wait to lead City to continental glory was becoming the elephant in the room. The win secured the domestic treble for City as they won the Premier League for a third consecutive year. It also opened the door for City to challenge in two more competitions – the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. 2. Osimhen leads Napoli to Serie A glory Victor Osimhen finished top scorer in Serie A to help Napoli to their first Serie A title since Diego Maradona graced the Italian top flight. The Nigerian striker netted 26 goals in a stellar season that alerted all of Europe’s top clubs. Napoli had to wait 33 years to lift La Scudetta once again, but thanks to Osimhen’s goals, they did it at a canter – finishing 16 points clear of Lazio. Napoli’s 2023 story was far from simple, though, as we’ll explore in a moment. Napoli’s Victor Osimhen was Serie A’s leading scorer as Napoli won the title [File: Alberto Lingria/Reuters] 3. Messi wins eighth Ballon d’Or Lionel Messi was also on the move in 2023 as the former Barcelona star swapped Paris for Miami. The Argentinean’s time at Paris St Germain didn’t quite go to plan, but a glamorous move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami is expected to help sprinkle some glitz on Major League Soccer in the United States. It has hardly been a barren couple of years for Messi. After Argentina’s World Cup win at Qatar in 2022, the forward was handed his eighth Ballon d’Or. He claimed his first in 2009 as his incredible club career began. The latest, though, must have been the sweetest award for Messi, who was rewarded for finally joining some of the game’s greats in holding aloft the World Cup. 4. Ronaldo moves to Saudi Arabia Cristiano Ronaldo ended his European love affair when he switched Manchester for Saudi Arabia. From Sporting Lisbon to United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Old Trafford again, Ronaldo decided to take up the challenge of the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr. The Portuguese had been linked to a host of Europe’s top clubs when his exit from United became apparent after his 2022 reveal-all TV interview with Piers Morgan. The transfer was made on the first day of the year, and it opened the door for a number of top names to follow suit. You can read all about Ronaldo’s move and more in our Top 10 transfers of 2023 review. History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC pic.twitter.com/oan7nu8NWC — AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 30, 2022 5. Napoli’s smile is turned upside down Having claimed the Serie A title, manager Luciano Spalletti immediately left Napoli to take time out of the game. The 64-year-old, who said he was tired, was replaced by Rudi Garcia – but he lasted only 16 games before being sacked. Walter Mazzarri took charge with the title defence in tatters, both on and off the field, given rumours of unrest – most especially for their prized-asset Osimhen, who deleted a series of social media posts venting his frustration at the club. Matters weren’t helped by a controversial post by the club themselves seemingly mocking a penalty miss by Osimhen. Although it was quickly removed, the player’s agent was quick to express his disappointment at what he described as disrespect for his client, and legal action was even threatened. Perhaps Spalletti saw a storm brewing on the horizon. 6. Manchester City win the Club World Cup A quadruple already in the bag, Manchester City headed to Saudi Arabia last week as heavy favourites for the FIFA Club World Cup. A 2-0 semifinal win against Japan’s Uwara Reds appeared a stroll in the park, but that was nothing compared with the final. Guardiola’s side secured a fifth trophy in 2023 with a 4-0 hammering of Brazil’s Fluminense. The scoreline didn’t flatter City in any way whatsoever in what was a complete mismatch. The Premier League and FA Cup in England were followed by the Champions League and the Super Cup in Europe. Now the Club World Cup. Not only Manchester, England and Europe are blue – the world is now too. Manchester City’s Kyle Walker celebrates with the trophy after winning the Club World Cup final on December 22, 2023 [Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters] 7. Europe’s elite face twofold threat to dominance Europe’s top clubs were pushed into reverse in 2021 when fan outrage forced nine of the 12 founding clubs to pull out of a proposed European Super League. It appeared to kill off any threat to the dominance that Europe’s governing body, UEFA, held over club competitions on the continent. The Super Cup and the Champions League seemed safe. But this past year, a threat came from outside the continent with so many of the world’s top stars following Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League, which has established itself as a serious rival to the elite level that Europe’s top leagues monopolised for so long. A further threat to UEFA emerged late in the year when in December the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA and
DNA TV Show: Know all about Pran-Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
Ramlala’s life will be Pran pratishtha ceremony in Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January. Know all about the ceremony.
Jack Smith asks judge to block Trump from making ‘partisan political attacks’ during trial
Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed another motion with the district court, which seeks to tamp down what former President Donald Trump’s legal team can tell a jury in his federal trial currently scheduled for March. The motion, filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is seeking to limit what statements Trump can make leading up to his scheduled March 4 federal trial on alleged 2020 election interference. That includes a request to prevent Trump from telling the jury he is being prosecuted by the DOJ in coordination with President Biden, as well as suggestions by Trump of undercover agents fomenting violence at the Capitol riots, and of “foreign influence” in the 2020 election. “Through public statements, filings, and argument in hearings before the Court, the defense has attempted to inject into this case partisan political attacks and irrelevant and prejudicial issues that have no place in a jury trial,” Smith’s team told U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. SPECIAL COUNSEL IN TRUMP CASE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, FORMER REAGAN AG SAYS “Although the Court can recognize these efforts for what they are and disregard them, the jury – if subjected to them – may not. The Court should not permit the defendant to turn the courtroom into a forum in which he propagates irrelevant disinformation, and should reject his attempt to inject politics into this proceeding. To ensure that the jury remains focused on its fact-finding duty and applies the law as instructed by the Court, the defendant’s improper evidence and argument should be excluded.” The filing claims that “through his groundless demand for discovery of evidence regarding ‘investigative misconduct,’” Trump “has suggested that he intends to impeach the integrity of the investigation by raising wholly false claims such as the Government’s non-existent ‘coordination with the Biden Administration’ and other empty allegations recycled from the selective and vindictive prosecution motion that he based on anonymous sources in newspaper articles.” “Although the defendant is entitled to cross-examine the Government’s law enforcement witnesses about matters fairly within the scope of their direct testimony, he cannot raise wholly irrelevant topics in an effort to confuse and distract the jury. Much as the defendant would like it otherwise, this trial should be about the facts and the law, not politics.” SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH TO USE DATA FROM TRUMP’S PHONE IN ELECTION INTERFERENCE TRIAL: COURT FILING The motion seeks to prevent Trump from telling jurors about the potential punishment he could face if convicted, as well as blaming law enforcement agencies for a lack of preparation in advance of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. “Evidence about undercover actors holds no probative value here,” Smith’s team wrote in the filing regarding the riot, saying the “defendant also appears poised to blame undercover agents, government informants, or confidential human sources (collectively, ‘undercover actors’) for the violence at the Capitol on January 6.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The motion to preclude Trump from introducing broad categories of arguments is a way for prosecutors to try to set parameters on what information they believe the jury should, or should not, hear when the case reaches trial. It was filed as the case is effectively on hold during an appeal of the former president’s claims that he is immune from prosecution for acts taken while in the White House. JACK SMITH WANTS ‘DOWN AND DIRTY’ TRUMP CONVICTIONS TO INFLUENCE 2024 ELECTION: ALAN DERSHOWITZ “A bank robber cannot defend himself by blaming the bank’s security guard for failing to stop him,” prosecutors wrote. “A fraud defendant cannot claim to the jury that his victims should have known better than to fall for his scheme. And the defendant cannot argue that law enforcement should have prevented the violence he caused and obstruction he intended.” The Supreme Court declined last week to get involved in the dispute for now, but a federal appeals panel is set to hear arguments on the matter on Jan. 9. The trial is scheduled for March 4 in federal court in Washington, but it could be postponed by appeals of the immunity issue. Chutkan imposed a partial gag order against Trump in October blocking him from making statements targeting Smith, his staff, potential witnesses and court personnel. Chutkan said the former president is able to criticize the Justice Department in general terms and has the right to post his view that the case against him is politically motivated. However, the judge said Trump cannot post attacks against prosecutors or court staff. A federal appeals court upheld key parts of that gag order in December. “An Appeals Court has just largely upheld the Gag Order against me in the ridiculous J6 Case, where the Unselect January 6th Committee deleted and destroyed almost all Documents and Evidence, saying that I can be barred from talking and, in effect, telling the truth,” Trump posted on Truth Social after that ruling. “In other words, people can speak violently and viciously against me, or attack me in any form, but I am not allowed to respond, in kind. What is becoming of our First Amendment, what is becoming of our Country? We will appeal this decision!” Trump pleaded not guilty in federal court to all four federal charges stemming from Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The judge presiding over the New York Trump Organization trial also imposed a partial gag order to prevent all parties from engaging in any verbal attacks against court staff after Trump criticized a member of the judge’s office on social media. An appeals court stay was temporarily issued on the New York gag order, but it was reinstated in November. “Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith, the out of control Lunatic who just hired outside attorneys, fresh from the SWAMP (unprecedented!), to help him with his poorly executed WITCH HUNT against ‘TRUMP’ and ‘MAGA,’”
Indiana lawmaker joins growing list of GOP legislators opting for retirement in 2024
State Rep. Denny Zent of Angola announced his intention to retire following the conclusion of his current term, becoming the second GOP state representative this month to do so. The Republican representing House District 51, which includes portions of LaGrange and Steuben counties in northeast Indiana, said Wednesday he will complete his current term but will not seek reelection in 2024. He did not give a reason for his departure in his announcement. “It has been an honor to serve for over a decade in the General Assembly,” Zent said in a written statement. “During my time in the legislature, we’ve made great strides in helping our veterans, recognizing the crucial roles of caregivers and addressing various health care matters impacting Hoosiers.” INDIANA COUNTY JUDGE STRIKES DOWN ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ VOTING LAW IN FAVOR OF GOP SENATE HOPEFUL Zent currently serves on the the House Public Health Committee and the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee. He was first elected to the General Assembly in 2012. “He’s a tremendous servant leader who puts the needs of his district first and always looks for commonsense solutions,” House Speaker Todd Huston said in a written statement. Zent was responsible for a number of legislative items for veterans, according to his office. He introduced a measure in 2020 to rename U.S. Route 20 across northern Indiana as the Medal of Honor Memorial Highway. “I look forward to working hard during my last session and finishing up my term,” Zent said. Zent joins a number of GOP state lawmakers who are forgoing reelection in 2024. He is the second state representative to disclose his intention this month following West Harrison Republican Randy Lyness’s announcement Dec. 18. In November, Republican state Rep. Bob Cherry of Greenfield announced his intention to retire after 25 years. Carmel Republican Rep. Donna Schaibley said in October she will not seek reelection shortly after longtime lawmaker Rep. Jerry Torr, who also represents Carmel, announced his intention to retire after 28 years in the House. In August, Republican state Sen. John Crane of Avon announced he will not seek reelection after the 2024 legislative session. ANOTHER REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER RETIRES FROM INDIANA LEGISLATURE At least three other Republican lawmakers resigned this year. In September, state Sen. Jon Ford of Terre Haute said he would resign effective Oct. 16 from his western Indiana district. A Republican caucus chose Greg Goode, the state director for Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young, to finish out the remainder of Ford’s term. Republican Sen. Chip Perfect, of Lawrenceburg, resigned in late September from his southeastern Indiana seat. A caucus chose businessman Randy Maxwell to complete Perfect’s term. In July, State Rep. Randy Frye, a Republican from Greensburg, resigned from his southeastern Indiana district due to health issues. Attorney J. Alex Zimmerman was chosen to complete Frye’s term. After Republican state Sen. Jack Sandlin unexpectedly died in September, former Inspector General Cyndi Carrasco was sworn into the Senate in November to fill the Indianapolis seat.
Congress’ fight over immigration reform could last a while
Let’s game out a potential agreement on border security. There was the Christmas rush to try securing a deal before the holiday. The plan was to link an immigration accord to a massive international aid package for Israel and Ukraine requested by President Biden. The Senate stuck around Washington for a few extra days before Christmas. Talks even ran through one weekend in mid-December. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., partially delayed the Senate’s holiday recess to maintain momentum in the talks. However, few senators thought much of the effort. A meager 61 senators surfaced on the evening of Dec. 18 for a vote to confirm former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley as the Social Security Administration Commissioner. It was the sparest attendance for any Senate vote since 56 senators cast ballots on an appropriations bill on May 28, 1959. BIDEN HAS ANOTHER CALAMITOUS YEAR AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER IN 2023 AS RECORDS SHATTER The 1959 tally was only rivaled by a scant 54 senators who showed up to vote on May 5, 1960. The issue at hand was more like the issue “afoot”: duties the government levied on lathes used to make shoes. The Senate voted to give the duties the boot. Border security talks are taking so long that senators may well burn through a few pairs of shoes before they strike a deal. Even though attendance was thin last week, Senate negotiators plodded ahead. Dropping things for the holidays would likely have cost the process momentum, such as it was. Maintaining any modicum of momentum is paramount if you consider the difficult path ahead for a border security/supplemental spending package. Talks resumed this week, remotely. One source signaled to Fox News that the negotiators might meet in person before Congress reconvenes on Jan. 8, if it is believed that face-to-face negotiations would help. In fact, Fox was told it is entirely possible the sides cannot even reach an agreement until the week of Jan. 8. Of course, it remains to be seen whether they can get a deal at all. MENENDEZ BLOCKS 2 BIDEN NOMINEES OVER FRUSTRATION WITH BORDER NEGOTIATIONS Let’s consider a middle-of-the-road scenario here. Imagine the sides reach a handshake agreement late next week, before Congress returns to session. At a minimum, it will take congressional legislative counsel a week or so to actually write the very complex, intricate changes to border and immigration policy. So that gets us toward the end of the first full week of January before the bill text is ready. All the while, interest groups and factions in Congress will inevitably start to chip away at this provision or that one after details of the agreement begin to dribble out. You can anticipate that opposition from both parties could be fierce to any proposal as controversial and complicated as immigration. That is why even a deal may be far from a true agreement. So this could drift until mid-January for the Senate to begin to process this proposal — even working on an expedited timetable. However, even if things go swimmingly, there is no guarantee the Senate can move quickly. Sixty votes are necessary to extinguish filibusters to both start debate and close debate on the bill. So bet on the Senate spending at least a week-and-a-half on this measure — even on a fast track. However, what we neglected in this narrative is the realpolitik of January and February on Capitol Hill. The first two months of the year might qualify as a parliamentary Superfund site. For starters, the government could run out of money on Jan. 19. Even if lawmakers limp along past that deadline and avoid a government shutdown, they will get a second crack at it on Feb. 2. Yes. Groundhog Day. You cannot make this stuff up. No Punxsutawney Phil, here. We’ll see if “Louisiana Mike” and “Brooklyn Chuck” can pull a marmot out of their hat to avert a shutdown. Otherwise, look for clues. If they see their shadows, the government may operate for six weeks on a Continuing Resolution. If they don’t see their shadows, the stopgap bill may only last for four. You think this is daft? Considering the perils of Congressional prognostication, you could do worse than relying on a soothsaying rodent from central Pennsylvania. The potential of a government shutdown will consume everything on Capitol Hill. Of course, some longtime Capitol Hill observers might suggest that they Velcro the border security/supplemental aid package onto one of the spending bills. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., argued against that. But you never know, when you consider how few legislative trains might depart from the Congressional station early next year. The House will also delve into a potential impeachment of the president. That will demand significant oxygen on Capitol Hill. The House will likely hold a vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for failing to appear for a deposition before the Oversight Committee. Lawmakers still haven’t sorted out a potential plan to reform the foreign surveillance program commonly known as FISA. Any and all of this could sidetrack efforts to finish the border/supplemental package. And that’s if there’s ever a deal. So, don’t bank on a vote right away in January. In fact, a Senate vote could come in late January or beyond. Then, on to the House. And that is a complete wild card. Fox is told that Johnson understands that Israel and Ukraine need aid and can’t wait too long for that to materialize. But advancing any sort of immigration package through the House which deviates from the strict border security plan Republicans approved in the spring (known as “HR 2”) is going to be a monster. Johnson still has goodwill among House Republicans. But he doesn’t have much political capital. That account will dwindle even further — hinging on what Johnson decides to do about government funding. Remember that it’s far from clear what if anything the House can do to actually fund the government. So political
Prosecutors urge judge to reject Menendez’s plea for a delay in bribery trial
Federal prosecutors opposed New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez and his co-defendants’ request for a two-month delay to their bribery trial, set for May, urging a U.S. judge to reject their plea on Tuesday. “The current schedule set by the court is expedited, but reasonable,” Damian Wiliams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, wrote to U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein. “Nothing in the defendant’s request for an adjournment, made more than two months after the schedule was set, justifies a material deviation from this considered schedule.” Last week, Menendez’s defense lawyers argued they didn’t have enough time to sift through some 6.7 million documents in time for a May trial date and cited the “complexity of this case.” But prosecutors asserted they had completed “good-faith efforts to facilitate the defense’s efficient review.” “The government has taken great pains to organize the discovery and to assist counsel’s review of it,” the prosecutors’ filing read. MENENDEZ BLOCKS 2 BIDEN NOMINEES OVER FRUSTRATION WITH BORDER NEGOTIATIONS “Other assertions regarding the amount of time they allegedly need – such as their desire to take unspecified investigative steps, their plan to file a challenge to the sufficiency of the indictment, their desire to mount a constitutional challenge to a federal criminal statute, and their plan to file suppression motions – are not unique to this case and do not justify a multiple-month adjournment,” it continued. Menendez, along with his wife Nadine and three New Jersey businessmen – Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes – were first charged in the federal bribery scheme on Sept. 23. FBI and IRS criminal investigators allege that Menendez and his wife accepted several gold bars and other gifts from Daibes, a New Jersey developer and former bank chairman accused of banking crimes. Menendez allegedly worked to help appoint a prosecutor who would be sympathetic to Daibes, according to the indictment. The unsealed indictment alleges that from at least 2018 through 2022, Menendez and his wife “engaged in a corrupt relationship” with Daibes, Hana and Uribe. The couple is accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to seek to protect and enrich Hana, Uribe, and Daibes and to benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt.” MENENDEZ PLEADS ‘NOT GUILTY’ TO FOREIGN AGENT CHARGE The alleged bribes included cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low- or no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and “other things of value.” After the investigation was underway, Menendez reportedly disclosed that his family had accepted gold bars in 2020. According to prosecutors, Menendez allegedly shared confidential U.S. government information with Hana, an Egyptian American businessman, to clandestinely support the Egyptian government. The indictment contends that Menendez exerted inappropriate pressure on a Department of Agriculture official to safeguard Hana’s business monopoly granted by Egypt. In return, Hana purportedly funneled profits from his monopoly back to Menendez. TOP DEM COMMITTEE ACCEPTED THOUSANDS FROM MENENDEZ THE SAME DAY FEDS UNSEALED HIS BRIBERY CHARGES Menendez faces additional charges of acting as a foreign agent and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes to benefit the Egyptian government through his “power and influence as a Senator,” according to the superseding indictment filed by a grand jury in Manhattan in October.
Man who sold his land to donate Rs 1 crore for Ram Mandir
UP man sold his land to donate Rs 1 crore for the construction of the Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Melania Trump spends Christmas with ailing mother, missing Mar-a-Lago celebration
EXCLUSIVE: Former first lady Melania Trump celebrated Christmas with her ailing mother, Fox News Digital has learned. A source close to the former first lady told Fox News Digital that she did not attend the Trump family Christmas celebration at Mar-a-Lago earlier this week so that she could spend time with her ailing mother. MELANIA TRUMP TO SPEAK TO NEW AMERICAN CITIZENS ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY OF ‘GUARDING OUR FREEDOM’ “Melania has always been very devoted to her entire family,” a source close to Melania Trump told Fox News Digital. “It should be no surprise that she spent this Christmas with her ailing mother.” Former President Trump and Melania’s son, Barron, attended the Christmas dinner with his father and other family members at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. MELANIA FULLY BEHIND TRUMP’S 2024 CAMPAIGN, SAYS IT WOULD BE A ‘PRIVILEGE’ TO SERVE AS FIRST LADY AGAIN The former first lady, in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year, said she fully supports her husband’s presidential campaign and looks forward to “restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength” during a possible second term in the White House. She told Fox News Digital it would be a “privilege” to serve as first lady again. Trump said that if she has “the privilege” to serve as first lady again in 2024, she would continue to prioritize initiatives focused on the well-being and development of children, to ensure they have the “support and resources they need to reach their full potential.” Former President Trump currently holds a commanding lead over the GOP primary field. During her time as first lady, Melania Trump hosted virtual roundtables on foster care as part of her “Be Best” initiative, and focused on strengthening the child welfare system. She worked with members of Congress on legislation that secured funding for grants awarded to youth and young adults currently or formerly in foster care to help pay for college, career school or training. The bill ultimately was signed by then-President Trump in December 2020. MELANIA TRUMP ROLLS OUT ‘AMERICAN CHRISTMAS’ ORNAMENTS, NFTS TO HELP FUND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FOSTER CHILDREN Since leaving the White House, the former first lady also created special edition Non-Fungible Tokens. A portion of those proceeds went toward her initiative “Fostering the Future” to secure education opportunities and scholarships for children in the foster care community. Meanwhile, earlier this month, Melania Trump spoke to new American citizens about the “responsibility” of citizenship and the importance of “guarding our freedom” during a naturalization ceremony in the historic National Archives Rotunda. The ceremony featured 25 people from 25 nations sworn in as new citizens of the U.S. before the Constitution and other founding documents.
Mayorkas, Blinken to meet with Mexican president to talk migrant crisis amid massive numbers, new caravan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday to discuss the “unprecedented” migration in the hemisphere just as migrant numbers are breaking records in the U.S. and a new caravan is moving north. Blinken is traveling to Mexico City, where he will join Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, in a meeting with Lopez Obrador. The State Department said that the officials will discuss “unprecedented irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere and identify ways Mexico and the United States will address border security challenges, including actions to enable the reopening of key ports of entry across our shared border.” MIGRANT CRISIS INCREASING STRAIN ON BORDER OFFICIALS, IMMIGRATION COURTS WITH MASSIVE NUMBERS “Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the Los Angeles Declaration for Migration and Protection, and underscore the urgent need for lawful pathways and additional enforcement actions by partners throughout the region,” the State Department said. The LA declaration was unveiled last year and involved commitments from multiple nations in the hemisphere to manage the massive migrant wave moving through the region. The Biden administration has emphasized the importance of regional cooperation to what it sees as a region-wide challenge, as well as the importance of expanding “lawful pathways” for migrants. The U.S. has set up regional processing centers in the region, while significantly (and controversially) expanding the use of humanitarian parole to allow tens of thousands of migrants into the U.S. each month. However, the crisis, which has dogged the administration since taking office, has continued and has ramped up in recent weeks and months, threatening to shatter additional records. Fox News reported this week that during the four-day Christmas weekend, there were more than 35,000 migrant encounters, and since Dec. 1, there have been over 250,000 migrant encounters at the southern border — meaning December could break the monthly record for encounters set in September (269,735). NOVEMBER SAW NEARLY QUARTER OF A MILLION MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AMID NEW BORDER SURGE Meanwhile, another migrant caravan, estimated to include over 8,000 migrants, has been making its way through southern Mexico. Caravans regularly make the trip toward the border but often break up before reaching the U.S. with migrants making their own way, boarding trains or settling in Mexico. Back home, the Biden administration has said it needs more funding from Congress and legislation to fix a “broken” system. It has also said that it is expanding additional lawful pathways while at the same time increasing consequences for illegal entry. However, Republicans have blamed the crisis on the Biden administration’s policies, including its releases of migrants into the interior, narrowed ICE deportation priorities and the rollback of Trump-era policies like border wall construction and the “Remain-in-Mexico” policy. While the White House has requested $14 billion in additional border security funding, that request is currently tied up in Washington amid Republican calls for more limits on asylum and the use of humanitarian parole. The White House has said it is open to compromise, but some Democrats have pushed back against any additional limits. Lopez Obrador has been weighing in on U.S. politics and feuding with Republicans over the border. He recently attacked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for signing a law that allows law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. “The Texas governor acts that way because he wants to be the Republican vice presidential candidate and wants to win popularity with these measures,” Lopez Obrador said. “He’s not going to win anything. On the contrary, he is going to lose support because there are a lot of Mexicans in Texas, a lot of migrants.” In March, after Republicans called for additional actions against Mexican drug cartels, Lopez Obrador announced an “information campaign” against Republicans “for Mexicans who live and work in the United States and for all Hispanics to inform them of what we are doing in Mexico and how this initiative by the Republicans, in addition to being irresponsible, is an offense against the people of Mexico, a lack of respect for our independence, our sovereignty.” Last week, the Mexican president said the U.S. wants Mexico to do more to stop migrants coming to the border, either by stopping them from getting into Mexico from Guatemala or limiting travel across Mexico by train and bus. Lopez Obrador said he wants the reduction of sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela and more development aid to countries where migrants are originating in return. Fox News’ Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.