Pentagon allows US military contractors to fix weapons in Ukraine
US eases restrictions for a few contractors to work away from the front lines and says they won’t engage in combat. The United States is allowing a small number of American defence contractors to work inside Ukraine to maintain and repair Pentagon-provided weaponry, according to US officials. The US has been a key military backer of Ukraine, committing more than $60bn in security aid since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. But it has not permitted US military contractors to work in Ukraine, wary that it could be drawn into a direct conflict with Russia. US President Joe Biden made the decision in a significant policy shift before he leaves office in January, US media reported on Friday, before the November 5 presidential election, won by Donald Trump. Biden also plans to rush billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine before his term ends. Trump has criticised the scale of US military and financial support for Ukraine and has pledged to end the war with Russia quickly – without saying how. For the past two years, US and allied forces have been providing real-time maintenance advice using phones and tablets to communicate in encrypted chatrooms with Ukrainian forces. Officials said the Pentagon is allowing the contractors to go because some equipment – including F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defence systems – require high-tech expertise to repair. Using the contractors, they said, will ensure the weapons are fixed quickly so Ukrainian forces can continue to use them in combat. The number of contractors would be small and located far from the front lines. They would not be engaged in direct combat, the officials said. The companies will be responsible for the safety of their employees. The restrictions have sometimes slowed down repairs and proven increasingly difficult as the US has provided Ukraine with more complicated systems, such as the F-16s and Patriot systems. A lot of equipment is not being used because it is damaged. In August, an F-16 jet crashed while repelling a Russian attack, killing its pilot. The policy change would move the Pentagon in line with the US Department of State and US Agency for International Development, which already have US contractors in Ukraine. The decision comes at a critical time in the conflict, as Russia makes more advances into Ukrainian territory. It is unclear, however, how sustainable the policy shift will be with so little time left in Biden’s administration. Trump takes office on January 20. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged his Western allies to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to hit targets inside Russia and increase pressure on Moscow to end the war. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Misery and chaos’: GOP congressman-elect unleashes on Democrats for bringing ‘destruction’ to their cities
Newly elected GOP congressman-elect Abe Hamadeh revealed what went right for Republicans and what went wrong for Democrats in Tuesday’s election during a post-election victory interview with Fox News Digital. “The left always, this is why they hate me so much too, they literally called me a white supremacist, even though I’m the son of Syrian immigrants and I’ve got family who are all from everywhere and all type of colors,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital, in his first interview since being elected, in response to Democrats on cable news post-election blaming Trump’s victory on “racism” and misogyny” rather than discussing specific policy issues. “They don’t know how to because they can’t accept the fact that their policies have failed the American people everywhere. It’s been implemented, like California and San Francisco, like in Chicago, like in New York City, name a successful Democrat-run city. You can’t because all they do is bring destruction, misery and chaos, and they’re trying to transform our country into something that it is not, something that looks like where some of my family comes from in Venezuela and we are not going to go to socialism or communism.” Democrats along with pundits in the media have repeatedly blamed racism and sexism as driving factors behind Trump’s victory despite Trump making historic gains with several minority groups. TRUMP CLINCHED A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF MUSLIM VOTERS COMPARED TO JEWISH VOTERS IN RECENT ELECTION Hamadeh pointed to Trump’s success in bringing in more minority votes than other Republican candidates, despite the media narrative about racism. “President Trump was the one who was able to capture the most amount of minorities, Arab-Americans in Michigan. If you look at Jewish Americans and Black Americans, Hispanic voters, it was just truly remarkable and historical.” “Here in Arizona, you know, we’re still counting the votes, but I think President Trump’s margin is only going to grow and what a great American comeback. In regard to my race, it ties so much into my race, too, because, you know, I didn’t want to go to Washington, D.C. with Kamala Harris. So I’m proud that President Trump was able to secure this historic victory that we’re going to have, hopefully a united Republican government and we are going to pass that America First agenda that works for all Americans.” NEW YORK DEM WARNS ‘VILIFYING VOTERS OF COLOR AS WHITE SUPREMACISTS’ PUSHES ‘THEM FURTHER INTO TRUMP’S CAMP’ Hamadeh told Fox News Digital that he knew going into Tuesday that he would win in his district and that Trump would win as well because they listened to the concerns of Arizona voters. “Nobody was happy with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and this wide open border and the economy with the inflation crisis that we’re in. So, you know, I truly believed that we were going to win and it was a resounding victory for President Trump, winning the popular vote, winning the Electoral College, uniting so many different factions within the Republican Party.” Immigration and the economy, Hamadeh said, were the main drivers of voter turnout in Arizona. “It gives a combination of both, I think it was the open border chaos because for how many years has Joe Biden and Kamala Harris tried to gaslight the American people that they’re doing everything they can to secure our border, which was obviously a lie?”” Hamadeh said. “I mean, they literally have an open invitation to illegal immigrants coming across where fentanyl is being trafficked, sex trafficking. So I think people understood that inherently that President Trump did have a secure border and Kamala and Joe Biden, you see how quickly they destroyed it. It causes you to think that maybe having a president who actually wants to secure the border is pretty important.” On inflation, Hamadeh said that Arizona voters simply had to look at their grocery bill. “Arizona’s hit really hard with the inflation crisis and I know I know that money talks in many ways and they understand that President Trump had a booming economy,” Hamadeh said. “When you go to the grocery store now, it is so expensive, when you go to the checkout lane. So I do think it was a combination of the economy and the border.” “But also truly, I do think it was many people, if you look at what Elon Musk and so many other people who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 now came around to President Trump. I think they understood that the weaponization of the rule of law and attacking the First Amendment and our Constitution was a threat to our very foundation as a republic. So I do think people did understand that this moment required us to go back to some common sense sanity and to restore the America we love.”
All eyes on California as House majority still hinges on tight races
Congressional leaders are anxiously watching several outstanding races in the West as the battle for the majority in the House of Representatives continues. Most of those races are in California, where Republican incumbents are fighting to hold on to several seats, including districts around the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Democratic stronghold was pivotal to House Republicans clinching the majority in 2022, and their leaders are looking for it to deliver again. “California’s got a lot of the outstanding races, and I’ve talked to each one of our incumbents who are in those 50/50 races — they’re all leading, by the way — but they feel like what is outstanding … are good areas for them,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told “Fox & Friends” Friday. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ It’s a different story in New York, the other deep blue coastal state critical to the House GOP’s midterm success. Of the four sitting House Republicans projected to lose their seats, three were first-term GOP lawmakers from New York who got elected as part of a suburban backlash against big cities’ progressive crime policies. They were also expected to be some of the more vulnerable incumbents in Congress. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE Scalise said he anticipated a four- to six-seat majority for Republicans when all the races were over, not a dissimilar scenario to the one the House GOP has grappled with for much of the 118th Congress. Ballots are being counted in other close races in Arizona, Oregon, Alaska, Nebraska and Iowa. House Democrats, who privately expressed dismay over their narrowing path to victory earlier this week, are also closely watching the western states for the final results. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., pointed out that the election is still undecided. HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY “It has yet to be decided who will control the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress. We must count every vote and wait until the results in Oregon, Arizona and California are clear,” Jeffries said Thursday. “I am proud that the Democratic Party does not believe in election denial. Our democracy is precious, and it involves elevating public trust in our system of free and fair elections, not undermining it.” The first party to reach 218 seats will claim the House majority.
‘Wherever Congress govt is formed, that state becomes ATM for…’: PM Modi’s scathing attack on Congress at Akola rally
Ahead of upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the opposition Congress party during a rally in Akola, saying that “wherever the Congress government is formed, that state becomes ATM for Shahi Parivar”.
More than half of Harris voters want to relocate following Trump win: survey
More than 50% of voters for Vice President Kamala Harris say they want to move following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, according to a survey commissioned by StorageUnits.com. Storage Units surveyed 1,837 Harris voters on Nov. 6 to determine how many would like to relocate – and who actually plans to – and the top concerns of those who voted against Trump. Of those surveyed, 44% would like to move, but probably won’t, while 5% said they will definitely move and another 5% said they probably will. Those who would like to move, but probably won’t, cited personal finances, family and community ties as reasons they will stay in place. Of the 10% planning to move or seriously considering it, 90% are looking into moving to another country, with the top choices being Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico. California, New York and Colorado were the top three choices for those considering moving to another state. 5 MISTAKES THAT DOOMED KAMALA HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRUMP According to the survey, the top three reasons Harris voters want to relocate are concerns that a federal abortion ban will be enacted, an increase in racial inequality and progressive rights will be overturned. Abortion access at the federal level, which was one of the Democrats’ top campaign issues, has been an area of concern for many Dem voters despite Trump stating he would not enact a federal abortion ban and reiterating that he agrees with the decision being left in the states’ hands after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022. Other top areas of concern include: reduction in healthcare access, increased social inequality, lack of gun regulation and the weakening of public education. “Some Harris voters who are experiencing fear, anxiety, and concern following the election results may elect to shift from a red to a blue state with friendlier LGBTQ+ and/or less restrictive abortion laws. However, there are a number of factors influencing any potential moves, such as cost of living, job availability, and housing prices,” Realtor Jo Ann Bauer told Storage Units. FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS: IS THIS A CHANGE ELECTION? TOP ISSUES AND MOOD OF THE NATION AS VOTERS WEIGH IN Of all the generations surveyed, Gen Z had the highest number of Harris voters saying they will definitely or probably move (nearly 20%) when compared to Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers. Gen Z also had the least number of participants say they have “no interest in moving” at about 30%. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Trump won the 2024 election decisively, garnering at least 301 electoral votes over Harris’ 226 and beating Harris by more than 5 million in the popular vote.
At UN, India lashes out at Pakistan for spreading ‘falsehood’ on J-K
“India chooses its right to reply in response to the comments made by Pakistan that has yet again made an attempt to divert this august body from its agenda,” Member of the Rajya Sabha and National Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sudhanshu Trivedi said.
PM Modi pays heartfelt tribute to Ratan Tata: ‘Reopening of Taj Hotel after 26/11 attacks was…’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday shared a heartfelt op-ed, paying tribute to the late industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, marking first month of passing of the business tycoon.
Donald Trump wins Nevada, pushing his victory margin over Kamala Harris
Former President Trump has flipped the swing state of Nevada after falling just short in 2020. The six electoral votes for Nevada add to Trump’s victory in the 2024 race. Fox News Decision Desk called the presidential race in the Silver State for Trump, handing Vice President Harris a loss in a state where both candidates held several campaign events. Biden won Nevada in 2020 by 2.4%, which continued a trend of Democrat presidential candidates winning the state. The state has voted for every Democrat who has run for president since 1992, except the two elections with President George W. Bush on the ballot. However, the average margin across those eight elections is just 4.1 points. DEMOCRATS HAVE AN ENORMOUS DILEMMA IF KAMALA HARRIS LOSES Republicans surprised many by beating Democrats in early in-person voting and also virtually erased the gap with registered voters heading into Election Day. The Democratic turnout advantage in the state in years past has been driven by what is known as the “Reid Machine” that late Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, the U.S. Senate majority leader from 2007 to 2015, established to help pool resources to maximize support for candidates up and down the ballot. SAN JOSE STATE REQUESTS LOST REVENUE DAMAGES AFTER OPPONENTS FORFEIT AMID TRANSGENDER CONTROVERSY His approach tapped into networks that extended well beyond the traditional party structure. He leaned especially on the heavily immigrant Culinary Union, which represents about 60,000 casino workers and leads efforts to register voters, make phone calls and knock on doors. Both Harris and Trump, along with their surrogates, made numerous trips to Nevada in recent weeks. “Nevada, I am here asking for your vote,” Harris told a crowd in Reno in the last days before the election. “I am asking for your vote. And here is my pledge to you, and I got your back, as president, I pledge to you to seek common ground and common sense solutions to the challenges you face. I am not looking to score political points.” “I am looking to make progress. And I pledge to listen to experts, to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make and to listen to people who disagree with me. Because that’s what real leaders do.” Nevada was also home to a key Senate race between Republican Sam Brown and Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen.
Incumbent Dem Jacky Rosen holds onto Senate seat in battleground Nevada
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., has been re-elected to the Senate in Nevada, according to Friday night’s race call by the Associated Press. The Democrat senator successfully fended off a challenge from veteran Sam Brown, a Republican endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump. Rosen was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and this was her first re-election. Prior to the election, Fox News Power Rankings in September considered the November Senate match to be one of two “toss-ups,” alongside Ohio. JACKY ROSEN HAS BEEN SUPPORTING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN AGENDA THAT HAS LEFT MANY NEVADANS HURT: SAM BROWN A top political handicapper, the Cook Political Report, had similarly rated it a “toss up” earlier in the year but more recently shifted the race back to “Lean Democrat.” Cook cited polling in the summer months that showed Rosen outpacing Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris by a significant margin. Also in the category were Senate races in Arizona and Pennsylvania. HISPANIC VOTERS RAIL AGAINST ‘DISHONEST’ BIDEN-HARRIS BORDER RECORD AS POLL SHOWS TRUMP GAINING IN KEY STATES Nevada was a critical swing state for elections down-ballot, including the presidential and Senate races. While the Nevada Senate battle wasn’t thought of as necessary for Republicans to gain the majority in the upper chamber, it was being eyed to expand a likely majority in the new Congress. There were also several close House races in the state, which were similarly expected to determine which party would lead the lower chamber. CBS REPORTER FINDS ONLY 3 HARRIS SUPPORTERS IN 3 NEVADA RESTAURANTS: ‘PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT TRUMP’ Rosen handily won the Democrat nomination for Senate earlier in the year, defeating both Troy Walker and Mike Schaefer, who were not prominent challengers. Brown faced a much more difficult primary race, with former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Jeffrey Gunter taking him on for the GOP nod. Gunter spent significant money on attack ads against Brown, depicting him as a tool of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The primary was made more uncertain by President-elect Donald Trump’s decision not to weigh in until the last minute. Trump ultimately threw his support behind Brown at a rally in Nevada ahead of the primary, allowing him to win the election by a healthy margin. The Trump-backed Senate candidate failed to close the polling gap with Rosen in the same fashion that other Republican candidates across the country had with their incumbent opponents. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Delhi-NCR update: No relief from pollution as AQI continues to remain ‘very poor’
The residents of Delhi and the adjoining NCR region are seeing no relief from pollution as the Air Quality Index (AQI) continued to remain under the ‘very poor’ category.