Asuka Couture Expands Its Luxury Menswear Presence with a Grand Store Opening in Ahmedabad
Founded in 2022 under Tessile Clothing Pvt Limited, Asuka Couture is redefining luxury menswear by fusing heritage-rich craftsmanship with contemporary sophistication,
US military plane with 200 illegal Indian immigrants to land in Amritsar as immigration crackdown escalates
After Donald Trump assumed office as the US President last month, the country’s law enforcement agencies have launched a crackdown against illegal immigrants. Many people from Punjab, who entered the US through “donkey routes” or other illegal means, are now facing deportation.
Shatrughan Sinha demands non-veg ban to highlight UCC challenges: ‘Waha khao toh yummy…’
The TMC MP also emphasised the need for an all-party meeting to discuss the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) provisions, highlighting the complexities and loopholes in the code.
Several Noida schools receive bomb threat, students sent home
According to preliminary information, Step By Step School, Mayoor School, and Heritage School were among those that received the threat emails.
Unions sue Trump administration over ‘arbitrary and capricious’ federal employee buyout offers
As a deadline looms for government employees to fold to an ultimatum given by the Trump administration to either accept a buyout or return to the office, unions representing those workers have filed a lawsuit, calling the offer “arbitrary and capricious.” The Trump administration is offering buyouts for nearly 2 million federal employees, including those who work remotely, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to get employees back into the office, but they only have until Feb. 6 to opt-in. Under the buyout offer, the employee will stop working this week and receive pay benefits through Sept. 30. Exempt from the offer are public safety employees, like air traffic controllers. ‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS During Trump’s first week in office, he issued several directives to the federal workforce, including a requirement that remote employees must return to in-person work. With a deadline quickly approaching, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and two other unions filed a complaint, claiming the buyout offer is “arbitrary and capricious” and violates federal law.” The unions allege the administration cannot guarantee the plan will be funded and has failed to consider the consequences of mass resignations, including how it may affect the government’s ability to function. TRUMP TO SIGN MEMO LIFTING BIDEN’S LAST-MINUTE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS On Tuesday, AFGE filed a lawsuit calling for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the Trump administration’s “Fork Directive” deadline of Feb. 6 and require the government to articulate a policy that is lawful, not arbitrary and unlawful. The union said the “Fork Directive” is the administration’s latest attempt to remove public service workers and replace them with partisan loyalists. The group also says the directive amounts to a clear ultimatum to a sweeping number of federal employees: “resign now or face the possibility of job loss without compensation in the near future.” But the unions say the package being offered violates the law because the funds used to pay the employees who accept the offer have not been appropriated for that reason. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFERS BUYOUTS TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING REMOTE WORKERS: ‘DEFERRED RESIGNATION’ “AFGE is bringing this suit with our partners today to protect the integrity of the government and prevent union members from being tricked into resigning from the federal service,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “Federal employees shouldn’t be misled by slick talk from unelected billionaires and their lackeys. Despite claims made to the contrary, this deferred resignation scheme is unfunded, unlawful, and comes with no guarantees. We won’t stand by and let our members become the victims of this con.” Last week, a government-wide email was sent out to ensure all federal workers were on board with the Trump administration’s plan. The email pointed to four pillars that Trump set forth, to bring accountability back to the federal government, including a return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policymaking authority, restored accountability for senior executives, and a reformed federal hiring process based on merit. The email noted that the majority of federal employees who have worked remotely since COVID will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. For those who returned to office, the Trump administration thanked them for their “renewed focus” on serving the American people. But the future of their position could not be guaranteed, according to the email. The buyouts do not apply to military personnel of the armed forces, postal service employees, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and any other positions specifically excluded by the agency the federal workers are employed by. The White House is expecting a “spike” in federal resignations ahead of a Thursday deadline for a buyout offer, Fox News Digital has learned. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The number of deferred resignations is rapidly growing, and we’re expecting the largest spike 24 to 48 hours before the deadline,” a White House official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning. Axios reported earlier Tuesday that roughly 20,000 federal employees have taken the offer, accounting for about 1% of the federal government’s workforce. The White House official told Fox News Digital following the report’s publication that the 20,000 figure “isn’t current.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
CIA offering buyouts to its entire workforce: report
The Central Intelligence Agency, in what officials reportedly claimed was an effort to bring the agency in line with Trump’s agenda, offered buyouts to its entire staff on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reported that the agency is the first to tell its employees they can quit and get eight months of pay and benefits. Last month, the Trump administration offered about 2 million federal employees buyouts to be paid through September, though the window to accept the offer closes on Thursday. While the Trump administration made offers to some 2 million federal workers, some categories were exempt from taking advantage of the buyout, including federal workers with national security roles. WHITE HOUSE EXPECTING ‘SPIKE’ IN FEDERAL RESIGNATIONS AS AT LEAST 20K TAKE BUYOUTS CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly told the White House to extend the same offer to employees within the CIA, hoping it could pave the way for “a more aggressive” agency, an aide told the Wall Street Journal. Fox News learned that even though the CIA was exempt, Ratcliffe personally decided he wanted the agency to participate. On Thursday, he emailed the Office of Personnel Management and asked for a process that would enable the CIA to email its workforce and offer the same opportunity, while also retaining flexibility to work through the timing of employee departures in critical areas. Ratcliffe also chose to offer the option of early retirement to long-tenured officers, while also halting on bringing on any officer offered a job late during the Biden administration to ensure their position aligns with the Trump administration’s priorities. TRUMP TO SIGN MEMO LIFTING BIDEN’S LAST-MINUTE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS “Director Ratcliffe is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities,” a CIA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position the CIA to deliver on its mission.” The Office of Personnel Management, which operates as the federal government’s human resources department, notified roughly 2 million federal employees on Jan. 28 that they would be required to work out of their respective offices five days a week, or they could leave their roles through the equivalent of a buyout offer. The deadline to accept the offer is Feb. 6. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Those who choose to take the offer will retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sep. 30. During Trump’s first week in office, he issued several directives to the federal workforce, including a requirement that remote employees must return to in-person work.
Donald Trump announces US aims to ‘take over’ Gaza during Netanyahu’s visit
United States President Donald Trump has welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, marking the first visit of a foreign leader during his second term. But Tuesday’s meeting was steeped in controversy as Trump repeatedly weighed in on the future of war-torn Gaza — and whether Palestinians should return to live in the enclave. “Gaza is a guarantee that they’re going to end up dying. The same thing is going to happen again,” Trump said. “It’s happened over and over again. And it’s going to happen again.” “So I hope we can do something where they wouldn’t want to go back. Who would want to go back? They’ve experienced nothing but death and destruction.” Trump also suggested that the US aims to “take over” a depopulated Gaza, shaping its landscape for years to come. “ I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East and maybe the entire Middle East,” Trump said. “This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs.” Advertisement A fragile ceasefire recently paused hostilities in Gaza where, for the past 15 months, Israel has led a devastating military campaign that has killed an estimated 61,700 Palestinians. United Nations experts and human rights advocates have compared the military campaign with a genocide. But the US remains a firm ally of Israel – and of Netanyahu’s government. In remarks after his bilateral meeting with Netanyahu, Trump returned to a vision he had outlined earlier in the day, in which Palestinians would be settled “permanently” in “a beautiful area” outside of Gaza. Such comments have spurred fears that Trump would support the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and nearby countries like Egypt and Jordan have repeatedly rejected the prospect of absorbing Gaza’s population. “I think Jordan and Egypt – they say they’re not going to accept, but I say they will. But I think other countries will accept also,” Trump said. A close ally Tuesday’s bilateral meeting was set against a period of regional turmoil in the Middle East. Recent ceasefires have slowed hostilities in Lebanon and Gaza. A new government has risen in Syria. And there are growing tensions between Iran and Israel. Before arriving in the US on Sunday, Netanyahu underscored the symbolism of being the first foreign head of state to visit Trump since the president’s second inauguration on January 20. “I think it’s a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance,” Netanyahu said in a statement. The two countries indicated that a range of topics would be on the table for discussion, including the ceasefire agreements, the future of Gaza and efforts to normalise relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Advertisement In the lead-up to Tuesday’s meeting, Trump also signed a series of executive orders and directives, some of which pertained to goals he shares with Netanyahu. One announced the return of his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. Another saw the US withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council and UNRWA, the relief agency for Palestinian refugees. Netanyahu’s government has accused UNRWA of involvement in the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, without offering proof to substantiate the claim. The Israeli leader’s visit was greeted by protesters calling for a “free, free, free Palestine”. Some activists denounced his invitation to the White House as an honour bestowed on a “war criminal”: In November, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Still, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to Netanyahu at Tuesday’s news conference. “The bonds of friendship and affection between the American and Israeli people have endured for generations, and they are absolutely unbreakable,” Trump said. Netanyahu responded with praise of his own: “You are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.” Ceasefire in Gaza The tenuous ceasefire in Gaza was a central part of the two leaders’ latest meeting. Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on January 19, the day before he took office. He blamed the foreign policy of his predecessor Joe Biden for allowing the war in Gaza to begin in the first place. Advertisement “Nobody did anything for four years except in the negative,” Trump said at one point, referring to Biden’s term in office. “Unfortunately, the weakness and incompetence of those past four years [caused] the grave damage around the globe.” Still, Trump has cast doubt on the strength of the ceasefire and whether it would last. “The strikes could start tomorrow,” Trump said on Tuesday. “There’s not a lot left to strike.” The initial 42-day truce, which will see the release of 33 Israeli captives and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, expires on March 1. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Palestinian group Hamas said that negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire have begun. If agreed to, that phase would see the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the freeing of all captives. But Trump lashed out at the group in his remarks, praising Israel’s efforts to cut off resources to Gaza. “We starved Hamas and Iran’s other terrorist proxies, and we starved them like they had never seen before. Resources and support disappeared for them,” Trump said. US to ‘take over’ Gaza? The president also renewed his call for a mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, despite human rights experts warning that it would amount to ethnic cleansing. “ It’s been an unlucky place for a long time,” Trump said of Gaza. “ And it should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there.” Advertisement He added that Palestinians would “love to leave” if given an alternative. “They
Trump says US will ‘own’ Gaza in redevelopment plan
United States President Donald Trump has said the US will “take over” and “own” Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere under a redevelopment plan that could see the enclave become “the Riviera of the Middle East”. In a shock announcement upending decades of US policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Trump said on Tuesday that his administration would spearhead an economic development plan in the enclave that would “supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.” “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” Trump said at the White on Tuesday after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that Washington would be responsible for clearing destroyed buildings and dismantling “dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons.” Trump said he envisioned the US taking a “long-term ownership position” over the enclave. “This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent,” he said. Advertisement Trump expressed his hope that displaced Palestinians in Gaza would “go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts”, though he suggested Palestinians would also continue leaving there. The US president said Gaza could become home to the “world’s people”. “I think you will make that into an international, unbelievable place. I think the potential in the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I think the entire world – representatives from all over the world will be now – Palestinians also, Palestinians will live there,” he said. “Many people will live there.” “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too.” –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/aCqLl9Gwwn — President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) February 5, 2025 Asked if US soldiers could be sent to Gaza to maintain security, Trump said it was a possibility. “As far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that,” he said. Netanyahu, who praised Trump as the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had, said the US president’s plan was worth “paying attention to” and could “change history”. Trump’s proposals drew swift condemnation from Palestinian activists. “He’s essentially saying that, officially US policy now is the destruction of Palestinian society, the scattering of Palestinians to neighboring countries, and on top of that for US to come and own Palestinian territory indefinitely,” political analysts Omar Baddar told Al Jazeera. “I don’t know what planet we are living on where these statements are coming out of the president of the United States.” Advertisement Abed Ayoub, executive director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), described Trump’s proposal as “terrifying” and “insane.” “It would go against all norms and international law. This isn’t something that would be permitted to happen,” Ayoub told Al Jazeera. “But at this point, you’ve got to ask yourself if you look at the past year and a half: how much does the international community, including Israel, really care about international law and norms?” Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian-American who is a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that Gaza was not a “real estate development project for the United States government to own or take over.” “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people. Distracting from the need to initiate political transformation to ensure that Hamas doesn’t remain in control is unnecessary and harmful,” Alkhatib said on X. Democratic lawmakers also cast doubt on Trump’s proposal. “I have news for you – we aren’t taking over Gaza. But the media and the chattering class will focus on it for a few days and Trump will have succeeded in distracting everyone from the real story – the billionaires seizing government to steal from regular people,” Chris Murphy, a Democratic Senator for Connecticut, said on X. Trump’s extraordinary proposal is all but certain to roil the next round negotiations to extend the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on January 19, the day before he took office. Advertisement He blamed the foreign policy of his predecessor Joe Biden for allowing the war in Gaza to begin in the first place. “Nobody did anything for four years except in the negative,” Trump said at one point during his news conference, referring to Biden’s term in office. “Unfortunately, the weakness and incompetence of those past four years [caused] the grave damage around the globe.” Still, Trump has cast doubt on the strength of the ceasefire and whether it would last. “The strikes could start tomorrow,” Trump said on Tuesday. “There’s not a lot left to strike.” The initial 42-day truce, which will see the release of 33 Israeli captives and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, expires on March 1. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Palestinian group Hamas said that negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire had begun. If agreed to, that phase would see the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the freeing of all captives. But Trump lashed out at the group in his remarks, praising Israel’s efforts to cut off resources to Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump doubles down on US “ownership” of Gaza
NewsFeed In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump doubled down on remarks about the United States owning and redeveloping Gaza. “It’s something that could change history,” Netanyahu added. Published On 5 Feb 20255 Feb 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Democratic lawmakers slam Elon Musk’s access to Treasury Department: ‘We are at war’
Democratic congressional lawmakers on Tuesday gathered to passionately voice opposition to Elon Musk’s access to a Treasury Department office responsible for disbursing payments, days after they were told to punch back against the Trump administration. The House lawmakers have come out against Musk after he was granted access to a Treasury department called the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which disburses trillions in payments each year, including Social Security checks and federal salaries, through DOGE, which is tasked with reducing federal spending. “Shut down the city! We are at war!” U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., shouted into a microphone as supporters cheered during a rally hosted by the MoveOn Civic Action, Indivisible and the Working Families Party. “We will not take this. We will fight back.” ELON MUSK DUNKS ON SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, DECLARING ‘HYSTERICAL REACTIONS’ DEMONSTRATE DOGE’S IMPORTANCE Mclver called for protesters to “shut down the city.” “Anytime a person can pay $250 million into a campaign, and they be given full access to the Department of the Treasury of the United States of America, we are at war,” she said. Over the weekend, Musk cited “fraudulent” Treasury payments in a post on X. “The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups,” he wrote. “They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once.” Trump said Musk has authority to let “go of people he thinks are no good if I agree with him.” The president noted that Musk can’t stop Treasury payments on his own. “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval,” Trump said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. In a letter Tuesday to federal lawmakers, a Treasury Department official said a tech executive working with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency will have “read-only access” to the government’s payment system. The letter was sent because of concerns from members of Congress that DOGE’s involvement with the payment system for the federal government could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare. ‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM However, some Democrats aren’t convinced DOGE and Musk have read-only access. “Some Republicans are trying to suggest that Musk only has ‘viewing access’ to Treasury’s highly sensitive payment system as if that’s acceptable either,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fla., said he had concerns about Musk having control over taxpayer funds. “He has access to all of our information, our Social Security numbers, the federal payment system, which means he is calling the shots on our taxpayer money,” he said. “There is absolutely no oversight as to what he is doing. What is to stop him from stealing taxpayer money? Nothing.” The protest came after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., pledged that Democrats would fight President Donald Trump’s agenda “in the streets.” “Right now, we’re going to keep focus on the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaires, donors and wealthy corporations and then stick New Yorkers and working-class Americans across the country with the bill,” Jeffries said last week.