Delhi-NCR wakes up to toxic smog as air continues to be ‘very poor’ at 323 AQI; Check area-wise pollution levels
Areas like Ghazipur and Akshardham reported thick haze early this morning, with visibility remaining significantly reduced. According to CPCB, many regions of the National Capital fell into the ‘very poor’ category. Check area-wise levels here.
2 Jodhpur businessmen found dead in mysterious circumstances in Thailand, one of them was famous for…, check details
Two businessmen from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, vacationing in Thailand with their families, died under mysterious circumstances. They were found dead in the swimming pool of their hotel.
IndiGo cancels over 550 flights, seeks relief from new pilot duty norms for A320 aircraft, promises operational stability by…
The airline has sought temporary operational exemptions from certain Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) provisions for its A320 fleet until February 10, 2026, and assured that operational stability will be restored by that date, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
Contracts awarded to design gates and dunes for Gulf Coast “Ike Dike” project
Supporters say the massive project would protect the Galveston Bay area from dangerous storm surge, but it remains billions of dollars short of what’s needed to build the barrier.
Supreme Court lets Texas keep new congressional map while legal battle continues
The ruling is a major win for the Trump administration and Texas Republicans, who engineered the map to give the GOP control of 30 of the state’s 38 congressional districts.
Mamdani says NYPD commissioner apologized after her brother called him ‘enemy’ of the Jewish people at gala
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Thursday that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch personally apologized to his team after her brother described him as an “enemy” of the Jewish people during a high-profile charity dinner in Manhattan on Wednesday night. Speaking at his Cocoa Chat community meeting, Mamdani stressed that the apology was received and that he intends to govern for all New Yorkers. “The commissioner apologized to my team for those remarks, and I look forward to being a mayor for each and every New Yorker, including Jewish New Yorkers,” Mamdani said. He emphasized that the incident will not interfere with his working relationship with Tisch, whom he has chosen to keep on as police commissioner despite policy disagreements. ADL LAUNCHES ‘MAMDANI MONITOR’ TO TRACK NYC MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI OVER ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS “My focus in my conversations with Commissioner Tisch is on delivering public safety and doing so in tandem with justice for New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” he said. “The apology was one that she conveyed to the team. I appreciated it, and my focus is back on delivering.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, NYPD spokesperson Brad Weekes shared the commissioner’s message: “I understand the fear in the Jewish community. My sincere belief is that the mayor-elect will live up to the commitment he’s made to be a mayor for all New Yorkers, including the Jewish community.” ADAMS ISSUES ORDERS BLOCKING NYC FROM BOYCOTTING ISRAEL AS CLASH WITH MAMDANI GROWS The apology came after Tisch’s brother, Benjamin Tisch, the billionaire CEO of Loews Corporation, used his remarks at the Met Council’s annual gala to label Mamdani an “enemy” of the Jewish people, according to two attendees who spoke with the New York Daily News. Witnesses from the gala – which was hosted at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan – described the moment as jarring, particularly because Commissioner Tisch recently agreed to remain at the helm of the NYPD under Mamdani’s incoming administration. One attendee told the Daily News the room reacted in stunned silence: “It was just like, ‘wow, he’s actually going to go there.’” Benjamin Tisch has not yet commented publicly on the incident. Mamdani, a democratic socialist and a vocal critic of Israel, has repeatedly rejected allegations that his views on Israel are antisemitic. Members of the wider Tisch family donated more than $1 million to super PACs opposing Mamdani during the 2025 mayoral race and backing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to the NY Daily News. Commissioner Tisch did not donate. Last month, Mamdani told the NY Daily News: “The two of us will not shy away from the fact that we hold disagreements on certain issues… but I also believe that these disagreements are not only reconcilable, but they are the sign of a healthy partnership to come.” The flare-up comes just weeks before Mamdani’s Jan. 1 inauguration. Mayor-elect Mamdani and a representative for Benjamin Tisch did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Democrats’ anger at federal government hit record high just days before shutdown: Pew poll
America’s emotional divide over the federal government has never been wider, according to a new Pew Research Center survey showing record-high anger among Democrats, rising Republican contentment and near-collapse levels of public trust, all captured days before the government plunged into a 43-day shutdown. The probability-based, nationally representative poll, conducted Sept. 22-28, 2025, found nearly half of Americans (49%) say they feel frustrated with the federal government, 26% say they are angry and only 23% say they are basically content. Pew reports that 44% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now say they feel “angry” toward the federal government, the “highest share expressed by members of either party in surveys dating back to 1997.” IT WON’T GET ANY BETTER: WASHINGTON FACES ANOTHER LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The number has jumped 10 points from 34% among Democrats during President Trump’s first term. Just 8% of Democrats say they are content. Republicans and GOP leaners show a dramatically different mood with 40% reporting contentment, half as frustrated and 9% angry. GOP anger, by comparison, peaked during the Obama and Biden administrations. Pew says this emotional gap between the parties is now the largest ever measured. Only about 1 in 5 Americans say they trust the federal government to do what’s right “just about always” or “most of the time,” a level Pew notes is “one of the lowest in the nearly seven decades since the question was first asked.” YOUNG AMERICANS GIVE BIG THUMBS DOWN TO DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, TRUMP: POLL Democratic trust in the federal government sits in single digits in this wave. Republican trust, while still limited, is higher than it was a year ago before Trump was re-elected president. Pew’s long-running trend shows frustration has been the nation’s default mood for nearly three decades, but this survey captures a rare structural shift with frustration dipping slightly, while both anger and contentment rise almost entirely along party lines. That movement, Pew says, signals deepening emotional and political distance between Americans who are reacting to the same Trump administration in completely different ways. Fox News Digital has requested comment from the White House on the survey’s findings. Pew researchers say they will continue tracking these attitudes into the 2026 midterms, noting that large swings in anger and trust have historically preceded shifts in political engagement and voter behavior. For now, Pew’s new survey offers one conclusion that is hard to ignore. Americans aren’t just divided by politics, but by how they emotionally experience Trump 2.0.
DHS arrests dozens of illegal immigrants within 24 hours of launching New Orleans operation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday that it had made dozens of arrests in New Orleans just one day after launching Operation Catahoula Crunch, the latest federal immigration operation cracking down on criminal illegal immigrants. “Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens harming them, their families or their neighbors,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “In just 24 hours on the ground, our law enforcement officers have arrested violent criminals with rap sheets that include homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, robbery, theft and assault.” DHS released several photos of the arrested individuals accused of “terrorizing Americans.” The men, all with criminal histories, are reportedly from Vietnam, Honduras, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. SEXUAL PREDATORS, DRUG TRAFFICKERS AMONG ICE’S ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ROUNDUP IN VIRGINIA Officials said they detained Vietnamese national Binh Van To, who has been convicted of kidnapping, homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Hung Ngoc Tran, another Vietnamese national, was convicted of sexual assault, larceny and “fondling” a child, DHS said. DHS said Carlos Roberto Guardado-Ramirez of Honduras was arrested for simple battery, domestic abuse, child endangerment, resisting an officer and driving while intoxicated. Jose Raul Lopez-Serrano, also a Honduran national, was convicted for marijuana possession and previously arrested for disturbing the peace, DHS added. 250 BORDER AGENTS TO DEPLOY TO LOUISIANA FOR ‘SWAMP SWEEP,’ REPORT SAYS Luis Fernando Maldonado-Velasquez, a Guatemalan who has an immigration warrant, has previously been arrested for suspected vehicle theft and forging and altering documents, DHS added. Freddy Caldero-Caraballo is from the Dominican Republic and was reportedly arrested for suspected possession of cocaine, public intoxication and driving while intoxicated. McLaughlin condemned sanctuary politicians Thursday for failing to prioritize the safety of American families, echoing previous statements that sanctuary policies have allowed illegal immigrants with criminal allegations to be released. “President Trump and Secretary Noem will stand up to protect American families when sanctuary politicians won’t,” McLaughlin said. “If you see a law enforcement officer today, thank them. “Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DHS for more information.
Ex-New York State official accused of spying for China called Hochul ‘more obedient’ than Cuomo, trial reveals
A former top New York state official accused of spying for China once remarked that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was “much more obedient” than former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Linda Sun made the remark after she convinced Hochul, who served as Cuomo’s lieutenant governor at the time, to film a Lunar New Year video touting China’s New York consulate, the New York Post reported, citing evidence presented at Sun’s corruption trial. “She is much more obedient than the governor,” Sun wrote to China consular official Lihua Li in a Jan. 25, 2021, message shown to jurors in Brooklyn federal court. EX-OFFICIALS COULD GET LIFETIME BANS FROM LOBBYING FOR CHINA, RUSSIA UNDER NEW BIPARTISAN PUSH Minutes later, Sun texted Huang Ping, who headed the consulate office at the time. “The deputy governor listens to me more than the governor does,” she allegedly wrote, prosecutors said. Chinese officials had asked for Cuomo to film the video, but Sun told them she could likely get Hochul to participate instead, prosecutors said. “Let me ask, but likely the LG can probably do it,” Sun replied to Li, referring to Hochul. “That would be great as well. Thanks,” Li responded. In the two-minute video, Hochul wishes everyone a happy Lunar New Year and talks about the “privilege” of working with the Chinese American community and the Chinese consular office. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul’s office. Sun, who also served under Hochul, is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHINESE NATIONAL TRIED STEALING SENSITIVE AI MICROCHIPS, DOJ SAYS Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., reacted in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital as she gears up for a campaign to unseat Gov. Hochul. “The Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul not only bent the knee to the radical Socialists but is also fully compromised by the Communist Chinese Party,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital. “Hochul is the Worst Governor in America for New Yorkers, but the most obedient for the Communist Chinese Party. I have a sterling record standing up against Communist China, and there will be no spies infiltrating our state government when we Save New York.” Prosecutors from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office believe Sun acted on behalf of the Chinese government on a number of occasions, including seeking a high-level state visit to China and preventing representatives of the Taiwanese government from meeting with American officials. In 2023, Sun was fired from her position after “evidence of misconduct” was discovered. She is accused of doing favors for Chinese officials in exchange for millions of dollars in business funneled to her husband, Chris Hu, who conducted business in China. Hu and Sun are accused of using the money to buy property on Long Island and in Honolulu worth more than $6 million, in addition to a 2024 Ferrari Roma sports car. In one instance, Sun allegedly claimed to be able to stop Cuomo from mentioning the plight of the Uyghurs, the predominantly Muslim ethnic group that has been targeted by the Chinese government through mass incarceration and forced labor, according to human rights advocates. In the Jan. 25, 2021, exchange with Ping, Sun wrote that she had an “argument” with Cuomo’s speechwriter, who had “insisted” on bringing up the Uyghurs, according to the Post report. “This person has never been to China, right? He knows very little about China,” Ping replied. “Never been there,” Sun said. “I’m going to collapse. “I will think of a solution tomorrow, but I will definitely not let the governor bring it up.” Sun’s lawyers argued that her relationship with Chinese officials was not improper and was legal. “Linda Sun did what she was hired to do. She didn’t commit a crime by doing her job,” defense attorney Jarrod Schaeffer told jurors at the start of the trial, the Post reported.
US carries out 22nd strike on alleged drug vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization
The U.S. military carried out another strike on a suspected drug vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization, killing four narco-terrorists and marking the 22nd strike under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The strike on Thursday against a boat allegedly carrying drugs is the first strike in more than two weeks and brings the total killed to 86. “On Dec. 4, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization,” U.S. Southern Command said. “Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed.” U.S. Southern Command shared video of the strike on social media, showing the strike on the alleged drug-carrying vessel. US CARRIES OUT 8TH STRIKE ON ALLEGED DRUG VESSEL, THIS TIME IN EASTERN PACIFIC, HEGSETH SAYS The latest strike comes as lawmakers question another U.S. attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean, a Sept. 2 operation now under scrutiny for how commanders handled the survivors. Adm. Mitch Bradley confirmed to lawmakers Thursday that Hegseth did not order all survivors of counter-narcotics strikes be killed, pushing back on a Washington Post report that claimed he directed commanders to “kill them all.” Rep. Jim Himes said Bradley confirmed “there had not been a kill them all order” and no instruction to grant no quarter, a point echoed by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton. SPEC OPS CHIEF ORDERED DEADLY CARIBBEAN STRIKE ‘IN SELF-DEFENSE’ WITH HEGSETH’S SIGN-OFF, WHITE HOUSE SAYS Lawmakers who viewed the full video disagreed sharply over what it showed. Himes described the survivors as “shipwrecked sailors,” while Cotton said the footage showed them “trying to flip their boat back over and continue their mission.” Sen. Chris Coons said it would be “hard to watch the series of videos and not be troubled by it,” while Rep. Rick Crawford criticized Democrats who said they were troubled, arguing they were ignoring the realities of targeting designated terrorists. Other recent strikes have resulted in different outcomes. In an Oct. 16 operation that killed two, two survivors were captured and sent back to Colombia and Mexico. During a series of Oct. 27 strikes that killed 14, one survivor was left for retrieval by the Mexican coast guard. Cotton said the protocol for handling survivors has remained consistent since early September. SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO HALT MILITARY ACTION, DRUG BOAT STRIKES IN THE CARIBBEAN Legal analysts raised concerns after learning the Sept. 2 survivors were killed in a follow-up strike, noting the Pentagon’s Law of War manual prohibits attacking persons rendered “helpless” by wounds, sickness or shipwreck unless they resume hostile action. Pentagon officials have suggested the survivors may have been able to call for backup, a factor Bradley viewed as a threat. Hegseth has said he watched the initial strike in real time but did not view the second and had no involvement in authorizing it. He has maintained he stands by Bradley’s decision. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.