Priyanka Gandhi’s appeal to Wayanad voters, reveals if she will surpass brother Rahul Gandhi’s victory margin
Rahul Gandhi had vacated the Wayanad LS seat after he also won the Rae Bareli constituency in the 2024 general election and therefore, necessitated a bypoll in the hill constituency.
Houthis launch missile, drone attacks on US warships off Yemen’s coast
The Iran-backed group launched drones and fired missiles at two US warships in an hours-long attack, the Pentagon confirms. US warships came under sustained missile and drone attack from Houthi fighters as they sailed off the coast of Yemen, the Pentagon has confirmed, with the armed group claiming it attacked the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and two US destroyers. Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday that the United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) forces “successfully repelled multiple Iranian backed Houthi attacks during a transit of the Bab al-Mandeb strait”, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Ryder told reporters at a news conference that two US-guided missile destroyers – the USS Stockdale and USS Spruance – were attacked by at least eight one-way attack drones, five antiship ballistic missiles and three antiship cruise missiles. All the Houthi drones and missiles “were successfully engaged and defeated”, and neither of the US Navy ships were damaged or personnel hurt, he said. Ryder added that he was not aware of any attacks against the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier and US Air Force the B-52H Stratofortress conduct joint exercises in the Arabian Sea in 2019 [File: Handout/US Navy via AP] Earlier on Tuesday, Houthi fighters announced that they had carried out two “specific military operations” against the US Navy in an assault lasting eight hours. “The first operation targeted the American aircraft carrier (Abraham) located in the Arabian Sea with a number of cruise missiles and drones,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement. “The other operation targeted two American destroyers in the Red Sea with a number of ballistic missiles and drones,” he said, adding that the operation had “successfully achieved its objectives”. #معركة_الفتح_الموعود_والجهاد_المقدس pic.twitter.com/sREqpe2Oq5 — العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) November 12, 2024 The Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have been carrying out attacks on Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, in what it says is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians. The armed group, however, has also been accused of attacking commercial ships with no obvious connection to Israel or its war on Gaza. The Houthis have targeted more than 90 vessels with missiles and drones, killing four sailors and sinking two ships. The crew of one vessel – the Galaxy Leader, a British-owned and Japanese-operated carrier, hijacked last November – remain detained in Yemen. The Yemeni group has demanded that Israel end its war on Gaza as a condition for stopping the attacks, which have severely disrupted trade in one of the world’s busiest maritime routes. Explosions take place on the deck of the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea on August 29, 2024 [Handout/Houthi Military Media via Reuters] The US, with support from the United Kingdom, has carried out repeated strikes on targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in response to the Red Sea shipping attacks. On Sunday, the US and UK launched air strikes on Sanaa and the northern Amran governorate, with the Pentagon saying it had targeted Houthi advanced weapons storage facilities. The attacks came just weeks after intensive US raids on Houthi targets in which B-2 strategic bombers participated for the first time, carrying out strikes against five underground weapons storage locations. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump names Musk and Ramaswamy to head new government efficiency department
United States President-elect Donald Trump has named tech magnate Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as his picks to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, a new body he plans to establish once he returns to the White House. “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday. “Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending.” Trump added that, under his plan, Musk and Ramaswamy would conclude their work by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. “A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America,” Trump said. A campaign promise The proposed department appears to have been inspired by a conversation Trump had on the campaign trail with Musk, one of his most prominent supporters. On August 13, the two men sat down for a two-hour live broadcast on Musk’s social media platform X, where the billionaire pitched Trump on the idea of forming a new “commission” to crack down on government waste. “You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump replied. “I need an Elon Musk. I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts.” Trump later revisited the idea on the campaign trail, including at a September appearance before the New York Economic Club. “I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms,” Trump said at the time. It is unclear how the new department will function once it is established. Tuesday’s statement indicated that Ramaswamy and Musk would “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government”. Critics note that independent nonpartisan watchdogs already exist within the government to ensure efficiency and conduct audits, including the Government Accountability Office. Rewarding Trump’s supporters Trump’s announcement on Tuesday, however, seems poised to reward two of his most prominent supporters from the private sector. Musk, a billionaire originally from South Africa, is the founder of the electric car company Tesla, the owner of X and the leader of SpaceX, a rocket-building company. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, is the founder of a pharmaceutical company. Earlier this year, he competed against Trump in the Republican primary season, only to drop out after finishing fourth in January’s Iowa caucus. He immediately endorsed Trump after suspending his campaign. Musk’s endorsement came months later, after Trump faced an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. Posting a video of a blood-streaked Trump, Musk wrote in the aftermath, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.” Musk has since donated millions of dollars to Trump’s election campaign and made public appearances with him, including at a follow-up rally in Butler. Since Trump won the November 5 presidential election, Musk has also been a constant presence at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. DOGE, the acronym for the newly created department, is also the name of the cryptocurrency that Musk promotes. Drastic change Since his first successful presidential bid in 2016, Trump has pledged to slim down the government and “drain the swamp” – his catchphrase for ridding Washington, DC, of unnecessary bureaucracy and corruption. In Tuesday’s announcement, Trump teased “drastic change” in his second term. He has already pledged to shut down the Department of Education, which distributes federal aid, cracks down on discrimination in schools and publishes research about educational attainment. A future Department of Government Efficiency, Trump explained, would partner with the White House to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” Musk at one point suggested he could find more than $2 trillion in savings if given the power to review federal functions – a sum equivalent to nearly a third of the government’s total annual spending. To illustrate the scale and importance of his proposed department, Trump drew a comparison between the new body and a World War II-era programme that developed the atomic bomb. “It will become, potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time,” Trump said on Tuesday. Musk was quoted in Trump’s press release celebrating the department’s imminent creation. “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 992
As the war enters its 992nd day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Wednesday, November 13: Fighting Ukraine shot down 46 of 110 Russian drones launched overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said. An additional 60 Russian drones were lost in Ukrainian airspace and two travelled towards Belarus. Russian forces also launched three missiles during the overnight attack, in addition to guided aerial bombs, the Air Force said. Russian air defence systems destroyed 13 Ukrainian drones overnight in regions bordering Ukraine, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said. North Korean troops have begun engaging in combat alongside Russian forces, the United States State Department said. Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that more than “10,000 DPRK [North Korean] soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia”, the vast majority to the Kursk region, where they have “begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces”. International affairs Russia’s growing economic and military cooperation with China, North Korea and Iran “is not only threatening Europe”, it is also “threatening peace and security” in the Asia Pacific and North America, according to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has told China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi in Beijing that strong relations between Moscow and Beijing are a stabilising influence on the world. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine in meetings with NATO and European Union counterparts, the State Department said. Ukraine is close to setting up three new joint ventures with European weapons producers to boost arms output, according to Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. She said five joint ventures had already been set up with Western weapons producers, including German and Lithuanian companies. China needs to feel a “higher cost” for its support for Russia, which enables Moscow to pursue its war in Ukraine, Estonia’s ex-Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said at her confirmation hearing at the European Parliament to become the EU’s next foreign policy chief. The deputy chief of Russia’s Security Council and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused European leaders of seeking to dangerously escalate the Ukraine conflict and push it “into an irreversible phase”, following the re-election of former US President Donald Trump. Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was sentenced to 15 years in prison for leaking highly classified US military documents to a group of gamers on the Discord messaging app. The leaks included information concerning the use of US equipment in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. Russian affairs Russia’s estimates for this year’s grain harvest, as well as for the winter grain seeded area, will include data from Ukrainian territories under Moscow’s control, Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture said. Following months of bad weather, the ministry forecasts this year’s grain harvest at 130 million tonnes – a 12 percent decrease from 2023’s 148 million tonnes and an 18 percent reduction from the record 158 million tonnes in 2022. The city of Helsinki will initiate a forced takeover of the Finnish capital’s biggest sport and events stadium, the Helsinki Arena, from its sanctions-hit Russian owners, the city’s executive governing board said. A Russian Navy frigate equipped with new-generation hypersonic cruise missiles conducted drills in the English Channel and is carrying out tasks in the Atlantic Ocean, Russian media reported. Russia’s lower house of parliament unanimously voted to ban “propaganda” promoting a child-free way of life, as it hopes to boost the faltering birthrate while death rates are up due to Moscow’s war in Ukraine. A Russian court sentenced a Moscow paediatrician to five and a half years in a penal colony after the mother of one of her patients publicly denounced her over negative comments she allegedly made about Russia’s war in Ukraine. Nadezhda Buyanova, a 68-year-old paediatrician denounced by a patient’s mother for an alleged unpatriotic statement about Russia’s army, stands inside an enclosure during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia on November 12 [Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters] Adblock test (Why?)
Mutiny threat sparks House GOP infighting ahead of Trump visit: ‘Just more stupid’
Tensions were high among House Republicans on Tuesday with a group of GOP hardliners threatening to protest Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership during the next day’s House GOP Conference leadership elections. Three sources told Fox News Digital that members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were exploring ways to show their discontent with House GOP leaders during the closed-door races to decide who will likely lead the majority next year. Meanwhile, those threats sparked frustration among rank-and-file House Republicans, including one lawmaker who said such discussions were “just more stupid.” The heart of the issue lies in proposed rule changes that the House GOP Conference will also vote on, including a measure pushed by some Republicans to punish colleagues who purposely sink their own party’s legislation on the House floor by stripping their committee assignments. HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY Johnson told Politico on Tuesday evening that he would not support “punitive” measures against people who blockade the House floor, but sources signaled that would not be enough. “There’s a difference between saying, ‘I don’t support it’ and ‘I’m going to stop it.’ That’s a big difference,” one source said. “His easy route is just to say, ‘All right, no rules changes. We’re just going to go forward.’” Reports indicated earlier that Freedom Caucus members were looking for a candidate to challenge Johnson – something its chairman did not rule out. “Having two people in a race is kind of the norm,” Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told reporters when asked if his group was putting up a candidate. “We can do this Soviet-style, or we can do it American-style.” But no one candidate appeared to emerge as of Tuesday night, though Fox News Digital’s sources said conservatives could still coalesce around someone. DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE Instead, Johnson’s GOP critics could seek a recorded vote where they could either simply vote against his candidacy for speaker or write another name in via secret ballot, Fox News Digital was told. The discord comes as President-elect Donald Trump plans to address House Republicans on Wednesday morning ahead of their leadership races, two other sources familiar with planning told Fox News Digital. Several GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital were frustrated that the public chaos that permeated the 118th Congress could once again rear its head – this time, when Republicans were poised to control all the levers of power in Washington. “Frankly, I am tired of the instigators. I am tired of the conflict for the sake of conflict-type nonsense that happened last session,” Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. Asked if lawmakers who help lead that charge should face consequences, Murphy said, “Absolutely. You can put that with an exclamation mark.” JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ Another GOP lawmaker said they were concerned about whether such a protest would lead to another messy House floor fight over the speakership, similar to the 15 rounds of voting ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., faced nearly two years ago. “What would worry me is if they’re willing to take that battle to the floor again. That’s where it doesn’t serve any kind of positive purpose at that point,” that lawmaker said. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, posted on X, “Enough is enough with the unserious political games – we have work to do.” Others who have criticized Johnson in the past – like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. – signaled little appetite for supporting a challenger against Johnson, particularly if Trump backs the speaker on Wednesday morning. The Hill was first to report that House Freedom Caucus members were seeking a challenger to Johnson.
Delhi-NCR: Smog envelopes city as AQI remains in ‘very poor’ category for 15th consecutive day, mercury to drop from…
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital remained in ‘very poor’ category for the 15th consecutive day on Wednesday, i.e., November 13.
Chennai Rain Alert: Heavy showers expected today, IMD issues warning to 11 districts
Chennai is expected to have a maximum temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius, with the minimum temperature likely ranging between 24 and 25 degrees Celsius.
Rick Scott gains new Senate endorsements out of candidate forum on eve of leader election
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., earned two more endorsements following what Republican senators described as a wide-ranging discussion with the three candidates to succeed outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. According to Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who held the leader candidate forum, the issues that Scott, Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, were asked about included those that were procedural, substantive and policy-related — such as the debt deficit and illegal immigration. The senators were also prompted on how closely they would work with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Lee, who endorsed Scott before even exiting the meeting, said that the Florida senator is “a little more aligned with the president’s agenda.” JOHN THUNE SNAGS 2 MORE ENDORSEMENTS IN COMPETITIVE GOP LEADER RACE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL And while he doesn’t think Thune or Cornyn would “deliberately” seek to cause friction with Trump, he noted that “past can be prologue in some ways.” Lee’s comment was presumably in reference to Thune’s once-fractured relationship with Trump, which he has since worked to repair. Thune left the forum expressing satisfaction with the discussion, telling reporters there were “lots of good questions.” When asked if he had a sense of the level of support behind him, the South Dakota Republican said, “you never know until the voters vote.” DEM REP RUBEN GALLEGO BEATS KARI LAKE IN BATTLE FOR ARIZONA SENATE SEAT Scott also notched the backing of Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., directly following the forum. She endorsed him after asking the senators multiple questions, including “how they would give conservatives a more meaningful voice in the Senate and for specific details as to how they would immediately implement President Trump’s mass deportation operation,” a source familiar told Fox News Digital. Another Scott-endorser, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who was the first to back him last week, was particularly pleased with the meeting. “Regardless of the outcome, I think just that meeting alone is going to forge a better leader — whoever the conference likes,” he told reporters. PUBLIC PRESSURE CAMPAIGN BOOSTING RICK SCOTT COULD FALL FLAT WITH SENATE GOP COLLEAGUES, STRATEGISTS SAY He further claimed one of the newly elected incoming senators was so impressed by the meeting that they said, “This is why I came here to have this kind of quality discussion.” But not everyone was impressed by the Florida Republican. “Scott’s remarks didn’t do much to impress or sway members,” one source with knowledge told Fox News Digital. “He focused more on his time as a businessman instead of priorities for the Senate.” A Thune endorser, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Fox News’ Chad Pergram that he thought “there’s a possibility” that someone could reach a majority of 27 votes on the first secret ballot. TRUMP ALLIES BACK RICK SCOTT IN GOP SENATE LEADER RACE AS THEY LOOK TO INFLUENCE SECRET BALLOT Mullin also claimed Trump “could come in at the hour of the election.” The president-elect is slated to be on Capitol Hill Wednesday, the same day as the leader election, to meet with GOP lawmakers. Scott is publicly endorsed by additional Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Cornyn is supported by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Thune has the backing of Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and John Hoeven, R-N.D. Many senators have not said who they will be voting for. The elections begin at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Republican Gabe Evans wins Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, beating incumbent Yadira Caraveo
Republican challenger Gabe Evans has defeated Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, one of the nation’s most closely watched races, according to the Associated Press. Evans previously served in the U.S. Army and Colorado Army National Guard as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot and company commander. In addition to his service in the military, Evans, a first-term state representative from Fort Lupton, also served as an Arvada police officer for more than a decade. COLORADO AIRBNB HOST FACES $16K IN DAMAGES AFTER SUSPECTED MIGRANT GANG MEMBERS ‘DESTROY’ PROPERTY Former President Trump gave Evans his “Complete and Total Endorsement” earlier this year, writing in a post to Truth Social, “A decorated Army helicopter pilot and police officer, Gabe will be an INCREDIBLE Fighter in Congress and will work hard to Grow the Economy, Lower Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, Defend the Border, Promote American Energy, and Support our Great Military and Police.” Caraveo, a pediatrician, campaigned hard on abortion access and associated Evans with the policies and rhetoric of Trump. COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE SITE ‘IMPROPERLY’ DISPLAYED PARTIAL PASSWORDS FOR VOTING SYSTEMS Immigration was a key issue during the campaign in a district that’s nearly 40% Latino and was expected to play a pivotal role in determining which party controls Congress. Caraveo was one of 211 Democrats who voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023. That measure, which passed in the House, would have expanded the type of crimes that make someone ineligible for asylum, limited the eligibility to those who arrive at ports of entry, mandated a system similar to the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system and created additional penalties for visa overstay. Caraveo was also one of the many House Democrats who voted against a GOP-led effort in the House to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. During her previous tenure in the Colorado state House of Representatives, Caraveo joined other Democrats from across the nation to send a letter urging the Biden administration to relax immigration rules and “divest from immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and CBP.” Colorado’s 8th District comprises most of Adams County, a large portion of Weld County, and part of Larimer County north of downtown Denver. Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris contributed to this report
Republican David Valadao wins re-election to US House in California’s 22nd Congressional District
Incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao won re-election to the U.S. House in California’s 22nd Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. The highly contested race was considered to be a tossup. Republican Gabe Evans was also declared the winner in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District on Tuesday night. Valadao and Evans’ victories now put the GOP two wins away from a majority in the House. The breakdown currently stands at: 216 Republicans to 206 Democrats. There are still 13 races to be called as of Tuesday evening. The congressional race was a high-stakes rematch between Valadao and Democratic challenger Rudy Salas. Valadao, who has represented the district since 2013 – except for one term from 2019-21 – is one of the few Republicans to have survived in a largely Democratic-leaning district the last few years. The district also has more registered Democrats than Republicans. REMATCH SET BETWEEN GOP REP. VALADAO, DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER IN BATTLEGROUND CALIFORNIA DISTRICT Valadao is known for his moderate positions that sometimes go against the more conservative wing of his party. He voted to impeach former President Trump, which made him both a target of Trump allies and a key figure for Democrats seeking to flip the seat. Salas, a former state assemblyman, sought to unseat Valadao after narrowly losing in 2022. Salas, who has strong ties to labor unions and the state’s agricultural workers, has aimed to mobilize the electorate in CA-22’s majority-Latino district, which encompasses parts of California’s Central Valley. The 22nd District has faced significant challenges, including water shortages, illegal immigration issues and economic concerns. Both candidates boast deep local roots. In 2022, Valadao beat Salas by less than 4,000 votes.