Operation Sindoor: Airports across north India to remain shut, Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet halt flights, check advisory
In the wake of Operation Sindoor, the Airports Authority of India has verified the closure of the Srinagar airfield, with no commercial flights scheduled to operate from the area for the day.
Operation Sindoor: Terror hotbeds in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sialkot, PoJK among targets
India carried out precision strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoJK in a joint operation by the Army, Navy, and Air Force under Operation Sindoor, monitored by PM Modi.
Noem calls for the death penalty following maritime human smuggling attempt that left child dead
Homeland Security Secretary Kristin Noem called for the death penalty in the wake of a disastrous maritime human smuggling operation that left one child, and at least two others, dead. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced charges Tuesday against five illegals in an alleged human smuggling attempt gone wrong that resulted in at least three deaths, including a 14-year-old boy from India. According to the attorney’s office, witnesses observed an overturned panga boat at a beach in Del Mar, California, on Monday. The statement said bystanders and San Diego lifeguards attempted rescue efforts, and law enforcement officials recovered three bodies, including a 14-year-old boy identified in court records as “P.P.B.” The boy’s mother and father and two others were rescued and are hospitalized. The father is in a coma. The deceased child’s 10-year-old sister is still “missing at sea” and presumed dead. Two Mexican nationals, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, were arrested at the beach and were charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. They face possible death sentences or life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the first charge and penalties of ten years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $250,000 fine for the second. Earlier in the evening Noem posted on X: “This tragic loss of life underscores the deadly reality of maritime human smuggling and why Congress authorized the death penalty when human smuggling results in a death. I am urging the Attorney General to prosecute the suspects to the fullest extent under the law.” TRUMP SAYS MEXICAN PRESIDENT IS AFRAID OF CARTELS AFTER SHE REJECTED HIS OFFER TO SEND US TROOPS TO MEXICO U.S. Border Patrol agents later identified two vehicles involved, apprehended the drivers and recovered eight of the remaining nine migrants missing from the boat, leaving only the 10-year-old child unaccounted for. The U.S. attorney’s office charged the three Mexican nationals caught allegedly transporting the migrants — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31 — with transportation of illegal aliens. They face maximum sentences of ten years in prison and $500,000 fines. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Rojas-Fregoso, identified as having previously been deported Dec. 19, 2023, is also facing an additional two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said “the drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business.” FATHER WHOSE SON DIED FROM FENTANYL WARNS OVERDOSES ‘CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE’ AS STATES FIGHT DEADLY CRISIS Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego, said “yesterday’s heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed.” “Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case,” Gibson said. “The HSI, along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths.”
Texas Senate panel advances bill that would no longer allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition
The bill would overturn a two-decade-old law allowing some undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition.
Trump expresses ‘absolute confidence’ as Steve Witkoff is sworn in as special Middle East envoy
President Donald Trump’s new special envoy to the Middle East was sworn in by Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday in an Oval Office ceremony. Speaking before the swearing-in, Trump praised Witkoff, who was instrumental in securing an extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the return of 33 hostages, including two Americans, who were being held by Hamas. Trump said Witkoff has “been with me, more or less, one way or the other, every step of the way,” adding that he has “absolute confidence and support and trust” in his Middle East envoy’s ability to secure key deals in the realm of foreign diplomacy, such as ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hamas and between Ukraine and Russia. Though Witkoff is a real estate businessman by trade, Trump said he “quickly established himself as one of the toughest, smartest and best negotiators in the business,” which is why he chose him for the important role of special envoy to the Middle East. TRUMP’S GOODWILL TESTED AS PUTIN IGNORES PEACE EFFORTS DURING WITKOFF’S VISIT “As a businessman, he’s admired and respected by all, and now Steve is putting his talents to work for America’s special envoy to the United States and making a lot of progress. Our country is blessed to have a negotiator of such skill and experience who really selflessly steps up to the plate, puts himself forward all the time,” the president said. Trump did note there was somewhat of a learning curve for Witkoff when it came to foreign government relations but said he has been “figuring it out” at a lightning pace. “It takes him about an hour to figure it out,” Trump said. “After that, he’s brutal. He does a great job.” NEXT US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? HERE’S WHO TRUMP MIGHT PICK TO REPLACE WALTZ Trump noted Witkoff has already been active over the last several months, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders from Iran. “He’s working tirelessly to end the bloody and destructive conflicts,” said Trump, touting Witkoff’s success so far in negotiations with various world leaders. After the ceremony, Trump took questions from reporters, addressing a range of topics, including the just-announced ceasefire between the U.S. and the Houthis. When asked about conflicting reports indicating the Houthis do not plan to stop attacking Israel, Trump said that the terror group’s surrogates have indicated “very strongly” that “they want nothing to do with [the United States].” Trump was also asked questions about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and, in particular, about the release of the remaining 21 living hostages. “This is a terrible situation. We’re trying to get the hostages out. We’ve gotten a lot of them out,” Trump told reporters, noting it is also just important to find and return the bodies of those already killed by Hamas. TRUMP’S SPECIAL ENVOY ON PUTIN’S CONTINENTAL ASPIRATIONS: ‘I JUST DON’T SEE THAT HE WANTS TO TAKE ALL OF EUROPE’ He shared that two weeks ago a couple whose son died as a hostage came to him and said, “Please, sir, my son is dead. Please get us back his body.” “They wanted his body. He’s dead,” Trump said from the Oval Office after Witkoff’s confirmation. “They know. He said they wanted his body as much as you would want the boy if he was alive. It’s a very sad thing.” Trump also commented on Iran and its potential development of nuclear weaponry. The president said definitively that “they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.” “This is really crunch time. I would tell you, for Iran and for their country, this is a very important time for Iran. This is the most important time in the history of Iran, for Iran, and I hope they do what’s right,” Trump told reporters. “I’d love to see a peace deal, a strong peace deal. … We want it to be a successful country,” he added. “We don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that. But they can’t have a nuclear weapon. And if they choose to go a different route, it’s going to be a very sad thing. And it’s something we don’t want to have to do, but we have no choice.”
US officials to meet with Chinese counterparts in Switzerland amid trade war
Top officials with the Trump administration are expected to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this week in Switzerland, marking the first major talks between the two countries since President Donald Trump ignited a trade war based on tariffs on imports. TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOT DROP TARIFFS TO GET CHINA TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Jamieson Greer, a trade representative, are expected to represent the U.S. as they meet with their Chinese counterparts in Geneva. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The meeting comes as the U.S. market worries over the effects of Trump’s tariffs on prices and supply continue to increase. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Operation Sindoor: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calls India’s strike “cowardly attack”, says, “…has every right to respond forcefully to this act of war”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called India’s missile strike as “cowardly attacks”. Tensions between India and Pakistan have heightened amid fears of an all-out war and India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ has prompted Pakistan’s response who have issued statements of revenge.
Operation Sindoor: NSA Ajit Doval speaks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after India strikes terror bases in Pak, PoK
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “shortly after” India early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and briefed him on the actions taken, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC said.
Trump admin reinstates 9/11 survivors program staff following HHS reorganization
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration’s Health and Human Services Department (HHS) sent out reinstatement notices to staff members who were part of a federal healthcare program for 9/11 survivors, following a reduction in force at HHS and its subagencies as part of Trump’s efforts to optimize the federal government. The administration announced in mid-February that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would face cuts that would reduce the agency’s workforce by roughly one-tenth. As part of that reduction in force, 16 workers at the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) were let go, an HHS official confirmed. The move spurred concern from both Democrats and Republicans. TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES LEADING CHARGE ON NEW MULTISTATE LAWSUIT OVER HHS CUTS New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, whose district in the Hudson Valley is home to many 9/11 first responders, reportedly indicated after the cuts that he was actively communicating with the Trump administration about them. “This political chaos is jeopardizing the healthcare of heroes,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., added in a Sunday statement about the 16 fired WTCHP workers. After political pressure in early April, the Trump administration eventually restored WTCHP Administrator Dr. John Howard to his role as head operator of the program, according to Lawler, and today all the staff members at WTCHP who were let go as part of the administration’s DOGE efforts have been reinstated. One of the 16 total staffers who were swept up in the cuts had already accepted a resignation buyout offered by the Trump administration. “We appreciate the department’s swift action to address these notices and return critical program staff to work to help assist and provide ongoing services,” Howard said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We’re ready to serve the more than 133,000 responders and survivors of the 9/11 attacks who are served by this program along with other critical programs in NIOSH.” NEW HHS REPORT SHEDS ADDITIONAL LIGHT ON RISKS OF GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS The federal program, which is housed within the (CDC), was established by Congress in 2010 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. It is operated by the CDC’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. The program was developed to provide healthcare services to 9/11 victims, first responders and others involved in support services during the attacks who were exposed to harmful contaminants that day, as many were forced to inhale toxic dust and debris as they attempted to save lives. The program, which was extended in 2015, is slated to run until 2090 and aims to ensure that patients directly affected by the 9/11 attacks in New York, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, have zero out-of-pocket costs for any health complications that came as a result of the 9/11 attacks. “The chaos we see throughout the administration we’re seeing 10 times over at the World Trade Center program,” Schumer said over the weekend ahead of the reinstatements, according to New York’s Spectrum News NY1. “We hear people are being fired, then we hear they’re being restored; then we hear they’re being fired, then they’re being restored.”
Red-state governor shoots down bill banning this common hospitality industry item
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed legislation that would largely ban Styrofoam containers, dubbing it “textbook government overreach.” House Bill 477 would phase out the use of the containers by 2030, but starting in 2028 for restaurants and the hospitality industry. Introduced by Democrat state Rep. Marilyn Marler, the legislation garnered some bipartisan support in the Republican-majority legislature. WATCH: RED STATE GOV URGES FIREARMS MAKERS TO DITCH COLORADO AMID ITS ANTI-GUN PUSH “Our state should remain a sanctuary for freedom and free enterprise, and let high taxes, high spending, and hyper-regulation remain a feature of deep blue, progressive states,” the Republican wrote in his veto letter, citing how various blue states like California and Washington have imposed similar regulations. “Frankly, I was surprised to receive House Bill 477 which dictates to restaurants, food establishments, bakeries, resorts, hotels, and others what they can and can’t use to package food and drinks,” he continued. Proponents of the legislation argued that the material poses a health and environmental risk, and many places have already stopped using Styrofoam, according to KTVQ. CUTTING THE ‘GREEN TAPE’: CONSERVATION GROUP OFFERS TOP 10 WAYS FOR DEPT OF INTERIOR TO STREAMLINE The bill stated that polystyrene foam “is a material that causes environmental harm and poses a threat to fish and wildlife; and whereas, styrofoam takes up space in landfills and contributes to the need for costly expansions borne by taxpayers; and whereas, styrofoam threatens the right of each Montanan to a clean and healthful environment.” The proposal included a few exceptions but would require an application for using the foam as it relates to “transportation; construction; health; or safety.” “Finally, if policymakers are trying to get rid of Styrofoam, which I’m not, why only target restaurants and food-service establishments? Why not packaging supplies? Though I’m not advocating such an approach, targeting one industry that uses Styrofoam and not another seems inconsistent with the purported purpose of House Bill 477,” the governor wrote. GOP GOVERNOR RALLIES AROUND HISTORIC PROPOSAL TO SLASH STATE’S INCOME TAX: ‘I AM OPTIMISTIC’ “The state banning Styrofoam is costly government overreach,” Gianforte said, saying it would cost taxpayers an estimated $300,000 through a new Montana Department of Environmental Quality program and could create additional costs for consumers if businesses are forced to make the switch. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I enjoy hot coffee in a Styrofoam cup because it keeps it hot. And this bill is a hot mess,” he said in a video posted to X on Monday.