China will double its nuclear arsenal to over 1,000 warheads by 2030, according to US intelligence
China is expected to double its nuclear arsenal to 1,000 warheads over the next five years, according to a new Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report. In 2020, the DIA assessed China had acquired 200 nuclear warheads and would double that by the end of the decade. Now, the intelligence agency says China has already reached 500 warheads and will have more than 1,000 by 2030. “China is undergoing the most rapid expansion and ambitious modernization of its nuclear forces in history,” the report said, while noting China’s capabilities are still far behind that of the U.S. or Russia. At the same time, China carried out another “combat control” near the island over the weekend as Beijing threatens countermeasures for the U.S.’ $2 billion arms deal with Taiwan. That deal included, for the first time, an advanced air defense system battle-tested in Ukraine. Taiwan’s defense ministry said it had detected 19 Chinese military aircraft, including Su-30 fighter jets, carrying out a “joint combat readiness patrol” around Taiwan in conjunction with Chinese warships starting on Sunday morning. CHINA GOING AFTER DOWN-BALLOT RACES: REPORT REVEALS WHICH LAWMAKERS ARE IN THEIR CROSSHAIRS The report confirmed findings in the Pentagon’s 2023 report on Chinese military power. Russia has about 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and 2,000 non-strategic warheads, according to the report. Behind China are France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea. “Compared to the PLA’s nuclear modernization efforts a decade ago, current efforts dwarf previous attempts in both scale and complexity.” The PLA, or People’s Liberation Army, is China’s military force. U.S. officials have tried to question Beijing about the purpose of their rapid expansion, and haven’t gotten clear answers, according to the report. China under President Xi Jinping has been locked in a strategic competition for global power with the U.S. Beijing has long upheld a non-first-use (NFU) policy and called for talks among other nuclear powers about a joint commitment to do the same. But, the new report warns: “Chinese nuclear thinkers could be reconsidering their long-standing view that nuclear war is uncontrollable.” PUTIN WELCOMES IRAN, INDIA, CHINA TO BRICS SUMMIT TO DISCUSS ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’ TO CHALLENGE THE WEST The agency predicted China could resort to nuclear weapons if a war over Taiwan, which Beijing views as its territory, posed an existential threat to the CCP. China may accept “greater risk” as its capabilities mature, according to the report. The nation is also pursuing low-yield nuclear warheads to be used for “proportional” responses to conflict. “Coupled with PLA officers downplaying the risks of imperfect information management during crises, inexperience managing nuclear crises, and their perceptions that they can elicit intended adversary responses while maintaining sufficient battlefield awareness, Beijing may accept greater risks as its nuclear doctrine and capabilities mature.” The Pentagon has lately been grappling with how to prepare for 2027 – the point at which Chinese leaders have told their military they should have the capability to invade Taiwan. As Iran continues to enrich uranium at rapidly expanding rates and surveillance finds new activity at nuclear sites, Tehran “almost certainly” does not yet have nuclear weapons capability, according to the report. North Korea, meanwhile, is now fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine – prompting global concerns that Moscow could be providing support for Pyongyang’s nuclear programs.
Virginia appeals to SCOTUS to reverse judge’s ruling putting potential noncitizens back on voter rolls
The state of Virginia filed an emergency stay application to the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday in an 11th-hour bid to overturn a lower court ruling that halted its removal of likely noncitizens and restored about 1,600 residents to voter rolls. The appeal came hours after the Fourth Circuit of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction granted Friday by U.S. Judge Patricia Giles on Friday, which ordered Virginia to halt its process of removing potential noncitizens from its voter rolls and to reinstate all voters that had been removed in the last 90 days. The appellate court upheld Giles’s decision in ruling that the removals had in fact been “systematic,” not individualized, and thus violated federal law – a blow to Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other Republicans in the state. At issue is a provision in the National Voter Registration Act (NRVA), which requires all states to halt systematic voter roll maintenance for a 90-day “quiet period” before the election. YOUNGKIN VOWS TO APPEAL ‘TO SCOTUS’ AFTER US JUDGE ORDERS 1,600 VOTERS BACK ON BALLOT The Justice Department sued Virginia over its program earlier this month, arguing the removals were conducted too close to the Nov. 5 elections and violated the “quiet period” provision. Justice Department officials also cited concerns that eligible votes may have incorrectly been removed from the rolls without adequate notice, or enough time to correct the mistake. In the Supreme Court appeal, Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares objected to the decision on several grounds. First, that the NRVA applies to noncitizens, which he said could render the primary basis for the lawsuit obsolete. Even if the NRVA does apply, Miyares argued that the state still has an “individualized process” conducted by the Department of Motor Vehicles and local registration offices. The process compared its Department of Motor Vehicles’ noncitizens list against its list of registered voters. Those without citizenship were then informed that their voter registration would be canceled unless they could prove their citizenship in 14 days. BATTLEGROUND STATE’S HIGH COURT REJECTS GOP CHALLENGE TO PROVISIONAL BALLOT RULES Youngkin has insisted the voters were removed legally and is based on precedent from a 2006 state law enacted by then-Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat. “Let’s be clear about what just happened: only eleven days before a Presidential election, a federal judge ordered Virginia to reinstate over 1,500 individuals–who self-identified themselves as noncitizens–back onto the voter rolls,” Youngkin said in a statement Friday. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Top Republicans probe Biden admin on Afghan nationals’ alleged Election Day terrorist plot
FIRST ON FOX: Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Ranking Member Rand Paul, R-Ky., led several other Republicans in demanding answers from the Biden-Harris administration about two Afghan nationals arrested in Oklahoma for allegedly plotting an Election Day terrorist attack. Earlier this month, an Afghan national living in Oklahoma was arrested and charged with plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day with an underage co-conspirator on behalf of ISIS. HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE AFTER GOP LEADERS SAY ANTI-TRUMP RHETORIC ‘RISKS INVITING’ ANOTHER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, came into the country on Sept. 9, 2021 on a special immigrant visa after the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Biden. “After entering the United States, Tawhedi promoted ISIS propaganda, sent funds to known charities linked to ISIS support networks, and liquidated all assets to purchase weapons; with the remaining funds intended for the ISIS Treasury,” Paul wrote Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a letter Friday afternoon, which was joined by Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., James Lankford, R-Okla., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan. “Tawhedi was working with a juvenile co-conspirator with legal permanent resident status who had entered the United States on March 27, 2018, using a SIV. According to reports, the two Afghan nationals planned to carry out a violent, armed attack on Election Day.” SEN TAMMY BALDWIN HITS BACK AT GOP OPPONENT’S CLINTON COMPARISON: ‘ACTUALLY CALLED YOU DEPLORABLE’ “This alarming incident adds to a growing list of similar security breaches, raising serious concerns about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ability to effectively protect our homeland,” the senators said. ‘ILL-FATED EFFORT’: MCCONNELL WAS ‘FURIOUS’ AT RICK SCOTT’S 2022 LEADER BID, BOOK SAYS “The screening and vetting processes under the Biden-Harris administration are clearly failing, allowing criminals and individuals with terrorist links to exploit vulnerabilities in the system. Given the significant threat to American lives, it is imperative that we receive detailed information to fully understand the scope of these issues,” the letter continued. The Republicans prompted Mayorkas and DHS to provide all records and information on Tawhedi and his co-conspirator’s immigration statuses and criminal history, as well as communications between federal departments and agencies regarding them and the information in the individuals’ Terrorist Screening Data Set. SCHUMER, DEMS PRE-ELECTION REPORT URGES VOTERS TO BE WARY OF ‘MISINFORMATION’ ABOUT RESULTS The DHS did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. Tawhedi was charged less than a month before Election Day, which will take place on Nov. 5. The letter from top Republicans on the Homeland Security committee comes with less than two weeks until the presidential contest.
Trump camp responds to backlash over comedian’s Puerto Rico joke at rally
The Trump campaign is distancing itself from remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during former President Donald Trump’s New York City rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, after he jokingly described a U.S. territory as a “floating island of garbage.” “It is absolutely wild times – it really, really is. And, you know, there’s a lot going on. Like, I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now – I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said, earning him immediate criticism from both sides of the aisle. “Who is that jackwat?” asked Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was live-streaming his reaction to the event alongside Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “When you have some a–hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that’s what they think about you. It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them,” Ocasio-Cortez added. “Disgusted by Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values,” Florida GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who is Cuban American, said on X in response to the comments. FULL SPEECH: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDRESSES RALLY AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN “This is not a joke. It’s completely classless & in poor taste,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., another Cuban American, added online. “Puerto Rico is the crown jewel of the Caribbean & home to many of the most patriotic Americans I know. Tony Hinchcliffe clearly isn’t funny & definitely doesn’t reflect my values or those of the Republican Party.” Meanwhile, amid the backlash over Hinchcliffe’s joke, the Trump campaign released a statement seeking to distance itself from the controversial remarks. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” senior Trump campaign adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement to Fox News Digital. WALZ REPEATS CLINTON ATTACK THAT TRUMP MADISON SQUARE GARDEN EVEN MIRRORED 1930’S NAZI RALLY Despite getting roundly criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, Hinchcliffe doubled down on his remarks. “These people have no sense of humor,” the comedian wrote in a post on X, which was directed at Ocasio-Cortez and Walz. “Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist,” Hinchcliffe said. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set,” he argued. “I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”
NYC mayor weighs in on Trump’s historic MSG rally after 45’s gracious shoutout
New York City Mayor Eric Adams slammed former President Trump’s historic Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday for promoting “hateful words” from an invited guest speaker, despite Trump’s favorable shoutout to the mayor during the massive rally. “And you know who I want to thank?” Trump said Sunday evening from the sold-out arena. “Mayor Adams. Because Mayor Adams has been treated pretty badly. You know, when he said that this whole thing with the migrants coming into New York, this is just not sustainable. You know, we can’t do it. We’re trying to run a city, we got 100,000 migrants coming. We can’t do it, we just can’t do it, it’s not feasible, it’s not good.” “He said it very nicely,” Trump continued. “I said, ‘Well, he’s going to be indicted by these lunatics for saying that.’ A year later, he got indicted.” Fox News Digital reached out to Adams’ office for reaction to the shoutout, inquiring if the mayor agreed with Trump’s comments and for reaction to the rally overall. Adams’ office directed Fox Digital to a post from the mayor lambasting the event for the use of “hateful words,” seemingly referring to a comedian who joked about Puerto Rico ahead of Trump’s speech. TRUMP, POWERHOUSE GUESTS ROCK PACKED MSG WITH HISTORIC RALLY “The hateful words that were used by some at today’s rally at Madison Square Garden were completely unacceptable. No matter who says it, hate is hate and there is no place for it in our city. As Americans, we always should stand up against racism, antisemitism, and misogyny,” Adams posted on X. “Yesterday, ahead of today’s rally, I talked about how we all need to turn down the temperature that fuels hate and violence. I am once again renewing those calls,” he added. ELON MUSK, DANA WHITE TO APPEAR AT ‘HISTORIC’ TRUMP MSG RALLY Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, host of the popular podcast “Kill Tony,” sparked bipartisan backlash after he cracked a joke hours ahead of Trump taking the stage at Madison Square Garden that Puerto Rico is a “floating island of garbage.” “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the… ocean right now.” Hinchcliffe said. “I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” The Trump campaign released a statement distancing itself and Trump from the remark. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez noted in a statement, according to reports. Hinchcliffe, whose comedic background is rooted in roasting celebrities and other comics, joked at another point: “These Latinos, they love making babies, too. Just know that they do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.” TRUMP AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN: ICONIC VENUE HAS PLAYED HOST TO MANY CAMPAIGN GATHERINGS NEAR ELECTION DAY The comic brushed off outrage from Democrats, and a handful of Republicans, such as Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., in an X post responding to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., slamming the joke during a livestream. “These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone… watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim… might be time to change your tampon,” Hinchcliffe posted. TRUMP PREPS FOR MASSIVE CAMPAIGN RALLY SUNDAY AT NEW YORK CITY’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN Last year, Adams slammed the federal government’s handling of the immigration crisis, calling on President Biden to declare a state of emergency for the crisis, which the mayor has since linked to the motivation behind his historic corruption indictment last month. “The immigration system in this nation is broken. It has been broken for decades. Today, New York City has been left to pick up the pieces. Since last year, nearly 100,000 asylum seekers have arrived in our city asking for shelter,” Adams told reporters last year as buses of immigrants were transported to the Empire State. “That’s almost the population of Albany, New York.” “We are past our breaking point,” the mayor added. “New Yorkers’ compassion may be limitless, but our resources are not. And our partners at the state and federal levels know this.” ELON MUSK COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP IN ‘DARK GOTHIC MAGA’ AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN Adams is embroiled in a corruption case after Manhattan federal prosecutors hit him with a five-count indictment on fraud, bribery and corruption charges last month. Adams is accused of soliciting illegal campaign donations from foreign entities and falsifying paper trails to cover it up, according to a 57-page indictment. “I think they upgraded his seat in an airplane. That’s a very serious charge,” Trump joked of Adams’ charges during the event. “They’ve upgraded my seat a lot, too. I used to fly commercial. I don’t fly so much anymore, but they’d see me back there and sure, would you like an upgrade,” Trump continued. “I don’t know, maybe it’s something else.” Despite no evidence Adams was indicted over his previous remarks on the immigration crisis, he also pinned blame for the corruption scandal on his comments bucking the Democratic Party over immigration last year. TRUMP TO HOLD RALLY AT NEW YORK’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY “I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, that I would be a target, and a target I became,” Adams said last month. “Leaks and rumors have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty.” “Despite our pleas, the federal government did nothing as its broken immigration policies overloaded our shelter system. With no relief, I put the people of New York before party and politics,” he added. Last week, Adams came to Trump’s defense amid increasing claims from Trump critics, including Vice President Kamala
‘Trump card’: Internal House GOP memo reveals confidence amid dead-heat presidential race
FIRST ON FOX: The House Republicans’ campaign arm is confident that voter enthusiasm for former President Donald Trump will push them to victory in tight races across the country on Election Day. A National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) memo being sent to candidates and campaigns Monday morning, obtained by Fox News Digital, said the House GOP would rise or fall with Trump. “The NRCC holds a Trump card as we enter the home stretch: a historic environmental advantage for the GOP with Donald Trump at the top of the ticket,” it said. “The House has not flipped in the opposite direction of the results of a presidential election since the 1800s. In the previous 75 years, the House majority has not changed hands during a presidential election cycle. It’s why less than two weeks from Election Day we believe House Republicans can grow our majority.” CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION It also argues that Trump’s momentum in districts that President Biden won in 2020 is greater than it was in the last election, citing internal data. “An October NRCC polling average shows that among the 16 Biden districts that House Republicans currently hold, Kamala only leads by less than a point on the ballot,” the NRCC memo said. “This includes districts in blue states where Trump is currently either statistically tied or holds a lead where Biden won by double digits in 2020. In contrast, in 2020, Joe Biden won these 16 districts by more than 6.3% on average.” SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ A Fox News poll from mid-October found Trump leading Harris nationally 50% to 48%. Fox News Digital reached out to House Democrats’ campaign mechanism, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), for comment. Lawmakers running in tight races, generally known as “front-line” candidates, traditionally must over-perform at the top of their ticket in presidential election years to win. Both Democrats and Republicans have poured enormous time and resources into such races in New York and California, where a suburban backlash to cities’ progressive crime policies drove the House GOP into control in 2022. There are 16 seats among that number where voters chose Biden over Trump in 2020; however, and the road to the House majority likely lies through them again. Republicans’ optimism comes despite their fundraising lagging behind Democrats’ level since Vice President Kamala Harris became the party’s presidential nominee in July. “Despite Democrats’ fundraising advantage, Donald Trump’s popularity is pushing outgunned GOP challenger campaigns over the finish line,” the memo said. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ “Any Democrat-held seat won by Joe Biden by five points or less in 2020 is in danger of flipping to the GOP due to Trump’s surge – and in some areas of the country, that number is even higher.” Democrats running in 25 of the 26 races dubbed by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as “toss-ups” have outraised their Republican opponents in the most recent three-month span, according to an analysis by The Hill. Meanwhile, The DCCC raised $22.3 million in August, compared to $9.7 million by the NRCC. House Democrats ended that period with more cash than the GOP as well – $87 million compared to $70.7 million. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Centre issues advisory to curb hoax bomb threats on social media, says intermediaries must…
The scale of spread of these hoax bomb threats has been observed to be alarmingly unrestrained, facilitated by social media functions like “forwarding,” “re-sharing,” “re-posting,” and “re-tweeting.”
Delhi air pollution: AAP govt to deploy bus marshals, civil defence volunteers to fight ‘very poor’ AQI, here’s how
CM Atishi criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for terminating these workers and assured Delhi residents that her government would “find a solution.”
Delhi to face water shortage amid Diwali festivities till…; check list of affected areas
Several parts of east, northeast and south Delhi and areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council will be affected, it said.
Scalise details Trump’s vision on securing border in first 100 days
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said former President Donald Trump will move quickly to tighten laws against illegal immigration if he wins the White House. The No. 2 House Republican leader told Fox News Digital that he met with Trump earlier this year at Mar-a-Lago, where the two discussed priorities for the first 100 days of a new administration – provided the GOP sweeps Congress and the White House. Among the priorities, in addition to economic and energy initiatives, is the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. “President Trump can do a number of things on his own that he has talked about,” Scalise said Friday. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION He said Trump would likely reinstate his Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which forced asylum-seekers to wait on the Mexican side of the U.S. southwestern border while their cases were being adjudicated. Multiple human rights groups have criticized the policy as inhumane, and the Biden administration dropped it in 2021. Scalise also expects Trump to cease all “catch-and-release” policies at the border. “We know that it’s causing crime problems in every community, drug problems, the fentanyl that the drug cartels are bringing in,” Scalise said. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ A Republican-majority Congress would support Trump’s crackdown, he said, noting Capitol Hill’s role in funding federal projects and programs. “Things like building more wall – that’s something we worked with President Trump to do. We built over 500 miles of wall. Joe Biden ended that on day one,” Scalise said. “We also want to fund some more tools for our Border Patrol agents, things like drone capabilities, night vision, so that they can do an even better job of managing the border.” Other first 100-day priorities include rolling back electric vehicle mandates and setting new tax policy – with key provisions in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire in 2025. However, the Louisiana Republican was careful not to over-project confidence in the closing days of the election. He noted that the House majority would likely come down to 40 to 45 key races out of 435 and that a GOP majority would likely be a slim four to 10 seats. “These aren’t the days where you can have a 30-seat majority anymore because of redistricting and the way it’s really narrowed the map,” he said. “But at the same time, I mean, today we have a four-seat majority. We had actually dropped down to a one-seat majority earlier this year. So, you know, if we’re able to get it up close to double digits, that would really be a great night for us.” ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS Scalise himself has put in hundreds of miles on the road in support of Republican candidates. He raised $70 million this election cycle, with $15 million given to the House GOP campaign arm and $10.4 million to 206 individual candidates and incumbents. Scalise’s political team said he has visited at least 140 different districts to campaign for the 2024 cycle. In October alone, the month before Election Day, Scalise held 66 events across 28 states. Should Democrats win the House majority, however, Scalise – the longest-serving member of House GOP leadership – insisted he had no interest in challenging House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as the top House Republican. When asked if he would entertain a bid for minority leader against Johnson if colleagues asked him to, Scalise firmly answered, “No.” “We’re not talking about what happens if we lose the majority, because all of my focus is on not only winning the majority, but gaining seats. And anybody who’s thinking about losing or anything like that is just misplaced in their focus,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.