India strongly condemned civilian deaths: PM Modi on Hamas-Israel conflict
Prime Minister Modi also referred to his recent phone conversation with the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas last month.
PM Modi terms deepfakes as one of ‘biggest threats’, cites his morphed Garba video
Prior to prime minister’s morphed Garba video, there has also been a series of deep fake videos on social media with morphed faces of actors Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif and Kajol.
‘Congress punctured tyres of PM Modi’s vehicle now…’: Rahul Gandhi ahead of Telangana polls
Further, hitting out at All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Rahul Gandhi accused the party of contesting the elections on the ‘behest of the BJP’.
Biden admin launches investigation into top universities over antisemitism, Islamophobia
The Biden administration launched an investigation late Thursday into six top U.S. universities and one local school district over alleged antisemitic and anti-Muslim discrimination. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said in an announcement that five of the complaints launched Thursday evening allege antisemitic harassment while the other two allege anti-Muslim harassment. The list of schools include three Ivy League colleges — University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and Cornell University — in addition to Lafayette College, Wellesley College, Cooper Union and the Maize Unified School District in Kansas. “Hate has no place in our schools, period,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “When students are targeted because they are — or are perceived to be — Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn.” “These investigations underscore how seriously the Biden-Harris Administration, including the U.S. Department of Education, takes our responsibility to protect students from hatred and discrimination,” Cardona continued. MIT FACES BACKLASH FOR NOT EXPELLING ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS OVER ‘VISA ISSUES’: ‘WHO IS IN CHARGE?’ Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon added that the agency recognizes the “fear students and school communities experience as hate proliferates in schools.” Thursday’s announcement comes amid an uptick in anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses nationwide in the aftermath of Hamas militants’ surprise attack on innocent Israeli civilians on Oct. 7. Several protests have turned violent and Jewish students have reported feeling fearful attending classes or walking on campus. “We have received the letter from the Department of Education and look forward to cooperating fully with the Department,” a University of Pennsylvania spokesperson said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “The University is taking clear and comprehensive action to prevent, address, and respond to antisemitism, with an action plan anchored in the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.” “President Magill has made clear antisemitism is vile and pernicious and has no place at Penn; the University will continue to vigilantly combat antisemitism and all forms of hate,” they added. DOZENS OF PRO-PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHAPTERS CELEBRATE ATTACK ON ISRAEL: ‘NOT UNPROVOKED’ Alleged antisemitism on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks has led to multiple high-profile donors halting their giving to the school. And earlier this month, the school notified the FBI of threatening messages its staff members received targeting the university’s Jewish community. Columbia and Cornell, the two other Ivy League colleges on the Education Department’s list, declined to comment. “On Thursday morning, Nov. 16, the College received notification from the OCR of this complaint,” Lafayette College spokesperson Scott Morse told Fox News Digital. “We do not know why the OCR decided to include the College in this investigation. To the contrary, as recently as last week, students of differing views shared a peaceful gathering on campus to honor all those who have died in the recent violence in the Middle East.” “This event was typical of how our campus community has acted with care and kindness during this time,” he said. “The College maintains a firm stance against antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate speech of any kind. The College is cooperating and will continue to cooperate fully with the DOE in their investigation.” UPENN DONOR YANKS FINANCIAL SUPPORT OVER SCHOOL’S ‘UNWILLINGNESS TO CALL OUT EVIL’ AFTER HAMAS ATTACK A Wellesley College spokesperson said in a statement that it was informed by the Education Department that it was under investigation as a result of a complaint filed last month by two large Jewish student groups. On Oct. 19, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the Jewish on Campus organization requested a federal civil rights investigation into an alleged antisemitic email that was blasted to students. The Boston Globe reported that, after college administrators met with those responsible for the email, a subsequent apology was sent to students. However, one of the students responsible later said the apology was only made because administrators had “a gun to her head.” “Wellesley was recently notified by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that it will be conducting a review into the complaint filed by the Brandeis Center,” Wellesley College said in a statement. “OCR is a neutral agency tasked with ensuring that higher education institutions are complying with the law; OCR’s decision to investigate does not presume that Wellesley has violated any federal civil rights laws.” “Wellesley responded quickly and decisively to the incident involving student leaders in a residence hall detailed in the Brandeis Center complaint and has shared its response in multiple communications to our community, while making clear antisemitism has no place at Wellesley,” it continued. “The Brandeis Center complaint also refers to a teach-in in which several Wellesley faculty shared historical context and perspective on the Israel/Palestine conflict with students.” NYU LAW STUDENT WHO DEFENDED HAMAS’ TERROR ATTACK REFUSES TO SAY IF SHE HAS EMPATHY FOR ‘BRUTALIZED’ ISRAELIS “Reports from faculty who participated in the teach-in do not support these allegations. We welcome OCR’s review of both these matters,” it concluded. “Wellesley has been committed to addressing issues of antisemitism on our campus and will continue to work to create an environment that supports free expression and rejects all forms of hate and discrimination.” And the Maize Unified School District, a local public school district headquartered in Maize, Kansas, confirmed it received notification of the investigation, but wasn’t aware of specific allegations. “Maize USD 266 can confirm that the district received an email from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights at 6:38 p.m. on Nov. 16,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “A copy of the complaint was not provided to Maize USD 266 by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, so we are unable to make any further comment regarding this matter.” “Maize USD 266 takes allegations of discrimination seriously and is committed
Senate, House headed for showdown over defense bill
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., succeeded in his efforts this week to call a formal House-Senate conference to come to an agreement on the military defense bill also known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), his office said Thursday. Wicker’s victory, reportedly discussed behind closed doors, comes as the Senate also passed the House’s government spending patch to extend the deadlines to January and February. The conference will likely be sometime after Thanksgiving, a Wicker aide told Fox News Digital. The aide also said if the conference process hadn’t started this week, “it wouldn’t have happened this year” due to other priorities. SENATE GREENLIGHTS MILITARY DEFENSE SPENDING BILL, PAVING WAY FOR HIGH-STAKES CLASH WITH GOP-LED HOUSE “Then the senator heard from several of his colleagues that that was something that they were not OK with it,” the aide said. Wicker, the leading Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, considered Thursday morning one of his last chances to trigger a meeting between the two chambers to finalize one package. The Senate approved its version of the annual military defense bill with bipartisan support in July in an 86-11 vote, granting authorization for $886 billion over the next year to bolster national defense right before the chamber’s five-week August recess. ONLY 4 DEMS VOTE WITH GOP TO PASS DEFENSE POLICY BILL ROLLING BACK ABORTION POLICY, ‘WOKE’ INITIATIVES Notably, in the Senate’s passage of the policy, military personnel will see a 5.2% pay increase, $9.1 billion to foster competitiveness with China, investments in advancing military drone technology and $300 million in aid to Ukraine. The Senate’s bill avoids addressing the issues of abortion and transgender services. However, it does acknowledge the concerns expressed by Republicans about what they call an excessive influence of progressive policies within the Pentagon. As such, Senate Republicans were able to get provisions in the policy that prevent mandating the inclusion of preferred pronouns in official correspondence as well as a halt on diversity quota hires. UNLIKELY GROUP OF SENATE REPUBLICANS TEAM UP ON AMENDMENT TO AUDIT UKRAINE SPENDING IN DEFENSE BILL Coming to an agreement on a package will prove to be a messy feat as the two chambers are worlds apart. Just two weeks prior to the Senate’s passage, the House approved its version of the bill, which incorporated several Republican amendments aimed at dismantling the Pentagon’s abortion policy for service members seeking procedures out of state as well as restricting transgender-affirming treatments. President Biden has previously indicated he would not sign a package filled with hard-line GOP priorities like what’s included in the House’s version.
Experts raise alarm after Biden strikes agreement with China to shut down fossil fuels
U.S. energy experts are warning of the economic and national security implications of President Biden’s pact with China this week to move towards shutting down fossil fuel production in favor of green energy. The State Department announced this week it had struck a deal with its Chinese counterparts pledging to “accelerate the substitution for coal, oil and gas generation” with green energy sources like wind and solar power. The nations, which account for nearly half of global greenhouse gas emissions, also agreed to “deepen policy exchanges” on reducing carbon emissions in various sectors, like power, industry, buildings and transportation, across their economies. But the agreement — in which the nations further pledged to “sufficiently accelerate renewable energy deployment in their respective economies through 2030” — was criticized over its potential impact on U.S. consumers. Experts also noted that China has rarely followed through on international accords and stands to financially benefit from such an agreement since it controls much of the world’s green energy supply chain. “The agreement speaks heavily about advancing — doubling down and tripling down on renewables, wind and solar. The majority of them are made in China,” Daniel Turner, the founder and executive director of Power The Future, told Fox News Digital in an interview. JOHN KERRY’S SECRET CCP NEGOTIATIONS PROBED BY GOP OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN “So, you’re basically writing an agreement that guarantees China a customer and guarantees their manufacturing sector decades of purchasing. Of course China would love this agreement. And their obligations — they’ll just ignore that. They’ve ignored every other obligation,” Turner added. “It is basically guaranteeing China decades of wealth, guaranteeing America is going to buy their products.” In addition, the U.S. and China pledged under the agreement Tuesday to each advance five large-scale carbon capture, utilization and storage projects by the end of the decade. Carbon capture is a nascent and expensive technology that is designed to catch a power plant’s emissions before they could enter the atmosphere, but it hasn’t been deployed at any power plant nationwide. CHINESE TECH COMPANIES ARE EXPLOITING US GREEN ENERGY GOALS, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WARN The agreement was finalized during Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s meeting with Chinese Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua in Sunnylands, California, last week. And it came shortly before Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco. “The cooperative initiatives outlined by State Department will create make-work for bureaucrats, subsidies for rent-seekers, photo ops for local politicians, and new opportunities for Chinese agents of influence and industrial spies,” Competitive Enterprise Institute senior fellow Marlo Lewis told Fox News Digital. “The effect on climate change, if any, will be negative, as the ‘cooperation’ will nudge the United States closer to Beijing-style central planning, production quotas, and groupthink,” he continued. Overall, while the U.S. is the largest global producer of oil and gas which still drives every major industry from transportation and power to manufacturing and construction, Chinese companies have established a major foothold in green energy markets. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), for example, China produces about 75% of all lithium-ion batteries, a key component of electric vehicles (EV), worldwide. The nation also boasts 70% of production capacity for cathodes and 85% for anodes, two key parts of such batteries. DEM, GOP REPS RAISE ALARM THAT BIDEN ADMIN LOOKING OTHER WAY ON SOLAR INDUSTRY’S ALLEGED FORCED LABOR TIES In addition, more than 50% of lithium, cobalt and graphite processing and refining capacity is located in China, the IEA data showed. Those three critical minerals, in addition to copper and nickel, are vital for EV batteries and other green energy technologies. Chinese investment firms have also been aggressive in purchasing stakes in African mines in recent years to ensure a firm control over mineral production. China also continues to dominate the global solar supply chain even as Western nations attempt to increase domestic manufacturing capabilities. According to a July 2022 IEA report, China has a greater than 80% share in all the manufacturing stages of solar panel manufacturing. China further produces a staggering 95% of all global polysilicon, ingot and wafer supplies necessary for solar products. “After ESG extremists like Larry Fink met with Chinese Dictator Xi Jinping this week, the Biden Administration reaffirmed its commitment to China to push climate policies that will effectively destroy the U.S. energy industry in favor of green energy initiatives that rely on China’s production of solar panels and batteries,” Will Hild, the executive director of Consumers’ Research, an advocacy group, told Fox News Digital. “Consumers are fed up with EV mandates, gas appliance bans, and other climate initiatives the Biden Administration continues to peddle,” he said. “Clearly climate alarmism remains a higher priority to President Biden than ensuring American consumers have access to affordable energy and consumer goods. Consumers’ Research will continue to call out these ideologically-driven policies that hurt American consumers while helping the Chinese Communist Party.” CCP-BACKED TECH COMPANIES ARE POISED TO CASH IN ON BIDEN’S CLIMATE BILL, NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS WARN While China has established a stranglehold of green energy supply chains, it has also led a massive expansion of coal power to sustain its massive economy. In 2022, the nation permitted a whopping 106 gigawatts of new coal power capacity, roughly quadrupling the amount permitted in 2021, an analysis published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and Global Energy Monitor showed. According to the American Geosciences Institute, burning coal produces more carbon emissions compared to burning any other fossil fuel. Coal power can have as much as twice the carbon footprint as natural gas. China already accounts for about 27% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Rhodium Group. The nation’s emissions output is equivalent to triple the total of the U.S., which is the world’s second-largest emitter. BIDEN’S AMBITIOUS EV PLANS COULD MAKE US MORE DEPENDENT ON CHINESE SUPPLY CHAINS, EXPERTS WARN “The Sunnylands agreement is nothing more than political sop from Communist China to try
Biden admin says it can revoke visas of Hamas supporters as Republicans urge action
The Biden administration has confirmed that it has the authority to revoke the visas of foreign nationals who are living in the U.S. but who support terrorist groups such as Hamas – just as Republicans are urging the government to crack down on pro-Hamas foreigners. In a letter to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the State Department confirmed that Hamas is a designated foreign terrorist organization and that the State Dept. has the power to revoke visas. “The Department of State also has broad authority under the [Immigration and Nationality Act] to revoke visas,” the agency said. “We exercise the authority when there is information or evidence indicating a visa holder may be ineligible for a U.S. visa.” Additionally, it said that when it receives “derogatory information” indicating ineligibility, it takes “immediate action” which can include revocation of visas. GOP LAWMAKERS CALL FOR PRO-HAMAS STUDENT VISA HOLDERS TO BE DEPORTED: ‘NOT WELCOME HERE’ “Even after issuance of a visa, the Department of State works closely with the Department of Homeland Security and other partner agencies to ensure every visa applicant is continuously screened to ensure they remain eligible for travel to the United States,” it told Rubio. The department also said it “shares your outrage regarding Hamas’ brutal attack against the State of Israel and its citizens.” “State Department confirms they have the power to revoke the visas of Hamas supporters and deport them. Now they need to do it,” Rubio said in response. Additionally, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the department has broad authority to revoke visas “when there is any indication that an applicant poses a threat to U.S. national security, including when the applicant is potentially ineligible for a visa under any of the INA’s security-related grounds of ineligibility.” “For example, the Department uses that revocation authority if there is reason to suspect that an individual has provided material support to a foreign terrorist organization,” they said. “Maintaining robust screening standards for visa applicants is a dynamic practice that must adapt to emerging threats,” they said. ” We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes and to support legitimate travel and immigration to the United States while protecting U.S. citizens.” As for whether any visas have been revoked, the spokesperson said that visa records are confidential under U.S. law and it therefore cannot discuss specific visa cases. “National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications,” the agency said. Those answers come a week after Rubio quizzed DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the matter, noting language in statute that those who espouse terrorist views are to be denied visas. Mayorkas said that espousing or supporting terrorist activisty could be the basis for the revocation and deportation of an individual. “I think it makes sense that if you can’t get a visa because you espouse terrorist views or endorse terrorist views, then if you have a visa and you do that while a visitor, we’re talking about visitors to the United States, that visa should be canceled,” Rubio said. DOZENS OF PRO-PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHAPTERS CELEBRATE ATTACK ON ISRAEL: ‘NOT UNPROVOKED’ “I would agree,” Mayorkas responded. The agreement puts the Biden administration on the same page as many Republicans, who have urged the government to revoke visas if foreign nationals have espoused pro-Hamas views. The issue has been zeroed in on by some lawmakers in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, which has led some to call for greater restrictions on both illegal immigration and legal immigration as a consequence. Nineteen lawmakers last month wrote to the administration calling specifically for the revocation of student visas from those involved in protests that glorify the terror group. “Foreign students contribute much to our society, but individuals who advocate terrorist violence against civilians are not welcome here. If a visa was issued before DHS uncovers evidence of a visa-holder’s ineligibility under INA s.212(a)(3)B), in the interest of national security, the individual in question should immediately have their visa revoked and face expedited deportation proceedings,” they say. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rubio has also led a resolution calling for the government to “revoke visas and initiate deportation proceedings for any foreign national who has endorsed or espoused the terrorist activities of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah,” or other terrorist groups. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was blasted this week after its administrators acknowledged the university stopped short of expelling anti-Israel student protesters because of “visa issues.”
Could evangelical leader’s endorsement upend Trump’s massive lead before Iowa’s caucus?
With less than two months to go until the Iowa caucuses, former President Donald Trump remains the commanding front-runner in the state that leads off the Republican presidential nomination calendar. But a prominent social conservative leader in Iowa — a state where evangelical voters play an outsized role in Republican politics — said he believes Trump is still beatable. “You’re seeing the field naturally coalesce. It’s getting smaller and smaller,” Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, a politically active and influential social conservative group, told Fox News Digital as he pointed to the winnowing of the 2024 GOP presidential field. Noting that the former president’s under 50% support in the latest polls in Iowa, Vander Plaats predicted that Trump’s backing might be as low as 35% by the time of the Jan. 15 caucuses. TRUMP, DESANTIS OR HALEY – WHO BENEFITS AS TIM SCOTT DROPS OUT OF THE RACE? “There’s definitely a shot that the former president can be beat here,” he argued. Vander Plaats, who’s likely to endorse one of Trump’s rivals in the coming weeks, was interviewed on the eve of Friday’s Family Leader presidential Thanksgiving forum. Joining Vander Plaats for what’s being described as a “family discussion” will be Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramawamy. Haley and DeSantis are currently battling for a distant second place behind Trump. WITH NINE WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE FIRST VOTES IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE, THIS CANDIDATE REMAINS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT Trump was also invited to Friday’s forum, but is not attending. He also skipped the Family Leader’s summit in July, which attracted nearly the entire field of presidential contenders. Vander Plaats, who’s long had a rocky relationship with Trump and who has argued that it’s time for new conservative leadership, said that the former president’s “absence communicates a lot to our base.” “It’s a forum he’d want to take advantage of and remind our base of all the good things he did while he was president,” he said. Vander Plaats reiterated that his likely endorsement “will be sometime after the forum and before Christmas.” While there’s the possibility that the endorsement could come from the Family Leader, Vander Plaats said “my guess is…it’s a personal endorsement and not a ministry endorsement.” And he said that his support would be much more than a one-day announcement, emphasizing that “I’ll do whatever I can to make the endorsement stick and see what happens.” FORMER GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE URGES SOME REMAINING CONTENDERS TO FOLLOW HIS FOOTSTEPS In a major boost for DeSantis, who has staked his campaign on winning in Iowa, the Florida governor landed the endorsement earlier this month of Gov. Kim Reynolds, who’s very popular among Hawkeye State Republicans. Reynolds’ backing helped DeSantis alter a negative narrative. Vander Plaats, who has repeatedly showed praise for DeSantis this year, said the Reynolds endorsement of the Florida governor “will weigh in on my discernment. But that won’t make my endorsement.” Vander Plaats backed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania in 2012, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in 2016 — all three of whom went on to win the Iowa caucuses, but failed to capture the GOP presidential nomination. Ahead of Friday’s forum, Trump’s political allies have dismissed the importance of a Vander Plaats endorsement. A recent memo from veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who among other things conducts surveys for the Trump-aligned super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., argued that a Vander Plaats endorsement would have “no significant impact” on the caucuses. Pointing to polling he conducted in September, Fabrizio charged that “while the DeSantis camp will try and spin that a Vander Plaats endorsement will revive their sputtering and shrinking campaign, cold hard data tells a much different story.” Asked about the criticism, Vander Plaats told Fox News “my endorsement means one vote. Beyond that, we’ll see what happens.” But he added “I think their obsession with my endorsement probably would indicate that they’re more fearful of it than they should be.” Trump’s allies also call into question $95,000 in payments earlier this year from the DeSantis campaign, and a super PAC and nonprofit group aligned with the Florida governor, to the Family Leader. The funds paid for three pages of ads for the campaign and the aligned groups in a booklet distributed by the Family Leader at their July presidential forum, which drew some 2,000 social conservative Iowans. The big question going forward is whether the Reynolds backing of DeSantis and the pending endorsement by Vander Plaats can make a dent in Trump’s commanding lead over the rest of the field. Nicole Schlinger, a longtime Iowa-based strategist with close ties to evangelicals, argued that endorsements only go so far. “I think what matters more to Iowa caucus goers than anything is meeting with the candidates and getting their questions answered about their policy positions,” she told Fox News. “Endorsements, whether it’s the Governor or Bob Vander Plaats, can shine a light on the campaign, and then it’s up to the candidate to seal the deal.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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